2011 in Review

Looking back at the photos we took in 2011 brought the events of the year rushing back to me...it was a busy year, (as they all seem to be) and I am still wondering where the days and months went.
In February we enjoyed celebrating Sadie's first birthday, followed a month later, with her finally deciding to walk. It was bad timing as we had planned a car trip down to Moab and Arizona the same week she decided to take off...her cries of frustration at being strapped in for hours on end was enough to drive us all crazy by the time we got home and we vowed that the family car trips could wait a few more years.

We had a loooong winter this year. In April, the kids had a week off of school, so we packed up and headed down to Moab to visit my brother and sister-in-law for a few days. The trees were just starting to get their leaves and the warm desert sun and smooth slick rock was just the right medicine for our Spring fever. We enjoyed a few desert hikes together and lots of time in Uncle Andy's pool. From Moab, we headed down to Sedona, Arizona, where again we bathed in the mild 70 degree days, hiked and swam, went horseback riding, visited Native American ruins and the African Animal park just outside of Sedona. We went on Safari where Maggie and Brian were kissed by a Giraffe named Kebo and where Sam became fast friends with a hippo named BoomBoom. 

In June, we headed down to Lake Powell with some neighborhood friends and enjoyed a fun-filled week on the Lake. Sam wasn't so sure about sleeping on a boat, until he realized the boat was a floating house. The kids slept out under the stars every night, on the houseboat roof, and played in the water all day. Maggie tried wake boarding and Sam tried water skiing. Brian and I surfed for the first time behind the speed boat. Sadie rolled with it all and enjoyed 'driving' the boat.

Captain Sadie

Rainbow Bridge, Lake Powell

Afternoon face painting

Exploring the beach

The summer flew by. We spent a lot of time on the soccer field and at the pool and when we weren't at those two places, we were working on the big job of finishing our basement...that was an all consuming project and we're relieved it's finally done! We managed to sneak in a few picnics and canyon hikes as well.

At the end of August, Maggie swam her first mile and completed it in under an hour. By the end of the summer, Sam had managed to outgrow all of his size 6 pants and shirts and is now officially a 7. Sadie finally graduated from the 'screaming in frustration' stage and so there might be another car trip in our distant future.

October's Pumpkin Patch

"Visions of sugar plums dance in our heads", Ephraim, Utah,  candy store

We feel blessed to have health and a home over our heads and we are ever grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives. We know that He lives and loves us. We are grateful for this Christmas season that helps us pause and reflect on the matchless power of his birth, life and atonement. 

Birthday Celebration

We took Maggie and a few of her friends to Disney On Ice for her Birthday celebration. We had never been and weren't sure if it would be to immature for the girls, but they ended up loving it and we enjoyed it as well, even Brian. Maggie and Sam's favorite part of the show was Lion King. At the beginning of the party, we made snow globes, had dinner, cake and ice cream and headed up to Salt Lake for the show. Happy Birthday Maggie!

Snow Globes

A pear jar from the $ store

The Mason with water, you can't even see the snowman in there

I saw a cute idea in a Martha Stewart book on how-to make snow globes...I ended up volunteering to make them in Maggie's classroom and also at her birthday party. The instructions seemed simple enough. I started hunting for the figurines and the jars...then, I tried one...there's a small dilemma, because the lids on canning jars are so thick, I have a hard time seeing the miniatures inside....I've searched far and wide for different jars, they recommended baby food jars, which seem to work the best and yet even those aren't perfect because they aren't wide enough to fit more then one or two figurines...hmmm. Lesson #1 learned, don't assume that Martha Stewart projects are easy, they rarely are and Lesson #2 Don't bite off more then I can chew

This is the baby food jar.

Putting it all away

It took me two days to clean up the kitchen from our Halloween dinner including the pumpkin carving, the caramel apples and our Halloween dinner. It took me another day to put away all the Halloween decorations, that's the bad thing about having Halloween being the last day of the month, you have to get it all put away so that November can come...one of my friends doesn't decorate for Halloween, I guess that's one way to do it, if you don't decorate, you don't have to put anything away..., I didn't use to decorate for Halloween when I had babies, but as my kids have grown older, they have forced me to do it (in a way) and I figure that I have to do it while they are excited about it because there will come a time when they won't care as much.

