Savory Houses?!

Last night Todd and I went to a Christmas Party at the home of some good friends of ours. The treats were yummy and the company was good. But I had a nagging question on my mind until we were well into the party. When we were invited, we were asked to bring a treat and a can of Easy Cheese. (Squeezable, sticky cheese in a can used as a condiment on snacks) So, the nagging question was... What in the world are we going to use the Easy Cheese for?! Well, the answer finally came... the processed cheese in a can was going to be used for a contest. A contest of unusual likeness... We were making 'savory houses'! Instead of gingerbread houses with candy and royal icing, we made 'savory houses' with saltine crackers and other salty treats such as goldfish crackers, cheeze-its, and pretzels. The Easy Cheese was, of course, the substitute for icing and held our creations together. I really wish I had my camera to take pictures of some of the structures that were made. The best ones were a manger scene and a Cape Cod bungalow.
This is a really fun idea for someone who wants a new, fun activity that doesn't involve sweets. And, it's not really too Christmas-esque so it can be done anytime of the year. Try it with your family and see what you come up with!!

" ... Seek ye out of the best books..."

The older I get, the more I realize that I still have a lot to learn. I often find myself relating well to a quote that my sister used to have on her wall. It goes something like this... "If I was sent to the earth to accomplish a certain number of things, at the rate I am going I will never die!" I constantly feel like there is more to do and more to learn and I wonder when I will find the time to get it all done.
One of the things I wish I had more time to do is study the scriptures. Besides the fact that reading in general is not a hobby of mine, I often let other tasks get in the way of the time I could be spending reading the scriptures. I often feel regretful about this and for that reason, I have never been one to read popular books for enjoyment. If I do find spare time, and feel like reading something, I choose the Ensign or the scriptures or maybe even the occasional self-help, educational book. A few of my favorites are "Seven Habits for Highly Effective People", "The Five Love Languages", and "Standing for Something". But, just recently I read a book that I would like to place at the top of my list of favorites. It is called "The Peacegiver". I was so deeply enlightened and touched by this book that I can't easily put it into words. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we believe that our salvation comes only through true repentance... made possible by Christ and the Atonement that he made for us so that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father. This book explains these core beliefs of ours in such profound detail, that I couldn't help but want to be a better person after reading it. If we could all follow the counsel in this book, we would find a depth of happiness that we have never known before.
With all of the demands that life brings us on a daily basis, it is so easy to become overwhelmed and feel inadequate. But I believe the counsel that the Lord gave Joseph Smith in The Doctrine & Covenants can be a big help to us if we follow it "...seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom, seek learning even by study and also by faith." Inspired books of scripture, words from our church leaders, and other books that testify of Christ and his teachings are really tools that we have been given to make it through the difficulties that we face. "The Peacegiver" is no exception to this rule. For anyone who loves to "escape" into a book, I highly recommend this one! I hope you love it as much as I did.

Christmas with Grandma Day

My mom (AKA Grandma Mac) started a new tradition a few years ago. Every year, on a Saturday in December, she invites all of her grandkids over… that’s right, all 32 of them… and they spend time with just her. They always do a couple of Christmas crafts, decorate Christmas cookies, and then eat lunch. This year, once again, they all had a ton of fun! They made snowmen out of fun foam and made Christmas bracelets and bookmarks. Some of the older kids also helped Grandma set up her Christmas tree this year! That was an especially wonderful project!! We are so thankful to have such wonderful grandparents for our children. They love spending time over there and playing with all of their cousins… especially on “Christmas with Grandma Day”!!

Decorating the tree (and observing for some :)

Fun foam snowman

We love our cousins!!!

Catch Up Time!!

A lot has happened in our family in the last month. And I am behind on my journaling of it all, so bear with me as I try to catch up! We might have blog overload in the next few days! :)

One Year... And One More Toddler!!

Spencer officially (as of 15 days ago) has one year under his belt and at the same time has doubled the toddler population in our house! This time last year, my Christmas shopping was done, my Christmas cards were out, and I was enjoying many hours of relaxing with my newborn son. Whether it was feeding, cuddling, or just admiring, those peaceful times have not been forgotten. They have, however, been replaced. Now my hours are filled with other activities that are no less enjoyable, just more exhausting!! My days now consist of replacing all of the contents of my lower cupboards over and over, cleaning up the bomb that goes off around the highchair three times a day, and keeping toilet lids and bathroom doors closed. I shouldn't forget to mention kissing boo-boos as Spencer, in his attempt to walk, falls constantly.

I would also like to take the time to say (as cliche' as it is) "Time Flies When You're Having Fun"!! Spencer is really a fun, happy boy who is very nice to me. :) And, as soon as he gets rid of his pacifier and bottle, I think he'll be able to keep up with Bella! If she thinks she can boss him around forever, I think she has another thing coming!! :)

Here are some pictures of the birthday festivities at our favorite, cheap, party venue...

P.... P.... Pizza.

Here is the traditional "I can eat my own cake at one year old!" ritual.

Who invented this mess anyway?

Above and below Spencer is enthralled with his presents and ripping the paper.

Now (with Big Sis)

Then. ... Awwww!

Samantha's Mission Possible!!

"Did you do a poke yet?" was the question my amazing brother asked his 10 year old daughter after about 3 miles of walking in 80 degree heat. Since her diagnosis 5 years ago with Juvenile Diabetes, I am sure this is one of the more commonly uttered phrases in their home. It is second nature to them, but when he uttered those words, a tingle went up my spine as I caught another glimpse of what they deal with on a day to day basis.

