Hutchins Family

Charity Heart

2012-02-17T10:26:00.001-07:00

Hailey's teacher sent me an email

requesting stories about acts of kindness in our family. The school is trying to fill a wall with acts of kindness. I told her about our families "Charity Heart." And as I searched my computer for pictures I realized that I have never blogged, facebooked, or even taken pictures of our Charity heart! So I'm blogging about it now :)

About 2 years ago the kids brought home a "service turkey" from primary. It was around Thanksgiving and the idea was that the kids could do secret acts of service for their families and leave the service turkey behind (it had a little note encouraging the recipient to serve another thereby paying it forward.) We had so much fun being secretive and sneaky about it and the kids just LOVED it. Well, we lost our service turkey. So one night for Family Home Evening, we watched this video.

Afterwards we sat down as a family and cut out and decorated a heart much like a valentine. On one side we wrote Love, on the other, Charity. We call it our Charity heart. Over the years we have followed the ideas of this video and the service turkey from primary. We go out of our way to do something nice for someone else. Quite often I will come home from grocery shopping or from a meeting and find my bed made up with the Charity heart sitting proudly on top.

Sometimes the book shelf will be neatly organized with the Heart resting on one of the shelves. Last week I had a special dinner hot and ready for Keeton the minute he got home from work, with the Charity Heart sitting on his plate. Really simple things, that we do "anonymously" for one another. It makes me feel loved, I know that someone put thought and effort into something done especially for me.

Over the years our heart has lost it's lustre, and has been torn and covered in dirty little finger prints. It's not much to look at. But it is more cherished than the most elegant, embellished valentine ever could be. It has helped us to find joy in service, to feel gratitude to each other and to bring our family closer.

happenings

2012-02-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

It feels like it's been a while since I've blogged. Part of the reason is that I haven't put any of my pictures on my computer in a while. I still need to upload them but my camera is down in the garage and I'm too lazy to go get it so I'm going to blog without pictures and we're all going to have to use our imaginations just a little bit. January brought my new found love, Pinterest. If only I had known about it while I was home schooling!! I use it for pre-school with Dallin a LOT. There are so many great ideas out there, and while my son is not really into any kind of writing or book work, he is all about exploding bags and flubber and games!

This morning I woke up with a pounding headache, and I knew it was going to be one of "those" days. So, after our "morning shuffle" (getting Keeton and Hailey out the door) Dallin and I decided to get "school" done first thing in the morning so we could relax for the rest of the day. This is where pinterest comes in. Dallin wants to learn the continents but I can't just sit him down with a map and point out the name of each one, he doesn't learn like that. I found a site on pinterest last week called "Creative ways to teach the continents", it lists 6 fun ways for kids to learn the names and location of all 7 continents! Big deal, whoopdy doo right? On a day like to day when my brain is not working quite right and I just want to curl up in a ball and check out, it was a really big deal. Dallin learned something, he had fun, and I didn't have to wrack my brain for ideas. Thank you world wide web! Thank you Pinterest.

Christmas Day!

2012-01-02T19:13:00.002-07:00

Hailey made me the most adorable decoration at school! As always, the kids and I put up the tree ourselves and then waited for Keeton to come home from work to put the star on the top.

The kids decorated their very own gingerbread house, which they started eating immediately after I took their picture :)

Hailey arranged and re-arranged our nativity every other day from December 1st to December 31st. She wanted it to be as accurate as possible.

Christmas morning, the kids were so excited to come downstairs and see if Santa came! Hailey got a little ahead of herself and took a tumble lol

Dallin was thrilled that Santa brought him exactly what he asked for!

Hailey was excited and happy that Santa came. She was just so full of joy!!!

After skyping, and finishing up with our presents we brought the kids into the dining room to check out their big gift this year, a trampoline!!!

This was their reaction...

After 3 hours of assembly, Keeton finally had Dallin's car put together!
Dallin was in heaven.

Hailey and I put together his helicopter because we were bored watching the boys tinker with the car.

After a beautiful sacrament meeting we came home and put the trampoline together, I think Keeton had as much fun as the kids did.

My one and only picture of me on Christmas :) Thank you Mandy for the rockin' apron! I LOVE it!

All in all this Christmas was another huge success! Full of traditions, family time, and phone calls to loved ones. It was such a blessing to have Christmas fall on Sunday this year. To go to church on our saviors birthday was wonderful. The music was... well it was beautiful but that hardly begins to describe it. The joy that filled our hearts was immeasurable. Happy New Year!

2011-12-01T13:42:00.000-07:00

Happiness, Your Heritage

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.

Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty.

Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty."

This morning as I was painting in the closet I was thinking about this quote. It feels so good to take a blank canvas and turn it into something beautiful. I was also amazed to discover the satisfaction as I discovered that each flower was just a little bit better than the last. I love learning as I go, adding a little more of this colour and a little more water here, blend a little there.

I know it's not perfect, and I'm sure there are many people that could do it faster and better but this is my own creation, something that did not exist before, and now I can share it with my family!

May you ever be sore and out of breath...

2011-11-14T19:48:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow morning I'm going to go running, and here's what is going to happen. My alarm clock is going to buzz and I'm going to half jump/half fall out of bed to push snooze. I will then lie in bed for 5-7 minutes while I have a mental battle over whether or not I should just sleep in, after all, it's cold outside, and I'm really tired, and I could just run tomorrow, and I'm already five minutes late, I don't want to get back late...

Then I'll jump out of bed and put on three layers, stumble around the house looking for my ipod and a piece of gum. Now I'm wide awake and ready to go. I step outside the front door and BURRR it's freezing outside! What was I thinking? I should have stayed in bed! I start jogging down my street, pulling my touque down over my ears and zipping my coat up as far as it will go. Maybe I'll make it a quick run, I'm already out of breath and it's cold! Nope, keep running, I make it past the one mile mark, now I'm sweating, unzipping my jacket a little so I can feel the cold air on my neck.

One and a half mile mark, and I'm running past my subdivision again. Should I just go home now? I would have time to make a big breakfast for everyone. Nope, keep going. It's a bit easier now, my muscles are warm and my breath is coming easily.

Mile three, I will pick up my pace a little, it feels good now, I begin to look around, I can see the moon and the stars here, what a beautiful sky. I am so small. A car drives by and I'm reminded that I'm not alone out here, I check my flashlight and pepper spray, I make sure I'm visible to traffic and I move a little further to the inside of the sidewalk. I wonder how long that person has been awake? Are they on there way to work? to school? I'm so glad I can start my day like this! I pick up the pace again. I can DO this! I sprint to the end of the block then slow down again because my lungs are on fire. The wonderful thing about pain is that it makes you aware of your body in ways you never can be when you're relaxed. My lungs are amazing! Cold air goes in, warm air goes out. My heart is beating so fast! Heavenly Father THANK YOU for this body! Just think about the complexity of what I'm doing right now! My brain tells my legs to move and they do! My muscles contract and pull my bones up and down, forward, and back!

Mile 4, there is more traffic now I have to be careful, watch my step. A dull ache is starting in my ankles and knees.

Mile 5, I feel cramps in my stomach and almost a shadow of a cramp in my calves, like they could cramp at any moment but they're holding off for now. Long strides, stretch! Ahh. I can feel my muscles in my abdomen, in my back! As I move my torso it seems to naturally push and pull the air into my lungs, like a person performing CPR, my bodies movement is forcing the air in and out of me. Thank you God for this beautiful morning, for this gift!

Mile 6, O.K. my knees ache, I could take this path and cut off half a mile or so. NO JUST DO IT! I love Nike. That's it Melissa, slow and steady. Half a mile, that's not much. I can do this, I can do this "I can do this!" I look around me, the sky is beginning to turn grey in the East, there are more people driving by on their way to work. They're starting their day, how am I going to start mine? I sprint, full out, as fast as I can, holding nothing back. I probably look like a maniac but I don't care. I feel like... like an athlete, like this is the real me, the best and strongest part of me, completely free and there's no way I'm going to hold back now. I'm breathing hard again, winded but I'm almost to the front door, just three more houses, SPRINT Melissa! JUST DO IT! I take full control of my body, I force my legs to move faster, my arms, my torso, my lungs.

I make it to my front door, I walk inside put down my ipod and hope that Keeton hears me walk in and knows I'm safe. I walk back outside and walk to the end of my street while I catch my breath. I can really feel my body now. My toes, my ankles, my calves, my shins. They're on fire! My knees ache and my quads finally feel tired, my ham strings are tight, I stretch. I have control over my breathing again and my lungs feel open and strong. This is the vitality I was searching for! My arms and hands are warm, though it's still freezing outside. My heart is pumping my warm blood to my fingertips, isn't it a miracle? I feel strong. I am standing up straight, I can feel the muscles in my back as I pull my shoulders back to breath more deeply. Now I've stopped. I take one last look around. The sky is getting lighter, it's pale pink now, I can feel the sweat start dripping down the back of my neck and down my forehead now, and once again I am in awe as I think about the mechanics, the miracle that is my body. It's amazing, my body can cool itself down, and warm itself up!

It never ceases to amaze me. When my kids come up to me with a skinned knee or a paper cut and short of cleaning the wound and slathering it in Neosporin there's not much I can do. They come to me looking for comfort though, it's my job as a mother to take care of them, to teach them. Instead of putting a bandaid on it and kissing it better I tell them to" keep moving it (especially a scraped knee) let it have some fresh air." I tell them that our bodies are amazing! "Just watch, tomorrow it will be scabbed over and by next week it will be gone!" "Your body can heal itself!" I love the wonder that fills their eyes. I love to watch them observe their scrapes day after day and more than anything, I love when they come show me, "Mom, Mom! LOOK it's almost all better!"

I am so thankful to my father in heaven for blessing my family with strong, healthy bodies! I am in awe of their complexity, their dynamics. There is something about bodies in motion. It's a beautiful thing. I hope that my family will always be active, that we'll always cherish and take care of and nurture our bodies. I hope that we will always reflect upon the sacredness of our bodies with reverence and love. They are truly a miracle, both a gift and a responsibility!

You know those times when you're a kid and you do something stupid?

2011-11-10T15:22:00.000-07:00

You know those times when you're a kid and you do something stupid and your mother, tired of yelling, resorts to the old "just wait 'til you have kids!" speech?

Ya, now I'm a mother.

This afternoon Dallin asked me if he could go outside and rake leaves (which I'm sure I never asked as a child), "Of course," I said, "as long as you have your coat and boots on."

"Aww Mom! I don't want to wear my boots!" he whined.

"Well if you'd like to wear your flip flops you have to at least put on long pants."

"But Mo-om," he made the word two syllables in true whiners fashion and stomped up the stairs to his room. As I stood there, looking out the kitchen window I was forcibly reminded of the countless times that my own mother had the same conversation with me (only I was a little less whiny and a lot more temper) what was I thinking? I used to walk out to the bus every morning with wet hair. By the time I got on the bus and sat down in my seat I could literally crack the ice in my hair. I wore flip flops to school in the middle of winter, I went swimming as soon as the ice was off the river and lakes, I thought my mother was ridiculous when she told me to wear pants instead of shorts on a sunny day (sunny, not warm). Now there I stood looking out my own kitchen window, listening to my son stomp to his room in protest.

He came down a few minutes later with sweatpants, a hoody and of course, his flip flops. The only difference between my son and myself is that I wouldn't have given in so easily.

One day... one day he'll have kids of his own and I guarantee that he'll be having this same conversation only he'll be on the other side, the side of reason...

Autumn

2011-11-09T17:07:00.000-07:00

As the cold air came in our wasps finally decided to call it quits. For the first time in weeks, the kids are able to play in the backyard! Just in time to rake up those leaves :) In true Hutchins style, they went out in winter coats, scarves, mittens, and flip-flops.

I love fall!

Different

2011-11-03T11:27:00.000-06:00

All kids are different, they learn at different rates, they have different talents, some are more teachable than others I have learned this, as I'm sure most people do, the hard way. I have 2 wonderful children, both are loving, energetic, and they both have me wrapped around their little fingers but that's about all they have in common.

Hailey was so teachable! She would listen to my instructions then try her best to perform the task. Things didn't always come instantly or easily but she would at least TRY! Reading was a slow gradual process for her and her writing (though not her favorite thing to practice) was always fairly neat and tidy.

Dallin on the other hand, is a boy, and is a lefty... I'm not even thinking about writing yet, he can write his name and most of the time I can read what it says. Reading has been a challenge, he's only 4 I'm not stressing yet but we've been trying to get started at least. Every once in a great while he will express interest and ask me to help him read a book. Unfortunately his idea of "reading" is looking at the pictures and guessing what it says. He has no patience for sounding out even the shortest words. It is slow, and boring for him, he wants to read like Hailey does!( fluidly)

Recently, however, we've been using his favorite bribe (candy). I know that's not going to win me the mother of the year award but this is what works. He doesn't want to read but he LOVES to spell! (weird, I know) Every day when we are out walking I ask him to spell things we see: flag, bus, sun, car, dog, etc. He gets 2 small smarties (rockets) fore each word he spells. I am so so thankful to the preschool moms in CO that helped teach my boy the letters and their sounds! So after about a week or two of spelling, I tried a book from the library again, and this time! He didn't have to spend as much time sounding the letters out because they were words that he recognized: sun, dog, cup, bus, etc. He was so excited to be reading words that he knew! And I was so excited that he was excited!

It's still a work in progress but I just had to write about this good news :) Dallin I'm so, so proud of you son!

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-02T09:23:00.002-06:00

Before and After (again)

2011-10-22T22:24:00.000-06:00

Our living room is done! (except for the moldings... that's going to take me FOREVER!) We started off with beige walls, beige moldings, beige door,beige ceiling and slightly darker beige carpet. OH and cat odor, can't forget that.

We are pretty much pooped but it was SO worth it!

Yay! I'm so glad we're done (mostly) I'm such a carpet hater, this is so so so much cleaner and now my room has colour and contrast and no beige! (and no odor).

Home Ownership

2011-10-12T09:56:00.000-06:00

Well, we left Denver on the 14th of September and we've been working ever since. I can't believe it's been almost a month! Here are a few before and after pictures, for as hard as we've been working I wish there was a more discernible difference.

