Jewkes

Snowball Fight

2012-01-28T07:03:00.001-08:00

Troy has been working diligently on making a fort for the ultimate snowball fight with the kids. There are many challenges that come with a project like this. The first challenge that he faced was finding some snow clothes.

As it seems the women’s size 8 snow suit that our neighbor’s gave us wouldn’t keep all the snow out.

The next challenge he had to overcome was figuring out a way to get the snow to pack together. To his dismay the snow in our yard in no way resembles the Utah snow that he grew up knowing and loving. So he had to get a little creative in order to turn the icy fluff into packing snow. He would send the kids into the house with orders for things like a spray bottle, a bowl, a pitcher of water, the toy bucket, and a wagon.

Sorry I didn’t get a picture of that.

His third and final challenge, he has yet to overcome.

Finding a a worthy opponent.

Snowmobiling

2012-01-25T09:25:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday we were invited to a birthday party for a friend in the ward. They asked us to come enjoy the snow with their snowmobiles and sleds. They even had a children’s snowmobile which was a lot of fun for the kids. We had a really fun time.

The funniest part of the story though was just trying to find their house. It was Me, Rachelle and the six kids we have between us in my 7 passenger van. We were about halfway there (they live about 35 min. from our house) when I realized I forgot my phone and I didn’t have an address or anything. Neither of us had ever been there and neither of us had a phone for GPS purposes or calling for directions. All we knew was that she said they lived behind the school. Okay so we got into town and the junior high is right off the main road so we checked all around that without luck. Then we saw a sign for the high school down another road so we took that route only to fail again. So I turned around to head back to the main road not knowing what exactly we were going to do at this point when suddenly I see flashing lights that we all know to be bad news. So I pulled over and as the officer was coming to my door Rachelle reminded me that the guy who’s house we are going to use to be a cop. So when he got to my window the conversation went like this.

Officer: “Looks like you’ve got a full house in here.”

Me (gulp): “yea…um… we are actually going sledding.”

Officer: “Well, the reason I pulled you over is because you were going 47 in a 35 the limit changed about half a mile back.”

Me:"I am sorry I didn’t realize it had changed, we are a little lost. We are actually looking for the ____’s house you might actually know them. Don’t you?”

Officer(now smiling): “Yes I do know him, but I can’t tell you where he lives. But I can tell you where a good sledding hill is.”

Me: “No, they are actually expecting us at their house for the birthday party so thanks anyway.”

Rachelle (brilliantly piping in over my shoulder): “Can you tell us where the Elementary school is?”

At this point he must have realized that we were actually invited over to his house and that this minivan full of 2 moms and 6 kids probably didn’t have plans to viciously terrorize a former police officer. So he took mercy on us and proceeded to tell us how to get there. I was thankfully blessed to have gotten directions and thankfully blessed to have gotten out of a couple of serious tickets. (speeding and too many kids in the car) It is the first time an officer has ever had mercy on me so maybe the old saying is true. It’s who you know.

Inspired by Pinterest

2012-01-23T09:35:00.001-08:00

I found the most delicious looking chocolate chip cookie dough truffles on pinterest and I couldn’t wait to try them. So I spent my Sunday afternoon dutifully following the recipe.

Ya that’s the same.

One of them Days

2012-01-21T13:09:00.001-08:00

It's just one of those days that a girl goes through
When I'm angry inside,
Don't wanna take it out on you.
Just one of them things.
Don't take it personal.
I just wanna be all alone
And I you think I treat you wrong.
Don't take it personal

~ Monica

Stay on the Course

2012-01-19T19:09:00.001-08:00

Golf Course that is.

For mutual the other night we had the girls all bring things to make a miniature golf hole and then we played the course. Each class made a hole full of obstacles and the leaders made a whole with the Temple at the end. We told the girls that in order to make it to the Temple, they need to stay the course. And that they will face many obstacles along the way, but it is important to get back on course and find yourself in the Temple doors someday. Then we served some cupcakes.

Confession

2012-01-17T11:44:00.001-08:00

I sometimes associate the days of the week with colors.

Monday is Red

Tuesday is Blue

Wednesday is Orange

Thursday is Purple

Friday is Pink

Saturday is Green

Sunday is Yellow

I know that on the Calendar Sunday is the first day of the week but I feel like it is the last day of the week because everything starts over on Monday.

So being that yesterday was MLK day and the kids didn’t have school, it didn’t feel at all like a Red day and since today is like Monday and Tuesday mixed, it sort of feels like Red and Blue, but that makes purple which would be Thursday. So is tomorrow Friday?

Confession: I am discombobulated.

Handout

2012-01-13T16:01:00.001-08:00

Visiting teaching handout for January.

Mommy Wow…

2012-01-09T11:34:00.001-08:00

Mouths of Babes

2012-01-05T12:35:00.001-08:00

A few days ago Troy turned the TV on to check on the bowl games. Utah was playing Georgia Tech and Utah was in the lead by 7. In reaction to this terrible realization Troy and I shouted out in disgust and in unison, “UTAH?”

Michael obviously thought we were talking to him because he immediately turned around and said in defense, “I did not Tah!”

2011

2012-01-01T16:10:00.001-08:00

If you had to sum up 2011 in just one word what would it be?

For me: Growth

Just Dance 3

2011-12-31T15:08:00.001-08:00

A little bit of Christmas Morning

2011-12-28T12:27:00.001-08:00

We had a very merry Christmas! I hope you all did too.

12th Day of Christmas

2011-12-26T10:30:00.001-08:00

America – Our family

On Christmas Eve we have always had a party that involves a lot of food and family and friends. During that party a visitor comes. Good ole Saint Nick with a present for us to open that night. You better believe that it is always a brand new pair of PJ’s. Then some years we have put together a pageant to act out the Nativity Scene. This is only our second year doing Christmas at our own house so we really miss seeing a lot of our family, but luckily we have my brother’s family here with us and we also invited the missionaries over for the Christmas Eve party. We really had a great time.

My kids have also started a tradition of sleeping in our bedroom on Christmas Eve. I love it, but I have a feeling this won’t last very long.

11th Day of Christmas

2011-12-24T22:02:00.001-08:00

Christmas in Denmark is supposed to be when a mischievous elf called Nisse can have his fun. He is said to live in the lofts of old farmhouses and enjoys playing jokes. He wears gray woolen clothes, a red bonnet, red stockings and white clogs. Families leave him a bowl of rice pudding or porridge on Christmas Eve to keep his jokes within limits. Usually though he is kind and helpful helping out on the farms and being especially good to the children.

Christmas Eve dinner begins with rice pudding that holds a magic almond inside. Whoever finds the almond receives a prize. They then have goose, red cabbage and browned potatoes. After that lots of pastries and cakes.

The Danish tradition is the Christmas plate. This was a tradition in the early days where rich Danes gave plates biscuits and fruit as presents to their servants. These plates were the nicest and best kind and were not used for everyday use, this is the reason why they became so collectable.

They take much pride making their own decorations with bright paper, bits of wood and straw. The parents secretly decorate the tree, and children are not permitted to see the tree until dinner on Christmas Eve. The tree is then lit up and families gather around to sing carols and hymns.

Each Sunday in Advent, guests are invited to join in the lighting of the candles on the Advent crown. Adults drink a warming mixture of red wine, spices and raisins, and children drink a sweet fruit juice, like strawberry. Everybody eats small cakes of batter which have been cooked over the fire in a special pan, and dusted with icing sugar.

Troy is like our little mischievous elf. He is always teasing the kids, but he didn’t want to dress up.

10th Day of Christmas

2011-12-23T12:27:00.001-08:00

- Italy

The Christmas season in Italy goes for three weeks, starting 8 days before Christmas known as the Novena. During this period, children go from house to house reciting Christmas poems and singing.

In some parts shepherds bring musical instruments into the villages, play and sing Christmas songs.

A strict fast is observed for 24 hours before Christmas Eve, and is followed by a celebration meal called cenone which is a traditional dish of eel. Then they typically serve a light Milanese cake called panettone as well as chocolate.

The "Urn of Fate" is part of the Christmas celebrations in many Italian households. The Urn of Fate is brought out on Christmas Eve. It holds a wrapped present for everyone. The mother tries her luck first, then the others in turn. If you get a present with your name on it, you keep it; otherwise, you put it back and try again.

