The Letter A

Janiel gave me the letter A to list my 10 favorite things that start with the letter A. At first I thought cool, A is AWESOME, but I'll admit I was a little stumped for a bit so I asked Todd for help and he came up with some great A favorites. So here goes...

1. AMERICA - I am thankful to live in America.
2. ANGELS & ALABAMA - As the song one of my favorite groups Alabama sings "There are Angels Among Us".
3. AIRSHOWS -We usually always go to one each summer and they are always interesting with Todd along because...
4. AIR FORCE - he was in the Air Force and knows and tells me all about the airplanes. Air Force is also my favorite branch of the military maybe because Todd and I had a long distance relationship while he was in the Air Force in New Mexico and we were dating.
5. AUTUMN - I LOVE Autumn and Fall is my favorite season.
6. APPLE - I love apples, especially apple pie all warm with vanilla ice cream on top.
7. APPETIZERS - Yum! Especially a bloomin onion.
8. ARTS AND CRAFTS - I enjoy crafts, I only wish I had more time to do them.
9. AVID READER - I like to curl up with a good book. Right now I'm reading Catherine Coulter's FBI series. Mysteries are my favorite.
10. AURORA - Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty is my favorite princess, you'll never guess who reminded me of that, one clue "It wasn't Todd!".

After Todd, Harleigh, and I finished, A wasn't so bad after all. So, if you want to give it a try leave me a comment and I'll pick a letter and let you know what it is.

Mancala

A few weeks ago Jayce, Harleigh, and I were in Walmart and Jayce found the game Mancala. He has played it at my babysitter, Sheila's, and has been wanting to get it but we could never find it. When he found it he wanted to know if we could buy it. Since the price was right, it was under $6.00, we picked it up. We took it home and Harleigh and Jayce taught me how to play and we have been playing it quite a bit, probably partly because it is Winter! Harleigh REALLY likes to play it, it's become our new nightly routine along with POPCORN.

And if you get tired of playing Mancala, you can play your own games, like "Which Cup is the Marble Under?"

Or you can stack paper cups while waiting for Mom to finish the dishes and come play with you.
So if you happen to find the game Mancala, pick it up, especially since the price is right. It is fun for two players and keeps the kids busy for a while!

SNOW MUCH FUN???

"Snowmen are the closest thing to a perfect man - they're cute, they're well rounded, and they know what to do with a broom!" - Unknown

Okay, I don't know about the rest of you but this snow has got me DOWN! Maybe it is the cold and the snow combined. But to try to be a little more positive I looked up some fun things to do in the snow and thought I would share them with you.

1. Snow sculpting
2. Ice sculpting
3. Make snow angels
4. Make snow people
5. Skiing
6. Cross country skiing
7. Sledding
8. Make a fort
9. Have a snowball fight
10. Make a big snowball
11. Snow skating
12. Snowboarding
13. Write in snow with finger
14. Shovel snow
15. Snowmobile
16. Take pictures of snow
17. Catch snowflakes on your tongue
18. Learn to figure skate
19. Bobsled
20. Ice Hockey
21. Play Ice Hockey with brooms and a ball
22. Dog Sledding
23. Go Tobogganing
24. Blow snow with your snow blower
25. Make snow ice cream
26. Make snow nog
27. Eat icicles
28. Balance icicles on nose
29. Plow snow
30. Take a walk in the snow
31. Shake snow off trees
32. Eat snow, just not the yellow snow
33. Make snow cones
34. Identify different snow flakes
35. Write in snow with stick
36. Make snow soup
37. Dig a hole in snow
38. Try speed skating
39. Snow tubing
40. Make snow sculptures and color by spraying with food coloring
41. Make a snow castle
42. Jump into the snow, if it is deep enough
43. Pull the kids on a sled
44. Put out a bird feeder
45. Make bird feeders with pine cones, peanut butter, and bird seed
46. Look for animal footprints
47. Blow bubbles in the snow, add food coloring and see the different patterns as they land on the snow
48. Go on an ice cube scavenger hunt: use food coloring, freeze ice cubes of one color or several colors, hide the cubes in the snow and let the kids try to find them
49. Play tag
50. Play footprint tag by stepping in others’ footprints
51. Catch snowflakes on a black sheet of paper. Put it into the freezer until cold then take outdoors and use a magnifying glass to view snowflakes that land on the paper
52. Ice fishing
53. Snowshoeing
54. Icicle sword fight
55. Shovel snow off your roof, then it will be deep enough to jump into

But, of course, the best part about playing in the snow is this:

Hope this gives you some ideas to TRY to enjoy the weather! I'm REALLY trying to be positive!

Sledding at Smith Park

One thing about living so close to the park, the kids have always enjoyed sledding. The year that Harleigh was born I used to take Brodie and Jayce to Smith Park after they got home from school. They would sled and Harleigh and I would sit in the pickup with the heat on. She was just a newborn so she'd sleep and I'd read a book. I LOVED it! What we don't do for some "ME" time!

