The True Meaning of Christmas

It doesn't matter how often I put up the nativity scene. I put the stable in the background with Mary and Jesus standing in back of Baby Jesus in the manger. I put the three wisemen to one side and the shepherds and lamb on the other side. I put the angel on top... and it all looks beautiful. But then, something happens. My kids see it and immediately go and arrange it THEIR way. They put Baby Jesus in the middle and surround Him by everyone.

And you know what? I think that's how it should be. We should surround ourselves around Jesus. He is the perfect example of how to live our lives. It is because of Him that I have anything and everything that I have. If only I could always remember that. Life is easier when everything is focused on Him. So, maybe that's how the Nativity should be set up. Maybe it's okay to have everyone surrounding Jesus. It's a good reminder to me of the importance of letting Him be the focus of this approaching season. He WILL be at the center of my home this holiday, and always.

Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for:

My kids that I adore

That my kids are healthy and happy

My family, even though I miss them terribly

My house and neighborhood

My friends

That I get to be so involved with my kids

A few hours of peace a week where I can get things done!

My car

My kids' teachers

Books

Christmas shopping

Santa and the magic of it all

Turkey and all the fixin's

No more school this week

And most of all, that my sweet husband is home and we can finally spend time together!

Astrological Signs

Okay, so something made me start thinking about astrological signs. Dave has been in India for ten days (I can say that now because no crazy stalker will realize my husband is gone and he finally comes home tonight (as if, but you can't be too careful!) Well, I haven't been able to play Bunko in the last few months because Amelia has had cheerleading. I wanted to go this month so bad, so I already arranged a babysitter because I knew Dave was gone. They ended up canceling it though, for the first time in five years...so I got together with a good friend and a neighbor of hers that I don't know very well. We had the best time ever! Then my friend was inviting us to Savannah for St. Patrick's Day, and I was like, "Ya, and we can celebrate my birthday!!!" And they said, "YOUR birthday???? MY birthday!!!!" at the same time! We are all Aries girls and we had just spent the last three hours talking and laughing and just had so much in common, even though there are quite a few years in age difference.

Now I know there is supposed to be "evil" or something that goes along with the signs. But, I really don't know enough about any of that to know ANYTHING. Does anyone want to explain it? I just thought that it all just goes along with the time of the year you are born and certain personality traits go along with that sign. When I read this thing (below) that I just pulled up, it does seem pretty right-on, but if I read the other signs, could I make those fit in to my personality too? I mean, do we just fit the things in because that's what are "sign" is? I really don't know. Meanwhile, watch out! This Aries Girl can be a real &^#&!

Photo courtesy of Amelia: Please ignore the Kroger stickers...dude, I'm such a nerd.

Aries live life head first; after all, those horns on your head are not just for fighting. Your headstrong nature can make you a "battering ram" and woe is the person who stands in your way.Aries are noted for courage and leadership qualities, primarily because you are nearly always ready for action. The need for excitement pushes you into new territory -- and as long as you are ahead of others while demonstrating confidence, chances are that they will follow you. As self-ordained leader of the pack, Aries fight for what you believe to be important. But it's not that Aries are fearless. Your courage is more of a commitment to face your fears and overcome them.Aries motto is "Ready, fire, aim!" It may be backwards for others, but you'd rather figure out what to do while you are doing it. Impulsive actions, however, can bring you your share of trouble. While others are gathering information to make informed decisions, you are already on your way. As such, you could suffer from false starts. In fact, you Aries are so good at starting things that you can be off onto your next project before completing the previous one. As you Aries mature, you learn to slow down your reaction time in order to think about the consequences of your actions.

Element: FireFire signs are naturally warm. A fire gives light and heat, but it doesn't get depleted as others feed on its warmth. One candle can bring light to a room and it won't burn any faster if ten people read from its light than if there was only one. Fire doesn't plan it next move; it isn't logical. It simply is in the moment and will burn what fuel is available without judgment or forethought. For this reason fire signs can successfully rely on their intuition and survival instincts.The fire of Aries is spontaneous and hot. It's like a pile of dry kindling that burns fast but cannot sustain itself for the long haul.