Hallow's Eve

Halloween was a low-key day. The kids wore their uniforms to school, sans halloween costumes, and instead had a crazy sock day. They were a little disappointed, but it was nice not having to worry about getting them dressed and decked out in their Halloween attire. I spent the day cooking and cleaning and thinking about Caleb. He was born in the evening on Halloween, or Hallow's Eve, and would have been turning 4. I have many memories of that day and the day leading up to his birth...it was a long labor, there was an earthquake that rocked the hospital...I remember holding Brian's hand as the building swayed back and forth and just prayed that it would stop...we were only on the 15th floor of an old hospital in San Francisco, scary! The swaying did eventually stop, followed by a long, worrisome, intense labor, but through the entire experience I can't help but remember the intense peace that distilled upon us, a peace that passed all understanding. I know without a doubt, that we were attended by angels, that our burden was made light, and that our little Caleb came to us knowing that his mission on this earth would be short. He was a beautiful baby and he brought the sweetness of heaven with him. How grateful we are to still have him as a part of our eternal family.

I made blankets again for the babies in the heart unit in San Francisco

We visited the cemetery on Caleb's Birthday

They went Trick-or-Treating around the neighborhood

Crazy Sock Day at school instead of costumes

The Weekly Menu

Items on the To Do list for this week:

Address Baby shower invitations (my brother Adam and his wife are expecting)

Make baby blankets for the hospital in memory of Caleb

Plant my bulbs before the ground freezes

Visiting teaching

Attend mother's day at the kids' school

Cart the kids to and from soccer and attend their last soccer games

Pack Meeting

Prepare for the cold weather headed our way by enjoying the last few warm days of Fall

Buy more Halloween candy, because we've almost eaten it all

Make dinner

Friday

We were blessed with a beautiful Fall Day, so beautiful that neither Sadie or I wanted to stay inside. We started out relaxing on the patio furniture, (and no, I am not ready to put that all away for the winter ahead). She demanded blowing and holding the bubbles all by herself and I gave in to avoid the drama, boy! she is stubborn. When I tired of the bubbles, (she never does), we shared a piece of pumpkin pie...we ate every last crumb and as soon as it was gone, she was off and running, while I closed my eyes, contemplating an early nap...I got to trimming a few trees while Sadie watched a Daddy Long-Leg spider crawl along the ground and then we headed over to the rose bushes and started trimming those, those decorative, crawling roses grow very quickly in my yard and are pretty much out of control right now. We both managed to get pricked a few times, ouch! We ended up in the hammock singing "Twinkle Star," "Wheels on the Bus" and "Popcorn Popping"; however, we changed the words to Fall appropriate lyrics that Sadie learned in nursery.

A New Pumpkin Patch

We tried out a new pumpkin patch this year, Rasmussen's (and distant cousins on my Dad's side), in our very own little town...anyway the pumpkins have already been harvested from the fields and sit in piles and piles and piles in the yard of the farmer. The kids loved being able to see so many pumpkins all at once, I loved walking around on the grass and not getting anyone dirty, and Brian loved that the pumpkins had price tags on them. Sam and Maggie managed to tip over the wagon several times and luckily only sent the pumpkins rolling and not Sadie...The kids climbed on the piles, lifted dozens of pumpkins or attempted to anyway and just enjoyed themselves.

I love Sadie's expression as she tries to lift the warty one.

It was the perfect Fall day

Getting Sadie to sit for a moment was a miracle in itself

Maggie's 3rd Grade Cabbage

In the Spring, Maggie brought home a little cabbage plant. There would be a contest for third graders to see who could grow the biggest cabbage from their little plants. Well, the little plant sat on our kitchen counter near the sink for almost two months. It was a very cold and wet Spring and at times we didn't think the plant was going to make it into the ground. Every once-in-while, it would drop a yellow leaf and it didn't have that many leaves to begin with. Finally, it seemed like the weather was beginning to warm. We waited a few more days and then Maggie planted that little cabbage plant in one of our garden boxes in the backyard. Well, after a few more rain storms and Brian having to run out in a hail storm and cover the cabbage with a bucket, the cabbage took root. Maggie was very patient and would check on the little plant throughout the summer months. Last week, Maggie got the go ahead from her Grandpa Kent, the master gardener, to pick the cabbage. It never got very big and wouldn't win a cabbage contest for size, but for taste, it just might...On Monday, Maggie ate her very own cabbage coleslaw for dinner.

The Terrible 2's?

It seems that the Terrible 2's have come to us 5 months earlier then expected with this little one and although she looks like the perfect little angel, she is not.

