Jim and Celese Sanders Family

Quote of the Day -- Taxes According to Annalee

2012-02-06T11:01:00.000-08:00

Annalee: Mom, What are you doing?
Me: I'm working on the taxes.
A: Oh no!
M: What's wrong with that?
A: Well, I was watching Robin Hood and it says that taxes are when someone steals you're money.
M: {giggles} That's pretty true.
A: (somewhat confused) Daddy said it's true, too, but he didn't laugh.
M: (more serious this time) It's ok, sweetie. It's actually good because it helps to pay for roads and things.
A: Hm. Well, that's kind of what Daddy said, but he said something more about a rip-off, but ok . . .
M: {more giggling}

Quote of the Day -- Said by Luke

2012-02-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

Right in the middle of Sacrament meeting Luke was getting restless. He has been getting more interested in potty training, but he hasn't done much with it yet. However, he was getting desperate for ideas to get out of sitting still, so when he could no longer stand it he shouted, "Momma, I gotta go potty. . . " (then for dramatic affect he added) . . ."IT'S DANGEROUS!"

Ethiopia (Post 3)

2011-11-27T19:32:00.001-08:00

Wow. It has been really hard for me to find the time to sit down and write more blogs. I just am having such a hard time keeping up with everything.

Today I want to write about a couple of the places that we visited. The first one is a little ice cream shop. The shop is very close to the MAI building that we spent a lot of time at. They served Italian Ice. We went there a couple of times. I loved it.

This is a view of the door and the street from inside of the shop. It was kept really clean. It was one of the nicest shops we saw. I really loved it there.

If you notice, on the ceiling there were burlap sacks.

This view is from one of the swings. Inside of the shop there were tables as well as some porch swings that you could sit on to eat. The back of the shop was painted like Italy.

Nati, Kate, and Ronelle at the ice cream shop.

Quote of the Day -- Annalee

2011-11-27T18:44:00.001-08:00

Annalee: Mom, what color are my eyes?Me: They are blue, sweetie.Annalee: Oh good! I'm still beautiful!

Ethiopia (Post 2)

2011-11-03T11:35:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures of our trip to Africa.
We spent some time with a company called Morrell Agro Industries. I absolutely love the people!!! I really miss them too. The company has a guest house behind the office building so we got to see that and meet more people. These pictures are from that. (I wish I had gotten pictures of the other people we talked to!)

This picture is of Nati and Ronelle. Nati was our tour guide/interpreter. He was fantastic! He helped us so much. We really miss him! Ronelle is a friend from my ward that went with us on the trip.

This is Gemina and I. She is such a cute and funny girl! She takes care of the guest house. We got to spend some time with her in Shashamene and Awassa too. She is so sweet.

This is the gardner for the guest house. He was so kind and he made me laugh. In this picture he is cutting the grass with some shears. It was a big job. I asked him about a plant I saw and he told me it saw sugar cane. Then, he ran and got a knife and cut some down so we could try it.

Here is Jim eating the sugar cane. It was really good! You just chew it and get all the juice then spit it out. I really loved it!

All of us forengi got the sugar cane stuck in our teeth or couldn't tear it, but Nati was a pro at eating it.

Ethiopia (Post 1)

2011-10-30T10:00:00.001-07:00

I am FINALLY posting on our trip to Ethiopia. It was quite the adventure, and just an incredible experience. After being gone for the past two weeks, though, I have had a lot to catch up on so I haven't gotten to our blog yet. It's going to take me a few days to post all of the pictures and things that we saw, but I'll get to it all . . . eventually.

This is a picture of a wonderful fruit stand. The people were so nice! They gave us some of their homemade bread, too. It had the slightest hint of a spice in it. I could never quite figure out what spice it was, but it was really good.

Another picture of the fruit stand. Most of the fruits and vegetables we saw there were mangos, avocados (twice the size of the ones we see in America), tomatoes, oranges (most of the oranges were green, and they would eat them like that), bananas (a VERY yummy kind we'd never tasted before), papyas, and a green fruit that was kind of spiky on the outside. It was fun to shop at those little fruit stands.

There were a lot of homeless everywhere. This man was begging on the street where we were walking. The interesting thing to us was that he smiled and waved at us and wanted to hold our hands. But, when we pulled out the camera he wouldn't smile. He was very sweet, though.

It's kind of hard to see in this picture, but this is a picture of some men doing construction work. All of the supplies for cement (like the rocks and sand) were just dumped on the sidewalk. Then, they would use handmade stretcher-looking wooden box with handles to move the materials into a little cement maker. All of the buildings are made out of cement. There are buildings being built all over the city. They make them out of cement and then chisel (by hand) holes in the walls for the electrical and plumbing.

These next pictures show the scaffolding they use. Instead of steel supports they use eucalyptus branches. Apparently the eucalyptus wood is very strong, but it's still strange to see the wood holding up the cement or holding men as they work.

This is a picture on the streets of the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. The brown and cream building in the middle of the picture is a typical house. Many other houses are crudely made out of only metal siding. We weren't sure what the wood structure on the left is, but my guess is that it is a nice house. The gray gate you see on the right is very typical. There are many large gates like this, even around poorer houses. Most gates have a guard. Everything you see here is right next to a large three-story beautiful government building. It was very strange walking the streets and seeing such variety of buildings.

So, there is just a taste of our trip to Ethiopia. I will post more as soon as I get a chance.

Preparing for Our Trip

2011-10-04T12:17:00.001-07:00

As many of you know, we are preparing for a trip to Ethiopia this coming Sunday. It is for a big project, and I have been unbelieveably busy trying to get everything in order for it, not to mention homeschool and kids and . . . everything else.

So, that is my excuse for not reading (or commenting) on anyone's blogs lately. I do miss all of you and will catch up on what everyone has been doing lately, but for now, I suppose I'm a little focused on my own little world. Very sad, I know.

I do hope that on this trip I will have time to write and post things about what we are doing. It should be an amazing experience, and I look forward to the pictures and stories I can post later. It's always great to hear from you all.

Quote of the Day -- Annalee

2011-10-04T12:16:00.002-07:00

Today Annee asked me:
"Mom, next time you born me, could you please name me Rapunzel?"

Quote of the Day -- Annalee

2011-09-19T15:24:00.000-07:00

Today Annalee was playing with her Barbies. She had just gotten to the part of the story where the prince marries the princess and this is how she did the wedding ceremony:
Preacher: Do you promise to marry the girl?
The Prince: I do.
Preacher: And do you promise to wash the dishes and make sure the kids stay in bed and vacuum lots?
The Princess: I do.
Preacher: Then you can be a husband and wife!

Quote of the Day -- Annalee

2011-08-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

I know this is another quote by Annalee, but I guess she is just at that stage where she says such funny things.

Annalee: "Mom, there are two ways to get apple juice. The first is to get an elephant and put him on the apples to squish out all of the juice . . . and the second is to go to the store and buy some."

Quote of the Day -- Annalee

2011-08-24T11:16:00.001-07:00

Annalee (pointing to the chimney): Mom, did you know that Santa Clause and Heavenly Father and Jesus live in that tunnel?

Mom: They do?

Annalee: Yup. They all live there to watch us.

Mom: How do they all fit up there?

Annalee: Hmm . . . . Well, Santa Clause goes first to squeeze and then everybody else fits just fine.

Quote of the Day -- 9 Aug 2011

2011-08-09T08:56:00.000-07:00

I've decided that I've really got to write down the funny things my kids say better. I am going to do a simple quote of the day blog now and then to try to be able to record it better.

Today's quote is from Annalee:
(After Luke pushed her)

"Mom, Luke broke my heart . . . and he hurt my super powers!"

Annee's Song

2011-01-18T21:16:00.000-08:00

Annalee's favorite song at bedtime as been "Castle on a Cloud" from Les Miserables. Only, she likes some of the words changed. Each child gets one song before bed. This has been her choice for over the past year. Now, she likes to sing it by herself. It's so sweet!

(P.S. Sorry that it's turned the wrong way. I can't figure out how to rotate it!)

Jim and Celese

2011-01-09T14:01:00.000-08:00

While we were in Colorado, my Sister-in-Law took some fantastic pictures of our family. I rarely get a picture with just Jim and I together, so I was excited to have this one. I will post more later of the kids and the family when we can get them edited. Thanks J!

Locking Our Blog

2011-01-09T13:56:00.001-08:00

We have decided to lock our blog for safety reasons. If you would like an invitation to our blog, just e-mail me. My address is celese.sanders@gmail.com. Or, feel free to call me. :) I'll be posting more soon.

Visiting Great Grandpa and Grandma

2010-12-06T19:46:00.001-08:00

We were able to spend a weekend visiting my Grandparents. After stopping off at our hotel and getting a bite to eat we met them at their house then headed to the beach.

It was a little chilly, but the kids didn't care. We had such a wonderful time!

Luke loved the water. It was fun to just sit and relax at the beach and to watch the kids enjoy it. (I love this picture!)

Violatte was so happy to be at the beach again! She just loves it there!

Annalee loved playing in the water.

Grandpa watching his great-grandson play on the beach.

After playing at the beach we headed back to my Gradparents' house for Thanksgiving dinner. We also played games and the girls helped decorate their Christmas tree.

The next morning we met at Balboa island to ride the ferry across. The kids absolutely loved it, especially Luke! He wanted to ride it many more times.

I absolutely love this picture of Violatte and her Great-Grandpa looking out across the water.

Annalee loved watching the water and the other boats.

I took this picture just after we got off the ferry.

I took the girls on a ferris ride. Annalee was scared, but Violatte was so excited to be riding it. Annalee gripped the bar in front of her the whole time, and leaned her head on her hands. She also had her eyes squeezed shut almost the whole time. Violatte kept laughing and shouting, "Wheee!!!!!" We had such a wonderful time. (We're in the blue seats.)

After the ferry ride and the ferris wheel we all went to the Santa Ana zoo. We had a wonderful time. There were lots of monkeys and fun animals to see!

