Some kind of Wonderful

Monday, November 30, 2009

Thanksgiving at Preschool - we've never been invited to participate as parents, so it was a treat to get to have a program and feast this year! I remember participating as a child in kindergarten at a Thanksgiving feast and program, so I was super excited for Miss Lilly to do it too. I should have known it would not be as exciting for her ... she got chosen to be a pilgrim --- not what she wanted to be ... so after some weeping and wailing, we compromised and I told her that at preschool she needed to be a pilgrim, but on Thanksgiving at Great Grandma Flora's she could be an Indian, which seemed to pacify her. The morning of the program she was excited (yeah!) but very grumpy by the time we got to preschool ... mornings are not her best time of day (bless the teachers who deal with her everyday). So, when she walked into the chapel grumpy, tears streaming down her face I wasn't too surprised. The assistant teacher stayed up on stage with her for a little bit, I think she was just terrified of being in front of people ... imagine that! She loves to be the center of attention at home! She had her 'angry eyes' on for most of the program, but when it came her turn to sing the turkey song all by herself, she did it - and she even smiled! Loved it! I was so proud of her ... and she made a darling Indian on Thanksgiving day too!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

12 Days of Christmas ...

YouTube - Straight No Chaser - 12 Days

I thought this was fun - I love A Capella, especially. men's groups and I heard this on the radio the other day and J.D. found it on YouTube - thought it was a great way to ring in the holidays and what do you know, they are from IU (Indiana University) that is just down the road from us ... well 20 minutes into Indy from us :) Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

I AM GRATEFUL!

This week has marked a year - a year since we sold our home under incredible circumstances, to move to a job a thousand miles away, moved our family to a place without knowing anyone there and made our home in a new neighborhood, in an unfamiliar (but beautiful) place, among some of the most wonderful people I've had the chance to meet in my life. This hasn't been easy, in fact most days it still is a little hard, but I am grateful. Grateful for what I have been so graciously given, and undeservedly blessed with. I have thousands upon thousands of things to be grateful for, even amidst challenges in life that I'd rather not have - somehow those very things are what make me grateful - amazing! So, when I watched this video today on lds.org I just had to share it - such a powerful demonstration of what it means to be grateful. I love how people smile when they talk about what they are grateful for!

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Remember this?

Remember this ...

It's been several weeks, lots of sanding, painting and sanding and painting, but here it is!!!

Isn't it beautiful? I LOVE IT! And it only was about $50 for paint, handles and looks awesome in the house ... now to decide what to put in it ...

And in the spirit of the season, I've been working on this little guy ...

He rode in the car in pieces when we traveled out here almost a year ago (has it really been that long?!?!), and has been in pieces since. I decided it was time to get him put together when I got out my Thanksgiving decorations and realized how pathetic they looked after all the great Halloween stuff I had up. So, after lots of phone calls to my mom (who had one already put together) I figured it out - love the long legs and the silly pants and love having another turkey around that doesn't color on the walls (Big D is way into that lately - big circles in pencil), spread out their toys (Miss Lilly is determined to stake out all the corners in the house as poly pocket princess territory), or give me attitude (ahhh, the joys of 7, almost 8 year olds!) Now this kind of quiet, stationary turkey, I can handle!

KY

We had the great pleasure of taking a weekend to visit counsins in KY - the kids loved it (and so did we :) I got to go to a craft fair with my so very talented sister in law! Yes, I'm talking about you Bess! She makes the cutest stuff - I could easily fund her fabric adventures if my bank account had no limits! Plus we had several hours of chat time, which was fabulous. It was one of my last weekends of freedom from work until we leave for the wedding in CA, so it was so wonderful to get away from life and the kids even survived the road trip without too many complaints.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Halloween!!!

Pumpkins!

Tigger!

Aurora!

G.I. Joe!

Oh my! Master S was, I think, Duke? from G.I. Joe, apparently it was the thing to be among the boys his age this year, Miss Lilly was of course a princess, Big D could have cared less what he was, but I think he has discovered a LOVE for chocolate! It was a great time, lots of candy, and a great neighborhood turnout - all I have to say is that in about 10 years, this neighborhood is going to be crawling with teenagers! Now that's scary! Hope everyone has a Happy Halloween!

