Blowin' in the wind...

The weather man had predicted a storm would pass through last night, but as the night wore on I was beginning to think he had been looking at the wrong doppler. The temperature still hung around 50 degrees and my hands were not freezing as typed, so thought I'd be duped by yet another inaccurate forecast. The poor meteorologists just don't have it easy here in the Ohio River Valley. It rains when it's supposed to be sunny and snows when it's supposed to be dry. I guess we are a pretty unpredictable state.

So is Mother Nature. She decided to side with the weather man later that evening. We were in the boys room kissing them goodnight, when it sounded like a freight train was headed our way. Of course this meant all 3 boys hopped out of bed and turned on the TV to check for any tornado watches. All clear- only a thunderstorm warning. No big deal, so we thought.

The wind ripped at the windows and pulled on the walls. It shook the house and for the first time in a long time I was reminded how powerful storms can be. As it wailed and whistled and howled and moaned the story of the 3 Little Pigs came to mind. The wind was saying, "Little kids, little kids, let me in !" As our house swayed back- "Not by the hair of my chimney, chin chin!" So the swirling air exclaimed, "So I'll huff, and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!" After that didn't work it simply decided to take another route. "Bring on the hail" it shouted! The bits of ice crinkled and cracked as it bounced off the glass. But thankfully, we held tight. And somehow fell asleep.

When we awoke the storm had passed and was far from our minds, but as we headed off to school there by the side of the road was a neighbors new trampoline with side netting and all crumpled in a heap after being tossed over the fence during the storm. I could see the shock in the boys eyes of such a great loss- who doesn't love playing crack the egg on a tramp! Luckily our house didn't have the same fate as the pile of bent metal, but from now on I think I'll have a bit more sympathy for those poor pigs next time I read the story to the girls!

Reality Check

My friend Sue had the best post about blogging. She showed many wonderful and perfect pictures of her family and then wrote:

WARNING: Sometimes the things you see on blogs are not as fun and perfect as they seem to be. Before you get down on your life for not being like someone's blog that you admire, realize no one blogs about everything, and pictures don't always tell the full story.

She then followed up that quote with the photos real story- the outtakes and truth behind the smiles.

This post rang true here in our home! When I first started blogging Rich referred to my blog as our family's highlight film. He has many of them from his college basketball days and while it is great to see every shot you make go in and every pass turn into an assist, it doesn't show the entire season- the highs and lows. He said if you take away the missed free throws, the bad passes, the air balls and stumbles you can make anyone look like an NBA All Star!

It is true that with a few strategic pictures and happy comments on a blog anyone's life can look perfect. I hope I don't come off like that in my blog. I do tend to write about the good times more than the bad, but life isn't all smiles and things don't always work out. What I hope to record especially since this is the ONLY record I am keeping, is an honest reflection of us.

When I was cleaning out the storage room, I read through a few of my old journals. I have never been one to pour my heart out on the page. I always seem to be a bit guarded when it came to putting those thoughts down on paper. This blog is the first time in my life that I have felt like I've been able to express what I am feeling, hoping and doing about it. I tend to write about spiritual things when I know I am lacking in areas and need that extra boost to get going. I love to write about my kids, because they are the focus of my life right now and they bring me so much happiness. And I love to write about my family, because for once in my life, I can let them know on a much more frequent basis how they have molded me, loved me and shaped me into the person I am today.

So for every post I write, know that there were runny noses needing to be wiped, homework waiting to be done, dinner not finished on the counter and cookies burning in the oven, but I hope what I put up shows the good and the bad. The real me. The real us- because isn't that what life is. It's not about perfection, it's about enjoying the ride!

Tuesday Tell All: Photo Op

This weeks challenge is to sum up your day, week, or month, with one photo and give an explanation.

These two photos document what I spent most of my time doing last week.

BEFORE:

AFTER:I love having a storage room. It is wonderful to finally have a place I can stash all of holiday decorations, games, toys, food and all of life's extra bits. It's nice to have a pantry even if it's located in the basement next to the Imaginext tub. I love having our old fridge allowing me to buy extra milk and food thus cutting our trips to Wal-mart down to a few a week instead of what seemed like everyday. (Sad, I know!)

I love that I have a place for all of the toys, but it can get messy when they decide to PLAY with their toys in the room. It can get very bad when games are spilled out on the floor, weapons are hanging from the fridge door and dry spaghetti noodles have exploded after inquisitive little girls found them on a low shelf.

