Great Intentions

 Every spring I get excited for flowers and green grass.  But every summer, life gets in the way.  We start doing a lot of this....

 and watching this and some soccer....

 and relaxing and playing in this....

and so now I'm realizing perhaps a day home or two would be a nice time to catch up on the watering of all my great ideas and intentions to look like a BHG picture.

Happy summer!

Waterworks

Daradie loves to swim. She is fabulous at swimming!  She is so good at it that she's ahead of her age in swim lessons.  We suggested joining a swim team.  She joined it with one of her favorite friends, Sarah.  The only requirement was to swim 25 yards.  She did it and in 16.7 seconds!  That time landed her in the third fastest lane.  Lanes are divided up by time and the ages in a lane can range from 8-18 years old.  She quickly became intimidated.  The swim coach allowed her to swim one lane down but no more.  Her times are too fast.

They passed out swim caps.  She was thrilled and her confidence returned.  She's a fan of the swim cap even while eating the breakfast of champions.  It makes her feel cool....and worried again because she's having a hard time keeping up with the older kids in her lane.  She doesn't know how to dive off the towers (the platform things for races) and she struggles with the underwater flip.  Daradie misses the "fun" part of swimming.  Literal waterworks begin every practice.  We encourage her to continue.  A swim meet is approaching.  She doesn't know what it even is but feels the intensity increase.  We compare it to a dance recital.  She completely understands now.  We've struck a deal.  Compete in the meet and get the full effect and then decide to quit or not.

She competed.  Daradie finished fourth in the 25 yard freestyle and breaststroke and earned second place in the butterfly.  I was so proud of her.  The meet was an emotional day for Daradie.  She loves the taste of performing but she could barely choke down competition.  She's blessed with lots of talent.  It's always easier to be aware of other's talents but sadly, we struggle to see the gifts we personally own.  Now she can swim and have fun...maybe she'll try it again next summer.

Christmas in July

One of my FAVORITE holiday traditions are my stars. Dan cuts out wooden stars and drills a little hole big enough for an ornament hook at the top. When Christmas rolls around we paint them. We then write down a few things we like, memories, etc. on the stars. We each have our own. We started doing this five years ago. It's fun to reminisce about the past. If I had tear ducts, I would cry over some of the memories. They are small and simple but they mean more to me than the presents. Next time you're around at the holidays, we'll share some mint hot cocoa with chocolate pumpkin bread and talk about all the good things in my life.

It's KOOL Play dough

Need some entertaining for an afternoon?

Kool Aid Play Dough

2 1/2 c. flour             1/2 c. salt             3 T. oil        2 c. boiling water 

2 pkg. Kool Aid (any flavor, without added sugar but the color will show through)

Mix dry ingredients, then add water and oil--stir quickly.  Mix well. When cool enough, mix dough with your hands until everything is squished together and mixed through.  Store in airtight container.  This made enough to fill a sandwich baggie for each kiddo.

**Sidenote about Daradie's "dress" she's sporting:  a few days ago while taking sheets off the clothesline, she wrapped one of them around her and secured it with a few clothespins.  She asked how she looked.  I told her that she reminded me of Ariel from The Little Mermaid when she gets shipwrecked, discovered she had legs and Scuttle helped create a dress out of the old ship's sail.  Apparently that description was cool.  She's been wearing a sheet wrapped around her now for three days.

A Great Dad & Husband

Dan got called to be in another bishopric.  The kids are a little sad because he won't be able to sit by them at church and he has a lot of meetings.  But I'm glad because this time around I have someone to sit by at church instead of by myself.  Carol Burnett, a famous actress/comedian, had a secret code to tell her mom that she loved her during each of her performances.  Carol would tug her ear during one of her stand-up performances or during her TV shows.  A simple gesture that very few people knew about but meant the world to each other.  We told the kiddos that story and they pounced on it!  Daradie chose the ear tug and Koen the double wink (it's actually just a wink, but he can't wink too great and so it's now the awesome "double wink").  Now the kiddos and Dan have something special to share while being away from one another.

He knows that his time is limited on Sundays and so he maximizes it.  Dan plays Nerf guns with Koen while waiting for the mushroom and macaroni to cook--a quick and favorite lunch among Dan and the kiddos (I think it's disgusting).  Here's how to make it:  boil macaroni noodles until tender, add cream of mushroom soup and a little milk and stir until noodles are covered.  I can remember the last time I bought a box of regular ol' mac & cheese.

Summertime Rocks!

