Snow Fever

Last weekend we had a great storm come through Utah. Apparently, we weren't the only ones

in Utah who were desperate for some fresh powder to freshen up the winter! We couldn't wait to take the kids sledding. We managed to make it up the mountain at the perfect time. We were after the crazy morning ski rush but we made it up before the police blocked all uphill traffic up Big Cottonwood Canyon. It was crazy. But we had a great day of sledding!

Kate had a great day. She rode with us for a while, had a treat and then grabbed a sled and just started sledding by herself. She even brought the sled up by herself. It was fun to watch her.

She's just too cute!

We went with some friends so we didn't see Matt too much. He and his friend Bryson just play together.

It was a beautiful day to be outside!

I might want to remember that!

I thought I'd post a few things that I might want to remember a few years down the road...

This past Sunday we were having our sharing time and the teacher had a bunch of scripture stories and she was asking the kids questions about the story. For the sunbeam class she was asking them questions about the Birth of Christ. She asked the question, "Who was it that rode into Bethlehem on the back of a donkey?" The Sunbeams didn't know right away so she was giving them clues like, "She had a baby in her tummy... and rode on a donkey..." Sara blurts out, "Zaida's mom!" Zaida's mom is one of the sunbeam teachers. It was so funny. I felt really bad though because Zaida's mom had told the week earlier that she was pregnant but she hadn't announced it yet, so she probably thinks I tell my kids all my secrets. Oh well!

Also, this week, we were coming home from the grocery store and Sara asked to sit in the back in Kate's booster seat. This is common and I usually let her for short trips. So I buckled her in, but before we came home I filled up with gas. Well, I didn't know that while I was filling up with gas, Sara unbuckled herself and got down from the booster. I got back in the car and was off in la la land and started driving home. We get really close to home, like 50 feet and I realize it has been way too quiet the whole drive home. I look in the rearview mirror and I don't see Sara. I immediately go into panic mode. I start yelling, "Sara, Sara, where are you Sara?" And I'm imagining that I've somehow left her at the gas station or something and I'm just panicked thinking she is all by herself and scared. Well, right then she popped up from the floor of the backseat. I could tell by the look on her face that she thought she was going to get in the biggest trouble of her life, but I was so relieved that I had her and she was safe that all I could do was hug her. That knucklehead!

I could, but it's not what I want

Wow, blogging hiatus. Besides not having time, I haven't had much to say lately. Well, I take that back. I've always got stuff to say, but it hasn't translated into a blog post.

I could blog about how I excited I get when Utah's Sports Guide magazing publishes an article about how great Durango is to visit and how I want to carry it with me everywhere and yell, "that's where I'm from!" But that just makes me homesick and sends me into this turmoil of loving Durango, but admitting that Utah is pretty cool too.

I could blog about all my worries as a parent. But specifically, how Matt woke up one morning and all of a sudden had a severe stutter that is not going away. Or how at his parent teacher conference he'd gone from all level 4 grades to about half 4 and half 3. Previously, the only 3 he's ever gotten is in handwriting. And let's face it, he's Jerry's son so my handwriting expectations are low.

I could blog about my excitement about our plans for tonight. There's a lady in my ward that has 15 kids and I think she is wonderful and Jerry and I always talk about how even though they are a little bit older, we'd love to hang out with them. It's taken me the 8 years that we've lived here, but I've slowly worked my way into her circle and last month they gave us the official invitation to join their family sealing session at the temple, AND they invited us to dinner before!! I always say I want to have her full attention for an hour so I could pick her brain. Last summer I had that chance at cub scout day camp, but I forgot all my questions, so I'm considering writing them down... Should I write them on my hand so I can just sneakily look at them?

I could blog about how I love the way if you ask Sara a series of open ended questions she'll tell you the craziest stories. I wonder where she gets her ideas from.

I could blog about how glad I am to have the neighbor I do and how if it weren't for her I don't know how I'd manage everything. She is one who if I need help with my kids or something, she'll change what she's doing so she can help out. And I'm glad that I get to attempt to help her out the same way. I have a close connection with her kids and I'm so glad to have that relationship.

I could blog about my frustrations with our cub scout program currently and how frustrating it is when people just don't care. And on the other hand, I could blog about awesome our Sunbeam teacher is and how it doesn't matter to her that she's teaching 3 year olds.