While there is a bit of shelving, a lot of things are stored in Rubbermaid bins and stacked in the back corner. Here is where it got a bit tricky. Up until last Halloween things were looking pretty good down there despite the usual small messes. Then I started pulling out Halloween bins, then Thanksgiving boxes and finally Christmas trees, wreaths and wrapped up Santa Clauses. It was time to start over. I dreaded the thought because I knew it would take days, especially if I had my two trusty sidekicks (aka Brynn and Kaitlyn) digging through things with me. I had finally had enough and dove in headfirst (literally at times) to tackle this huge mess.

The biggest problem was that I was going to make it 10 times worse before I saw any improvement. I pulled out everything (before photo). I went through every Rubbermaid, box and pail and thankfully found many things I sent to Good Will. I went through boxes of old photos, letters, handmade cards and spent a good hour taking a little trip down memory lane. I went through all the decorations and tossed the unused or not cute ones. I dumped out toys boxes and weapon bins making sure everything had a proper home. Matt has NO excuses now!

And three days later I finally saw a finished project. I know where the craft supplies are, the toiletries, the 1000 books I don't have room for upstairs, the extra canned tomatoes, the padded envelopes, the Easter baskets and where new lights bulbs are. It still may look like a crammed storage room, but to me it is organized and clutter free instead of one blown up mystery room full of this and that. I am one happy girl!

100th Day of School

Today was the boys 100th day of school. Josh and Matt were asked to bring in 100 items to make a craft. I was also asked to send in a box of Honeycomb and a bag of conversation hearts so they could make goodie bags filled 100 bits of food.

During the day they also made books about things they would like. I thought they were pretty cute.

I Wish I Had 100..... By Josh and MattJosh: I wish I had 100 dogs. I wish I had 100 pupys.But I wouldn't want 100 snaycx (snakes). Matt: I wish I had 100 dolr (dollars).
I wish I had 100 tooy (toys).But I wouldn't want 100 mscedobis (mosquito bites). Drawing caption: I hat (e) muscedos! (ME TOO!)

Happy 100! Only 80 or so more days to go!

President Gordon B. Hinckley

We listen to a prophet's voice and hear the Savior too.
With love he bids us do the work the Lord would have us do.
The Savior calls his chosen seer to preach the word of God,
That men might learn to find the path marked by the iron rod.

In ev'ry land in ev'ry tongue , our prophet will be heard;
How swiftly round the world his voice reveals the gospel word!
The sacred message that he brings will witness and agree
With ev'ry prophet called of God throughout earth's history.

Hosanna! Let our priase ascend unto the Savior's throne;
Rejoice! The prophet has confirmed that by Him we are known.
Attend, ye earth! The prophet speaks; come listen and obey.
He is the man who holds the keys of priesthood pow'r today.

-Marylou Cunningham Leavitt We Listen to a Prophet's Voice (Hymn #22)

What a surprise to get a phone call last night from Rich's brother Danny informing us that President Hinckley had passed away earlier that evening. It is always a shock when someone dies, but what a peace filled my soul as I thought of our beloved Prophet. He was a remarkable man who lived a Christlike life, exuding love to all, professing the Word of God, giving praise and encouraging us all to do a little bit better each day.

I clearly remember when President Spencer W. Kimball died when I was in third grade. I was saddened by the loss of such a great man. It was the first time in my life I understood how new prophets were called when President Benson was sustained.

I was a senior in high school when President Hinckley was sustained as president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I remember sitting in seminary watching the live press conference with him, President Monson and President Faust by his side. He was always honest, witty and very candid. He was someone you were drawn to and loved.

And just a few months ago, when the beloved President James E. Faust passed on, he called President Henry B. Eyring to be his new counselor. President Hinckley was still in good health, and I believe we would certainly get to hear his message at General Conference in April 2008.

Over the years he has put the church in the spotlight doing very highly publicized interviews, news articles and traveling across the globe. When Rich and I were dating there was a huge article in Time magazine. He was interview by Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes and appeared on Larry King 4 times.

In September 1995 President Hinckley read The Family: A Proclamation to the World during the General Relief Society meeting. This powerful declaration hangs on my entryway wall letting everyone who enters my home, know what we believe. Its words and message have touched my soul and I know of its truthfulness. It is a tool I can use in my life and to teach my children. I used it in my young women lesson just yesterday.

