Easter 2010 Lake Mead Nevada

(painting tie die eggs)

The Easter Bunny seems to find us no matter where we are! This year we decided to take advantage of the long spring break(never happens around here) and head south. We went through a HORRIBLE blizzard trying to find some sunshine. Lucky for us Lake Mead, NV had plenty of beatiful weather for us to enjoy.

(j finding blue and orange eggs while holding leafy)

This year the kids forgot to put out their Easter baskets- Little J was very concerned. I told him to go look around perhaps the bunny hid a few things. They had a ball finding the eggs. J only wanted to pick up orange and blue eggs. The other kids would leave them for him and he would leave all the other colors.

(J and E after the easter egg hunt)
After finding all the Easter eggs J and E found little surprises left by the bunny! A fishing pole for J and a Princess and the Frog Barbie for E. The big kids got Nerf dart guns! What was the Easter bunny thinking?




After breakfast we went for a lovely drive and guess who we found? The Easter Bunny!!!!

Spring Break---or Christmas Break?

We are going to try and find some sunshine!!!!

Please do not repeat!

I have been taking a photo class online. It has been great getting me to organize and become personal with my pictures again. The pictures that I have been sorting and such have been between 5-16 years old on average.



One of the things that I have noticed is that THERE WAS NO STYLE IN THE 90's! Women's clothing was horribly ugly! It had no shape, no style, no design. I have never been a rail thin person but I have also never been an obese person either. Every single picture of me in the 90's I look like I am at least 50 pounds overweight--just because the clothes had no style and were HUGE. The t-shirts were square boxes, with the shoulders coming to our elbows and the bottom coming to our knees! Why did anyone think that overalls were cute?(I did not wear these--way too hippy for those!) Jumper dresses for adult women. There were no cute waistlines, collars or even cute details. It was the frumpiest era of clothing EVER!

Tonight has been one of those nights that I could not have imagined in 1997. At that time I had two children. A was four and M was almost one. What I worried about was choking hazards, eating and sleeping patterns and just enjoying little tiny pudgy fingers.

Move that forward thirteen years. We have returned from the girls session of a very serious discussion about the consequences of sex. D and M are now at the boys session of the same discussion with our Bishop. It was eye opening and disturbing. It was information that needs to be shared. It was blunt but not vulgar. It was pointed and direct. It was a DVD of a discussion of a counselor/speaker talking about the realities and the consequences of choices that are being made. Choices that have consequences for a lifetime. Life and death consequences.

I came home and started sorting some more pictures. I came across these two. M was not quite one. After the frank and quite disturbing information we had learned tonight these pictures made me cry. Truth be told if I actually really knew and understood that these little people would have to grow up and deal with all the stuff they have to---I probably wouldn't have had children. It is just so difficult.

(picture from summer 2009)

I am home from church with MissE who was not feeling well this morning. I have done a whole lot of nothing!

My crocus are up!!! I was right--they were hiding under the dead stuff--now to actually clean away so we can have a lovely looking spring garden!!!

It is almost 9:00 am on Monday morning. I am sitting here at the computer in my bathrobe while my little J man is still sawing logs. I am leaving him asleep even though I had planned to go back to the gym. I figure if he is sleeping past 9:00 am he probably really needs the extra sleep!

Monday morning as always are a mixed boat for me. This day has begun well. I was up and going at 4:35 am after pushing the snooze button. The girls picked me up and we attended Zumba. I am still like an elephant with left feet only but I am sweating when we are through--I guess that is worth something!

I have fixed six meals including a lunch for D. I have picked up all laundry and switched and traded three loads--there are only a bazillion left but at least the machines are running!

So--here I sit. So many possibilities, so little time!