Next, we went to the Rainforest Cafe. That is one of our favorite restuarants to go to when we visit Grandpa and Grandma.

While we were waiting for our dinner, Annalee started to get sleepy. It had been a long, fun day!

Luke loved coloring on the papers while we waited for our dinner.

My handsome husband. He's so wonderful!

Throughout the meal there were "lightning storms" and animals that moved and made noise. Violatte especially loved the gorillas that were standing right behind Jim.

Luke wasn't quite sure what he thought of the lightning storms and the animals all around.

The very last thing we did was take a ride on the carousel. Violatte knew what it was all about and was so excited to ride. (In this picture she is wearing the balloon princess crown that a girl at the restaurant made for her.)

Annalee loved the Carousel.

Luke really seemed to enjoy it. He was especially fascinated with the lights.

We had such a wonderful time visiting! Thank you Grandpa and Grandma!

Memory Lane - Violatte

2010-12-06T19:29:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures of Violatte from the past year.

Violatte drew this Christmas tree all by herself. She is really talented with art. (And she is such a beautiful little girl!)

This was her Halloween costume last year. She felt so cute in it. Wow, she has really grown up from a year ago!

At a primary activity. She loved going down the water slide and kept going over and over.

Coloring her princess pictures. Princesses are her favorite things!

She is such a funny girl!

Memory Lane -- Annalee

2010-12-06T19:10:00.000-08:00

Here are a bunch of pictures of Annalee.

This is Annee with one of the first eggs we got from our chickens. She really loves to gather the eggs!

Although I look scary in this picture, I was actually very happy. I don't get many chances to cuddle my sweet Annee. I sure do love her.

Coloring her princess pictures. (She loves princesses!!!)

Annalee loves to draw on the whiteboards we have for school.

I really loves this picture of her. She is so darling.

Annalee loves her dolls. She is so sweet with them. (And can I mention what beautiful eyes she has?!?)

It amazes me how much younger she looks in this picture! This was probably taken about a year ago. My, how time flies!

This is during conference. We set up a tent facing towards the prophets and the kids had packets that I put together for them to color and write in while they listened. Annalee loved the tent and spent so much time in there.

Memory Lane - Luke

2010-12-06T18:59:00.001-08:00

Here are more picture. This time they are some of Luke from quite a while ago. He sure has grown!

Ah, what a handsome little guy.

Jim and Luke. I can't believe how small Luke is in this picture.

Luke fell asleep in his swing like this one day. It looks so uncomfortable to me, but he seemed absolutely comfortable.

Luke loved to put his binky in his mouth backwards and upside down.

A Whole Lot of Random Pictures

2010-12-06T18:21:00.000-08:00

I found a whole lot of pictures that I have wanted to post on my blog. They're not in order by date -- there's just a whole lot of random pictures.

Yup. That is Luke. Sitting in the mud in the garden drinking from the sprinkler.
Yup, that's him doing it again . . . the very next day.

I found this poor man tied up on the chair like this one day after the kids went to bed. If I remember right, he was Captain Hook from "Peter Pan".

I giggle everytime I see this picture. This was taken at a homeschool meeting. The kids were pouring rose petals on him and he made this face just as his picture was being taken each time. What a funny kid!

Jim and Violatte were bored one morning. . .so they decided to take pictures.

Hee hee. I love these two!!

This is Luke helping to water the chickens. He loves to help and he loves the chickens!!

Luke and his daddy.

Annalee and I had fun playing with my camera one day.

Annalee with Charlotte the chicken. This sweet chicken was given to us by some of our friends. She is soft like a kitten and actually likes to cuddle.

She even likes to cuddle up to your neck if you put her on your shoulder.

Jim really loves this motorcycle that we got recently. Luke loves it too! (Don't worry. I don't let Jim ride it with Luke on it.)

. . .and this is why I dread doing the girls' hair in the morning.

This is Luke and I. He loves to sit with me when I play the piano. He's such a sweet little guy.

Halloween 2010 . . . finally

2010-12-06T14:33:00.001-08:00

Halloween was a lot of fun this year. We had a ward trunk-or-treat as usual. It was freezing!!! But, we still had a good time. Violatte was a witch (the cutest one ever, I might add!), Annalee was a sweet little princess, Luke was tigger, and Jim was a cowboy. (I love how he looks in his hat!!!!!) I did dress up as a pirate as well.

Unfortuantely, we were having too much fun and I forgot to take pictures for most of the time, but here are the few I did take.

It was getting dark by the time I took this picture, but here is my fun family!

A candy in each hand! What could be better?

Luke had the time of his life! (Notice the chocolate in his teeth?)

Thankful for the Hard Things

2010-12-04T22:10:00.000-08:00

English author, Aldous Huxley wrote, “Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted.” I've seen that to be very true. I am truly glad we have this time of year to remind us to be thankful.

Having gratitude isn't always easy, though. It can be sometimes hard to find things to be thankful for when we are facing difficulties. Thomas S. Monson said, “When we encounter challenges and problems in our lives, it is often difficult for us to focus on our blessings. However, if we reach deep enough and look hard enough, we will be able to feel and recognize just how much we have been given.” I decided to give it a try, and throughout my day I looked for things to be thankful for – especially at the moments when I wasn't feeling thankful. This is the list I came up with.

I am thankful for socks on the floor. It means my children have clothes.

I am thankful for dirty dishes in the sink. It means my family has food to eat.

I am grateful for sticky floors and walls with fingerprints on them. It means my family has somewhere to live.

I am thankful that I had to replace lightbulbs today. It means my family has electricity.

I am thankful that I have to clean dust off of all the furniture. It means we have couches, tables, and chairs.

I am thankful that I could carry around my son when he was crying. It meant that I had the strength to take care of him.

I am grateful that money has been tight. It has made us realize the importance of paying off debts and of saving.

I am grateful for dirty footprints on the carpet because it means my children were able to play in the beautiful weather without fear of violence, riots, or warfare.

I am thankful for a ring around the tub because it means that my children were able to take a nice warm bath after playing outside.

I am grateful for junk mail. It is great fire-starting material for the fireplace.

I am grateful to work. It helps us balance our budget.

I am grateful for the toys that I stepped on in the middle of the night because it means my children have things to play with.

I am thankful that I had to vacuum piles of sand out of my van. It means we were able to go somewhere fun and spend some time together as a family.

I'm grateful when it is hot because then I have an excuse to go swimming.

I'm grateful when it is cold because then I have an excuse to drink hot chocolate.

I am thankful for the piles of laundry that are ready to fold. It means that we have a washing machine to wash our clothes.

I am grateful that I have to mow the lawn because it means we have a lawn for our kids to play on.

I am grateful I have to pay bills. It means we have hot water, a heater, and indoor plumbing.

I am thankful that I am so exhausted each night. It means that I worked hard, and was able to have the health and energy to care for my family.

Last, but not least, I am grateful to live in a land that provides me with the freedom to write my thoughts and the feelings of my heart and to be able to share them with others.

Mom, The Referee

2010-11-19T22:07:00.000-08:00

I'm not a mom – I'm a referee. I decided this today after breaking up the fourth or fifth fight between my daughters. It wasn't about anything big – just which doll had the wrong shoes on. Some of the earlier fights included the disagreement over who had the stick first, and the very common argument over who gets the yellow bowl at breakfast.

It is exhausting to stop the fighting all day long. I have tried letting them work out their problems for themselves, but it hasn't gone well so far. This morning I tried to let them discuss a better way to share a toy, but it ended up with two little girls screaming, and then a very long time out. The crazy thing is that ten minutes later they were laying with both of their heads on the same pillow talking and laughing together.

I do know that this is normal for siblings, but does it have to be normal for my kids? Can't they just be miracle children who never fight? I really would love that. In fact, I told them that's all I wanted for Christmas. They just stared at me. So, I'm guessing that would be a no.

Since I need to remember the good in each day, I decided to find the positive side of sibling disagreements. I am the newest “Pollyanna” of our house, because, believe it or not, I found a happy thing. Each fight or disagreement between the kids offers me an opportunity to teach them how to better manage frustrations. It also provides me a lot of time to talk with them about compromising. (Did I mention that it's a lot of time?)

I have decided that refereeing has got to be the hardest job. There's a lot of stress to always make the right call. The thing that makes it worse for moms is that we aren't always there to witness the play. When both sides claim to be right, it's hard to know what call is really fair. I've also learned that I have to stand up for the decision that is made when I know it is right. On the other hand, I have to learn to say “I'm sorry” when I'm wrong. It's a hard job!

Referees for sporting events don't always get paid very well, but I would definitely take their pay over my . . . no pay. From my experience, I think anybody who does that kind of job should get paid well – very well, in fact.

My favorite parts of it all are the time outs. . . for me. I love those. Sometimes I'm selfish and walk out to the mailbox all by myself! I'm also known to take time outs in the bathroom. I've decided that these are important to a referee's sanity. (At least for referees of three-year-olds.)

However, since I can't turn in a two-weeks' notice, and since I can't ask for a pay increase, would it be too much to ask for a pan of brownies? Come to think of it, I'd even just settle for a chocolate kiss . . . from a one-year-old.

Wall Climbing

2010-10-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

Last week Jim took me rock climbing/wall climbing for a date. I've always wanted to go and never had a chance. One of the times we went for an Elders' Quorum activity I was in labor so I just had to watch.

So, Jim took me to a place here on the base. We had a great time!

Jim climbing. He made it look so easy!

Me climbing. It was a lot more work than I thought! My arms hurt for days!

I made it to the top each time! Amazing.

Jim at the top

So you know . . .

2010-10-13T21:24:00.000-07:00

Annalee (very seriously) had this conversation with me:

A: Mom, if you smell fish . . .
Me: Uh huh
A: . . . and you see grey . . .
Me: ok
A: . . .and you hear a growl . . .
Me: A growl?
A: Yah! And if you see teeth all over . . .
Me: Yes?
A: Then you're in a shark!

Hmm, good to know.

Crowing

2010-10-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

I don't like to write about my accomplishments, but this one means so much to me.