Here are a couple of pictures of Jayce and Harleigh sledding a couple weeks ago. As you can see by their cheeks, it was COLD outside. Being the wimp that I am I sat in the pickup most of the time and watched, but after I stayed outside for a while to take pictures I decided it was time to go home and make hot chocolate, which they agreed to!

They are looking forward to Rexburg's Winterfest on the 31st. Usually the city adds truck loads of snow to make a HUGE snow hill, which is a lot of fun. We're not sure if they are going to make as big of a hill this year though because of changes made to the road this fall. We'll see so far only a couple of loads of snow were hauled in. The kids usually go over before and after Winterfest and take advantage of the hill without the Winterfest crowd.

Here is a picture of the hill from a few years back, but my pictures just don't do it justice. The power pole is usually close to the curb and definitely NOT in the middle of the hill!

And as I was going through the "sledding" pictures I just had to post this one of Brodie, Jayce, and Harleigh, wow do kids grow in three short years!

Here is the video of me, Jayce and Harleigh sledding that day with Brodie taking the video! What was I thinking?

Todd's Pedicure

Since I already shared one of Todd's great photos I thought I would share another one. It was last year, but the picture is GREAT! Todd was in taking a nap and Harleigh came out giggling and told me I had to come see. I followed her into our room and had to grab the camera before Todd woke up. She had painted his toenails a hot pink. The picture is not the best but I was laughing so hard it was hard to take the picture. Poor Todd after we woke him up by our laughing he called everyone he knew trying to get sympathy for his daughter picking on him and all anyone could do was laugh. The funny thing was when our Bishop stopped by a little later and Todd hadn't taken the polish off yet because we were out of fingernail polish remover. The look on his face was priceless. He asked Todd if there was anything he wanted to talk to him about and then started to laugh. After that I was told to go to the store and get fingernail polish remover.

A Few Jokes

In honor of Todd turning 43 a couple of days ago, I just had to share a few jokes about age that my brother sent to me.

Garage Door
The boss walked into the office one morning not knowing his zipper was down and his fly area wide open. His assistant walked up to him and said, 'This morning when you left your house, did you close your garage door?' The boss told her he knew he'd closed the garage door, and walked into his office puzzled by the question.As he finished his paperwork, he suddenly noticed his fly was open, and zipped it up. He then understood his assistant's question about his 'garage door.'

He headed out for a cup of coffee and paused by her desk to ask, 'When my garage door was open, did you see my Hummer parked in there?'She smiled and said, 'No, I didn't. All I saw was an old minivan with two flat tires.'


An elderly gentleman... Had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100% The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, 'Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again.' The gentleman replied, 'Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will three times!'


Two elderly gentlemen from a retirement center were sitting on a bench under a tree when one turns to the other and says: 'Slim, I'm 83 years old now and I'm just full of aches and pains. I know you're about my age. How do you feel?' Slim says, 'I feel just like a newborn baby.' 'Really!? Like a newborn baby!?' 'Yep. No hair, no teeth, and I think I just wet my pants.'


An elderly couple had dinner at another couple's house, and after eating, the wives left the table and went into the kitchen. The two gentlemen were talking, and one said, 'Last night we went out to a new restaurant and it was really great. I would recommend it very highly.' The other man said, 'What is the name of the restaurant?' The first man thought and thought and finally said, 'What is the name of that flower you give to someone you love? You know... The one that's red and has thorns.' 'Do you mean a rose?' 'Yes, that's the one,' replied the man. He then turned towards the kitchen and yelled, 'Rose, what's the name of that restaurant we went to last night?'


Hospital regulations require a wheel chair for patients being discharged. However, while working as a student nurse, I found one elderly gentleman already dressed and sitting on the bed with a suitcase at his feet, who insisted he didn't need my help to leave the hospital. After a chat about rules being rules, he reluctantly let me wheel him to the elevator. On the way down I asked him if his wife was meeting him. 'I don't know,' he said. 'She's still upstairs in the bathroom changing out of her hospital gown.'


Couple in their nineties are both having problems remembering things. During a checkup, the doctor tells them that they're physically okay, but they might want to start writing things down to help them remember Later that night, while watching TV, the old man gets up from his chair. 'Want anything while I'm in the kitchen?' he asks. 'Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?' 'Sure.' 'Don't you think you should write it down so you can remember it?' she asks. 'No, I can remember it.' 'Well, I'd like some strawberries on top, too. Maybe you should write it down, so's not to forget it?' He says, 'I can remember that. You want a bowl of ice cream with strawberries. ' 'I'd also like whipped cream. I'm certain you'll forget that, write it down?' she asks. Irritated, he says, 'I don't need to write it down, I can remember it! Ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream - I got it, for goodness sake!' Then he toddles into the kitchen. After about 20 minutes, The old man returns from the kitchen and hands his wife a plate of bacon and eggs. She stares at the plate for a moment. 'Where's my toast ?'