First House: SelfThe First House symbolizes our physical body and our personality -- how we appear to the outer world. It's not necessarily who we are; it's what we bring to a situation and how others see us. It represents our childhood, the beginning of any activity or even the start of a new relationship. It's not, however, about the other person; it's about how others see us. No doubt, everything starts with the First House.

Key Planet: Mars Mars is called the "Angry Red Planet." In Greek mythology, Mars was the God of War. But Mars isn't only about fighting; it's about going somewhere, going anywhere. If someone is in our path, then, perhaps we must fight with them in order to keep going. Mars is like the gas pedal of our bodies. It's represents how we move forward in life. In any chart, Mars offers clues as to how we express our basic energy. As the key planet of Aries, it reminds us to "just do it."

Aries Greatest Strength: Your courage to overcome fear

Aries Possible Weakness:Not finishing things you start

A Christmas Idea

I took the Girl Scouts on a serious shopping spree yesterday to buy Christmas for a little girl. So, now I'm totally in the Christmas Spirit. I read this idea a few years ago and never did anything about it until now:

Gather all the children's Christmas books you can find in your house and wrap them up individually and put them in a basket. Each night in December let the kids take turns picking one and opening it to read that night. I don't know about you, but it seems like all of my books don't get read and this will be such a fun new tradition to start!

I am IT!

I have been tagged by one of my oldest friends (not in age, in friendship-age), Jayme.

Here are the rules which you must abide by if you are tagged:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs

Seven Random Facts about Me...

1. Growing up I hated cheese, tacos, nachos, milk, apple pie, anything pumpkin and salsa. Now these are some of my favorite foods in the world.

2. I get up and work out and shower and get completely ready before I wake anyone else up...every day. Some days I wonder why, when it's one of those days that I am just driving the kids to school and then coming home to clean, but I always do.

3. I find complete satisfaction in saving money. I shop for Christmas starting the day after Christmas and continue it all year long. I buy my nephews and nieces their birthday presents months before their birthday. I spend an hour each Sunday clipping coupons and planning the week's menu according to the sale items at Kroger.

4. I love camping and being outside more than anything in the world. It makes me feel happy and care-free.

5. I don't hang out with anyone that knew me pre-kids. Sometimes I wish they knew things about me before I was a mom, like how well I danced --even in college, that I did graduate from the U with a 3.9, that I had a career that I was proud of and did well at, and whatever. I don't know why it matters, but I feel like some of my identity was washed away with motherhood.

6. I love to meet new people. Today, for example, I called a mom off Mikayla's preschool list and am meeting her for lunch. I love meeting moms through my kids, ladies through scrapbooking, and neighbors. And I LOVE hanging out. Later today, five ladies and eight kids are coming over for a HAIR party. (Nan, too bad you and Sherrie aren't here.)

7. I have an addiction to multi-tasking. I wish I could do one thing at a time, but I can't. I drive and talk on the phone, watch t.v. and catch up on my planner, blog and dress Polly Dolls, etc.

Now I am tagging:

1: Chellie
2. Candace
3. Audri
4. Jessi
5. D
6. Dave Riddle
7. Ryker

Pay It Forward

Okay, I played a game on Chell's blog and I received an amazing package in the mail yesterday, so now it's my turn!

If you are one of the first three to comment you will receive a fun little gift from me! Here are the rules:You must be one of the first 3 people to comment requesting to join the exchange.The only thing you have to do in return is "pay it forward" by making the same promise to 3 people on your blog. (So, you must have a blog to participate.)

If you are one of the first three, please send me your mailing address to:
Chaunette4@hotmail.com

Since I only have about three people that comment my blog, this should be easy! BUT, you better hurry and comment, because I have a few people that read my blog and never comment...maybe this time they will!

P.S. On an unrelated note: Don't forget in the busy-ness of the holidays that are fast-approaching to pray for those sweet missionaries out there. If anyone wants to do a little FHE project and write to a missionary or send a little something, let me know, and I'll give you his address. He was the first of his friends to leave, and I want him to feel loved and supported... even from my friends that don't know him!

