Peacemaker with a Punch

Before seminary started this morning.


Class Member 1:  I thought you weren't teaching today!

Me:  Oh, it just worked out better for me to take today and for Sister B. to take an extra day next week.

Class Member 2:  We like you better than Sister B.

Class Member 3:  Yeah, she's mean.

Me:  Hey hey now. She is an amazing lady and you guys are lucky to have her.

Class Member 1: Well, she's a better person . . . but you are a better teacher.

Me: Oh . . . thanks. Sort of. Actually I'm going to turn around and cry now.

Identity Crisis

What is my blog? Happy anecdotes for the grandparents' view? My sometimes-feelings of anger, frustration and despair? My spiritual journey? A resource for adoptive parents? I don't know.

I want to be honest but I don't want to over-share, cast people in a bad light, or hurt anyone's feelings.

Life can be hard, you know?

Parenting is hard.

Hail to the Chief

On the way to Fresh & Easy I talked to the boys about Presidents' Day.

Me: Who is your favorite president, Harrison?

Harrison: Barack Obama.

Me: Great! Cameron, who's your favorite president?

Cam: The one who had the ice cream machine. He has a big head. I think he's on the nickel.

Me: Aha, I didn't know Thomas Jefferson was a soft-serve pioneer.

Cam: I don't know if it was Jefferson. But he has white curly hair, if that helps.

Well I came home to do a little research, and Cam was right! I guess ol' TJ knows what's good. To a boy who knows nothing of policy or politics, a president who support frozen treats would definitely get Cameron's vote.

The Storm Rolled In

We could feel it coming for days. That dark cloud of emotion raged blacker and angrier and we knew the turbulence was coming. But I don't think we're ever truly prepared for the frenetic frightful fury that shakes the entire household.

Ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seat belts. We're in for a bumpy ride.

Valentine's Day Love

I think I've said this before, but I celebrate Valentine's Day as a family-and-friends affair. I love everything about the decorations, colors, and food! I think it's a nice time to reflect on the people who make your life complete. I enjoy making special foods and giving little presents to my kids. I love to see what they bring home from their school parties. But as for romance--well, I'd rather save it for another time. It's too much pressure and expense. (Although I did consider it supremely romantic when my husband wrote on my facebook wall AND posted a picture of us together. That's pretty great to me!)

So I am in mommy-mode on Valentine's Day, but it is quite annoying to realize that my 15-year-old is not on board with my awesomeness. He's definitely moved into the "must-get-flowers-for-a-girl" stage of celebration. He certainly went all out for his Valentine, whom he assures me is "just a friend" from school. He even sang to her at lunch which made her cry. One would assume they were tears of joy, hm?

Anyway.

The Valentine's season kicked off with our girls camp sweetheart dinner and dessert auction last week.

This giant menu was made by Stephanie, our super-talented camp director.

The girls were the best decorations. Here are Savannah, Sara, and Mary.

They worked the bake sale table. In a quiet moment Mary played a game on my phone.

The tables were gorgeous.

I won that red velvet cake on the yellow stand. And some cinnamon rolls.

Moving right along: the night before Valentine's Day the twins addressed their cards.

They did a great job!

Love is delicious.

The morning started off "lovely" and ended "sweet."

Homemade egg McMuffin with a heart-shaped cheese on top for breakfast. I wasted a lot of cheese trying to make those dang (still-lopsided) hearts.

My present to the kids: a ring pop, little chocolates, special pens, and cute socks.

Harrison's socks: "Owl always love you"

Cam's socks: "Bee mine". Tyce's had a skunk and said "Love Stinks" and I kind of wish he still felt that way.

After lasagna for dinner we had ice cream balls--these were so easy to make and absolutely delicious.

Bryce got a rose for me--and also one for Mary, which I thought was super awesome. He said, "I don't want the first flowers she gets to be from a reprobate boy." Aww, what a sweet thing to say. Ha. Mary loved it!

Cameron was in the middle of a ninja move or a smile, I can't tell.

I am grateful for the loves of my life! Not to make you think I don't appreciate romance, Bryce and I want to do something together this weekend. Cross your fingers that we can make that happen.