 When summer days get a little boring and the endless question "What can I do for fun?" follows me all around the kitchen, out to the yard, to the mailbox and almost to the bathroom....I introduce the kiddos to rocks.

We're cheap and we gathered up a bunch of river rocks to edge flowerbeds.  I love them!  It gives our house a little rustic old feeling that I can't get enough.

I love to see where their imagination leads them.  I secretly beam with pride at my kids' creativity.  Summer squabbles are forgotten and now I hear laughs and giggles.  I love walking around the yard and admiring the flowerbeds....and not always just the flowers.

It makes me happy.

Ohhhh, the Joys of a Mom

Daradie:  I want three cars when I grow up.
Me:  Three?  Why?
Daradie:  Well, my husband is going to drive a pick up, I'm going to drive a convertible and when I take the kids, I'll drive the Jeep.

* Which makes me reflect back on a comment when she was four years old about marrying a man with hair on his face and driving a car with no roof.  She's at least consistent.

Dancing Fever

 

Daradie loves to dance!  She's fantastic at it.  This year she was even front and center at the spring performance of Alice in Wonderland as a dutchess attendant.  This upcoming year she was advanced again into Intermediate I.  Which means, and she's super excited about this because she's figured it out, that when she's 10 she'll be in the Beginning Pointe class.  But she can't wear toe shoes until 12 years old (strict rules about bone development on pointe).  She's excited to finally be advancing!  Her splits are amazing (and she even glides into them while wearing jeans.  Jealous.) and she's constantly stretching to see if she can get further into a pretzel.

Sunny Sundays

Why are Sundays called Sundays?  Because they are sunny and we get to play outside?  Exactly.

 Who wouldn't love to have a picnic lunch by a waterfall?  Enjoying a mouth full of grapes and turkey sandwiches with Cheetos?

 And then a stroll around the infamous Greenbelt on scooters and skateboards?  Feed the geese that love to be fed and quickly overtake your bag of bread along with your fingers and toes?

And love the fact that now kiddos are old enough to take a picture that's focused and pretty darn good.  A monumental time in a family:  the mother and father are now able to be pictured during vacations and outings instead of just one of us with the kiddos...or the two of us with a partial head.  Yeah!

Barber Shop

It's always nice to go into the barber with an idea of what you want your haircut to be like....

The game plan was to go short with strict instructions to not be bald.....
Sometimes barbers forget to put the blade cover on the clippers.

Pantry Makeover Kelly Style

You know you've seen how people are making their pantries all pretty nowadays. They paint the walls a pretty grey, stencil the backgrounds and label all their see-through containers (which really defeats the see-throughness) with chalk and that Silhouette machine thingy. You know what my pantry reminds me of? My little brother. Kelly, this one's for you.

When we were little our mom would "hide" or store all the good things in the storage room/pantry. We were a household that rarely saw pop, store bought cookies and candy, and cereal coated with sugary goodness unless it was a special occasion. If we saw the good stuff, we would wait and ask who was coming over or what upcoming event was in the future. But before my mother caught on, we devised a plan. I'm dedicating it to Kelly however, because I do believe he started it and we quickly fell into ranks.

We would hide a bowl and spoon under our shirts and place them on a shelf. Minutes later we would sneak the gallon of milk into the storage room. And sit quietly on a 5 gallon bucket of rice or flour in our secret refuge with our own bowl of sugary delight. Once finished, we'd close the box of cereal and put the opening of the box towards the wall. Every now and then, we'd pull a box of cereal out and find it completely empty! That bag of Twix bars was no longer completely full. That bag of Doritos was puffed back up. The intensity of eating incognito made the food taste even better....it was like our last meal before the cat was out of the bag.

So, while cleaning out my pantry, I noticed a few clues. Orange fingerprints on the top of the inside door frame. Hmmm....buckets of rice were now stacked two high. Hmmmm.....and found it! The bag of half eaten Cheetos on the top shelf that could be attained by first stacking buckets, then climbing up two shelves and then quietly eat the orange powdery crispy goodness on a solitary shelf.

And too bad. I was saving those for a special FHE treat.

Daradie's Day

The big day finally arrived! Daradie is now 8 years old. It started off with an artist party. She invited 14 girls and we painted birdhouses, made tissue paper butterflies and ate an artist palette. What she wanted most for her birthday party was to "have a cool cake like the other kids." She wanted me to make a cake that wasn't square or rectangle. I need to be a cooler mom, apparently. We sent the kids home with paintbrushes and crayons.