At noon on Christmas Day the pope gives his blessing to crowds gathered in the huge Vatican square. Christmas lunch is Tortellini in Brodo which is filled pasta parcels in broth, also served is cappone which is boiled capon, or roasts are served in central Italy.

In Italy the children wait until Epiphany, January 6th, for their presents. According to tradition, the presents are delivered by a kind ugly witch called Befana on a broomstick. It was said that she was told by the three kings that the baby Jesus was born, she was busy and delayed visiting the baby. She missed the Star lost her way and has been flying around ever since, leaving presents at every house with children in case he is there. She slides down chimneys, and fills stockings and shoes with good things for good children and it is said leaves coal for children who are not so good.

9th Day of Christmas

2011-12-22T09:30:00.001-08:00

Most of Australia’s Christmas traditions are the same as ours; however, Christmas in Australia is often very hot. Whereas the northern hemisphere is in the middle of winter, Australians are baking in summer heat. It is not unusual to have Christmas Day near 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

A traditional meal includes a turkey dinner, with ham, and pork. A flaming Christmas plum pudding is added for dessert. In the Australian gold rushes, Christmas puddings often contained a gold nugget. Today a small favor is baked inside. Whoever finds this knows s/he will enjoy good luck. Another treat is Mince Pies.

Some Australians and particularly tourists often have their Christmas dinner at midday on a local beach, Bondi Beach in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs attracts thousands of people on Christmas Day. Other families enjoy their day by having a picnic. If they are at home, the day is punctuated by swimming in a pool, playing Cricket out the backyard, and other outdoor activities.

The warm weather allows Australians to enjoy a tradition which commenced in 1937. Carols by Candlelight is held every year on Christmas Eve, where tens of thousands of people gather in the city of Melbourne to sing their favorite Christmas songs. The evening is lit by as many candles singing under a clean cut night sky. The sky with its Southern Cross stars is like a mirror. Sydney and the other capital cities also enjoy Carols in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Australians surround themselves with Christmas Bush, a native plant which has little red flowered leaves.

Christmas shopping is often done in shorts and t-shirts. At many beaches Santa Claus arrives on a surfboard, or even on a surf lifesaving boat.

8th Day of Christmas

2011-12-21T09:34:00.001-08:00

Bethlehem

In Bethlehem the town where Jesus is said to have been born is the site of the Church of the Nativity, which is ablaze with flags and decorations on every Christmas. On Christmas Eve natives and visitors alike crowd the church's doorways and stand on the roof to watch for the dramatic annual procession. Galloping horsemen and police mounted on Arabian horses lead the parade. They are followed by solitary horseman carrying a cross and sitting astride a coal-black steed, then comes the churchmen and government officials. The procession solemnly enters the doors and places an ancient effigy of the Holy Child in the Church. Deep winding stairs lead to a grotto where visitors find a silver star marking the site of the birth of Jesus.

Christian homes in Bethlehem are marked by a cross painted over the door and each home displays a homemade manger scene. A star is set up on a pole in the village square.

7th Day of Christmas

2011-12-20T08:30:00.001-08:00

Finland

Everybody's house is given a very good clean in readiness for Christmas. Hours are spent in the kitchen cooking and baking special treats for the festive season.

Joulupukki is a Finnish Christmas figure. The name Joulupukki literally means Christmas Goat or Yule Goat. The Finnish word "pukki" comes from the Swedish "bock" (equivalent of the English "buck" or "billy-goat") and is an old Scandinavian tradition. Over time, the figure became more or less merged with Santa Claus.

Today Joulupukki looks and behaves mostly like his American version, but there are differences. Joulupukki's house and workshop are situated in the mountains of Korvatunturi, whereas the American counterpart resides at the North Pole. Another difference is that instead of sneaking in through the chimney during the late night hours, Joulupukki knocks on the front door during the Christmas Eve celebrations. When he comes in, his first words are traditionally "Onkos täällä kilttejä lapsia?" (Are there (any) well-behaved children here?) The children do not put up stockings.

He usually wears warm red clothes, uses a walking stick, and travels in a sleigh pulled by a number of reindeer. Unlike the American version, the reindeer do not fly.

Christmas Day services in the churches begin at six in the morning. It is a day for family visits and reunions. In some parts of the country the Star Boys tour the countryside singing Christmas songs. During all these days the people keep wishing each other a "Merry Yule."

Need I say that I loved celebrating Finland.

5th & 6th Day of Christmas

2011-12-19T09:40:00.001-08:00

5th day was Iraq. I thought it would be neat to learn what their traditions are considering we have had so many Americans living there during Christmas over the years. I am so happy to know that they will all be home with their families this Holiday Season.

In the Christian homes an unusual ceremony is held in the courtyard of the home on Christmas Eve. One of the children in the family reads the story of the Nativity from an Arabic Bible. The other members of the family hold lighted candles, and as soon as the story has been read a bonfire is lit in one corner of the courtyard. The fire is made of dried thorns and the future of the house for the coming year depends upon the way the fire burns. If the thorns burn to ashes, the family will have good fortune. While the fire is burning, a psalm is sung. When the fire is reduced to ashes, everyone jumps over the ashes three times and makes a wish.

On Christmas day a similar bonfire is built in the church. While the fire burns the men of the congregation chant a hymn. Then there is a procession in which the officials of the church march behind the bishop, who carries an image of the infant Jesus upon a scarlet cushion. The long Christmas service always ends with the blessing of the people. The bishop reaches forth and touches a member of the congregation with his hand, putting his blessing upon him. That person touches the one next him, and so on, until all have received "the Touch of Peace."

Apart from this divine tradition followed here, gifts are also a part of the Christmas Eve. Here, Papa Noel, the Iraqi Santa Claus, brings gifts and presents for the kids like Santa Claus in the west. Gifts and greetings are exchanged amongst the families.

We simply had Kaylee read the Nativity Story from the KJV Bible. I guess I must have misplaced my Arabic Bible. TJ was really pushin’ for the bonfire, but that simply didn’t happen. But, it was a good opportunity to go through the scriptural account of the Nativity Scene.

The 6th day of Christmas was France.

Christmas is known as NOEL.

Nearly every French home at Christmastime displays a Nativity scene or crèche, which serves as the focus for the Christmas celebration.

In cathedral squares, the story of Christ's birth is re-enacted by both players and puppets.

The Christmas tree has never been particularly popular in France. The French make a traditional Yule log-shaped cake called the buche de Nol, which means "Christmas Log." The cake, among other food in great abundance is served at the grand feast of the season, which is called le reveillon. Le reveillon is a very late supper held after midnight mass on Christmas Eve. The menu for the meal varies according to regional culinary tradition. In Alsace, goose is the main course, in Burgundy it is turkey with chestnuts, and the Parisians feast upon oysters and pat de foie gras. Le Revellion may consist of poultry, ham, salads, cake, fruit and wine.

In Southern France, a log is burned in people's homes from Christmas Eve until New Years Day. A long time ago, part of the log was used to make the wedge for the plough as good luck for the coming harvest.

Another name for this day is Twelfth Day. It is the last of the Twelve Days of Christmas, which used to be one long holiday. It was the last night of the Feast of Fools before the Lord of Misrule had to give up his crown and become themselves once again.

In France it is a time for the whole family to come together at Christmas time to holiday and worship. On the eve of Christmas beautifully lit churches and cathedrals, ring out Christmas carols with the church bells.

Once dinner is over and the family has retired to bed, they leave a fire burning and food and drink on the table in case the Virgin Mary calls in. Children leave their shoes or wooden clogs called sabots in the hearth for the Christ Child or Pere Noel to fill. In the morning they also find that sweets, fruit, nuts and small toys have been hung on the tree. In the north of France, children are given gifts on December 6, which is St. Nicholas' Day, instead of Christmas Day. The adults give each others’ presents on New Year's Day.

Yule Log Recipe http://www.food.com/recipe/chocolate-christmas-log-cookie-cake-31333

Our Chocolate Log turned out looking a little like a loaf of cinnamon bread, but oh well we had fun trying.

The Grinch and the Meaning of Christmas

2011-12-18T11:50:00.001-08:00

The Grinch from Who-Ville woke up from the night

And to his surprise found a glistening sight

Children were singing, happy you see

But without their presents, how could this be?

