Sunlight and Dust

This morning I was in my room with Jaydin sorting clean laundry to be distributed to the appropriate owner. My room is on the east side of the house so the morning sun was coming in the window. Jaydin suddenly started saying "Shoo, shoo" over and over again. Thinking maybe there was a fly or other bug I turned to see what he was shoo-ing. He was trying to get the specks of dust out of the air. He must not have ever noticed the sun catching dust before. It was pretty funny.

Easter at our house

Easter at our house was eventful as ever...meaning we stayed at home and didn't do anything exciting. The Easter Bunny had fun going for cheap and easy. Each kid got one unique item that was $3 or less and then a bunch of candy. They were all in heaven. I love it that my kids get excited over stuff that's cheap. It balances out the requests for iPods and cell phones. :)

My kids love VeggieTales so when I saw the Larry the Cucumber suckers for $1 I had to get them. Isn't he cute? :)

Jaydin was very excited to see Larry. However, he must not have thought it tasted very good because after a taste he promptly fed it to the dog. The other 3 ate theirs without complaint so they must not have been too bad. :)

While Easter shopping I realized that Jaydin didn't have any shorts or short-sleeved T-shirts. Since we are already in the 80's I thought that he needed some. This set also came with a white tank top for only $9. I love Walmart!

Kierstin has been asking for a jump rope. She was very excited that the Easter Bunny remembered.

As you can see, she's a pro already.

All the kids got the Reeses carrot but I liked this picture of Brydin better than the one of him with his Pez. :)

Landin specially requested his gift. He received it against my better judgement. He's 12 and finds this kind of thing amusing...I don't. Whatever. It's a wind up bunny who has jelly beans for droppings. The kids got a kick out of it.

Here's Jaydin waiting patiently for his siblings to get outside so they could hunt for eggs. He was being cute and likes his picture taken so I complied.

He got his own area for eggs. Nice and easy. He had a blast.

Then he chased his sister around. Kierstin thought she was so cool finding all those eggs. I made her count how many she had out loud and wouldn't let the big boys start until she hit 7.


All those eggs he found and he was the most excited about the golf ball he found. Sigh.... Oh well...he was more excited about the eggs when he discovered they had candy in them. :)


As soon as I gave them the go-ahead the boys tore off the porch trying to beat each other to the eggs they had already seen. I was amased...when we did a final count they actually managed to almost get the same amount. Landin and Jaydin each found 10, Kierstin 11, and Brydin 9. I had Kierstin give Brydin 1 so everyone had the same amount of candy and everyone was happy. I was even more happy when Kierstin didn't argue about giving up 1 of her eggs. :) Of course, they were so hyped up on sugar that they weren't about to sit still for 4 hours of conference so I gave them a break for my sanity since they had done well on Saturday. In the evening we had them watch "To This End Was I Born" so we had some kind of religion for them to commemorate the religious holiday rather than just the fun pagan stuff. I thought it was a decent balance. :)

I have joined the ranks of Facebook...

Okay...I caved in today and signed up for Facebook. I'll make an attempt to update something at some kind of intervals but no promises. :) I sent a bunch of friend requests out but had some difficulty with the word verification box not allowing me to type in it. :) If you want to be my friend and I didn't send out a request don't be offended....it probably didn't work or I couldn't find you because you have a similar name as other people. :) Send me a request and we can hook up that way. :)

Facebook?

Okay...so I was slow to the world of blogging and am still not the best blogger out there...but I participate and use it to let people who care know what's going on with me and my family. However, I don't get Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. What is their purpose? Are they blogs? Why do people keep inviting me? What would I do if I decided to join Facebook? Would I even have anyone follow me there? Maybe so since I keep getting invited. :) Can anyone fill me in? What's the difference between a blog and Facebook?

Snow Day!!!!

So...I woke up this morning at my normal "get the kids to school" time and looked out the window and forgot where I was living. I quickly remembered when I looked at the school district website and saw that school was canceled for the day. :) Of course by that time we already had 1 1/2 inches and by 10:00 we had 3-4 inches which around here is like 3-4 feet. The news is advising people not to be on the roads if they don't have to be. Granted around here they don't have any facilities to clear snow away.

