L-U-C-K

A few of you wanted to know how I did those LOVE letters for Valentine's. I'm so glad some of you liked them. So here's how I did one for St. Patrick's Day. It's a fun and fast thing to do.

1. Buy letters (I got paper mache letters from Porter's. You could also use wood.) Pick paper you want for each letter and trace them backwards on the back of the paper.

2. Paint the backs and sides of the letters in a matching color. While the paint dries cut out the paper letters about 1/8-inch less (when you trace the letters it's actually slightly bigger than the actual letter.)

3. Using modge-podge, glue the paper to front of letters.

4. After the modge-podge is dry, sand the edges of the letters.

5. Put another layer of modge-podge over the whole letter. (Or you could spray it with sealer instead, although I've never tried this.) I also painted a thin layer of clear sparkly paint over the letters after the modge-podge dried.

6. Then I tied ribbon on each letter.

7. Wallah! A simple new decoration. I hope this helps someone and I would love to know if any of you make something similar.

Porter's Baby

Porter came walking into the living room announcing he had a baby in his tummy. Then he pulled it out and said, "See my cute new baby!" as he rocked this motorcycle in his arms. It made me laugh. It's so entertaining to hear what kids are thinking about, isn't it?!

Freckles

I spotted two freckles on Lexi's nose this morning. I think freckles are so cute. And Kyler got his first few last summer. I know that's a silly thing to blog about, and I know their freckles aren't visible in these pictures, but I think those little freckles are really cute. Dave said he had lots of freckles when he was a little boy. I had them, and still have them (which I don't think are cute), but on my kids little noses I think they are darling.

Brothers

Kyler came in to say good-morning while I was trying to muster the energy to roll myself out of bed and start another day. The baby was moving around so I asked if he wanted to feel it. He reached over, put his hand on my belly and ka-pow! The baby kicked him hard. His eyes lit up so cute. I loved the look on his face as he felt that for the first time. Fun moment!

Ha Ha!

I just had to share some funny things that were said today. (I hope you all think they're funny too and not a had-to-be-there moments.)

I walked into Senior Primary this morning to do singing time and one of the kids said, "Woah! You have a baby in there!?" (They must not have seen me for awhile and my appearance was a shocker! I sometimes shock my own self when I see my reflection.) Someone said, "No, they're treats." Some of the kids seriously thought it was true! They were so excited I was hiding treats up my shirt! They were sorely disappointed that it really was a baby. We were laughing too hard to start for a few minutes!

Then tonight some wonderful friends had us over for dinner. Porter was sitting at the table by me and pointed to my "chest" and asked (purely innocent), "Mom, is this the baby's foot?" I couldn't stop laughing. I'm sure I turned a little red that everyone heard. "No, not quite. His foot is down a little lower, down in my stomach." It was too funny.

I guess a little humor during pregnancy is a good thing. I'm seriously wondering how I can stretch any further. I need a little humor now days!

Gum

Gum is sometimes a nightmare at our house. Kyler and Lexi are usually pretty responsible with it, but Porter is another story. I've found it several times stuck in between the couch cushions or smeared down his carseat. After I buy it for myself I hide it but somehow they always find it. This morning I saw Kyler chewing some gum and figured he got some for his brother too because they were watching TV together. I came back in the living room and Porter was drinking his orange juice so I wondered what he had done with is gum. This is the following conversation:

Me: "Porter, where's your gum?"

Porter: "I put it in the garbage."

Me: "I didn't see you put it in the garbage, silly. Where did you put it? Did you swallow it?"

Porter (with a sly look): "Yes."

Me (laughing): "Porter... Where is your gum? I need to get it if you put it on the floor before someone steps on it. Can you please show me where it is?"

Porter: "I put it under that couch."

Me (on my hands and knees looking under the couch): "I don't see any gum under here. Can you please show me where you put it?"

Porter: "Um, I spread it under there." (Pointing to the leg of the couch. I know he can't lift the couch.)

Me: "Kyler, will you please not give Porter gum any more because I can't find where he put it."

Kyler: "I didn't give Porter any gum, Mom."

What? Porter had been making it all up? Yikes! How's a mother to know? And what's a mother to do... (sigh...)

TTA... Love List

"I'm sure you love your kids. I'll assume you love your husband. You'd better love your religion. But... What else do you LA-LA-LOVE? Share your love list with us this week."