And he puzzled three hours till his puzzler was sore

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before

Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.

The Grinch then remembered a story he knew

It was the birth of a baby who isn’t a who

It wasn’t in Who-Ville that this story took place

But it was Bethlehem Joseph did face.

Joseph? Who is he?

A wise man? Maybe one of the three?

No No that wasn’t him you see

Joseph was the father to be.

He searched and searched to give Mary the best

However, instead he found no place to rest.

Joseph and Mary were very distraught.

No one would help them nor give them a cot.

The Innkeepers said the Inns were all full

But as for the Grinch he thought that was bull.

So Joseph thought. He thought and he thought till his thinker thunked.

A manger they found and the donkey kirplunked.

There in the stable were donkeys and sheep

But on that night they weren’t going to sleep

On that night our Savior was born

He was therein a manger, there to adorn.

The night was clear not a cloud in the sky

And Mary was singing a sweet lullaby.

The star shone down bright on the world below

Awaking the shepherds away they did go.

They followed the star in hopes that maybe

They would find Jesus a newborn baby.

When they came upon him he was wrapped up in clothes

These clothes were swaddling because no one yet knows

That this is Jesus their Lord, Savior, and King.

If only they knew great gifts they would bring.

What is that Grinch? Yes, you are right.

Gifts were given, but not on that night.

The wise men, there were three

Got together and did agree

That they must go and find God’s son

And give him gifts for he had none.

They had to travel far to see

This little boy who was no more than three

Jesus our brother gave a gift to you and me

Our Salvation, on the cross in Galilee

So when you shop and shop and you shop till you can shop no more

And there are lights, and tinsel, and presents galore

Don’t be a Grinch. Enjoy the season.

We feel Joy for good reason.

Take a moment to ponder and pray

And celebrate, it’s Jesus’ Birthday.

4th Day of Christmas

2011-12-17T12:35:00.001-08:00

Christmas is called Ganna in Ethiopia

Christmas is a public holiday in Ethiopia. However, it is celebrated on January 7^th because they still follow the ancient Julian calendar. On Ganna everyone dresses in white. Most Ethiopians wear a traditional shamma, a thin, white cotton wrap with brightly colored stripes across the ends. The shamma is worn somewhat like a toga. Everyone goes to the early mass at four o'clock in the morning. Then some children might be given a small gift from family and then they play outdoor sports (that are native to Africa) to celebrate. It is summer at this time so it is usually sunny with flowers blooming.

Usually the wealthy shares a medium sized feast with the poor and a large feast with their family and friends.

Most people usually put up decorations that symbolize something relating to Christmas, like a male infant to represent the birth of Christ, or a small Christmas tree to represent Christmas decorations.

In a celebration that takes place several days later, the priests will dress in turbans and red and white robes as they carry beautifully embroidered fringed umbrellas.

Ganna is typically a holiday for worship, family, and sports.

The kids dressed up in their white shamma and played around. Then Troy taught the kids a little bit about how poor the country is and what life as a child would be like in Ethiopia.

Just in case you are wondering why Michael isn’t in any of these pictures, it is because he has figured out that everyone is distracted and focused on something other than him. So he takes that opportunity to unwrap the presents under the tree, draw on the walls, or sneak a whole bunch of chocolate.

3rd Day of Christmas

2011-12-16T07:11:00.000-08:00

In the mainland of China, December 25 is not a legal holiday. However, it is still designated as a public holiday in Hong Kong and Macau, both former colonies of Western powers with (nominal) Christian cultural heritage.

The Christian children of China decorate trees with colorful ornaments. These ornaments are made from paper in the shapes of flowers, chains and lanterns. They also hang muslin stockings hoping that Christmas Old Man will fill them with gifts and treats.

The Chinese Christmas trees are called "Trees of Light." Santa Claus is called Dun Che Lao Ren which means "Christmas Old Man.".

The non-Christian Chinese call this season the Spring Festival and celebrate with many festivities that include delicious meals and pay respects to their ancestors. The children are the main focus of these celebrations, they receive new clothes and toys, eat delectable food and watch firecrackers displays.

In the mainland, the small percentage of Chinese citizens who consider themselves Christians unofficially, and usually privately, observe Christmas. Many other individuals are beginning to celebrate Christmas-like festivities even though they do not consider themselves Christians. Many customs, including sending cards, exchanging gifts, and hanging stockings are being adopted from the Western celebrations.

In Hong Kong, where Christmas is a public holiday and a major retail period, many buildings facing Victoria Harbour will be decked out in Christmas lights. Christmas trees are found in major malls and other public buildings, and in some homes as well, despite the small living area. Catholics in Hong Kong can attend Christmas Mass.

In honor of the Chinese traditions my kids made paper lantern ornaments.

2nd Day of Christmas

2011-12-15T09:25:00.001-08:00

2^nd Day of Christmas - Germany

Preparing for Christmas usually starts before December 1st. Many Germans set aside special evenings for baking spiced cakes and cookies, and making gifts and decorations.

Germans make beautiful gingerbread houses and cookies. The German Christmas tree pastry, Christbaumgeback, is a white dough that can be molded into shapes and baked for tree decorations.
On December 6th they celebrate Nikolaustag or St. Nikolaus day. This is where they leave a shoe or a boot outside the door on December 5th and the next morning they will find a treat or a small gift, if they were good or a stick if they had been bad.

In parts of Germany, people believe that the Christ Child sends a messenger on Christmas Eve. She appears as an angel in a white robe and crown, bearing gifts. The angel is called Christkind. Children leave letters on their windowsills for Christkind. Sometimes the letters are decorated with glue and sprinkled with sugar to make them sparkle.

There is also a Christmas Eve figure called Weihnachtsmann or Christmas Man, he looks like Santa Claus and also brings gifts.
Some homes in Germany have several Christmas trees, and in all towns across Germany, they can be seen glittering and glowing.
They lay out advent wreaths of Holly with four red candles in the center. They light one candle each Sunday and last on Christmas Eve. Children count the days until Christmas using an Advent calendar. They open one window each day and find a Christmas picture inside. We have adopted the advent calendar tradition from them.
In Germany Catholic boys and girls dress up as kings and carry a star round the village, singing carols. This is done on January 6^th to collect money for donation.

So the kids made Gingerbread houses and I think that they might be able to give Germany run for their money.

I set aside the evening for baking, well not really but I made these delicious Oreo treats and then took them to PTO.

Then before the kids went to bed they made sure to put their shoes by their door in hopes to find a present when they woke up.

12 Days of Christmas

2011-12-14T12:48:00.001-08:00

We are going to celebrate the 12 days of christmas by learning about a different countries traditions each day. Yesterday was the first day and we decided to start with Mexico. I wasn’t able to be here because I had mutual, but Troy did a fantastic job making sure that the kids had a great time. He took the kids outside to act out La Posada. Then they came inside and had a fiesta complete with dancing and Tamales!

Here is what we learned about Christmas in Mexico.

Christmas is called Navidad.

Mexico’s main Christmas celebration is called La Posada, which translates to “the Inns” in Spanish. It is a reenactment of Joseph and Mary’s search for shelter. Neighborhood adults and children will go from house to house looking for shelter. They will be denied shelter by the first two houses and then the third house will let them in. This will be the host house for that night. The hosts dress up like the Innkeepers and they have a Nativity Scene on display. After letting everyone in they will pray and sing around the Nativity Scene. Then they will have a fiesta including a piñata for the children. Traditionally this is done 9 times (once per day) leading up to Navidad.

The Nativity or the Nacimiento is the center of the holiday décor in Mexico. The baby Jesus isn’t added to the scene until Christmas Eve. They also attend a mass service at midnight where they sing lullabies to Jesus.

Some parts of Mexico do not give/receive presents on Christmas.

Other parts of Mexico receive a small present on Christmas from either Santo Clos or El nino Dios (Baby Jesus). Santa Clause is referred to as “Santo Clos.” He may or may not be a part of Navidad depending on their individual beliefs.

Then on January 6^th they have the Merienda de Reyes where they will receive presents from “Los Reyes Magos”(the 3 wisemen). During this celebration they enjoy Tamales, hot chocolate, and Rosca. Hidden inside the Rosca is a plastic figure of Baby Jesus. Whoever gets the figurine in their piece of Rosca will be the host for the final celebration on February 2^nd called the candle mass day. This concludes the Christmas season and they put away the Nativity.

