Inquiring Minds Want to Know

What do you think it means to "Age Gracefully"?

I wanna hold your ha-a-a-nd....I wanna hold your hand!

George turned 11 (wow I just typed 22 instead of 11 and was a little freaked out there ten years flashed by with two key strokes.)

For the kids' birthdays I go to their school and check them out at lunch time and we go out on a lunch date. Their choice. George chose the Purple Turtle. Those of you who are familiar with Utah Valley probably know of this place. It's a local landmark restaurant that is made out of lava rock and has a large purple roof.

The main reason he wanted to go there was for the Grasshopper shakes which I can't stand they taste like toothpaste to me...bleck. But that's what the birthday boy wanted and so that's what he got. We had a nice lunch talking about what he did in school and how his day had been so far. And I, of course, gave him a hard time about how gross the Grasshopper shake was. It's a friendly disagreement.

Then we went to the local grocery store to grab some donuts as a treat for his class. As we were walking in I grabbed onto his hand and held it. Which he allowed for a few seconds. Then he let go and said "Mom you don't have to hold my hand." To which I replied with fake tears and heartbreak crying "You don't want to hold my hand????" (Okay so maybe the heart break was a little bit real. I was a bit sad that he didn't want to hold my hand) Then I moved on to bribery "If you want the donuts you have to hold my hand." No dice. He wouldn't even hold my hand for donuts!!

As I dropped him back off at his school he hopped out of the car and started walking in, I rolled the window down and yelled very loudly, "I LOVE YOU!!!! I LOVE YOU EVEN IF YOU WON'T HOLD MY HAND!!" He just got a sheepish smile on his face, shook his head and turned red. It was awesome.

Happy Birthday George! Thanks for letting me give you a hard time.

And just to warn you....I've only just begun.

This first picture I went to take and it was on video mode thus the reason this video is sideway...this is what he said as I tried to take the picture. It was in response to his sister telling me to make a photo funia out of his picture.

Lucky Number Seven

So my youngest offspring turned seven. So let's breakdown the sevens of Jillian...

Seven things she likes....

1. Her new Phineas and Pherb cd with songs from the cartoon show. (S to the I to the M to the P!!) <----------if you don't know what I'm taking about PLEASE click that link!!)
2. Her cousin Blake
3. Boxing on the Wii. She kicks some pretty tough butt in this game.
4. Junie B. Jones books
5. Syrup on her scrambled eggs.
6. The Muppet Show. She wants to be Connie Stevens for Halloween....
7. Helping me around the house dusting, setting the table.

Seven things she doesn't like....

1. Pasta
2. The taste of her vitamins
3. Talking to new people.
4. Stir Fry
5. Cleaning her room.
6. Not having someone to play with.
7. Avatar. She was completely bored with that movie.

For her birthday she got a new Sunday outfit, a new school outfit, The Muppet Movie on dvd, the Phineas and Pherb soundtrack, UB Funkeys and a new (to her) bike. She wants us to put training wheels on it but I think we'll try to get her to give it a go without them first. I think she could totally do it.

We had the family party for her and George (his birthday is just days away) on Sunday and her friend party was today. Yes I survived. I wanted to do a "J" party with Jello Jigglers and Jammies and other J stuff but it didn't work out. (I had NO idea that it took THREE HOURS for Jello Jigglers to set!! I've never made them before. Does that make me a bad mom?) So maybe we can do that next year.

Here are some pictures of my lucky seven year old (you can click on them to see bigger versions if you wish)...

Here she is with her cake. As you can see we are not at all about the looks of the cake but more about the taste. Jilli put the candles on herself as well as the little smiley face in the middle.

Here she is with her new ride. I know she'll probably out grow it in the next little while but I figured it would be easier for her to learn on a smaller bike.

Checking out the Phineas and Ferb cd.

Giggling because Kermit is popping out of her dress.

Seven. Sweet, sweet seven.

My New Favorite Song

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Jona's first time skiing

Jona is in a group called Wasatch Adaptive Sports. It's his first year. They take the kids up to Sundance and teach them how to ski. He has been looking forward to this since last Summer when he started in the group.

Turns out? He's a natural. The instructors working with him said that most people don't do as well as Jona did on his first time out. It was so fun to watch him come down that hill. We didn't go this week because of a snow storm but I'm hoping we'll get up there next week on Tuesday. I can't wait to see where he can go with this.

Here is a video of his first time....

Update on my friends Haiti situation and way to help

My friend Brent will be leaving to go down to Haiti and hopefully bring his children home with him. They have word that Nathan is safe but they are still unsure of where Jessica is. If you could would you keep them in your prayers that would be wonderful

And I've found a way that I can do a little bit to help. Go over to My Life as Kalli and see if it might be something that you could do as well.

Just in time for the tail end of Wordless Wednesday

*note...I only did this with my face because McKenna wouldn't allow me to post the one I did with her face. Do you want to be in Jacob's arms? Go to Photofunia and you're just a click away...

Their Story

I contacted my friends and asked them if I could have permission to link to their blog about bringing their kids home and to share the story that a local paper did on them.

If you get a minute let them know that there are many people out there who care and are praying that little Jessica and Nathan make it safely home to their mom and dad.

Here is the newspaper story...

Lehi parents hoping adopted Haitian children are safe.

And here is a link to their blog

Countdown to Homecoming

Sitting here

In front of this computer screen I am feeling so incredibly blessed today.

I have dirty dishes in the sink and I'm washing the girls' bedding. The floors need to be swept and mopped and my kids are home from school on this holiday.