As many of you know, I have been writing for our local newspaper (The Daily Independent) for the past year. I have struggled to feel like I'm good enough or that people like my articles. Lately I have had more and more comments on my articles and more people reading them.

And then today this Letter to the Editor came out. I wish I know who the woman was so I can thank her. It means so much to me!

I tried to scan it in, but it wouldn't work, so I have just copied and pasted what she wrote below.

Letter to the editor: Thanks for excellent writing Celese
By Suzanne Seibel

Celese Sanders’ article in the “Columnist’s Corner” on Aug. 21 was thoroughly delightful! What a talented writer!
The article was entitled, “When life gives you trouble, just laugh.” Her premise is that laughing is a lot more fun than crying and hat finding humor in the stressful situations that we face everyday can make us a healthier, happier person.
She awakened the memories of mothers and grandmothers to the experiences we also had with our young children. I especially enjoyed the line where she declared that her children were “three steps past board and a mile past restless.” Also, that “a moment of silence is the first indication of trouble.” I too found that to be the case when my son was two years old, but I didn’t have the good sense to look at those incidents with a humorous outlook.
Celese’s next article was on Sept. 2 and was titles “Id flying worth the hassle of the airport?” Again she writes with the wonderful ability to catch your attention from the first line and holds your attention until the last line.
Her sentence structure is excellent and her articles are grammatically correct. She expresses what we all encounter at some time in our lives with such humor and common sense that we find ourselves laughing out loud.
In this particular article about flying and airports I really enjoyed the line describing he landing when a little elderly lady asks the pilot, “...if they had just landed or had they been shot down.”
I just recently discovered Celese’s articles and I am so sorry that I missed those in the past but I will be looking forward to those in the future.

Suzanne Seibel
Ridgecrest

http://www.ridgecrestca.com/opinions/letters_to_the_editor/x1305345396/Letter-to-the-editor-Thanks-for-excellent-writing-Celese

Carrie Underwood - Mama's Song

2010-09-24T15:26:00.000-07:00

I never post videos like this on my blog, but since this once made me cry (well, sob, really) I felt that it deserved a place.

So, I dedicate it to my dad, to my mom, and most especially to my wonderful husband.

Jesus Said

2010-09-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

Two nights ago I heard the sweetest thing and it just warmed my heart as a mother.

The kids were in bed and the girls were talking to each other. I had told them many times to be quiet and was about to go tell them again when I heard Violatte say, "Annalee, Jesus said 'If ye love me keep my commandments.' Jesus said that! Isn't that amazing!"

Then they had a little discusson about it. Violatte explained to her little sister what it meant and then repeated, "Because Jesus said 'If ye love me keep my commandments.' John 1:6."

I know that the actual reference is John 14:15, but I really don't care. I'm just glad she has such wonderful primary teachers that teach her such wonderful things and that she shares them with her little sister.

What a blessing to be the mother to such incredible children!

Memory Lane - Luke

2010-08-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

Today I am posting some pictures of Luke from a few months ago.

There's no better way to eat than to be a mess! (October 2009)

Daddy did his hair and isn't he just handsome?!? (October 2009)

Checking over his shoulder to see if someone is watching . . . (March 2010)

I just love everything about this little guy -- the face, the smile, the little jeans, the mischeviousness. He is so much fun! (March 2010)

Memory Lane: Pictures of Annalee

2010-08-22T23:20:00.000-07:00

Today I wanted to post some pictures of Annalee. Looking back on some of the pictures from last year made me realize how much she is growing up!

Sleeping at lunch time. October 2009

Eating, Messy, and happy about it. October 2009

She loves drawing on the whiteboard. November 2009

Such a cute girl! February 2010

Violatte's Drawings

2010-08-20T22:50:00.000-07:00

Violatte loves to draw and her pictures are more creative and more beautiful every day. I am very impressed with some of her latest pictures so I had to post them on the blog.

This is a picture of a sailboat out on the water. (Those are fish in the water.)

Violatte loves hearts and really loves the color pink. She uses those in a lot of her drawings. (And, may I add that it says, "Mama" around the heart!)

This one is a favorite of mine. She drew this castle all by herself free-hand without even looking at a picture. She just amazes me!

Violatte -- December 2009

2010-08-19T14:30:00.001-07:00

I found another picture of Violatte for "Nutcracker" and I just had to post it. She loved having her hair all curled. She is such a beautiful girl!

Memory Lane -- Violatte's dance

2010-08-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

Today I am going down memory lane . . .

Violatte loved her dance class. She hasn't taken anything since last December (2009). She was in the nutcracker then. I got a couple of beautiful pictures of her and a video at the dress rehersal for "Nutcracker."

I love this picture of her. Her feet are in third position and she is curtsying so cute.

Here she is dancing

And here is a video of Violatte dancing. I think it is so cute! I just love it! (And, yes, I know it's turned. I'm not quite sure how to fix that.)

Recommitment and Homeschooling Thoughts

2010-08-18T14:44:00.000-07:00

I am recommitting myself (again) to posting one blog a day. I have so many cute pictures of the kids I'd like to post and some fun stories. I just need to make the time. So, hopefully, one blog a day (even if it's short) will help me to get caught up.

I was going to start my postings with one about the kids, but something happened with our homeschooling adventures that I'd like to write about.

After some attempts at homeschooling in the spring I was feeling frustrated and burned out in a matter of weeks. It was too difficult to find the time to create lesson plans, teach those plans, and then still have fun tiem with the kids and accomplish everything else I need to. I was so burned out! It took 3-4 hours of preparation for one hour of school. It was just too much.

So, Jim and I talked and decided to use the K12 program. The curriculum is created by professionals and we really are impressed with it. The books adn supplies and computer are provided and we have the support of the program and teachers in the program. Plus, because it is considered a public school where we live, it is paid for my our taxes.

I was so grateful to learn about this program and be able to use it. There was only one problem: other homeschooling parents see an online program like this as "cheating" or "the worst of both worlds." They feel that I am still subjecting my children to all the negative parts of a public school but taking my time away doing it. I see it as neither.

This established curriculum gives me the freedom to spend fun time wtih my children and it gives me a foundation to build off of on topics that I would like to add. It takes away the stress of designing curriculum and the time of preparing. Plus, I feel like it is right. So, for all of you homeschooling parents out there: No need to criticize my decisions. I am doing what I feel is right so you would just be wasting your breath arguing with me.

So, now I've got that off my chest I feel so much better. :)

Mother Article

2010-07-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

I found this on a friend's facebook page, and I absolutely love it.

Chickens

2010-07-11T16:21:00.001-07:00

We decided to get some chickens so we could have some eggs. We bought some full-grown hens from a woman and they layed about an egg a day. We loved it! So we decided to hatch some eggs and raise some more chickens. A wonderful couple in our ward let us borrow their incubator and have some fertilized eggs. It was fun watching the whole process. Our children loved watching the eggs hatch and were fascinated with it all.

The incubator with eggs in the process and chicks that had just hatched.

One of the chicks just after it hatched.

The baby chicks just a couple of days after they hatched. Jim made a feeder and a box that was perfect for them!

Annale and one of the Rhode Island Reds

A friend of ours asked us if we would be interested in taking in two more chickens. We were very excited since we have so few after some dogs had killed some of our hens. One of our newest additions is a breed called a Silky. She is really sweet and soft. The kids love her!

Jim's Trip to Washington D.C.

2010-07-11T15:49:00.000-07:00

Jim was able to spend a day in Washington D.C. in May. He's wanted to go there for so long and see the historical sites. He got to tour the city from the top of a double-decker bus.

Union Station

The Capitol building where Congress meets.

The mall from the front steps of the Capital

The view from directly underneath the Capital Dome.

This is a copy of the Declaration of Independence that is hung in the room that was originally the floor of the House of Representatives or the Senate. (He couldn't remember which.) There was an identical frame of the Constitution on the other side of the room.

A statue of Thomas Jefferson holding the Declaration of Independence

Jim and a statue of Ronald Reagan

The Washington Monument! One cool fact: on the very top where no-one can see it are written the words. "Laus Deo!" which means "Praise be to God!"

Just before going to the Jefferson Monument spent about 4 hours in the galleries of the House and the Senate watching what was going on. He wasn't too impressed and was actually very disappointed. Then he went straight to the Jefferson Monument and it almost brought him to tears!

Jefferson Monument

There were quote on the walls surrounding the Thomas Jefferson Monument. These are some of the quotes that Jim loved.

"I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors."

"God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever. Commerce between master and slave is despotism. Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than that these people are to be free. Establish a law for educating the common people. This it is the business of the state and on a general plan."

"Almighty God hath created the mind free. All attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens . . . are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion . . . No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship or ministry or shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but all men shall be free to profess and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion. I know but one code of morality for men whether acting singly or collectively."

A neat statue of Benjamin Franklin. I'm not sure what the building is, though.

The Navy Memorial

One of the random artistic pieces around the city -- either that or an aluminum foil factory plant exploded.

Jim was thrilled to find a statue of himself in Washington D.C. . . . but, what's with the horse?

Jim was sad that the kids and I couldn't be there with him (and we were too). Someday we will all have to go to Washington D.C. as a family and learn more about the history of our great nation!

Smithsonian Aerospace and Aviation Museum

2010-07-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

One of the great places Jim was able to visit while he was in Washington D.C. was the Smithsonian Aerospace and Aviation Museum. He loved seeing all the different planes, rockets, and jets that were there.

F23 Joint Strike Fighter

An F14

Wow! Look! It's the Space Shuttle!

Rocket Scientist Heaven . . .

Some of the early inventions in Rocket Science.

This picture is Jim next to the Space Shuttle main engine.

If you thought the Space Shuttle main engine was big . . . this one was almost twice the size!

This mailbox was made to look like R2D2.

Fathers' Day 2010

2010-07-02T15:24:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I write a weekly article for the newspaper here. I enjoy writing. The Saturday before Fathers' Day, this was my article that was published.