Orange Crush

2011-12-11T23:49:00.001-08:00

Kaylee has completed her first year of Basketball!

She was lucky enough to have her dad as the coach and her little brother be an awesome team manager. I don’t know if any of you have ever watched a third grade girls basketball game, but I have to give Troy some serious recognition for how positive and patient he was with all of these girls.

They had so much fun and I was so proud of Kaylee for how much she learned. The girls started out the season not even knowing what half court meant, let alone traveling but after a few games they started to learn the concept of the game and some great fundamentals. TJ got to practice with them every week and learned a lot as well.

I think my kids have found a new love.

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12 Days of Christmas

2011-12-09T10:08:00.001-08:00

On the first day of Christmas my husband gave to me a little girl cute as can be.

On the second day of Christmas my husband gave to me 2 blue eyed boys, and a little girl cute as can be.

On the third day of Christmas my husband gave to me 3 Children, 2 blue eyed boys, and a little girl cute as can be.

On the fourth day of Christmas my husband gave to me 4 compliments, 3 Children, 2 blue eyed boys, and a little girl cute as can be.

On the fifth day of Christmas my husband gave to me 5 I love yous, 4 compliments, 3 Children, 2 blue eyed boys, and a little girl cute as can be.

On the sixth day of Christmas my husband gave to me 6 awful stretch marks, 5 I love yous, 4 compliments, 3 Children, 2 blue eyed boys, and a little girl cute as can be.

On the seventh day of Christmas my husband gave to me7 sleepless nights, 6 awful stretch marks, 5 I love yous, 4 compliments, 3 Children, 2 blue eyed boys, and a little girl cute as can be.

On the Eighth day of Christmas my husband gave to me 8 shoes a missing, 7 sleepless nights, 6 awful stretch marks, 5 I love yous, 4 compliments, 3 Children, 2 blue eyed boys, and a little girl cute as can be.

On the ninth day of Christmas my husband gave to me a 9 dollar budget, 8 shoes a missing, 7 sleepless nights, 6 awful stretch marks, 5 I love yous, 4 compliments, 3 Children, 2 blue eyed boys, and a little girl cute as can be.

On the tenth day of Christmas my husband gave to me 10 pans for cleaning, 9 dollar budget, 8 shoes a missing, 7 sleepless nights, 6 awful stretch marks, 5 I love yous, 4 compliments, 3 Children, 2 blue eyed boys, and a little girl cute as can be.

On the Eleventh day of Christmas my husband gave to me 11 leaking diapers, 10 pans for cleaning, 9 dollar budget, 8 shoes a missing, 7 sleepless nights, 6 awful stretch marks, 5 I love yous, 4 compliments, 3 Children, 2 blue eyed boys, and a little girl cute as can be.

On the Twelfth day of Christmas my husband gave to me 12 Loads of Laundry, 11 leaking diapers, 10 pans for cleaning, 9 dollar budget, 8 shoes a missing, 7 sleepless nights, 6 awful stretch marks, 5 I love yous, 4 compliments, 3 Children, 2 blue eyed boys, and a little girl cute as can be.

My Reading Group

2011-12-08T13:25:00.001-08:00

I volunteer in TJ’s classroom once a week and I have the opportunity to take a group of the top readers for about 40 minutes each time. We have been working on a readers theatre for the story of Chicken Little and today they got to perform it for all of first grade and for their reading buddies in 4th grade. I love being able to go into the classroom and get a feel for what it is like. TJ has a fantastic teacher and some really great friends!

Advent

2011-12-07T10:33:00.001-08:00

Every morning for the last 7 days, I have woken up to find a subtle change in the house. One small item in the house has been moved. Quietly but distinctively that little tree on the advent stocking mysteriously moves over one spot indicating that it is one day closer to Christmas. Not a word has been spoken about it. In fact I don’t know which one of my kids is doing it or if it is a group effort. But I think the action speaks very loud and clear. Someone is very excited for Christmas. I remember what it felt like watching the calendar and counting down until Christmas. I felt like it would never come. It seemed to take a thousand years to get through one week in December. Oh how that changes as you get older.

Charter Schools?

2011-12-03T09:18:00.001-08:00

There is currently a charter school being built in our area. (and when I say our area I mean within 25 miles.) It is a STEM school which means the focus will be on Science Technology Engineering and Math. I really do want more for my kids than what their current school is offering, so I have been considering this as an option. However, I have little to no experience or knowledge of charter schools. It would be a bit more of a drive for them and I don’t know if I love the idea of making them wear uniforms.

Supposedly the students would frequently work in groups and do a lot of hands on Science and Engineering projects. They would also gain a lot of experience in presentations. I asked Kaylee how she felt about group work and she said that she has never done that before. Nor has she ever had the chance to do a presentation in front of the class. She has never done a report of any kind. Granted she is only in 3rd grade but is this typical? Does that sort of thing not begin until they get older?

What do you know about Charter Schools and would you moms ever send your kids to one?

Mouths of Babes

2011-12-01T07:24:00.001-08:00

“It wasn’t me. It was Master Yoda.”

How About This for News.

2011-11-30T09:17:00.001-08:00

In case you haven’t heard yet. My sister-in-law has some pretty big news.

Yes you guessed it, she is pregnant but it gets even better. Do you see what I see?

I still can’t believe it! I am so excited for her!

Thanksgiving Vacation

2011-11-29T11:48:00.001-08:00

We did something a little untraditional this Thanksgiving. We decided to take a family vacation to a place nearby. So from Wednesday to Sunday we spent our vacation in Seattle. We had a lot of fun just relaxing in the hotel. It was Michael’s birthday on Thanksgiving so we celebrated with cupcakes and presents and then we found a little place that was doing a Thanksgiving Buffet. The best part was that we didn’t have to do any dishes. While we were in Seattle we visited the space needle and there was a surprise visitor there (Santa in a space suit). We also went to IKEA, Pike’s Place Market, and we went swimming a lot. It was so fun to get away and great to spend so much time together.

More from Jewel

2011-11-25T08:59:00.000-08:00

We were born to Love.

~Jewel

Happy! Happy!

2011-11-24T08:56:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today I am especially grateful for my big 3 year old boy.

Happy Birthday Michael!

Troy, TJ, and a roll of Saran Wrap

2011-11-23T08:51:00.000-08:00

Now on to the next victim.

Confession!

2011-11-22T09:32:00.001-08:00

I can’t seem to part with the unmated socks.

I have done all of the laundry in the house and yet there are still socks that don’t have matches.

I want to throw them away, but I just have so much anxiety that the other one will appear somehow.

Elevated Films

2011-11-21T09:55:00.001-08:00

Home videos are priceless. We don’t have very many home videos of when I was growing up, but I love the ones that we do have. I also love watching videos of my kids from just a few short years ago. My newest favorite way to scrapbook my pictures is to put them together in a video. Wedding videos are popular, but I also love having videos of vacations, Birthdays, sporting events, dance recitals, and especially everyday life. I am trying to compile all of my pictures and video clips from each school year so that I can put them together into a video. My kids Love watching themselves.

Ok let’s face it. Most of us don’t have the resources or the talent to do great video editing. That is why you have to check out Elevated Films. They are amazingly talented. Contact them for an individual pricing quote. Especially if you already have pictures or video clips that you want them to edit. Or if you have an event that you want them to come and video, they can do that too.

Check out this cute video clip that they made from a simple 3 year old birthday at the park. It is so cute!

video

Mouths of Babes

2011-11-18T10:12:00.001-08:00

“Dad, Are you leaving?”

“yep”

“Can I go with you?”

“Where do you want to go?”

(Deep Thought)

“I want to go to the Moon.”

Etsy

2011-11-16T09:41:00.001-08:00

We set up an Etsy shop with our wreaths that we made for the craft fair. Check it out!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/expressionsbyhart

What is for Dinner?