I shared this clever visual on the chalkboard in seminary (but oh my gravy, this pillow version is adorable):

So true. We're never alone. I hope that you feel loved, on Valentine's Day and every day!

Overheard at Seminary

Just today!


Me: Turn to 1 Kings, chapter 3 in your Bibles. David and Bathsheba had a son, Solomon. You remember from last week who Bathsheba was, right?

Class Member 1: Yes, David was immoral with her.

Class Member 2: He was a creeper who looked at her bathing.

Class Member 1: He wasn't a creeper, he was a peeper.

Class Member 3: Bathsheba . . . BATH-Sheba . . . do you think that's where we get the word "bath" from?

Me: Um, Doubtful.

Class Member 4: Doubtful? Sister Jones, why do you always use such big words?

 ****

Me: Class, if you could ask Heavenly Father for one thing, what would it be? Solomon asked for an "understanding heart".

Class Member 5: New Kobe VIIs!

Class Member 6: A million dollars. No! To win the Powerball! Do you know how much money was on that thing? Like $400 million dollars . . . after taxes it was still like $92 million.

Me: Hmmm. Shoes and money won't help you in the next life.

Class Member 6: Yeah, but if I had all that money . . . man, you'd never see me again.

***

Class Member 8: Have you ever given a pigeon Alka Seltzer? I want to see one blow up.

Me: Eww, no. But I have heard of that happening with rice. That's why you can't throw rice at weddings anymore.

Class Member 8: I already know that. You know what they throw at weddings now?

Me: Yes, they--

Class Member 8:  Cooked rice.

Proust Questionnaire

 In the back pages of Vanity Fair each month, readers find The Proust Questionnaire, a series of questions posed to famous subjects about their lives, thoughts, values and experience. I saw this questionnaire and thought it would be fun to do--you didn't already know I'd like to be a dog, did you?

Your favourite virtue ::
Faith and perseverance

Your favourite qualities in a man ::
Humor, leadership, kindness to his family, humility

Your favourite qualities in a woman ::
Emotional flexibility, intelligence, positive outlook, passion for life

Your favourite occupation (way of spending time) :: 
Playing board games and celebrating holidays with my family

Your idea of happiness ::
Stability, with the freedom to dream and explore

Your idea of misery ::
Being in debt

If not yourself, who would you be ::
A border collie

Where would you like to live :: 

In the exact house I'm in now, but on a large property and closer to family

Your favourite colour and flower ::
Reds and turquoises are my favorite colors; I am partial to poppies and gerber daisies

Your most treasured possession ::

My journals

Your greatest extravagance ::

My hair (the salon)

Your most obvious characteristic ::

My smile and approachability 

A trait you dislike about yourself ::

Caring too much what other people think; fear of failure

Your favourite poets :: 

Edgar A. Guest, Khalil Gibran, Robert Frost

Your favourite heroes in fiction ::
Jonas (The Giver)

Your favourite heroines in fiction ::
Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games)

Your favourite heroes in real life ::
Jeffrey R. Holland

Your favourite heroines in real life :: 

 Marjorie Pay Hinckley

What character(s) in history do you most dislike ::
Hitler, Saddam Hussein--the usuals

Your favourite food and drink ::
Chicken mango quesadillas, anything with barbecue sauce, Indian food, cheesecake; root beer (when I'm in the mood for it)

Your favourite names ::
Long ones--the more syllables the better; alliteration (eg Junie B. Jones); the names of my family and friends; if I had another girl I'd like to use the name Katherine

Your pet peeve (something that easily annoys you) ::
Pencil-tapping, when people don't smile back, foul language, superficiality

The change you most anticipate :: 

A crazy election year

A gift of nature which I would like to have ::
Exceptional vision

How I would like to die ::

Quickly and peacefully

What is your present state of mind :: 

Calm

Of what fault are you most tolerant :: 

Messiness/disorganization

Your favourite motto(s) :: 

•  I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me (Phil 4:13)

•  Life is all about choices
•  There's no problem so bad that complaining about it won't make it worse

•  You're unique . . . . just like everybody else (said like Eeyore!)
•  Never poke a crazy person
•  Happiness is a journey, not a destination 

Gearing Up for Girls Camp

I was called as an assistant camp director! You know what the best word in that sentence was? Assistant.