*laundry--always, always laundry
*dusting--kids can do later
*bathrooms--kids can do later
*vacuuming--kids
*my photo workshop needs some attention--lots and lots--more than I seem to ever be able to give it.
*pantry--it is getting deep again.
*I really should take the valentine"s day decorations down-and put up some Easter stuff!
*Visiting Teaching

Well, it appears that this will be a busy week as usual. We have lots of spring stuff that needs done. The snow is almost completely gone from my yard and my flower beds. Which makes me want to jump up and down. Then I look at the nastiness left and I am a bit overwhelmed by the amount of cleanup my yard needs. However, I am starting to see little bits of life, I see little green tops of iris that are popping through. I haven't seen my little crocus yet but I expect them any day--they are probably there just hiding underneath last years growth that didn't get cut down!!!

Always so much to do. I think about all the things and get overwhelmed. So, I am going to just keep trying to do something and hope that it is a step in the right direction!

Memories For a Lifetime

These two girls have been best friends since they were tiny. They have had other friends along the way but they have always returned to each other, never having really abandoned the other. I am glad that they got to share this special night with each other.

MissA's dress was full of exquisite detail. We literally had to tie her into the dress!

There has been a tradition for years that the Young Women wear their dresses to church the next day. As we were taking the pictures the Stake President came out so they all have a picture with him.

Shoes are a big thing---these girls totally thought about their shoe choice! I know that they were all more comfortable than if they had worn traditional heels!

Junior Prom 2010

Junior Prom 2010

Beautiful MissA had her junior prom this past Saturday. In our town this is a BIG DEAL! They make sure that every girl has a date and they make it a very special night.

A went with her friend S and they doubled with A's bff.

I didn't realize just how big of a deal it was until we went to the school for the Promenade. They had the stage decorated like a castle and they presented each junior and their escort, said their names and their parents names.

After the Promenade everyone was in the commons area hugging and taking pictures, much like a graduation. It was really a surreal experience. Here are all these beautiful girls and handsome young men--they were our children! It doesn't seem like it has been long enough since they were tiny little babies.

After the picture taking fest the parents were invited to the dance for the "first dance". We didn't know what it really was but were told we really needed to go. So we did. The first dance of the Prom was dedicated to the parents. The Dad's danced with their beautiful daughters and the Mom's with their sons. The song that played was the country song Stealing Cinderella.

As I watched my sweet husband dance with my beautiful growing up daughter I was very teary eyed. I am so glad that we got to have that special moment.

Where I grew up the Prom was just another dance. It wasn't a big deal. I have always thought that too much of a deal was made of it here. I now think differently. I do think that the expense is nuts, however, as I watched all these beautiful girls in their princess dresses cross the stage and then dance with their Daddies--I knew that this was a really special night. One that these girls will treasure in their hearts forever. In this life we only get to be the Princess once or twice if we are lucky. I am glad that our little Princess got to enjoy it.

Happy Birthday Dad! March 12, 1941 was a bright day in the world. Today(march 12 2010) you would be sixty nine years old.

We have missed your bright light and blue eyes for much too long.

I have been going to yoga off and on---about once a week (give or take a few weeks here and there) since September.

I really want to "get" yoga. I don't yet. I stand there and still feel like a frumpy dork that can't balance on one leg!

Why then do I keep going? Why do I return to something that I am not good at?

I just don't know. I know that it is easy for me to quit. I don't want to be a quitter. The bigger reason I keep going is to see if I can finally get to the point that I LOVE IT! I hear the wonderful positive things about yoga and I want to experience them! I want to feel what other people feel about yoga. The mind/body connection. The clearing of the mind connection.

I also want to be able to bend like a pretzel.

Here is my little man. It has been quite a week. His surgery was last Wednesday, he did great except for not wanting to wake up! His eye has looked really awful--even worse than the picture here. He has played and played and then he just crashes. This morning he slept until 9:00am!

I am glad that he is doing so well. It has been an experience to look at this wounded little boy all week. I sure pray that he will never have to worry about this eye again.

I am longing for summer. On this lovely Tuesday, if you were to ask me about this winter I would tell you it has been long. Another day of the month and I would tell you that it has been a good winter, not so long, dark and dreary. So---for today, I will imagine Summer!