But right now, honestly? Words cannot express how grateful I am to just be sitting here. With those dirty dishes waiting to be done and the washer going.

I know where my kids are. They are here, under my roof safe and sound....watching Twilight.

I have food. And water. And shelter.

I know that my extended family are all safe and well.

This knowledge makes my heart swell with gratitude and my eyes fill with tears of happiness.

But my heart is breaking for the Haitians. My prayers are going out to them. Especially to the littlest ones.

I have friends for whom I am praying extra hard. They have two children there in Haiti. They were just waiting for the paper work to go through. They are still waiting on word about their son and daughter.

While mine sit under blankets comfortably warm and safe.

So my prayers go up for my friends that they will hear good news about their little ones soon.

For all of my brothers and sisters in Haiti who are suffering so much.

And for all of those those who are brave and strong enough to go in and try to provide some help and comfort.

Prayers for them all.

While I am sitting here. Because I can't do much. But that much, I can do.

Close call

Remember when I came this [] close to getting on this show??
Well I do believe I had another close call. This time I came fairly close to being on this show...


Oh yes. I had to have and intervention with myself and clean out my office.

Don't believe me? Behold I present you with Exhibit A, B and C....
I set to work with a large black plastic garbage bag and a determination to not end up on that show. It took me probably a good 3/4 of a day that bled over into the next day but I did stop to fix my family dinner....

Here is the end result....
The desk is paper free and the scrapbook and craft supplies are under control. I took the kids' school papers (these are the ones that I want to save) and put them into boxes that they will be able to take with them when they leave the house....if they want. Yes the rootbeer keg is still there but that's the only place for it and at least now it's not completely blocking the doorway.

I dusted and vacuumed. I sorted through the cd's , craft boards and craft supplies. It's not perfect but it's much better than it was and now I don't think my husband will be contacting A&E for a hoarder intervention.

Phew! That was a close one.

*footnote-
I am optimistic that I will no longer be using this office in a week or two. I'm hoping that I will get a new computer and will be out on my new computer desk in the downstairs living room. That new computer can't come soon enough because it took me a good HOUR to do this post!!!! This computer is so flipping slow. *sigh* Only a few more days. *crossing fingers*

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

If you were given a large amount of money and you were required to spend it on something completely and utterly frivolous what would you spend it on?

Me? One word....

Wigs.

I would go out and buy myself a whole slew of wigs. I love changing up my hair (I just hate what it does to it thus the reason I have stopped with the coloring.) I love putting my face into the different hairstyle things that they have out there on the www.

I would love to have long black hair one day and short blond the next. Be a flaming red head on Monday and a demur brunette on Friday....or maybe switch those around. Either way I would love it.

Oh yes. Wigs it would be for me.

Word Up!

Okay so I guess that there are people out there that actually pick a word for the year. Which I think is really cool. I just could never come up with one that really spoke to me.

Until this year.

I have chosen a Word of the Year....drum roll please....the word is....
Listen

This word has really seemed to jump out at me and present itself in a way that it has become my Word of the Year.

I need to Listen more and talk less.

Listen to the people in my life. Listen to my husband. To my kids. My family. To myself...my body, my head and my heart.

To that still small voice.

Listen.

Maybe then I'll hear the things that I really need to hear.

Happy Birthday to my Mom!

And her children shall rise up and call her blessed.I know I count myself blessed to have her as my mom.
Happy Birthday Mom!

Hopefully we can get you hooked up to the www soon so you can actually read my blog. ;)

WWYD?

What would you do?

If your first grader came home from school and said "I know I'm here earlier than you thought I would be." So you glance at the clock and, indeed, she is standing in your house one minute after the last bell was supposed to be ringing. It usually takes this child a good 10 to 15 minutes to get home from school. In actuality the walk from the school is about 5 minutes away if she walks quickly.

(She said she heard the bell ring on the walk up from school but I don't think that was possible since she was in the house just one minute after the bell rang.)

"Do you want to know why I'm here early?" She asks. "I snuck out of my classroom. Don't worry I told one of my friends I was leaving."

Uh. What?

So, what would you do?


****UPDATE: I took Jillian in this morning before school to talk to her teacher about what had happened. It turns out there was a substitute yesterday. Which explains why she was able to do this without the school calling me.

Her reason for leaving early? She didn't like waiting. Lovely.

We had a talk about how waiting is one of the social skills that they work on in school and how it's just part of life. So even if we don't like it we have to do it. We also discussed her safety. In fact her teacher told her that if Jilli had done that while she was teaching she probably would have called the police.

Jillian apologized and said she wouldn't do that again. Needless to say Jillian was a very somber little girl when I left. I told her I loved her and her teacher said the same thing. Hopefully this will be a lesson learned early on in life and she won't ever do something like this again....even when she's older.

What? I can hope can't I?

Wordless Wednesday

Let's hope she doesn't fall for an Italian

And not because I have anything against Italians.

It's just that every time I fix pasta for dinner Jillian will walk in the kitchen and the conversation goes something like this.

J- "What are we having for dinner?"

Me - "Pasta"

J- "I don't like that."

Me - "I don't care."

J - Now whining "But Mooooooooom!"

Me - "I fix one dinner for everyone. You know that. You either eat it or you can go hungry. We've gone through this before. It's your choice."

Seriously.

Ever. single. time. I exaggerate not.

Then as we sit down to eat it's a struggle to get her to eat it at all. She usually fills up mostly on garlic toast and once she gets eating it she will usually finish off the small portion that I give her.

But seriously. If she falls for an Italian or someone who loves Italian food? She is in serious, serious trouble.

And so is he.