{heart} Day

Remember last year's valentines?  I do.  (They still haunt me!)

I didn't want to make that same mistake and I am not sleep deprived this time around (that was my excuse last year- I had a newborn.) so I made the kids their own.  That way I know exactly what the sentiment says.  We just cut them out, the kids wrote their names on them, stapled the candy to the back and done!

I always loved it as a child when my mom had a little something for us on special holidays so I've been trying to do the same.  Nate and I (well, who are we kidding?  It was all me, but Nate and I are a team so he gets credit, too) gave the kids a little valentine's gift for family home evening.  I told them our love for them "grows and grows" every day.  Inside was a pot and strawberry seeds to plant along with some "dirt" (whoppers and jr. mints) and worms (the gummy type!).  The kids had fun watching the flat pellet grow into potting soil.  Now they're all planted waiting in the kitchen window to grow.... oh how I hope they grow.... the kids were so excited the next morning wondering if they had grown overnight.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Nate and I went out on an early valentine's date Friday since he was going to be out of town on Valentine's Day.  We decided to surprise each other with a $20 gift.  I must say it was fun to have a gift all wrapped and official like.  We never really do much for Valentine's Day so it was a nice change.  I know a lot of people don't like being "forced" to show their love, but I say if you have a good excuse, take advantage of it!  We went out for sushi....

Yes, that's our meal.  It was delicious, but I am a sushi weakling.  I can't eat more than 1 1/2 rolls.  2 and I'm toast!  It has taken me a few years to like it and now I find myself craving it.  And looking at this picture makes me want to run and get some right now!  One thing I like about going out for sushi is you can have a good conversation while eating it.  It seems a bit more intimate.  Maybe because you're sharing food, I don't know.  It's just different than your typical restaurant experience.... at least for me.

So now that I have given you my sushi philosophy there was one more thing on my mind about Valentine's Day.  When I was at the store getting the candy for the kids classes I over heard a grumpy husband talking to his wife and it made me sad.  She said in a very sweet way, "Should we get the kids a little something for Valentine's Day?"  He gruffly and very indignantly said, "NO!  They don't need anything."  Then they walked off to the checkout stand.  My heart broke a little for that family.  Maybe he was just having a bad day or was tired of Wal-mart (I don't blame him if they had been there for a while and still had to wait in the Saturday night lines... shoot me now!), but all the wife wanted was to do something a little special for their kids and he was so rude about it.  Made me grateful for my dear husband who doesn't always understand me, but always shows his love for me and our children.  That's all.  I'm done now. :)

Man Crush

My husband isn't the only guy who develops a man crush now and then, is he?  He is working in Texas this week and so happens to be doing work for a lady whose husband is an FBI agent, but maybe not your run-of-the-mill agent.  More like super awesome, save the world, if what he's doing hits the news media he totally screwed up agent.  Nate is in heaven.  I think he met the guy once months back.  He asked her in joking if he has done a background check on them (Nate and all the guys he works with) and she said, "Probably."  Not that they have anything to hide.... unless you count, well, let's not go there. ;) (I'm totally joking.  They are spic 'n' span guys.)   He also told her to tell him he wants to read his memoirs when he's all done saving the world, even if it's when Nate's 82.  I knew he liked the whole mysterious, secret agent type books and movies, but seriously?!  I really hope Nate doesn't have a career change in mind!!

Lake

Last Saturday we went to Utah Lake with some friends to let the kids walk on the ice and feed the ducks.  I was a bit hesitant at first to step foot on the the frozen harbor.  I've never had a desire to walk on a frozen lake and images of it cracking and someone falling in were all too vivid in my mind.  I'm pretty sure our friends thought I was a freak (for lack of a better word).  The kids took off onto the ice and left Nate in their dust.... uh-uh, no way!  I had to bring out "mother bear" and tell (yell, holler, scold) them (and Nate) to stay close to each other.  Then I finally meandered my way to them.  Of course, it was fine and no one fell in, but the thought of it was always right there.  They all loved playing with the buoys.  Pushing them in as far as they could then letting go.  Rachel said she was a little nervous the whole time.... she must be my daughter.  I used to be rather fearless, though.  Not so much anymore.... sometimes a good thing, sometimes not.

See?  I had reason for concern.  A big, huge crack in the ice you're trusting your childrens' life with.  (Okay, fine that was a bit dramatic.)  :)


Feeding the ducks was much less stress.  There was a really cool black swan.  It was the favorite.  Then the geese decided to show up after a while.  They were loud and rather greedy.  Honk!  Honk!  But it was a beautiful day and a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Today's Joy

What?  A joy?  Did you think I forgot about my joys of the day?  Well, I kind of did, but I have a cute one for today.  Of course, bear in mind that I am the mom and I think a lot of what my kids say and do is cute.  This little conversation was between me and Haley this morning.  She's been labeling everyone boy or girl lately.  She must have just caught on to the whole gender thing.... mostly anyway.
 
Haley: "Mom's a girl.  Liza's a girl.  Haley's a girl."
Mom: "What's Dad?"
Haley: "A boy."
Mom: "What's Tye?"
Haley: "He's a buddy."

January Leftovers

So January was pretty lack luster.  Our fun trip to Rexburg was the highlight of the month.  I decided to check my phone for some pictures and wallah....

I bought some paint for Haley's room.  She's had beat up blue walls since the boys moved out.  Out of the room that is.... not out of the house.... not quite yet, anyway.  Tye's name was written in a few spots, boogers smeared here and there, miscellaneous gouges, holes, etc..  It needed some tlc.  Nate rolled while I cut in.  I hate cutting in.