The crunching sound when you walk on new snow.
The white brilliance of a full moon.
Looking at the stars.
Being outside during a summer thunder storm.
The smell of a campfire.
Seeing smiles on my kids' faces.
Folded laundry.
Crawling in between clean sheets.
Fluffy towels.
Soft socks.
Eating the first bite of a food I've been craving all day.
Laughing until tears run down your cheeks.
Sitting down after a long day.
Learning something.
Exercise. Mmm!
Shopping (why is it so rejuvenating?)
A full night of uninterrupted sleep (wish this happened more often.)
Making something crafty and liking how it turns out.
A cold drink of water.
A good talk on the phone with a friend.
Holding hands, my husband's and my kids'. Is there anything better than that?
Moments of peace.

Past-Present-Future

What a fun tag. Thanks Annalee! I've read this on some of your blogs and have loved it. It's fun to think back.

20 Years Ago...1988
1. (This makes me feel old!) I turned 12 towards the end of 1988 and started Young Women's. I was so excited.
2. My family moved to Sugar City and I met all my wonderful friends and my husband (although I didn't know it)!
3. I had HUGE bangs! and loved the rolled pants/double-sock look.

10 Years Ago...1998
1. I was at BYU in Provo and Dave was at Ricks, so we were dating long-distance.
2. On Valentine's Day Dave and I went snow-shoeing and then he blind-folded me and drove to where he set up a tent on the snow and we had a candle-light dinner inside. He always planned the funnest dates, I loved it! And still love it!

5 Years Ago...2003
1. Our sweet Kyler was 6 months old and so much fun. I loved making him giggle! He still has such a hearty chuckle that we love!
2. Kyler's adoption was finalized in February and we had him sealed to us in the temple. (One of my favorite days of my life.)
3. I was 6 months pregnant with Lexi - we had just had the ultrasound to find out she was a girl!

3 Years Ago...2005
1. Enjoying this busy life with 3 kiddos age 2 and under.
2. I loved staying home with my kids and playing play-dough, making cookies, and taking walks to the park down the street. Nap-time was also a great time of day.
3. I started clogging for fun with some friends and one of them entered us into competitions at BYU-I and Lagoon. We won, only because there weren't many people in the over-25 category! It was great exercise and a lot of fun.

1 Year Ago...Winter 2007
1. Our wards split and I was called as Primary Chorister and Dave as YM President in January.
2. We had been in our new house for a year and were looking forward to getting our yard in. I couldn't wait for the kids to have grass to play on instead of mud.
3. Dave and I were headed to Costa Rica for 10 days with some friends. Very fun!

6 Months Ago...Fall 2007
1. Kyler started Kindergarten!
2. Lexi started preschool.
3. Dave and I went on a spontaneous trip to New York City with his sister and her husband. Love NYC!
4. I got pregnant (after a few months of medication and waiting and hoping).

So Far This Year...
1. We found out we are having a BOY!
2. Kyler is doing great in Kindergarten and can now read. He has learned to whistle, tie his shoes, and wink.
3. Lexi loves preschool and knows all her letters and numbers. She has learned to snap, blow bubble-gum bubbles, and zip her own coat.
4. Porter can write his name and knows a lot of the letters. He is proud that he can snap!
5. My pregnancy-migraines have stopped and I feel like a new woman. I'm still a space-cadette and am looking forward to getting my mind back, hopefully it's not gone for good!

This Year I hope Too...
1. Spend more one-on-one time with my kids.
2. Read more.
3. Learn to digital scrapbook.
4. Survive having Baby #4!
5. Learn to be more patient.
6. Simplify. Take more deep breaths and enjoy life's little moments.
7. Let's put something fun... Go to Hawaii!

I now tag anyone who'd like to reminisce... You'll enjoy it! (I want to tag ALL OF YOU so consider yourself tagged! I'll just mention my cute sisters-in-law Kara, Brigit, Ashley.)

One-On-One

We have a cute alphabet Bingo game that the kids love to play. Yesterday Porter begged me to sit down and play it with him. I have a goal to spend more one-on-one time with each of my kids, which is sometimes really hard during the busy-ness of each day. I'm so glad I swallowed the reply that I didn't have time (I really didn't - I ended up not getting my makeup put on and being a few minutes late to pick up Kyler) but it was so worth it! It was such a sweet 1/2 hour spent with Porter. I treasure the memory of it and am so glad I took the time out of my day to sit down and play and just be with him. I constantly need to remind myself to snatch these moments. They are so important and will pass so quickly. I love you Porter! Thanks for reminding me to stop and enjoy these precious moments of motherhood.

Caughtcha!