It is Monday once again and I feel like I missed last week! My house is in shambles and I figure that I best get to work!

I have so much I want to do that does not involve laundry that I have to focus focus focus!!!

The funny story of the weekend--D got me a new cell phone. Mine broke in half. He did some research and it was cheaper for me to get a blackberry with a smart phone package than to have me paying for individual texts and directory assistance. WEll, I haven't ever used this type of phone. D has had one for years, it has been a great thing for his business. Well there is a feature that is like instant messenger for blackberry users. We set it up so that I could text him and it wouldn't count against my text limit for the month.

S0---we are both sitting in the living room--I am asking him questions after questions. I decide to try out the new messenger thingy. His phone beeps and he looks up at me! I laugh and tell him that we are now like the teenage girls that will be sitting next to each other not talking but sending texts to each other! It was a very silly moment. All this new technology is great but also makes me crazy!!!

(J's b-day trip on the train-Oct. 2008)

My sweet little boy is almost back to normal after his surgery for his strabismus(lazy eye). The surgery went well. We were there from 7:00 am until 12:30pm--it was a long morning. He then came home and slept until 5:00pm, woke for about an hour, tried to eat about two spoonfuls of applesauce(after the egg came back up) and then had medicine and was back asleep until the next day!

The next day(yesterday) we went to the Dr. to have his patch removed. The Doc says it looks perfect, so that is good news. We went to the dreaded McDonald's for breakfast and he ate the entire big breakfast! He was starving. He came home and played like nothing had happened to him.

Today he woke up screaming! We had to settle him down and get his drops in his eye and some motrin and then he was fine. He has been playing all morning. His eyelid is much more swollen today, the eye itself still looks totally gross--all red and meaty.

I am so glad that we were able to get this treated quickly and that apparently it has worked well. He will be checked in a month and then every six months until he is nine or ten. The strangest thing about his situation is that it manifested so suddenly. It is diagnosed in most babies in their first year. J's eye's were fine. One day right before Christmas I noticed it. I just kept staring and having him look at me from different angles. The next morning, D asked if I had noticed J's eye. I call the Dr. immediately. The Dr. said that he probably was born with the actual muscle length problem--but his muscle and brain were able to compensate. Finally, in December 2009 his eye muscle just got tired and couldn't make up the difference anymore. That is when we suddenly saw the wandering out eye.

Hopefully, he will recover quickly and he will never have to worry about this situation ever again.

(hopefully, tomorrow I will have some other pictures to post- they are on D's cell phone. I am going to take one of him now with the eye looking so icky)

This sweet little boy has to have eye surgery tomorrow. His Momma is a mess!

Spring has Sprung!!!

I survived!!! It is officially MARCH!!!!! I am so happy about this! This means that I did indeed make it through another long, dark winter! Amazingly, I actually did great this winter, only feeling the horrible winter doldrums on a rare occasion. I know that the early morning exercising has been what has made the difference. I am grateful that I have my "morning girls" to help me get my carcass out of the bed!!!!

We went to our friends who live on the other side of the mountain from us--they are always about a month ahead of us in the warm-up---she had crocus blooming in her garden!!!!

BRING ON SPRING!!

We have lived in this house for eight and a half years. We had it built so it was brand new. When we moved into this house we had three children--8,5,1---we have since added another who is now 5. Today I was doing some cleaning, normal stuff, vacuuming, dusting, picking up the legos(again) and things like that. While I was vacuuming I noticed a slimy substance across the wall in the hall. I started to really look---every wall in my house has a layer of goo about 3 1/2 feet height. Mr. J is just that tall! So I got out a rag and started to wash the walls. While I was doing this I really started to notice. My house is really past new. Every wall needs repainted. The wood work is all chipped and there are dings and dents in quite a few places. There are marks from thrown shoes and toys that won't come off with a rag.