Before After

And the before picture was taken almost a month before we moved in, those weeds had grown!!!

Before

After

Yes that was carpet... in a bathroom...

The walls, and baseboards had to be bleached and re-painted, the carpet was disgusting. The people who lived here before us had cats, that peed everywhere!

So far we've painted the ceilings downstairs, sanded down and re-painted the moldings in our bathroom, pruned the willows, weeded the yard, hauled off at least three trash cans of junk that was left behind, ripped out the carpet, and installed tile in our bathroom, and built a workbench in the garage for keeton. Beyond that though, the things that we can't really catch on camera to compare, are the difference in the smell, and the disinfecting/de-greasing/cleaning that has taken place. The kitchen was so disgusting and covered in grease and smelly that it's hard for me to recall it to memory without gagging. It took me and Dixie two days to have it clean enough to use. The smell of the house, oh the SMELL! I'm not a cat person anyway, and walking into a room that reeks of cat urine was just about more than I could take. Fortunately, after several bottles of "pet odor remover", bleach, vinegar, odo-ban, and baking soda, I am happy to report that our house stinks less.

We have been so blessed, first to have a home at all, and second to have so many fun projects that we can work on together. I love being able to see the fruits of my labor.

2011-09-21T20:46:00.002-06:00

Choose Love

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

by Mother Theresa and/or Dr Kent Keith

angels and demons

2011-09-07T14:47:00.000-06:00

I just had to post these videos, it is just so exactly how my kids are.

random pictures

2011-08-25T07:17:00.000-06:00

So Dallin and I came about half an hour early to pick Hailey up from her first day at the big school, (my over-protective side completely over-powered all common sense) and needless to say, we got bored. Luckily I brought my camera so we entertained ourselves :)

Later that afternoon we went mini-golfing for family home evening. It was a lot of fun, the kids did really well (when they had enough patience) and thankfully most of the course was shaded.

Our little lefty!

Hailey was trying SO hard to get that stinkin' ball up the ramp. Anytime there was any incline at all she would wind up and swing as hard as she could as if she were at a driving range (on the last hole she hit me in the face).

Dallin getting the hang of it.

My handsome man.

Home school resources Gr. 1

2011-08-15T16:29:00.000-06:00

Well we're up and running now, Gr. 1 is officially under way. So far we're loving the curriculum and learning lot's! I wanted to link the materials we're using this year for other moms who might be looking for homeschooling purposes or even just to supplement their regular schooling.

We start our day off with Daily Oral Language gr. 1

I love this book! It's 5-10 min at the beginning of every day where Hailey proofreads a sentence or two. Last week we worked on question marks, periods, apostrophe/conjunctions, subject-verb agreement, pronoun order and capitalizing I. Some times they're super easy and sometimes Hailey can't find what's wrong. When she struggles or when she's learning a rule for the first time we go over it for a few minutes. I give her 3 or 4 different sentences with the same error until she can find and correct the error on her own. This is fast and easy and has made her conscious of the rules in her own writing.

Next we open up Spell it - Write!

At first I wasn't sure how this would go over, Hailey doesnt' like writing so she needs something fun and so far this has been perfect! This program takes a little bit of planning and organization because the beginning of every lesson starts with a book so we have to sign the book out of the library in advance. However, I LOVE that it is so all inclusive. She reads a short story, she looks at rhyming words and how they are spelled then she writes a sentence or two of her own either about the book, or using one of the rhyming words that e were looking for. ex. the book was about a frog we looked for words that had og in it then she wrote a sentence about a dog. She then draws a picture to go with her sentence. This has been surprisingly effective, Hailey has had a lot more confidence in her spelling because she's looking at how the rhyming words are all spelled the same and it's NOT boring :)

Next up we read a book from the library. I choose a story that will challenge her, NOT something easy. She has all day to read "easy" books, this is time set aside for learning, not practicing. She reads a whole book or for 15-20 minutes ish which ever comes first.

Here we take a 20 minute break while I get the next few subjects ready and she gets her wiggles out.

After the break we jump right into Saxon Math 1

This is the book I bought for the year, however the first half of the book is entirely too easy for her. There are placement tests you can do online here to find out which work books to order, unfortunately Hailey is right in the middle so we'll end up buying two workbooks this year, rather than re-do things she's already learned or skip too far ahead. This book has a page for class and a page for homework for each lesson. So far we haven't done both, If Hailey struggles with a concept we'll do the homework lesson but for now, it is just busy work and I'm not making her do it. We also bought a second hand math game from a library book sale which is fun. There are a flash cards that help with memorization and Hailey likes to play every now and again but this is something that we'll play in our spare time. I'm not a huge fan of flash cards, it's such a boring way to learn.

OK so everything up to this point we do every day, in my opinion language skills and math should be repetitive and consistent. Our last two subjects are history and science. I rotate these every other day. These are our "fun" classes because we are usually up and about, doing crafts, experiments, or outside exploring. We spend a lot less time actually sitting at the table.

Science - I use Scott Foresman Science Grade 2 because the Kindergarten and grade 1 editions would have been all review. The pre-school that Hailey and Dallin have been going to (the moms take turn teaching) has put them way ahead in science apparently. I've never met a more amazing group of moms, (you guys rock!) I have two books here, a student text book and a teacher's edition. We look at the book a bit but mostly we take the ideas and then we're out and about making observations. This is by far Hailey and Dallin's favorite subject. Dallin is definitely up to speed in this class, (he just turned 4) but there are a lot of fun ideas for experiments and instead of just learning about plants we're deciding how to classify them. So far, so good.

And last but not least my favorite, history. We are reading "The Story of the World" and using "Activity
Book One: Ancient Times" I cannot emphasize enough how fantastic this book is! This woman has written the history of the world in chronological order and has geared it specifically toward children. I wish that I had this growing up, I was always so confused about when one thing happened in relation to another. The activity book has maps and ideas for crafts, projects, additional reading, corresponding literature and audio books, there are coloring pages and activities. It is phenomenal! I read one section at a time (rather than a whole chapter) and do one craft/activity. I cannot give this book high enough praise. It doesn't matter where your kids go to school, if you have children in Gr. 1-4, This book is perfect!

This takes us 3 or 4 hours each morning, leaving our afternoons free. Dallin plays "educational" computer games and the kinect while Hailey and I are sitting down at the table and he usually joins us for science or history. So far so good!

Hailey Rae

2011-08-09T10:42:00.001-06:00

Hailey turned 6 on Thursday. I know I'm a bit late in posting this but I suppose it's better late than never. Hailey is my pride and my joy. She is so loving and out-going, and thoughtful. She is clever and enthusiastic and silly! I wish I could take credit for the beautiful person she is becoming but I'm not half so good or considerate or kind as she is. Those gifts come straight from our father in heaven. When I look at her I see her innocence and her purity, I see everything that is good in the world inside my little girl. I am so grateful for the blessing of being a mother.

So here are 6 things we love about Hailey

1. Hailey loves to make friends with everyone she meets. There's a line at our door almost every day of kids that want her to come out and play!
2. She really and truly loves to learn. When she prays at night she thanks heavenly father that she can learn and she asks that mommy and daddy can be blessed to know what to teach her. It just makes my heart melt.
3. She wants to be good, it is important to her. She knows right from wrong and even though she makes mistakes she tries to do what is right.
4. Hailey is silly, I don't know where she got it from but she can have Dallin in tears from laughing. (her jokes are hilarious because they're so ridiculous, she doesn't understand real jokes so she makes them up herself)
5. We love that she is a peacemaker. When tensions are running high and Dallin and I are at each others throats Hailey walks in with this perfect inner calm and kisses me on the cheek and tells me "it's ok if you're having a bad day mommy, I love you, let's be happy ." Even if I wanted to stay mad I couldn't, something about the way she says it just makes all the tension leave my body and I'm calm again.
6. I love that she's so independent. Hailey can dress, bathe, and groom herself, she can read instructions when she is playing games, she can tie her own shoes, make her own bed, find her own food. Now there are the obvious reasons for loving this (I don't have to do everything for her) but more even that that, I love that she wants to be self sufficient, she wants to know how to take care of herself, and she's taken the time to learn these skills.

We LOVE you Hailey!

Wood working project #2

2011-07-31T11:47:00.000-06:00

I should have taken a before and after picture but it was so horribly messy before that I would have been too embarrassed to post it anyway. The kids' closet has been a mess for a long time now. I love that they have so many games and puzzles and things to play with but they were all stacked helter skelter on top of Hailey's little dresser. So, Keeton built them a new one :)

I love love love this wood, it's so beautiful!

The kids like it too :) We got rid of Hailey's old dresser so she has to use a few shelves of this one but she's organized enough that she should do fine with cubby holes.

Now everything has a place and the kids can reach it all! Thank you Keeton!

Dallin's Birthday part two

2011-07-14T20:46:00.004-06:00

My little guy turned 4 today! It's hard to believe that it's been that long. We love our little man SO much! He's energetic, and silly, and tough, and clever! When he woke up this morning he ran into my bedroom and the first thing out of his mouth was, "am I taller now mom?". He wants to be bigger than his sister lol.

Happy Birthday Dallin!

Petting zoo complete with a milk cow (that you can actually milk)

Train ride on a "real" train!

Best friends!

We spent the day at a water park and it felt SO good! It's been hot and muggy and this was a perfect way to spend the day.

The kids were tired out when we got home but it was a fantastic day!

Dallin's Birthday part one

2011-07-13T20:57:00.000-06:00

Swimming!

2011-06-29T14:25:00.000-06:00

Dallin swam across the pool all by himself! We're so proud of our little fishie! He does really well with someone in the water with him but he's nervous to go all the way on his own still (this is not a bad thing).

The Road Home

2011-06-27T21:26:00.000-06:00

I've been meaning to blog about our trip to Canada for some time but we've been busy every day since we've been back. Now we're done moving and things are settling down I finally have a free minute to blog.

This is the road home. It seemed like every mile we drove North the road became more and more familiar and I could feel something pulling me forward. Like a magnet drawn to metal, the closer I came to home the stronger I felt the pull. I miss the trees, the lakes, the swamps, and how remote it is, but most of all I miss the familiarity. I know where I am, there are memories attached to every turn in the road. Since Keeton and I have been married we've moved so many times that I haven't been able to develop that anywhere else.

This family photo was taken at my cousin's house at Nulki lake. Again, a place that is so intimate and familiar. In the winter when we would go tobogganing on the big hill at Grandma's we would try to make it all the way to the edge of the lake. It's the place we went fishing when we were kids. It's where Em and I rode our horses. It's the view from the truck window every day in the summer when we drove out to the farm. It's where I grew up, it's part of who I am.

This is a picture of some high school friends. Melody, Tyler, Keeton and I went on a quick hike up to the falls and it was awesome. I am so glad that I had the chance to talk to Mel for a while. In some ways we're so alike but we're completely different too. I love that after nine years our friendship is still comfortable, easy. It's also nice that my kids adore her :) "Awww I don't want to go visit more family I want to go to Mel's house" lol she let them pet the ponies and took them out on the canoe and showed them an eagle's nest, they were one step shy of worshiping her lol.

Everyone we know there has a dog. Literally, EVERYONE! SO it was important for the kids to get over their fear of everything that moves. Dallin surprised me, though his hands were trembling and his whole body was tense, he tried to get to know every dog he met. This picture is of my dad making Duke stand still so Dallin could muster up the courage to touch the dog that was bigger than he was. By the end of the day he was braving the mosquitoes to play fetch with the dogs :) Hailey on the other hand took a few days to warm up to the other dogs and she never went outside alone (Duke was too scary).

This is my aunt Charlette, she lives in southern BC so I don't get to visit her often. She was there to take care of my Grandma, who just had surgery. I didn't get much time to visit Grandma but I'm thankful for the time I had. Aunt Charlette has done a lot of our genealogy and she showed me how to access what was online. SO COOL! The Weavers were Originally from France and they've slowly moved further and further West.

These pictures were from the west Ed. mall. My brother Tyrell drove us to the airport in Edmonton and we stayed at the Fantasy Land Hotel in the mall, in the "Igloo" room. The kids didn't want to leave, it was very cool. The bunk beds were their favorite feature.

For a young bachelor, Tyrell sure is good with kids!

The reason for our whole visit was to watch my baby brother, Nicholas, graduate. When I left Vanderhoof, he was nine years old. I've seen him a handful of times since. I'm so excited for him, he doesn't know where he's going or what he's going to do, he's seventeen and he has his whole life ahead of him still, he just doesn't know it yet. I am proud of him and I adore him, I can't wait to see where his road takes takes him!

2011-05-17T18:34:00.000-06:00

This morning we went to the temple with our neighbors, Jessica and Zach to plant flowers. The kids had so much fun! I had so much fun! The Denver temple is beautiful and the kids loved being able to go there and do something other than just look at it! I wish I took more pictures but my hands were covered in dirt :) The grounds workers were so nice and they let the kids help break off the bulb flowers before we started planting the summer ones. It sounds so simple but it was really a big deal to all of us, the temple is such a special place!

Almost There

2011-05-02T15:07:00.001-06:00

Well, year 1 of home school has been a success! We are almost done Kindergarten and wow, has it ever been fun! We started the year off excited and not knowing what we would learn or where our imaginations might lead us. I'm so proud of Hailey, she WANTS to learn! She asks me the best questions and she's just so excited about what's next.

She started off with questions about the moon which led to the planets and our solar system. We stayed up late just to see what shape the moon was and both Hailey and Dallin were excited every time they saw a change. We saw a lunar eclipse and the "super moon" (it was closer to the earth and looked a lot bigger). We made our own little solar system and learned a few things about each planet, again, Dallin was just as excited about this as Hailey was.

phases of the moon according to Hailey

We learned about Egypt and pyramids and mummies. Mummies and the human body went hand in hand. Organs, bones, blood, it was just one "why" after another and we loved it! Books, movies, crafts, computer games, all wonderful learning methods. We also read a scripture story every night before bed and this was a perfect time for us to read about Moses and the Isrealites leaving Egypt.