Yesterday morning I jumped in the shower and was in the middle of washing my hair when I heard a loud Thud! My first thought was that another one of those lousy pigeons had flown into our window, my second thought was that maybe Brian had come back home and slammed the door...then I heard the fluttering of little feet and in ran little Sadie J.. Before I got in the shower, she had been sleeping in her crib, or so I thought. I hadn't heard any early morning jabbering...I am sure you can imagine my shock at seeing her, OUT of her crib. I asked her if Dad was home, thinking that perhaps he had gotten her out of the crib, but no, there was no Brian to be found in the house. I asked Sadie if she had climbed/fallen out of the crib and she looked down at the floor and said, "yea" and "ouch"... she was upset and whimpering a little bit, more from the shock of it all then being hurt...she wasn't bleeding or bruised and after a warm shower seemed fine. I, however, am not fine. None of my other kids ever attempted this feat at two or even three years, let alone 19 months...I saw my afternoons as I have known them flash before my eyes, thinking that this is the end of my two hours of peace and quiet while she naps each day and the easy lay-her-in-the-crib-at-night-and-close-the-door routine. She is way too little to be doing this!

I was so worried about her doing this again at nap time, that I stayed in her room and watched her try. She got one leg up and then I told her "No" and that she would fall and get hurt. She ran back and forth in the crib trying to find her escape route until I finally brought her to my bed which turned into an afternoon of me drifting off to sleep (about 5 times) while she ran around upstairs tearing the bedrooms apart and coming in to bring me interesting objects or items she isn't suppose to have. It was quite the afternoon. By 4 p.m. she was exhausted and begging for an early bedtime and she didn't try even once to climb out of that crib. So, we will see how the next few days go and how daring she'll be.

The Weekend

We are always asking ourselves, "Where did the weekend go." This weekend was no exception. We celebrated Brian's birthday, watched General Conference, attended one of Maggie's many soccer games, and somehow Brian managed to fit in the Friday night BYU game and a game of golf. I made pumpkin pancakes for his birthday breakfast and apple crumb pie for dessert and Brian fried up some Conference donuts for the kids and us to enjoy!

Going Bananas

Today was a whirlwind.

It began with grocery shopping, I haven't been in weeks and to top that off, I needed to get banana split material for cub scouts. Tonight was the night that all the boys lose sleep over and all the parents grind their teeth over, the pinewood derby. I had planned for the normal 30-total that usually show up to pack meeting and just about lost it when I walked in 5 minutes late and saw more like 70 people...Wow! these people really come out of the woodwork for this event. Luckily I had brought two, 5-gallon tubs of ice cream and enough bananas to cut in half and thank goodness for all of the helping hands that cut and scooped and poured and locked the kitchen door to keep the herds of cub scouts and siblings out! The night was a long one and I had to leave in-between heats to pick up Sam at soccer practice and Maggie at home after being dropped off from her own soccer practice (Brian had late meetings tonight)...crazy! Sadie just rolled with it and was one of the few children lucky enough to be allowed in the kitchen. She screamed for ice cream and yelled for "Yummy"and of course she got what she wanted, eventually.

I was especially grateful for Maggie and Sam tonight for the following behavior:
- responsibly took care of Sadie while I was trapped in the kitchen
- refrained from running, yelling, screaming and hanging from the curtains on the stage like the rest of the kids there
- getting the majority of their homework done before soccer and scouts
- showering without being asked and not fighting over who-gets-to-shower-in-mom-and-dad's-shower-first (they maturely figured it out)
- no complaining about an 8:30 dinner

Brian told me today as he left for work to find something today that would make me smile. After putting the kids to bed tonight, waves of gratitude swept over me, gratitude for my kids...I have amazing kids. I don't tell them that enough...but I really appreciate them. They have always been wise beyond their years, from the very beginning, just the thought of them, makes me smile.

A few thoughts on time.

I have never liked the ticking of a clock or for that matter, the passing of time. The empty ticking sound drives me crazy, my brain seems to zone in on that tick, tock ticking sound and can't seem to relax enough to sleep. I have never liked wearing a watch either. I can't stand to think that my watch ticks away the time while blood still runs through my veins. I don't need to be reminded every moment of every day that time is passing. I read once that we should find ourselves naturally uncomfortable with 'time' because we are eternal beings. I believe that wholeheartedly. In college I would get to my classes on time, but it wasn't by my own watch, it was by watching when the walkways got busy or when the library started to empty out or when the shadows on the lawn would change. I only remember being late to two classes in my college career. One because I fell asleep during a short break and the other because I failed to hear or maybe set my alarm on a finals day. The passing of time is not my friend and yet it is a part of life.