2011-11-15T10:37:00.001-08:00

This is a phrase that has grown to really get under my skin. When we lived in civilization where there is a fast food restaurant on every corner, I use to beg to just stay home and eat a home cooked meal. I felt a sense of homemaking type mother of the year when we actually sat around the table and ate dinner together. Now that the closest fast food restaurant is 18 miles away, we eat at home much more than we go out. I no longer feel that sense of accomplishment from simply making dinner. I would now much rather prefer a fend for yourself night, or a trip into town to hit up Taco Bell. Why? Well, part of it is laziness. But for the most part, I am just sick of making the same things over and over. And most of the time when I try a new recipe my family stares at it like it is from outer space. The worst part about it is that this event doesn’t come around just once a year, once a month, or once a week. We are faced with this question every single day! It is like a nightmare from the twilight zone. What’s for dinner? What’s for dinner? What’s for dinner?

Visitors are always Welcome

2011-11-14T09:47:00.001-08:00

My mom and dad came up for a short visit last week. It was really good to see them. My dad has been going through a pretty rough time with his health. He had a real invasive surgery on his neck and also surgery on his shoulder. He has been in ALOT of pain. For a while he couldn’t shave so he is now sporting a pretty white beard. I told him to hang on to it until Christmas was over, but my mom hates it she says it makes him look 20 years older. Well anyway, Mom and Dad thanks for enduring the car ride to come and see us.

First Snow Fall

2011-11-12T09:10:00.001-08:00

A Few Mom Favorites

2011-11-11T07:38:00.001-08:00

Ok moms. Here are two things that I love having for my kids. First thing is The Letter Factory. If you have a pre-school aged kid and don’t own this DVD then your child is missing out. In my opinion it is the funnest most effective teaching aid on the market for letter recognition and learning the sounds of the letters. All three of my kids have loved this movie and it helped them learn the letter sounds as early as 2 years old.

My newest favorite thing is a CD of children’s songs that I can play in the car to keep them entertained. It is by Jewel!

She is my favorite artist. So to have children’s songs that don’t sound like the chipmunks and don’t give me a headache is amazing.

DOTS

2011-11-09T08:48:00.001-08:00

Last night we had our Night of Excellence for the young women. Sheila gave us this great idea to do the theme DOTS. It stands for Depend On The Savior. No one knew what it stood for until they got there and it was all explained in the talks. We did one table representing each of the 8 values and the other table had one side with all the things we depend on everyday in the world like the computer, car keys, food, water, clock, remotes; the other side included things that represent depending on the Savior. Each of the Young Women presented an experience that they worked on from personal progress. Then we had refreshments and gave them a book mark and a box of DOTS. It worked out great. Thank you Sheila for the great idea!

Bonfire

2011-11-08T08:37:00.001-08:00

We have a sweet little lady that lives at the end of our street who is 86 years old. She has been itchin’ to do a Bonfire for a while now. So on Sunday we pulled out our winter gear and went on down there and roasted some hotdogs and marshmallows. She is such an amazing person because she is so full of life for her age. She lives on her own, still drives, and if that isn’t impressive enough she went sky diving last summer.

Crafting…sort of

2011-11-07T08:18:00.001-08:00

Rachelle and I decided to be a vendor for the Elementary school craft fair again. We made wreaths and snowman gift tins.

It turned out that the lady in charge of the layout put our booth in the entry way because she ran out of spaces in the gym and she decided we would be good at greeting everyone. Well, she was right. We greeted everyone, directed traffic, and blocked the bathrooms and we were great at it. No one that came in could even tell that we were a vendor with things for sell. They all thought it was the entry way decor and we were the face for the PTO. Oh well, I think we will get over it. However, Rachelle’s little girl may have been holding a grudge because she decided to pull the fire alarm halfway through the day. Rachelle you might want to teach her that revenge is not the answer.

The best part of the day was our contribution to the bake sale. We went to Krispy Kreme and picked up 50 dozen doughnuts and don’t worry because they all sold.

Christmas Shopping

2011-11-04T09:47:00.001-07:00

I have never been able to figure out the best way to tackle the Holiday Season. Part of me can’t believe that there is even talk about Christmas yet because it seems so far away, but then another part of me thinks it would be so fabulous to be done Christmas shopping before the big rush and then I could actually sit back and enjoy the season. Do any of you do your shopping online? Do you find better prices in stores if you wait until after Thanksgiving? I would LOVE it if you would all comment and tell me how you approach your Holiday shopping.

Someday

2011-11-02T09:39:00.001-07:00

There comes a point in every man’s life, where a decision has to made.

No one can make this decision for him.

He will decide and he will conquer.

Unfortunately, today is not that day.

This is Halloween

2011-11-01T07:53:00.001-07:00

Boys and girls of every age
Wouldn't you like to see something strange?
Come with us and you will see
This, our town of Halloween

Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
In this town we call home
Everyone hail to the pumpkin song.

Fall Fun

2011-10-31T08:00:00.001-07:00

View Full Album

This fall has been beautiful. We actually made it all the way through soccer season without snow, and usually wearing a jacket. Here are a few pictures of the kids at the park with their friends enjoying the leaves.

Mouths of Babes

2011-10-29T07:41:00.001-07:00

The only fast food restaurant that is very close to us is McDonalds. So if we go out to eat that is usually where we go. But yesterday we took a trip to the “big town” and decided to eat lunch at Arby’s. When I handed Michael a Jr. Roast Beef sandwich he looked at it funny then he said, “wow, this is a special burger.”

Maybe they need to get out a little more.

Confession

2011-10-27T08:09:00.001-07:00

We love the new TV series Up All Night.

We’ve seen every episode.

I love this

2011-10-26T07:40:00.001-07:00

A star is a star, it doesn’t have to try to shine.

Water will fall. A bird just knows how to fly.

You don’t have to tell a flower how to bloom

or light how to fill up a room.

You already are what you are

and what you are is beautiful.

~Jewel

What She Said

2011-10-25T07:54:00.001-07:00

Last week we ran our 5k with the young women. It is sad to say but I had never run that far before. The route we chose was actually 3.6 miles, so slightly longer than a 5k, but I felt extremely accomplished afterward. Rachelle did a great job of summing up the whole experience. Go here to read about it.

2011-10-24T08:11:00.001-07:00

More from the Field Trip

2011-10-22T10:31:00.001-07:00

Field Trip

2011-10-21T10:41:00.001-07:00

Troy took the day off yesterday to go with TJ on his school field trip. Needless to say TJ was thrilled. So, Troy and Troy Jr. enjoyed a day at the farm.

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Playing Hooky

2011-10-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

I thought that the golf season was pretty much over, but we have actually had a really great fall so far. So yesterday I got out and played 9 holes with some of my golfing girlfriends for one last hoorah. I actually think that the one on the right looks a lot like my Aunt Terri. (Those of you who know her will have to tell me if you agree.)

The “To Do” list

2011-10-19T09:55:00.001-07:00

My Frustration – Every day I write a list of what I need to get done. A “To Do” list if you will. Then I diligently go about my day. Inevitably I end my day with only about half of the list done. So the next day, I will write out my list and I find that I am rewriting almost the exact same list. Whether I got the Laundry done or not, it is still on the list. That letter that needs mailed just can’t seem to get off the list either. And I can’t help but feel like such a failure that I can’t even complete a little list in one day. I think to myself that if only I used my time more wisely then maybe I could get more done. So I beet myself up over it and become determined to do better only to find failure again the next day.

My Epiphany – The fact of the matter is that my list isn’t too big if that is all that I had to do in one day. But it isn’t. I am forgetting to write down on my list that I have to: Get Dressed, Make my Bed, say my prayers, read scriptures, make and clean up three meals, straighten up the house, referee the fighting, communicate with my husband, and help kids with homework. That is everyday stuff but most days also include such things as taking kids to soccer, visit teaching, Presidency meeting, classroom volunteering, PTO meeting or commitment, or a good ole trip to town for some grocery shopping. So really I don’t ever have a whole day to accomplish my “To Do” list. I probably have an hour or two on a good day. And where is the “time for myself” that too many women neglect? Therefore, maybe just maybe we moms expect too much out of ourselves. We say we are doing it all for our families, but we just burn ourselves out to the point where we are more honoree than loving, and too busy to just BE there with them.

The Result – Today I am going to put eat a piece of chocolate on my to do list, that way I can be guaranteed to get something done.

The Mouths of Babes

2011-10-18T08:06:00.001-07:00

Said with sincere concern…

“Mom stop! You are too heavy to run.”