Along with her diabetic status, my sweet niece and her sweet little sister also suffer from a condition called celiac disease. This is where the body has an abnormal immune reaction to gluten so it has to be completely eliminated from her diet. I have a great deal of admiration for my brother, his wife and their little family. They are pillars of devotion, stability, and accuracy as they handle these less than ideal circumstances in the most ideal way possible. They are always aware of what needs to be done to manage their daughters’ health and always prepared to do just that. One example of this effort is another incident I witnessed on Saturday. My sister-in-law was carrying juice boxes (incase her daughter was low and needed a quick dose of sugar). But when approached by a frantic, unprepared stranger who had a diabetic relative that was passing out due to low blood-sugar, she freely gave him the juice that his loved one desperately needed. That is sympathy and understanding at its best.
Well, on Saturday my kids and I had the privilege of spending the day with my brother and his amazing family and some other family members as we participated in the JDRF 5K Walk. About 25,000 people showed up to trek up and down in the heat to try to raise funds to help JDRF find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. It was an honor to participate and something I will never forget. I worried about my niece during the walk (especially after seeing another person suffering so badly) but she was incredible! She even worked a little harder than me at times because she pushed my stroller for about ¾ of a mile!! And she had fun doing it!! What a trooper! We were all hot, sweaty, and tired, but the kids ended the walk by running to the finish line with big smiles on their faces. Here are some pictures…

(sorry they are in reverse order)

Me and my kiddos at the end of the walk. Spencer crashed out at about mile 2.

Do we look tired? Well, the bad news is that we still had another mile to walk to get back to our car!

Here's the whole gag... Samantha's Mission Possible was our theme!

You guys ROCK!!

The kids are all grabbing for treats at our resting place.

Chansey and Bree walking hand in hand... all smiles!

Eathan and Caleb... not a word of complaint out of these two!

It sure feels good to know that you are a small part of something huge that has the potential to help so many. I only wish I could do more! Too bad I am not a millionaire or a biological scientist! :)

Happy Halloween!

I am typically a very positive and optimistic person. But, I can't lie... for the last several days I have been a bit of a scrooge about Halloween. I spent a great deal of time wondering why we celebrate Halloween...?! I know it is many peoples' favorite holiday. But I just don't get it... On Halloween, we endorse activities that directly contradict what we spend the other 364 days of the year trying to teach our children to do. Just to name a few... 'be yourself' ... 'eat healthy'... 'go to bed early'... 'don't talk to strangers'... do you get what I mean?!
So, the reason for me explaining this all is because I finally see the light! For all you Halloween lovers out there, I get it now! The reason for Halloween is to HAVE FUN!! That's it!! And that's what we did. We spent time together as a family and had fun! It is still not my favorite holiday, but fun nonetheless. Here's a brief recap...
On Thursday, we went to our ward's Trunk or Treat. That's where people line up their cars in the parking lot and decorate the trunks with Halloween gear. Then the kids trick or treat to everyone. This year we had a chili cook-off and some really fun games. The most exciting attraction was the pain-stakingly crafted 'Spook Alley'. Todd, with a couple other awesome ward members, spent about 6 hours turning the nursery rooms into an amazing haunted house. It was a hit!! He even stayed in there the whole time and caringly jumped out and scared all of the little ones! :) In the end, he was thankful that it only took about 30 minutes to take down. :)

The big night though was, of course, Halloween!! Without further adieu, here are the costumes...

Spencer didn't really have a costume. I couldn't find one that wasn't girly, constricting, or made of fleece. So I bought him this cute little outfit to wear. It says "hair wolf" (which I thought was funny) so we spiked his hair too. And his teeth match the hair-wolf's! :)

This is the Dark Spider-man climbing the wall.

Raggedy-ann (otherwise know as Raggedy-ansey) posing like a good little girl!

Bella was a black cat (who looked a little cuter before her make-up was smeared)
BTW- It took 8 shots to get a good picture of her. AHHH!

I just thought this was funny... Eathan is playing with Bella and Spencer at Grandma's house (as he often does) but he didn't take his mask off to do it! He's a die-hard I guess!

Our Halloween festivities included, going to visit grand-parents, hanging out at my brother's house for his block-party, trick-or-treating in my brother's neighborhood, and spending time with some super-fun friends after all of the festivities were over. Last but not least, the night would not have been complete without home-made caramel apples (at the above stated friends' house). YUMMY!!

The end result you ask?!... The point off all this madness?!... A TON OF FUN!!

(And four sticky, exhausted children!)

P.S.- The coolest thing this year was that Todd dressed up too! I don't have a picture, but I will get one and post it later. He was a 70's dude and it was pretty sweet! (You can catch a slight glimpse of his polyester garb and butterfly collar in the background of the first picture of my post.)

A Lesson in Free Enterprise

Our neighborhood had a "Community Garage Sale" on Saturday, so our family decided to join the "fun". We cleaned out our garage... which is a joyous event because now I can park my car in there! And we sold a few things that we no longer need.

" One man's trash is another man's treasure!"

The bigger purpose though for participating was to teach our kids a little business lesson. On Friday, they helped me make cookies and muffins and then sold them to people who came by. Todd also bought them some water bottles and soda to sell. We were going to sell hot dogs, but there were no people left when it was lunch time. Anyway, we taught them to pay us back for the supplies we used to make their products and then they could keep the rest. (It turned out that they helped us clean up afterward, so we told them they could keep all of the money) But, they understood the concept nonetheless. Even though I could have easily reached into my purse and handed them $16 (that's about how much they made) I thought this was a lesson better learned. They learned that they have to work hard to earn money. And they better understood the value of money as they counted each quarter and each dollar that came in. They also discovered that if they were eating the cookies, they were "eating money". It was fun to teach them. To my suprise, they were quite the little salesmen. They explained to everyone what they had and how much it cost. They captivated total strangers with their conversation and interest in earning money. It was fun to watch!