The Great Outdoors

I love camping. I love everything about it (well, not packing up). I love to get all set up and sit by the campfire and make a yummy dinner because no matter what we have, everything tastes good in the outdoors. One time Dave and I were camping in Arches (pre-kids) and brought two cans of chili and a loaf of bread. We didn't have a stove and we forgot a can opener. We used a knife to open the cans and sternos to heat it and dipped the bread in the chili and it was fabulous! We are much more advanced now, but it doesn't even matter!

Then we make s'mores....mmmm, s'mores! This last weekend at Tallulah Gorge, we invited the neighbor boys camping next to us to join us. The girls made friends with them and ran around playing flashlight tag and even played Monopoly in their camper (we just have tents). Then the girls snuggle up and go to bed and Dave and I get to sit by the fire....no TV, cell phones, computer, or dirty house to distract. We can star gaze and just hang out.

I love to hike the next day. It's invigorating and beautiful. The girls are troopers and do so well, especially Amelia. We gather leaves and learn about all these cool things in Georgia that someone from another state doesn't know about. In Utah, my favorite place by far is Arches. It is the most beautiful place in the world. I can tell you the name of every arch and how to get to it. I love to mountain bike there and just be there...I miss it, but we are finding beautiful places here too.

Reminder

Can someone remind me next September to not run home from a football party to win an ebay auction and pay $45 EACH for costumes that the girls want...BAD????

Sharpay from High School Musical is what the girls SAID they wanted.

Because, they are just going to pull things out of the closet and put together their own costumes and wear them trick or treating!

Amelia was a Cheetah Girl (I'm not entirely sure she even knows who they are). She put together her entire outfit. Mikayla found a costume in the back of the closet that I had made for a Christmas pageant when Amelia was two! She found it when Amelia was pulling out all of her stuff....crazy kids.

Most Important

Funny, rich, smart, good looking???? Remember when we were teen-agers and we would think about the most important trait in a future spouse? (I think we had a lot of YW lessons on that topic.) Anyway, I now know what mine is....hard working. That's a picture of my grandpa above. He is the hardest working person I know...actually, he might be a close second to my grandma, but he's still one of a kind.

I am finding that I admire that more and more. I mean, I know it's always been important to me, and I've always gravitated toward high-energy, get things done kind of people, but it seems to be even more important to me now. I just love people that work hard and try hard, even if they aren't the best.

On a related note, here is a photo of Amelia with her cheer bowl trophy. She worked VERY hard, and my uncoordinated little girl, is actually pretty darn coordinated now!

Answered Prayers

Isn't it amazing how God anwers prayers that we haven't even asked yet?????? Or, we ask a general thing like: "protect my family" but we have no idea how He is going to do it. Seriously...I am dealing with what I think is an unusual child, but maybe some of you can relate: Mikayla is so crazy and fun and outgoing. She makes people laugh and is EXTREMELY loud, and laughs ALL the time. HOWEVER, when it comes to being in large groups or even just groups where she doesn't know people, she holds my hand with a death-grip and is so afraid. She clings to me, and it's crazy. At the last Mother's Day Tea at her school, her teacher had to hold her when it was her turn to walk the red carpet. It took her seven months to walk into her gymnastics class without the teacher holding her, or mom resorting to threats and bribes. It took her a month to not cry before ballet. (BTW, I would have pulled her out, but she loved it so much once she was in there.)

Sooooooo, I just had accepted her for who she was and left it at that, but I truly feel like God led the family in a different direction this year. I think it's a good thing that I'm not teaching at their school, and Mikayla finally has something that is all her own. There is no one else in the family at her preschool, and no one even knows she has a big sister! I never planned on leaving the preschool last year, but because of circumstances out of my control, I did, and it could have never worked out better than this, which makes me realize that God is always watching out for our little family.

Yesterday Mikayla had her school play. I came loaded with the cameras (I dropped the video camera in a puddle on the way into the school and broke it) and Mik was like a different kid. Right before the show started, I saw the teacher kneeling down and whispering something to Mikayla. In my head I was saying, "Oh, how sweet, she realizes that Mik is shy in front of adults and she's preparing her..." Little did I know, a little girl in her class had just accidentally head-butted another boy and was not going to be able to play her part and the teacher was asking Mik to step in and play both parts. So the next thing I know, Mik is announcing the play, and playing the part of the gloves and the pumpkin (I knew she was the pumpkin, but that was it). She laughed and was loud and giggled, and loved every minute of it. She even knew the lines of the gloves, ("Clap, Clap"). I was one proud mama.