In 1998 President Hinckley announced a massive temple building effort and declared we would have 100 temples by 2000. He dedicated Boston temple in the fall of 2000 marking the 100th temple on the earth. There are now 124 working temples and I have benefited from this effort when the Louisville Temple was dedicated on March 19, 2000 making it possible for me to attend the temple regularly while I have lived in Kentucky. For six wonderful years our ward building shared a parking lot with the temple. Each time we traveled to church for any reason, I could see a house of the Lord. What a blessing!

I have been blessed to be in the Prophets presence a few times in my life. In 1996 while attending BYU Hawaii President Hinckley visited the campus with his wife Marjorie and gave a devotional to the students. As we waited in line for a seat, we watched him enter the building on a golf cart with Hawaiian leis around his neck. I don't remember the exact words he shared that day, but I remember how I felt, how the spirit burned in my heart and I knew that this was a Prophet of God. While at BYU I attended a devotional at the Marriott Center in which he spoke and again was filled with the spirit testifying to me that he was a true and living Prophet.

I loved watching his 90th birthday celebration in July of 2000. Some of Rich's family were able to attend the meeting held in the Conference Center, which had been dedicated just three months before. I loved hearing President Hinckley share the story of the new pulpit in General Conference (April 2000). He related that a black walnut tree that he had planted decades earlier in his backyard provided wood for the pulpit of the new center.Every time I watch conference and see the lovely pulpit, I will think of him.

In June 2002, while home in Utah visiting family I was able to watch and participate in the Nauvoo temple dedication via satellite. I remember how moved I was by the President Hinckley's words. How blessed we are to have a prophet on earth and have temples across the land.

In December 2005, I loved watching the broadcast of President Hinckley from Vermont commemorating the prophet Joseph Smith's 200th birthday. I looked forward to the First Presidency Christmas devotional each year. It is a highlight in the busy holiday season and reminds us of the true meaning of the season.

Over the years I have loved all of the messages he has shared in General Conference. I love his "B's". I loved his talk about the frozen turkey and how we should love and forgive others. How he loved talking about Joseph Smith. I am sure he has more insight, love, respect, understanding and appreciation for the prophet than any of us can know. I loved how he admired and honored the pioneers. I loved how he created the Church Perpetual Education Fund helping returned missionaries throughout the world. I loved how he would always praise church members and then give us a little nudge forward to work a little harder, stand a little taller, be a little better.

He just wanted us to keep the faith, to keep moving forward. He said, "It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers."

I simply loved this man and my heart is saddened by his passing.

While Rich talked to Danny last night I called home and told my mom the news. She said how his son Elder Richard Hinckley of the Seventy came to the MTC just last week and shared a message from his father with the elders and sisters. President Hinckley told him to tell them to retain those they baptize. While I am not a full time missionary, his message to me means I should fellowship new members and women I visiting teach and try to share the gospel with others. Like always, they are words to live by.

I also am so grateful to know that soon we will sustain President Thomas S. Monson as our prophet, seer and revelator. He too is an amazing man and I look foward to supporting and loving him and his counselors over the coming years. We have such humble, good apostles and I know the work will move forward as it always does.

It is strange to turn on the TV and Internet today and see life go on as usual. There are no big news stories splashed on the front page announcing President Hinckley's passing. How sad the world doesn't realize the loss of this wonderful man, a man of God, God's mouth piece on Earth. How blessed we are to have known of his love, goodness and testimony.

We thank thee, O God, for a prophet to guide us in these latter days.
We thank thee for sending the gospel to lighten our minds with its rays.
We thank thee for every blessing bestowed by thy bounteous hand.
We feel it a pleasure to serve thee, and love to obey thy command.

-William Fowler We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet (Hymn #19)

Tuesday Tell All: No Regrets, Just Lessons Learned‏ PART 1

I wish I would have....

Run the St. George Marathon in 1995 when I had trained hard and even had a coveted number.

Hiked to the top of Mount Timpanogos.

Been more pleasant to my parents while in high school.

Taken ballet.

Tried out for golf team in junior high and the softball team in high school.

Run cross country for at least 1 year.

Tried out for Into the Woods my senior year.

Laughed more and cried less ages 16-18.

Taken better care of my body (eating, running, cheerleading) in high school.

Knew how much I would love being a mother when I was younger.

Invested more time in practicing and playing the piano.

Learned a foreign language.

Scored a 3o on the ACT and earned a FREE car of my choosing from my dad.