I love Father's Day; it's one of the few days out of the year when I can show the men in my life how much they mean to me without making them think I'm going to ask for something. Although Fathers' Day has much less fanfare than Mothers' Day, I still think that men contribute more than we sometimes give them credit for.
For example, my husband can fix a leaking toilet and look good while doing it. I can't even fix the toilet, so I appreciate him so much in those moments.
Many men are so great at playing with the kids (and not feeling the least bit silly). The other day my husband helped my daughters make rocket ships out of cardboard boxes and they flew to all the planets in the solar system, and he taught them about each one. I got a text from him saying that they finally made it back to Earth (which is good, because I was getting worried)! My daughters talked about that trip for the next few days. I would have been too impatient to spend that much time with them, and would have felt silly trying to fit inside a box, but he had so much enthusiasm that the children hardly knew they were learning.
My Dad was the same way with us as we were growing up. I have fond memories of playing kickball (Dad against all the kids) and of working with him in the garden. My Dad is also the strongest person I know. I remember him lifting one side of a piano up a flight of stairs into our apartment while three guys took the other end. My Dad also is the best storyteller in the world. He can make people laugh. I also always admired how much he loves and protects my Mom. He was a wonderful example to me of what a husband and father should be. So, that's what I looked for in a husband.
One of my favorite things about our husbands and fathers is that everything feels right when they are home. I look forward to the time when my husband gets home every single day. I check out the window for the car probably a hundred times before he finally gets there. The kids are happier, I am happier, and our home just feels better with him there.
A good man also tries not to look frightened when you come out of the bathroom wearing a pale purple mask on your face (he may snicker some, but I actually don't blame him). A good man swallows the soup you cooked even though it was horribly salty and had virtually no other flavor (not speaking from experience, of course). A good man lets you follow your passion even though he may not understand it at all. A good man kisses you when he leaves for work and kisses you when he gets home because he misses you so much (and you miss him too!) A good man is willing to face the fearsome broken-down swamp cooler on the hot roof in the middle of the summer or to bravely go check on any scary sounds you hear in the middle of the night.
So, although the men may be content with a handmade card to celebrate Fathers' Day, I think it's only right to find a way to let them know that they mean so much more to us. I, for one, plan on grilling him a big steak and serving his favorite cheesecake for dessert. Then he'll know for sure I that love him!

. . . and I actually did make steaks and cheesecake. It was delicious!

Mmm . . . these steaks were so incredible!

The strawberry cheesecake

Just in case . . .

2010-07-02T15:21:00.001-07:00

. . . you've ever wondered what an entire roll of toilet paper looks like -- unrolled -- and piled on a floor . . . this is it.

I'm back

2010-06-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am back. After two and a half months of no writting, I am proud to announce . . . that we are still alive!

I decided it was time I returned to my therapist -- the blog. I find such a release in being able to write about everything that goes on each day. I guess it's my way of feeling like someone is listening, and that I am not as lonely as I sometimes feel.

So, I guess I'll just begin again with how we are all doing.

Luke is walking now. He crawls sometimes but he definitely prefers walking. He's getting a sort of half-run down that is so darling to watch. He speaks more all the time and now says such things as, "Yeah" (my favorite), "Down", "Dog", "Outside", "Cat", and "Please" just to name a few.

Annalee is getting older by the day it seems. Some of her most recent phrases have been, "I already explained it to you" and "You need to listen to me." I can't tell if she is 20 or 3.

Violatte is a beautiful, smart girl. She loves math but struggles with her reading in her schoolwork. She loves to be outside and is an amazing helper with her little brother. She loves to play with him and keep him busy (although he can be annoying as all little brothers can be.)

Jim has been busy with work as usual. He has traveled some the last couple of months. He has also been very busy with the scouts preparing for a canoe trip they have planned.

As for me, well, I've just been trying to figure things out. I was sick for a while (a horribly painful migrane). I'm almost back to where I was before but I still get discouraged with how the headaches affect me each day.

My business is going well. My sales are higher than they've ever been. I struggle in other areas, though, and feel the discouragement get to me sometimes as well.

Well, other than that, we are just doing the normal, every day stuff. I will write more details later.

In conclusion, a quote I recently found:

"Ideals are stars to steer by; they are not sticks to beat ourselves with." -Barbara B. Smith, Ensign, March 1976

Redlands Temple

2010-04-05T22:45:00.000-07:00

In March I went to Ontario for a Mary Kay Career Conference. Since the Redlands temple was only half an hour away I decided to go down a little early and attend the temple. It was wonderful. The sweet women that were there were so kind and loving. Some of them were even so grateful that I was there to serve that they gave me hugs. I loved it. I took this picture on my way out of the temple. I love the peace that comes with serving in the House of the Lord.

Hair Salon at home

2010-04-05T22:30:00.000-07:00

I've really wanted to try different hairstyles with the girls. One of my friends listed some websites on her blog that gave ideas. It was fun to try them and the girls seemed to like it. It was kind of hard with their short hair so I'm looking forward to trying it when their hair is a little longer.

Here are the finished pictures.

Violatte's hair -- this was half of a spider web kind of thing. I added the flowers -- I think the girls look so cute with flowers in their hair!

Annalee's hair -- I'm not sure what this one was called.

The Websites I got my inspiration from are:
http://www.cutegirlshairstyles.com/
http://www.babesinhairland.com/

Violatte's Birthday

2010-04-05T22:08:00.000-07:00

I am very late posting this, but on March 28th Violatte turned 5 years old!!!
It's so hard for me to see her growing up like this. She seems more and more like a big girl each day. Here are the pictures from her special day.

Violatte and her birthday cake. When we asked her what kind of cake she said, "Chocolate chip, marshmallow, strawberry cake." She also joked about green bean frosting. So, I made a chocolate cake with marshmallows spelling out the number 5, green frosting that said, "Happy Birthday Violatte" and strawberries. I think it turned out just like she wanted. Silly girl.

Violatte's pajamas that she got from her Grandpa and Grandma Sanders.

Violatte in the new dress that her Grandpa and Grandma Sanders gave her. It is so perfect for her! She loves it!

The quilt I made for Violatte. I didn't qite have it finished for her birthday (but it is now!)

We love you Violatte!!!

Conference Activity Packet

2010-03-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

My kids look forward to General Conference for two reasons. The first, is that we always set up our tent inside facing the computer (which is where we watch conference) like the people did when King Benjamin taught his people.

The other thing my kids look forward to is the conference packets that I print off each year for them to color and write in during conference. There are a few out there, but the ones I usually use are from Deseret Book. They have a free download for each conference session. The link is:

http://deseretbook.com/store_locator/conference

I hope you enjoy them. I am really looking forward to conference.

Potty Training . . . is [Finally] Complete

2010-03-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

After almost a year-long process of potty training, I am thrilled to announce that Annalee has finally decided to use the toilet.

She has known has to for quite a while. She just wasn't interested in doing it. We had tried everything: prizes, awards, punishments, hourly reminders, reminders every half an hour, goals, etc. Nothing worked. She just hadn't decided she wanted to.

Well, a couple of weeks ago I got to the point where we were out of diapers for her and I just didn't want to buy any more. I was done. I told her and she simply said, "Ok, I'll wear panties now."

That was it!!??!! I only had to stop buying diapers and she would be potty trained!!??!! I silently kicked myself for a week about that one, but at least it is done. She has done really well, too. Only a couple of accidents each week, and only one in the last few weeks at night.

I am just so grateful that it is done -- even if it took a year!

A New Hobby

2010-02-24T13:16:00.000-08:00

A few months ago some friends invited us to go shooting with them. I enjoyed myself so much more than I thought I would. We not only enjoyed it, but we felt like it could be very beneficial in keeping our family safe.

After a couple of scary incidents we decided to get a handgun for each of us. We have both also applied for CCWs (to carry a concealed weapon.)

I'm proud to say that I've gotten to be a pretty good shot -- as has Jim. We enjoy going out to the range to practice. It's become a great new hobby for both of us.

Jim trying out his gun.

Taking my turn

Luke's First Birthday

2010-02-17T14:32:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe my baby is a year old now. He is getting so big so fast. It's hard to see him growing up, but I do love seeing him grow and learn. Here is his chocolate cake with chocolate frosting (as tradition).

Luke loved the singing and the candle. He couldn't wait to get to the cake, though!

Ready . . .

. . . set . . .

Go!!!

Luke liked playing with it more than eating it.

He was one happy boy!

Luke had to make sure he got every last bite.

Valentines Day cards

2010-02-12T14:51:00.000-08:00

This year we decided to make the Valentines' Day cards for Violatte's class. I looked online and found some cute ideas . . . then simplified them. They turned out pretty cute and only took us a little over an hour to make 20. This is how they look.

We made a little flower pot out of paper and then taped a packet of seeds inside.
The heart says, "I hope our friendship blooms."
Then, inside of it, Violatte signed her name. She did such a good job!

Violatte with one of the Valentines we made. She was proud and so excited to take them to school.

Girls' Drawings

2010-02-11T11:13:00.000-08:00

Both Violatte and Annalee love to draw. Here are some of their more recent pictures.

Violatte drew this one. I think it's of herself.

Another cute one by Violatte

Jim's drawing (typical guy stuff)

Violatte's version of Jim's picture

Violatte's drawing of a heart. It amazes me how it actually looks so much like a human heart.

This is probably my favorite picture ever that Violatte has drawn. It's a row of sunflowers. She is a good little artist.

One day Violatte really wanted me to draw a picture for her while she was at school. This is what I drew.

Violatte liked the way I drew the heart and the picture that she did her version of it. I love this one.

The main thing Annalee draws is circles. Lots of them.

Violatte loves to draw rainbows.

Annalee's drawing of Mommy

Violatte's drawing of Mommy

Violatte's picture of Jo Jo (The dog we used to have) and Elipse (our cat).

Violatte drew herself next to a Christmas tree.

Violatte's picture of herself with a light saber.

Violatte's picture of a Christmas tree. She got really good at drawing these.

