A Day in the Life.....

My rant for the day:
I think there is too much pressure out there to make everything we do everyday some type of celebration of life.  While I try hard not to waste time, who can make everything into a celebration every day?  It is exhausting and frankly, overkill.  Not to mention the cost involved with paying for the daily celebrations.  Valentine's Day is just such an event.  It has become ridiculous.  I am a Valentine and you would think that would make it our biggest holiday of the year, but mostly we try to downplay it because once people out there find out our last name, it becomes too much.  We get questions like, were your kids born on Valentine's Day?  Sure, we planned all of them that way.  Or, were your married on Valentine's Day?  Wouldn't that be just a little too much?  My favorite, your husband must be so romantic.  And while he most definitely is, I am pretty sure it isn't because of his last name.  Yes, I am a Valentine's Day grinch.  We do celebrate it, but not to the extent I think "those people" out there fantasize about.  Let me say, that we don't really need a Valentine's Day because we work hard every day of the year to make our lives full of love and appreciation for one another.  If you have to wait for Valentine's Day for declarations of love from your significant other, then something is wrong.
On to other things.  Sarah got her new glasses this week and she looks so cute.  They are purple and rectangles and she looks so different in them.  I'll get a picture up asap.  She was so excited to have them and I have never seen her so thrilled to go see the Dr.  It is amazing how something as simple as a new pair of glasses can lift a person up.  She has been walking on air for several days now.
Jacob came home from school sick yesterday and I mean really sick.  He started throwing up and just couldn't stop.  We are pretty sure he ate something funky at the free cafeteria food day on Thursday.  I felt so bad for him and completely forgot I had signed up to help in Sarah's class for her Valentine's Day Party.  Oh well, vomit trumps volunteering.  Yesterday was Jacob's birthday movie celebration too.  He has been waiting for three weeks for the Lightening Thief to come out in theaters and he was going with Daniel and his friend and doing a whole guy movie thing.  He said they could just go without him but they wouldn't hear of it. Daniel and their friend Jordan decided they were going to intervene the best way they knew how.  They went up to Daniel's room and said a prayer that Jacob would feel well enough to go.  The faith of children got him through and he stopped throwing up, got his color back and felt well enough to go to the movies by the time it was time to go.  I have no words for how amazing it is that these boys didn't want Jacob to miss his own birthday party movie enough that they would pray for him to be better so they could all go together.  Even when Jacob was telling them to go without him.   The best part was the high five they gave each other when they realized their faith worked.   It is so wonderful that they felt comfortable enough with their testimonies to suggest they pray and that they were so supportive of the idea too.  A lot of kids out there would just think that was weird.  It is so comforting as a parent to have friends for my children that encourage them to not only believe in God but to make Him that much a part of their lives. 
I am happy to report that Jacob is much better today and got out of his system whatever needed to be out.

Time Flies When You're Ironing Clothes

This is the time of year I get very restless.  As a result I want to do nothing and have to force myself to keep up around here.  I am tired of the winter and ready for spring and warmer days.  I have managed to maintain our house and actually ironed the clothes the other day so we will all look clean and pressed.  Much has happened in the past week or so and I wanted to make sure I documented it.
Starting with Jacob, he has worked so hard this last semester he landed himself on the honor roll at school.  We are not parents who are overly interested in good grades just for the grades.  I would rather my children learn something than worry about what grade they got.  I don't think they are an accurate reflection of intelligence anyway.  However, Jacob wanted to get the best grades he could so he did every extra credit project every teacher gave him and improved his grades enough to get on the honor roll.  It was even more exciting when he found out the honor roll students got to miss school that Friday and go to the Bowling Alley/Fun Center across the street from the school for the day!  What a fun reward for working hard.  We are very proud of him and he is continuing to work hard to maintain his grades.

Daniel has some really cool Basketball Coaches and they arranged for the kids to go to a Jazz game and then meet one of the players.  His name is Kyle Korver. 
The kids all took their dads and went down on the court and got their basketballs signed.  Then they got a group picture with the player.  This guy plays every game too.  It was such an exciting activity for Daniel and he loved being able to go with Alan.  I haven't seen him that excited about something before.  He is really a little sports nut.  