On a happier note, this was Jaydin's first experience with real snow. He couldn't wait to get outside and play in it. Kierstin doesn't really remember snow but she was determined to show him how to build a snowman. When her kind older brothers reminded her that she didn't know how to build one herself she told them that it didn't matter she could figure it out and they could both figure out their first snowman together. No snowmen were actually attempted but some snowballs did get thrown and many new tracks were made in the backyard.

I'm freaking people out again

I'm not sure if it's a blessing or not, but I have this tendancy to smile at times when others would be either fighting mad or in hysterical tears. The first time I noticed it was when my dad died. Don't get me wrong...I cried when he died and can still tear up now if I let myself. However, at my dad's funeral I was smiling and even laughing a little. After it was over I came back into the chapel and was thanking my friends who had come to the funeral like I was thanking them for coming to a party I was having. I wasn't forcing anything or faking or in shock. I genuinely felt that way. I saw several head shakes and had one person comment on my smile. I was freaking them out.

Now again I'm freaking people out. Last Thursday I joined the ranks of victims of corporate downsizing. I'm still smiling. I hated the job and was trying to figure out how to get a new one without having to pay back last year's tuition. Now, not only do I not have to pay back the tuition, but my last semester will still be paid for. I'm basically on vacation until 3/5 while I'm still on payroll but don't have to show up for work. So I get a whole month to have my last leg of school finished without having to worry about finances. I got a decent severance package and will qualify for unemployment. Billy and I figure that between that and unemployment we should be okay financially for about 10 months. I'm optimistic that I can find a job...somewhere in the country...in 10 months. We've moved across the country for a job before...what's the big deal with doing it again if there isn't a job here?

So I smile...and it's real...and it freaks people out. What can I do? :)

Odd jobs anyone? :)

Landin is working on his Personal Management merit badge. This requires him to select an item for purchase that our family considers expensive. He then has to make a plan on how to earn the money and save accordingly. Our family income is enough to pay the bills but not enough to give 4 kids an allowance too. This means in order to manage his money he needs to earn some first. :) He has decided that he will hire himself out for odd jobs and babysitting. He is 12 and in 7th grade and is good with his younger siblings (though I don't think he's quite up to care for an infant alone yet...a child older than 2 would be fine though). He listed mowing lawns and misc. yard work or "whatever you just haven't gotten around to" as suggestions. I realize that it is January and the grass isn't exactly growing much but if your yard needs to be cleaned or something along those lines and you would like to hire a 12-year-old feel free to contact us. :)

Kierstin and the Frog

When the Girl Scout office had their training for the girls to learn about selling cookies they told them about a drawing for an enormous plush frog that they could enter if they went to the goal website, made a goal poster on the site, printed it out and took it to the GS office. Kierstin was happy to oblige and entered. I got an e-mail today saying that she had actually won the stupid thing! It is as big as she is! She has creatively named it "Froggy" and is sleeping with it tonight. :)

Girl Scout Cookie time again!!

I can't believe it has been a whole year! If anyone wants some Girl Scout cookies let me know. :) Kierstin and I will be going to a real GS camp this year and she is sooooooo excited she can hardly stand it. So mom wants to sell as many cookies as possible so that not much comes out of pocket. :) If anyone wants to come by our booth tomorrow we'll be at the Walgreens on Abe St from 12-2.

Kierstin's Sunday "dress"

This happened a couple weeks ago but there was no camera cord so it's getting posted now. :) It was Sunday morning and I was scrambling to get 6 people dressed and ready to go. Now that Landin is 12 and has been passing the Sacrament he's been wearing a white shirt and tie to church without fail (and usually without complaint). I told Kierstin to get dressed for church. This is what she came back with....

The tie is left over from infant brothers but actually fit her. She actually had a white shirt of her own. Unfortunately, the shorts were cotton/poly....and umm....shorts. I made her put on a skirt instead but let her wear the rest to church. I was very amused. :)

Pictures from Christmas

So today we cleaned...and cleaned...and cleaned. Guess what was found...the cord for the camera. We are now fully downloaded, recharged and cord stowed in a more secure (and findable) location. Here are the pics I couldn't download before...