Miss Lilly with her good friend at the preschool Halloween party on Friday - aren't they cute?!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Brown Country State Park

Indiana is a great place for fall leaves - gorgeous! That about sums it up ... but, there is a place just south of us, about an 1 1/2 hours away that is 'known' for its leaves in the fall, so we decided to go check it out. It is a great state park - one that I think we'll go back and spend some more time at. There is a lodge and cabins with an aquatic center and lots of hiking, biking and horseback ridding and summer camps in the summer. Since we only had an afternoon, we decided that this time we'd do a little, 'easy' .75 mile hike with the kids ...

(This is at the entrance - a covered bridge!)

Isn't it incredible?!

I've never been in a deciduous forest like this - hardly a pine tree in site - it was so beautiful, and peaceful to watch the leaves fall and hear the wind move the trees. I've seen it plenty of times in the movies, but it really was incredible to experience it.

Well, about 2 hours later and many hills and ravines later, we realized that we'd gotten on the wrong trail ... apparently we ended up on the 'rugged' 2.2 mile trail, not realizing this until it was too late to turn back. I knew we were in trouble when we passed a man hiking the other way and asked how far to the trail head, and he responded 'you'll have plenty of daylight to finish'! Master S and Miss Lilly were troopers and did awesome, Big D on the other hand was not. At one point he was screaming and throwing a tantrum (what am I saying, I think that was the whole last half of the hike), so J.D. put him on the ground, where he threw himself back on the leaves and screamed. A group of young Japanese students were behind us and came up to him on the ground and kind of circled around him and pointed at him, commenting on how cute he was ... ha, ha! Wish I had a picture of that! Big D was not so amused. J.D. definitely got his workout for the day in, because he just wanted to be held (it was nap time) and didn't want me ... amazingly! Thank heavens J.D. was there with us. But, we made it and if nothing else now know that we can take the kids on that kind of thing and survive!

Words to live by . . .

“I Really Lived”
By Sister Marjorie Hinckley
“I don’t want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.
I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.
I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenck’s lawn.
I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor’s children.
I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone’s garden.
I want to be there with children’s sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.
I want the Lord to know I was really there and that I really lived.”

Funny things kids say . . .