Daniel had to do another science fair project and neither of us cared much about it this year.  He was also extra bummed that they only were letting the 6th graders go to the district fair this year so he really didn't care about it.  We worked out a moderately easy project by figuring out what happens to water when it is boiled with salt.  It boils faster for anyone interested.  I did learn that the amount it boils faster for cooking is minute when you throw in the pinch of salt.  All the salt does is flavor the water, not much else.  It takes at least 1/4 of salt to 1 cup of water to improve the boiling speed.  Yea, we didn't really care about that either.  Daniel did well on the project and now it is over and he can relax a bit and so can I.  It is really hard to care about something because you have to set a good example for your kids.  
Sarah is working up to doing her first oral book report in class and is terrified of it.  I signed her up to go first because waiting for your turn is brutal!  We have to work out what she is going to do this weekend and, so yet again, I get to do another project with the kids.  I do enjoy the time with them but these teachers act like I have only one child.  I don't know what parents with lots more kids do.  Sarah is giving a talk in church this Sunday too so there is just no rest for the weary. 
I am glad my kids get to have these opportunities to do things.  It makes them stretch and grow and it makes me tired and grumpy.  But, I am glad.

Are you my daughter?

My daughter seems to have developed a hormone problem!  Sarah came home with a mustache the other day and was thrilled to be wearing it.  I am pretty sure she wore it all the way home.  Her class was reading a story about a Mexican with a sombrero and a serrapa.  I am pretty sure I just slaughtered those words!  Sorry Spanish language people.   

The sun came out today and I must get out there and enjoy it!   We are so ready for the summer around here and relish any opportunity to be outdoors now.  We figure we have to hang on for one more month and it will be smooth sailing.  Adios!

Milestones

I officially have a teenager.  I am happy to report he is not obnoxious, rude or indignant.  He doesn't think Alan and I are the dumbest people ever and he will still do his chores without any argument as long as he can play the Wii after.  Jacob turned 13 yesterday and while I am not sure how to feel about having a child this age, I am so proud of who he is.  Every time I look at him I see this large person in the place of the little boy I use to run around after.  He towers over me now and has a deep voice.  He is still very much a kid at heart though and I love that.  
We have held fast to the no P-13 movies until you are 13 and he has a very long list of what he wants to watch now that he is legal starting with the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy and the extras.  Guess what we are doing this weekend?  I told him there is no way we can watch all of that in one weekend.  I suppose we could wear diapers and go for it but no.  It will have to be spread out a bit.
It was Jacob's turn for a family party so we stuffed ourselves on spaghetti and meatballs and chocolate cupcakes.  In another couple of weeks, he is going to go to the Lightning Thief movie with his friend, by themselves!  That is what he wanted to do for his birthday.  Alan and I had fun decorating the house so when he woke up the party would start first thing in the morning!

Jacob requested more Star Wars Legos so we delivered.  If I may gush for a moment, I would like to say what amazing kids I have.  I really can't claim much credit for them because they came this way.  They are great friends, good siblings and I hope they will continue to be friends throughout their lives.  For some reason, I can't get any other pictures to load so I am going to sign off for now. 

Restless

Since Alan was home recovering from the nasty flu/cold/whatever it was, I decided to enlist his help.  He was on his last day being home so most of his strength had returned.  The kids were all at school and we had the whole day to ourselves!!  You would think that romance would have been on my mind, but no, The furniture needed to be rearranged.  I cannot function in a cluttered unorganized mess and that is what the house had become.  We are still working out where to put everything with Leanne here and some other things have moved into our house that take up way too much space!  They are fun things but we needed to figure out something to make them fit better. 

Much to Daniel's surprise, Grandma and Grandpa delivered a full set of drums for him we got from Marni and Dave in Cedar City.  He was beside himself with glee and Christmas was extra special for him.  We also procured an air hockey table to go with our fooseball table and the  full size cello we already had for Jacob.  We decided to turn our front room into the music/game room and move the china hutch into the family room.  In order to do this, the huge bookcase needed to be moved too.  These are some of the heaviest and bulky pieces of furniture we have so this was no small undertaking.  Thankfully, Alan was on board with the move and we were able to get our house rearranged that day.  It feels so much better in here!!  We have more room and It is less cluttered.  Thanks honey!!! 

The New Year and Beyond!!!!

Like Christmas, New Year's was low key.  Alan and I celebrated our 19th anniversary in November but I use the term celebrated loosely.  We have a history of making plans and having other things come up that take priority.  Our anniversary was no exception.  We have tried to do the things we wanted to since but it has been strung out over the last few months now.  Our final plan was a great steak dinner somewhere but we couldn't make it happen. 
New Year's Eve we decided to venture out and ended up at Chilies compliments of Leanne.  It was packed with an hour wait.  Luckily, it is near a Target.  So, we gave them our cell phone number, went to Target to pick up some things and got back just in time to sit down at our table.  Alan and I rarely have time to just hang out, let alone shop together.  It was so nice to just be with him and not have the constant albeit loving, but constant distractions from the kids.  The food was gross, but I am sorry Chilies is gross we really didn't expect too much.  If it is your favorite place to eat, I implore you to dig deeper.  There are much better places to eat out there.  The time with him was worth it though.
We arrived home early enough to go through all of Daniel's poppers and sparklers he bought for the occasion.  The kids wanted to stay up till midnight but the adults couldn't do it.  So, we all went to bed without watching the ball drop and not caring much about it either.  I have never really understood the attraction to watching other people at a party on TV.
Since then we have been plagued with one type of illness or another from just about everyone.  I suppose it is the time of year and these winter sicknesses don't die easily.  Alan and Sarah have been struggling with a cough for more than a month now.  We miss the sun terribly.  It is out today but it is cold too.  I am going to walk to pick the kids up from school anyway.  I need my vitamin D!!!
As for New Year's resolutions, I don't really believe in them but we are all working to live closer to the Gospel and be loving and kind to one another.  We need to remember that we love each other and then act like we do.  The kids really get along well.  They are good friends and there is not a lot of fighting thankfully.  But we can always be better.   