Taken a sewing class in school.

Been better at reading assigned material in school.

Taken more classes in college that I was actually interested in.

Gone to the temple more often before I had kids.

Called my Grandma Beardall one more time before she passed.

I'm so glad I....

Was born to my parents.

Grew up in a home where love and praise flowed freely.

Was taught to make good choices and given opportunity to use my free agency.

Knew from an early age that I could do anything I set my mind to.

Have my five brothers.

Can say my family are my best friends.

Was baptized and confirmed by my dad at age 8.

Started snow skiing when I was 7.

Took piano lessons from a young age.

Was given the opportunity to try out a wide variety of sports as a child.

I learned to swim and love the water when I was a child.

Took a typing class my last trimester in high school.

Ran every morning (except Sunday) with my mom for over 3 years.

Moved to Hawaii as a freshman in college and figured out life there.

Attended BYU.

Met Rich at 19 so I could share in his Stanford experience.

Got married in the Salt Lake Temple to my best friend.

Gradated from BYU, becoming the first grandchild on both sides to earn a college degree.

Became a mother.

Spent nearly every Monday when Trey was a baby with my mom running errands and eating at Cafe Rio.

Worked for my dad for nearly 10 years.

Learned how to sew and crochet.

Call my grandmas every weekend.

Moved to Kentucky 7 years ago.

Worked for a brief bit teaching, so I could say I used my degree.

Found friends that can never be replaced.

Finally brought some pink to the Nance family tree.

Do not work and can stay home with my children.

Love reading.

Started a blog.

Can someday serve a mission with Rich.

Am still am madly in love with my husband after nearly 11 wonderful years of marriage.

Tuesday Tell All: No Regrets, Just Lessons Learned PART 2

This weeks TTA topic was a harder one for me. It was easy to write down the little things (part 1), but I thought about the deeper meaning of it for days. The theme of "life lessons learned" seemed to be everywhere. Trey gave a talk on Sunday about choice. I gave a young women lesson on Living the Gospel Daily. I had discussions about life with Rich and my mom.

I could have just left it with the first post, but I wanted to write more. This is where I keep my journal, and since I have kept my blog private feel comfortable sharing my thoughts in this forum.

After all the ideas I came up with regarding choices, regret and life it boiled down to one thing: FREE AGENCY. The truth is we have been sent to earth to be tested. This is the plan. We have to live, choose and be responsible for our actions.

In Trey's talk he read the scripture 2 Nephi 2:27. It reads: Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." Heavenly Father as given us the opportunity to choose. We are free to make good or bad choices. And they can bring us happiness or sadness, but it is all up to us.

As I went over my life in my mind, yes, there are things I wish I could change, but the fact is I can't. I can simply learn from my mistakes, become a better stronger, wiser person because of them and keep moving forward. I have a beautiful patriarchal blessing and in it was told "Heavenly Father sent you forth here upon this earth knowing that there would be challenges and adversities and difficulties but that through your faith in him those challenges and adversities would become great opportunities for growth, development and strength. Look upon every setback that come to you in life as an opportunity to grow and go forward. Do not be discouraged, do not fear for the Lord will be with you."

I know that pertains to ALL of his children. Do not be discouraged, do not fear. The Lord will be with you.

My young women lesson pointed out that challenges will always be part of our lives, even when we live the gospel. But the gospel does give direction to help us solve our problems, and the comfort and peace we receive from living close to the Lord can help us face these problems without any panic or fear. It also stated that our challenges are of varying degree and difficulty. Some are simple and relatively insignificant. But if they are not handled correctly, they can cause misunderstanding, frustration and anger.

Of course I know that sometimes we have hard situations placed upon us and some that we had a hand in choosing, but through it all if we stay close to the Lord we will be help through the tough times.

The lesson also stated that the Lord has not promised us freedom from problems, but he has promised to support us in our trials. If we are faithful, we will have a great reward in the kingdom on heaven.

I watched the movie Evan Almighty the other day with the boys. I liked the lines that God (Morgan Freedman) told to Evan's wife. "Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?"

Yes, we are given trials to help us grow. While we might not enjoy them and pray they simply go away, we can become better in the end if we learn the valuable life lessons and develop the qualities we need to get through the rough times.

I thought of the common used phrase, "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence." But I bet if we were the one mowing the other person's lawn, we would see the weeds, the bugs and dry, dead patches and realize that our grass is just as nice or even better. I think we would then be content with the yard we had chosen.