Here are the entrepreneurs patiently waiting for their next customer.

Even though I am sure we could get a pretty penny for him, Spencer was not for sale!! But, the big red truck was. He sure had fun in it before it was snatched up!!

Please Vote!

As we all know, the condition of the country we live in directly affects our ability to endure and is critical to the quality of our temporal lives. It is my hope that we all can take the time to become educated on the issues that are before us and decide for ourselves what we believe to be true and correct. Then use that knowledge to affect change in our country. Simply put... PLEASE VOTE!!! If you ever wondered why our right to vote is so sacred and important, watch this video...


http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1352578267/bctid1749436976

If you haven't registered to vote at your current address, you can do so here...

https://servicearizona.com/webapp/evoter

Hurry! The deadline is October 6.

If you are afraid you won't have the opportunity to go to the poles and vote on election day, you can request an early ballot here...

https://recorder.maricopa.gov/earlyvoteballotnet/evbrequest.aspx

Tip: If you need to update your voter registration and you want an early ballot, time is of the essence. After updating your info, you have to wait a day or two for the system to update so you can request your ballot. So, do it soon!

No excuses!! :)

Our Personal "Bail Out" Program

In this world full of turmoil, once again, I am filled with a deep sense of joy and purpose. Everywhere we turn we are bombarded with doom and gloom... questions about our economic future... and mixed messages about where our country is headed and what we can do about it. I know it is easy to be overwhelmed by all of this. I also know that all things in life occur to teach us lessons and help us progress towards our ultimate goal of eternal life. We simply must choose to follow the spirit and let the Lord guide us through the seemingly never-ending trials. This global financial crisis is no exception to this theory. As I have contemplated all of this in recent months and weeks, I have drawn some parallels with what is going on in Washington D.C. to my own personal life and my beliefs as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

First of all a quick recap... Over the last several years and because of some very bad choices by many people in high places, we have a financial crisis in this country. The people at the crux of this complex mess are looking to the government for a "bail out" program that will rescue them from their woes and pay the looming debt. This can and does affect all of us. But since this is not an economics lesson, or a political opinion column, I won't expound on that now ;)

What I have come to realize is that this situation is not very different from the cycle that we are all prone to in our own lives. We all make decisions that are less than perfect everyday. Sometimes, patterns of bad choices put us in situations where we need to be "bailed out" spiritually (or otherwise). We need help getting back to higher ground so we can try again to do what is right. The good news of the Gospel is that our "bail out" program has already been approved and executed!! The debt has been paid! All we have to do is take advantage. The Lord has already paid the price for our mistakes and our pain. And through him, we can find comfort and relief from those things that bring us down. The offer never expires and it is never too late. In other words, we can't look to the world for happiness or stability. We have to first look to the condition of our own personal lives to find joy and comfort. If there is no joy or comfort to be found, all we have to do is ask and the Lord will help us find it. (May I suggest starting by counting our blessings) We have to do the best we can to better ourselves and our family and not let Satan's workings consume our thoughts and affect our actions. Easier said than done... I know... trust me. But, when those clouds of err hang over, our reprieve is easy to find. The Atonement is eternal.

Along with this I have discovered an additional "metaphor" if you will. As I briefly listen to political banter on the radio or news from time to time, I have learned a bit about this "bail out package" that is being contemplated by our government. I am no expert, but apparently, there are many details of the countless page program that are being argued within the halls of government. There are clauses that ride on the coat-tails of this package that are irrelevant and self-serving to politicians. In contrast, the atonement is flawless! There are no strings attached... just blessings for following along. That is not to say that it is easy, but profoundly pure and simple nonetheless. And definately worth it for all we can attain both in this life and the life hereafter.

Sweet Moments

As many of my close friends and family know, it is not hard for me to be overwhelmed by the spirit. And today was no exception. Our ward had their Primary Sacrament Meeting Presentation. I had many tender feelings during our meeting as I sat their in utter amazement of these sweet children and their innocence. The tender feelings continued as the day went on. I would like to share some of the things that I loved about today...

I loved how this was probably the smallest primary I have ever seen, but by far the loudest! It is not a really small primary compared to what most people know, it is just small compared to what we are used to. There are only about 80 kids. But, WOW... Did they ever SING! The children were not yelling, just singing loudly with all of their hearts.

I love that my parents and sister drove 20 minutes to see my kids and listen to the program. We are so lucky to have them nearby and that they show their love and support for us on a constant basis.

I love that my children were ecstatic to be a part of the program. They were both beaming with the opportunity to show us and my parents all that they had learned. I know some kids are embarrassed or not interested in being in their programs. But mine couldn't have been more excited. I am very thankful for that.

I love that I started crying when the congregation sang an intermediate hymn as the kids got in their positions to begin the program. We sang "Dearest Children God is Near You". The spirit bore witness to me that that statement was true... especially at that moment. As the children started walking in while singing "I am a Child of God", the tears flowed and pretty much never stopped.

I love that my kids both spoke their parts perfectly and with conviction. As if they really knew that what they were saying was true.

I loved watching a sweet family in our ward... I witnessed an adult daughter with special needs lay her head on her father's shoulder as if to say "I love you". He proceeded to lay his head back on her to show his never-ending love. They sat that way only for a brief moment, but it was profoundly touching.

I loved watching my mother sing every hymn word-for-word with no hymn book in-hand. It is something that I have noticed since I was a little girl. She seems to know every word of every song... even the ones I have never heard of.

I love that our Bishop got emotional as he spoke for a few minutes about the sweet innocence of these children. I learned that I should strive for that sweet innocence of youth instead of spending my time focusing on things that don't matter in life.