We had a meeting yesterday and camp is going to be the bomb. It's great to work with Rachel and Stephanie again. First we have to get through the stress of the fundraising dinner next week and after that it'll be planning the fun stuff. We're going to Clear Creek Ranch in southern Utah. We're sleeping in cabins! Hello. I am going to bring my mini-fridge and TV. Just kidding. (Just a blow dryer.)

I'm super excited to share this experience with Mary and 35 of her closest friends. Our ward has a big group of young women and I look forward to getting to know them better.

If you have any must-do activities you associate with camp, let me know.

Okay, how beautiful is that?

P. S. I am still teaching seminary.

Groundhog Day

Cameron and Harrison were anxious to find out whether Punxsautawney Phil had seen his shadow or not. They were quite disappointed to find that he did, meaning that we now had six more weeks of winter. Our weather has been absolutely gorgeous all month (sunny and mild) so I was confused by their unhappiness.

"Now it'll be even longer until our birthdays," they grumped.

Apparently the believed that the calendar would be turned back six weeks to accommodate a longer winter (and would have been sped up by the same amount if that ol' rodent had seen things differently).

When you think about it...that *is* what it sounds like.

Poor kids! I think I set the record straight.

Their birthdays are forever away no matter what. Ha.

"Seriously, put me down before I get all wolverine on you."

We Went to the Temple

With the Fullmers, the Foutzes, the Muainas, and Bro. Smith. It was lovely! What a relief it was to come home and find that the kids hadn't burned down the house. No over-the-stove marshmallow-roasting occurred, which was better than last time. When we came home everyone was watching "Spy Kids: All the Time in the World" on tv. I don't know what went on before we walked in but they sure made it look like they'd been angels the whole time. Halleluyer!

When we were serving in the temple I thought about Bee the entire time.

Last night when I was falling asleep I thought I was dying. On the cusp of wakefulness and sleep I felt like I was falling into another realm, slipping from this life. I exerted what little control I could muster and said aloud, "I don't want to die!" (or at least I think I did). I was terrified, to be honest. I think I must have death on my mind all the way down to the subconscious level.

Sad News

I just found out that someone I was looking for has died.

When we meet in the next life I will hug her and tell her, "We were both moms to some really amazing children."

Rest in peace, Bee.

Friday Confessional--Again!

I don't have paragraphs-worth of things to say lately, I guess. Bryce said my last post was too tame, that I needed to confess something way better. Unfortunately I don't have a criminal past or a secret life so my options are limited to my suburban housewife existence. But I will dig a little deeper this time...but don't hate me for what I am about to reveal.

1. I voted for Obama. And since Bryce coaxed me to open this Pandora's box, so did he. There. Two life-long conservatives voted Democrat in the last election. In the voting booth I felt sassy and rebellious, like a bad girl about to get a tattoo against her parents' wishes. It was intoxicating.

(Let's be fair. We all knew that whoever was elected in 2008 was inheriting a million problems and a broken Congress.Will I vote for him again? I guess that depends on whether or not he faces off with my man Mitt. It's too early to tell.)

2. I faithfully DVR the show on Lifetime called Dance Moms. It is the ultimate train wreck and I can't get enough of it. I even told Bryce, "On Wednesday morning I got a little thrill when I realized I had a new episode to watch today." I would not normally flaunt this information but for you . . . well, you are special.

3. I hate it when people with differing opinions call you judgmental for judging them when they are also, by saying that, judging you?

4. It bugs me so bad when people fish for sympathy.

5. This isn't a confession but yesterday when I went to wake Mary for school she blurted out, " They're trying to barbecue me from every side!" Oh, boy, what goes on in that girl's brain should be made into a movie.

6. Sometimes I don't want to be an ambassador for adoption. Truth be told, sometimes I even forget my kids are adopted. And sometimes I think of all the tangled problems and issues we have and think, oh my, I'm not the person you want to talk to right now.

7. This may sound weird but I'm not a fan of the cutesy-ness and trendiness of cupcakes. Too presh.

8. I like to watch the A&E show Hoarders because it motivates me to clean my house and get rid of stuff. But lately the people have been so mentally ill that it makes me kind of sick (physically) to watch it. Mainly it strengthens my resolve to never own cats.