We went on bike rides and nature walks, we "climbed a mountain". The kids built pyramids with rocks outside and put on their backpacks and went to "China". Hailey has a love and understanding of maps, she learned the 7 continents and a few countries or land marks on each one (excluding Antarctica). The highest and lowest places on earth, the hottest and coldest, the biggest ocean and the longest river and she can find them on a map. For a while there whenever she would draw or paint instead of drawing houses, or flowers or people (as she used to do) she would draw maps. When the kids played pretend they imagined they were walking on the Great Wall of China or running from polar bears in the Arctic. It was truly amazing to watch them learn and grow.

Hike

Green Mountain

She chose different animals that we learned about then we went to the zoo and were able to see them up close. She learned the difference between Bactrian and Dromedary camels, about kangaroos and how their babies grow inside their pouch, what owls eat and how Beluga whales find their food. Dallin's favorite was rattlesnakes. For all of the animals we went to the library and took out books and sometimes National Geographic moves. We also watched some cool clips on You Tube about the kangaroos. We learned about grasshoppers/locusts, again tying in the story of the plagues of Egypt.

zoo

I've blogged before about our lesson on electricity, Hailey was really and truly interested and curious about how things work, why when the power goes out we can't use the water. Which brought up food storage. We have water and food, flashlights and first aid supplies all set aside in case of power outage, we have 72 hour kits in case of emergency. We are actually excited when the power goes out lol, we grab a flashlight and a bottle of water and use them just because we can. Hailey and Dallin both know how to sort, wash, and dry clothes, they know how to load and run the dishwasher, they know how to clean their bathroom properly, they make their own bed, organize their own closet, vacuum their own floor. At bed time they brush their own teeth, wash their own bodies, get themselves dressed, and comb their own hair. These are things that hopefully we all learn eventually but at 3 and 5 years old my kids have confidence and pride in their personal hygiene.

We planted our own mini garden and watched it grow from seed to fruit/flower. Most recently Hailey has asked for a pillow pet (I think they're a rip off) she thinks they're awesome. She has 6 special chores (not something she does everyday anyway) that we pay her to do each week. Things like wiping down the table and chairs, washing the baseboards, dusting, sweeping the sidewalk outside, mopping the kitchen floor etc. She gets 50cents per chore and an extra dollar at the end of the week if she does them all. It is her choice, we don't ask her to do them, she doesn't get in trouble if she doesn't, but she figured out very quickly that if she wants to save up 20 dollars she has to be consistent, or it'll take "FOREVER" (her words, not mine). I really feel like she's learning life lessons, things that will benefit her everyday life, things that don't show up on test scores.

USA history/geography, Math, Spelling, all fun and all her idea. She asked me to teach her these things. True she never said, "Mom can you please tell me about the american revolution?" NO, she asked me to show her all the states on a map, then she asked why that one had mountains and that one had ocean, she asked my why there were more roads in the East than in the West. As we learned about each state we talked about the history, why it is the way it is today. One great question leads to another and pretty soon we're discussing Rosa Parks, Russian fur traders, and sunken pirate ships. Learning is truly a beautiful thing.

My favorite lesson though, is reading. My little girl can READ! I cannot put into words how important and miraculous this is to me. The library is one of my favorite places to be, and books are such an important part of me that to be able to share that with Hailey is a rich blessing. Now the world is at her fingertips, she can do anything! I realize that 5 year olds everywhere are learning to read every day but that doesn't make it any less of a miracle. We have such a messed up language with exceptions to every rule, yet somehow, she get's it! I am such a proud mom.

I couldn't be more happy with the way this year has gone so far. Hailey was able to just be a kid, she never had a lesson that she didn't like, we played! She did soccer and Ballet, she really wants to try an instrument next (I'm not qualified to teach in this area) so we are looking forward to finding a teacher for that. It was never a fight, we were never late for class, there were no report cards, there was zero stress. She went to a preschool 2 days a week, church classes for 2 hours on Sunday and either soccer of ballet one day a week. She had all the social interaction she needed without even counting play dates, and field-trips. Win-win.

soccer

The best part of this experience though was really, just watching her grow. This is the most rewarding project I've ever taken on. I never felt like I was being her teacher, I always felt like I was just being a good mom, a better mom. I took the time for her, I made learning a priority and I was able to witness a miracle. Every time she reads me a book with a new hard word and she just flies right through it, every time she uses a new word or tells me what something means, every time she draws a new map or counts her own money I am just in awe. Have there ever been more perfect and beautiful children than mine? Never to me.

"The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn't been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him."

Pablo Casals

Isn't it so true?

missing teeth

2011-04-16T08:45:00.000-06:00

March 15th, 2011 Hailey lost her first tooth at Aunt Mandy's house. Now, almost a month later she lost her second tooth and we are finally going to set it out for the tooth fairy. (and the worst mom of the year award goes to...)

Notice Keeton's dashing smile? He warned me that my internet might mysteriously stop working if I posted this picture so if you never see another post you know who's responsible. :)

2011-04-09T14:46:00.000-06:00

I love being a mom. I am so excited for my kids to be involved in different sports and activities. Today was Hailey's first day of soccer. Her friend, Piper, from school is doing it too so they get to hang out every Saturday for the next couple of months :)

Hailey's first day of soccer was awesome!

Accident? I think not! (just joking) I think the other little girl was about to fall and was catching herself, but you've got to admit, it looks bad right?

Best buddies :)

Oooh, look at that shot!

Hailey was really happy to have her friend Piper there with her.

All smiles at the end of practice means her first day of soccer was a success!

Family

2011-04-04T23:18:00.000-06:00

Hailey just gave the most amazing FHE lesson ever! She planned the lesson 2 weeks ago and told me what it was about. Tonight she started off with prayer and song then asked for 2 volunteers. Keeton and I were the first volunteers, she gave us each a head band (why? I don't know) we had to go hide. She gave Dallin my scriptures and he had to carry them while he came to find us. We basically played hide and seek with props. When we sat down again so she could give the lesson she told us that the person holding the scriptures was supposed to be like God, and the two people hiding were each of us. She told us that just like Jonah we can't hide from God, because he always finds us LOL. She then told us the story of Jonah and the whale and told us that we need to listen to our Heavenly Father the first time. (did I mention that she's 5!) It was so cute, and so clever. I think she gets it from Keeton, he gives wonderful FHE lessons. After the lesson we played Mario Kart Double Dash. :) Dallin and I are getting better we can actually win sometimes against the power team! (Keeton and Hailey)

I am so so thankful for Family Home Evening. It is such a simple thing to take one night out of our week to spend playing and learning with our family, but it is such a big deal to all of us. The kids are asking almost every day if it's FHE night yet, they plan their activities weeks in advance. Even Dallin, who is so used to being bossed around, loves to be in charge for a night and plan an activity for all of us. I feel like we're closer and stronger as a family because of it. We are so blessed. I think that because we make it a priority, and we plan for it, it makes it important, our family time is important, we feel important to each other, and it strengthens us. I love my family so much, I really feel like I must be the best loved mother and wife in the world.

No Training Wheels!

2011-04-02T21:41:00.000-06:00

Hailey is hitting milestones all over the place lately, today was a beautiful day! Hailey asked if we could practice riding her bike without training wheels so this afternoon we went out and she went from completely wobbly to completely independent! I think I was more excited than she was lol. Great job Hailey! My little girl is all grown up!

She fell down a couple of times when she was trying to stop or turn around and she got the tiniest little scratch on the palm of her hand.

100 Books

2011-04-01T13:03:00.000-06:00

Hailey is a great little reader but we can all do with a little motivation sometimes right? So a few months ago we made a Reading Chart. I numbered it 1-100 and she put up a sticker every time she read a book by herself. This worked REALLY well! Hailey loves getting stickers and each time she read 10 books she got a small reward like a tootsie roll or smarties. When she reached 100 books she would get a giant lollipop! She has wanted one for a long time and has never had one... until last night! Last night Hailey finished reading her 100th book! She finished up with "Not now said the cow" and "Dick and Jane". I'm so proud of my little super reader :)

I had to show this picture just because you can see her lost tooth!

Story time

2011-03-12T18:33:00.000-07:00

This is officially one of my favorite books of all time. There are a whole bunch of them, we just call them our "David" books. The first one we ever read was called "Oops!" then we found a few more at the library and Dallin was given "David Goes to School" for Christmas. They are just simple, colourful, funny, books that my kids LOVE. Dallin especially likes the two or three words-per-page because it's easy for him to memorize, so he reads me the books. I highly recommend these books to anyone with toddlers or even just young children. I love the books even more because David is just exactly like Dallin lol, always getting into trouble, always making messes or breaking things but more because he's just a rambunctious little boy than because he's being naughty. We read these over and over and they're just as wonderful now as they were the first time we opened "Ooops!"

school

2011-03-04T09:42:00.000-07:00

We made Anasazi sandals while learning about Colorado

Yes we do school in our dress up clothes...

Ballet

2011-03-04T08:53:00.001-07:00

Hailey learning tap.

Daddy and Dallin waiting patiently in the hall while Hailey is in class.

My little ballerina.

Concentration!

Balance!

Her favorite part! jumping over the magic carpet!

Sorry the video is sideways, we'll all just have to turn our heads.

/sigh so pretty

She had a LOT of fun adn wants to sign up again in the fall. She improved by leaps and bounds from her first class to the last,but she finally found her balance and coordination. Next up, Spring Soccer!

Oscar the grouch

2011-02-24T08:30:00.001-07:00

Hailey and I are in the shower and Dallin is bored so he's playing in the bathroom. I hear his best evil laugh ever and I'm thinking... uh oh, what now.

"I live in the garbage can! hehehe"

"Are you like Oscar the grouch?" I'm laughing inside.

"I'm going to make a wall out of clothes so you can NEVER get out. (note: he pronounces never nevah!) I'm a stinker!" again, the evil laugh.

Now I realize that he's serious, he has dumped out all our dirty clothes and spread them out blocking the door and is hiding in the hamper... he really is a stinker. LOL I love my little Oscar.

2011-02-21T19:45:00.003-07:00

Pre-school Valentines party: The kids had an awesome time as usual, and once again I'm so impressed and indebted to the other moms that organize and contrubute to such wonderful activities. The kids came home with a million cards and candies and more importantly they were able to look at each card and say "awww that was so nice of "Carlee" or "Scott" or whoever... We love our pre-school friends!

Oh ya, did I mention they decorated sugar cookies? So they also came home on a major sugar high LOL

Productive Day:

Today is Presidents day so we had no pre-school and Keeton had the day off as well. Right after breakfast I took Hailey aside and we did school (kindergarten) and Keeton took Dallin out of the room so we could concentrate. I bought a really cool "time" game fro the dollar store. You play memory matching up the time on a digital clock with the time on an analog clock. Hailey is getting so much faster at reading the time and we both had fun playing memory :) I also picked up a shapes and colours game from the dollar store that Keeton played with Dallin. We also worked on a little math and money and started fractions (which is going to be a lot of fun! Object lesson to follow) When we were all done school we found that the boys had cleaned up the whole back of the house! YAY!

So... we went back into the kitchen and finished making our recycled paper! I remember doing this in elementary school and enjoying it. The kids cut up a few old scrap papers and we soaked it in water for a few days (mostly because we were busy, not because it has to soak that long) then we blended it up in the blender and poured it over cheese cloth. I think it's really cool! After a few more chores, Hailey and I decided to take on another craft project. She wanted to sew. So... we took out the sewing machine and picked out some pretty thread and made a "pretty" pillow for Dallin. She loved being able to help with the sewing machine. Dallin loved having a new pillow! Then we switched it up and Dallin helped me sew a pillow for Hailey. I have to admit, he was a lot less cautious than Hailey was and I was much more afraid lol. Both the kids had a great time!

And last but not least I finally gave in and made Hailey a giant flower clip. I'm not really a fan but she thinks they're awesome so...ta daaa! What a great Monday :)

Arkansas and Arizona!

2011-02-01T11:54:00.002-07:00

We've been making treats for each state we learn about using things that are grown in that state. Arkansas grows rice so we made a Rice Custard and it was YUMMY!

Dallin stirring the spices into the custard, yes it's 10:30 and we're all still in our pj's :)

Hailey colouring the state flag of Arkansas, we called my Grandpa King this morning and talked to him for a few minutes about Arkansas. He was born in Little Rock and has been back to visit a few times. He told us about the different rivers and kinds of trees and all the poisonous snakes that live there! It was fun to learn those things from someone who has been there vs. from a book. Once again, I feel so blessed to be connected to so many people with such different backgrounds. Thanks Grandpa!

Recipe for Rice Custard:

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1/2 C sugar
pinch of salt
2 C milk
1 C cooked rice
1/4 C dried fruit (raisins or dried cranberries work well)
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
baking pan filled with about an inch or two of water

Beat the eggs with a beater or a whisk. Add the sugar and salt to the eggs. Gradually pour in the milk while you continue to stir the mixture. Add the cooked rice, the dried fruit, and the vanilla to the liquid ingredients.

Pour this mixture into a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Place the casserole dish into a pan of water in the oven. Have an adult help you bake the custard at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. After you take the casserole dish out of the oven, stir the hot mixture a couple of times. Sprinkle the top with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and dot the top with butter. Bake for another 30-40 minutes, until the mixture is set. The custard should have the consistency of pudding. If you insert a knife, the blade should come out with little or no custard stuck to its sides.

Take the dish from the oven. You can serve the dessert hot, warm, or cold-it is delicious at any temperature. You should have enough custard for dessert for six people.

Recipe for Citrus Ice Cream (Arizona lesson)

Many Arizona farms produce juicy citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons. Here is a recipe for making a sweet and tangy dessert that is perfect throughout the year

Ingredients:
3 1/4 C of sugar
2 lemons
4 oranges
3 C. of milk
3 C. of whipping cream

    Carefully squeeze the juice from the lemons and oranges into a large container. Be sure to strain out any pulp or seeds that might be mixed in (we used cheese cloth). Ask an adult to help you squeeze out all of the juice.

   In a large mixing bowl, combine the lemon and orange juice with the sugar. Stir the mixture thoroughly making sure that all the sugar gets wet.

Add the cream and milk, stirring constantly to make sure that everything mixes well.