Same goes for life. How easy is it to sit and think that so and so has it so good or if I were them, my life would be perfect. There are many problems to this way of thinking. You will soon find that you will never be content, you will miss out the perfectly wonderful life you have in front of you and you will fail to help anyone along life's journey if you are always focused on yourself.

One last thought. I know that we can be used as an instrument in the hand of the Lord. We can listen to the spirit to be led to those who need our help; people that could benefit from our friendship and knowledge about certain things. If we are not aware and looking for them, they could simply pass us by unnoticed, still struggling to get by on their own. We can teach, love and strengthen those who are in need of a friend, a support or just a listening ear. And I bet 100% of the time, we'll be a better person for it.

"For Good" from Wicked.

I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led to those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you...

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

It well may be that we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend...

Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
Because I knew you
I have been changed for good

Let us use our free agency to make happy choices in this life and use our time and knowledge to serve, love and help others. Don't live a life full of regret. Learn from it, move on and help others along the way. That's what I am going to try to do starting right now.

Hold To The Rod

I find myself daily caught up in the to-do lists, the here and there errands and shuttling my kids to and from this and that. In between homework, laundry, play time, endless clean up, bathing, dressing, wiping noses, changing diapers, kissing scrapes and typing away on the computer I seem to be a bit like this little man in the painting. I think he and I are cut from the same cloth. His arms, pockets and bags are bursting full of worldly things; things that fill up our days and can often take over our lives.

There above his head is the Iron Rod. It is always close by to help guide us on the proper path of life. He certainly knows of its importance and value and strives to keep it in sight, yet he holds fast to all his belongings. As a viewer of the painting it is easy to see that he simply should put down a few items so he can hold tight.

I, like this little man, can see the rod every day as well. I know what I should be doing, but am I making that my first priority? I nearly always get my physical exercise in, but how is my spiritual body doing? Am I nourishing my spirit like I do my body? Am I doing the little things? I'll be the first to admit that fast Sundays are not something I look forward to, and yet how often is my spirit spiritually hungry and I don't give it the food it needs? I can see that I need to learn a little from this fellow's predicament and stop, unburden my life of unnecessary fillers and hold on tight to doing the small things. Not only will it help me, but my entire family as well.

With that said, this is my newest painting courtesy of my parents. (Thanks Mom and Dad!) It is by James Christensen and is titled Hold to the Rod. Mr. Christensen wanted to paint something from the Book of Mormon and he chose to paint about Lehi's dream. I hung the painting in our living room above the piano so we can all view it throughout the day. I loved talking to the boys and explaining the picture to them. They knew the story and once I started talking about the tree and the iron rod the boys loved telling me the rest.

I am very grateful to have art work in my home that teaches me and my family gospel principles. I love the visual reminder of a scriptural passage. Above my bed I have the 10 Lepers, above the mantle is the Widow's Mite, in my room is Mary and baby Jesus and in the entryway is a paining of Jesus Christ. I hope through these paintings, they will instill a love in my children of the scripture story it refers to and teach them life lessons that will help them now and forever.

Dinner Time

This may not be an entire meal to most, or even appeal to some, but for me this is what I could eat for every meal lately. It's my new favorite salad. The best part is that there are few ingredients and can be whipped up in a flash. Too bad I still don't live in Louisville or the old gang might have renamed this "Cheryl Salad." And even worse is that only Rich and I enjoy it. I guess I'll have to invite more people over for dinner or feed the missionaries once a week so I have an occasion to make it!

* 1 and 1/2 head Romaine lettuce cut in large bites
* 1/2 package of mushrooms sliced
* 1 can Mandarin oranges drained
* 1/2 carton strawberries sliced
* 1/4 Red onion sliced(if you want- I usually omit)
* finely shredded mozzarella cheese
* Candied almonds (take 2 oz. sliced almonds and a HUGE handful of sugar and place in skillet on medium heat. Wait until sugar melts and stir almonds until they are brown and coated in liquid sugar. Place on a plate or baking sheet until cool. Crumble.)

Put cheese and nuts on top just before serving. Top with Briannas Poppy Seed dressing.

And the best part of preparing this is when I have my two little helpers by my side. Here they are helping me with Clam Chowder. I just love cooking with my girls.

Enjoy!

Love it!

Things I am totally lovin' right now!

