C'mon over!

This afternoon we stayed after at Basketball to try out the hill at the kids school. Boy did we ever have a blast! We had so much fun catching air, whizzing down the icy slope and sliding down with or without the sled and inter tube! Even with the freezing cold wind whipping us around, single digit temperatures with the wind chill and feeling like if my ears were hit they would crack off we had so much fun! Thank good for adrenaline and the hill to climb back up! The kids had a harder time coming up the hill! Sometimes they would get halfway up fall and slide all the way back down! Who needs a sled?

Alyssa being forced back by the strong gust of wind!

So if you have a desire for a great afternoon of some serious sledding c'mon on over! We'll supply the hot chocolate and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins to follow!

Hope to see you soon!

1. fun family time sledding
2. more fun family & friend time bowling
3. simple dinners- frozen waffles and fruit salad

Exceeding expectations!

This week in addition to Alexander and Alyssa's regular 20 spelling words Alyssa was given 10 bonus words. These bonus words were big words- argument, characters, fable, tortoise, lesson, moral, pitcher, plodding, gathering and foolish. So I told her to just focus on getting her regular words down and maybe pick a few of the bonus. But to not study them all since it is better to get all of the words correct and a few bonus words rather than a lot of words wrong. Well she would have no part in this! She wanted to do them all! So yesterday when I gave A & A their pretests she got 26/30 correct! I was really impressed and told her that I was wrong and glad that she choose to work on all of them. She happily studied her words last night and today she told me, with a grin from ear to ear, that she got 190%. She only got 1 letter of 1 word wrong!!

While in Xander's class this morning his teacher complimented him on being such a great independent worker and spoke with him about when I come in he relies a bit more on me. She asked him to show us what a wonderful worker he can be and do it on his own. He did an awesome job! She told me about this at the end and this led to a discussion about giving children opportunities to rise above and really show what they've got!

These were both good reminders to me that when you give children the opportunity to step up they will usually meet & EXCEED your expectations!

1. lessons learned over and over again...

2. Exceeded expectations!

3. being A & A's mom

Humble

I was just speaking with one of my friends whom I was supposed to visit today, but thanks to this lovely weather- snow, ice, rain, ice.... I figured a phone call was going to have to suffice this month.
While visiting we were talking about different trials and difficulties and she said something that I really loved! A few months ago a wise man told her:
"It is much easier to be humble than be humbled!"
Love it love it love it! How true is this in life? What a great thought for the day and for life! One more reason to do your visiting teaching- so you can be taught also!

1. snow day
2. DEAR time (Drop Everything And Read)
3. which lead to nap time! :-)

Valentine's day Smack down!

A&A 5 years old

My friend Smart mama challenged us to a Valentine's Day Smack down "Which means everyday from the first through the 14th of February you do something nice, something extra for your spouse, your kids, or your friends- or all of them. It's about personalizing our lives and putting more effort into the thing that matters most -- relationships." quoted directly from Smart mama

I must say I was on the fence while reading it because as soon as I think of Valentine's day I think of cheesy trite expressions of "love" which I would appreciate any other day of the year rather than the obligatory day. But tonight as I went up to get ready for bed I saw a note on my bed that said Mom I love, love, love, love, love.....you with my pajamas nicely laid out underneath. Alyssa even put my sweat jacket under my PJ's (I wear this around the house on top of my PJ's since it is so darn cold!) I have to say it made my heart really happy! I felt so totally loved by this simple little gesture of kindness. It definitely made me want to jump on the bandwagon of showing love for 14 days to those I love the most! Stay tuned for pictures, thoughts, and notes of how it all went down.

1. Serving others

2. Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

3. A kind gesture from Lissy

A new sled

Thankfully I got out with the kids yesterday afternoon because it is STINKIN' COLD outside again today!

We got a new sled yesterday and it was the perfect day to try it out. It was 38 degrees which may not sound all too warm but in comparison to the single or negative digits lately it felt like a HEAT WAVE!

Yee haw!

Taking time to "POSE"

Xander getting some air!

We even convinced Dad to stop working and come out and give it a try!

Thankfully I didn't do a complete face plant into the hill!

I did eat some snow though!

We had a blast!

Thankful 3

1. Embracing winter

2. "warm" days

3. A new sled

Lesson learned

As we were driving to Scouts and Activity Days the other night

Alyssa says, "Mom one time during the summer while Daddy was making dinner he stopped making dinner and drew me a picture."

Mom "How did that make you feel?"

Alyssa "REALLY SPECIAL!"

Mom "That's because you are special and Mommy and Daddy love you so much!"

This is where the internal guilt kicks in...Would I stop making dinner to draw a picture? Hmmm...probably not. Did it make a huge impression in her life? Evidently it really did for her to remember that. Okay lesson learned...take time out to do something for your kids even when it is NOT convenient.

Our 44th President

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive ... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America."

When I went into school to volunteer for library today they were quickly getting their books and eating lunch early so that they could witness the inauguration on television. So I made a point to watch it when I got home. This was a great speech today one that inspired me and reminded me of the great honor and freedoms that we have as Americans. If nothing else Barack Obama is a great speech giver- the rest is yet to come. (I am not being pessimistic just cautious.) I do so hope that God's grace may shine upon us all and that we will be blessed as we persevere in times of difficulty and triumph!

Witty comment

While we were eating dinner tonight we were reviewing our week to come. Paul said he was off to Tampa tomorrow and Alyssa says, "Good thing it is take your kid to work day tomorrow!"

Don't we all wish- kids and wife too!