    Pour your mixture into a freezer-safe container and store it in the freezer for at least four hours. When your ice cream is ready you can eat it in a bowl, in a cone, or with some cake and cookies!

This was my favorite dessert we've ever made it was SOOOOO GOOOD I recommend this for everyone!

Navajo Sand Art and Potatoe Stamps

2011-01-26T13:00:00.003-07:00

I wish I had a picture of the kids actually working on these. They were so simple, so cheap, and so FUN! We're learning about Arizona right now and I've been using these cool "It's my state" books for information and ideas. We found them at the library and they all have a craft or a snack that is related to the state. Arizona is home to the Navajo Native Americans, who make beautiful sand art. We dyed our own sand, painted a picture with glue and poured on the sand one colour at a time. I think they turned out beautifully! Hailey made a rattle snake, Dallin made a multi-coloured cactus :)

These were our crafts for pre-school today, The letter E in Sand Art and potatoe stamps (which I remember doing as a kid) So easy, so fun. These are all by my three year old, aren't they cool?

Hailey's Inukshuk soap carving from our Alaska studies, we also made scrimshaw art and a berry cobbler because there are so many wild berries there. (one arm fell off while we were carving OOPS live and learn)

Our puzzle of the USA and Hailey's place mat as a key. She's done the puzzle three times today, but it never gets boring :)

Hellen Keller

2011-01-17T11:59:00.001-07:00

We had another really fun lesson today and I took pictures so I thought I'd put them up as the last post was picture-less and boring :)

Hailey had to try to read different books (touch and feel) while blindfolded. She did a really good job.

She had to find her way to the dining room and eat her snack blind, and I wouldn't talk to her or make any noises at all (she was supposed to be deaf) it was challenging but fun.

Braille secret message, I remember doing this with my friend Sara when we were in elementary school. Hailey had a lot of fun deciphering the little messages.

Homeschool update

2011-01-15T14:45:00.000-07:00

Homeschooling has been fun and interesting, sometimes we have so many activities/lessons lined up that there's just not enough time to take it all in, and other times we're taking it slow, just working on reading writing, and math. I am still excited about letting Hailey chose her own curriculum, I think that was a good choice for Kindergarten. The walls in our house are covered, every room has posters, artwork, crafts, charts, and maps. The kids are just so darn proud of their work :) and Keeton and I are so darn proud of their enthusiasm for learning!

One of our recent success stories is our unit of electricity. Hailey has been asking for quite some time how it works, why the power goes out, how the doorbell works, what is electricity. Well... It's not really my area of expertise, I was worried that I was unqualified in this department. After a few months of her badgering I finally took her to the library. We checked out a couple of kids books about electricity and one that had a ton of different experiments to try. She LOVED it. I LOVED it. We learned about static electricity, positive and negative electrons, open and closed circuits, conductors and insulators... it was awesome. She now has her own little electricity box where she can take it all out and set it up herself. We took apart the doorbell to see what was making the noise, Dallin was really impressed with that part. I did have to call my dad and get some pointers, but it was all the more fun, I remember my dad helping me with a closed circuit when I was in elementary school. I learned a valuable lesson here, even if I am not particularly strong in one area, I know SO many people, we are so blessed to have so many talented friends and family, all of which I know we could call and would be willing to help us out. It's a pretty good feeling.

Today we started learning about the United States of America (one state at a time). I know it's Saturday but we were both so excited we couldn't wait until Monday. I'm particularly excited about this project because it is one of which I know very little. Hailey chose to start alphabetically, Alabama. We did a brief history (she's only 5) we talked about the first European settlers in North America, the slave trade, the revolutionary war, the civil war, the confederacy, and the civil rights movement. Obviously not using those words, I tried to explain, the basic concept of each. She really is a very smart little girl. We made a poster with the state flag, state nickname, and it's rank in the union. We talked about the climate, and industry, I told a few stories, how it got it's nickname, slaves from Africa, Rosa Parks, and White man vs. Indian. At the end she got to chose one story to act out. She chose Rosa Parks, it was SO much fun, making a pretend bus, using her dolls as pretend passengers, handcuffing her and taking her to jail... I really think she'll remember.

Monday is Alaska, I can't wait to see what we come up with! I love my little girl so much and I'm so very proud of her. I hope I hope I hope that she will gain a love of learning from all of this. I know mine has been rekindled.

2011-01-10T14:31:00.000-07:00

This winter we've had precious little snow and it has been sorely missed. Christmas day Dallin looked out the window multiple times and sighed then asked why there wasn't any snow... Well, January has delivered :) This is our second snow of the year (if it doesn't cover the grass outside it doesn't count) and we are LOVING it! Poor Hailey had the flu last week and has a cold this week so she's on the mend and not allowed to get cold and wet :( poor kid. So Dallin and I braved the cold for an hour or two to make snow angels (or santa) and have a snow fight. We made a snow man but Dallin knocked his head off... (a boy thing?) All in all it's been great! i can't wait for tomorrow!

My little ballerina

2011-01-05T10:27:00.005-07:00

Yesterday was Hailey's first ever ballet class. She was so excited! She had a lot of fun at class and can't wait to go back next week. Even Dallin thought she did a great job. Today she is practicing the things she learned and teaching Dallin. Here are a few pictures of her before class.

Hailey's new slippers

2010-12-28T15:54:00.000-07:00

Christmas Train

2010-12-28T15:53:00.000-07:00

Christmas morning

2010-12-25T13:44:00.001-07:00

Christmas was awesome this year! The kids were so excited and if it's possible, I think Keeton and I were even more excited! We set the alarm so that we could wake up before the kids and turn on all the Christmas lights in the living room for them, we re-decorated just so the living room would be brighter and more efficient Christmas morning! What was really fun though was that we had skype up and running all day. Keeton's parents for Christmas eve and first thing Christmas morning and my parents for after breakfast. I don't know quite how to describe how important family is to us. Keeton's family has had a few health issues and our thoughts and prayers have been with them more than usual lately. My family were all together for the holidays and it was nice to be able to talk to all of them at once. Keeton took a few days off after Christmas and it was so nice to have that extra time together. It was a very family oriented holiday this year. It is a lot of fun with the kids getting older and understanding a little better why we celebrate Christmas. I think both kids could tell you the story of Christ's birth backwards and forward. We went over each aspect of it so many times this year that I feel like Keeton and I have a better appreciation and understanding as well. What a wonderful reason to celebrate! I think the music has really sunk in this year as well. There are such beautiful songs! "Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her king!"

"Long lay the world in sin and error pining, till He appeared and the soul felt it's worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn' "

"Truly he taught us to love one another, His law is love and His gospel is peace,"

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. ...And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!" Luke 2:11, 13-14

Christmas Card List

2010-12-17T11:37:00.000-07:00

Every year around the beginning of December I start feeling a little anxious about sending Christmas cards. I want to send a full out personal letter to everyone but I just can't do it, after a while they all start sounding the same and I feel like they don't sound sincere. Well, today I received a Christmas card from my Grandma Creighton and she sent a little poem tucked inside the card.

There is a list of folks I know

All written in a book

And every year at Christmas time

I go and take a look

And that is when I realize

That their names are apart

Not of the book they're written in

But of my very heart.

For each name stands for someone

Who has touched my life sometime

And in that meeting they've become

The "Rhythm of the Rhyme"

I really feel I am composed

Of each remembered name

And while you may not be aware

Of feelings quite the same

My life is so much better than

It was before you came.

For once that you've known someone

The years cannot erase

The memory of a pleasant word or of a friendly face

So never think my Christmas cards

Are just a mere routine

of names upon a list

For when I send a Christmas card

That is addressed to you

It is because you're on that list

Of folks I'm indebted to.

And whether I've known you

For many years or few

In some way you have had a part

in shaping things I do

So every year when Christmas comes

The biggest gift that God can give

Is knowing folks like you.

It just summed up all that I have been feeling. I love you guys and when I send out my Christmas cards even though they're usually just a few lines to say Merry Christmas, I'm sending it with all my love and gratitude for your friendship over the years. You mean more to me than I can put into words. Merry Christmas everyone!

Pre-School Christmas party

2010-12-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

This year's Christmas Party was big and chaotic, but SO much fun. The kids loved it and that is what is important. We have 14 kids in our little preschool now! We started off with just 5 kids and 4 moms. Part of me misses the smallness and intimacy of such a little group but I love these kids and I feel really lucky to be able to teach them and I'm so grateful for the other moms who put so much of their time and talents into my kids education.
This fall we learned about nocturnal animals, oceans, Egypt, personal safety, music, letters, shapes and colours, seasons, patterns, and much much more. We had Halloween and Christmas parties and field trips to gardens, parks, and museums. The moms planned everything, lessons, transportation, facilities, and refreshments. My kids age 5 and 3 memorized 9 Christmas songs at school and more at home! I'm just amazed and thrilled with their capacity and eagerness to learn! It's a beautiful thing to behold.

2010-12-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

Hailey and Dallin did a really good job saying their part for the poem I think they were both a little nervous and it's hard to understand what they were saying at parts :(

Today we "climbed" a mountain.

2010-12-11T13:29:00.000-07:00

A few days ago Hailey and I were talking (I don't remember what about) and she told me, "I wish I could climb a mountain mommy! but I can't" (big sigh)
I said "of course you can!"
" I can!?!? REALLY!?!"
"Sure I'll take you." Well it wasn't ropes and ice picks like I'm sure she imagined but it was a huge accomplishment. Today We hiked up Green Mountain and it was COLD! The wind was like ice and the kids were amazing!

The road had really loose gravel and the kids were slipping and sliding everywhere.

We made it! WAHOOOOOO

When we made it to the very top we could see all of Denver, even the airport and the kids were so proud of themselves :)

It was extremely windy at the top and COLD

Enjoying a well earned snack :)

It is so beautiful!

There were 9 deer on the side of the trail on the way down, the kids thought it was pretty cool, especially since we were singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. When we finally made it home Keeton whipped up some hot chocolate for everyone (I love winter time). We had an awesome mountain climbing adventure and I'm SO proud of my kids.

Christmas Cards

2010-12-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

So I was sending the last of our Christmas cards out today and feeling thoroughly guilty for not writing a nice long letter for everyone so I thought I should at least blog.

A few weeks ago we set up our manger and Christmas tree and I couldn't post just one picture, I HAD to post them all so you could see what happens when i take out the camera...

Is this just a boy/girl thing?

Dallin was so excited that he got to put the star on top of the tree this year :)

Christmas Poem

2010-12-10T13:53:00.001-07:00

This is a video of the kids saying their parts in "Twas the night Before Christmas" for their Pre-School Christmas Party/Program. It's really bad lighting and quality but i had to post it :) They're just too cute! Here's the full poem:
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

December

2010-11-30T16:02:00.001-07:00

Wheat

Main Goal: Purchase quantities of wheat for storage and/or daily use. Learn how to preserve your supply of wheat. Use wheat as often as possible to get the family accustomed to eating it.

Spiritual Goal: Begin a regular program of family and personal scripture study.

Family Home Evening Ideas:

Make a recipe together using wheat. Teach your family the value of wheat in their diets.
Start or continue a scripture study program with your family.

Physical Goal: Incorporate wheat into your family diet at least once a week.

72 Hour Kit Goal:

Food: During a crisis, what you eat is usually important. You will be under more stress than usual, and you will need lots of energy, so the food you put in your emergency kit should be high in calories.
Good nutrition is important, but calorie content is the most important factor in short-term survival.
As you prepare your emergency kits, take into account the special dietary need and likes of your family.
Foods that are lightweight and compact and that require no refrigeration are best suited for an evacuation.
Foods that require little preparation are best.
Some suggestions of food items for emergency kids are:

Food bars          Trail mix
Dried foods          Instant meals
Stress foods         Snack sized canned goods
Liquid beverages

We have things like canned peaches, soup (not condensed), trail mix, dried fruit, graham crackers... Things that we all like and the canned food, though heavy, has liquid which is important, water can be hard to come by and dehydration is a major concern in emergencies. We also have a few juice boxes and bottles of water, maybe not enough for 4 people in a high stress environment to be completely hydrated after 3 days but as much as we can carry comfortably, and certainly enough to keep us alive. I think about 5L plus juice We also have water purification tablets and filtration bottle. If anybody has ideas here or things that they use and love we're trying to improve our efficiency in this department (water/food).

NOVEMBER

2010-11-14T18:04:00.002-07:00

Beans and Legumes

Main Goal: Obtain beans and legumes for storage

Spiritual Goal: Have personal interviews with family members

Family Home Evening Ideas:

Have a lesson on the Word of Wisdom
Evaluate your family's diet
Decide if any changes need to be made
Have a Mexican Fiesta Night
Use as many different types of beans as you have available
Try new recipes

Physical Goal: Prayerfully study the Word of Wisdom and evaluate your diet. Get enough rest!

72 Hour Kit Goal: Obtain the rest of the food for your kits. (because we're starting in November not January this may be hard to do, we will update our 72 hour kits instead)

Beans can add a lot of variety to your food storage. Learn how to use them in everyday cooking. Beans are an important staple in many diets. They are a rich source of B-complex vitamins, iron, and other minerals. There is no cholesterol in beans. For longer storage life, keep beans in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. If you have no animal protein at a meal, beans and rice, or beans and corn provide a complete protein in it's place.

Families Who Know Live Providently and Prepare

2010-11-14T17:51:00.001-07:00

Keeton and I have been working on our year supply for a while now. We have a lot of big bulk items like wheat, beans, rice... etc. but we haven't been extremely organized in our storage. We have an awesome guideline from our ward in Idaho and even though it starts in January and works through the year month by month we didn't want to wait. So we are going to start with November and see how it goes. I'm blogging about it in hopes that it makes us feel a tinsy bit more accountable, and so we can hopefully give/get ideas from others.

Why a year supply?

1. Commandment from God: first presidency, D&C 78: 13-14, L. Tom Perry

2. Necessary During Emergencies and Natural Disasters: Having a supply of essential foods, clothing, fuel, and water will help us during times of personal and natural disasters. We must be prepared for calamities that may come our way. Things including but not limited to: famines, pestilences, earthquakes, hailstorms, war, economy, unemployment, sickness, epidemic.