I gotta tell you how special Daradie is. The day after the party she realized that she had a LOT of presents. Some of the presents were not even opened up. She asked if we could take the presents to some kids that might need them more than her. While she decorated cards (from her new card making kit) I called around and found a perfect spot for her kindness. We went to the pediatric unit at the hospital. She dropped off a few presents to those kids who needed to be cheered up.

After a lot of convincing and persuading that it's okay to miss school to do something fun (Koen was terrified to miss PE but we explained that he'd get exercise and Daradie was scared that the school would know about her and they might see her not at school), we took the kiddos skiing with the "Idaho cousins" that day. I'm pretty sure they ended up having a ton of fun. Later that night we went swimming with the "Utah cousins" at the hotel pool.Daradie had her dad baptize and confirm her a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Her and Dan practiced a few times at home to make sure they got the kinks out before the big day. While putting her hair back that morning Dan told me to not worry and that he'll get her down the first time. He did get her down, but it took two times. Her knee popped out. Granted the font was extremely shallow (the water line hit Dan just a bit above his knees) and so he had to really get her down. Because the shallow water, Daradie said the water was almost too warm--hottest bath water she ever had.
We combined with another friend's baptism and ended up feeding 92 people that day! Whew! Koen said that he can't wait to be just like Daradie...but not wear a dress for his baptism.

***Thank you family members for all your baptism memories and encouragement for Daradie. She reads your thoughts almost everyday. Every now and then she'll giggle or sigh and I know that she's grateful for her special book about baptism written by those she loves the most.

Dan is Married to a Funny Girl

To come home with this message on the counter made from alphabet crackers...... Happy Valentines Day, Lover Boy!
Hehehe. Don't I look like a bombshell!

The Best 34 years of my Parent's Life

Adorable baby girl. Everything my parents ever wanted in a baby. I'm pretty positive I was a dream baby.
The sweetest 4 year old in the country. My mom made this dress for me. When I twirled around fast it floated up to my waist. Loved it! I remember topping it off with black church shoes and white anklets with lace.
Who couldn't ask for their first perm in the 4th grade and pull it off like that? You can't get any more stylish...except for the suspenders. And yes, still a charming daughter.

I rocked this hairstyle in the 6th grade. Justin Murray, a dreamer, even asked for one of my pictures. I loved my slightly acid washed jeans I wore with this picture because they had zippers in the back by the ankles with little bows at the top. My parents couldn't get enough of my personality.

What parent couldn't ask for a more confident daughter than this 8th grader? Not too many people can pull off a wild shirt with giant shoulder pads and over sized cow earrings.
And now the hormones are done (pretty sure) and the curls are a permanent fixture. What is there not too love about this animated, care-free 11th grader that should have thought twice about a flower choker?

Yep. Pretty sure it's been the best 34 years for all of my family and friends.

Skiier's Lane

Dan is now a member of the Ski Patrol for the nearby resort. He had to pass an outdoor emergency care class and a performance ski test. The patrol is ran by volunteers. But each patrol person gets 2 free passes every time they volunteer their time. See why we became interested in this gig? Sorry Dan. I'll try to get a better picture of you in your "uniform" and maybe even your face.
So now we (I like to be included) can teach the kiddos to ski for free! Koen, surprisingly, struggles with snowplowing too much. He is usually the one for the need for speed. But he caught on great. The first time down the hill he said that he wants to give his snowboard away because skiing is so much funner. Sorry, Kelly.

Holy cow! Daradie has been rockin' the slopes. She can't wait to earn "sticks" (poles) once she's able to get on and off the lift by herself and ski a bit more confidently. We had a ski teacher (yes, I included myself in that lesson claiming he needed another adult to help with the lift part) and the kids improved immensely with him. They listened and never yelled back or whined when they were with him.

And I on the other hand....oh, poor Dan. I know he would dream of a wife that was a bit more coordinated. Granted I have been a total of 5 times before the kiddos were born and that was 12 years ago. So not a lot of depth of talent. This winter, after 15 times off the lift, one would think that an adult would be able to figure out how to remain standing instead of get spit out in a heap praying that body parts will remain intact. Both children refuse to ride the lift with their mother. The loser of paper-rock-scissors gets stuck riding with me on the lift. And I am currently working towards the next advancement: earning "sticks."

Ohhhh, the Joys of a Mom....

