Happy Mom

Nothing makes me happier, as a mom, than when I find the following pictures of my kids on my camera. I am so happy that they have time to create and enjoy each other!

Obviously, they decided to play Quidditch with the air hose in our garage! They then decided to make disguises with paper and scotch tape. I don't have any pictures the day they decided to use an entire roll of aluminum foil making swords, shields, armor, medical logos (you know the staff with the snake), and who knows what else but that is what my boys do! They don't actually play with toys, besides Legos, they make them. I love them for that.

Halloween Visitor

I have a few fears, cats and clowns definitely top the list. The other day as we returned home from hours of soccer games and food shopping, Ben yelled, "Mom there is a clown on our porch!" I turned and in horror I saw one of the most horrific profiles. Of course I screamed at the top of my lungs, which didn't make Dave all too happy but it had to be done. Seriously I applaud whoever put this on my porch. Really the time it took to paint that mouth (which I think is the most horrific of all) and make the clown ruffles---Bravo! Dave won't let it in the house, maybe he has a bit of clown-fear too, thank you, thank you it really is wonderful in its own eye-watering-from-fear way and thank you for not leaving a cat on my porch. Happy Halloween!

Almost a Year in Review

It has almost been an entire year since I have last posted. I was going to wait until the actual 365 days have passed but the desire to review 2010 early has hit. January Disneyland with friends was the highlight of the season, I wouldn't be trapped on It's a Small World with anyone else! Christmas rush over. NO measurable snowfall since DEC 13-my birthday-the things I remember! Jazz Games. Junior Jazz Coach of Ben's team-I was the only woman! Don't forget to notice our very special guest for Christmas Eve and Will crying in the adult picture. February Nick turns 7!! Birthday Party + Missionaries + Family + Cinnamon Roll Birthday Cake. Nick is amazing-smart, art contest winning, kind, athletic. Dave and I celebrate our 10th Anniversary.

March Junior Jazz 2nd place in tournament! Will turns 5! Will keeps us on our toes-he is always planning our day, with homework or creations out of paper! He is so creative with his concoctions-bubble gum machines, oops tickets, etc. I got called to the Relief Society Presidency. Boys burying themselves alive with Cade and Abby-that could have been a disaster. April Ahhh...Easter in Maui-I guess we left and there was a huge snowfall. May Ben turns 9! He is so great! He is a good friend, reader, student, athlete and he loves to just play. May is a busy, busy month with all the endings of things and beginnings of summer. June What do you do on a summer day? Cup Towers of course! Yes I reused the cups! Ben and Dave also went to scout camp and had a blast. July Seattle, Forks (yes for real), Vancouver, Victoria with some really great friends I can't find my awesome pictures). Dave turned 36. We had a Fourth of July extravaganza with the help of Dave and my brother Andy. August Bear Lake with Dave's Family is always a treat. School starts for our boys, fourth, second and kindergarten. We bought a Jeep in June and officially broke it in on a trail with tons of dust and rain.

September Dave and I went on a cruise to Croatia, Greece, Turkey, we started in Venice, Italy and then drove to Austria to say that we could when we got off the boat. It was so fun. I was worried that we wouldn't make it but I am so glad that we went. I mean, what kind of mom leaves her kids on the second week of school, never to return because she dies in a ball of flames? This post might take an actual year to read but it has been a great one! Luckily it isn't quite over yet!

Thank Goodness For Thanksgiving!

I love, love, love this time of year. I love the leafless landscape. I love the weather. I love the pilgrims and turkeys that dress my home. I think that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday not because of the huge Thanksgiving Feast, but because it is a quiet yet significant bridge between two crazy holidays.

I am thankful for so much. I really am grateful for this month to think of all my many, many blessings. I guess since I have used the word thankful about one hundresd times already I will make a short list of thankfulness.

I am thankful for the gospel that is the foundation and anchor in my life. I am grateful for its goodness and peace that it brings if I choose to tap into it.

I am thankful for a Dave who makes me crazy sometimes with all his ideas and obsessions yet he always supports my crazy ideas and plans. I seriously would be lost without him.



I am thankful for my Ben who runs out every morning to grab the paper to check the basketball scores, who gets embarrassed when I try to give him basketball pointers like boxing out with your bum. I love that he is a self-motivated, kind, kid who loves to play.



I am thankful for Nick who loves first grade because of all the art projects, who loves that his class is quiet and says it is the "worst day ever" if kids are talking too much. I love that Nick is my middle child who loves to play and takes care of his little brother and idolizes his big brother.



I am thankful for Will who is the most amazing artist, who will sit for hours and draw his books as he jabbers away to me. I love that Will enjoys his school so much that he has already decided not to go to kindergarten. I love that he is so interested in counting and numbers he is subtracting and adding and counting to at least 50.



I am thankful for health. Things can change so quickly, I am grateful for a working body that is capable of anything if I choose.

I am thankful for home. Not just a house but a home that I look forward to being in at the end of the day.



I am thankful for the great outdoors. I love the smell of every season. I love walking in sun, rain and snow. I love that I live in a place with seasons, beautiful sunsets and mountains.



I am so thankful for where I live. I am so close to family and wonderful friends. I am truly blessed to be a part of this community.

I am thankful for opportunity to do anything that I want if I set my mind to it. I am thankful that my boys have this same opportunity. What a blessing.



I am just thankful and that is why I love this time of year. How is that for a whole lot of "THANKFULNESS"?

Happy Halloween!

Here are a couple of "ghosts" from Halloween past. Did we have fun or what? I hope all of you have a great Halloween and a wonderful fall season. Isn't great? Have you seen more beautiful leaves?

One year, Shannon and I decided to be "pumpkin heads". I do still have the overalls in case I choose to put a pumpkin on my head again. Anyway, the hole that I cut for my head was too small and suffocating so I cut a bigger hole and the result was less than desirable (it kind of reminds me of that one dude with some sort of cap on his head from the Fat Albert cartoons) but I still had fun. That's what I get for having a big head! The following is the next year (I'm guessing) but wow, give some girls some vinyl, spray paint, some time and you get some sweet looking super heroes! I loved this year. The costumes that we made were so much fun. We just went from party to party showing off our awesome looks! Shannon as Bat Girl, Me as Wonder Woman, Meg as Poison Ivy and Nancy as Cat Woman All I can say is Happy Halloween! I wish you all many years of creative costuming (someday I will return)! I would really like to be Wonder Woman again, maybe I'll make Dave be Superman.