I love how Spencer slept in my arms through the entire Relief Society lesson. I got to listen intently for the first time in a long time. The lesson was simple yet profound. I learned about how I need to open my heart more to the Lord to become stronger and let him shape me into the person that he knows I can be. "Be Thou Humble" was my personal resolution.

Finally, I love that I have been blessed once again with the overwhelming feeling of love for all of my children. What a tremendous calling has been bestowed upon me as their mother! I have a fervent desire to cherish every moment of their lives. I was given a renewed sense of strength to be the kind of mother that I know I can and want to be.

I hope I can remember these feelings during the days and weeks to come. I hope that I can try a little harder and enjoy the journey a little more!! What a blessing this day has been!!

Yes! on 102

Yes! on 102

If you don't already know what this propostion is about, please click on the link and educate yourself. I do not very often voice my political opinion, but I can't keep my opinion quiet on this one. If we as a society want to protect the sanctity of families, we must take a stand on this issue. VOTE YES on 102! Protect the very unit that holds our society together!

We love our Diamondacks!

Who ever said that nothing in life is free?! Oh, wait that was my High School Ecomomics teacher (yes I did pay attention :) Well, I beg to differ, because we experienced some pretty sweet FREE stuff last week...

We got two free tickets to last Thursday's Diamondback's game from Todd's cousin. The seats were awesome! First Row, right behind the backstop on the upper level. For those of you who aren't familiar, you have a great view of the field from there.

So, at first, I was going to take Chansey by myself, but at the last minute, we all decided to go. We went to eat dinner first planning on being a little late to the game. (our kids probably wouldn't be cool with sitting through the whole game anyway) So after a yummy dinner at Someburros we headed to downtown Phoenix to look for a parking space (which normally costs $10 or $15) Well, we were about an hour late for the game so all of the parking lot attendants were already gone. We ended up getting a parking space in the garage attached to Chase Field (which means you only have to walk about 50 yards and you are there) And since there was no one there to charge us, it was FREE!!

When we got to the gate to go in, we asked where we could buy tickets since we only had two and we needed five. The man at the door just handed us some tickets and said "Here you go"! Again... FREE!! We were stoked! His tickets were not great seats, so we went to see if there was room for all of us to sit in the section where our tickets were. And, sure enough, there were lots of empty seats. So we had a great view and watched the second half of the game with very few interruptions. The kids were so good and since the D-backs won, we were all a little hoarse from screaming. They are old enough so they understand what is happening during the game, so it was really fun!

A nice security guard took this picture for us... not the best, but oh well, it's for posterity right?!

Chansey and Eathan had a blast. They really do enjoy watching the games.

Spencer was enthralled with the lights and all of the noise. You can see here, he is intently watching. And the man in the backround was a grumpy Giants fan. We had fun watching him whenever he got mad that the D-backs scored.

This was the view from our seats. Even Loco Bella had fun! We had to make a few potty runs, but it was no problem because the bathrooms were right behind the section we were sitting in.

So the moral of this story is... some things in life are free! And it sure is fun when they are! We love family outings and this one is at the top of the list.

The second moral of the story is that even though the D-backs lost three games in a row and now they are out of contention for the playoffs... we still think they ROCK!!

Better luck next year guys!

Not so "LABOR"-ious DAY

Why do we celebrate "Labor Day" by doing absolutely nothing? Ironic I guess...

Well, this Labor Day weekend, we got out of the heat and went camping up on the rim. We left on Friday morning and came home Monday night. It was a much needed break from the every day stresses of home.

The kids have a ton of fun especially. In fact, Bella has asked to go camping every day since we got home. We are very familiar with the area where we camp since we have been going there for so many years. As long as it is not raining, the kids can safely wander and play for hours at a time. They found a home-made zip-line that somebody made and had a lot of fun playing on it. They also looked for bugs and played in the "fort". We had a lot of other kids there this time so they also had fun just sitting around and talking and laughing with each other. The most popular activity however was riding the quads...

Two 2-year olds pretending like they're riding the quads... KODAK MOMENT!

Eathan is getting brave on the quad. This time Todd was watching him ride and before he could stop him, Eathan headed for a big jump. He went over it and got some serious air. He did a "superman"over the quad while still holding the gas full-throttle. He miraculously landed the jump, but lost control and drove down into a raveen. Todd ran after him worried about what he would find at the bottom. He found Eathan standing at the bottom with his hands above his head saying "That was AWESOME!" Who taught him that?!

Chansey loves riding, but she is a little more reserved than Eathan. (Thank heavens!) She did get a little more brave this time and she figured out that she likes to go fast!

If you read my blog often, you know that I LOVE when Todd rides his dirtbike. Besides being good at it and having fun, I think he looks good on it. It is especially cute when he takes the little ones for a ride. Bella would hardly let Todd leave without crying and wanting to get on whatever he was riding. So, he took her (and all of the other little kids) on little slow rides right around camp. So NICE!

Besides riding, us adults mostly sat around a talked and ate all weekend. It is so relaxing... no laundry, no phone, no internet, no distractions! I love this kind of "labor"! ;)

Ichi Ban - The Sequel

Do you want your kids to eat all their vegetables? Then take them to a place where

they light your food on fire!!

Last night we took our kids (yes all four of them) to Ichi Ban for dinner. We love this place!! The food is delicious and the kids have a lot of fun. The table where you eat doubles as a cook-top and after you order your food, they come cook it right in front of you. They do a cute little show which includes lighting the food on fire! (I wish I had a picture of that) The kids are so captivated by the chef slicing and dicing and throwing food around, they forget they are eating something healthy! My kids really ate a ton of food!