Landin actually went to his room and brought his presents back into the living room for me to take his picture. I'm shocked....no comments at all! :)
One of those games Brydin is holding is also Landin's but it didn't matter enough to make sure it was in Landin's picture too. :)

Kierstin loved the new Sunday dress from Grandma. When she opened it she said, "A new dress! I've never had one before!" Umm....what have you been wearing to church for the last 6 years baby girl? :) Yes, she has way more stuff than the boys but let's face it....they want expensive stuff and of her stuff was under $5. Same amount spent...looks way cooler in a picture. :)

I'm shocked Jaydin actually sat still for the picture. I don't remember what there were two of but he was intent on making sure I knew that. Maybe he's getting an early start for flashing the peace sign.

Kierstin told me a month or so ago that she wanted to learn to sew so she got this little kit that has 5 different projects in it. It teaches them to do three-four different sewing techniques including needlepoint and cross-stitch, mostly with plastic canvas. However, this project involved sewing together a little bear and stuffing him. I'll take a picture of her with the finished product. It turned out pretty cute and she loved it!

11th and 12th days of Christmas

Our last 2 installments of 12 Days of Christmas were 11 pieces of fudge with pecans and today we got a pack of candy canes. The kids love treats so of course it was a hit. :) Thanks to those who selected us to have fun with them this year!

Merry Christmas!

We had a good morning this morning! Yea! No major fights or arguments. Whew! We even got to sleep in until 7 this morning! Holy Cow! The big boys were already awake but nicely followed directions and stayed in their rooms. It didn't take much to wake up Kierstin. We knew better to wake up Jaydin so he slept until he was ready to be awake.

Billy had himself some extra fun. He had helped wrapped some of the gifts and had nicely wrapped Jaydin's preschool computer game and labeled it as being for Landin (12). Then he took Landin's very much wanted Weird Al CD and labeled it as being for Jaydin. So since Jaydin was not awake while the rest of the kids were opening gifts Landin opened the preschool game and when the rest of his presents were opened he didn't have the one thing he had really really wanted. I was panicking because I didn't know Billy had played that trick and thought I had lost one of Landin's gifts. It was all fine when Jaydin woke up and the Weird Al CD was discovered. Whew!

Jaydin had a blast opening gifts. He either shrieked the name of the gift or AWESOME! Every time he opened something. It was very cute.

I did take pictures but I don't know where the cord to the camera is. As soon as I find it I will post the pictures I took. :)

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Track Santa's sleigh!

December 24 2 am MT through December 25 3 am MT you can call 1-877-HI-NORAD and find out where Santa is. You can also go to www.noradsanta.org and see Santa's progress via radar. How fun! :)

The 10th/9th Day of Christmas

Tonight we got 9 homemade, hand decorated sugar cookies...and a cute note apologizing for being out of order. :) The kids were totally excited about the cookies...of course. :) Kudos for coming out in the rain tonight.

Christmas Days updates and a busy weekend

Sorry for the lapse in updates...I've had "complaints". LOL! Sorry Amber! So on the 6th day we got 6 microwave popcorn bags and 6 cans of root beer. On the 7th day we got 7 chocolate covered pretzel rods (mommy got 2 yummy!). On the 8th day we got one of those Livesavers books with 8 rolls of candy. Tonight we got....Phase 10. The kids love that game and the cards seem to always go missing so we actually needed a new set. :) The kids are in heaven. :)

So this weekend...the stake's dry pack canner got put to some good use. For those not in my stake...about a year or two ago the stake Relief Society bought a machine that seals the #10 cans. Last year I bought a pallet of empty #10 cans (about 500). We've made some runs to the church cannery for the ward but hadn't really used a whole bunch of them. Well...a week or two ago we got a dispersement from Billy's school and went shopping at Sam's Club. We had a ton of food but here in this town there is an excess of bugs. This means it can't stay in the original packaging or it will be nasty when we want to eat it. Luckily the stake RS president is in our ward and doesn't live far so I borrowed the canner. We canned beans, rice, pasta, oatmeal, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, baking soda, corn starch, feminine products...whew! In case of emergency...come to our house! We're stocked. In case you were wondering...you can fit a month's worth of feminine products in one #10 can and have an assortment of things. We also put a couple of card games and bandages in one. Who knows? Maybe we'll have a flood. LOL! Anyway...we just wanted to be able to use it instead of paying for it and then getting bugs....and Billy wants the cans used up. :) It took hours to do all of that but our food storage looks pretty good.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas

Five pieces of a little village. Very cute! :) It will be at least 2 years before it will be on display. It is breakable. Jaydin doesn't leave things alone. LOL!