3.Gives Us Peace: When we are prepared we don't have to worry about "what if's" because we'll have our food storage and emergency preparedness ready. The Lord said: "If ye are prepared ye shall not fear"

2010-11-08T15:50:00.001-07:00

McCrae's "In Flanders Fields" remains to this day one of the most memorable war poems ever written. It is a lasting legacy of the terrible battle in the Ypres salient in the spring of 1915. Here is the story of the making of that poem:

Although he had been a doctor for years and had served in the South African War, it was impossible to get used to the suffering, the screams, and the blood here, and Major John McCrae had seen and heard enough in his dressing station to last him a lifetime.
As a surgeon attached to the 1st Field Artillery Brigade, Major McCrae, who had joined the McGill faculty in 1900 after graduating from the University of Toronto, had spent seventeen days treating injured men -- Canadians, British, Indians, French, and Germans -- in the Ypres salient.
It had been an ordeal that he had hardly thought possible. McCrae later wrote of it:
"I wish I could embody on paper some of the varied sensations of that seventeen days... Seventeen days of Hades! At the end of the first day if anyone had told us we had to spend seventeen days there, we would have folded our hands and said it could not have been done."
One death particularly affected McCrae. A young friend and former student, Lieut. Alexis Helmer of Ottawa, had been killed by a shell burst on 2 May 1915. Lieutenant Helmer was buried later that day in the little cemetery outside McCrae's dressing station, and McCrae had performed the funeral ceremony in the absence of the chaplain.
The next day, sitting on the back of an ambulance parked near the dressing station beside the Canal de l'Yser, just a few hundred yards north of Ypres, McCrae vented his anguish by composing a poem. The major was no stranger to writing, having authored several medical texts besides dabbling in poetry.
In the nearby cemetery, McCrae could see the wild poppies that sprang up in the ditches in that part of Europe, and he spent twenty minutes of precious rest time scribbling fifteen lines of verse in a notebook.
A young soldier watched him write it. Cyril Allinson, a twenty-two year old sergeant-major, was delivering mail that day when he spotted McCrae. The major looked up as Allinson approached, then went on writing while the sergeant-major stood there quietly. "His face was very tired but calm as we wrote," Allinson recalled. "He looked around from time to time, his eyes straying to Helmer's grave."
When McCrae finished five minutes later, he took his mail from Allinson and, without saying a word, handed his pad to the young NCO. Allinson was moved by what he read:
"The poem was exactly an exact description of the scene in front of us both. He used the word blow in that line because the poppies actually were being blown that morning by a gentle east wind. It never occurred to me at that time that it would ever be published. It seemed to me just an exact description of the scene."
In fact, it was very nearly not published. Dissatisfied with it, McCrae tossed the poem away, but a fellow officer retrieved it and sent it to newspapers in England. The Spectator, in London, rejected it, but Punch published it on 8 December 1915

2010-11-05T20:58:00.000-06:00

Rambunctious

2010-10-26T23:10:00.000-06:00

Today my kids were loud, and rambunctious, I seem to use that word a lot lately. Rambunctious. Running around, yelling, jumping, throwing things more yelling. It was like they were stuck in fast forward. I remember thinking, "what gives?" It was right before bed time and getting them to sit still for prayer was a challenge but they did it, and when we were done they gave me the biggest bear hugs and kisses! I read them a story or rather, they commented on every picture, page number, title, and pencil mark (library book) while I flipped the pages. I tucked them in and turned on their music. Later, before I went to bed myself, I went in to check on them and they looked so... beautiful, I thought to myself, not "rambunctious", "enthusiastic". They're so enthusiastic about life! They are excited to play, excited to eat, excited to learn, excited to live! MAN! do I love my little ones!

Motherhood: An Eternal Partnership with God

2010-10-02T18:41:00.000-06:00

Goodnight Moon

2010-09-30T08:42:00.000-06:00

A week or two ago I read the kids a bedtime story about a cat that bakes, or I thought that was what it was about. about 3/4 of the way through I realized that she was making the moon and as she and her friends ate a little more, and a little more the moon became smaller and smaller. Hailey wanted to look at the moon to see what shape it was that night. We went outside to look but it was a cloudy night and we couldn't see anything. So we came back in, tucked the kids into bed and I hopped on the computer to check the lunar calendar and the weather forecast. The very next night was the full moon and it was supposed to be a cool clear night!

So once again we did the bed time routine then marched down the stairs in our pj's to look for the moon. I don't know about anyone else but my kids don't see the moon unless it is up during the day. They go to bed early and aren't allowed out after dark. Dallin thought this was a real treat! One of the songs they listen to every night before bed is about a little boy that's not ready to go to sleep and soon it's only the "moon and me" left awake. So after a few minutes we came back in and the kids drew a picture of the shape of the moon with the date beside it and every few days since then we've checked on the moon's progress and drawn pictures of it's changes. It has been a really fun, easy, and educational project :)

Paper Mache

Paper mache is one of those really sticky, messy, gross crafts that I'll never forget doing as a kid. This is our kids second project using paper mache and they're just as crazy about it as I was.

I should have taken a picture of Hailey's work space vs. Dallin's after we were done... Dallin's had half the contents of the bowl laying on the table while Hailey had carefully scraped up as much as she could with dry newspaper. Oh yeah! That reminds me... I've been cursing the mail man for a few years now for bringing me nothing but flyers and bills, well... we finally found a good use for all the flyers :)

Of course it wasn't ALL work, no play :)

Glue! oh how my kids love to play with glue!

Jack-O-Lanterns

I think we'll wait till Halloween night and use all our trick-or-treating candy to fill them up then break our little pinatas just for fun :)

2010-09-23T08:33:00.002-06:00

Yesterday our church held a primary activity for all the kids about Safety. I wish I'd been more on the ball and invited every little kid we knew because it was awesome! There were 4 stations, one outside at the fire truck, one making CTR (choose the right) shields (spiritual safety), one talking to a fireman inside about home and fire safety, and one with a police officer talking about personal safety and taser guns (the kids thought it was cool). Afterward they had ice cream sandwiches, it was really cool. My kids have pretty short attention spans and their eyes were glued to the speakers the whole time.

This is a picture of Hailey's little poster about her! She made it for a preschool activity. Stickers, glue, paint, cutting, and peek-a-boo windows, she was in heaven. It was so fun to make! Dallin's up next!

More Adventures

2010-09-20T14:06:00.000-06:00

This weekend we drove down to Colorado Springs to visit The Garden of the Gods. It was a lot of fun, the kids were really excited and the main path was just the right length for our little troopers.

These pictures are kind of small, we had to use Keeton's cell phone, my camera was out of batteries :(

Best friends!

It was so beautiful!

The day finally came, both of my kids are in school! (2 hours 2 days a week) and I'm so excited for them!

Dallin's first day of school ever!

We had to have some fun with the camera before we left, being silly and taking turns taking pictures :) They were so excited!

Dallin AFTER his first day of school, I have this strange feeling that he'll be celebrating at the end of each day a little more enthusiastically than at the beginning. Hailey was more than ready to just jump back in and she was such a good big sister, taking her brother by the hand and showing him where to go. I'm so proud of my little rug-rats.

camping, fishing and art

2010-09-01T08:30:00.001-06:00

Hailey got a LOT of paint for her birthday and we have been putting it to good use. I know every mother thinks her kids are brilliant but these are awesome! We sat down one night and each of us painted our own, these pictures are really big, almost as big as Dallin. It took about 3 hours but they were both very quiet and methodical the whole time! I know that Dallin's especially looks like he just slapped it on but he had such a look of concentration on his face! He was really doing his best, I'm so proud!

I know these camping pictures look exactly the same as last years but I guess that's what happens when you do the same thing every time. Set up, eat, play with the fire, sleep, wake up, eat, go for a hike, climb on big rocks, come back, eat, pack up, leave. The kids had so much more fun this year though, they were in heaven. There was a big pile of boulders right by our camp site so while Keeton and I set up they went and played at their "playground". Dallin was big enough to hike up and down the big hills on his own. We found some wild raspberries which was cool and both kids said their favorite part was climbing around on our hike followed closely by roasting marshmallows.

We went fishing again this morning and I HAD to post about it. It was early and a bit chilly and Hailey was content to sit in the chair and watch while Dallin and I tried our luck at fishing. We only had about half an hour and once again I wasn't expecting much. After about 20 minutes of not so much as a nibble... I convinced Hailey to have a go before it was time to go home. It was kind of muddy so while she was reeling it in, Dallin and I collected some grass and sticks to stand on. As I walk up to our designated casting spot, Hailey tells me very calmly, "mom, I have a fish." Then I look at her and she has a look of terror on her face, she practically throws the pole at me, tells me to do it, and shrinks back in her chair. Dallin quickly runs over and holds the pole up so I can snap a picture of "his fish" and it is flopping around like crazy, Hailey is whimpering now, worried that it is going to touch her. Dallin wanted to take the hook out of it's mouth and throw it back in but decided against it when he noticed the poky fins. Anyway, it was just funny that our "anti-anything slimy" girl caught the fish, and that Dallin was so eager to take the credit lol I love fishing :)

some summer fun

2010-08-12T08:49:00.001-06:00

Puddle jumping after playing in a thunder storm

Hailey navigating through the zoo

feeding the parakeets

hiking at red rocks

We found a new park much closer to our house and the kids rode their bikes over. I love summer time!

Bowling has been SO much fun! The kids love it and I wish I had a video of the whole thing. Hailey is much improved from last time. It probably only takes about 5 seconds for her ball to make it to the end of the lane instead of a good 30-40 lol. She got her first strike!

Dallin is the most enthusiastic of all of us and he cheers whether he knocks over 1 or 10. However, he still needs a little "direction". (don't you just love the socks? I thought it was adorable.)

I tried so hard to get a shot of the victory dance but they were ALL blurry, this was my best shot :(

Again, this is my best shot of Dallin's victory dance :( Thank you summer reading program and Jefferson county libraries for the free bowling passes, this summer has been a blast!

Hailey

2010-08-06T08:33:00.001-06:00

This year we had Hailey's party at the park again. It is so much fun having so many of her friends over at the same time!

Princess cupcakes and homemade ice-cream cake!

Her birthday wasn't until 4 days after her party so she enjoyed more of a "birthweek" On the morning of the 4th (her birthday) the kids and I went fishing. I didnt' have high expectations to begin with but when we got to the lake... well I could see the bottom at about 10 feet out, considering our dinky little pole and our casting skills... it seemed improbable that we'd catch so much as a weed. However! Dallin reeled in a little guy (about 4 inches long) and was ecstatic! While he was on the phone with Daddy telling all about his catch Haiely pulled in a giant! (about 6 inches!) She was extremely worried that it was going to touch her, she wanted it off the hook and back in the lake asap! Dallin put in one more good cast and cought one just slightly bigger than Hailey's. 3 fish in about a half hour, not too shabby.

Then we were back home to find Hailey's presents from Gran. It was a scavenger hunt which she thought was really cool!

FINGER PAINT! we found out later in the day that she liked the idea of finger paints much more than the gooey reality.

But it was O.K. because Gran bought her a ton of different paint brushes. The kids had an awesome time, Dallin preferred the finger paint to the brush (surprise surprise).

After a fun packed day of crafts, swimming, fishing, and riding bikes it was finally time for the cake!

I can't believe that Hailey is 5 years old. I remember turning 5 and thinking that I was a whole handful! We're so proud of our little girl.

One of Hailey's favorite stories is her birth story. She asks me all the time to tell her about it. I've already blogged the entire story so I won't write it out again but I will say that it was a day worth celebrating. It seems impossible that anyone could love another so completely immediately upon being introduced.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAILEY!

Hair

2010-07-29T09:03:00.001-06:00

Breathe

Slow count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Remember to breathe!

Hailey cut her hair for the first time last night. She just got out of the bath and Keeton told her to go into the bathroom to get a comb and presto! He called for me to come and I knew by the tone of his voice that it was something bad.I walk into the bathroom and WOW look at all the hair in the garbage! Keeton was pretty upset, and I was certainly angry that she was playing with sizzors but jeez Luise! She cut it at a reasonable length, reasonably straight and she cut it over the garbage can! Practical, neat and tidy! If it had to happen, I'm glad we got off easy :)

Anyway, as I was cutting the rest of her hair, she got an earful. I really tried to make her see how this was bad... She apologized and put on a sober face for about a minute... Then it was all posing in the mirror and flipping her hair around... She really likes the new hair cut. What a little stinker.

Endurance

2010-07-28T09:48:00.000-06:00

This morning I went for a run and I was thinking about my pace at the 5k race I ran over the weekend. After every race, and many morning runs, Keeton asks me if I feel like I gave it my all. "Could you have gone faster?, did you push yourself?". My answer is usually yes, I mean, can he see me? I'm breathing so hard I feel like my lungs are going to explode and I'm drenched in sweat! Of course I ran at my limit! That is my immediate reaction. Once my heart stops pounding and my brain begins functioning properly again I think about it, and the answer is always, no. I know there has to be a limit somewhere but I haven't found it yet. My desire to keep down my lunch has always slowed me down long before I reach my limit. Sometimes it feels like a fine balance, how much pain can I endure and for how long. A year ago I ran/sprinted a mile to time myself, last weekend I ran 3 miles at a faster pace. I'm getting better. But every time I run, sometimes before I finish tying my laces, I wonder if this time I'll run "as fast as I can" or "as far as I can" It's frustrating and encouraging at the same time that I've never done it.

Lately I've been really praying hard for patience, sometimes I feel like I'm at the end of my rope and if the kids step just one toe out of line, I'm going to blow! I feel like I've reached my limit, like I'm trying as hard as I can! Then afterward, once I've calmed down, usually at night after they've gone to bed, I wonder if I could have done more. I KNOW I could have been just a tiny bit more patient. This morning I thought about it, and just like I built up endurance running by being consistent, by keeping at it, I'm going to learn patience if it kills me! heaven knows I will be given the opportunity to practice.

Keeton's Desk

2010-07-15T23:09:00.000-06:00

This is what we started with. A pile of warped, boards.