Bella is learning to use chopsticks. For the little kids, they put a rubber band around the ends to keep them together. Then they fold up a paper and put between the chopsticks to keep them open. The stretchy rubber band allows for kids with little hands to open and close the chopsticks without having to try very hard. Quite ingenious!

Do you think this picture is posed? Or do I just have really good timing?!

Have you ever seen Bella or Eathan sit still? Well, here is living proof that it is possible. They would stare at the chef and watch his every move! Maybe I should cook like this at home!

The chef we had last night was especially good and funny. We have had him before, but this time he really hammed it up for the kids. My favorite thing he did was...

He picked up a pea with his huge spatula. Then he flinged it at Eathan. As Eathan stared at him in utter disbelief he said... "I pea on you"!! We all cracked up!

GOOD TIMES!!!

Sugar Babies!

Since we just moved, we are in a new ward. Our new bishop does something fun after church... Every Sunday they open the clerk's office and they set out candy for the kids. So, after church, all the kids in the ward race to the bishop's office to get a handful of candy. They have tons of candy and the kids can have however much they want. It's fun because a lot of people are gathered there and you can visit or meet people for just a minute. It's not fun in a way too because I can actually hear my kids teeth rotting as they are indulging. Since we don't eat much candy at home, you can imagine how excited my kids were to get their sugar fix. The fact that everyone is starving after church only makes matters worse.

As a matter of fact, Todd and I forgot all about the candy on Sunday. That is until we couldn't find Eathan after church. Low and behold... he had already high-tailed it to the "candy office". And that is where we found him. So, we all grabbed a piece of candy and we made the kids put back most of what they grabbed. On the way to the car Spencer was grabbing for the red vine in my hand. So, when we got to the car I gave him a tiny piece after I put him in his carseat. When we got home this is what I found...

Spencer laughing in pure elation...

covered in a red sticky mess!

Now was a good time to ask myself... why did I give him that?!

One-toothed One-der

Spencer's first tooth finally broke through! Yea! (It's a good thing I am not nursing anymore ;) And since I wish I would've written down when my other three kids got their first teeth, I thought I would record this one. What I do know is that they were all late teethers, so if you are shocked that Spencer has gone 8.5 months with no teeth, don't worry... it's hereditary. And, he is also doing a speed army crawl and get from here to there in no time flat! We also should have considered the name "Hoover" for him instead of Spencer. Because he is a little human vacuum! He picks up everything on the floor and puts it into his mouth!! YUCK!

Tag... You're It!

Playing Blog-tag is fun! I don't have to chase anyone and I get to learn new things about my friends!! LOVE THAT!

Anyway, Tami tagged me this time and here is the low-down... I have to list 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 surprising facts and then tag 5 other people. If you are tagged, you do the same...

** 3 JOYS **
- My family
- The Temple
- Eating Out

** 3 FEARS **
- Offending others
- Something bad happening to one of my children
- The power windmills in Califonia that we see on the way to LA (they are huge and pointy and there are hundreds of them!!)

** 3 CURRENT OBSESSIONS/COLLECTIONS **
- Exercising
- Freezer Meals (thanks girls!)
- Making jewelry

** 3 SURPRISING FACTS **
- I LOVE to teach (especially Gospel Doctrine and Math)
- I love to cook for large groups of people
- I don't love chocolate

** TAG 5 PEOPLE **
- Sarah
- Amy G.
- Coartney
- Tiffany
- Laurie

Have fun!!

Digest This!!

This enrty has a two-fold purpose... First of all, I want to give a shout-out to Eathan to tell him how proud I am of him. Secondly, I want to record a very real miracle that has happened in our family.
Let me take you back about six years... Around the time that Eathan turned 1 year old we entered the phase of life where babies begin to eat grown-up food. So, we gave him anything we could find that was easy to eat and not too flavorful for his inexperienced palate. (I'm sure all parents are familiar with these foods) At the beginning, he would eat it all... Whatever we put in front of him, he devoured. But, I distinctly remember a point at which he no longer wanted to try whatever I put in front of him. The main things he wanted were Ramen Noodles and oatmeal. Eventually he broadened his horizons a bit and he would eat cereal, bananas, french fries, crackers, applesauce, yogurt, cheese, peanut butter, and of course any junk food that I would allow. I continued to give him whatever he wanted instead of urging him to eat what everyone else was eating. As the years went by, we realized more and more that this was a serious problem. Until a few months ago Eathan's entire diet consisted of the foods I listed above. He was eating no meat, no vegetables, no bread, etc. No matter what we tried, we could not get him to even try anything new.
So, when Eathan was 5, I made a special appointment with the pediatrician to get some advice on how to solve this problem that I had started 4 years prior. His advice gave me hope at the time, but never panned out to be anything that actually helped Eathan. He even ate Cheerios for dinner every night for a while and then eventually ate nothing for dinner for even longer. He would rather be hungry than try anything new. He would begin to vomit at the very sight of a new food approaching his mouth. Seriously! Nothing was working!! I was losing hope and constantly worried about Eathan's nourishment. He was one of the smallest children at the entire school when he was in first grade. I feared that he would be a senior in high school and I would still be packing him a lunch with Ritz crackers, cheese and applesauce. I worried that I would have to make him Ramen or allow him to go to bed hungry every night for the rest of his life!
After more than 5 years of dealing with his eating problem we were at our wit's end. This is when we decided to take matters a step farther. We began to pray that Eathan would get better at eating. At every family prayer and in Eathan's own prayers, we asked Heavenly Father to help him with his eating so that he could be healthy and strong. After all of the professional help failed and our own ideas and bribes didn't work, this was the only other solution we could see. Well, soon thereafter, we (especially Todd) were blessed with an immense amount of determination and patience to finally kick this problem. The first milestone was about nine months ago one night when were having Chicken Divan with rice for dinner. After much persistence and about a half-hour of throwing-up and crying Eathan ate a bite of rice!! We cheered and hollered (and cried). We continued in our vigillance until he succesfully tried many new things over the next few months. It was nothing short of a miracle! He was slowly beginning to eat healthy balanced meals and I no longer had to make two dinners every night! We literally saw the hand of the Lord ease a burden from our family.
Now, Eathan doesn't love everything, but he usually eats whatever is given to him without too much fuss. He doesn't like to try new things, but he will after a little bit of prodding. We still have to force the issue once in a while, but usually meal time is fairly peaceful. He definately hates pizza (ironic I know) and beans and we don't make him eat those things (for now :). But he has a whole new variety of favorites, including but not limited to... mac and cheese, chicken, grilled cheese, banana bread, strawberries, green beans, and cheese crisps with meat.
The reason why I am writing about this now is because it all hit me like a ton of bricks the other night. We were having beef chimichangas for dinner. We gave him his plate and geared up for the usual banter consisting of his slight defiance when it comes to trying new things. Before Todd and I even finished preparing ours' and Chansey's plates and sat down to eat... Eathan had finished all of his food!! Without saying a word he ate the whole thing and loved it!! We wanted to sing Haleluah!! It was another moment at which we realized how great a blessing it was that the Lord helped us overcome this burden.
So, last but certainly not least, I just want Eathan to know how proud we are of him. I know it has been very hard for him to overcome this challenge. It was like expecting a child to walk who had never crawled before... and now he is running! He is brave and strong and growing very fast after months of eating healthy things. We love him very much and are thankful to have him in our home!
P.S. - What's for dinner... all this talking about food has made me hungry!! :)