I’m a Mormon.

2011-10-17T10:01:00.001-07:00

Has everyone seen the I’m a Mormon campaign? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has released a series of commercials and Billboard ads about different Mormons. It has absolutely no correlation to Romney or Huntsman running for President. The goal behind the campaign is to educate people about Mormons. To show that we aren’t all that different and to banish common untruths about the LDS religion.

I Love It!

We were watching The Biggest Loser the other night and bam there it was a Mormon ad on prime time local television. They are really cool too. They are real stories about real people who all have one thing in common. They are Mormon. If you haven’t seen the commercials yet you need to go to Mormon.org and check them out. Sheryl is my favorite. This is her story.

Also, if you are a member of the church you can get on Mormon.org and create a profile about yourself so that people in your area know who is LDS and can then ask you questions about the church.

My name is Cher. I am a mom of 3. I’m an Idaho Girl. I love to golf. And I’m a Mormon.

Confession

2011-10-15T08:38:00.001-07:00

My husband secretly loves the McDonald’s Monopoly game.

Every time it comes around, his McDonald’s intake just about triples

and he saves every piece while dreaming about getting

Park Place and Boardwalk together.

Hey it could happen.

The Best Way to Describe Our Kids

2011-10-14T09:31:00.001-07:00

Cupcakes

2011-10-13T07:51:00.001-07:00

Look at these cute cupcakes that Rachelle made for our PTO meeting.

She is so creative!

Adversity Makes Us Stronger

2011-10-12T08:00:00.001-07:00

When we are faced with a trial in our lives, we have one of two choices. We can either choose to draw closer to the savior or fall away a little. There is no in between. We are not always conscious about this decision, but we are choosing one or the other with how we react to the trial in front of us. I have learned that if we choose to draw closer to the Savior, his love will carry us through the toughest of times. Our individual trials make us up to who we are and if we choose to learn from them they can be our greatest blessings.

You might be a mom if…

2011-10-11T07:40:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Troy accompanied me to the grocery store for a little shopping. While we were there I looked over his shoulder and noticed someone I recognized. He waved at me and I waved back then I went back to shopping without a second thought. Troy turned around and didn’t recognize anyone; so he said, “who did you just wave at?” I paused, looked at him, and at that moment I wanted to lie. I wanted to think of someone really cool that I could say I would be waving at, like Karl Malone, or maybe someone important like the Bishop, or at least a friend I met at PTO. But instead I embarrassingly, truthfully, replied, “um, the meat guy.” If you know Troy, you can imagine the harassment that I received following that response.

So, You might be a mom if…

You walk into the grocery store and the meat manager waves at you.

The Mouths of Babes

2011-10-10T09:03:00.001-07:00

“Mom, why do you like black and white pictures so much?

Is it because that’s what you’re use to since you didn’t

have color when you were a kid?”

Second Chances

2011-10-08T15:32:00.001-07:00

When I was in high school, I was working toward receiving a young women’s medallion through a church program called personal progress. I never finished; therefore, I never got the medallion. I am now getting my second chance. I am serving in the church over the young women and have been given the opportunity to do the experiences and projects all over again. So I am giving it a go. There are 8 values and with in each value you are suppose to do 5 experiences and one 10 hour project. As I go I am going to blog about just the projects as I work on them. If anyone has a great idea for a project I would love to hear it.

I have started with the value Knowledge. My project is to follow along with the training for and running a 5K that my sister-in-law has put together, as well as eating a nutritious diet. The paved portion of our walking trail out here is 2.25miles ending with a steep hill. So I am just using that for training. As for the diet portion, I have a “go to” 2 week menu that I use now and again to lose some weight when I feel like things are getting out of hand. The meals are fairly low calorie with a good balance between Protein, Carbs, and Fiber. So I am trying to follow that. I have about 3 weeks left before the 5k so I will keep you posted.

Cross Country

2011-10-07T12:43:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was the day of the big race!

The kids have been doing cross country. Yes that’s right they chose to sign up for a sport that doesn’t have any purpose but to run.

I think they are crazy, but what are you going to do.

So yesterday all of the elementary schools in the district got together for the big race that finishes off the season.

And well, they ran. They did great and had a lot of fun.

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Confession!

2011-10-06T09:00:00.001-07:00

I secretly wish I had blue hair.

Three’s Company

2011-10-05T13:06:00.001-07:00

One at a Time

2011-10-03T17:54:00.001-07:00

One of the reasons I like golf so much is because of how symbolic it is to life. When you’re playing a round of golf you won’t be very successful if your focus is on your 18 hole score, or your 9 hole score, or even the score for the hole you are on. You have to focus on one shot at a time. Focusing on shots you’ve already hit will cloud your judgment and focusing on the holes you haven’t reached yet will be distracting. The only thing you really have control over right now is the shot right in front of you. So give that shot your best effort. The same is true in life. The best way to live a successful life is truly living one day at a time. The past is gone and you can’t control the future. But you can focus on and choose to enjoy life right now. Today. One day at a time. And give today your best effort.

Just a simple Packet

2011-10-01T16:47:00.001-07:00

There are some great General Conference packets on the internet.

But I wanted one that was really simple and that included Bingo

because that was my favorite tradition while watching conference as a kid.

So I put together a small packet for my kids and wanted to share it with all of you.

General Conference Packet

We aren’t total cavemen

2011-09-30T14:51:00.001-07:00

We are a little bit behind the times when it comes to technology. I like to blame it on the fact that we live in a town that doesn’t even get cell service. But I have recently found a cool way to use technology as a stay at home mom. I do a little bit of work from home on the computer. I do some editing for my mom and some bookkeeping for a spider trap business. It’s not too much and the kids don’t even usually know I am doing it. But since the older kids have been in school all day, Michael has been a little attached to me. So thanks to Netflix and Windows 7 my computer screen can serve two purposes at once.

And Michael can still get spoiled while I get a little work done.

General Conference

2011-09-27T15:17:00.001-07:00

A few years back I made up a poem to help my kids memorize the names of the general authorities.

We’ve had to tweak it a little since then because of the changes that have been made to the Quorum.

But now, in light of general conference coming up, we’ve been reviewing it. So, I thought I would share the words to it.

President Monson he’s our man!

Eyring and Uchtdorf follow his plan.

Packer and Perry are also very merry.

Nelson and Oaks are very nice folks.

Ballard is true. Scott stares right at you.

Hales, Holland, and Bednar travel the world near and far.

Cook and Christofferson were the last two but now we have Anderson to complete this crew.

Back to School…Back to School…

2011-09-25T18:12:00.000-07:00

The kids have been back in school for 3 weeks already. They both have great teachers and great friends. TJ’s favorite part about being in 1st grade: LUNCH! He is a little heartthrob already, but I thought that boys weren’t suppose to be girl crazy this early. Should I be worried?

Summertime

2011-09-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

Here are all of the pictures I have for over the summer. We had a good summer with lots of visits with family and lots of fun outside. At the end of the video I accidentaly put 2010, but I can't change it now so you'll just have to imagine that it actually says 2011.

Little Working Birds

2011-05-23T09:32:00.000-07:00

My mom and dad came for a quick visit. They were here just about long enough to plant a couple of garden boxes for my brother and I. It was great to have their help because I don't know the first thing about gardening.

We planted onions, carrots, cilantro, broccoli, beans, and the peppers will have to go in later. We also designated a whole box to strawberries.

We just bought tomato plants and left them in their pots and disguised them into the landscape.

So our working birds flew through here and left, but now we just have to figure out how to keep the real birds away. They are building nests EVERYWHERE! I am so afraid that they are going to eat my strawberries if, I mean when they grow.

Everytime I curse the birds my kids remind me that it is illegal to harm them so does anyone know how to keep the birds away?

Spots

2011-05-11T17:49:00.000-07:00

Apparently my little moose had good reason for his grouchy mood on Sunday. He has come down with a virus that has caused his whole body to break out into a rash. These pictures don't do any justice to how awful it looks. It looks like hives in some areas, but in others it is just swollen puffy red. He is still very lively and he doesn't have a fever or anything. Poor guy just has a case of the spots.

It's Mother's Day But...