Mid way through. Keeton was finding out just how warped a board really gets when it sits out in the weather.

Still fumy from the teak oil, we brought it inside and started setting up.

The desk is much much wider than it looks in this picture. Weird angle or something. It really is big, I feel like a little kid sitting at a grown up desk. The picture doesn't do it justice. Keeton built the desk to be just a little taller and just a little wider than our previous desk that came in a box from Wal-Mart. This is a man sized desk and even as I'm writing this I'm looking UP at the monitor... It's so pretty though! Anyway, I'm insanely proud of my very talented hubby. And I think he's pretty pleased with it as well :) Good job Keeton!

THREE!

2010-07-14T21:52:00.002-06:00

Dallin is three. I can't quite believe that it's been that long. I love birthdays, especially my kids'. I get to tell them their birth story and celebrate the day they came into this world. Dallin is such a special kid, he's rough and loud and has a knack for breaking things, he's also sweet, and shy and compassionate. His little monster grin melts my heart.

Today we let him choose all three meals, which was fun and interesting. Cheerios, and jello for breakfast, wholewheat pancakes for lunch, and yogurt, cherries and hamburgers for dinner, with chocolate ice cream for desert! We spent a few hours at the pool this morning, followed by lunch, nap, and a bike ride to Daddy's work. Dallin got to hang out there for a few hours for the first time ever and he was SO excited!

When they came home it was dinner, presents, and outside to play for a little while, then inside for dessert, into the bath, on the couch for a quick cartoon and into bed. All in all it was a pretty fun day.

All About Dallin

Best friend: sister

Favorite Food: candy

Favorite movie: Mickey's Christmas

Furthest he's ridden his bike: 2.5 miles

Lost his first tooth: just before his third birthday

Took his first steps: about 10 months

Started really talking: about 2 1/2

Likes to play pretend that: he's a man eating tiger

Favorite chore: brushing his teeth

Worst trouble he's ever got in: dumping flour,oatmeal and cinnamon on floor/couch/blankets then breaking the eggs on the carpet... he was baking

Favorite saying: I'm a SUPER HERO!

Most recent discovery: that he could wash his hands in the rainbow! (sprinklers)

And that doesn't even begin to explain the miracle and mystery that is Dallin. He stomps on ants yet worries over a rolly polly that is on it's back and can't roll over. He get's into the snack cupboard, knowing that he's going to get in BIG trouble, but is sure to sneak something for his sister too. He is loud and rambunctious at home while cautious and shy in any place new. He's completely independent... when he feels like it, he avoids taking a bath if he can yet he loves to brush his teeth. The little stinker will throw the biggest temper tantrum, and once it's over, be a complete angel. He's my snuggle bug, big time mamma's boy but he's growing out of it. He adores his Daddy especially when he wrestles with him and he would be lost without Hailey. This is getting long but I feel like I haven't even scratched the surface. Bottom line is, we are all completely in love with the little rascal. Happy Birthday Dallin!

Here are a few more pics, I had to get some of his party

Dallin opening presents.

As always the pinata was a big hit. I wish I had video of it, the kids were laughing and squealing and just so excited, it was adorable!

There really were boys at the party too, I guess they just weren't as excited about the cake.

School Dilemma

2010-07-13T08:58:00.002-06:00

Over the last 5 months or so I've been really stressing over what school to send Hailey to. Education is something that's really important to me and was strongly emphasized in my family as I was growing up. Keeton and I discussed Public school, charter school, private school, home-school, waiting one more year to register her for kindergarten. Living in Denver gave us more options than I was prepared to research. Prepared or not, I read up on the pros and cons of each. I couldn't decide, nothing felt right. We prayed about it for months, I read my scriptures in hopes of finding an answer there. I really put a lot of thought into it. Hailey is almost 5 years old, and she is so perfect in her innocence, she can be so thoughtful and kind hearted. She has a beautiful imagination and loves to play pretend. She loves her family, not a day goes by that she doesn't put her little arms around my neck at least 3 or 4 times to tell me she loves me.

Putting her in school felt wrong, it was as though there was a danger sign flashing in my mind whenever I thought of it. Danger sign and all, I was still almost convinced that it was what I should do, she has to grow up eventually right? But NO, she's 4 years old! Why can't she be a kid for just a little longer?

When I thought of homeschooling, my biggest concern was the social aspect. I loved school as a kid, I loved riding the bus and playing at recess, and asking questions in class. I loved cleaning the chalk brushes for my teacher and befriending the new kid in class. To home-school Hailey felt like I was taking something away from her, like I was stealing something precious that she would never be able to get back.

School starts in about a month and I was really starting to over stress about the whole thing. Yesterday we were at Wal-Mart looking through the toy aisle cause I'm just a softy I guess. We came to the little shelf of activity books. I started flipping through them and looking at prices and I said a little prayer right there and then, that I would find an answer. At first I was still unsure. I grabbed 3 or 4 of the activity books and set off to the grocery aisle and as we walked I asked Hailey what she thought of the whole thing. She liked the idea of going to school except not having lunch at home with us. She wanted to come home like Daddy, then go back. I felt kind of guilty, for laying something like that on my 4 year old when I can't even figure it out. Anyway, She said she'd like for me to be her teacher as long as she got to go to preschool a couple of times a week with her friends from last year and have Ms. Roni as a teacher too.

Later that night I went online and started reading again, on homeschooling options. Ideas for Kindergartners. That was when I knew for sure. I came across an article and I don't think it was any one thing that was written, or that I even agreed 100% with all that was there, but I cried the whole time I read. I KNEW that it was right, I KNEW that I could do it, and that it would be what was right for my child. I KNEW in my heart that Hailey would love it. Every time I prayed about it, I asked to know what was right for Hailey, what would help her to grow, and this is it.

This year I will be homeschooling Hailey. I think we'll still go to her old preschool twice a week, to learn and play with others and the other three days a week we'll be exploring, and pretending, and reading and playing. Lillian Jones (the lady who wrote the article I was referring to said, "From personal experience, and that of many friends who have traveled this path, I feel I can say that the sooner a parent lets go of the idea of being a teacher, and embraces the idea of being more of a tour guide or docent, the sooner it will all fit smoothly together and allow the magic to proceed. Lead them through the world and tell them a little about what you know - while also letting them lead you while they explore in their own way. " I don't know, maybe this isn't for everyone, maybe every kid would not flourish with this kind of learning but I know that it is right for Hailey. She already knows the very basics of reading and writing, she does simple math without knowing that it is math, I'm not going to NOT teach her those things, I'm just not going to emphasize those skills any more than any others. I feel so good! Like a weight has been lifted. Wish me luck.

toothless

2010-06-23T19:00:00.003-06:00

Poor Dallin, not even three and he's lost his first tooth. He fell off his stool and hit his mouth on a chair and out it popped, root and all. It looks kinda bruised but other than that he's tip top. He cried for about 30 seconds, then he decided he was all better. He is one tough kid!

The tooth fairy came! can you tell he's excited about the quarter?

At least he liked the stick of gum she left :)

2010-06-21T21:43:00.000-06:00

This year at the library the kids signed up for the summer reading program (8 hours of reading between May and August) and one perk was the coupons! One free game and shoe rental good for one reader plus adult. So tonight for family home evening we went bowling for free :) Hailey has gone once before, last summer for a birthday party, and Keeton and I go once every few years with friends, Dallin has never been, and I'm not sure if he even knew what bowling was but he was SO excited! I wish we had a picture of him bowling. I told him that we get to wear special shoes and that we had to wear socks, well he heard that we have to wear special socks and to him that meant "cool" socks. He put on one big thick grey and orange winter sock and one navy blue dress sock... I tried to get him to at least find matching socks but these were "cool". We drove to the bowling alley and put on our special shoes and entered our names in the computer, Dallin was up first. I think it took a full minute for his ball to make it to the end of the lane but it made it, and he knocked over quite a few pins! He was jumping up and down and clapping and shouting, "YES!" it was the cutest thing EVER! Hailey was up next, she wanted to do it all by herself and her ball only took about 45 seconds to make it to the end of the lane... She was less excited than Dallin and more frustrated when she couldn't knock down all the pins in 2 tries but she had a fun time as well. All I can say for Keeton and myself is, I'm sure glad we had the gutters up or bumpers? is that what they call it? Anyway, it was a very fun FHE and Dallin was the most enthusiastic bowler I've ever seen :)

2010-06-18T14:34:00.000-06:00

Today we went to a water park with some Lakewood friends and the kids had a blast! It was a beautiful hot day and ran back and forth between the play ground and the water park as they needed to warm up or cool down.

2010-06-16T20:55:00.002-06:00

2010-06-09T21:22:00.001-06:00

a thought

2010-06-02T11:46:00.000-06:00

The kids and I just went for a bike ride and while we were out I had a thought/memory.When I was pregnant with Hailey I was so excited, and protective, and even possessive in a way. I loved her so much, and she was MY baby. She was a part of me. Shortly after she was born as I lay watching her sleep, I was thinking about how perfect she was, how beautiful and whole, and precious MY baby was. Then it hit me that she washer own person, she had a spirit that made her an individual, not just a part of me. She was a gift to me, but my role was to take care of her, and teach her and help her to grow into her own person. It's hard to describe. I think every mother loses herself in her children and finds selflessness early on but for me it wasn't in changing her diaper, or getting up with her in the middle of the night, it wasn't feeding her, or cleaning the never ending mountain of laundry, it was looking at her and recognizing a divine being, someone that I loved more than myself and understanding the responsibility of being a mother.

When they're so small and they don't talk or laugh or run, it can be hard to see them as an individual, now that she's almost 5 years old she shines as brightly as the sun. My little Hailey is still my everything, she is still perfect in every way, a divine spirit. She feeds herself, bathes herself, goes to the bathroom by herself, she rides her bike by herself, gets dressed by herself and usually entertains herself, but my responsibility is still there, I still teach her, try to be an example for her, and help her grow into her "self". I'm so proud of my little girl and grateful for the privilege and responsibility it is to be a mother.

As we were riding along, Hailey was standing up and peddling and she just looked so grown up. She was quiet and focused which is unusual for her. I was reflecting on an ongoing conversation we've been having lately, "what I'm going to be when I grow up". A firefighter, a doctor, a pre-school teacher, an astronaut, I don't know what she'll be, or where she'll go, but I am glad just knowing that it will be her own path, because I know that no matter what she chooses, she'll be herself, and that is the best gift I could give to her.

11.5 km

2010-05-31T10:27:00.001-06:00

I ran the Bolder Boulder on memorial day and it was a lot of fun. 10k with people lined up along the road the whole way to cheer you on. We got there a little late, my wave was supposed to leave at 7:11 and we couldn't drive right to the start because the roads were closed (I'm sure we could have driven, but I would have been late)so Keeton drove me as close as he could and I ran about a mile to the start. I SPRINTED a mile to the start... I find the crowd of people that have the same letters on their bib as me and try to stretch and catch my breath before we start. I was still doubled over gasping for air when the gun signaled our start and as I ran over the starting line, the people around me were cheering and waving their hands in the air for the cameras... 6 more miles of coughing and wheezing (I had a cold) and I was approaching the finish, into the stadium, I was looking everywhere for Keeton and the kids, I didn't see them but there were a LOT of people there, I was glad Keeton made me run with his cell phone, I never would have found them without it. Across the finish and immediately herded like cattle to remove the timing tag, the water stations, the snack/lunch chute, and on to the coke/beer chute. Why on earth anyone would want a beer or coke when you're already dehydrated I'll never guess. Anyway, still being herded, past coupons and flags and who knows what else, finally I am in the stadium again and on to my family :) Aren't they adorable?

swimming 028

2010-05-26T15:32:00.001-06:00

Springtime is here and the pool is opened! The kids were ecstatic to start swimming again. I was a little worried that the kids would need a few weeks of review before I could safely let them off the steps but they're both picking right back up where they left off. Dallin is making huge improvements! He can climb out of the pool at the deep end by himself, with water wings on, no easy feat. When he kicks, it slowly propels him forward! (last year he went backwards as often as not) He jumps in by himself (with water wings) and will do "bobs" and blow bubbles, and open his eyes under water.

Hailey can almost swim all the way across the pool by herself, actually I'm sure she can do it but she hasn't yet. She loves diving for my keys at the three foot marker and she's doing so well without her goggles from last year. She has discovered the joy of somersaults, both front and back, and rather than hurrying along she is spending more and more time just relaxing under the water, practicing her mermaid swim. She jumps in by herself and swims back to the edge and can climb out from any spot in the pool unaided. We're working on her dives and cannon balls, and she is LOVING it. I couldn't be more proud of my two little fishies.

swimming 024.MOV

2010-05-26T15:23:00.000-06:00

Bikes

2010-05-15T13:12:00.001-06:00

This year with our tax return we were going to finally buy a new couch as ours is pretty beat up. However, sometimes things just don't go as planned. I probably should have posted pictures of our couch, but it's kind of embarrassing lol. We bought new bikes for me and the kids instead (Keeton already has one). This is how we decided/rationalized: couch-we'd be more comfortable while watching movies and playing games, bikes- family activity, couch- will look better when we have company over, bikes- exercise/ good for our bodies, couch- ... that was all we could come up with lol bikes- easier/faster than walking the kids to the library/store/park (we used to walk a lot) What it boiled down to was this, did we want to spend our money on something that looked nice but promoted idleness? or something that brought our family together and promoted activity. We went with the bikes, and it has been the best tax return purchase ever! Dallin is getting used to having brakes but every day he becomes more and more confident, it's awesome to watch him learn! Hailey is so much faster now! I think next time I run I'll let her tag along, it will be fun to have company. Today Keeton helped her take off her training wheels for a little while. She was so excited to try, and she did really well for her first time. I think confidence is everything and the rest comes with practice. She went all of 2 seconds without Keeton holding on to the back but it was 2 seconds better than she'd ever done before! I'm so proud of her! Keeton rides his bike to work and back (which leaves us the car) however I hardly need it anymore! Throw the kids in the trailer and haul them around behind the bike. I love it! Best investment ever!

Keeton turns 26!