To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

ECCLESIASTES 3: 1-8

“Live a balanced life—learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.” Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

1. Time to rest and relax due to a snow day
2. Time to read a good book
3. Time for the kids to create animals with clay

A big backside

Whoever said that having a big butt is a bad thing is wrong! Let me take you back a few hours earlier in my day... This morning when I went down into the basement to run on the treadmill I discovered the light on in the garage and door leading into the basement wide open along with all of the cold air. Thankfully the garage doors were shut. So I shut it really hard and went up to tell the kids to be more careful since they were the last ones down there to get something out of my car. The apologized and we all forgot about it.

I took them to school around 10:25 due to a delay from snow and ice. I brought my camera along so I could take pictures of the beautiful coated trees with an undercoating of ice. I am meandering my way up the driveway in my car stopping to take pictures along the way. Thinking this year I am going to embrace winter, be happy and make the most of it. Then I pull into my garage, get out of my car and find that the door leading into the basement is locked! Okay no problem I think to myself after the big ice storm I remember Paul and I talking about the need for keys if we can't get in through the garage doors. NO PROBLEM I say! I have keys right here in my car...which I at that time proceeded to take out and make sure they work in various doors. I went upstairs to check the front door with the key and well the rest is history....and needless to say I never put the key back into my car.

SO I call Paul in Vegas ask him what I should do...Put Paul's boots on since I only have slippers and trudge through the snow and try to shimmy the slider door open. With no success there I proceed to the front door thinking maybe one of the kids didn't lock it after they let Thurston back in. NO SUCH LUCK! So I proceed back to the slider to see if I can do it now...NOPE!

Alright I am just going to use my BIG BUTT to bust open the door into the basement. The builder never did a spectacular job at finishing this door and it always comes open if you don't push it closed hard. Case in point above! One big shove with my big backside and there you go! I AM IN!

I proceed straight to where I think the keys ended up, find them, check that they work and have them in my pocket for when I go down to my car in 5 minutes. The trick is to not get distracted once I get into the car!

1. A big backside

2. Doing all of the above without whining to my husband

3. Patience

Behind the scenes

This morning we awoke to yet another ice storm and cancelled day of school. Many things were different about this storm the first being the fact that it was no where near as severe as the one we had last month and the other was that we had power. Well....we had power until 10 am when the kids heard a loud bang outside and the transformer (I think) blew. So after chatting with my neighbor whose power was out also (thank goodness for cell phones) we decided to wait a few hours before hauling the generators out. Paul is out of town in Las Vegas for the entire week and I didn't want to get it all going but I would if I had to.

Paul called around 12:30 and reported that the power should be on around 1:15. The trucks showed up after 1 and @ 1:20 our power was RESTORED!

Today my gratitude is centered around people who help in my life who I don't even know! I remember after the big storm whenever we would see a power truck and men working we would cheer and give them a big "Thumbs up!" If they were close enough I would even roll down my window and say thank you! I am so grateful for the many, many people in my life who work so hard to make the things all around me run efficiently and when they don't they fix it quickly. Which is what National Grid did today. I love their logo- the power of action which can be turned around- due to their action I have power!

I remember one year while subbing for several months in 4th grade I did a lesson about people in our community and how we are all interconnected. We used yarn and passed the skein back and forth and at the end we were all woven together in a big web. Then to illustrate what happens when one person does not do their job I cut one of the lines and it all got tangled and started to collapse.

I guess I just take for granted the many behind the scenes people in my life who make it so much easier. Three cheers for National Grid! They are number one on my list today! I'm going to give them a call and say THANK YOU!

I called and spoke with a customer service rep and she said that's awesome and that she will get the message out to the men who provided the service. A little gratitude passed along and I feel so happy inside. What a great lesson learned today about speaking up and following through. It feels really good!

Back on track

These pictures really have nothing to do with my post.

They just tickled me!

I love Xander's army truck pjs with the high heels and Alyssa's straight hair turning curly on the top.

A real bunch of hams! (They were almost 3)

We got a bit off track with our Family Home Evening with the holidays and got back to it tonight. It makes me smile when the kiddos and I gather around the computer while singing our opening song with the help of children's song book @ lds music. We never would just sing it on our own but with the help of a little background music we are singing away.

There is a great file on sugardoodle that has outlined a years worth of FHE based on this year's primary theme. Here is the link if you want to check it out-http://www.sugardoodle.net/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3510&Itemid=5

Simple lessons already put together for busy families. My favorite part of each lesson is the questions that come from A & A. Tonight Alexander asked if I thought that he was going to go to Heaven. Of course I do! I love the things that come up and the great discussions that are started and finished all because we took the time to sit down together for 20 minutes of Family Home Evening.

My Thankful 3:

1. Finding my desk again

2. Getting the kitchen stacks of paper organized

3. Silly pictures when the kids were little

Back to reality!

This morning as the alarm went off I started singing in my head,

"Back to life, back to reality..."

Even though we had a fun 2 weeks off of regular life it is nice to get back to normal. Even if normal is the gym, grocery shopping and laundry.

1. peaceful grocery shopping
2. a full refrigerator
3. a happy first day back to school

Be still

"Be still and know that I am God."

D&C 101:16

Today on the way to church while listening to this year's primary songs that we will be learning I had a still moment in which I felt and knew the surety and truthfulness of the gospel. I love moments like this of complete clarity. They come as the scripture says when I am still because when life is so chaotic and busy not much can get through.

Cotton Eye Joe

Xander has lost yet another tooth tonight! This is his third in less than three months. It just cracks me up to see his smile with so many holes in it! We affectionately call him "Bubba Joe" but as of last month I have started calling him Cotton eye Joe because he reminds me of a hick with so many missing teeth. Case in point from the picture below taken at my sister's house last month after he lost the 2nd of 3 in a row.