9. When I was a kid learning about Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. in school, I totally wished I was black so I could be part of that amazing legacy.

10. I love singing and sometimes think I might be good enough to join the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Sometimes.

That's about it for today. It's been busy here as usual. Tonight Bryce, Tyce, and the Teachers' quorum are going on a hike. The twins are going to a friend's house and two of Mary's friends are coming over to ours. It will be quite a change to to have the girl house! I am trying to fight an annoying runny-nose cold (as is everyone else in the family). At least the kids have Katie to lick their faces clean--it's disgusting but admittedly helpful.

Friday Confessional

It's been a long time since I've done one, eh?

1. Our Christmas tree is still up. It's been undecorated since January 1st but it's still standing in the corner, beheaded. Only the top piece is off. We started to take it down, but . . . well. You know.

2. The older kids had mid-terms this week. This was not my favorite week. They were done at 10:55 a.m. (Tyce) and 11:20 a.m. (Mary). Do you think they spent their extra time studying? Aha. That would have been nice. Instead I just had kids home for a reeeealllyyyyy looonnngggg tiiiiimmmeeee.

3. I had a Seminary inservice this morning and I skipped it. I've been to every single one so far and I just didn't feel like being church-dressed at 6:00 in the morning to hear what I could have read in an email. If I really did miss something--I'll probably have a message in my inbox tomorrow. See? Win-win.

4. I broke the top off the jar of molasses. It had been more than a year since I'd used it and it was stuck as can be. I whacked the plastic lid with a knife and . . . it didn't behave like a metal lid, that's for sure. But I got it off! I made my barbeque sauce (pretty good) and had a little molasses left over. So guess what I did? I made brown sugar. Mix molasses with white sugar and suddenly you have brown sugar. Cool, right? Wonder why I've never tried that before.

5. I am giving my second talk in church in a month, this Sunday. The first one was January 1st. The next one will be to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Seminary program and all the Seminary teachers are speaking in a ward. I get to speak in my own ward again--to the thrill of my own congregation, no doubt. In the last four weeks I've also sung in a quartet and given the benediction. January is all-me, all the time. It probably makes up for the last few years when I rarely did anything like that at all.

6. I have much reorganizing to do. The kitchen, the pantry, my closet, the garage, the playroom. The house may look clean but just don't open any doors.

7. I sometimes buy holiday socks for the kids--and then wear them myself.

8. That's all for now. I'm off to take Mary to her favorite place, Fresh and Easy. Blueberries are on sale and we can't go on without spending all her allowance on them.

What I Learned about My Boy

Harrison and I spent the whole weekend alone, as Bryce and the other kids (even the dog) went to Utah. It's been a while since I've had one-on-one time with this little dude and I realized after just a day together--it been too long. The other kids are in my face a lot but Harrison is different. I would say he gets crowded out and misunderstood. After this weekend I certainly hope to change that. Here are some things I learned about Harrison:

1. He doesn't like Ranch dressing. What? Who doesn't like Ranch (besides my mom)? He also dislikes mustard, pickle relish, and mayonnaise. He doesn't really even like ketchup! I had no idea.

2. He loves watching the news and documentaries. I kind of knew this but I really discovered it this weekend. He was happy to watch the Today Show on Saturday morning, and two genealogical documentaries called "African American Lives 2" on PBS. He has lots of questions and tries to make sense of what's going on in the world.

3. He needs a lot of physical activity. I realized with just the two of us around that after a while he'd get antsy and start kicking a ball around the house or jump from couch to couch. Normally with all the other kids around I merely find this behavior attention-seeking and annoying (because with the other kids--it usually involves chasing and yelling). But today it was plain to see that he has a great need to expend his physical energy in a constructive way. I guess that what I learned is that he's not "acting out" when he's running and flipping around. He's just reached the end of his rope and needs to get up and move.

4. He thinks and talks a lot about death. I will admit that I find this disconcerting.

5. He likes chips "in a white bag, with a picture of a lady on the front. She might be an angel." Do you know what he means? I sure didn't. When we went to the store he pointed them out: 

These are Bryce's favorite tortilla chips! I didn't know they were Harrison's too. I always buy Mission brand but Bryce is loyal to Santitas. I guess Harrison is his daddy's boy on that.