A Picture is Worth How Many Words?!

It is time for me to admit that I am not very good at taking pictures. I forget my camera a lot and am just not good at capturing moments on film. I do however, have a good memory and I love to write. So, I need to get better at the picture-taking thing and keep writing until I remember to use the camera more often. This bad habit of mine has become more evident to me since I started my blog. A lot of my posts are just words... no pictures. Also, I have ideas all the time of things I want to record on my blog, but I sometimes put it off because I don't have any pictures to go with my post. So, I decided today that this is silly... I am turning over a new leaf! I am going to publish my posts with or without pictures. I hope to get better and take more pictures and fill my blog with them. But, if not, I will still record my thoughts. I love writing and this is my favorite way to do it. So, you will see me writing here more often from now on... I hope you enjoy my thoughts without always having the entertainment of pictures!

Spiritually Minded

The last few weeks of my life have been sort of an emotional roller-coaster. I'll spare you the details and just say that there has been a lot going on and I have been searching for answers and hungering for the Lord's spirit to be with me. No tragic event has occurred, nothing has "gone wrong", I have just needed to look harder and search more to know that I am doing what the Lord wants me to. So, I just wanted to record a couple of epiphanies I have had, or even more, a couple of answers I have recieved...
`
Last Sunday, I filled in for a dear friend of mine and taught the Gospel Doctrine class in our ward. For those of you that know me well, you understand how FIRED UP I was to do this! (For those of you who don't know me well, you probably don't believe that :) Anyway, I absolutely love to teach and I was so thankful for the opportunity. I am a primary teacher also, so I do get to teach every Sunday. And I love it! But, I found a new satisfaction in learning deeper doctrine and getting to talk to adults. I prayed and studied so hard and I felt the spirit so strong. The reason why I am sharing this is because of what I learned... I should live every day of my life with this same zeal and yearning. I should pray and study everday just like I did when I felt the pressure to teach my peers. I have resolved to use this same fervency in planning my primary lessons... in fact who needs to be lead and taught by the spirit more than our sweet children. In all reality, I am a teacher everyday in my own home. I should pray and study everyday to continue to learn the things that I need to be teaching my own children. They have a fierce battle to fight in this world and it is my job to train them for battle...

This thought leads me to another answer that came to me in a wonderful way... Part of my struggle lately has been that I have felt a little overwhelmed when it comes to disicpling my children. Maybe it is because they are all home all day, or because I have a lot going on and have let them get away with more than I should... I don't know. All I know is that I want to be a nice mom and not be upset and/or irritated so often. I love my children more than words can say and I want to show that love always, even through the difficult moments. My sister-in-law led me to a blog of a family who recently lost a child. The inspiring, spiritual words of the mother of this child really hit home to me as I read them...

"Love your little ones--even the ones that drive you crazy. If you could

see them the way God sees them -- you would be astounded at their glory."

...enough said.

The other realization I have recently had is that I know that Heavenly Father knows me and has placed opportunities in my path that have helped take me where he wants me to go. I see his hand in my life guiding me and I am so thankful. We can only get through this life with all of its trials by understanding this simple doctrine. We all have a different lot... some may seem harder than others. But through it all, the Lord never leaves us. He is always there waiting for us to seek him and use what he has given us to return back to him. I am so thankful for this knowledge.

Scattegories

As some of you know... Scattegories is one of my all-time favorite games! That is saying a lot for me because I love to play games more than anyone I know. Anyway, a friend of mine had a fun game on her blog so I am challenging everyone to do it with me. Think of something that falls into each of the following cattegories that starts with the first letter of your name. You can't copy anyone's answers who did this before you and you can't use the same word twice! Here goes...