A senior citizen said to his eighty-year old buddy: 'So I hear you're getting married?' 'Yep!' 'Do I know her?' 'Nope!' 'This woman, is she good looking?' 'Not really.' 'Is she a good cook?' 'Naw, she can't cook too well.' 'Does she have lots of money?' 'Nope! Poor as a church mouse.' 'Well, then, is she good in bed?' 'I don't know.' 'Why in the world do you want to marry her then?' 'Because she can still drive!'


Three old guys are out walking. First one says, 'Windy, isn't it?' Second one says, 'No, it's Thursday!' Third one says, 'So am I. Let's go get a beer.'


A man was telling his neighbor, 'I just bought a new hearing aid. It cost me four thousand dollars, but it's state of the art. It's perfect.' 'Really,' answered the neighbor . 'What kind is it?' 'Twelve thirty.'


Morris, an 82 year-old man, went to the doctor to get a physical. A few days later, the doctor saw Morris walking down the street with a gorgeous young woman on his arm. A couple of days later, the doctor spoke to Morris and said, 'You're really doing great, aren't you?' Morris replied, 'Just doing what you said, Doc: 'Get a hot mamma and be cheerful.'' The doctor said, 'I didn't say that. I said, 'You've got a heart murmur; be careful.'


A little old man shuffled slowly into an ice cream parlor and pulled himself slowly, painfully, up onto a stool.. After catching his breath, he ordered a banana split. The waitress asked kindly, 'Crushed nuts?' 'No,' he replied, 'Arthritis.'

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

Tomorrow is Todd's 43rd birthday. Here he is being such a good sport to play with Harleigh. She asked him if he would be her dress up doll and he said he would. It was too great not to get a picture of!!

Thanks for being such a great husband and dad and as the picture above shows a great sport. We hope that you have a GREAT day!

Worst Mom Moment

Yesterday Harleigh had dance so I told her to come straight home from school. I left at my usual time to pick her up, but somehow in me getting across town and her teacher letting them out a little early she made it home before me and was sitting on the back step SOBBING, we're talking bit huge crocodile tears! I felt SO bad. Usually I have to wait for her and NEVER thought I'd be late. Yup it was one of those feelings of I am the worst mom, you know a "Worst Mom Moment". I have them quite often!! She sobbed "I can't go to dance". I had arranged to take the rest of the afternoon off, thinking that we were going to dance, so we went in the house and got two of Harleigh's favorites...

Then we settled into the recliner with a blanket and after about a half hour she felt much better! She did tell me AGAIN though that if she just had a cell phone she could call me.

New Year Resolutions

Okay, I don't know about the rest of you but I'm terrible about making New Year Resolutions and lately don't bother because I know I won't really keep them. I came across this article and REALLY liked the idea of developing one positive habit each month of the new year. I usually write down a HUGE list and then I am so overwhelmed I give up. This is much SIMPLER, which I'm trying so hard to be better at keeping things simple. So I'm going to give this a try.

I’ve been told it takes four to six weeks for any action to become a habit. So, keeping that in mind, one way I’m going to insure my success at keeping my New Year’s resolutions this year is by working on only one new habit at a time each month. Then, every time I turn to a new calendar page, I’ll work on developing a different good habit. At the end of the year, I could easily have twelve new positive habits in my life. Once something’s become a habit, it’s simply a part of my life and not something I’ll even have to think about anymore. What’s the area of life you’re most concerned about? Exercise? Weight loss? Healthy eating? Getting organized? Saving money? Spending more time with your kids? Break your goal down into simple steps that you can easily manage, and then start working your way to your goal, one small step — or small habit — at a time. As the old cliche’ says: “How do you eat an elephant? … One bite at a time.” By making small and consistent changes, it’s possible to change your health, your body, and your life.

Now, the difficult part - making the perfectionist in me stick to just one new habit without trying to add more and get overwhelmed.

Our New Years Eve

We don't usually do a lot on New Years Eve but the kids ALWAYS want sparkling cider and poppers. We usually open up the cider at midnight and the kids pull the poppers shooting confetti all over the house. This year Brodie was going to the college to a tri-stake New Years Eve party so I told the kids I wanted a picture of all of them before Brodie left. They gladly opened up a sparkling cider early and this was the pose I got. Seriously it was non-alcoholic although their pose, especially Jayce, would make one wonder.

We started playing some games and then one of Jayce's friends called and wanted him to come over to his house so Brodie left and Todd took Jayce to his friends and it was just Todd, Harleigh and I. Harleigh pretty much summed it up when she said "Mom, it just isn't the same without my brothers." So true I hate that the kids are growing up but am glad that they have good friends to spend time with. Harleigh settled in beating me at Crazy 8's and waiting patiently for midnight to come. She fights with her brothers constantly but misses them so much when they are gone.