Started sharing carpool with my neighbor two weeks ago. We trade off every other week for after school pick up. After nearly five years of hauling kids around to preschool and school, sounds like heaven to me!

Hobby Lobby craft store. It's like a mix between Michael's and Garden Ridge. Check your area for a store and if you find one, run don't walk to check it out!

Quaker Mini Delights Chocolately Mint. Could eat the entire box (six bags) in one sitting. Actually, I know I can, because I have. Wish they made the boxes larger!

The girls are sleeping a bit better through the night. I can't say sleeping all the way through the night, but after 6 nights of letting them tough it out (me too!) things are looking up. They totally should be, they are almost 2!

Planning my Valentine Party. Gotta decide how to make it different than last year. I think this way my boys might actually like this kissy and huggy holiday. And a gigantic Hershey kiss never hurts either.

After my friend called to tell me Old Navy had marked down the sale price by 50%, I headed over to the store and had $46.52 put back on my card. Love it! That means I got 2 winter coats, 5 scarfs, 3 hooded sweatshirts and 4 pairs of warm winter gloves for under $40.00. What a deal!

Got a $10.00 gift card in the mail today from Bath and Body Works. Know I'll soon receive a $20.00 gift card from the Sunglass Hut for my birthday.

Excited that my birthday is less than one month away. I have embraced getting older!

Working out in the morning with my friend: Cable TV. I never watch TV at night (so much to do) but when I ride my exercise bike I love to turn on Bravo and watch all the reruns of my new favorite shows: Project Runway and Top Chef. Of course I watch a few other silly ones that come on in between (Like E! News and the Daily 10) but they make my workout go so much faster! Now I am trying to remember to DVR the new episodes, but since my TV downstairs is the one that doesn't have DVR, I still have a few new ones taped that I haven't viewed yet- something I look forward to doing!

Planning a trip to Chili's on Saturday with the family and will use our Christmas gift cards. Tried to go on Monday night, but the wait was too long. Settled for Qdoba. Not a bad second choice!

Rich is now Trey's cub scout leader. (He was bummed about leaving the YM and I agree. It was a good 18 month run. Never easy to leave the boys and leaders). Love that it will be a full Wednesday family night at the church each week.

Found that Pottery Barn marked down their Christmas merchandise to 75% off or less. Got 2 wreaths, 15 ornaments and 3 plants for under $50.00. Love a great deal!

Grateful Dillard's is having a free Estee Lauder gift starting February 5th. Brynn destroyed my eyeshadow and dumped out a brand new eye makeup remover on the carpet in seconds just last week. She's a girly girl!

Finally found a belt worth wearing! Got this at Eddie Bauer just before Christmas. On sale, plus got an extra 20% off.

Trey finally started chess club. Got the t-shirt and rules of the game down, but will need to practice a lot at home seeing that he only has 5 after school practices all year long!

Love Redbox. Rented 3 movie over this long weekend for $3.00. Best part was being downstairs with the boys all together on a snow day. Evan Almighty was a fine show, but I was very happy they didn't make me sit through Underdog!

Bought a 12.5 pound turkey at Wal-mart for $8.50. It was like having Thanksgiving dinner in January!

Used our Cuisinart Ice Cream maker for the 2nd time ever. Only owned it for about 4 years. The boys had no idea you could make ice cream at home. Couldn't find the manual so I called customer service who mailed one out right away. Love the Internet and the ice cream!

The list could go on, but I'll stop there. Hopefully I'll find a few new loves today!

Snow Day....Again!

When we tucked Matt in last night, he begged me to wake him up early in the morning so we could go downstairs and make a bed with pillows and blankets around the heater vent and cuddle all together until we were too hot to stay under the covers. Regretfully I told him that he had school in the morning and his plan would have to wait until Saturday. Boy, was I wrong! Rich woke up early and headed downstairs to grab drinks for the boys (milk for Josh and "special" chocolate milk= Ensure Plus for Trey). I stayed in the warm bed until he returned catching those few extra minutes of rest. When he walked back into the room he declared that today was a Snow Day! I didn't believe him since I thought we had a 0% chance of snow. He told me it was true and that I could look out the window for proof. One quick glance outside and I knew he was right. Good times ahead! Too bad Rich didn't get a day off like us. No resident could be that lucky to get two holidays two days in a row! I am sure he'll make it to work just fine even in our non-snow car. As for us, I think we'll have a lazy morning and hit the McDonald's Playland for lunch. The boys will be in heaven and the girls will try to keep up with their big brothers. I think we all might start praying for snow days because of the great time we have when they get a surprise day off from school! Here's to a great 3 day school week! Hooray!