2010-05-12T09:26:00.005-06:00

26 things we love about Keeton

1. He has never been afraid (or too stubborn) to say sorry, whether he was in the wrong or not.

2. He eats his veggies just to set a good example for the kids even when it's all he can do to hold back the gag reflex.

3. He still surprises me, I'm still learning new things about/with him.

4. He never loses his temper

5. He supports me fully in reaching every goal I set for myself.

6. He still has milk and toast almost every night before bed.

7. When I'm sick he takes care of me and makes me rest whether I want to or not. (so pushy)

8. Even when he says something insulting, he does it so innocently and without any kind of malice that I could take no more offense from it than when Dallin tells me I have a big tummy. (though I do tease him relentlessly afterwards)

9. He works so I can stay home with the kids, and that is his reason, not so we can have nice things.

10. His sense of humor, and that he cries when he laughs.

11. I love him so much and I know that we'll be together forever and we'll never lose each other (Hailey)

12. He's seen me at my very worst and he still wants to be with me.

13. He loves and looks up to his dad.

14. His self control

15. He wrestles with the kids every day when he comes home from work

16. He's the man of the house and we all look to him but he always wants my ideas and opinions, we're a team and we rely on each other.

17. He watches me ride my bike. (Dallin)

18. He doesn't hold a grudge.

19. His testimony that we've only heard a few times for family home evening but we've witnessed every day by the choices he makes.

20. He laughs softly at me when I burn the beans or cry at a sappy movie. (Sounds kind of mean, I know, but I've come to realize that he's laughing because he loves my imperfections, my silliness and weaknesses, so now when he laughs it's like he's wrapping his arms around me and telling me he loves me)

21. I like it when he snuggles me. (Dallin)

22. His height.

23. His competitive spirit.

24. His priorities, he's practical and he puts family first no matter what!

25. He loves playing with k'nex. When he takes them out he gets a twinkle in his eye and he reminds me of a six year old on Christmas lol.

26. His desire to be involved. Holidays, birthdays, family home evening, family prayer, he brings all of us closer together because he wants to spend the time, it's important to him.

We love you so much Keeton, thanks for being you!

2010-05-09T15:44:00.005-06:00

This morning we slept in until 7:30, the kids were up before we were and I could hear Dallin talking to Vovo (Keeton's parents were here for the weekend). I got out of bed, went to the bathroom, checked on the kids, said good morning to Dixie, and came back to my room to have a shower before breakfast. Keeton heard me come back in and called me back to bed. He sat up in bed gave me the very best good morning hug of my life and told me that he loved me. I had a shower, got out, dried my hair, put on my Sunday best, and headed to the kitchen. I started to make pancakes and only after I'd poured the first three on the griddle did I realize I'd forgotten the sugar... I added sugar, set the table, set out the kids' Sunday clothes. Keeton was reviewing his lesson (teaching a Sunday school lesson for later in the day) and we had a little old testament trivia before breakfast (well, they did, I listened lol). We ate breakfast, every last pancake, I worried that I hadn't made enough, everyone assured me that they'd had their fill, everyone except Dallin, who doesn't know the meaning of the word "full" so he finished off the frozen blueberries. Dixie braided Hailey's hair. I loaded the dishwasher and put on my makeup. Keeton gathered our Church things together (snacks, colouring books, scriptures, things like that) Hailey brought out our church shoes, Dallin finished his blueberries and needed to to brush his teeth and wash his face, I'm afraid he still went to church looking like he'd swallowed a bottle of ink. I put on Dallin's church clothes (while he wiggled and danced and ran in circles) then we all walked Vovo and Pops out to their truck and said goodbye and happy Mother's Day again, have a safe trip and the like. It was sunny outside, and warm, it was going to be a beautiful day. As we walked back inside to grab our church things and load up our car I admired the small yellow and purple flowers that the kids picked out for me the day before for Mothers Day. The kids ran outside on the lawn while they waited for us. Keeotn took me aside again and told me he loved me, that he was thankful for all I did for our family, and he meant it. He took our bags, and the kids and got in the car, I made us late because I was looking for a safety pin in the house, when I finally walked out to the car it was only to remember that I'd left my binder on the counter. Keeton turned off the car, gave me the keys so I could run back to the house (in heels) unlock the door, grab my binder and run back (again, in heels). We're late but Hailey told me that it was ok though because we were only a little bit late . We drove to church, hurried out of the car, Keeotn took Dallin and I took Hailey, we all went to our own classes, There were only 4 kids in my primary class (makes for an easier day) sharing time was about repentance, we went to our own class, my kids were amazing, they knew this stuff already and were so reverent and eager to share, I was amazed. Back for closing exercises, my kids were angels,we are dismissed, I grab Hailey and we head to the chapel for Sacrament meeting, Dallin and Keeton are waiting there for us. Dallin coloured a picture of a boy and if he didn't really stay in the lines, he did a great job of filling it all in. I sat by Keeton, the kids were excited for snacks. The primary stood up and sang songs for their mothers, Hailey was in the front row and I could hear her loud and clear. I was tearing up at my sweet little girl singing her heart out even when she forgot some of the words. 3 songs and she knew 2 of the three, not so bad :) She sat back down beside me and gave me a big hug and told me that she loved me. I believed her. After 3 wonderful talks about mothers we went home. Dallin told me that he sang popcorn popping in nursery. Keeotn made lunch for all of us. Leftovers for me, mac and cheese for the kids and himself. He layed down beside Dallin and they're both sleeping right now. Hailey and I sent a Mothers Day e-card to Gran who's on vacation in Greece right now.

Nothing bad has happened, nothing particularly amazing either, it's one small deed of kindness after another. I would say it's a pretty typical Mothers Day for our family. But for some reason I think it might just be the best ever. I am spilling over with emotion right now, I feel so full. Bring ye all the ^atithes into the storehouse, that there may be ^bmeat in mine house, and ^cprove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not ^dopen you the ^ewindows of heaven, and pour you out a ^fblessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. Surely I must be living this principle because I am definitely receiving the blessings that are promised. I really feel loved and appreciated. I feel needed and taken care of. I feel safe and secure. I guess that's what families do.

Little brother

2010-04-15T10:00:00.005-06:00

{Well I just got home from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. My little brother graduated from Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School! But not only did he graduate, he graduated at the top of his class! He was presented with the Commandant's Trophy for top student and demonstrating the most desirable qualities in a career service member. He also received the highest scores for male athlete in his platoon and basically kicked butt all round. I'm so proud of him! Now Tyrell is off to Borden, Ontario to complete his schooling to be a vehicle technician. Borden is where our Grandpa Weaver went to boot camp so it's kind of special that Tyrell will be on the same base.}

That was my blog from April, 2009. Now a year later I'm overflowing with pride once again. Tyrell is graduating tomorrow and he just found out that he's in the top three of his class! (not sure yet which of the top three positions) He was surprised, "where were those marks in high school?" he said. I think this time around Tyrell wanted it, he wanted to excel and not just finish.

I think we all have an idea in our head of what our limitations are, we think, "I can run 2 miles before I hurt so bad I'm going to die", or "I can average 70% on hard tests, but anything more than that would be a miracle". Most of the time our expectations of ourselves fall short of our true potential. Tyrell just kicked butt! He's proud of himself and deservedly so, he just pushed himself mentally and physically and found out what he's made of. I'm so proud of you Rel!

Nicholas Tyrell

(my two brothers, 16 and 22)

Field Trip

2010-04-12T12:54:00.000-06:00

Today Hailey's pre-school went on a field trip to the fire station. All I can say is, I can't believe we haven' t gone before now! It was so much fun! The kids were really well behaved and SO excited! There were 15 kids (not including babies). While we were there looking at the trucks a call came in and we watched them in action ( actually by the time we made it to the back wall and out of their road they were already driving off) it was Dallin's favorite part, the lights were flashing and the big doors opened up and they were gone. They showed us around the building and the kids got to climb up on the trucks and look at all their gear. A few of the little boys in particular were in HEAVEN! If only we could have slid down the pole... ok well maybe not the kids, but the parents?

Easter pics

2010-04-05T16:01:00.001-06:00

Another Night at the Hutchins'

2010-03-23T08:20:00.002-06:00

Well, it is official, my darling 2 year old now knows how to throw a tantrum. It has been a long week, I'm physically and mentally exhausted and I know that I'm only at the starting line of an uphill race. Yesterday was tough, there was hitting and screaming, and time-outs and kicking, and spankings, and a lot of tears. Complete and utter defiance, if I asked him to sit down, he stood up, if I told him to stand up, he sat down... Most of the drama was in the AM, I was completely spent by noon, and Dallin decided he is done having naps, and indeed, he showed no sign of tiredness at all.

We made it through most of the afternoon without incident, however I think my "mental energy" went down about 5 notches because in addition to tantrums, Dallin has also started the "why" stage. After dinner we had a wonderful family home evening lesson about parenting... Our responsibility to restrain them from certain actions, lest the fault be placed on our own heads, to teach them what's right and wrong, remembering that they are innocent and too young to be held accountable for any wrong-doing, then last but not least a reminder that we need to be more like them. I'll admit that it did not give me an energy boost of any kind however it strengthened my resolve to stick it out, to be constant.

After FHE was shower time. We put the kids in their shower for a quick rinse and hopped in our own. We could hear them jumping and stomping and splashing (which meant the plug was down and the tub filling up) Hailey started screaming, in no time at all she was in our bathroom crying because Dallin hit her (again). I ask Hailey to go turn off her shower and come back into our bathroom and wait for us to get out. She complies, now Dallin is screaming, at this point I'm wondering why I thought quiet time was possible before 9:00 pm, Keeton has started laughing and I am glaring at him. I'm still at the shampoo stage of my shower when Hailey informs us that Dallin turned the water back on, I jump out and am in the kids' bathroom in 2 seconds flat, dripping water and suds all down the hall as I go. Sure enough the hot water has been running all a long, (I think Hailey may have turned off the shower not the water coming from the spout) so their tub is about 2 inches away from over flowing, Dallin is still screaming that he wants a shower, I pull the plug put his towel around him and run back to my own shower. Now we're out of hot water and I have to rinse, condition, and rinse again... Keeton tells Hailey and Dallin (who was in our bathroom now) to go pick out their underwear and pj's. We finish washing and get out, start drying off and peek down the hall to see if the kids had their clothes out yet. Both of them are stark naked, dripping wet, Hailey's riding her puppy dog (giant stuffed animal), Dallin is sitting in a duffel bag giggling, a duffel bag that WAS in their closet, a duffel bag that DID have all of their summer clothes packed away neatly inside, now they were scattered around the room, and ... wet...

That was the last straw for me, I was laughing and crying, not in a funny way, in a "I've lost it" way. 7:00 bed time, with the kids in separate rooms, Keeton took Dallin, I took Hailey, we were all settled down by 7:15. It could have been a lot worse, I know that, we've had a lot worse, it wasn't the end of the world, it was just another day being a parent.

After family prayer, when I gave the kids hugs and kisses good night, Dallin wrapped his little arms around my neck and squeezed with all his strength and said, "love you too mom", like nothing had happened. I know it's hard, and that we'll have more tear filled days in the future, but I love my little ones so much that I promise to always keep the fence in good repair, so when they test their boundaries they will know that they are safe, until that day when it's time for them to use the gate and build their own fences.

I know these are beer commercials but...that's Canada

2010-03-01T00:21:00.001-07:00

Last night Keeton and I were watching "I am Canadian" commercials on You Tube, we wer dying laughing, I forgot how great the beer commercials were lol I had to post a few.

Olympics

2010-02-18T10:56:00.005-07:00

I love the Olympics, not only is it cool to watch the athletes compete at what they do best, knowing that they're among the best in the world but we get to focus on each countries similarities rather than their differences. The world has the opportunity to come together in a spirit of true sportsmanship and celebrate our achievements together.

The Official Olympic Flag
Created by Pierre de Coubertin in 1914, the Olympic flag contains five interconnected rings on a white background. The five rings symbolize the five significant continents and are interconnected to symbolize the friendship to be gained from these international competitions. The rings, from left to right, are blue, yellow, black, green, and red. The colors were chosen because at least one of them appeared on the flag of every country in the world. The Olympic flag was first flown during the 1920 Olympic Games.

The Olympic Motto
In 1921, Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, borrowed a Latin phrase from his friend, Father Henri Didon, for the Olympic motto: Citius, Altius, Fortius ("Swifter, Higher, Stronger").

The Olympic Oath
Pierre de Coubertin wrote an oath for the athletes to recite at each Olympic Games. During the opening ceremonies, one athlete recites the oath on behalf of all the athletes. The Olympic oath was first taken during the 1920 Olympic Games by Belgian fencer Victor Boin. The Olympic Oath states, "In the name of all competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules that govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams."

The Olympic Creed
Pierre de Coubertin got the idea for this phrase from a speech given by Bishop Ethelbert Talbot at a service for Olympic champions during the 1908 Olympic Games. The Olympic Creed reads: "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

I don't know, it seems like there are a lot of complaints, people who think they go over board with advertising and spending. Maybe it's true, I don't think it's necessary to re-model half the city and put all other issues on the back burner until the Olympics are over but when you invite the world into your home I think it's only right to "put on your Sunday best". What bothers me is that the critics can't seem to see past the facade. These athletes have dedicated the better portion of their lives to refining their talents, to changing the sport, to becoming "the best". The amount of discipline and sacrifice that takes is incredible to me. I think they deserve the spotlight, the chance to compete. It seems like we hear story after story of overcoming the odds. Look at J.R. Celski, doctors wondered if he'd walk again after the tip of his skate tore through his thigh during the U.S. Olympic trials, let alone win a Bronze medal in the 1500m. For the most part the athletes know their competitors, they don't always like each other, but there is respect.

I know very little about many of the countries that compete but I can cheer them on, I can see that they have worked just as hard as athletes from my own country, I can respect them and you know what? now I know that the Netherlands love their speed skating, I know that Germany has a passion for the luge. Those might be really small parts of their culture, certainly not the most important, but it means that we have something in common, it means that they're not just a country on the other side of the world, they're just like us. That's sports. We all love to compete.

