Into the Woods...

Abigail and Annah are in a school production of "Into the Woods" that will be put on in March. 

There is a wolf in show.  

The boy who plays the wolf got kicked out of the play……..for biting someone. 

True story!

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  I can’t stop laughing!!! 

Really Family?

This morning I decided to have some cereal for a quick breakfast before heading out the door for work.  I knew we didn't have a lot of cereal left but I knew there were a few boxes. Pulling out the first box, this is what I found.......

What??  Really?? (shaking my head)

So I moved on to door cereal number two only to find this.....

BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!   Seriously family????

Finding this threw me back in time to when I was a kid and my dad would  find empty containers in cupboards or crumbs left behind by 5 ruthless kids who ate him out of house and home. But, it always made me laugh (which also made him mad!) to see his befuddlement, and his scowl, and then hear him utter in a low voice his now famous phrase....."Damn hogs!"  

Sorry Dad.  I totally get it now!

Reading Material....

This morning I came downstairs in the dark carrying with me things that I would need for the day. 

Cell phone. Check.
iPod. Check.
Primary Manual to work on my lesson for Sunday. Check.
Book I am currently reading. Check.  

Tim came down a little later, saw my Primary Manual and my book on the table and laughed. It wasn't until he pointed it out that I realized the irony..... :)

I have been called to teach Primary and will begin this Sunday. I've spent a long time away from Primary but I am actually looking forward to it. :) I am teaching the CTR 8 class - the kids that are 7 turning 8. I am hoping that I don't feel like my class is like an animal farm!  Hahahaha! :)

New Year Wishes...

Happy New Year!

Welcome 2013!

For me it is always exciting to start a new year. I like to think ahead to the things I want to work on and while I do set some goals, it's not earth shattering stuff.  It's just good stuff that I should do more of. Hopefully each year I do a little more and do it a little better. At least that is my desire.

A few thoughts I want to keep in mind for the coming year....

"Don't you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead. Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come until heaven.  But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come." 

~Jeffrey R. Holland~

"He cannot help us remember things we have not labored to learn."
~David A. Bednar~


"Every trial or experience you have passed through is necessary for your salvation." 
~Brigham Young~


And my favorite quote of all time:
"...but we traveled on trusting in God."
~from the pioneer journal of Susannah Stone~

I am anxious to travel on, trusting in God, to see what is up ahead and around the corner. :) 

My Funny Family.....2012

A few laughs from 2012.... 

On a summer's day I was puttering around the house when suddenly this appeared out the window (coming from the upstairs bedroom window!) 

And then this.....

I think these are from the "Stunt Double Barbie" series.

Playing with Barbies sure has evolved. :) 

When getting pictures off the camera one day I found this picture that Annah took of herself using a seashell as a unicorn horn...hmmm.

And who can't resist taking picture of food that resembles a face... :)

Even Tim gets in on the fun sometimes.... 

What made him even think of doing this?

Upstairs in the hallway is a wall of family pictures that we periodically add to when we find a worthy photo.  Jordan came home in September from BYU-Idaho and we showed him the wall that was new since he had been away. 

We showed him this picture and said it was of his great grandmother....

He didn't question it and just said, "oh."  Later he walked past it and it looked like this.....

That got a bit more of a rise out of him!  BWHAHAHAHAHA!  We found it for Halloween and though it would be funny. The joke is over but for some reason it is still hanging on the wall today. :)

And Jacob's find of the year....a box of breath mints!  BWHAHAHAHA -- love it!

The poor man's speaker....  Annah's iPod wasn't loud enough for us to hear her Christmas music so this was the solution....  It really works too! :)

Each Christmas I make bags of white chocolate covered popcorn to give away. I made tags for my bags and Abigail made tags for her bags. 

Abigail was practicing her writing and wrote, 

"Merry Christmas whoever you are!" 

Her practice tag got mixed up with my tags and I attached it to a bag of popcorn! Luckily I saw it before I gave it away and changed the tag -- that would not have been good at all!!

This was our Christmas countdown on Christmas morning...

Found this on the board in the kitchen the other day....

And found this in the fridge today...

Tim had written on it so no one would drink it before New Year's Eve but then Jacob had other ideas.....

Then later someone else had another idea....

This is one of my favorite Christmas decorations.  You can't tell from the picture but it is a board that stands about 4 feet tall and is painted like Santa.  Each year when I take the Santa board out I smile. When Abigail and Annah were just little -- about 5 and 3, they would always kiss this Santa! It continued for some years. I am pretty sure they don't do it anymore...I am right about that, right girls?  Please say yes. :)

 But the Santa board still makes me smile.

Conversations:

Tim hugged and kissed me one day...

Abigail: PDA! PDA!

Me: PDA??

Abigail: Public Display of Affection.

Annah:  You can do that on your own time!! 

(BWHAHAHAHA!) 

Discussing the glistening strands appearing in my lovely brown locks...

Annah: Mom, you should color your hair.

Me: I am not going to color my hair.

Annah: You can use a black Sharpie! 

(Yeah girl, there's a plan!)

Discussing the fact that the dishwasher emptying and and reloading wasn't happening....

Tim: Who's the dishwasher?

Me: What is a dishwasher?

Tim: A two footed creature that asks for money to go to the mall!  

(Dad's are sooo smart!) 

Farewell 2012.  You've been a fun.  And thanks for all the laughs, gang!! :) 

  Christmas Eve 2012

Left to Right: Jordan (22) Annah (13) Ella (3 1/2) Jacob (18) Emma (11) Abigail (15) Mystic (8), Andrew (25)

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

May we never be so focused on getting

gifts and presents that we forget to 

receive the gift of His presence.

Christmas Eve Will Find Me...

Ahh, it is Christmas Eve. :)

We are continuing our family tradition of going to see a movie this afternoon. It's not so much which movie we see but that we go. Some movies we've seen on Christmas Eve were not something I would pick but the popular vote trumps all other selections.  Every now and then I can be found to be napping in the theater.  I am not sure if a nap is in order yet for this year's movie pick. We are going to see the Hobbit. :)  Two of the boys have already seen it but really wanted to see it again and everyone else seemed to be on board with that as well so the Hobbit it is!  

Update: 
We went to see The Hobbit and we all enjoyed it.  I will admit to napping a time or two but was promptly nudged when I did. :)  

After the movie we came home, had hot chocolate and read from the scriptures about the birth of the Savior.  After reading we each shared memories of Christmases past then the kids each opened a present.  Each year the kids draw names and they get a present for the person whose name they drew and that is the Christmas Eve present that they open. 

The stockings were hung from the chimney with care....

Annah with her gift from Abigail

Annah showing the back...Abigail's taping job....masking tape!!

Abigail with her present from Annah

Jacob with his from Andrew

Andrew with his gift from Jordan

Jordan with his gift from Jacob...yes, with part of a hamburger wrapper that was tangled in the wrapping! Those Twinkies might be worth a lot of money on eBay!

 Kids, cats and dog... :)

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!