WHAT IS YOUR NAME: Marianne

4 LETTER WORD: Mint

VEHICLE: Mustang

CITY: Mesa (Go Mustangs! :)

BOY Name: Mason (Always wanted to use this one)

GIRL NAME: Madelyn

OCCUPATION: Machinist

SOMETHING YOU WEAR: Make-up

FOOD: Manicotti

SOMETHING FOUND IN A BATHROOM: Mousse

REASON FOR BEING LATE: Messy Diaper (You know it has happened to all of us at least once)

SOMETHING YOU SHOUT: MOM!!!! (well my kids shout it, not so much me anymore :)

SOMETHING YOU LOVE: Mexico

Ok, now I want everyone who reads this to give it a try. It is actually fun and harder than it looks.

Quote of the Day!

I absolutely loved this quote and had to share it...

"None of us need one more person pointing out where we have failed or fallen short. What each of us does need is family who believe in us and who believe we are trying to do the best we can!"

~ Marvin J. Ashton ~

Diving Lessons

Chansey and Eathan are taking diving lessons this summer and they are loving it! They are both fearless, and love the water, so this is a fun new skill for them to learn. It seems like only yesterday that we had to bribe Eathan with $5 to get him to go off the diving board by himself... and now look at him...

If you look between the diving boards in this picture, you can see Eathan trying to perfect his back dive. He is jumping off of the side of the pool instead of the board because the board was too high at first. The board is so far from the water, that he couldn't control his momentum when he first tried it off of the diving board. So he actually did an over-rotated flip and landed on his back. I guess you would call that a flip and a quarter?!

Chansey is doing a pencil dive in this picture. They were taught how to dismount properly off of the diving board, so she got really high off of this jump. She is actually on her way down... I shot the picture a fraction of a second too late!

Bella is also in swimming lessons, but I have to be with her in the water, so I didn't manage to get a picture. She is finally starting to grasp the concept of actually moving water and swimming instead of just sinking when the water gets deep. She brings a whole new meaning to the word "fearless". While all of the other children cry for most of the lesson because they are scared of the water, Bella is doing head-first dives into the pool. And then she turns around and grabs onto the side... I told you she was "loco"!

Pilates Anyone?!

The other night when I was doing my Pilates workout, Eathan came in and inquired about what I was doing. It was late, but he had taken a nap that day, so he wasn't interested in going to bed yet. Anyway, Todd told him that I was doing my exercises... and he proceded to explain that if Eathan did these same exercises everyday, he would be the strongest kid in school. (True... perhaps) Anyway, last night I heard Chansey and Eathan talking to what sounded like someone else. I couldn't figure out what I was hearing or what they were doing, so I checked on them and this is what I found. They were doing pilates!!! ... And the other voice I heard was Mari Windsor, the instructor on the DVD!! I was seriously shocked... and amused... and impressed. They were actually doing a pretty good job. So, now I feel even more guilty if I don't work out every night... if my kids can do it, shouldn't I be able to?! Oh, the pressure! :)

Happy 4th of July!!

I saw this picture and I thought it was awesome, so I decided to post it. It is a picture of 18,000 soldiers during World War I who posed in the shape of the Statue of Liberty. I think it is amazing!



We had a really fun 4th of July this year. I brought my camera, but didn't take even one picture... how dumb! Anyway, we had a great day because Todd was off work and we did nothing but play together all day! First we went to the summer movie Mr. Mogorium's Wonder Emporium. This was such an excellent movie. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it! It is the best kids' movie that I have seen for a long time. And, it was especially wonderful because I didn't have to leave the theater even one time. The kids were all good! YEA!

After the movies we went to Peter Piper Pizza. The kids love going there and I think the pizza and salad lunch buffet is pretty good. Later, we went to Grandma and Grandpa Jacobson's house. We swam and ate and played games and had a great time.

I was taught from a young age to be very patriotic and thankful for this great land we live in. I think we too often take it for granted that we have so many freedoms. Our country was founded by men who were inspired by God to put certain theroies into action so tht we could live in peace and harmony with each other and the rest of the world. I pray that our country continues its legacy of democracy and justice and that our next president keeps us on the right track.

GOD BLESS THE USA!!!

Loco Bella

As we all know, "loco" means "crazy" in Spanish. And that is exactly what Bella is... CRAZY! Just so everyone believes me, I had to post a couple of pictures from the last few weeks...

This picture is funny... One day the kids were playing in the sprinklers and on the water slide we borrowed from Grandpa. We usually take our suits off right when we get done, but this time, we had some friends coming over to play outside, so I let them leave their suits on. I asked Chansey to go put some shorts on over her suit. So, Bella decided to do the same thing... except the shorts she chose were actually Eathan's boxer briefs! They looked like shorts to her, so she put them on. And she is so little, that they could actually pass as shorts on her (except for the opening in front and the "Hanes" label) I laughed so hard!

I can't say I was laughing when I took this picture. It is funny now, but it really wasn't funny then. Spencer was down for a nap and Bella was watching Barney while I changed the laundry before putting her down for a nap. When I was done in the laundry room, I couldn't find Bella. So after searching for a few minutes, this is where I found her. She climbed in the crib and woke up Spencer and was just laying there playing with him. The picture also shows her naked because she took her clothes off (like she always does when she is bored). And the last point to note is the fact that there is marker all over her leg because she got into Chansey's art box and colored on herself!! FUN TIMES!!

One more story about Bella... The other day I was talking to Eathan and I said the words "cheese crisp". Bella was listening and must have thought I said "Jesus" because she proceded to proclaim "Jesus?!... Jesus is my friend!" How cute is that?!

Better Late Than Never!

We have had a great month since the end of school. I have a lot of things to write about, but I have been really busy, so I haven't posted anything for a while. I thought today (Sunday afternoon) would be a great time to update my journal (aka: blog). So, I got out my camera to download all of my pictures and to my dismay, the battery is dead. And, wouldn't you know it... we are out of AA batteries! So, my post today will be short and sorry... no pictures.