The Olympic torch is a tradition continued from the Ancient Olympic games. In ancient Olympia (Greece), a flame was ignited by the sun and then kept burning until the close of the games. The flame first appeared in the modern games at the 1928 games in Amsterdam. the flame itself represents purity, the pursuit of perfection and the struggle for victory. It also represents peace and friendship.

I love sports, especially at the olympics where so much emphasis is put on sportsmanlike behavior, and mutual respect.

When you look at the human race and remember that we all a family branching from the same ancestors, when you remember that we're all children of God, it makes it a little easier to truly love one another and find joy in others happiness , sorrow at others grief, and pride in each others accomplishments.

When I started writing this post I had a point that I wanted to make, there was a feeling in my heart that I wanted to get across, as usual words seem to fail me.

We Are More...

2010-02-13T09:30:00.003-07:00

Define Canada, you might say it's the home of The Rocket or The Great One, who inspired little number 9's or little number 99's but we're more than just hockey and fishing lines off the rocky coast of the maritime. And some say what defines us is something as simple as please and thank you, and as for you're welcome, well, we say that too. But we are more than gentile or civilized, we are an idea in the process of being realized. We are young, we are cultures strung together then woven into a tapestry and the design is what makes us more than the sum totals of our history. We are an experiment going right for a change, with influences that range from A to Z and yes, we say "zed" instead of "zee". We are the colours of China Town, the coffee of Little Italy. We dream so big, that there are those that would call our ambition an industry. Because we are vinyards of good year after good year. We re-forest what we clear because we believe in generations beyond our own. Knowing now that so many of us have grown past what we used to be, we can stand here today, filled with all the hope people have when they say things like "someday". Because we are more than a laundry list of things to do and places to see, more than hills to ski and country side ponds to skate. We are the abandoned hesitation of all those who can't wait. We are first rate greasy spoon diners and healthy living cafe's, a country that is all the ways you chose to live and a nation that can give you variety because we have choices. We are millions upon millions of voices shouting keep exploring. We are more, we are the surprise the world has in store for you, it's true. Canada is the "what" in "what's new". So don't let your luggage define your travels. Each life unravels differently and experiences are what make up the colours of our tapestry. We are the true north strong and free. And what's more, is that we didn't just say it, we made it be.

Shane Koyczan

This man recited his poem at the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver winter Olympics last night. I thought it was pretty cool. What doesn't Canada have? How many countries have more open space? Where in the world can you see untouched wilderness in all it's perfection like you can in Canada? Very few places. It was fun to watch Canada show off a little, it certainly doesn't happen often.

constructive criticism?

2010-02-04T18:39:00.003-07:00

So just now the kids and I were sitting on my bed drawing. I was trying to draw one of Hailey's little friends, Grace. The kids wanted to help, as tempting as the thought of bright orange markers on my sketch sounded, I had to decline. I suggested instead that they each draw their own pictures of Grace. This first picture as you may have guessed, belongs to Dallin. I started the constructive criticism by complementing his sketch and suggesting that he try drawing a circle. The next picture here is Hailey's, now I know that she looks a little furry but she was trying to give Grace really long hair. When Hailey was done her picture she proudly showed the whole family, Keeton and I were pretty impressed, Dallin however, quickly pointed out in a very concerned voice, "eyes don't match" apparently it wasn't realistic enough for our clever boy. Hailey seemed unperturbed by the criticism and continued to beam proudly over her masterpiece. My drawing was next in line and Hailey was ready to lend a critical eye. I held mine up and asked the kids what they thought so far. Hailey said "good mom, except why are you giving her a mustache!" I had to laugh. It's what I get for trying to help, next time I'll stick to congratulating them on their brilliance and let them make their own improvements in their own time lol.

Life

2010-02-03T18:19:00.005-07:00

Keeton and I have been married for 7 years now. We've done a lot of growing up together but in a lot of ways we're still the same kids we were when we met. Life has been one surprise after another, it seems like few things work out just the way we plan but that's what makes it interesting right? I'm excited to find out what the future brings. I love my husband. I love the life we've built together. I love everything about our children. Where would we be without each other? I think life would have gone on, each of us would have built a life apart from one another probably a good one, but I'm certain that it could not be better than what we have now. Thank you Keeton for by far the happiest years of my life.

skating

2010-01-23T15:52:00.001-07:00

Hailey's first time skating! She had so much fun, even when it was all she could do to stand up without falling she was still all smiles and eager to keep practicing.

We may not have it all together but together we have it all

2010-01-18T18:22:00.004-07:00

Today was a holiday so Keeton and Hailey didn't have to go to work and school. We started off our day bright and early with a cold bowl of cereal... in bed! Followed by a quick chapter from the scriptures while the kids crawled over under and around us (will this ever get easier?). Instead of family home evening today we had a fun packed 8 hour day of k'nex! My fingers are raw from snapping hundreds, probably thousands of tiny little pieces together. The kids think it's the coolest toy EVER! What makes it really cool is not the size, colours, variety of models, or the functionality of the toys but the fact that they are second generation k'nex! Keeton started building when he was about 7 and he has awesome memories of making things as big as he was. The kids were in awe.
It may not have been the most productive day but we spent every minute with all four of us working together. I love my family. It's days like these when I ask myself if everyone has this. Do other families have days like these? Days where patience and laughter come easily and things like dishes and laundry are no longer important because our whole universe is sitting on the living room floor. Was it a day lost because no chores were done, nobody got out of our pj's till after 4 in the afternoon, and I have nothing to show for my day but a giant roller coaster cluttering the living room? OR was it a day to pattern the rest of our days after?

apple pie

2010-01-12T18:26:00.002-07:00

Hailey: mommy do you remember what apple pie eats?
Mommy:...
Hailey: what does it eat mommy?
Mommy: what? apple pie?
Hailey: you know, to make him stronger! It is like salad mom.
Mommy: OH! spinach! you mean Popeye?
Hailey: ya, that's what I said, Popeye.

LOL we've been watching a lot of old cartoons lately, Popeye is the clear favorite even if she does get the name wrong from time to time.

Christmas '09

2009-12-25T17:55:00.001-07:00

This Christmas was awesome! Hailey and Dallin are loving the whole Santa thing. Santa brought Hailey a snow globe which is what she wanted more than anything! Dallin loves it too :) My brother, Tyrell was here for Christmas and New Years, man did I miss him! The kids LOVED having so much attention! Tyrell and I read a three book series about Genghis Khan. Little did we know, the Museum of Nature and Science had a Genghis Khan Exibit, and here for only a few months so it was really cool to be able to check it out and see the things that we had been reading about.

Sea level is for sissies

2009-11-22T18:32:00.003-07:00

While I love winter and all that it brings it does kinda suck for running... I've decided that I'm not much of a treadmill runner, I much prefer the great outdoors. Lately the ice and snow on sidewalks has been an easy excuse to just sleep in rather than go running each morning. Well, I've decided that I will NOT allow myself to make pitiful excuses like too much ice, snow, cold,or darkness, I WILL stay in shape through the winter if it kills me! So last night I started searching the web for motivation, I found it! The Bolder Boulder is an annual 10-kilometer road race in Boulder, Colorado. The most recent race featured over 54,000 runners, walkers, and wheelchair racers, making it the largest race in the US in which all participants are timed and the fifth largest road race in the world. It has one of the largest non-marathon prize purses in road racing.

The race culminates at the University of Colorado's Folsom Field with a Memorial Day Tribute with one of the largest Memorial Day gatherings in the United States featuring a 21-gun salute, F-18 flyovers and sky divers. Organizers have dedicated three starting waves to current and former members of the U.S. armed forces.

Obviously this isn't really an endurance race so I'll be working over the next few months on speed. I'm really excited to participate and push myself and see what I can do. I'm so psyched!

I beat you

2009-11-19T18:02:00.002-07:00

Have you ever missed something completely obvious in your own life, something about yourself or your kids or your home, until somebody else points it out to you? Then it's all you can see? Perhaps I'm not making sense, I'll explain. Keeton and I were lying in bed one night talking about the kids, I was telling him all about our day half laughing half complaining about the way they fight over who gets to take out the vacuum for me or who gets to bring me my shoes from the closet. Really, sometimes it's ridiculous, they're in tears, screaming because each wanted to be faster than the other. Well Keeton pointed out that sometimes it's good to be competitive, he said he was glad they were eager to be the fastest or the strongest rather than not caring at all and just sitting around like bumps on a log. Well let me just tell you... the word competitive just turned on the light for me. I see it now! My kids are completely 100% all the time competing! Just now, for instance, it is almost bed time and the kids had a bath, when they got out I handed them each a pair of underwear and pj's to put on... well from the second I laid their clothes out in front of them it was a race. "I'm gonna beat you!" "NO!" and they were still dripping wet trying to pull their arms through the holes. Dallin does not talk much, he still says very few things, I think it is very telling that among his first sentences were ( and clear as a bell) "I beat you!" /sigh not " I love you mamma" or " I need help" or please may I..." it had to be, " I beat you!"

Random

2009-11-19T15:56:00.003-07:00

So here are a few pictures from the past week or so. We had yet another awesome snow storm and another foot of snow. The kids and I made a snow man while Keeton made a snow "fort/wall" and pummeled us with snow balls... Well as you can imagine we weren't thrilled to have snow in our faces, down our backs, on our necks... we got him back, and poor frosty had to take a few for the team lol.

A day or two before the snow storm we had some company, Mandy and Cord had their new baby girl, Misty, here in Denver, Keeton's mom came up with Mandy's boys and we all spent a day at the park together, it was beautiful out!

Hrm, now I'm trying to remember what pictures I posted lol, OH! The family pics, I think that's all there were... The family pictures were a favor to mom, so we dutifully got out of our pj's got dressed and posed for the camera. SO not fun to take pictures when you have to, however we had some fun with the last pose, we played speed dogpile. We had ten seconds to pile on top of each other and look at the camera before the flash went off, poor Keeton had to be on the bottom while the kids and I leapt from every which direction to make it in time, we had oodles of fun of course, and Dallin especially liked it :)

Oh! as a side note, Dallin is wearing Hailey's backpack... I do not usually dress him in pink, he was being a good brother and carrying it to the car for her on her way to school.

Remember

2009-11-11T14:10:00.006-07:00

World War I was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Allies of World War I centred around the Triple Entente and the Central Powers, centred around the Triple Alliance. More than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilized in one of the largest wars in history. More than 15 million people were killed, making it one of the deadliest conflicts in history.

The assassination, on 28 June 1914, of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, is seen as the immediate trigger of the war, though long-term causes, such as imperialistic foreign policy, played a major role. The archduke's assassination at the hands of Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip resulted in demands against the Kingdom of Serbia. Several alliances that had been formed over the past decades were invoked, so within weeks the major powers were at war; with all having colonies, the conflict soon spread around the world.

By the war's end, four major imperial powers—the German, Russian, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires—had been militarily and politically defeated, with the last two ceasing to exist. The revolutionized Soviet Union emerged from the Russian Empire, while the map of central Europe was completely redrawn into numerous smaller states. The League of Nations was formed in the hope of preventing another such conflict. The European nationalism spawned by the war, the repercussions of Germany's defeat, and of the Treaty of Versailles would eventually lead to the beginning of World War II in 1939.
Bulgaria was the first to sign an armistice on 29 September 1918 at Saloniki. On 30 October the Ottoman Empire capitulated at Mudros.

On 24 October the Italians began a push which rapidly recovered territory lost after the Battle of Caporetto. This culminated in the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, which marked the end of the Austro-Hungarian Army as an effective fighting force. The offensive also triggered the disintegration of Austro-Hungarian Empire. During the last week of October declarations of independence were made in Budapest, Prague and Zagreb. On 29 October, the imperial authorities asked Italy for an armistice. But the Italians continued advancing, reaching Trento, Udine and Trieste. On 3 November Austria–Hungary sent a flag of truce to ask for an Armistice. The terms, arranged by telegraph with the Allied Authorities in Paris, were communicated to the Austrian Commander and accepted. The Armistice with Austria was signed in the Villa Giusti, near Padua, on 3 November. Austria and Hungary signed separate armistices following the overthrow of the Habsburg monarchy.

Following the outbreak of the German Revolution, a republic was proclaimed on 9 November. The Kaiser fled to the Netherlands. On 11 November an armistice with Germany was signed in a railroad carriage at Compiègne. At 11 a.m. on 11 November 1918—"the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month"—a ceasefire came into effect. Opposing armies on the Western Front began to withdraw from their positions. Canadian Private George Lawrence Price is traditionally regarded as the last soldier killed in the Great War: he was shot by a German sniper at 10:57 and died at 10:58.

The total number of casualties in World War I, both military and civilian, were about 37 million: 16 million deaths and 21 million wounded. The total number of deaths includes 9.7 million military personnel and about 6.8 million civilians. The Entente Powers (also known as the Allies) lost 5.7 million soldiers and the Central Powers about 4 million.

In 1915 US professor Moina Michael inspired by the poem published a poem of her own in response, called We Shall Keep the Faith. In tribute to the opening lines of McCrae's poem -- "In Flanders fields the poppies blow / Between the crosses row on row," -- Michael vowed to always wear a red poppy as a symbol of remembrance for those who served in the war. Thus the plant became a symbol for the dead World War I soldiers.

In many Commonwealth countries, artificial, paper or plastic versions of this poppy are worn to commemorate the sacrifice of veterans and civilians in World War I and other wars, during the weeks preceding Remembrance Day on November 11. In the United States, it is common practice to wear "Buddy Poppies" (artificial, paper or plastic versions sold by the Veterans of Foreign War) during the weeks preceding Memorial Day, the last Monday in May to commemorate the sacrifice of veterans in the various wars; whereas Veterans Day on November 11 is used to honor "living" veterans. It has been adopted as a symbol by The Royal British Legion in their Poppy Appeal.

In Canada, poppies are distributed by the Royal Canadian Legion and the Anavets organization each fall prior to Remembrance Day. The design of the Canadian poppy consists of petals made of red plastic with a felt lining and black centre held on by a pin. In 1980, the Royal Canadian Legion formed a committee to decide the future of the poppy and it was decided that the centre should be changed to green to represent the green fields of France.