2011-05-08T12:41:00.000-07:00

The mothers in my life

2011-05-08T10:29:00.000-07:00

My Mother-in-Law is a constant example to me and my kids of service and selflessness. She is full of unconditional love for all of her kids and grand kids. Sheila it is your turn to kick your feet up today and just know that we are thinking of you. We love you and appreciate you for all of your thoughtful, selfless, love that you share with us.

My mother is the hardest working woman I know. She is constantly accomplishing amazing goals in academics and career. She is a wonderful example to me of hard work and endurance. She also has a huge heart! I have learned so much from her in the way of charity and giving. Mom thank you for all that you continually do for me and my family. Relax. Don't work for 1 day. And have "just a spoon full of sugar." :)

The Mouthes of Babes

2011-05-03T12:22:00.000-07:00

"Chewyn, um I sink I'm gettin' a hidache."

"Mom, who is Elvis Presley? Isn't he like a famous bowler?"

Where a Kid Can Be a Kid!

2011-05-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

We celebrated our big 6 year old's birthday this weekend by taking his best friends to the one and only Chuck E Cheese's.

It's been confirmed...

2011-04-28T18:32:00.000-07:00

Everything IS bigger in Texas.

I had the opportunity to go to Dallas Texas over Easter weekend to see my brand new niece get her baby blessing. It was beautiful.

While I was there we went shopping at the local mall which actually had a carousel in it.

It was a little larger than our local shopping center.

Zachary was also bigger in Texas than he was in Idaho.

(Granted it was last August)

Even Corey's mustache is much larger in Texas.

I was also able to go downtown and see the historical site where JFK was assassinated. The street he was driving on is still being driven on today. They have marked it with an X where the first shot hit him and another X where the fatal head shot hit. I ran out and got a picture standing on the last X. It felt a little creepy.

Then I snapped a shot from there of the infamous "grassy knoll" and one of the building where Lee Harvey Oswald was.

It was a quick trip but it was so good to see some of my family that lives so far away.

My Dad

2011-04-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

My dad had a bit of a scary day on Friday. He went to the doctor to get his foot checked on because he broke it a little while back and has a boot on it. As he was leaving the parking lot, he hit the side of another car that was leaving the parking lot. They exchanged information and decided to go over to the body shop and see what it would take to get it fixed. On the way over there he got distracted and veered off to the side of the road and hit a parked car but instead of hitting the break his boot on his foot hit the gas and didn't come off right away. The accident resulted in a five car pile up one of the cars flipped upside down onto someones lawn, breaking their fence and another car was completely smashed leaving the engine in the back seat. Fortunately, no one was injured in the accident. However, my dad obviously isn't quite right. His eyes were bloodshot. His reactions were slow. He couldn't communicate quite right. This isn't the first time he has ever acted like this. So my mom took him to the hospital as she has before and they ran every test they could think of and came back with nothing. Same result as before. The doctor looked right at my dad and said, I can see that there is something wrong with you but I can't find it in these tests. So he referred my dad to a cardiologist and a neurologist and and he will go from there. It is so frustrating not knowing what it is or what his limits really are. My dad is only 57 years old. He is not ready to give up his license or leave his job. I am really worried about him. I love and miss him very much. Please include him in your prayers.

A Good Book

2011-04-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

Okay. Okay. I'll blog. I will do just about anything to avoid another post like that last one. So I will try to post much more often, but I can't promise it will be interesting or entertaining. On a random note. I need a little bit of input. I have been itching to read a really good book lately. The last one that I read that was really good was one that a good friend of mine suggested called Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson. I liked that one so while I was at the library I picked up another random one by James Patterson, but it was a huge dissapointment! The story line was good but the more I got into it the worse the language got and I finally just dropped it. So I need a suggestion for a really good book. I don't think I can just pick something at random again. So tell me what you have read and loved.

Troy is posting on a blog now......these are the last days!

2011-03-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

Well....Well.....Well.... Greetings out there to all you BLOGGERS!! I thought since Cher has not posted anything since 1987 on our blog I would jump on this thing, and see what it is all about. Yep....just like I thought I don't know what to say now....anyway It was sad to see Jimmer go, I thought BYU a much more talented team than Florida, we just could not get our players to hit those shots we saw go in all season in that second half...we still forced overtime, but if Collinsworth makes that 2nd free throw we are beating Butler and going to the final four, but great run cougs, thanks Jimmer, Jackson, and the boys, and everyone pay %15 more tithing this month so Coach Rose can get a raise and not leave us for the team up North (I hate them so much I can't even use their name) Cher is now the 2nd counselor in the Young Women's org. in our "salt of the earth" ward as Shiela would say. She is not excited about leaving her kids many times this summer, for girls camp, conferences, etc... but I just want her to know how proud I am of her, and how lucky those girls are to get to know my best friend. she will be incredible at it, so all of you out there join me in prayer for Cher! She is gonna rock it!

Kaylee continues to be a star student; she is adding to her list of read books almost daily, I think she has 18 books or so read cover to cover; I on the other hand have I think 8 to my credit...before you scoff however read the titles, I think they will speak for themselves, "Book of Mormon", "New Testament", "D&C", "Pearl of GP", "The truth about 9/11", "The Peacemaker", "Fearless Golf", & the pearl of the group "The Indian in the Cupboard", timeless classic.

T.J. is my sensitive guy, he cries easily, loves to play with his little brother, and loves to make his big sister upset, (a boy after my own heart) he loves kindergarten and is having a great time in his class. His favorite sport is Ping Pong, so USA national team here we come.

Michael is my crazy boy, he loves balls, he loves to watch golf on TV with his daddy, and whenever someone misses a putt on TV he let's them have it, very unforgiving; he doesn't understand that most putts don't drop he simply won't let it go, very funny.

We have opened up the golf course for the season, and I am just starting to get really busy, I hope all of you can come up and play some golf, kick your feet up, and get away from all the rushing around down their in Davis County, and others. I love you all, see you soon.

Troy

Some Highlights

2010-12-18T13:35:00.000-08:00

I know you are all sick of seeing the big fat title Grandma's 80th so here is a quick update. I haven't posted since early October so I will just go over the highlights in a nutshell.

McRib came back and Mr. Incredible introduced his kids to his long lost love.

Halloween Happened.

Jack Jack turned 2!

We celebrated Thanksgiving, but didn't take a picture to prove it.

My sister-in-law and I got crazy, I mean crafty, and signed up for the school craft fair.

The kids made it through the first quarter of school. Violet got the Principal's Award and the Top AR Reader Award. Dash got an award and joined the 100 club. We are so proud of both of them. They love school and they are both so smart.

Jack Jack

2010-12-18T11:00:00.000-08:00

I know that you hear this everyday so it loses its meaning but I'm going to say it anyway...

My baby is growing up.

and it feels like I had him just yesterday

He is already living up to the notorious terrible twos. There are days where all of us want to pull our hair out because of him, including Violet. But at the same time we can't get enough of him. He is our little comedian. He is smarter than he lets on and he loves getting the whole room laughing.

At this point in his life when he finds something he likes, he obsesses over it. Here are a few things that make up little Jack Jack.

I think his number one obsession has to be BALLS! Any ball. Any where. Any time. He can't get enough. In fact he literally sleeps with his "booka". (that would mean football)

His latest obsession is turning household items into sports equipment.

Then there's The Backyardigans. I don't know where we would be without this wonderful show. He won't watch anything else, but when this is on he is glued to the TV.

He has also found his very own favorite book. It was a library book with a monkey in it that is looking for his mom. When you turn the page and it is not the mom, he goes, "No No No"

After I had returned it to the library I found him wondering around the house looking for the "wonkey." Needless to say he got a copy of his own.

Last but not least, in fact it is right up there with the balls, is his trusty ole sippy cup. It is one of those words he says LOUD and CLEAR and OFTEN. "Iuna CUP" He doesn't want water, or juice, or anything else in it. It has to be milk. aka "hulk"

Mr. Incredible has cloned himself with this one, and unfortunately the clone has taken over as boss of the house.

Happy 80th Birthday!

2010-10-05T14:21:00.000-07:00

My Grandma is turning 80 this month and we had a big birthday party for her at my mom's house this last weekend. There were close to 50 people there. She has 7 kids and 6 of them were able to make it and brought some of their kids and grandkids. She also has a few living siblings and although my grandpa has passed away his living siblings came too. When it was over I asked her if she was happy to see everyone and she said, "Well I guess, but I don't know who half those people are." None the less we love her and 80 years is a lot to celebrate!

