Christmas Morning

Cy got this scooter for Christmas- guidelines say the maximum weight capacity is 100 lbs.
Both Cy and Andrew got Joseph silly string, so they went outside for a fight. Neither of the boys can push the button on top, so Joseph got to empty two whole bottles on them. But they won in the sticker war.
Caleb was thrilled about his rocking horse.
And so was Cy. Do you think Heather was?

Winter doldrums .

As soon as Christmas is over, I begin to get sick of winter. My mom reminded me the other day that we are only 6 days into winter- but I think it started at the beginning of November this year. I've got to figure out how to take babies out into the cold or go crazy being cooped up!

When we bought the house we live in, there were hundreds of tulip bulbs all around the yard. But, the house sat vacant for a while, and the deer moved in. We have no more tulips, and I am quickly becoming an expert on deer-resistant plants. I am quite angry at the deer and have even considered letting the sharp-shooters into my yard. But I've got a soft spot for this little one. He sticks around our neighborhood and is almost always alone. Why? Because he is missing half of his back leg. In the fall when I saw him, I thought it would be merciful to kill him before winter came since he was a loner, a baby, and could hardly get around. But he's getting stronger in spite of the cold, and he's even re-integrating with the herd. If a gimpy deer can make it through the winter outside, we should be able to do it inside, right?

In my parents' house

I have been blessed with the most amazing parents. I meet people all of the time who tell me stories about their service. Today is their anniversary, and when I asked Mom what they were doing, she said, "Oh, it's just our 39th. Next year we'll do something grand."
I'd like to dedicate this song to them and change the first line to "in my parents' house." Thanks, Mom and Dad, for all of your love, sacrifice and time. You are truly amazing. Just look it up on Youtube under Corrine Bailey Rae "The Butterfly". You have to hear it; you can't just read the lyrics.


Lyrics to Butterfly :
In my mother's house
There's a photograph
Of a day gone past
Always makes me laugh
There's a little girl
Wary of the world
She got much to learn
Get her fingers burned
An affinity
Between you and me
Cause we're family
Said that I'd be fine
Give me all your time
And I left your side
Like a butterfly

Shower me with your love
All of everyday
You make the red rose sun
Shine on me
Lift me up so high
Watch me fly away
Would you live your life
Like a butterfly

In my mother's house
There was happiness
I wrapped my myself in it
Was my chrysalis
As my life unfolds
See a pattern through
Of you protecting me
And I protecting you
What was that you'd say
Make your own mistakes
And when you're grown
Make sure that you remain the same
Now I realise
What was on your mind
When I left your side
Like a butter fly

Shower me with your love
All of everyday
You make the red rose sun
Shine on me
Lift me up so high
Watch me fly away
Give me life
Like a butterfly

Shower me with your love
All of everyday
You make the red rose sun
Shine on me
Lift me up so high
Watch me fly away
Give me life
Like a butterfly

By small and simple things. ..

Yesterday, I made Elsie's lunch in the morning. She hasn't had home lunch very often, but really likes it. At the last minute, I decided to slip in a note telling her how much we love her.
After school, I asked her how her lunch was.
"Good. I really liked your note," she said. Then she continued, "The very first time you made me a home lunch, you put in a note, and I have been waiting for you to do it again."
That was more than a year ago. And she's been waiting that whole time. She has such a tender heart and writes me love notes all the time. For a mom who isn't quick enough to notice things herself, I'm glad that she told me. It's hard to remember that she isn't simply an extension of me anymore. And that it doesn't take much time to do something extra, but it can make a big difference.

More family pictures- It's too hard to choose a few. It's like with kids- you love 'em all.

Family pictures for the first time in years!!!

Crystal took these pictures, and I love them! She was amazingly prepared. She even had a blue shirt when we realized we had left Cy's behind and he was wearing a dirty orange T-shirt! All of the kids fell asleep in the car, and one certain girl never recovered from her nap. In most of the family pictures, Elsie has the grumpiest face. It just makes me laugh because I thought she would be the easiest! I love these pictures- especially the individual ones of the kids. Thanks Crystal.

Happy Birthday to you, Elsie- cha!

If you had three things you could wish for:
1. To go swimming
2. To have it be nice and sunny
3. To lose all of my teeth
Favorite color: Purple
I feel happy when ... I draw
I like to eat ... pasta!
My Favorite Movie ...Race to Witch Mountain, (or whatever show I have seen most recently)
I feel sad when ... I get in trouble
I like to play with ... Barbies
My favorite song ... Our Father has a Family
My dad is ... funny
My mom is ... a hard worker
My favorite holiday ... Easter
I love to ...read
My favorite thing to do as a family ... play games
My favorite toy is ... my kitty
It makes me happy when ... I draw.
My favorite thing to do in my free time ...make stuff
My favorite number ... eight. Because it's when you get baptized.
One of the coolest things about me. . . I love to read and draw
I feel frustrated when ... I can't do something right.
I really like it when ... we go swimming
My favorite subject in school ...art
I'm looking forward to . . . going to Arches and Las Vegas
My favorite game ... Freeze Tag
What I like about me ... is that I like to draw so much
What do you want to do when you grow up...be a mom
What is the best thing about your birthday ... that it's on conference. (That was also the worst because she had to be quiet.)
Who is your hero, the person you look up to, or want to be like when you grow up ...Word Girl
What is a funny thing that has happened to you? I got into the baby powder when I was little and poured it all over my room, in my dresser drawers, and on the carpet.
What do you do at recess? Play freeze tag
What are you going to be when you grow up? An artist, a teacher, and a waiter
How is that going to work? I will be a teacher in the morning, an artist in the middle of the day, and a waiter at the end of the day
Where will you be a waitress? At McDonalds!
What kind of things will you draw? Flowers
What kind of a teacher will you be? A second grade teacher.
What will you do if the kids don't behave? Make them sit at their desks with their heads down for two minutes.
Tell me about your brothers: They're crazy. They tease me.
What is Caleb like? Umm. Mean? He pulls my hair.