B.O.O.T. Camp

With the kids home for the MLK holiday, our primary had an activity this morning. The boys went to B.O.O.T. Camp. It stands for B.O.O.T. = Building Our Own Testimonies. They had a great time. They came home talking a mile a minute about all they did, what they made, ate and brought home. They had hats, dog tags, snacks, drills, obstacle courses (hold to the Iron Rod) and so much fun!

I called the primary president after to thank her and she said they found the idea from Sugardoodle.net. This is a great site with resources for YW, YM, nursery, activity days, Relief Society, Primary music leader and ward activities. I looked through it today and found so many good things. I remember Kristi telling me about it a while ago, but had forgotten about it. Here's the write up for this activity from the website.

B.O.O.T. Camp (B.O.O.T. = Building Our Own Testimonies)

Invitation should read:The Few, The Proud, The Righteous! You’ve been drafted to serve as a soldier in God’s army! Please report to Fort Faith on (date) at (time) where you will receive further instructions.”

Everyone will START at Station 1 and END at Station 6. Groups can rotate through 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Station #1: [Spiritual] Physical Examination(Have children do movements associated w/each body part while discussing the question)Mind - Is your mind pure in thought? Ears - Can you hear the still small voice of the spirit?Eyes - Is your vision focused on the gospel? Mouth - Do you speak kind words? Hands - Are they quick to serve?Arms - Are they always reaching outward? Heart - Do you show Christ-like love? Balance - Are you well balanced in your life, spiritual as much as physical? Knees - Are they sore from praying daily? Feet - Do they stand firm on gospel ground? Muscles - Do they have strength to carry on?

Station #2: Basic Training Daily drills include: Reading Scriptures, Prayer, Acts of service Activity: (Sung to the army call...Sing while marching)“I just know, that it’s true, primary, is good for you!”“Green and yellow, black and white, I will always, choose the right!”“Arms folded in, and then outside, I will let the Spirit guide!”“I will do, what’s right and good, Just like everybody should!”

Station #3: Drills Relay races (or sack races, using pillow cases)

Station #4: Maneuvers Obstacle Course (theme “Enduring to the End”)*Should include spiritual as well as physical obstacles.

Station #5: Operation Service Draw pictures and/or write cards to military serving in Iraq.

Station #6: Mess HallRefreshment center - includes cupcakes decorated with US flag and other patriotic themed foods.

Station #7: USO EntertainmentMusic - sing hymns like “Called to Serve” and “We’ll Bring The World His Truth”Leaders bear testimony and Close with prayer.

Thanks Tates Creek Primary for the great activity. The boys will be talking about this one for a while!

Oops!

Started with this:
Accidentally tossed in this:

Equaled this:Maybe I can convince them to wear it on Valentine's Day. Doubt it!

Thankfully I was washing a maroon dress and pink baby blanket on gentle when the two hitch hiking items (white t-shirt and heart) snuck in the load, narrowly missing a possible major laundry disaster! I think I'll hide the heart so we don't have a repeat performance anytime soon! Luckily this one ended up much better than the time I washed Rich's temple recommend or his Palm Pilot!

Rest in Peace little Jerry (our pesky garage mouse)

1/20/2008

I felt bad seeing the poor thing thing dead in the trap yesterday morning as we headed out for church. But not that bad. It seems that I just needed to blog about it, and the problem was solved. I hope the other little mice around learned their lesson and just STAY OUT!

New Addition!

I would like to happily introduce you to the newest member of our family. Gilly (or Lilly- we can't tell the gender) is its name. It is a little tadpole and we've had it for a week now. Its face looks a bit like a Catfish and it's body is clear, so it reminds me of a Ghost fish.Rich's parents gave the boys a Grow-A-Frog kit on Christmas. You simply mail in the postcard with your name and address and a few days later a little tadpole arrives in a small Styrofoam container. I was laughing when I was reading the instruction manual and it stated that you should contact you mail carrier in advance so they didn't leave the poor thing sitting in the mailbox. Well, I thought surely he wouldn't do that, and to my surprise one day I found a little package in our mailbox. It was clearly marked- LIVE TADPOLE- DO NOT LEAVE IN MAILBOX. Thankfully it was on one of our 70 degree January days, it didn't hurt the little guy in the slightest.