I need to repaint. This is a very difficult thing for me because I have an "all or nothing" personality. It is difficult for me to break things down and do them in baby steps. I look at the entire house and realize that the entire thing, every surface needs to be painted. It makes me cringe. Another difficulty that I have is that I have a house that has a very open floor plan. Lots of open space that just runs into the next space--so, How do I paint this? Then, I really like some of the new types of colors and techniques but don't know how to do them.

Where do I start?

(have you ever not payed attention to something and then noticed it and gagged? I looked to the ceiling in my hall and noticed the cold air return---it was totally coated in dust---ewwh! I had to get a stool and the vacuum for that one!!)

I ran again today. Not far-a walk/run of about two miles. Better than nothing. I am still wanting to run a 10K. I don't have a clue why I want to be a runner. I still don't consider myself a runner, I am not sure what it takes to be an official "runner". Is there a certificate program or something?

Ever have a ton to say yet nothing at all at the same time? That is where I am.

So--a few bullet points

*laundry-making progress(it is a constant struggle--why does it bother me so?)
*organizing
*dejunking-every closest, drawer and space in the house needs attention
*photography class-need more time
*I want a new lens for my camera
*photo/scrapbooking philosophy class---need much more time to devote to it.
*i want a laptop
*Dr. bill's---we have had more appointments and procedures in the last few months than the last four years combined.
* I want to go to Jamaica
*J has eye surgery next week
*I started running again -haven't ran since September-I went 1.5 miles-my shin is a bit sore
*hair-what to do with it
*so many things to learn-too little time!
*why do my female children have to be so stubborn?(don't tell me it is my fault? I just want help!)
*trying very hard to eat and feed my family healthier choices-I have always tried but really working on it for D.
*with my family getting older they are beginning to eat MUCH MORE! Our food bill has skyrocketed(increasing groceries by 20% hasn't helped!)
*received a little letter IN THE MAIL--with a real stamp on it!, from my Uncle Darrel. Need to write him again.
* I haven't finished my cute Valentine's--is it ever really too late to send someone you love a Valentine? I didn't think so, so a few of you might get them in July!!!
*Thinking Spring, spring flowers, rain boots, cute spring clothes
*finally found and bought myself a new purse! It is bright pink!!!
*working out---I really like it, but it is still hard. I wish that I saw more results on the back side.
*teaching Sunbeams(3 year olds) at church. They are cute little busy bees.
*I found cottage cheese that doesn't have carrageenan in it---one grocery store! I also found whipping cream--Costco of all places(for the cream)
*I have found that high fructose corn syrup is liquid death. It is in almost everything! We finally found some yogurts that DON'T have it in it, it is difficult to find things without it.

That was quite a dump!!!

Tired

I must have been tired! I went to tuck in MissE and then went to my own bed---at 8:30p.m.!!!

I slept until 6:30 am!!! WOW!

Lists

Ever want to scare yourself? Start making lists of all the projects that need to be completed in a house! I started one--I have only gotten through my kitchen and into my hall! I am already tired. I didn't even add the projects like painting to the list!

I have made these lists before. I am not sure if they help me or if they actually make things worse. However, I continue to make the lists. Why? Why do we do this? I know that in theory the lists take a bit of pressure off of the brain--you can write it all down instead of carrying around a tally in your head. I wonder however, if it is effective or not. Do I get more done when I follow the Master List?

Well, give me a few life times and I will let you know.

I am still working on the ping pong table. I told Mr. Sweetness that it would be cleaned off when he got home. I had to make myself accountable--it HAS TO BE DONE!


Different Subject: Anyone make a Love Notes box? We have been using ours, it sits on our counter so I see it often. As I figured, I am the one that uses it the most--which is okay. I need to make sure that I am telling my sweeties that I love them and am proud of them. They don't hear it in my voice when I am telling them to practice the piano, or put away their shoes! I haven't made each child their own box yet but I am still considering it.

Monday---or Tuesday?