It has been a while

I have been trying to update this blog for a month now and keep getting interrupted.  Christmas was low key this year and fun.  My parents came for a visit and stayed for 5 days.  The kids loved having their grandparents around and we spent the entire time eating and hanging out.  Christmas morning was fun.  I guess the kids got up at 3am to see if "Santa" had come.  Grandpa caught them and promptly sent them back to bed. 

 It is funny to me how my kids will say there is no Santa until right up before Christmas.  Then it is important for them to declare their belief, just on the outside chance that it will impact their bounty on Christmas morning.  Alan and I thought we were having a small Christmas this year.  We really didn't spend a whole lot, but we went a little nuts in the Dollartree store for stocking stuffers.  They have great stuff, and it is only 1$! Sarah really loved this little fairy statue we got her.  She is really into fairies lately. 

All of the kids got what they asked for and it was nice to be able to oblige them.  This was the first year I didn't have everything done by Thanksgiving.  Life was too hectic this year and funds trickled in for Christmas rather than having a fund to use.

   

Jacob has rediscovered his Lego collection this year and wanted Lego Star Wars sets for Christmas.  I was so excited when I found this Lego Star Wars Encyclopedia on one of Sarah's book order forms.  Of course I had to get it!  He was thrilled.  Now his list has gotten much longer for with the sets he wants to acquire.

 

Sarah wanted Wii games for Christmas so between Grandma and Grandpa and Santa, we all obliged her wish.  She wanted Mario Cart specifically and was ecstatic to find there were more games in her stocking.  Daniel asked for the Transformers set of bad guys.  I don't know what they are called but he was thrilled to have them.   Christmas day consisted of playing all of the new Wii games and eating.  It was a good day.  I didn't even make Christmas dinner.  We had so much food from Christmas Eve we didn't need anymore.  It was weird not sitting down to a big formal dinner, but I don't think anyone minded. 

  

These pictures are out of order a bit but that is ok.  Jacob went on a camp out a few days after Christmas to the Hot Springs just north of us.  They camped in tents and swam in the hot springs.  He came home with wet, frozen towels and clothes.  He couldn't wait to get into a hot shower and then went to bed.  He said he shivered all night.  He forgot to pull the blanket and extra clothes out of his pack when he went to bed.  Maybe he'll remember to do that next year! 

Alan and I took Daniel and Sarah sledding while Jacob was gone.  We had just gotten some fresh snow so it was good sledding.  The hill was packed and Daniel was more interested in trying out his snowboarding skills on the sled than sitting down.  I think the whole town turned out to sled.  It was so fun!  This is the part of living in a small town that I love. 

 

Sarah kept trying to hit the little jump at the bottom.  It was so fun to watch the kids ripping down the hill. 

 

Daniel is doing his best to stay on the sled!

  

Jacob's snow bound camping crew.  They look happy now!  May I just say that it got down into the single digits at night.  I have never been so happy not to be a boy scout!

  

When Grandma and Grandpa came they treated us to ice skating in Salt Lake City.  This rink was part of the attractions created for the Olympics.  I forgot my camera so all we had to use was my crappy phone camera.  These are the pictures I was able to salvage and clean up. 

  

It was so cold that night.  We had some really cold days in December. We were happy to take off the skates and head home.

 

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!  We had a blast!

 

Cutie pie Sarah had a great time.  I skated with her as long as I could.  Those rental skates just kill my feet! 

Action shot!  Daniel and Jacob look like they are really moving!

 

Daniel and Jacob taking a breather.  Jacob is the big blurry guy standing next to Daniel.

We were sad to see Grandma and Grandpa leave.  We had a wonderful time with them and enjoyed spending Christmas Eve with Nick and Andrea and their kids.  It is always fun to get together with family.  We also went and visited with Bob and Mary and listened to some great family stories.  The kids always love going over there to play in their basement.