The transition back into the school routine is also a part of life and yet is is not my friend either. The routine has been a lot harder on me then on the kids. I feel a little out of my element and I hate being the nagging after-school Mom that seems to always be saying the following phrases, "sit down and do your homework"..."hurry and do this so you have more time to do that,"... "get in the car now or we are going to be late." I miss those blissful relaxing days of summer when I didn't have to nag and when time wasn't my dictator. I hate the pressure of 'not enough time in the day' and the pressure of 'getting the kids into bed on time so they aren't exhausted the next day'. I hate feeling over scheduled and the feeling that my kids are over scheduled (even if they only have one after-school activity a few times a week), and yet, that one activity consumes the late afternoon hours and then there is dinner and homework and the night waxes on. I found myself doing the dinner dishes last night at 10:00 p.m...I remember thinking "I've got to find a way to get it together" and yet, that even takes time.

First Day of School Party

The kids started at a new school this year...there are uniforms and earlier hours but they had a great first day and were so excited to tell me all about it...we celebrated with a little party after dinner.

It wouldn't be the first day of school without the annual front porch photo. 

admiring their First Day of School Crowns 

I had fun making the crowns while Sadie was sleeping.

Of course she would want to wear one...for a few minutes...(I didn't make this one)

He wore his all night.

And the First Day of School book cake was a hit, especially because it wasn't a cake but brownies.

Labor Day Weekend

We headed up America Fork Canyon to Cascade Springs...the springs were really pretty, the water was so clear and the weather was a perfect overcast. We planned on eating lunch at Sundance, but the Highway Patrol closed the road for a half hour to tow a few cars that had parked illegally, so we ate lunch out of the back of the car on the canyon road. We stopped for ice cream at Sundance.

Cascade Springs, watching the fish

Sundance after lunch and ice cream.

A rare photo (without kids)

Catching Up...Again

I have an entire summer of catching up to do...what can I say, I haven't blogged since July, yet that doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about it...the kids have been home and the little 'free' time I've had has gone to sleeping, eating, and doing the laundry even though I wouldn't say I am caught up on that either. It was a whirlwind of a summer at our house...below is the list of what we remember from this summer.

June:
A week floating and playing at Lake Powell
Celebrating our anniversary in Park City
Finishing our basement (including waiting around all day for contractors who say they are coming at this time ---- and really show up at this time ----)...and cleaning up all the dust
Homework to keep the kids caught up
Chores and piano lessons
The slip n' slide
Kung Fu Day Camp for Sam

July:
Celebrating the 4th of July and my birthday
Still working on that basement, decisions, decisions, decisions,
Evening bikerides and smores around the firepit
Mosquito bites

Homework to keep the kids caught up

Chores and piano lessons
Harry Potter
Driving to soccer practice
Pioneer and Harry Potter Day Camp for Maggie
Pioneer Day

August:
Uncle Adam's wedding reception in our backyard
Family reunions
Homework to keep the kids caught up

Chores and piano lessons

Hiking to Donut Falls,
The basement getting finished, finally!
Thanksgiving Point Dinosaur Museum and digging for trilobites
The animal farm
Silverlake and the mosquitos
Maggie's 3 soccer tournaments
Movie nights
Fishing with Brian, Sam catches his first fish!
Summer evening soccer, football and baseball
the stomach flu (ugh!)
Park City, the Alpine Slide, the hotel, the pool, the wii and arcades

September before school starts:
The Children's Garden and Thanksgiving Pt.
The Zoo and more fishing
Cascade Springs and Sundance

The Zoo

Usually she moves like a Hare, today it was the Tortoise.

Sadie is always on the go, it's hard getting a good photo of her.

Stop Monkeying Around Sam!

Summer!

Our Summer...It has been a busy one, but we are enjoying it.

We are finishing our basement. It is about a week away from carpet! Yeah.

It looks a lot different now, stay tuned for more photos.

We took a week vacation and joined some friends at Lake Powell.

Our trip to Rainbow bridge on Lake Powell

The houseboat and the beach on our last night.

We celebrated the 4th of July and my Birthday.

I don't remember how old I turned.

Celebrating the 4th

The neighborhood bike parade

More of the parade

We've enjoyed  a lot of summer evenings outside, riding bikes, roasting marshmallows, playing soccer, baseball, etc...

Summer cooking and projects and messes, lots and lots of messes.

My brother Adam and my sister-in-law Epifania and their daughter Michelle

And My mom and I are hosting a wedding dinner for my brother Adam in early August to celebrate the sealing of his family. We are excited for the big event...but the next few weeks are going to be crazy!