I don't know what I would do without Elsie. She shares with the boys and figures out how to entertain them and involve them in her play, even if she has friends over. She loves school and playing with her friends. She also dresses up constantly, and I am afraid that she will never grow out of that. She misses her free time very much since she is now in school for 7 hours a day. When she comes home, we are busy reading, working on homework, and practicing piano. She wishes she could play all day. Often, I find her sneaking paper and crayons to draw when she is supposed to be doing her homework. I think the drawing is probably better for her than the homework, but what can I do?A girl's got to do her homework!
She feels very grown-up since she has lost so many teeth and mostly acts very mature. Except for when she doesn't.
She has set up a spy club that she started in kindergarten. It was meant to replace the "girls troupe" at school whose sole purpose was to chase boys. I heard her talking to Cy the other day and realized that it had morphed into a pyramid scheme. She has established him as the leader of his very own spy club and is encouraging him to sign up his friends.
She also likes to set up parties regularly, and i have to tell mothers who call that we actually haven't planned for anything of the sort.
How lucky we are to raise this artist/teacher/waitress.

Happy Birthday, Cy!

I'm going to steal Janell's idea and interview my unique kids for their birthdays.
If you had three things you could wish for:
1. A Christmas Tree
2. A giant robot that would destory the whole entire world
3. To play nicely with William, my neighbor next door.
Favorite color: Orange
I feel happy when ... I am at Cherry Hills
I like to eat ... mac and cheese and hamburgers
My Favorite Movie ... Space Jam
I feel sad when ... I get hurt
I like to play with ... transformers and climb in trees
My favorite song ... Jesus wants me for a Sun-beemp!
My dad is ... seventy-two. He likes to work down in the basement.
My mom is ... a hundred and seventy-two hundred!
My favorite holiday ... Easter (it just happens to be today.)
I love to ... eat!
My favorite thing to do as a family ... go to Cherry Hills
My favorite toy is ... a plastic lion family.
It makes me happy when ... I forgot. When I am a baby.
My favorite thing to do in my free time ...go to Cherry Hills!
My favorite number ... a hundred and twelve hundred
One of the coolest things about me. . . is that I have a pirates of the Carribean Shirt
I feel frustrated when ... someone hits me.
I really like it when ... we go to Cherry Hills!
My favorite subject in school ...play time
I'm looking forward to . . . having a pajama party at school
My favorite game ... tickle monster
What I like about me ... is that I poop on the potty.
What do you want to do when you grow up...work in a restaurant
What is the best thing about your birthday ... having an Easter egg hunt
Who is your hero, the person you look up to, or want to be like when you grow up ...no one!! (Laughing.)

Cy, I think you already are like nobody else. You are so unique and fill our home with joy.
The other day, Cy got to go to a Jazz game with his dad and uncle and grandpa. When I asked him if he wanted to go, he said, "Oh yeah! I love to play basketball." When I let him know that he would just be WATCHING basketball, he responded, "Well, I'll bring my little basketball just in case they need another player."
The world is wide open. He was absolutely bored through 3/4 of the game, I hear.
We especially love Cy's enormous heart. He has hated to pray since he was little, but in the last year, he figured out that he could pray for other people. It all started with my aunt Diane. He began to pray for her, and his prayers have gotten longer ever since. Now we pray for the people in Haiti, in Chile, and the people that the rock fell on in their cars.
This morning, we were explaining to the kids the beauty of the resurrection. I was rejoicing that we would all receive perfect bodies in the next life because of what Christ did for us. I told him that his uncle Steve, who has cerebral palsy, and can't speak very well, will have a perfect body. He said, without hesitation,
"But I like him just the way he is!"

We're sure lucky to have you in our family. We love you!

Photo Tag

Photo Tag
Here is how you play. Open your photos folder or program.
Go to the first folder that comes up.
Go to the 10th picture in that folder.
Post that picture and tell about it.

Okay, so this is not my best shot, but I guess it's pretty real. Do I really always look like a chipmunk with her cheeks full of nuts? Or am I always just standing next to a nut? This is Joseph and I right after we got married, I think. We went to Las Vegas to see Rhyan sealed to her family. I look at this picture, and it reminds me of Dr. Seuss' poem "Oh! The Places You'll Go!"

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

I don't know if I can tag anyone because no one actually reads my blog- why would they if I never post?

I tag Janell, Joseph (this very same blog, third folder, tenth picture,) Mom, (yes, you have to touch the computer. Have Dad help you,) and Kenielle, and Heather M.