When I was 16

When I was sixteen (1990), very few of my friends had cars. I wanted my own car bad. One weekend we droved down to St. George. My granddad (who has since passed on) insisted that I learn how to drive a stick. It was seriously the hardest thing ever for me. We drove to this old abandoned road just past the Nevada border in a 1986 Volkswagen Dasher, and then he said, "Okay, we trade." So, I traded places, and I was horrible, and he was patient. And I struggled, and he was patient. And I got frustrated, and he was patient. My granddad wasn't always a patient man, but I remember vividly how patient he was that day.

Anyway, I got the hang of it, and he let me drive back to Bloomington. I remember being so happy to be on I-15...none of that stop and go business. Anyway, when we pulled into the driveway, he said, "Now that you know how to drive it, it's yours."

This isn't a picture of MY car. I'm too lazy to pull out my scrapbook and scan the picture in. But, it looked similar to this, except it was silver and a DIESEL. It was the coolest car ever. I think we had a record of fitting 18 kids in there coming home from a game one night. Anyway, it's a great memory I have of my granddad, and of high school.

Annoying Moms

Okay, so I know I can totally be an annoying mom. I think I annoyed the heck out of Amelia's teacher today at Parent/Teacher conference when I told her that I thought some sight words should be phonetic words, and I could understand why "one" was a sight word, but why was "go" when it made perfect sense to sound it out? Anyway, I digress.

I have PMS, and I get easily annoyed, so I'm going to vent to all ten of you who read my blog and three who dare comment. Mikayla is in ballet with the most annoying moms in the world. Mikayla ended up not being able to get in a preschool that has school on Tuesdays, so she ended up in a ballet class with a bunch of girls on Tuesdays who are homeschooled and have older siblings who are homeschooled. (I know that because they drag them all along for the hour and a half lesson. I'm sure it's counted as a field trip somewhere.) It's also all the moms who whip their breasts out and feed their children who are almost two years old. I am NOT exaggerating. Okay, I can understand that to a point, but then the one mom comes in with a 9 month old, cradling her baby and giving it a bottle and the moms turned their backs on her....I promise. It was crazy. They wouldn't say one word to her. So I asked her what her baby's name was and told her how beautiful he was and whatever, and then two more moms squeezed in on the bench and started to nurse their kids just to show her what she "should" be doing.

Okay, so I nursed Amelia for 12 months, and Mik for ten, and I mainly pumped bottles because it was easier, and I didn't find that I bonded more or loved my kid more or whatever. I think they were both alllergic to formula and it was cheap, and whatever. I never let them hold their own bottle, because I liked to feed them and snuggle with them, but I sure as heck didn't care if someone else's baby was holding their own bottle at six months. What is it with that mentality??????

Then, they all start whipping out their baby slings....they are all talking about how many kids you can truck around a grocery store without actually putting any of them in a buggy (shopping cart, for those of you out of Georgia). I tried to interject my opinion about the world's best baby sling (lucky-baby.com) but they wouldn't even listen...I mean, who was I???? I didn't have a baby in it at the moment. I tried to tell them that my "baby" (who is four, but still loves to be in her sling) is proof enough that it is the best sling, but I didn't get a chance. I rattled off the website and then mumbled something about leaving to find a frame with a big mat so that the my older daughter's cheerleading team could all sign around their picture for the coach and left.

When I came back to pick up Mik, the poor mom who doesn't breastfeed, was sitting all alone, and all the other moms had their babies to their chests with their backs to her. (BTW, this is a SMALL waiting room, so to put your back to someone is hard work.)