It is Tuesday--however, yesterday being a holiday today totally feels like a Monday! I have a HUGE list that I want to at least make a dent in. To do that I must stay focused--something that is so difficult when there are so many fun distracting things!

So--a list--perhaps I will get a bit of it done!

*laundry, laundry and more laundry!(I have been slacking-not good, it always gets away from me)
* bathrooms-those can wait till children can help
*floors--same as above
*basement--the ping pong table has been full since-well it's too embarrassing--it MUST be emptied
*my bedroom--I have a corner that is becoming a catch all--a huge mound of books and yarn.

Those are immediate things--here is the big list
*office-floor, closet, bookshelf--total overhaul
*pantry--it has been a year since the last major overhaul-it is time
*toys-more to di
*kids books--I must find a better way to house them-a new bookshelf(or five) will be necessary
*preschool closet-awful
*my studio-continue working on this-
*hall closet, bathroom closet---okay--ever single closet and every single drawer
*garage--snow clothes mess
*movie/toy/blanket closet

That is just a few off the top of my head. I better get to work!!!!

Love, Love, Love!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Twenty two years ago on February 11 my Dad died tragically. It forever changed our lives. It also changed a simple thing such as Valentine's Day. For the majority of the last twenty two years I have felt a heaviness around Valentine's Day. Quite a negative feeling. I didn't make much mention of it. I would tell my Mr. Sweetness to not worry about getting me anything, it was just a commercial holiday made so men would have to buy women presents.

Last year I started to feel a change. I started to realize that I was allowing a tragic event in my life steal a holiday from me. Hadn't too much been lost already? I was allowing a special day that is dedicated to love to be lost.

This year the resolve was even stronger! I reclaimed Valentine's day! I decided that never again would I allow this special day to be tainted by a tragic event. I would forever more try and celebrate this day with gusto.

So---I decorated my house and bought vintage Valentine's(for me to send). I made and bought lovely desserts for my book club, even decorating the table for the season.

I found darling little goodies for my sweet babies--just little things to let them know that I love them. It became a P.J. party! I ordered matching p.j's for me and the girls a few weeks ago. I decided to get the boys in on the party. Well, on Thursday, I received a package----it was a PajamaGram!!!! My sweetie had sent me pajama's! It was wrapped in a lovely velvet bag with a sleeping mask and lovely dark chocolate. They were even monogrammed! It was totally going to be a Pajama Valentine's Day!

This morning was full of fun. We opened up our packages, p.j's for everyone!!! (I didn't get a picture of everyone) We made a super breakfast and just spent some time together before church. I was wearing my jammies from D but the girls wanted a picture of us in our matching jammies. I have never done the matching jammies, even for Christmas---I think that I may have to start!

It was a lovely Valentine's Day, spent with the people I love.

Valentine's Day will forever and always be a celebration of love and sweetness!


(p.s. some of you may be getting your Valentine's cards a little late. It has been a crazy week around here!!)

Tomorrow is a busy day. I have a wedding 1 1/2 hours away. Then I have a ladies book club at my house tomorrow night. So--therefore the floor has to be cleaned as well as the kitchen, dining room, bathroom, front room. I also need to have some yummy treats.

What I want to be doing is decorating for Valentine's Day! I have lots of ideas and not enough time!

I also want to make chocolate chip cookies--found 2 new recipes that I am dying to try. However, no time and also I am trying to not eat sugar or starch---been doing great but it is killing me-especially at Valentines Day!!!

Sometimes there are days that are just harder than others. The kids seem to fight more, the floor is dirtier and there is more noise.

Tonight was one of those nights. The problem with this night is MissE is the one that caused ALL the noise and frustration.

There are days when it is just a great thing that we all get to go to bed and have a "do-over".

Evidence of My Little J Man

Very often, I walk around my home looking at all the messes that just seem to mutate into even
bigger messes. I moan and complain because things are not where they should be.
The other day I actually walked around and took inventory of most of the messes.

what I discovered is that I have a five year old that creates 70% of the messes in this house!!