I'm telling you, this is a great pet. When I was young my dad found some tadpoles in a puddle at at a golf course, so he found an used styrafoam cup lying around and brought them home. We LOVED watching them grow and change into these tiny little frogs. When they were fully formed and we had enjoyed them long enough we would take them down to the pond. Of course we knew they had a very short life expectancy with all the ducks, birds and fish there, but we had done our part and now nature had to run its course.Our new tadpole shares some counter space with our two Hermit Crabs- Pincher and Shelly. They are going strong after 4 months. I think fish, frogs, turtles and crabs are the best pets around. They take the most minimal care and still thrive and you can hand the container to a friend if you are going out of town.
I took this photo of them just the other day. It seems like they have a bond with each other. They make me smileNow I am turning my attention to the resident garage mouse. I have named it Jerry because it has a brain. I seriously can't kill the thing! I hope the multiple traps will work one day before some unsuspecting child ends up getting snapped in a hidden trap. I hate to kill it, but my love only goes so far. I think I'll just stick to my little bunch of friends that are content in their cages!

The Dudes

A peek into the life of Matt, Josh and Trey...Matt dress and ready for an outdoor adventure. This is a typical look for after school play and yes, those are swim goggles on his head. The neighbors are usually waiting on our porch when we get home from school and the boys are in (drop off backpacks on the kitchen floor) and out in a flash. They play until I make them come in. Matt is in and out constantly raiding the weapon bucket in the basement. Thank heavens we have enough to share with the crowd. At the end of the day, I am always amazed at the arsenal of light sabers, knives and guns we have dumped on the entryway rug.Another day, another outfit. He is an original! (PS Trey snapped this picture!)Matt wrote a note to me that said: Matt to Mom. Matt said I went on the Polar Express. His inventive spelling was very good. He was so nervous to write on his own at the beginning of the school year. He has come so far!I loved this one even more. Matt made it for both of us. The purple note says Promise Chart (POMJAR) and the small yellow square has both of our names and places he can mark if we did was we said we would. I looks like I need to be spending a bit more time in the basement with him playing with his Imaginext like I agreed to! A few nights ago, Matt showered and came down looking all slick. When I got a comb out to fix it, he informed me this was his new hairstyle. He could do it every morning by himself and could even make it into two points if he wanted. (Not a pretty thought.) He also told me he could wear this on Halloween when he is Dracula. Now he's finally sounding sensible!
Josh and Matt had to make time lines for a class project. We made Josh's into a snake. We had to have a picture and facts for every year of his life. It was fun to go through the photo albums and reminisce about so many great times. Some of the highlight of Josh's were: Being in Utah for the 2002 Olympics, going to Disneyland, visiting Mexico, attending at Boston Red Soxs game at Fenway Park, being a member of the Pinnacle Pirates swim team and playing baseball last summer.
Matt also created a timeline. We had to make his green since it's his favorite color. His folded up like a book. Matt's highlights were: Becoming a big brother, moving to Lexington, playing soccer and going to Mexico and Disneyland. Josh is always the first to complete his homework and do his reading.
At Christmas time Josh's class wrote what presents they would get. He wrote he would get pink stuffed animals for his sisters. He's always thinking of others! Josh loves ALL sports. He just wishes his two brothers felt the same way. He is Rich's constant buddy playing basketball and catch late at night. He is the one and only reason I felt bad basketball didn't work out this season. He cried for two day! These are Josh's two best friends from his class, Ty and Sam.

Give a boy a shovel and some dirt and they will be entertained for hours!
Trey had a bowling birthday party last Saturday. Of course we got stuck in UK basketball game traffic, but that was no surprise to us. Trey has wonderful friends in his school class.
Trey is now an official Cub Scout. Lucky for us, the Pine Wood Derby is just around the corner. (I used the word "lucky" as a joke folks!) Glad this is a father/son project!

Trey is in love with this. I laugh every time I see him with the headphones on his head bopping back and forth to the music! He couldn't wait to take Rich's Ipod Nano to Utah and have my little brother Rhett add all his favorite songs! Looks like we need to find a good dentist. We have been living in Kentucky too long!

The boys made these magnets at school. I scanned them onto my computer and then I printed them out on printable magnetic paper and gave them to all the grandparents for Christmas. I love having their art work on the fridge.

Good boys, good times, pretty good life!