Okay, so what's the big deal...seriously? Do you know what kind of mom I'm talking about? Why does it have to be such a big deal? Why do some of these moms have to be "poster moms" for breastfeeding and homeschooling and carrying their kids in slings? Why can't they just do it and shut up about it? I don't announce to the world that I only give my kids water to drink (yes, no milk and no juice!!!! gasp!), don't really care if they bathe only twice a week, and give them at least three desserts a day.

Am I crazy? Do you know who I'm talking about? They seriously annoy me.

Molly

Last Friday Mikayla and I ran to the Girl Scout store to get all the uniforms for the girls. She found this adorable doll that she named Molly. She carried Molly around for four days straight, until Molly was tragically left at the park. For three days Mikayla would yell, "Molly, come out, come out wherever you are!" and "Molly, if you don't come out now, I'm going to eat your treats and play with your toys." The poor kid thought she was hiding.

I hated to drive all the way back to the Girl Scout store to replace $15 Molly, so I called to have them ship another doll to me. They were so sweet when I told her the story. She called me back later and said that another lady was driving to my city the next day and would bring the doll with her, and I could just pick her up.

So, the next morning, I called my home phone from my cell phone and said things like, "You did??? You really found Molly! Where was she???? We can pick her up right now!" Mikayla was so happy.

Now, my story could be over then, but this is the point of it all: When we went to the GS office, that lady went above and beyond her call of duty! She told Mikayla that Molly had jumped on the back of her car and had gone to Girl Scout camp for a few nights and even met a friend. She then preceded to pull out another doll that she had brought along with Molly and gave them to her. She had taken Molly and her friend out of the packaging, so it looked like the old Molly. She told Mikayla that she heard giggling and turned around and those dolls were just partying it up, but now they wanted to go home.

Mikayla just hugged and hugged Molly and then hugged the lady and told her that Nana was going to buy her a kitty necklace too. (I know, but that was what she wanted to do to be nice back to the lady!) It was awesome. The lady told me that all of this had just made her day. Now Mikayla might think that dolls talk and walk and all of that, but there will come a day when she learns that they don't, and that makes me sad.

My Wedding Day

Oh, I love it that I have time to reminisce...and also post something new so Dave R. and Chellie can stop bugging me.

Where did you meet your husband? We met on the first day of school our second year at Dixie College in September of 1993. I was friends with his sister Chelie our first year while Dave was on the mish in Argentina. She brought him over to my dorm but DID NOT want us to really hook up. That became a problem later. Anyway, Dave was cute, but a little nerdy. He kept mixing up Spanish and English and seemed like he was starting over with everything social. (The sign of a good missionary, I'm sure.) I have to say though, very early on, I told my roommates that I had met the man I was going to marry.

Where was your first date? I am getting a little confused....I can't remember if it was country dancing or miniature golf or both, but then I remember going to Domino's and Dave buying a pizza. I still had a weird complex about eating on dates, so I refused to eat, saying, "I'm really not hungry." I found out later he was annoyed (Dave has never liked a girly-girl, which is also why I hid the fact that I was a Rebelette for a LONG time), and he was pissed (Dave would have never spent MONEY on something if it wasn't going to be used!) Anyway, we went to a park and I watched him eat, and it was fun. We laughed and never ran out of things to talk about. He was a nice boy, and I spent my first year in college around a lot of boys, but none were very nice!!!!!

First kiss? Okay, I'm a loser. I know the first kiss happened at the doorstep of my dorm, and I know we bumped teeth. BUT, what I really remember is Valentine's Day 2004. That was the first time we said "I love you." I was Relief Society President, and was totally stressed about a talk I was giving. Dave planned this amazing night. We went hiking up to the red rocks and when we got there, he had a whole picnic in the back of his car which was up toward the top. He gave me a teddy bear (I still have it) and flowers and we ate. (I dared eat by this point.) When we went back home, I told him I loved him, and he reciprocated. I found out later that he was mad I said it first because he was going to. The next day he left a rose on my car at work wishing me luck on my talk at ward conference.

Did you have a long or short courtship/engagement? Are you kidding me? As compared to Utah standards (and many others' as well), it was an eternity!!!! We met in 1993. We were engaged in May of 1995 and were married in August of 1996. Let's just say, Dave is a planner. We both needed to have our degrees under the belt, and then it was okay!