Jan. 2012 - Big D, pointing to a sore in his mouth, "I have a kangaroo sore".
Dec. 2011 - I pulled out a book at church to keep Miss Lilly entertained that had a picture of the old LDS Tabernacle with the chior in it, and she exclaimed, "Mom! It's the Acle-Tabel Chior!" (Tabernacle Chior)
Feb. 2011 - Big D asked, "Can I be a dog for my whole life?"
Dec. 2010 - Funny things we've heard around the house regarding drinking ... Master S, as we were getting ready to leave for KY to visit counsins and discussing lunch options, "When is Happy Hour?" in hopes that Steak and Shake was on the list of places to go and Big D as we were getting into the car, 'I need my sippy cup for Drinking!'.
Dec. 2010 Miss Lilly had a candy cane in her hot chocolate - after drinking it she said, 'Now my stomach is striped inside
August 2010 Seen on a homework assignment that had quesitons to answer about his summer and his likes/dislikes ... Whom do you most admire? Why? Master S' response "I admire myself, because I'm really cool." Ah, the confidence of an 8 year old!
May 2010, Miss Lilly noticed I was emotional, she asked me why and I told her it was because I felt the spirit, that I heard Heavenly Father talking to me right here and pointed to my heart. She replied so sweetly, 'it's like a tickle in your heart mommy".
April 2010 As we left a department store Miss Lilly saw a man in his leathers getting onto his motorcycle, "Looks like he's all patched up and ready to go, Mom!" and "He looks like a guy so he might as well be a guy." She makes me laugh!
February 2010 Miss Lilly "Mom, when I'm 5 I'm going to listen to everything you say!"
February 2010 Miss Lilly "I didn't buckle my seatbelt because something crazy happened when I was born ...."
January 2009 Master S: "Do they just give you a car to drive when you get your license?" I wish!
December 2009 Big D in response to what does Santa say? "Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry, Merry!"
November 2009 I was talking to Miss Lilly about her snack day at preschool, what to bring etc. She insisted on cottage cheese (apparently they are trying new things, she said) and then said, "And we need lots of bowls" and I said, "Oh? How many?" Miss Lilly responded, after thinking for a moment, "thousands mom! we have so many kids in preschool!"
October 2009 Big D is saying this everytime he takes a bite at mealtime, "mmm good"! I love it! Wish my other kids would catch on!
Oct. 12th, 2009 Master S says a bedtime, "Mom, I want you to surprise me with something for breakfast" I responded, "How about oatmeal" to which I got glares and screams of no. He then clarified and said, "You have two choices, crepes or panackes!" Some surpise it's going to be ...
Oct. 12, 2009 Miss Lilly said, "I wish I could sleep with Mommy and Daddy" as we are putting her to bed. I said, "well, when you get older and get married you can share a room with your husband." Her response was, "My husband is going to be cranky". To which I was dying to ask, "Why? Because he has to live with you?"
Sapt. 13, 2009 Master S came out of the bathroom and very seriously said, "Mom, the toilet is paralyzed!" (apparently the toilet wasn't flushing ...)
Sept. 7, 2009 Extremely random and very serious thought by Miss Lilly, "Do your ears get bigger when you get bigger?"
May 21st, 2009 We are trying to keep the windows open and the AC off, or the windows closed and the AC on ... so when I went to bed I checked on the kids and noticed a window open. Miss Lilly was still awake and as I closed the windows she said, "Mom, I'm hot!" and I said, "well, the AC is on, we need to close them." To which she responded, "But my neck is hot and I can't feel it!" Wish I couldn't feel my neck when it was hot!
May 10th, 2009 J.D. was put in as the 2nd counselor in the Bishopric today, which meant that he also became a high priest. On the way home from church, Master S said, "Yeah, Daddy is a whole priest now!"
April 22nd, 2009 J.D. told Miss Lilly that it was Grandpa Flora's birthday. She asked how old he was. When J.D. told her she said, "Wow! That's a lot of miles!"
April 13th, 2009 We were discussing Family Home Evening and who was going to do what tonight (i.e. lesson, music, activity, treat) Master S had an activity ready, J.D. volunteered the lesson, Miss Lilly asked to do the music, then she said - "No, I don't want to lead the music, I'll just do the dancing!" It was fantastic dancing by the way!
April 10th, 2009 I was trying to get the kids to clean up the mess they had made (pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, rubermaid lids, etc. all over the floor) and Miss Lilly turned to me and said, "Guess what we made? We made a contraption!"
March 27, 2009 Miss Lilly begged to call her Daddy at work today, but I put her off, knowing that J.D. was really busy. As soon as he walked in the door tonight she ran up to him and said, "Daddy, we need to get on a plane tomorrow and go visit Grandma in Florida!" I guess our days at home aren't as exciting - or as liberating as Grandma's house!
March 27, 2009 In the car (is that where all our funny moments happen?) I actually saw a cardinal flying in the woods near our home and was so excited - I was telling the kids and Master S says, "Are they eternal?" There was a pause, as we tried to figure out what me meant ... then he said, "do they sleep when we sleep?" (nocturnal)
March 26, 2009 In the car, Miss Lilly asked if we were going to live here until she grew up. When I replied, "Probably." She said, "Will there be a concert to sing at?" Confused I said, "Concert?" She responded, "So when I'm grown up and a singer I can sing at it. Becuase I want to be a singer ..." then there was a pause and, "I want to be a singer, a ballerina and a mommy when I grow up!" Sounds like a full plate to me!
March 22, 2009 Master S and J.D. were playing a game (another creation of Master S' - this one was trac-go-golf) and he says to J.D, after a pretty good throw "standing observation"! J.D. and I kinda looked at each other -- then started laughing -- I said, "Do you mean, Standing Ovation?"
Feb. 9th, 2009 on the way to the library, Master S stated, "Food is an economic need." And I'm thinking, where did he learn that?! And then he says, "And a nintendo DS, that is red and black, that your mom says you can't have, is an economic want". The things they learn at school!
Jan.30, 2009 In the car I was joking with the kids about all the funny business going on. A few minutes later Miss Lilly piped up, as she and Master S weren't getting along and said, "He took all my funny business!"