He is still little enough that he is home with me. He plays and creates all day long. Therefore,

he creates waves of clutter and chaos wherever he goes. I have always laughed when people

use the term "search and destroy mission" referring to the mess some children leave behind them.

This little man is certainly a one man show when it come to search and destroy.

Someday I will look back on this time of my life and remember what it was like to have a little

guy. I hope that I remember him crawling into my lap for a love or giving me a hug and kiss.

I hope that I can remember the little love notes that he taped above my bed. I hope that I will

remember hugging and kissing boo-boos.

So, for this moment I will look at all the evidences of This Little J Man and be grateful that I have his Lego's on the floor, popcorn on the counter, shoes everywhere and most of all that I have his sweet spirit to love.

Love Notes!

It is the month of Love!!! What better way to show our love than by little love notes!
I was reading Becky Higgins blog the other day and she shared an idea that she did for Christmas. I LOVED IT! She actually shared some downloads that gear more to Valentine's Day. I just loved the idea so much that I actually went right out and bought boxes and treats.
It was so much fun putting these little kits together.

The idea of the Love Note is to have a little place that has note cards, pieces of paper, a pen (and treats of course) so that members of the family can write a random note to another member of the family expressing their love, thanks or admiration. I am considering purchasing some more little boxes, one for each family member and putting the love notes card on the top--so that each person can have a special little place that they can save their notes. I just think that this is the perfect Family Home Evening for February. I hope however, that the little love note box just becomes something that we do all the time.

I made enough boxes to share with my Visiting Teaching ladies---I really got into this. Coolest thing? I actually just went and did it and FINISHED IT!!! For me that is huge!

If you are interested in making your own boxes for your family and others go to Becky Higgins and scroll down to yesterday and the day before for the downloads.

Here are the links to the blog posts --read the post to understand and then follow her links to get the downloads.
love note links 2
Love note links 1

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! LET'S SPREAD THE LOVE!!

Lucky me

I walked into my bathroom a few minutes ago and got a great big whiff of this guy and his cologne that he sprayed on before he left the room to head out into the big bad world to slay dragons for me.

I am such a lucky girl.

Longing

I am ready for a little bit of this type of action!!!! Sunshine, Water and Sand!! Cute kids as well!!

(pictures from summer 2007)

Reason to continue

I have been going to the gym (again) faithfully since school started. Somewhere in the dark of the winter we started going to the early o'clock class at 5:00 a.m. We go almost every single day-up to six times a week. Every single morning I want to roll back over and flake out. It is still hard to go.

Yesterday my sixteen year old daughter told me that she liked me going to the gym early because I am happier.


I guess that is reason enough to continue going. Maybe even worth more than a smaller rear end!

I wonder if my children know that the toaster and the can opener get dirty and someone cleans them?

Busy Monday Morning

Where to begin on this bright cold morning.


It is February!!! We made it through January, there is hope that Spring will come!

Today is one of those days that I have tons of things that I want to do, even more that I must do and tons that are first on the list!

Here is a run down:

*4:20 am alarm--
*5:00 am exercise class--
*6:00 am wake-up call from the gym--
*6:15 second wake up for other two-
*6:30 shower
*7:00 am make sure everyone is moving along-homework
checked, notes written, breakfast consumed, teeth brushed
*7:15 am family scriptures
*7:30 finish getting ready
*7:45 take MissE to "Mom's and Muffins" at the elementary school
*8:30 come home--start loading dishes, picking up things left out. Blog!
*10:15 leave for M's ortho appointment
*11:45 have J at Middle school for M's childhood development class
*12 35 pick up J
*12 45 drop of J at preschool
*1:00-3:00 try to wrestle the rest of the clutter and weekend chaos!
start laundry and make plans for dinner!


That list is a bit nuts! I am glad that every single day is not quite so busy.
I actually want to just be a Stay At Home Mom a little bit more often!