Where did you get engaged? My favorite cousin Dan was just getting home from his mission. We drove down to Parowan for his homecoming and then headed south to St. George. By this time we had lived in SLC for almost two years, but St. George was where we fell in love. I took him to my Stout grandparents' house, where he was introduced. BTW, Grandma Sue didn't welcome him with open arms. I remember very vividly that she said, "David, I am Mrs. Stout and this is Dr. Stout." Anyway, we cruised up to the other grandparents' house where no one was home and we changed and grabbed our bikes off the car bike rack. Dave seemed pretty adamant that we go on a mountain bike trail. We biked the ten or so miles into St. George's base of the red cliffs and then biked up the red cliffs to the same spot of that Valentine's day almost two years before. He got down on one knee, and pulled the ring out of his sweaty pocket. The first words out of my mouth were, "Holy Sh%&!!!" followed by, "YES!!!!" I don't even remember the bike ride home. I was so happy. There were at least ten occasions before this point where I KNEW he was going to pop the question, but never did...and then he does it on a sweaty, Memorial weekend at my cousin's mission homecoming!

Where did you get married? We were married in the Salt Lake Temple. It was a perfect day. I was so worried that it would rain, and it ended up being the hottest day on record for the summer. I hated the fact that my mom and dad sat outside, but my mom's three sisters were there and all of Dave's family. My Uncle Jim sat in for my dad at the temple, and my Bishop from the years before where I served as RS President showed up as a surprise. I felt loved and happy, but was sad that every member of my immediate family wasn't there. My dear cousins seemed to know that I needed them though, because every one of them traveled to be there and to make sure I wasn't alone!

How did the reception go? (I think I could just copy and paste all of Jessi's answer on this one)...After our sealing in the temple we had a wedding breakfast at the Lion House. My friend Jennie played the piano, and my BFF Dave (not MY Dave, but my high school Dave, who would have been my Maid of Honor if that was allowed), and my other BFF Jayme and so many others were there. All of my cousins and aunts and uncles were there (from mom's side), along with all of Dave's family. Our reception was on the tenth floor of the Joseph Smith Building. It was beautiful and peaceful, but to be honest, I wish it would have been a little more rowdy. Why in the world did we not dance????

How was the honeymoon? FABULOUS! We went to Vegas, Baby. It was during the 1996 Olympics, and we went to shows and gambled a little and hung out by the pool. My best memory is when Dave was standing naked at the window twenty or so floors above the pool, INSISTING that no one could see him. Then, to his surprise, everyone down there starts pointing and laughing. We realized later that he had been quite the exhibitionist! They all had a perfect view into our room.

As for the ring, I want to say a few words on this. Dave is truly the most frugal man I have ever met. It must have KILLED him to fork over the money for something so frivolous as an adornment on a hand. However, he did the math and used his three month"s salary (he was working as a telemarketer about 15 hours a week) during his last undergrad year, and bought me my ring. He picked it out himself. I had shown him other rings that I wanted, and this one was not one that I showed him. BUT, I love it. Eleven years later? I love it. I look at my friends' blinding rocks and hear them talk about them, and I flash mine proudly. We were young and poor, and so in love, and when I look at my ring, I remember we are older, and not as poor, but still so in love, and I will never trade it or want anything more. (Now a big rock for my right hand is okay, but I will never replace THIS ring.) :)

And, I think that's about it...eleven years later, and I wake up every day knowing that I married the man that I was meant to be with. He is my soul mate and my best friend. There is no one else on earth that I would rather be with...and he puts up with me very nicely.

Things That Make Me Happy

What better way to lift my spirits than to post about THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY right now:

1. It is 8:30 AM, and I have nothing pressing that needs to be done, so I get to post about happy things!

2. We are taking the girls camping tonight!

3. Mikayla and I are meeting Amelia for lunch at school and she gets to show Mikayla how to hold a tray and pick yummy food!