I can't remember what Porter dumped on the floor a couple weeks ago (it was quite a few of something small). I was cooking dinner and asked him to please pick them all up and put them in the garbage. I guess sometimes what moms ask is just too much. I looked over and saw him carefully picking them up and hiding them under the rug instead. Little stinker!

What to Do on a Snowy Afternoon...

...blow milk bubbles!











Lexi and Porter were eating brownies at the table one day and asked for a cup of milk to go with it. The next thing I knew they had both gotten out bigger bowls and poured in the milk. And it is just too tempting when you have a straw not to blow! Can you believe there is no soap involved in this... only 1% Milk! Who knew?!

Will You Be My "Balentime"?

(...as Porter says.)

I really love Valentine's Day! Here are a few highlights from yesterday:

* Making chocolate suckers. I've never done it before and it's easier than I thought. And fun when you have such great little helpers! I added peppermint to the white chocolate and it was so yummy. We made teddy-bears and heart-shaped suckers for Kyler's teacher.

* Love Letters (thanks Marne for the great idea!) They were so fun and fast to make. (10-inch paper mache letters, scrapbook paper, red paint and modge-podge.) Love them!

* Kyler positioned the conversation hearts on our cherry-chip cupcakes with cherry frosting for Lexi's preschool Valentine party. Cherry-chip cupcakes just taste like Valentine's Day to me. We got to join the party as they made envelopes and passed out cute Valentines to each other. Very exciting!

* We also made these oreo cookies with pink cherry frosting (I was really feeling the love for cherry everything yesterday! Mmmm!) And took them to Kyler's kindergarten party. We stayed and helped as they passed out Valentine's to each other. And can you say SUGAR OVERDOSE? Holy cow! Kyler was bouncing off every wall in our house! (I think we all were actually!)

* Last night we went to a fun dinner at a friend's house with 7 couples and I ate crab legs for the first time. I also tasted shrimp and I actually liked it! (Dave and I are not huge seafood fans.) We also played a hilarious game like the Newlywed Game. It was a hoot! So fun to get together with great friends.

* I think this is the first Valentine's Day that Dave didn't bring me flowers... but awhile ago I mentioned to him that I loved Stevie Wonder songs when I was a little girl... So he got me a Stevie Wonder #1 Hits CD. I laughed my head off! Love you Dave!

Oh, and this melted my mother heart. Kyler heard somewhere that bus-drivers needed Valentines so he came home one day and drew this for his bus-driver. I thought it was too cute!

Hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day!

True Princess

Lexi had a princess birthday party today at a cute little friend's house. What happiness! She was so excited to get all ready and twirl around. We even painted her fingernails and toenails for the occasion. And this darling poem in this month's Friend fit right in with this post. My sweet Lexi, I hope you always remember who you are!

Who I Really Am
By Cindy Maybon

Some say I have my mother’s eyes.
My smile comes from my dad.
My freckles come from Grandpa,
And all this makes me glad.

I share the curls in my hair
With uncles whom I love.
But the truth of who I really am
Comes from up above.

A child of God is who I am,
A child of royal birth.
My Father up in heaven
Sent me here to earth.

As I take this journey
And try valiantly each day,
I know He watches over me
And listens when I pray.

So if the path gets thorny
And the way feels not so clear,
I remember who I really am
And that takes away each fear.

Friend, Feb 2008, p. 7


“You are second to none. You are a daughter of God. There has come to you as your birthright something beautiful and sacred and divine. Never forget that. Your Eternal Father is the great Master of the universe. He rules over all, but He also will listen to your prayers as His daughter and hear you as you speak with Him. He will answer your prayers. He will not leave you alone.”

(Gordon B. Hinckley, “Stay on the High Road,” Liahona and Ensign, May 2004, 112).

Making Valentines

The kids made Valentine's for their grandparents last night. Glitter, glue and paper scraps got everywhere but it was fun. It's been awhile since I've given them art supplies and let them go at it. I was impressed by their creativity. Porter tried eating glue for the first time and I hurried and got a wet rag so he would quit licking it off his fingers (that kid!). We did the store-bought ones with candy last week and got those all done for the kids' classes, friends and cousins. I thought the home-made ones would be fun for grandma and grandpa (don't they love that kind of thing? Hopefully!)

Anyway... I love my husband, I love my kiddos, and I love Valentine's Day!

Temple Dedication

The Rexburg Temple Dedication was today. It was wonderful. My wonderful husband (who made it home last night, hooray!) stayed home with our kids (who are under 8 and couldn't go) so I could attend. It was a spiritual feast.