Here is the birthday girl.

I was in charge of the table set up so I thought I would show that off.

Violet was a big help! She could be a little party planner some day.

Yes, we actually lit 80 candles! It was really warm and a little scary.

Way to blow Grandma! She ended up getting a little help from my kids that were watching over.

Here is my mom. She is a little stessed, but I might be too if I was hosting this big of a party.

Jack Jack and Violet found some friends to play with. These are some of my cousins' kids. So I guess that makes them 2nd cousins? or cousins once removed? Who really knows. But they had fun anyway. Dash was no where to be found during most of it. Crowds are just not his thing.

These are just a few pictures of some of my cousins that were there. I use to babysit most of them so its crazy that they are all grown up, but it was nice to see all those that I haven't seen in years.

2010-09-28T06:43:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else ever feel like this?

On the road again...

2010-08-24T16:21:00.000-07:00

8:15pm Friday the 20th - We stumbled in the door and crashed on the couch with suitcases and garbage all over the floor.

11:45pm Thursday the 19th - I convinced Mr. Incredible that we needed to stop driving and stay the night at my parents house. He reluctantly stopped because the kids were all peacefully sleeping. The next morning bright and early my dad took advantage of a golfing partner and they hit the course. When they got back we picked my mom up from the airport and had lunch. From there we hit the road again and drove the last 7 1/2 hours home.

5:30pm Thursday the 19th - We reached Bountiful Utah and stopped at Sheila's house, after driving 6 hours from Las Vegas. She of course showered the kids with gifts and then took us out to Texas Roadhouse. We met up with all of Mr. Incredible's siblings except for Jenny (we missed ya). It was good to see them and good to be out of the car for a moment in time.

9:30 pm Sunday the 15th - Drove right into the lights of Las Vegas. We had the privilege of staying the night at my sisters house. Her kids absolutely adore Mr. Incredible, of course. So they were thrilled to see him and I was thrilled to see my sis. We spent the day hanging out by her pool and, well, taking care of kids of course. Between the two of us we have 8! That evening we headed over to Grandpa Jewkes and Grandma Liz' house. They also have a beautiful pool in the backyard so the kids took another dip. Mr. Incredible spent Monday and Tuesday at a PGA convention where he got to meet Paul Azinger and he also saw Shae from the biggest loser. I spent it with my sister we got ourselves a pedicure and chatted a lot. She watched my kids Tuesday night while we went to a wonderful steak dinner with David and Liz! That night she also got called to be the new early morning seminary teacher in her stake. Talk about a calling! She will be great at it. Then on Wednesday we took advantage of her one more time and we went golfing with David. It was a beautiful course, really hot out, but a lot of fun.

12:30 pm Sunday the 15th - After driving a measly three hours Mr. Incredible was able to reunite with his all time favorite restaurant Lorena's. Then we spent some time visiting at Grandma Jewkes' house. We were able to visit with everyone there except for Jill (we missed seeing your kids.) Then we finished the drive 6 more hours to Las Vegas.

8:20 pm Saturday the 14th - The kids were starting to get a bit too restless after about 8 hours, so we stopped to break up the drive in Idaho Falls and we stayed the night at my parents house. We ate some dinner and hit the sack to prepare for another big day of driving.

11:00 am Saturday the 14th - Excitedly we set off for a journey down to Las Vegas, Nevada.

All in all we drove about 36 hours and the total trip was only 6 days. The kids were actually really good believe it or not, but I don't think we will be doing that again any time soon. Sorry there aren't any good pictures to share, I wasn't feeling my best.

11,680 days old!

2010-08-24T10:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Mr. Incredible!

We love you.

Check This Out

2010-08-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

The headline in the newspaper says, "The Future of Great Golf." And pictured there is Mr. Incredible, Violet, and Dash. Pretty cool don't ya think.

Better safe than sorry

2010-08-11T17:18:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine had an unfortunate incident happen to her that might have been the result of giving out too much information on her blog or on the internet in general. The sad thing is she is much more careful than most about her identity. Nonetheless there are jerks out there and these types of things can happen to anyone. So just to be a bit more careful I have changed the name on my profile to just say Elasta-Girl that is what it will say when I comment on your blogs. Also, when commenting about us if you would please try not to use our real names I would greatly appreciate it. I know it seems silly but I enjoy blogging since so much of our family lives so far away, but I don't want to be too careless and then regret it either.

Summer Fun

2010-07-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few pictures of things we have done this summer. There is a nice little bay area near us that the kids have enjoyed going to a few times. The beach is a little rocky but they don't care. It is just fun to dig and swim.

They have also enjoyed finding ways to make some money.

They did pretty well too, but who wouldn't want to buy lemonade from these cuties.

Finally the Fourth

2010-07-28T05:21:00.000-07:00

On Fourth of July weekend my mom and dad came up for a visit! It was really exciting to see them. They drove here and spent just a few days with us. They helped us in the yard and then joined in on our fourth festivities. We missed the little parade that they do with the golf carts in the morning because we were at church but we here it was really fun. We made these firecrackers and took them to the neighborhood BBQ.

While we were there they had a chipping contest and sure enough my lucky brother won the whole thing.

The kids played and played while we ate and ate. (why do we do that?)

Then it was off to the firework show.

It was no where near a Mellaluca Production (Idaho Falls' show)

But it was really pretty good for such a small community pooling together. We all had a really great time.

I finally gave in

2010-07-16T18:24:00.000-07:00

Mr. Incredible is all alone.
I am at my parents house.
The kids are having fun.
I am not.
I got my wisdom teeth out.
I have seen funner days.
My sister traveled 10 hours to take care of me.
She is an angel.
Mom and Dad are too.
I am still behind on things to post, namely the 4th.
I am missing some great deals at Safeway this week.
Jack Jack is missing his dada.

A day at the Salon

2010-07-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

I am way behind on all of my blog posts, but eventually I will get caught up. Violet's birthday was on June 23rd and she chose to have a salon birthday party. She only invited her best girl friends and they were pampered on all day. It all started with a light lunch and Italian Sodas.

Then she had her cake because...

"Mom, we don't want to mess up our lipstick with cake later."

So the treatments began with a homemade green mask. It was cold and it didn't smell great, but the girls couldn't stop giggling.

Then they soaked their feet and enjoyed a relaxing pedicure with a manicure to follow.

Poor Kaysha was a little too small to soak.

Look at those beautiful feet.

After that they put on their favorite dress and got their hair and make up done.

It took about 3 hours to get to this point and they were loving every minute of it. When they were all dressed to the nines they strutted their best runway walk down the red carpet (those pictures didn't turn out) Then we did a photo shoot. Here are just a few.

She finished it all by opening her presents!!

So now she is finally 7,

but will someone please remind here that there is not a 1 in front of that 7!

Horton's were Here

2010-07-06T07:15:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we were blessed with a visit from Jenny's Family and Grandma. They drove all the way here from SLC area. When they got here they had a gift for me. Jenny and Shiela worked together to make this beautiful picture of the Idaho Falls Temple for me!

Isn't it amazing? I love it.
We really enjoyed having them here. Cory and Mason did a lot of golfing while the other kids did a lot of swimming. We all know the Horton's are no strangers to the pool, but Michael is still getting use to the idea.

Mason has grown about a foot since we last saw him and Brooke is beginning to look like a beauty queen. Kobe is now so sweet and calm it is like they have taken the hurricane right out of the Horton.

My kids just loved having their big cousins here to play with. They look up to Brooke and Kobe so much.

One day we actually had the privilege of going out to eat with no kids thanks to Grandma. We showed Jenny and Cory our little Mexican fix. It is no Lorena's but it isn't too bad.

Grandma decided to go for a walk with the kids to enjoy the beauty of Blanchard. She took the kids and set off. Despite my warnings not to wonder left sure enough they did. Soon Dash looked up and said, "Grandma, I think we are lost." But it wasn't long before she found her way safely back to the trail.

Grandma also spoiled us all with her wonderful cooking. She made all kinds of wonderful things to eat and she helped clean up the kitchen everyday. I wish she could stay forever and do that.

Thank you guys for coming to see us. We love and miss you all so much.