4. Dave is finally home after a week away on business.

5. I had time to sit and work out the family budget to keep us on track after some big purchases lately.

6. I've talked to every member of my family this week (except for Elder Stout, of course).

7. I love volunteering in Amelia's class and get to see first hand how great she is doing in Kindergarten!

8. Amelia is doing great in cheerleading and even won the spirit stick on Wednesday.

9. Mikayla loves preschool, and even though she cried at ballet this week (after doing so well last week), at least I know how much she loves her mama.

10. Good friends.

11. A clean house.

12. I had time to SHOP yesterday at the outlet mall, and bought lots of clothes for Dave, and some for me and the girls too.

13. I can see that the sky is going to turn blue, even though we woke up to muggy-grayness.

14. The yard doesn't need to be done this weekend (dormant grass does have its perks).

15. My hair looks good right now...Dave brought his brush home, and it's the only one I can really do my hair with, so when he's gone, it doesn't look so good.

16. I decided to be the Girl Scout troop leader, and even though it's totally disorganized, it will be fun for the girls once we can get started.

17. Good books. I know I already posted about it, but I seriously loved the newest Harry Potter...I couldn't put it down.

18. College football and getting together with friends.

19. Healthy kids.

20. Knowing that God answers my prayers and loves me.

21. Knowing that my kids know that God loves them and answers their prayers too.

22. And last but not least: Friends that unexpectedly drop off goodies that seriously brightened my day and helped me get out of my seasonal rut!

Update!

Here is Amelia stretching before the big event. She took it VERY seriously.

Look at that red face from all that running!
She did it! She ran 30 laps! That was totally unexpected for a kindergartner...she did great!

Thank you Aunt Chellie & Uncle Damien and Nana & Granddad for helping her earn money for each lap that she ran!


I am finally reading the new Harry Potter book. I am 400 pages into it and loving every minute of it. It has sure moved from a magical junior high book to a scary novel, but I still love it, although I can't recommend it now to younger kids.




Now for an easy recipe, where you probably have everything on hand:

15 minute Chicken Soft Tacos
three chicken breasts
two cups water
two cups rice
one cup salsa
one taco seasoning packet
tortillas, sour cream, grated cheese

Cut chicken in strips and cook in skillet with a little olive oil. Pour in water, salsa, and seasoning and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and pour in rice. Cover and simmer until rice is done and water is absorbed. Spoon into tortillas and top with cheese and sour cream.




Now for a deep thought: I think I might be a little depressed. I should be so happy. The kids love school. I have breaks during the week that I"ve never had before, but I've been down. I'm tired and get easily overwhelmed with the kids. I know it's the weather. It's crazy that it affects me so much. I think we need to move to some island where it NEVER gets below 85 degrees. I know in time my body will acclimate and I'll be fine, but right now I don't know how to get out of the dumps. I heard that visiting tanning beds works, but the last time I went to the dermatologist, she told me that I need to stop being a "sun goddess" and use some sunscreen!

Teachers...and stuff.

My baby started preschool Wednesday. I have to admit, it was not the typical first day. Mikayla is a hard one...she is so sassy and opinionated, flirty and emotional, but she is also so shy and attached to her mama. She has cried every time I drop her off at ballet and holds the teacher's hand the entire hour. It took her seven months to walk out on the gymnastics floor by herself and she also was the only 3 year old at the preschool Mom's Tea that had to be held by the teacher while she twirled the runway. SO, what is a mom to do when she is starting her first day of 4 year old preschool at a brand new school?

Should a mom walk her into class, carrying her camera, giving kisses and hugs and helping her meet friends? NOPE! I actually drove through the carpool line, dropped her off and let one of the teachers get her to class. I felt terrible, but guess what? It worked! I solved the separation anxiety. She walked on in with her friend Bailey that I also drove for carpool that morning and didn't even look back!

But, that's not what my post is about. My post is about teachers. I am so grateful for the good teachers in this world. I am so grateful for the teachers that love the kids and are patient with the kids. I am grateful that both my girls have wonderful teachers this year. I wish they knew how much of a difference they make in not only the life of these sweet little kids, but in the families that these kids come home to.

When I was teaching preschool last year, my assistant teacher and I would always half-way joke to each other (after a child had hit us, threw up or peed on the slide) that "someone loves this kid more than anything else in the world, even as much as we love our kids." It kind of gave us perspective on the whole thing. Anyway, I digress...I'm just happy that there are people out there that love kids and want them to love school and to LEARN and to LOVE TO LEARN.