I don't have any after pictures.  I haven't finished accessorizing, but the walls are now "steamed milk" and "enchant" with a touch of "teacup".  I may or may not ever finish her room, but that's just typical of me. :)

Haley was just enjoying watching the bread dough mix.  I wonder if it was giving her a nice forehead massage.

Tye has been a lot of fun to play games with.  He "gets" it now and will mostly follow the rules.... and it's always better for everyone if he wins, but of course, we let him lose his fair share.  Life ain't all peaches and cream!  (Now I have that "ain't" saying in my head- Ain't ain't a word and you ain't supposed to say it.  Say ain't five times and you ain't goin' to heaven.-  Please tell me someone else remembers that.)

 Liza girl learned how to climb up onto the hearth.  It is at a most inconvenient time since the temp has dropped to around zero in the mornings.  (I know others have it way worse, but I'm still cold!)  So now I can't light up a fire and warm the family room up a bit more in the mornings.  Brrrrrr.  She is very proud of herself and hasn't fallen YET.  She will watch t.v. and just chilly chill up there.  And yes, she had her breakfast all over her face and jammies.  We don't always have to be presentable, do we?!

p.s.  Sorry for all the cell phone pictures.  My one and only excuse is I'm lazy.  My cell phone is pretty much in my pocket all day and therefore convenient.  Walking to my room to dig out the camera, not convenient.  See, L-A-Z-Y.

Scissorhands

Remember this guy?

Edward Scissorhands.  I totally remember watching that movie and feeling so bad for him.  "Avon calling"..... ahem..... Sorry.  I think I was barely in junior high (maybe) when that movie came out.  So like 20 years ago.... okay, that is just sad and a bit scary to say.  Since when am I old enough to talk about 20 years ago stuff???  Geez.  Anyway, I'm pretty sure he came to my house just recently.  I didn't see him, but he left some pretty indisputable evidence......

Time

How many of you wish you had more time?  More time to do this and more time to do that.  Ever wish you could slow down time or do you ever find yourself saying "The kids are growing up too fast" or  "Where did that year go"?  I know those are thoughts I often have.  Sometimes it's overwhelming.  I'll be the first to admit I don't always manage my time wisely, but I'm working on it. :)  No matter how much I get done, though,  there's always a list of things to do and they all require time.  I came across this quote from another blog and it made me stop and think.  

"When the veil which now encloses us is no more, time will also be no more. Even now, time is clearly not our natural dimension. Thus it is that we are never really at home in time.... Whereas the bird is at home in the air, we are clearly not at home in time—because we belong to eternity! Time, as much as any one thing, whispers to us that we are strangers here. If time were natural to us, why is it that we have so many clocks and wear wristwatches?"

-Neal A. Maxwell-

Won't it be nice when it won't feel like it's always a race to the finish?  I think the adversary can get us consumed with that clock ticking away and then we forget about this very minute.... NOW.  Of course, we can't go through this life with out schedules, deadlines and alarm clocks, but maybe we should shift our focus to the present a little bit more because that's all we really have and time will never really be on our side.  The kids are going to keep  growing up (that's a fact... sorry to disappoint any of you) and the dinner hour is approaching....

Idaholand

That's right!  Not Disneyland, not Legoland, but Idaholand.  Our kids see that Idaho sign as we drive up I-15 and shout and cheer like it's Christmas.  Idaho is the BA-omb to them.  Lucky for us it's quite convenient.  We went to Rexburg to visit the my sister and her family January 7th-9th.  As usual they showed us a good time!  Snow, movies, sushi, fudge, no-bake cookies, and lots of good down time.  Thank you Harwards!!

Eliza would hunt down their dog, T.J. and squeal at him.  I'm not sure how well he really liked her. ;)

The kids had lots of fun being pulled behind the snow machines (I know around these parts they are snow mobiles, but not in their neck of the woods... I debated what I should type.  Looks like snow machines won.)  They played for hours.  We only had one accident....

I took this picture a couple days later, but if you look closely you can tell his eye is a little swollen.  Tye and his cousin, Jamison, got piled up a bit.  I didn't see it happen, but Tye proclaimed, "I'm never playing in the snow again!"  But you'll see that didn't last long because a couple hours later we went sledding....

Good ol' BYU-Idaho, thank you for the good times.  Nate, of course being the obedient recovering knee patient, didn't do any sledding.  He instead was in charge of the camera and Eliza. We also discovered that going head first really is the best way to go.... much less pain on your derriere, at least for us old folks. :)

Seizing the Moments

I think I said this last year, but I try to start my blog out with a new name each year.  Since I make each year's worth of posts into a book changing it up seems better than labeling them vol. I, vol. II,.... vol. XXVI..... that is if I get that far!  Last year's title seemed to sound a bit on the "surviving" mode, which I have to say I didn't really feel that way.  On New Year's Eve I was contemplating 2010 thinking at first I was glad to have it over and had great hopes for 2011, but then it dawned on me that 2010 was a really good year.  Yes, we had challenges, but we were blessed in so many wonderful ways so to think that that year wasn't worth much was silly of me.  Hopefully I have grown and become a stronger person from all that 2010 offered me.  Now on to 2011.  My goal is to seize the moments whether they are big or small, keeping a better record of our lives and enjoying it as we go..... well, most of the time, anyway. ;)