I just wanted to write about something fun that we did recently. Last month, on a Saturday, we had a busy day and we were all tired. The kids were showered and in their pajamas, but I wanted really wanted to go somewhere (I get that way sometimes :) Todd was exhausted and wanted to stay home, and so did Eathan. So, Chansey, Bella and I decided to go hang out for a little while. We were all wearing our pajamas, but decided not to change and get all dolled up, we just left... the way we were. We didn't do anything exciting, we just ended up going to Someburros for a late dinner and then we grabbed some groceries at the store on our way home. we had a great time together. Bella was happy and fun and Chansey and I got a chance to talk and laugh together (while Bella was eating of course). I didn't care that I didn't have makeup on and that I was wearing a t-shirt with my favorite sweatpants, we just had a fun time hangin' out!

Chansey and I had another chance to hang out a couple weeks later. Todd ended up getting free tickets, so he took Eathan to a Diamondbacks game during the day. Since Eathan got to leave school early, I thought Chansey should too! So, we dropped Bella off at her little friends house (thanks Shauna :) and went and played! This time we were dressed!! :) We went to lunch and went shopping to get Chansey some new church shoes... who doesn't love shoe shopping?!Anyway, we got a chance again to hang out and talk and just have mom/daughter time. Chansey is old enough now that we can have fun conversations and I can get to know all about her little eight year old life and thoughts. I love that! We really need to do it more often!

Well, I have a lot more to write about, but I have to get my pictures downloaded, so keep checking back... more to come soon!!

Stages of Defiance

Bella has been learning some choice phrases from her older brother and sister lately. Even though I don't think it is funny now, it might be someday.
Believe it or not, my kids don't mind all of the time (shocking,... I know) But, even though this is probably normal, Bella watches and thinks she can do the same thing. So, when I ask her to do something, she has started to say some of the things she has heard them say...
First it was "I don't want to" then she started saying "Don't have to". Those were bad enough, but then the other day she pulled this one... "You boss me" That means "you are not the boss of me" which is something that my kids say to each other when one tells the other what to do. They don't say that to me because they know I am the boss of them... :)... at least until they are old enough to be the boss of themselves.
So, I know this stage will pass eventually, and I hope I react appropriately in order to teach Bella quickly that talking back is not a good idea. Then again, I think I talked back until I was about 17 or 18, so what do I expect?!

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

All I can say is WOW! This was seriously the best birthday I have ever had. I turned 30 on May 17th and Todd really outdid himself with the grand party he threw for me. It all started with him talking about my birthday for a couple of weeks before it came. He tricked me into thinking that we were going shopping to buy me some new clothes the night before my birthday so we could go out on my birthday to a "fancy place". Well, the babysitter came and we went to leave and low and behold... there was a huge limo outside of our house!!! It was more like a party bus than a limo. And inside of it were all of my close friends, my family, and some of Todd's family. I was shocked!!!!! ... I even cried a little (I know you are all surprised)
After the surpise was over, the party wagon took us all to Ichi Ban (one of my favorite places) to eat dinner. It was delicious and so much fun. Ichi Ban is a place where your table is a cook-top and you choose your meal and then they cook it and do a big show in front of you. I even got to take a picture as a Sumo wrestler. (see below) After dinner, we all went to Coldstone Creamery. On the way there, we partied like we were teenagers. Dancing around and having a ball in the limo. We played some old songs to reminisce about when we were young! :)You should have seen the look on the employees' faces when all 35 of us walked in to Coldstone. It was yummy though, and fun to hang around and chat.
Next, Todd had planned for us to go back to my parents' house and he had a pinata and party bags and there were gifts for me to open. (how embarassing! :) But, first we went home and picked up our kids to let them ride in the limo for a few minutes... the limo driver was so nice to do this for us. We rode around with them for a few minutes and they had the time of their lives. We danced with them and let them jump around to some fun Disney songs that they love.
Then we finally went back to my parents' house. All the friends left becuase it was pretty late. So, I got to spend some time with just my family. That was so nice! I really appreciate them all and they are all awesome! And the gifts they gave were so creative and cute. (see below)
I can never say thank you enough to all of the people that came and celebrated with me. And thank you especially to my ever so wonderful husband who planned it all!!! He thought of it and did all of the inviting and planning. I was amazed at how creative he got... and thanks to those who gave him ideas :) I will never forget this amazing night.
Can anyone tell me how I can possibly beat this for Todd's 30th birthday?! LOL I think that it's impossible!

My brothers and sisters and parents all gave me '30' of something... like 30 candy bars, 30 roses, 30 cookies, 30 cans of soda, 30 ear plugs (with pajamas to get a "peaceful night's rest") and my personal favorite was the "30 reasons why we love Marianne" wall hanging. I love you all too!

Did I eat too much?

Eathan and Bella playing in the limo with Kristie, Jono, and Dillin.

My best friend Kirsten and my family... Scott, Heidi, Julianne, Russell, Emily, Deanne, and Lance at Ichi Ban.



More family... Robert, Kristie, Larry, Rosanne, Mom, Dad, and Leanne at Ichi Ban.

Todd's family... Brian, Allison, Carson, Jason, Deb, Lisa and Me at Ichi Ban.

My peeps... Aften, Nate, Sarah, Jared, Kelly, Melissa, Tami, and Jennifer at Ichi Ban.

The last four gals husbands couldn't make it, they were all at our ward scout outing. Bummer!

Todd and I at Ichi Ban.
My girlfriends and I in the limo.

Chansey and I in the limo.

Todd and I in the limo. Man, I love that guy! I am soooooo lucky to have him.