I love the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and I know it is true. I'm so thankful for temples spreading light across the earth and for the ordinances that bind families forever. I'm so thankful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I cried on the drive home as I thought of my ancestors. I owe so much to them for their choices because I feel like the gospel has been handed to me. I didn't have to search for the truth like so many people do and what a marvelous blessing it has been to have grown up with the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and a loving and Eternal Father in Heaven. I don't know which ancestors of mine joined the Church but someday I hope to hug them and tell them thank you. Their decisions have truly blessed generations.

I also came home with a greater resolve to be a better person. I want to try so much harder in every area of my life. It's easy to get in a comfortable routine and forget to make the efforts to try a little harder to be a little better. There's so many ways to improve. And I'm sure the little things done will bring greater peace and happiness in my life and to our home. So worth the effort!

Not Again!

Ahhhh! I need to vent. I just checked the road reports and all roads leading to our lovely little valley are closed... again. Dave has been working an hour away all week and hasn't been able to make it home because the weather has been so horrendous. We haven't seen him since Tuesday morning at 7:30am. I was just starting to think about dinner and wondered how much effort to put into it (the kids are happy with something simple so that's what I do when it's just me and them). I was hoping I was going to be able to put ALOT of effort into it because my HUSBAND would be HOME to eat it! I guess it's frozen pizza or chicken nuggets again with the kids and another lonely night. I miss you Dave!
I know you have all heard enough of our weather woes. Sorry! But here we go again.... The kids and I have been home-bound since Wednesday because our driveway is so drifted in I haven't been able to get out. Kyler and Lexi have been snowed-out of school and preschool for the last 2 days. Wind and snow have been pelting our windows enough to make me crazy. A couple hours ago our neighbor came and plowed our driveway with his tractor (photo above), setting us free, if only I had anywhere to go with the roads all closed. But I guess I feel better knowing I can get out if we run out of milk or something. (Which brings up another point, how is our one grocery store getting food if the roads are always closed? Makes me feel comforted that we have food storage downstairs, although hopefully this weather won't last too much longer.)

Okay, I'm done feeling sorry for myself. Let me tell you something positive about today. I cleaned the bathrooms, folded laundry, changed sheets (all by 9:30am) and have been sorting through piles of school papers, scrapbook stuff, Primary stuff, etc. that have been piling up for months. Cleaning the bathrooms was nothing short of a miracle for me! It's been awhile (as much as I hate to admit that)!

Homemade Snow-Cones (Regular Plain Flavor)

My kids made the most of our winter this morning. They leaned out the patio door, scooped paper cups full of snow and thought it was the best treat ever. I could have been a fun mom and gotten out the kool-aid to flavor it, but I figure if they're enjoying a nonfat-noncaloric cup of snow that much I might as well let them! They're doing a great job embracing this crazy weather. I think it's so funny how much they love to eat snow. Porter will even eat the dirty snow off the car or the bottom of his boots. He hasn't caught on yet no matter how many times I tell him white snow is better to eat than brown.Oh my goodness. I was just looking at this picture of my 3 kids and wow they're looking old. I don't want my babies to grow up! And I know they'll seem even so much more grown up after our baby is born. Time is just going by too fast. Another reminder to take a deep breath and enjoy each moment, especially the small ones.

Bloglines?

Has anyone heard of Bloglines? Where it shows you who has updated their blogs? I signed up for it and then couldn't figure it out. Can anyone help me? Does anyone use bloglines? I am so confused!

SNOW, SNOW, and more SNOW!

School was cancelled again today. We were snowed in our house with no way to get out of our driveway (which is probably best since I got stuck on the road again yesterday and had to have a neighbor pull our car out). Dave is working an hour away, and the roads have been closed so he has only made it home once this week.

This afternoon our neighbor brought over his loader to plow our driveway. He asked if Kyler wanted to help so Kyler got to ride with him for an hour shoveling different houses. He was in heaven!
Then all three kids played outside on our big piles of snow. They had a blast! It's the longest they've lasted outside ever, even though it is 16 degrees with a windchill factor of 3 degrees. At least it's not below 0 (trying to think positive here).
Porter saying, "I'm king of the mountain!"
Why do kids love to eat snow?

Here are some pictures of the insanity that is our reality. I bet you all wish you could move here! But I guess everyone near and far is getting this same weather, so I'm not alone.


It started getting cold(-er) and windy so we came in for hot chocolate. That is the first thing my kids ask for after their snow clothes are scattered all over.BRRRR!