Daradie: Oh! Look at that huge house! I want a house like that! When I'm a mom I'm living in that big house.
Me: The bigger the house, the more you have to clean.
Koen: Mom loves to clean.
Daradie: My room is going to be in the tower! Maybe I'll even grow my hair out longer and I can paint in my room and it will be just like Rapunzel. But no lizards.
Me: Wait. Who said I like to clean?
Koen: You only have two kids. You should have had more kids so you don't have to clean so much.
Me: I don't really like to clean. Just something you have to do.
Koen: Why do you do it every day then?
Daradie: I'm going to have 11 kids to clean my big house!
Me: Eleven kids, huh? Sounds exciting.
Koen: My wife will have 18 kids! And I'll drive a school bus!

Ohhhh, the Joys of a Mom....

Me: You can't watch TV! You haven't picked up your toys yet.
Daradie: Dad said I could.
Me: Too bad. Dad doesn't know about the mess of toys. No TV.
Daradie: So, you must get that from your side of the family (with a too teenagerish look).
Me: What!?!
Daradie: Your side of the family must be against TV, right?

A Today's Man

What do today's women want? They want a today's man. A man that will make them feel loved, give them laughs and that will be willing to touch up their pedicures.

My Scape...dog?

A note found under Daradie's pillow inside a Ziploc baggie along with her tooth...waiting patiently:

Dear Tooth Fairy,

My dog Skippy is a just a puppy. He's learning to not chew and eat things. Please don't leave my present outside by the front door. My mom said that's why I didn't get my tooth fairy money because you left it outside and the dog ate it. Will you remember that for tonight please?

From,
Daradie

Ohhhh the Joys of a Mom.....

Early Christmas morning, after opening up presents and oohing and ahhhing over Santa's gifts, Koen leaned over to me and said "Mom, I'm so glad that Santa brought me something cooler than what I actually wanted. He's the best present giver ever!" The remote control race track was an obvious hit--better than the original wish.
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After attending my favorite uncle's funeral, Daradie and I were in a restroom together and she opened up in the stall next to me in that intimate room of rooms and said, "Mom, Ennis seemed to be a really good guy. Yep. I'm pretty sure he's in heaven right now." I'm glad she knows that there is a wonderful place waiting for people after death. My aunt and uncle have wiener dogs (or Daschunds or whatever they're technically called) and my kiddos would call my aunt and uncle "Grandma and Grandpa Hot dog" because of their dogs.
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Update on the Halloween candy:
Daradie: passed and with flying colors. She had 3 pieces left on Christmas Day. Money earned= $53 that went directly into her savings account (minus tithing money). Testimony to you all, if my dear sweet chocolate covered Daradie can restrain to one piece of sugar a day, anyone can do it. Seriously. Truly. No reminders. Nothing. She did it. All on her own.
Koen: passed and with flying colors as well. I found him laying on his bedroom floor a few days before Christmas rolling around in agony in candy wrappers and almost in tears. "Mom! I can't eat all this candy. I'm tired of candy!" He thought he had to have just one piece left on Christmas Day. That. Coming from a kid who had almost 30 pieces of candy left in his bag. Money earned=$53 that went straight into his savings account (minus tithing money). He wants to do sheep 4-H and he'll be ready to buy a whole herd when it's time.
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Koen: Mom! Mom! Tell Skip to stop chewing on my ropes.
Me: You tell him.
Koen: He listens to you. You speak dog.

Daradie, dancer and teacher

She did outstanding in her performance of The Nutcracker. She was one of the students with the best cartwheels and knew her dance so well, that she was front and center of her dance group. Her class were the Russian tea dancers. I love how she enjoys every moment of it! Other girls get sloppy and tired of doing bar routine. Not Daradie. She's mimicking the instructor and adjusts her feet and gracefully sticks her pinkie out--just like the teacher.

In primary she was asked to give a talk and this month's theme is on Choosing the Right and choices. Daradie talked about how a bad choice was for her to stay home during ballet because she'd miss out on her lessons. A good choice would be to attend class every week so she can learn her dance routines. Another good choice was to get baptized. She's turning 8 next month and without getting baptized she would not be able to have the Holy Ghost, go to the temple, go on a mission or even return to our Father in Heaven. (While practicing her talk, Koen said, "Wow! I didn't know that baptism was so important. You couldn't do anything important without choosing the right." Lesson learned.) Daradie wrote it down all by herself in her little journal. The primary president was so impressed with her talk that she brought it up in sharing time. She talked how Daradie was able to relate things she learned from church into her life. Daradie did a great job! She taught Koen a valuable lesson, too.