Perspective

Having the right perspective has helped me immensely today.....

You know how everything from Costco comes in multiples?  Like a box of Cheez-it has two sleeves.  Well I bought a couple boxes of them yesterday with my handy-dandy coupon of course!  I came downstairs this afternoon to find one sleeve empty already.  I started to get frustrated but then took a step back and did a little thinking.  Okay a box of Cheez-its from Costco costs about $6 and I had a $2 off coupon.  So I'm only out $2 for half a box and it made a nice after school snack.  That's actually not too bad for 7 kids!

Oh and as long as I'm in a giving mood .... we won't worry about the brand new giant Christmas lights that we brought home yesterday that are already broken.  That's right one of them had a little run-in with a soccer ball.

It's just an accident ---- sheesh!  You need to work on your patience!!

Trash

My baby has discovered the trash ...
I know you're wondering what I'm complaining about.  It is so useful when they are able to discard their own stinkiness; however, he doesn't quite know the rules yet.
EVERYTHING goes in the trash.  I know he's simply practicing his free-throw for his future career in the NBA but seriously this has got to end.
•  Sippy cups go in signalling "I'm done"
•  Toys go in meaning "these are sub-par mother,  please go acquire me something meaningful"
Anyway, it is this new discovery that has me siting here tonight staring at a single brown penny loafer wondering where it's match is.... My guess:  Timbuktu
** Trash day was yesterday**
SIDE NOTE: 
He also has been fascinated with the appliance cupboard in the kitchen lately, more specifically the popcorn maker.  Tonight I discovered why --- it is full of tiny "balls" (the kids, not I, fail to empty the unpopped kernals).  These balls are the perfect pair with the hole near the latch on the dishwasher when opened.

Sneak Peak

All 4 of my girls are in a "Whoville Christmas this year."  Last night two of them got to perform bits of it for "A Swiss Christmas".  Check out their cute "Who" hair.  I'll post a video after their real performance.

Merry Christmas

Thanksgiving

This is going to be mostly pictures.  After we survived the great Blizzard of 2010 (if you live here you'll know what I'm talking about ;) ) we headed down to my parents to enjoy spending time with family.  We especially loved having my brother's family up from Texas.

Good Times!

 A little pre-meal nap!  They hadn't even eaten yet...

 Caleb was sick most of the time.... his eyes say it all.

 Jake spent most of his time out side so his glasses were fogged over when he came back in.  haha

Snow Day!

We had our first significant snow storm of the season this weekend, so we decided to go sledding in our yard for Family Night.

  We realized that we didn't have any snow clothes for Caleb yet so he had to wear pink. 

It was so funny because he couldn't stand up.  He was so bundled he kept tipping over!

I love seeing the cute hats out ... especially the beautiful ones made with love from Aunt Krista!

The kids all had fun even though it was FREEZING!  Caleb isn't so sure of the snow but when I brought him in he wanted to be back out.

Danny is a great big brother!  He made sure to build a jump on the sled run for everyone.

Happy 14th!!!

My oldest just turned 14 yesterday!  The time flies by so quickly.

         (yes I know there are only 8 candles on the cake)

We got lucky with this one.  He is such a great kid and is making great decisions.  We are so proud of him.  Friday we took him out to eat at Five Guys.  He has a thing for Baconators (as he calls them).  Then he picked up a pair of jumping stilts.  Don't ask!  Just know that I was against them but was talked into them because he has been saving money for over a year.

#1 Rule:  Thou shalt not use jumping stilts unless your dad is home so that I don't have to take you to the ER.

#2 Rule:  Thou shalt not attempt flips on said stilts (thank you Uncle David)

#3 Rule:  (just added)  Thou shalt not attempt to jump down stairs lest you crash and scratch up your back

We had a brunch Saturday morning to celebrate his birthday and had his two best friends over and then spent the afternoon and evening visiting with family that are starting to arrive in town for the Thanksgiving holiday.

We really Love our family!!

Today Danny was ordained to the office of Teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood.  We are so proud of him for the choices he's making and that he is worthy of this great responsibility.  And he looked very handsome! 

WARNING - TEMPORARILY CHANGING SUBJECT ----

This summer we took a major ROAD TRIP and while visiting my brother in Independence, MO we attended a church meeting in a poorer area.  All of the boys were wearing suits while passing the sacrament.  They looked so great.  I thought it would be great if our Deacons would wear a suit to pass the sacrament.  Anyway I asked Danny if he would wear one were I to get him one and he said sure.  We just barely got around to shopping for one and he's worn it the last two Sundays.

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Anyway, back to the ordaining.  I sent out an email to the family that would be in town this Sunday inviting them but not obligating them to come to his ordination.  A lot of them responded that they would be able to come.

Then yesterday we realized that a major snowstorm would be hitting our area on Sunday so I told Danny that most likely no one would be able to make it.   As predicted we woke up to a good 6 inches of snow and it continued to fall.  I was sitting in the lobby with the noise maker the last hour of church and noticed the snow had lightened up a bit so I thought well maybe we will get someone.  Then about 30 min. prior to the ordination the snow was REALLY coming down so I resigned myself to the fact that nobody would be able to make it up the canyon.