6. He is getting to be an awesome reader. We played the UnGame together and he actually read his cards to me; for example, "Talk about a time when you lost something."

7. He fancies himself good at puzzles and making houses out of cards. I introduced him to 52 Card Pick-up and he laughed like crazy. Ready...aim...FIRE! But his technique is not as refined as mine so when he did it back to me--he basically threw the deck at my forehead. Don't say it: I know I got what I deserved!

8. He is getting less shy about praying. Tonight we knelt beside his bed and he willingly offered a very nice prayer. I complimented him and asked if he still felt shy about it and he said no, but that "praying is kind of boring....but no offense to Jesus. Oh man, I shouldn't have said that."

9. He is super loyal and loving to his twin brother. He's wanted to talk to Cameron every day they've been apart. He tells me how much he loves Cam, that he hopes he's having fun. He coiled up his own beloved stuffed snake (Grape) on Cameron's bed so it would be a nice surprise for his brother tomorrow. I tell ya, that twin bond is really something special.

Super twins! They were so proud of the identical outfits they chose! Is it bad that I let them go to school like this? Yeah, those are my knee socks.

10. He created this masterpiece in art class:

Displayed on the fridge.

I mean, HELLO!!!!! I think it's really, really incredible, especially for a 1st-grader. In fact, we were all so impressed we suspected the teacher did a lot of it for him! But he said that he followed the instructions (you can see the faint intersection of lines making quadrants on the face) and that he did it himself. He's got talent then, that's for sure.

And what I learned most is that Harrison is a wonderful kid who deserves to be noticed and listened to and appreciated for the interesting, intriguing person he is. He's quiet, he's loud; he's independent, he's impulsive; he's aggressive, he's sensitive; he's frustrating, he's endearing; he's our sweet fourth child--he's our Harrison.

M is for....

Mario, as in the character for many a Wii game. The kids have adored playing the Olympics one, London 2012. This will tell you just how much they love it; even *Tyce* will play. Tonight he and Mary had a bang-up time together. (It also helps that his own video game time was up and that Skyrim wasn't an option.) Yes, we love those Mario games.

Melatonin, the natural supplement that induces sleep in 3 of the 4 children. Grateful for this magic pill. You want to know something bad? Bryce injects liquid melatonin into a Capri Sun every night for Mary, who doesn't even know. That's the only way we can get her to sleep on time and up for school every day (which she has been perfect about every single day since the incident).

Mutual, every Wednesday at church for the youth--and tonight is Mary's first time!

Masood, a character on the British soap EastEnders. Bryce and I have looked forward to watching episodes on the laptop in bed. Do you remember how sad we were when they stopped carrying that show on BBC America? Probably not, that was a long time ago. But now we can log on as Brits and stay up with everyone in the East End. Ah, the more things change the more they stay the same around Albert Square. Love it.

Me. I am doing just fine. Thank you for asking. Will I begin a yoga class next week? I believe I shall.

A Question

Harrison likes to go to The Friend magazine online. Sundays are a good day for that. He found the sweetest video, the true story about Heber J. Grant called, "The Coat." He watched that many, many times and told his siblings, "You have to see this...it will capture your heart." He is a sensitive, perceptive soul. Sometimes he masks that, or it gets misinterpreted. For homework he had the assignment: "Write about yourself." He wrote:

I am a bully. I am sensitive. I get mad easily. I am a friend to Tommy. (I had to encourage him to say something positive.)

That made me sad. Who calls himself that? I would never label him a bully, and yet he labeled himself. There has been bullying behavior, by him and by everyone else in the house. That's true. When he's in the throes of "a situation" and the behavior is most definitely unacceptable it seems that he doesn't care what anyone thinks. Obviously he does. I know he hates to feel out of control and yet he lets loose with wild abandon. Or is that only how it appears? He pushes and pushes away, yells to be left alone. Deep down I think he's really saying, "No matter how I act, will you still love me?" Why is that so easy for me to forget?

He does well at school for the most part. But as Cameron said once, "We hold it in at school but when we get home we can't do it anymore."