I could blog about how when the time came that I needed to work, I was glad I had the education, the experience and the reference to get a job that I like, but how it kills each time I go to work. I even really like what I do and I've gotten really close to the girls. I even shed some tears with a client whose stepdad passed away, but my heart breaks every time I leave my kids.

I could blog about how much I dislike our HOA and how annoying it is that everytime an annual meeting is scheduled we get letters posted to our doors about how this person should be kicked out because they are lame. I personally dislike our board, but do we have to act like 7th graders?

So, I could blog about a lot of things, but all I really want to do is have it be 100 degrees so we can lay by the pool and feel the warm sun and play together! Can it be July yet, PLEASE?!

Love Currency

One thing I still remember from one of my Marriage and Family classes is the concept of Love Currency. The idea behind love currency is that everyone has a different way of receiving and giving love. In a relationship, whether it's romantic, or friendly or whatever, you have to understand 2 things. 1. How does the other person give love and 2. how does the other person receive love. Then you have to be able to communicate in the same currency with one another. So, take Jerry and I for example, I have to learn how he gives love. Then, when he says or does something for me that I know is his love currency, I know he's telling me he loves me. I also have to learn how he receives love so that I can say or do things in his currency so he knows I am telling him I love him. Ideally, he would learn the same things about me and we could communicate in each others currency, and receive their currency and understand it. It's something that a lot of people already do, but I like having a name to behaviors and it also makes me more aware. So, on this Valentine's Day, what is your love currency? And do you know the currency of those around you?

Sometimes...

Sometimes she's cute:

like when we were playing trains and she climbed in the bucket and fell asleep.

Sometimes she's not:

like when she decided she wanted cheese for a snack and grabbed the whole bar from the fridge and then ran around the house hiding from me.

Sometimes she's cute:

like how she always wants to go outside wearing her leotard, jacket and sandals even when it is below freezing.

Sometimes she's not:

like when she sneaks and eats an entire pack of gum. (notice that her jammies say "adorable")

Sometimes she's cute:

like when she's dressed up as buzz lightyear, "Oooh infinity. Let me on!"

Sometimes she's not:

like when she cuts her own hair (I was at work and Jerry didn't take a picture), or when I let her have a pack of nerds from the grocery store, let her have some of it and then ask her to wait to finish it so I even hide it on the counter behind things, but she pushes a box over to it, climbs up and gets it and eats it...

Sometimes she's cute:

Well, most of the time she's cute!

Where has all my laundry gone?

Aren't these two so cute?! I just love these two girls! For the past 6 weeks or so they have worn nothing but leotards or other dress up clothing. Sara is crazy about her leotard. She is almost always wearing it. Even if we have to put sweats on to go to the store or something, she still doesn't want to take it off. It's great incentive for staying in bed at bedtime and I love that!

We had a brief day of not bitter cold weather and the girls insisted on playing out side wearing leotards, dresses and sandals! Crazy, but they had a good time. We are all feeling a little crazy of winter and what does the weather do? Get colder. Bummer.
A few months ago Kate decided she wanted to save up her money for a leotard. She has never stopped talking about it and today she had finally saved up 17 dollars to buy one! I was very proud of her. She earns 50 cents a week so this has taken quite a while. She picked this one out at the store a few weeks ago and today was the exciting day that we got to go buy it!
Sara has been asking to do gymnastics for quite a while. She also always asks for music to be on when she dances around. She likes to have things just so before she performs for us. She loves to put on a show, we just have to meet all her demands! So yes, all my laundry has turned into leotards. I'm not really complaining though, because they sure are a couple of cute girls!

What makes you smile?

Today I pulled up to a stoplight and there was a police car in front of me. It had a license plate frame that said, "Smile, I could be behind you". I thought that was so funny!

Thanks, now I'm dumber

This weekend I was flipping through the newspaper and I saw an article that caught my eye. The title was something like Moms still haven't warmed up to minivans. So I read the article. The basic point of the article was that despite all the new bells and whistles people don't buy minivans because they look cool, or because they drive fast, or because they handle well. They buy minivans because it's the easiest, most economical way to transport several kids from one place to another and that's ideal when you have carpool, and sports events and birthday parties, etc.





DUH!