On the Fourth Day of Christmas....

Four things to color....individually wrapped and addressed to a specific child (all spelled correctly I might add, quite a feat). Jaydin was already asleep so he hasn't opened his yet but Kierstin was ecstatic over her color book and crayons and the older boys thought the race car felt/velvet color posters were pretty cool. I've thought about buying those before and just never did. I'm interested to see how they turn out. :)

On the 3rd Day of Christmas....

The guys came home from from scouts to a little box. In it? Two kitchen towels and a potholder. All three winter festive causing Jaydin (3) to call out Frosty the Snowman! Potholders in our house are a rare commodity...they always seem to disappear at the most inconvenient times. Why kids would take potholders to play with is beyond me. Another is always appreciated. :)

12 Days of Christmas...How fun!

It seems that we have been selected as the recipients of the 12 Days of Christmas from someone. The kids are so excited they can't even stand it. :) On Monday, Landin and I returned home from his band concert to find a candle and an article about the 12 Days of Christmas and the symbolism behind it. It was very interesting. I'll put it at the bottom of this post. The candle has been burning if I am awake and at home. It smells amazing! Last night was very cute too. They gave us 2 Christmas Tree-shaped Magna Doodles, one for Kierstin and one for Jaydin.

If our benefactors happen to be among the few who read my blog...THANK YOU! It is always fun to do stuff like this. I'm grateful that someone thought of us for this year. Also, a friendly warning. Even beginning yesterday Landin wanted to watch out his bedroom window to catch the person in the act. His room is the only one in the front (on the Avenue N side of the house). If you want to maintain your secrecy I recommend approaching the porch from the other side. :) I'll do my best to keep kids out of the kitchen window but I work late Thursday and Friday and no guarantees that Billy will. LOL.

Anyway...here is the article by David Crowder called "'12 Days of Christmas' is no nonsense, but a serious riddle"

It is Christmastime, a time to give, a time to receive, a time of celebration and a time of caroling.

And among the songs we have sung over and over again and eventually memorized, though not easily, is "The 12 Days of Christmas."

The melody is wonderful but the words are mystery, even to many longtime Roman Catholics for whom it was written in the first place.

What may seem a children's song of silly riddles and repetition like "Old McDonald Had a Farm" once had a very serious purpose in times that were, for Roman Catholics, very serious.

After Henry VIII of England broke with the Pope of Rome and the Roman Catholic Church in 1533, the church was banned. Its vast property holdings were taken away and distributed among the royal families in return for their loyalty, its churches and monasteries were destroyed and from 1558 until 1829, its adherents were forbidden from practicing their religion.

But Catholicism survived despite the persecution, and somewhere along the line, someone wrote this innocent-sounding carol to help preserve it.

The song was, in fact, a coded message young Catholics were taught, which embodied some of the basic tenets of their faith -- a catechism lesson of sorts.

And this is what it really meant:

"On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree," the song begins.

The "true love" referred to the father God and the partridge in a pear tree to Jesus Christ upon the cross.

"On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, two turtle doves," referred to the Old and New Testaments.

The third gift, three French hens stood for faith, hope and charity or love.

The four calling birds were the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Five golden rings represented the five scrolls of the Jewish Torah or Law, which are the first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Six geese a-laying? Simple, the six days of creation.

The seven swans a-swimming stood for the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord.

Eight maids a-milking reminded children of the eight beatitudes listed in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5), beginning with "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God." Jesus went on to bless those who mourn, who are meek, who hunger and thirst after righteousness, who are merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers and who are persecuted for their righteousness.

The nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

Ten lords a-leaping was the code for the Ten Commandments.

The 11 pipers piping referred to the 11 faithful apostles.

And, at last, "On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, 12 drummers drumming."

They recalled the 12 points of belief expressed in the Apostles' Creed: the belief in God the father, the son and the holy spirit, that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, made man, crucified, died and arose on the third day, that he sits at the right had of the father and will come again, the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting.

May this give new meaning to "The 12 Days of Christmas," and may Christmas mean something new to you this year.