Look Alike Fun

Yes, it's a new post! Thanks, Wyoming Guy for calling attention to that! I have more exciting things to post later, but for now, this was fun (thanks, Chell):

It's true! My oldest does resemble her mom!



And on a second test:



And my youngest that loves her mama so much? Here are the results:


But wait, on second try, with the same family photo I used on the oldest, check out these results:



Fun, give it a try! Jessie, you need to do it on all your girls!

Something New

Okay, so I'm taking Lucky Candice's advice, and posting about something new. I am going to apologize in advance that it's still not very deep, BUT at least it's something new.

First, I wanted to post a YUMMY, easy recipe that is on our menu weekly:

Newman's Casserole:

1 lb. ground beef

Whole Wheat Pasta

Bag of Frozen Broccoli

Spaghetti Sauce (we use Prego Traditional)

Grated Cheese (we use mild cheddar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown hamburger. While it's browning, boil water in two separate pots for the broccoli and pasta. Drain grease from burger and pour a little spaghetti sauce in there and let simmer for a minute or two. Drain pasta and broccoli; make sure the water is gone or it will make it runny. Put hamburger on the bottom of the casserole dish. Then layer the broccoli and pasta (mixed together). Pour more sauce on top of that (a lot!) and then cover with grated cheese. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Second, I have some advice that was passed on to me by my cousin Nan who has six young kids: Do one load of laundry every day and fold it and put it away each day. Then it never is overwhelming. I know that seems simple, but I am a schedule girl:

Sunday: coupons and grocery list

Monday: floors; wash all towels

Tuesday: grocery shop

Wednesday: Major cleaning of one section of the house (on a rotation)

Thursday: wash all bedding

Well, I used to only do laundry on Mondays and Thursdays (when I do the towels and bedding). That left me with a mountain of laundry that I dumped on my bed and folded and put away for hours once the kids were in bed. Now I still have a little more on Mondays and Thursdays, but doing one load a day is NO big deal and it has made my life easier.

Let me know if you have advice! And, let me know if you try my recipe!

Okay, that's it!

Girl Stuff

I always wanted to have boys. I have no idea why...I was a girly-girl growing up. I loved my Barbie dolls until I was fifteen. I loved playing jump rope, dolls (of all kinds), dressing up, every genre of dance, etc. My dad tried to toughen us up. I took golf and tennis lessons. He coached soccer and softball, just so I'd play. The problem was...I had already danced for six years before I tried sports, and I wasn't very good.

(My Girly-Girls)

Fast forward to high school...I was still a girly girl. Dance ruled my life, but I was an OUTDOORSY girl. I still wasn't that great at sports, but I was the official family lawn girl and then I found mountain biking, camping, hiking and white-water river rafting...and I was hooked. I am sure I was the only Dixie Rebelette that spent the weekends biking "the loop" with all the dorm boys and pursuing a degree in secondary teaching, but dreaming of giving it all up to be a river guide on the Snake. (Guess what? I still do.)

(These are photos from the High School Musical 2 Party that I had...yet, another "girl thing" THAT I LOVED!)

Anyway, I digress... I wanted BOYS. When Amelia came along, I was so happy to have my long-awaited baby, that I didn't care that she was a girl. Then, I got pregnant again, and I wanted A BOY! And then my sweet Mikayla came along. Well, I just knew that they would be athletic and tomboyish and would NEVER dance or heaven forbid, become a cheerleader. Well, it didn't happen. Now, my girls love camping, getting dirty, and just tonight Amelia picked a roach out of the gutter just to hold it, but they LOVE everything else girl...dress ups, make up, fashion, dance, and yes, cheerleading. Sigh...what's a mother to do?

But, I have a secret to tell...I love being a mom to girls. I love it all. I get exasperated by it all, but man, I wouldn't have it any other way. I'll take it all...the make up that has permanently stained the playroom carpet, the whining and crying, the fashion problems we have each morning, and the fact that my daughters would rather be cheering than playing. I love it...because I love them.