Violatte's picture of a Gingerbread Yoda (like the one Jim made at Christmas)

One Quick Trip

2010-01-29T14:47:00.000-08:00

We went on a trip this past week to Logan, Utah. We left late on Sunday night and drove through the night to get to Logan by noon. We were going to Logan for a funeral of Desmond Anderson. He was our next door neighbor and became such a blessing to us. I wrote an article about him and will post that at the bottom. We loved seeing his sweet wife, Loila, and hearing all about Desmond.

After the funeral the kids were getting tired and cranky so we left and stopped to get some dinner. Loila was so sweet and invited us to the dinner afterwards but our kids were just so tired and worn out. (I don't blame them after having to ride in a car all night -- 12 hours straight.)

After eating we headed back down to California. We got to stay the night in St. George with Jim's Uncle Dan and Aunt Patty and their family. We love them! They were so good to us. It was wonderful being able to sit and talk with them. They are amazing people!

Then, Tuesday afternoon we headed back to Ridgecrest. It was a long couple of days with about 26 hours of driving and five episodes of car sicknesses, but we made it home safe and sound.

Crazy Weather

2010-01-29T14:34:00.000-08:00

I know that this is a little late but at least I finally got around to posting it. We had some crazy weather last week . . . It snowed!!!

It was pretty fun having snow and they even let everyone out early at Jim's work. It was wonderful.

So, we decided to do what almost every family in Ridgecrest did -- we played in the snow. Mosly, that just means we had a snowball fight.

Jim and the kids plotting . . .

Annalee enjoying the snow

Our yard with snow -- it's just crazy to see a palm tree with snow on it.

When I tried taking Violatte to her dance class that day it was so flooded I couldn't get there.

Christmas Vacation

2009-12-27T10:58:00.000-08:00

We had such a wonderful Christmas vacation. My parents, grandparents, and most of my siblings came up to visit. We did a lot of fun things and had a great time. We loved having everyone here! We went to the Murray family farms and got some incredible fruit. We also got to go to the petting zoo. The weather was great and it was great spending so much time outside.

Jenna and Violatte at the petting zoo.

Trissa and Annalee at the petting zoo.

The girls opening their stockings.

Luke's favorite part of his stocking was the orange.

Annalee loved this little car.

Violatte on an airplane teeter-totter we got her.

Luke opening a present.

Pictures, Picture, and more Pictures

2009-12-27T10:27:00.000-08:00

It has been such a long time since I've posted anything, so here is a collection of pictures showing what we've done the last few months.

Annalee playing in the leaves

Violatte playing in the leaves

The snowman we built. Isn't he great!?!

Violatte and Santa Clause. We got to see him at the train rides that are run each year. She told him that what she wanted for Christmas was presents.

Annalee told Santa that she wanted presents too.

I love holding my little guy.

Annalee loved the face painting she had done at a fair.

Violatte loved her face painting too.

Getting some cuddle time with Annalee.

This mama goat loved me.

Annalee and Violatte petting a baby goat at the petting zoo.

Luke loved seeing all the animals at the petting zoo.

The kids and I at the petting zoo.

Luke and I on the hay ride at the pumpkin patch.

Annalee and I on a hay ride at the pumpkin patch.

Luke hasn't used a pacifier in a long time. He does like to play with it now and then, though. This is his favorite way of playing with it.

Thanksgiving article

2009-11-29T08:21:00.000-08:00

The most interesting part of Thanksgiving is definitely the combination of personalities when extended family gets together. I enjoy observing people, and watching a large mixture of people is always entertaining.
Maybe most families aren't as crazy as mine, but I'm sure most are just as interesting in one way or another. There always seems to be a Grandma who loves to give kisses or an uncle who tells fabulous stories, and somewhere in the mix there is always a prankster to keep everyone on their toes. Then, of course, there are always lots of cousins to play together.
Sometimes there are bad things about getting people together – such as rivalries between brothers, or in-law disagreements. That's bound to happen when many different people spend time together, but, fortunately, roasted turkey and pumpkin pie generally produce happy people.
Like most families, a tradition of ours was to have each person name something they are grateful for before we could eat. The children always had the cutest reasons such as, “I'm thankful for the tooth fairy” or “I'm thankful I don't have to sit next to my brother.” Adults generally had the boring comments such as, “I'm thankful for my job that provides a good income for my family and wonderful benefits so I can be a good husband and father and also for good coworkers who . . . blah . . . blah . . . blah.” The teenagers are generally the most creative, “I'm grateful we are almost done with this gratitude thing so we can eat.”
Then, the feast began. The conversations were always amusing, the food was always delicious, and the spills were always certain.
When the food is all cleaned up there is the after-dinner celebration. The younger guys all watch football games, the kids all get sent out to the backyard to wear off some energy, the women gossip in the kitchen, and the old men fall asleep on the floors and couches and rock the house with the snoring. If you're really luck and have a crazy family like mine, the aunts and uncles will either arm wrestle or start the game of “Do you remember when” while Grandpa and Grandma insert the occasional, “I didn't know that happened!!!”
With so many things to be thankful for, I'd have to say that I am most thankful for the people in my life. Each person influences me and teaches me and makes me smile. Much of who we are is built upon the foundation of our experiences with the people around us. I hope that you enjoy each moment you have with the people in your life.

Black Widow

2009-11-08T17:55:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is a picture of a black widow spider on a girl. It's actually a tattoo, but I wanted you to understand how I felt with this entry.

I had a horribly scary experience the other night. I had brought a box of sweaters in from the garage. I was trying them on since I hadn't worn them last year because I was pregnant. I wanted to make sure they fit. When I put about the sixth sweater on I looked in the mirror and saw a giant black widow on my neck. It completely terrified me and I screamed and tried to brush it off. It took me a couple of swipes to throw it onto the floor. It started running toward me so I grabbed a shoe to smash it.

I was shaking for about ten minutes. It really scared me. I am blessed, though, since it didn't bite me. Now, I am much more careful about bringing in clothes that had been in storage.

Picture from http://www.toupeiratoupeiro.es/blog/arte/tatuajes-2/

Headache Updates

2009-11-01T19:52:00.000-08:00

So, as many of you know, I have had chronic headaches (and oftentimes, migraines) since the time I was in about seventh grade. I've been to all sorts of doctors and specialists to try to figure out what is wrong. Well, I am happy to announce that I haven't had to take any pain killer for about a week now. After experimenting with a lot of the things that past few months I found what seems to be causing the headaches.

Each time that I get one or wake up with one I take a nap and it really seems to help. I've also noticed that it seems to have a lot to do with my eyes. If I spend a lot of time writing on the computer I seem to get them more quickly. A nap always seems to help (even if it is short.) So, I'm pretty sure it has something to do with my eyes and sleep deprivation.

Whatever it is, though, I seem to have things under control and it is a great relief! Thank you to all of you who have been concerned about me over this. I'm sure your prayers have helped!

Random Happenings

2009-11-01T19:34:00.000-08:00

Conversation at dinner tonight:
Annalee: Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad!
Jim: Shh!
Annalee: Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad!
Jim: Shh!!!
Annalee: Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad!
Jim: Annalee, when I say "shh" it means be quiet.
Annalee (in a whisper): Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad!

When we were Trick-or-Treating Annalee really wanted to fly (since she was a butterfly). So, Jim picked her up and would carry her really fast so she could fly. She thought it was the greatest thing!

Today Jim was shutting the circuit breakers on and off to try to fix a problem in our electrical wiring. Any time Luke saw lights go off and then on he would giggle. He would watch the lights so intently -- waiting for them to flicker again.

We've had a really hard time teaching Violatte that sharing doesn't mean she can take what someone else has. We have had to tell her, "You can only share what you have." I don't think she quite gets the concept yet. She'll 'borrow' something and say, "Annalee just needed to share with me."

Annalee's favorite shirt this week has been one that her Grandpa and Grandma Howard gave to her. She'll point to the shirt and say, "I need to talk to this Grandpa and Grandma and tell them to come visit me."

Luke now makes kissing sounds by sucking in his lips like a fish face. It's so cute. When he kisses us, though, he just slobbers, still. Lovely!

Every time the girls pray they pray that Trissa (their aunt), Christie (H.), and their babysitter (Leah L.) will come to their house.

Luke waves and claps his hands. My favorite is when he is going to bed. He'll start waving to everyone.

Violatte is reading really well. She is even doing some math lately. I've been so impressed with how quickly she catches on to things.

Luke doesn't roll over so much. Now he army crawls. He sure is getting into a lot more things!

Kids are so much fun!

Halloween Pics

2009-10-31T19:36:00.001-07:00

We had such a great Halloween. It was fun to see our kids all dressed up. Jim and I even got in the festive spirit and dressed up as well. We had a great time.

Annalee was a cute little butterfly. The wings were huge on her but it was definitely more butterfly-like.

Violatte looked so cute in her poodle skirt. It ended up being pretty big on her so I had to safety-pin it, but she still looked great!

Luke's costume was definitely a challenge for me. I couldn't find a pattern anywhere for the robe or for the Yoda face. I did it all by creativity (and Jim's help.) It turned out really cute.

This is us at the Trunk-or-Treat

Jim was Elmer Fudd and . . .

. . . here is the classic Elmer Fudd searing for his "Wascally Wabbit."

A friend gave me a pirate costume and the girls really wanted me to dress up. *sigh* So I gave in. I can't remember the last Halloween I dressed up because I always feel ridiculous, but it was actually pretty fun.

Another cute picture of Luke

Well, we decided since we were in costume to have some fun with picture-taking.

Me, getting impaled by a sword . . . in the armpit . . .

Yoda is using The Force to take the rubber-band gun from Elmer Fudd

Yoda holding the pirate at bay with a sword (we were fresh out of lightsabers for Yoda).

We hope you all had a wonderful Halloween!

WARNING: Do Not Leave Alcohol Near Your Pumpkins

2009-10-31T11:40:00.001-07:00

My husband's aunt sent this to us in an e-mail. It was too funny I had to post it. Have a happy Halloween!