So my question is: What can I do? I need to do more to help him see himself for who he is: a smart, nice, sensitive, loving, interesting, worthwhile and valuable boy who is a real light in our lives. Life would not be complete without our Harrison.

I think it's harder being a kid than I give him credit for.

She Had a Birthday, Shout Hooray!

See this girl? Yeah, she's my favorite. Not only is she the most creative, funny, clever girl I know, she's also the cause of celebration this week because now she's 12!

Her dad brought her donuts before school--her favorites, including donut holes. After he dropped her off at school Bryce called me and told me about their conversation in the car:

Bryce: Mary, I'm going to sing to you! "You've had a birthday, shout hooray! We want to sing to you to--"

Mary: Dad. Please. Don't.

Bryce: But I want you to know how special you are!

Mary: It's not like we don't sing that song every single month in Primary.

Bryce: But I want everyone to know today's your big day! So when you get out of the car I'm going to sing it again.

{They stop and she exits.}

Bryce: "You've had a--"

{She quickly shuts the door and runs for the building.}


It was all in good fun because Bryce could see her trying not to smile!


While she was gone I picked up the cake, shopped for dinner, made coconut macaroons (per her request), cleaned up the house and decorated the table. It was a busy morning but worth it!

The table with the macaroons. If you don't like coconut you wouldn't like these cookies, but if you do . . . oh man, they were the bomb.

After school she told me that Nikki embarrassed her by informing the class it was Mary's birthday, and then everyone sang to her. By the smile on her face she didn't look too embarrassed to me!

For dinner I set out her favorite things: a cheese plate with sharp cheddar, Brie, and Swiss; a fruit plate with pineapple, blueberries, and kiwi; and a bread plate with baby bagels and French bread. I also made homemade chicken noodle soup (not for her) but for the rest of us. Not all of us can survive on the diet of a Parisian model.

Party time. There's the cake.

We had Bella over for dinner and the party, which was a treat for Mare because she hadn't been able to get together with friends all week.

Isn't she a cutie!

Extremely posed picture of blowing out the candles. It looks more like "sucking in" the candles.

Bryce took this gem of a candid shot! You can see where Cam's mind was during the party!

Her lip gloss be poppin'. Her lip gloss be cool.

She got the DVD of Phantom of the Opera . . . and then proceeded to sing the theme song.

She knew she gave a stellar performance!

We are so glad to have Mary in our lives. She has a big personality and a big heart. It's hard to believe she'll be in Young Women now: going on temple trips, roughing it at girls camp, attending Mutual every Wednesday, and making new friends. Such good things! But no matter how old she gets she'll always be that little girl who stole my heart and showed me that God answers prayers--my baby Mary.

New Year's Eve

So guess what, I *did* get the New Year's tree done, but I used my little 3 footer instead of the big one. I think I may have liked the small one better anyway? I don't know. But it worked out well.

Cute, right?

I decorated it before we went to Chuck E. Cheese's. Going there wasn't the same without Bryce and Tyce, who were out snowboarding at Mt. Charleston. I was tired and kidded-out and in no mood for funny business. Good thing that giant rat kept to himself, you know? Somehow I got roped into taking Mary's friend Nikki with us but it actually worked out great.

Monster truckers.

Two pretty young ladies, Mary and Nikki.

I prepared for my talk while the kids played.

I sure do have cute boys.

They're photogenic too. Hello.

The girls hoped to score the mother lode--they did that a couple of times and ended up with a ton of tickets.

The hardest part of winning is deciding what to spend your earnings on. A plastic frog and an Air Head? Three packs of stickers? Heck, I still struggle with that.

Back to the party. That night I had each person pull a Scrabble tile to decide the order of balloon-choosing. We went in alphabetical order of the tile chosen. I would have used a pair of dice but.....I grabbed the first game I could reach. Anyway, Nikki went first. Each balloon had a fortune and some cash. Some had $1 bills, some had coins, and one even had a $5 bill.

Nikki's fortune: You will get an important message from a mysterious stranger.

Mary's fortune: Your smile will change someone's life. She thought that one was lame.

Harrison's fortune: You will eat something on accident, that if you knew what it was, would repulse you. That was a good one.