About 5 min. to the hour my brother came in with a couple of his kids.  I was so surprised and told him no one was coming because of the storm.  He wasn't sure what everyone was doing but they all started arriving one by one until we filled up a room.  It really meant a lot to us that so many would brave the treacherous road conditions to be there for Danny.  As our Bishop said "a righteous family tradition".

**  they didn't realize we had so much snow - it was clear on their side of the canyon **

YW in Excellence

Amber had her first YW in excellence this week.  She didn't have anything that she had recently done so she came home after school and painted the picture of the First Vision.  I am amazed at her natural artistic abilities.  She took two weeks of art classes this summer and is in art this year in school but that is the extent of her training.  She is amazing!

Jacob's writing

Jake has discovered the Thesaurus this year. He is an excellent writer. He uses a few too many adjectives and some run-ons, but he is only in fifth grade so he has some time to figure it out.

His class is putting together a Thanksgiving book and this is Jacob's entry:

As the glistening snow gently drifts down upon the glistering, and radiant colors of the awe-inspiring Autumn forest, I amble aimlessly, for I could never allow myself to wake from this amazing trance in the beautiful land of the Autumn forest! As I watch the delicate, but lovely snowflakes gently drift as softly, and gently as an agile feather, despite the sound of my frigid teeth chattering away I have no qualms of staying in the ferociously, amazing Autumn forest. The idea of giving cordial thanks to the pilgrims who brought my mother hear from England encroached upon my mind. I snap awake to the sound of my obsolete shutters slamming shut, and open over, and over. Man I'm glad I awoke or I might have gotten frostbite. I got up, and shut the window then jumped into the bed and drifted off to sleep.

Life as "I" know it....

Here are just a few of the things that have caught my attention lately...

You're NOT as helpful as you think you are.

I know it may feel helpful in your one year old mind to help me unload the dishes but it doesn't feel very helpful when I am trying to LOAD the dishes.

Without fail the baby LOVES to come over and mess with the dishes and has developed a fascination with the knives (I know yikes, right?). I always escort him as far away as possible or strap him in his highchair but yesterday his big brother let him help unload the silverware and continually praised his one year old efforts. (I know that is cute!) Anyway, I found it funny this morning when I went to load the dishes after the masses had eaten and run off to school; not only did the baby come to help but he RAN and eagerly. It was very cute! He was extra excited to be a big helper and do a chore. Like I said, too bad I was loading so he had to be strapped into the highchair...

I'm glad Webster's is around but wonder if it was the best source for this....  & as a MOM we must always be ready

Sooooo .... a couple of nights ago my 10 year old son mentioned that he was reading the newspaper earlier [another story all together] and was very disturbed by what he was reading about Elizabeth Smart and Emmanuel (David Brian Mitchell).

Knowing the things that were most likely in the article, I tried to casually ask a few questions to find out exactly what he was thinking. Oh and I shewed the little ones away. So to the best of my recollection, here is how the conversation went...

ME: "What kind of things disturbed you?"
HIM: "Oh some of the things he made her do.."

ME: "Like what?"
HIM: "well he raped her and uh yeah"

ME: "Do you know what raped means?" (We hadn't had "THE TALK" w/ him yet)
HIM: "yeah"

ME: "Oh really?!? How?"
HIM: "I looked it up in the dictionary"

(Wondering what Webster may have taught him)

ME: "And?"
HIM: "It's about sexually and yeah"

ME: "Do you know what sex is?"
HIM: "(shrug)"

ME: "Do you know how babies are made?"
HIM: "I know it has something to do with X and Y chromosomes" (typical smarty pants scientific reasoning)

At this point I figured it was time, and so I had to explain a few things to him to which he replied...

HIM: "That sounds really weird" Hopefully he'll keep thinking that way for awhile.

We did something stupid but I'm still excited!

Our microwave broke last week. I was boiling noodles (which I always do with the lid off) so there was a lot of steam coming from the stove to the microwave but I also had to microwave something at the same time. I've done this a million times but that day the microwave POPPED!!

We began our quest to find a new microwave. We wanted to find a deal which we did but the microwave wasn't available the end of the month so we left to look elsewhere. A few days later my husband found one and for even less but it was about an hour away so he bought it and we waited a couple of days until we'd be heading that way to pick it up.

Anyway, a few days passed and we headed to the Home Depot location to pick up the microwave and buy a couple of hula hoes and leave. It didn't quite happen this way...

As we walked in we noticed a pair of LG front loading steam washing/ drying machines on sale (while supply lasts of course). I headed to garden and my hubby headed to appliances to pick up the previously purchased microwave where I would meet him.

When I made my way to the appliance section, I found myself being talked into (by my husband which is very unusual - it usually goes the other way) purchasing a new washer/dryer. I have been eyeing this set for years and building my dream laundry room in my mind for just as long so it didn't take a lot of convincing. In fact he then had to talk me out of purchasing two sets (part of my grand design). So today I find myself trying to get as much laundry done so we can remove the old set, take down a shelf (we are stacking them so we can fit two sets ... eventually), and remove a window sill in preparation for a delivery tomorrow.

Did I mention we HAVE to buy a new car?  Our old one blew and the one we borrowed too? ...... Here's where the stupid part comes from......