Newspaper articles - Halloween

2009-10-29T14:09:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I have been writing columns for the Daily Independent (the newspaper here in Ridgecrest) once a week. I will start posting my articles here on my blog to add to our family journaling. Here is the article I wrote for this week on Halloween:

Halloween has never been my favorite holiday. I don't like scary things. I've only been on a roller coaster a couple of times, and I don't plan on going again. So, a holiday that is filled with goblins and creepy things isn't my choice of a good time. Now that I have kids, though, it is much more fun. I enjoy putting together their costumes and helping them plan what they want to wear.
I grew up in Idaho where there was practically a guarantee of snow on the night of Halloween. We always had to wear a snowsuit underneath our costumes, and there is no fairy or cheerleader costume that looks good over bulky jackets and insulated pants. Only the Hulk costume looks good with layers underneath, and that's certainly not an option for a girl. I remember one Halloween specifically where my mom worked really hard to make a beautiful white fairy costume. It was great. It had layers of white fabric that wrapped around. However, when I put it on over my layers of warm clothes, I just ended up looking like the Michelin Man.
My husband had the same experience in Colorado. He was Superman one year, and his mom made him wear a coat. He kept trying to explain to his parents that Superman would never wear a coat – Superman is after all . . . well . . . Superman. His parents finally made him a deal that he would wear his coat but he could take it off at each door when he rang the doorbell. Living in this desert town certainly has it's advantages on Halloween night when scarves are not a necessity.
I lived in a rural town growing up and with our large family it took so much time to pile out of our van and to the front door, knock, each get a piece of candy, pile back into the van and buckle up for the drive to the next house. We never got much candy (which I'm sure my parents didn't mind), but for us kids, it was depressing. My friends would brag about having a pillowcase full of candy from going to one of the towns and walking door-to-door, and I would have a measly 6 pieces of candy. I wanted a great way for my kids to go trick-or-treating, but only at houses where we knew people, and to be done before bedtime.
Now we go trunk-or-treating in our church parking lot. I think it's a fabulous idea. If you've never been to one before and you have young children, I highly recommend them. Everybody backs their cars up and opens up the trunks (or the back of the mini-van, in most cases). Some people decorate them and the kids walk from car to car gathering treats. There are also oftentimes games and activities. I feel much safer doing that, and usually we are home by seven.
So, the next dilemma is the Halloween candy. Each parent has a different game plan for managing the sweets. Some parents let their kids eat all the candy that night to get the sugar rush and crash over with quickly. However, it tends to leave a hangover-like effect, except that the parents are the ones that end up with the headache. Some parents let their kids have one or two pieces a day to spread it out over a couple of weeks. One set of lucky parents I know has convinced their kids to trade in all the Halloween candy for a big family trip or activity.
My absolute favorite idea is to donate all the candy to a program called Operation Gratitude. It sends the candy to the troops in Afghanistan. The servicemen and women give it to the children where they are serving. I think it is such a great way to avoid the sugar rushes and crashes for our children, plus it is a great way to teach them service and to honor the troops serving our country.
Maybe I can learn to like Halloween after all.
(For more information on Operation Gratitude go to www.opgratitude.com.)

Cute Kids

2009-10-27T09:43:00.001-07:00

Annalee does some really cute things. One of my favorites is when we read scriptures at night, she likes to take a turn. She always turns to the page in the Book of Mormon that has this picture on it and "reads" something like this:
"I love Jesus. I want him to come back. He can come visit our house. I miss him. That's him right there in the picture. I want him to come."

Annalee loves to say, "This food is delicious!" at dinnertime. She also uses the word "beautiful" to describe things. They seem like such big words for such a little girl.

I had to switch all the kids' clothes for bigger sizes. Annalee is now in 3T, Violatte is in 5T, and Luke is in 9 month clothes. They all grow so fast!

We've done some fun things as a family lately. I'll be posting more pictures soon.

Baby Laughs

2009-10-26T21:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, this post is horribly embarrassing, but I still think it's hilarious, so I decided to post it. I hope you enjoy. (Don't be frightened. It's not a Halloween video.)

Considering Children

2009-09-18T13:08:00.000-07:00

I used to think that the number of children a person has is a good indicator of how good of a parent he or she is. Both my Mother and my Mother-in-Law had large families and they are two amazing Mothers. I don't know where that belief came from for me. Maybe it was because of the large family I grew up in or maybe it was because I knew my lack of patience and felt unworthy as a Mother -- especially to have a large family.

I'm not sure if I feel that same way. I've seen some amazing mothers who have small families. I guess for some reason my rating of Motherhood only applies to me. I've struggled so much with this because a part of me wants to have a big family to be a good mother, another part of me wants to have a big family because I think they are so wonderful and I would love to have five or six, but the last part of me has that feeling that just maybe I already have all I can handle. I want to make sure that I am the kind of mom that gives each child enough individual attention. I want to make sure that I'm not too overwhelmed and that I can be enough for them.

I don't know if any of this makes sense and it kind of rambles but it's been on my mind a lot lately. I know that we don't have to make a decision right now about whether or not to have more children but I've just felt so unsettled lately -- like a big change is coming or like we have some big decisions ahead of us. I'm not sure what is ahead but the decision we'll face later about our family is something that I'll most likely be considering until then.

Bring on the Fall!

2009-09-16T16:02:00.000-07:00

Fall is my absolute most favorite season of the year. I have to admit, though, that I am having a hard time adapting to the Ridgecrest version of fall. In Idaho, where I grew up, Fall was the season where everybody's apple tree had too many apples and invited us over to pick them. Fall was the time where you had to start wearing a jacket again. Fall was the time when big Potato trucks would appear on the roads and school got out for two weeks while the farmers harvested.

Here in Ridgecrest it is completely different. Fall is when you plant your garden again. It's when you can go outside again in the middle of the day because it is no longer too hot. And if you want to can or freeze produce you have to actually go buy the produce! BUY IT! Buying produce to store seems like an oxymoron to me since the only produce I remember canning or freezing was grown in our garden or given to us.

The worst thing about the Ridgecrest fall, though, is the lack of color. I miss living in Logan, Utah where you could take a drive into the mountains and see trees changing color all around you. It had a calming, gentle affect that made all seem well with the world.

But, as our green beans are sprouting and our roses are blooming I did come to accept that fall can be nice here too. It's just different and different isn't always bad.

Picture courtesy of:
http://www.redbubble.com/people/enjoylife/art/276578-11-autumn-colors-in-the-forest

Did you know . . .

2009-09-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

. . . that I am a comedian in my day job.

It's absolutely true! Among my other [motherly] talents I am a comedian. I figured this out while I was reading my sister's blog about the books she reads to her daughter and the sound effects that go along with it -- and it dawned on me -- I, too spend many hours of the day doing ridiculous (and obnoxious) things to produce giggles from my children.

Now, I must warn you that my material is only suitable for a limited age range (3 months - 3 years) and that because I get paid in kisses and giggles I usually work overtime. Not to mention any normal person would have a CAT scan done on me if they saw me. . . oh, if only they saw me.

Today, for example, Luke was in his bouncy horse. I found out he got the biggest kick if I jumped up and down with him. So, I got a fabulous thigh-toning workout making him giggle. We had so much fun. Plus, fake sneezes, silly faces, and pretend hiccups are always popular. You just can't go wrong with kids. They make for a great audience!

Yes, indeedy, I have the best job in the world!

Parade of 1000 flags

2009-09-08T14:59:00.000-07:00

We were able to march in the Parade of 1000 flags that happened here in Ridgecrest this past weekend. I love how patriotic this town is and this was a great event to be able to participate with our whole family. The kids really loved being part of it and Violatte walked most of the way by herself. It was a really neat experience.

Waiting for the parade to begin

Jim before the parade starts. I love the backdrop of flags!

Walking in the parade

This is a picture of us walking through the field after the flags had been placed. It was a really amazing sight to see.

More Funny Sayings

2009-09-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

I love this picture of my girls. It is my favorite! It shows so perfectly how different each girl is -- both in personality and looks.

The kids are always doing funny things so I wanted to write them down.

When the girls are scared they try to tell us but instead of saying, "I'm scared" they both say, "I'm scary." It makes us laugh each time.

Luke has started to talk. He says "Da-da" and knows it means Jim. It's so cute!

When the girls want to go outside without shoes on they ask if they can walk outside on their feet.

I am always telling Violatte not to boss Annalee around. My most common phrase is, "Violatte, let me be the mommy." A couple of days ago Violatte was bossing around Annalee and when I scolded her and she said (with a little bit of attitude, I might add) "I know -- You're the mommy, Mommy."

A New You

2009-08-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

I went to the most amazing women's program at the beginning of August. It was a self-esteem, spiritual rejuvenation, makeover retreat. I loved every minute of it. My Mom and sister were there too and it was so neat to be able to be there with them. I learned so much and I really did come away a whole new person. I can see such a change in me and other people have seen it too. I wish every woman could go to this program. It made an amazing difference in my life and I am so much happier!

Here are some pictures from the week!

Barbara Jones and Chieko Okazaki

This picture made me laugh. It's so perfect! These two were so funny together!

This is my roommate Heather and I. I just really got to adore her throughout the week. She is so beautiful inside and out. I was so glad that we were roommates!

This is my sister Trissa after her salon day. She is just so stunning!

Trissa (my sister), me, my Mom, and our friend Mindy

Trissa, me, my Mom, and Helen Winings after the makeovers. Aren't we beautiful?

My Mom and I with Chieko Okazaki. She was an amazingly spiritual and funny woman! I just adore her!

Barbara Jones on her comedy night. She is hilarious!

We all got a makeover at a salon -- here is my Mom with her super cute new haircut!

Two of the staff members -- Darrin Knowles and Dr. Mike

Here is a picture of all the staff together.

Barbara was kind enough to let me take a picture with her.

Cute Things By the Kids

2009-08-16T07:33:00.000-07:00

Here are some fun things the kids have done lately.

(If you want to see the pictures better click on them.)

A couple of entrys ago I talked about how Annee wanted to fix her broken toy. This is a picture of how she did it.