Other fortunes:

You will succeed in an area you previously found challenging.
Your hard work will pay off in a dramatic way.
You will dream of zombies and bunnies.

But everyone's favorite was Cameron's, which was perfect for him:

You will toot in public but get away with blaming it on someone else.

The the kids put on their beads and took blowers and horns and made an awful racket. I don't know what I was thinking . . . I will never buy those bleating party horns again. At least I had the sense to tell Harrison "no" when he asked me to get everyone air horns. Oy.

Later that night we went to the Hardys and partied it up with the Schillings by playing Quelf. Do you know that game? It was a blast. Tyce went to the 6-stake New Year's Eve dance and had a grand time, as usual. It was a fun night and a great way to bid farewell to another year!

May I speak? Permission granted. And all the brothers and sisters shouted, AMEN!

Last Day of 2011

Happy New Year's Eve! My dad reminded me that today marks his parents' 90th wedding anniversary. Yes, 90th! If they were alive they would be 123 and 107 (I think). What a fun day to have gotten married. So glad my dad was born to them.

Today I'm taking the 3 younger kids to Chuck E. Cheese's, which we do every New Year's Eve. Bryce took Tyce snowboarding at Mt.Charleston along with Tyce's friend Zack. Later tonight we're going to a Hardy party, aka a get-together with Kim and Rex. Yay! And sometime in there I have to write a talk for tomorrow.

I saw the coolest idea for a New Year's Eve tree. After you take down your Christmas ornaments you redecorate with party hats, blowers, horns, and balloons. The balloons have fortunes and money inside, and everyone gets to pop one. I love it! But I still have my Christmas ornaments up and I'm totally running out of time. We shall see how much I can fit in today.

These critters are my joy and my distraction--finding it hard to get stuff done while they're home (but we're having fun).

This week we've been swimming twice, saw the movie Tintin, played with friends, and spent a lot of money running errands. My wallet will be glad when school starts.

Wishing you a wonderful, fun day as we end another year! Best wishes to you for renewed faith in a loving God, an eternal perspective and a positive outlook, and a belief that you can achieve whatever you desire in 2012.

Christmas Day

Santa came, to the relief of the twins. He brought a remote-controlled airplane for Tyce, a Mario game for Mary, Pirates of the Caribbean action figures for Cam, and Legos for Harrison. What a nice guy!

After family prayer, the kids were seriously ready to head downstairs.

Santa didn't forget our little miss--she got a gingerbread girl in her stocking!

Cam and his new guys--he was happy.

Harrison got the Lego boat he'd wanted.

Mary liked the snowman snow globe in her stocking.

Yes indeed, it is the R/C airplane he'd been hinting at.

We went to church at 9:00 am, which I thought would be nigh unto impossible to pull off. But surprise, surprise--we were there EARLY, and I mean like 30 minutes early. Hello. It's amazing what a little preparation and getting up on time will do for punctuality. We had lovely musical numbers and I sang with the ward choir. When we came home this pretty scene awaited us:

How lovely!

Some kids changed back into pajamas while others kept their church clothes on. Tyce, Mary, and I kept on our finery. The other three crawled back into comfort.

I think it is so cute how Katie climbs on a dining chair and waits expectantly, as if eating off a plate is a regular occurrence. We all know she's just trying to scavenge leftover breakfast ham.

Tyce passed out the gifts.

Art supplies for Mary!

Part of a bigger gift, but a cheetah puzzle for Tyce!

Border collie book and calendar! Bryce also made me a blanket. When he's finished tying it I'll take a picture.

Expressive Mary! This was a look of disbelief and joy that I remembered what she really wanted.

Make your own lip balm!

Katie's first Christmas with us--she's the best present we could ask for!

Bryce loves his dog.

Harrison really wanted a volleyball.

Cam finally got his own basketball.

Tyce got the boys Lion King hats from when he saw the musical.

Giant sunglasses from Cam.

Hugs!

A Tony Hawk Wii game!

Cam loves to skateboard.

After presents we had a great afternoon playing together at home and at the park. The whole neighborhood was out and it was fun to see kids playing with new basketball hoops, throwing footballs, and riding bikes.

I am grateful for the birth of Jesus Christ and for the joy of Christmas morning.