Annalee thinks tape fixes everything. One day she told me she had owies. The next thing I knew she had strips of tape all up her leg and she told me, "I feel all better now!"

This is a picture Jim drew . . .

. . . and this is Violatte's copy of it.

Here is a picture Annalee drew

Violatte loves drawing faces

Violatte drew a picture of herself with a light saber. The grey part is the handle and the purple part is the light saber part.

Violatte loves everything that deals with Christmas. Notice the Christmas tree on the right side of the picture. And, as far as I can tell, this is a picture of a nutcracker (from the ballet of the Nutcracker).

Violatte loves pizza. Her favorite kind is "macaroni pepper" (aka. Pepperoni.)

Violatte has started using some grown up phrases lately. A few days ago she said, "Mom, you just really disappointed me."

Elipse

2009-07-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

We got a new kitten a few weeks ago. We named her Elipse. She is a really funny cat. She is the most klutzy cat I have ever seen. She is always falling off of things and running into things. It's pretty funny. She is also very playful and loves to chase a ball around the house or to bat at the plants. She has been so fun to have around. This is a short video of her watching the mouse on the computer.

Playday At the Park

2009-07-18T15:17:00.001-07:00

We love going to the park. We go pretty much every Wednesday. The kids love it and we stay as long as we can until it gets too hot.

Violatte loves roller-skating. She has some cute roller-skates that she uses.

Annalee is so cute in the swings. She could swing forever!

Luke actually loves swinging too. He kind of cuddles up in the swing and just enjoys it.

And, of course, a cute picture of Luke!

Luke's Giggles

2009-07-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

Luke makes the funniest, cutest noises. I hope you all enjoy the video.

Declaration of Independence

2009-07-16T22:10:00.001-07:00

Usually I don't write on this blog because Celese does a good job. However, this is something I wanted to share. On July 4th I finished reading "Glenn Beck's Common Sense" and as I pondered our freedom and independence I felt inspired to write this.

Just click on the picture to see it larger.

Camping in the Heat

2009-07-16T20:54:00.000-07:00

We went camping last night in our backyard. The girls have been asking to camping for quite a few days now. We thought it would be fun, but it was so hot! I never thought there was such a thing as it being to hot to go camping. All my memories of camping involved sweaters, socks and lots of extra blankets to keep warm. It was pretty miserable, though, until about 11:00. The girls didn't seem to mind, though. They asked to go again tonight.

Earthquake

2009-07-16T20:26:00.000-07:00

I experienced my first earthquake a few days ago and I thought I should write about it. It was pretty small, but definitely memorable for me since it was the first one I had ever noticed. It felt to me like a mini roller-coaster ride. (And for those of you who know me well, I hate roller-coasters!) It felt like a little up-down motion. At least that's how I can best describe it. My stomach rolled and my heart beat fast for quite a few minutes. Crazy! I never knew such a little thing would have such an affect on me.

From the Mouths of Babes

2009-07-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

The kids have said and done some funny things lately.

Violatte: Mom, you're tummy is big. Wow! I can see it! It's really big!

Annalee: (When she found a toy doll that had the leg broken off) I think it needs a band-aid.

Violatte: Mommy, I think you should get married again to Daddy. I want to come see you!

Luke now knows how to pick up his binky and put it in his mouth. He's getting so big!

We got a kitten and we named her "Elipse" but the girls just call her "Lips"

Today Violatte drew two pictures. One happy face and one sad face. She said they were both Annalee. The sad face is because they can't see Grandma and Grandpa yet and the happy face is for when they get to see them.

Luke "talks" so much! I've had to leave Relief Society almost every single week because he is so noisy we can't hear the teacher!

Violatte has already packed her bags for the the trip to Utah and Colorado

Violatte told me today that the blister she got "threw up." (blech!)

Luke rolls all over the place. I have to watch him really close or he will roll across the room and into something.

Violatte really is curious about getting married. She keeps talking about when she is big like me and is old like me and can get married. We've had to explain that she can't marry her Daddy or her brother so now she can't figure out who she's going to marry.

Luke Giving Kisses

2009-07-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

Luke loves to give kisses. It's too cute! Here is a short video of him giving me a kiss. (Ignore my high-pitched baby talk. I didn't realize it sounds so silly until I watched the video!)

Videos of Our Cute Kids

2009-06-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

Sundays are so hard because Annee doesn't get a nap time. She is always so tired during dinner time. These two videos are of her trying to eat while she is falling asleep. Sorry the camera shakes (I was laughing too hard.)

Watch carefully in this one. She dumps the spoonful of cereal in her lap.

Luke is so cute when he laughs. This is a short video of him.

We started feeding him solid foods this week. He absolutely loves it! He attacks the spoon.

Toddler Whys

2009-05-31T19:44:00.000-07:00

1. Why is it that I can spend two years teaching table manners and after one week of preschool she has forgotten it all?

2. Why does a toddler who is so tired have a tantrum for 3 hours?

3. Why don't toddlers want naps when I would love to have one?

4. Why does a toddler repeat herself over . . . and over . . . and over . . . and how in the world does she not annoy herself?

5. Why do toddlers like to carry a pile of things around the house?

6. Why are toddlers so obsessed about things . . . like princesses or ponies?

7. Why do toddlers know the word "no" and can't seem to learn how to say the word "yes?"

8. Why are toddlers so cute one minute and the next minute they make you want to pull out your hair?

9. Why do toddlers like to have the same story read to them over a million times until you can quote it from memory? (Annalee's current favorite story begins "Tom lost a tooth, Jim lost a tooth, Bob and Bill lost a tooth on the very same day. Everyone in Kara's class lost a tooth -- everyone except Kara.")

10. Why do toddlers make friends so easy . . . or rather, why can't adults make friends that easy? We could all go play pretend and be friends and life would be SO GOOD!

11. Why can toddlers sense when I am frustrated and just when I answer "WHAT?" for the five-hundredth time do they decide to say in the sweetest voice, "I love you, Momma."

12. Why is a toddler so much more creative than I am? I should have had more practice!

13. Why are toddlers so good at sensing when someone needs a hug?

14. Why do toddlers love the one movie that is the most annoying movie we have in the house?

15. Why do toddlers ask the hardest questions about life and death and people?

16. Why (on a good day) can toddlers laugh for ten minutes longer than an adult about one thing?

17. Why do toddlers insist on doing things by themself that they can't do?

18. Why do toddlers love the most unhealthy foods?

19. Why can toddlers have the power to break things labeled "unbreakable."

20. Why do toddlers have to be so stubborn!

Random Fun Kid Facts

2009-05-31T17:25:00.001-07:00

I think my name is "Hey, Mommy" and Jim's is "Hey, Daddy." The kids can't seem to start a sentence without saying one of those.

Violatte told me she can't wait until she can get baptized when she is 8 years old.

Annalee calls a helicopter a "Birdplane"

Violatte told me she had a hurricane in her back (aka. a headache in her back -- or a backache)

Violatte told me she misses Jesus and wants him to come visit our house

Annalee sometimes snorts when she giggles -- it's the cutest snort ever!

The other day Annalee and Violatte were playing pretend and Daddy was the bad guy (who was unaware he was the bad guy until he got ambushed by two lively toddlers) and Luke was the princess they rescued from the bad guy (poor Luke)

Violatte said Trissa is a "Mommy Aunt" because she made her pick up her toys

Annalee stands in the door of Trissa's room until Trissa picks her up and then Annalee falls asleep while Trissa holds her

Luke loves gnawing on Trissa's arm (I think he's teething)

The kids sometimes say they want to give us a kiss and when we're feeling all loved they give us a slurbur instead (blech!)

When Jim and the kids were playing hide-and-go-seek, Jim would look for the kids and say "Where's Annalee" and she would jump out and say, "Here I am!"

Both Violatte and Annalee like to "play" the piano and "sing" just like Mommy

One of the young men that Jim works with in the Priest Quorum played hide-and-seek with the girls at the Father-Son campout and now Violatte blesses him in her prayers

Violatte and Annalee like to go out and pick carrots from our garden

Luke loves his tongue and if you make any face at him with your tongue you can usually get a good giggle from him

Luke

2009-05-17T08:33:00.000-07:00

When I took Luke to his appointment last week these were his statistics:
Length: 24 1/2 inches long (50th percentile)
Weight: 11 pounds 4 ounces (25th percentile)
He is a really tall, thin little guy.

At his appointment they saw something that they thought was a hernia. Our pediatrician referred us to a pediatric surgeon because the only way to fix something like that is surgery. We were really worried about it.
So, the kids and I traveled the two and a half hours to Loma Linda and saw the doctor. The doctor told us that he doesn't have a hernia (thankfully) but just that he has a large hydrocele which should go away on its own within the next year.

Luke is the happiest little guy! He talks so much and he has the cutest smiles! He always seems to be smiling! The girls love talking to him. We sure love having him as part of our family!

This is a video of him eating some ice cream. It was funny to us because his reaction to it was so delayed. But, he loved it!

It's hard to get good pictures of him smiling because he is fascinated with the camera and just stares at it intently. This isn't the best picture of me, but we were lucky enough to catch him smiling and his smile is so cute in it I had to post it.

Bedtime Stories

2009-05-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

Note for this Post: We rented the movie "Bedtime Stories" a couple of weeks ago. Since then the girls have wanted a story before bed every single night -- usually about mermaids. I thought that I would write one of them on here so we could remember how funny they were.

Once upon a time there were three beautiful mermaids named Violatte Mermaid, Annalee Mermaid, and Mommy Mermaid. There were also two handsome Mermen named Merman Daddy and Merman Luke. Well, it was the big day of the Mermaid olympics and all of them were competing against each other. The first event was the Race of the Rings of Fire (Dum, dum, DUUUMMM)! All three of the mermaids raced fast but they got singed just a little bit. The Mermen went slow and were safe. It was a tie! . . . but there couldn't be a tie . . . on to the next competition!!!

The next competition was a sea horse lassoing competition. However, since the sea horses swim so slowly (they actually do) the lassoing competition put the audience to sleep . . .

So! . . . (Dum, dum, dum) the next event was . . . (Do, do do doooo) a dance competition!!!!!!

and the music started. But no matter how hard the Mermaids and Mermen tried to dance they were terrible until . . . they each took a partner and danced together. Then they were all so good dancing the cha-cha that the audience cheered and everybody decided a tie was ok and so they all won the olympics and everybody was happy!
THE END

Mothers' Day

2009-05-10T18:17:00.000-07:00

These are the reasons I get to celebrate Mothers' Day. I love them all so much and feel so grateful that I get to be their mother!

Also . . . Happy Mothers' Day to all you amazing women out there!

Happy Mothers' Day From Your Sons

2009-05-09T16:36:00.000-07:00

I love this! It is so funny and reminds me so much of brothers. Enjoy!

Mothers' Day Picture

It's just what Mothers Do

2009-05-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

This video clip is great!
Happy Mothers' Day to all the women

Luke Talking

2009-04-26T13:42:00.000-07:00

Luke is such a cute little guy! Lately he has been very talkative. I love it when he has a conversation with me. He is so intent and focused and very expressive! Here is a video of him talking to Jim.

Amazing

2009-04-23T09:43:00.001-07:00

I absolutely love this song! I have listened to it so many times. I hope you enjoy it. It is by Jon Schmit. Listen through to the very end because he talks about the story behind this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v3d6SFcDys

Health Update

2009-04-21T15:30:00.001-07:00

Will these ever end? I'm so sick of things being wrong with me!

Ok, so the update . . .
I went into the doctor today and I have the beginning stages of TMJ (or lock-jaw.) It's nothing serious but it does cause a bunch of pain and discomfort for quite a while. I got some muscle relaxant to help. She thinks it started because of the combination of my cold and the mass that made it hard for me to breath while I slept, so I tensed up and made my muscles spasm.

So, no big deal. It'll get over quickly. We'll schedule the surgery soon and hopefully it will all be over! Thanks everybody for caring!

Thank You

2009-04-21T10:18:00.001-07:00

As some of you know, I have been very sick. We aren't sure what happened but I thought it was just a bad cold and then I was suddenly so sick I fell asleep and slept for almost 16 hours straight (which just an hour break in the middle for some food). I also woke up three times because I wasn't breathing. (So scary!) I'm still trying to figure out what is wrong and why I'm still feeling some things.

But, I want to say thank you to all of my wonderful friends. On Sunday two of you offered to bring us dinner and four or five other called to see how I was doing. That meant so much to me. Thank you all of you for caring. I'll get over this and all will be well. Thank you!

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

On Easter morning we had an Easter Egg Hunt for Violatte and Annalee and my little sisters. The weather was absolutely perfect and we had a great time sitting outside watching the kids gather up the eggs.

Las Vegas Trip

2009-04-19T17:40:00.000-07:00

Jim had to go to Las Vegas for travel with work and my parents were kind enough to watch our kids (all three of them!) so I could go with him for a night. We had a good time. We walked down the strip looking for the Marie Calendar's restaurant (which we found out had is no longer where it used to be).

*And, while I am on the topic of walking, I'd like to recommend that you never, ever, ever walk along the strip.*

We ate at an amazing restaurant and then went to the Belagio to watch the water and lights show. We only got one picture of us in Las Vegas because, to us, there is just nothing beautiful there. I just don't understand how tourists could want to take pictures of all the fake world monuments (like the fake Eifel Tower) surrounded by flashing neon signs of things so appalling. So, here is us at the restaurant.

Luke's Blessing

2009-04-16T15:41:00.000-07:00

Luke was blessed this past Easter Sunday. He was exactly two months old. It's amazing how much he is changing from when he was first born. He is such a wonderful little boy.

I absolutely love this picture of him. He smiles all the time. Also, the blessing outfit is absolutely darling. A friend of mine made it and it just is so perfect for a little boy's blessing. I love the tie and vest and everything!

We had a lot of family come out. It was so fun to see them. Here is almost everybody. The only one missing is my Mother-in-Law. She was not feeling well, so we missed her in the picture. Also, my friend Mary and her daughter are also missing from the picture. Included are my parents; my siblings, Gavin, Tara, Jenna, Clarissa, Heather, and Elliana; Jim's father; and my Grandparents. We absolutely loved having everybody out to visit us!

My friend, Bri, was kind enough to take these pictures of us with her camera after church!

This is our family. It's fun to see how we are growing. And . . . I think we have the cutest kids!

5 Things Tag

2009-04-06T11:56:00.000-07:00

5 things I was doing 5 years ago:
1. Getting married (this month is our 5 year anniversary)
2. Finishing my college semester
3. Working three jobs
4. Looking for an apartment
5. Trying to get over Mono

5 things on my to-do list for today:
1. Deep clean the bathrooms
2. Go shopping
3. Print off and mail invitations for a party
4. Go to Credit Union to pay car loan payment
5. Lots of phone calls!!!

5 things I would do with a million dollars:
1. Pay our tithing
2. Pay off car loan and other debts
3. Pay off our mortgage
4. Put money in savings for kids' college, missions, and marriage
5. Pay of our parents' mortgages

5 places I have lived:
1. St. Anthony, ID
2. Macks' Inn, ID
3. Logan, UT
4. Ridgecrest, CA
5. (just four places)

5 jobs I've held:
1. Supervisor at Taco Time
2. Actress at Macks' Inn (and housekeeper)
3. Secretary in the Nursing Department at BYU-Idaho
4. Mary Kay Consultant
5. Cashier at Wal-Mart

5 things I want to be doing in 5 years:
1. Being a really good mom
2. Remodeling our house
3. Dancing
4. Staying in good shape
5. Gardening more and doing more yard work

5 people I tag:
1. Cynthia
2. Ashley M
3. Annicka
4. Kiahna
5. Melissa C

New Pictures of Luke

2009-04-05T09:39:00.000-07:00

Luke is getting so big! He now smiles quite a bit. He is alert and loves to watch the girls play.
He loves his bouncer that plays music and vibrates.

He is such a cute little guy. It amazes me how much he looks like Annalee when she was this age.
We dressed him up in a little baseball outfit with a little baseball cap. He didn't like the hat so much.

Family Trip to Burrow Schmit Tunnel

2009-04-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

Jim and I decided that we needed to do more things as a family. We are going to plan out a family day trip for the first Flex Friday of every month.

This month we were going to go the Trona Pinnacles, but it was so windy that we decided to go to the Burrow Schmit Tunnel instead. We invited some of our friends (the Lee family) to go with, and we really enjoyed that! Here is a view we saw on the way to the tunnel. In the middle of all the brown, there were these pink rocks. (Violatte was so excited to see pink rocks!)

We really laughed when we saw the different signs directing us toward the cave. I think this one is a rusty septic tank.
This sign is my favorite. Very creative. Who knew painted rocks could be so welcoming?
A little bit before the cave is the house that Burrow Schmit lived in while he was digging the tunnel.
Here we are in front of the tunnel. It was so windy and really cold, but once we got into the cave it was pretty warm. The cave is 1/2 mile long and took the man 38 years to dig. (And I thought I was stubborn!) The walls seemed to be rock. It was pretty dark, but thankfully, we had our cell phones to light up the way (since we didn't bring flashlights.) Violatte was so brave and both she and her friend, Gwyn, pretended to be Dora the Explorer inside the cave. We had a really great time!

St. Patricks' Day

2009-03-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

We love doing fun little things to celebrate each holiday. For St. Patricks' Day Jim made some green scrambled eggs with some bell peppers. The girls thought they were pretty crazy, but it was fun. We couldn't quite figure out how to make green ham. :)

At school Violatte saw that the leprechaun had come and left little footprints all over the tables and walls in her classroom. And he had turned the milk green. Then, they made a little leprechaun hat. Both Violatte and Annalee had to model it.

Happy Birthday Violatte!

2009-03-29T19:30:00.000-07:00

Violatte turned four years old yesterday! It is so hard to believe that she is so big! She is such a beautiful, helpful, wonderful girl.

Violatte said that for her birthday she wanted a chocolate and strawberry cake. So, I made some cupcakes and put a raspberry creme filling in the middle, chocolate frosting, and strawberries on top. We also made some homemade chocolate ice cream to top it all off.

Violatte always loves seeing the fish at her school and at the doctors' offices so we got her two pink kissing fish (both are names princess) and one Bala Shark (named Jedi).

One of the gifts that we got Violatte was a little catch set. It has two pads and one ball that sticks to the pads. It makes it easy for kids to play catch. She really seems to enjoy it.
We also got Violatte a princess coloring book. She loves princesses!

We are so grateful to have Violatte in our family. She is such a sweet little girl and we are so proud of her and happy to see her growing into a beautiful young girl.

New Pics of Luke

2009-03-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

Luke is now a month old! The time has really flown by! He is such a sweet guy and we really love having him around. He is such a calm little guy (except when he is hungry) and just really brings such a sweet spirit into our home. Here are some recent pictures of him.

This one is my favorite. He is so alert and looking so intently at me.

I had laid Luke on the floor and when I came back into the room, Violatte was laying next to him just talking to him. It was so cute!

Luke has some fun facial expressions he does.

I just love to cuddle him.

Violatte's Artwork

2009-03-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

Violatte has done a lot of great artwork in her school lately. Here are some of the things she has done.

This is a cherry tree she made for Presidents' Day. It is made from her hand and arm.

This is one of my favorite things. She made a house out of popsicle sticks and the trees and flowers are made out of things she found outside -- like leaves and sticks.

This is a valentines day picture Violatte made. The poem on it says,
"A piece of me
I give to you.
I painted this flower
To say "I love you."
The heart is you,
The hand is me.
To show we are friends . . .
The best there can be.
I hope you will save it
And look back someday
At the flower we shared
On your special day."

This is a walrus. I love the whiskers and eyelashes!

This is a picture of a squirrel that she painted.

This is "Geri Girrafe"

A painting of a kitty.

A dog made out of hearts for V-day

A Polar Bear

A Zebra

A dreamcatcher

A spider

An owl