Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Unbelievable...my kids totally surprise me. Jacinda and McCabe both jumped off the high dive at the recreation center today. The board is about 10 feet from the water but when you are standing at the top it looks like you are 22 feet in the air. He has wanted to do it ever since he saw Jacinda jump. Today was McCabe's first day to jump off the board and swim to the edge by himself. When he got out of the pool, the kids in the line were giving high fives and clapping his bravery. One boy asked, "how old are you?" "Four," was McCabe's reply and the boy said, "you are awesome." McCabe had a huge smile and went another 3 times off the diving board. I held my breath every time he jumped. I was always ready on the side to dive in after him just in case he needed some extra help but he was a champ....I am so proud of both of my kids.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

So much to talk about during the past 2 weeks. It started off with a 15 year high school reunion. There was a very small turnout…..like 20 people, but it was so fun to talk and mingle with everyone and see their kids. It is amazing how people change but still look the same. Some had longer hair, others had gained weight, and others finally bloomed. It was a very enjoyable evening. We had a picnic at Island View Park and then the kids played in the sand near the volley ball net. They built sandcastles and villages with compounds with mines and capitol buildings. I was amazed with the creativity of the older kids. Thanks to Ms. Emily Jex Boyle for arranging such a fun evening.

I am so happy to announce that I passed the 3 year mark of finishing all my cancer treatments. I am still cancer free and lively as ever. It feels sooo good to be healthy and happy. I have changed a little bit since cancer. I feel more care-free and optimistic. I also limit meat and dairy products. These are changes that I hope will help me to have a longer and healthier life.

We are itching to go camping but our schedules are so busy that we cannot squeeze in time. So instead we have mini campfires in our white trash pit on the drive way. We roast hot dogs and marshmallows. We love making a good smore or four. The night ends perfectly with messy faces and smelly campfire clothes.

I was very busy this past weekend sewing. We will be in a pioneer day parade and only in the state of Utah was the pioneer dress pattern I wanted was out of stock. I got the next best pattern, but Jacinda decided she wanted the colonial dress instead of the pioneer dress. Oh what they hey. So I made the dress she wanted and here is a picture of the final product.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Being a mom is great. I love this picture. We are at the zoo and there were numerous pictures taken but Xadia refused to look at the camera. She was too busy watching the animals and everything else going on around her.


Summer time is fun. We like to sit on the front porch and watch the sunset while eating ice cream or a popsicle. On this particular evening the kids had chocolate ice cream cones and they were so messy. I am glad they ate outside. Now I need to clean the front steps.

McCabe is so funny. I don't know what is going through his head. He does the most random things. On this particular day he had a fetish for brown bags. He would put them on his head and then do a silly dance and laugh. Of course I think it is adorable so I get the camera and snap a picture....only to encourage the behavior more. McCabe has been busy since school is out. He has learned to ride his bike without training wheels. I am so impressed....he is only 4. He is now trying hard to swim without floaties so that he can jump off the diving boards like his big sister.

Here are my cute daughters. Xadia loves to mimic Jacinda and McCabe. She is wearing McCabe's apron in this picture because McCabe was wearing it earlier to help me cook. Xadia can say a few words like bubbles, momma, daddy, papa, etc....but she mainly relies on her actions to communicate. Her latest thing is clenching her fists and putting them up by her armpits and then grunting. This is how she asks to open something like a granola bar or a bag of chips. It is so funny.

Jacinda is a big help when it comes to her younger siblings. She likes to kiss McCabe on the cheek and give him a big hug. McCabe always pushes Jacinda away but deep down he likes it. And then there is Xadia who is constantly getting attntion from both her siblings. They all do a good job of giving hugs and showing love....I hope that will continue forever. Jacinda has learned to ride her bike without training wheels and has taken a strong liking to swimming. Just yesterday she was jumping off the low and high diving boards. Of course I went first to show her the way and how to do it and I must say that I got a little scared on the high dive. It is frightening when you can see straight to the bottom of the pool 26 feet in the air. Anyways Jacinda did not hesitate. She jumped and jumped and then jumped some more. It was a lot of fun and I am so proud of her. I was not that brave or confident at her age. Way to go girl!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

School is out and summer is here. We have been busy with swimming lessons, playing at the park, and enjoying the summer lunch program in our community. The weather has been awesome nice and warm but not blistering hot. We have enjoyed the temperature in the low 70’s this past week. Here is a short snippet of what our family has been doing:

Tim has been busy removing the last part of the rocks and planting periwinkle on the back hillside. He is also researching about audio systems and Cat 5 cable.

Sasha has been making a tile medallion for the bathroom and driving kids to and from swim lessons.


Jacinda has been swimming, battling allergies, and watching “Go Dino.” She also has been reviewing her sight words and preparing for first grade.


McCabe has been swimming, watching “Go Dino,” and making pictures out of paper and markers. He also has been trying to learn his letters and sounds to be better prepared for
preschool.


Xadia hangs out with mom, is busy trying on everyone’s shoes, and keeping really messy. She just graduated to wearing a size 2T.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Yes it was a busy week with kindergarten testing, birthday parties, and sleep-overs. We even squeezed in planting a garden. The kids got to choose the plants. We ended up with 2 tomato plants, 2 zucchini plants, 1 yellow pepper, and 6 watermelon plants. My kids love watermelon.

I had a learning lesson this past week. My son does not like to be called names. The kids got in trouble and made Tim very upset. Tim told them that they were acting like “poo-poo heads.” McCabe fell apart. He started crying. He was so hurt and for the next 10 minutes he would not let it go. Tim apologized and had a heartfelt talk with McCabe. They resolved the issue and now things are back to normal, but we have learned that name calling can be very powerful and cuts deep.

We were listening to the radio and there was an ad for airfare to China. Jacinda says, "let's move to China." "Why," I asked. "Because the panda bears are so cute." That gave me a good laugh.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Happy Mother’s to all you wonderful mothers. Today was very low key for me. No big gifts. I did get cereal and toast for breakfast and a wonderful nap. Then Deb Hefner made a fabulous dinner for our family. I love that woman. It was a lovely day to remember mothers. One of the great things I like about my mom is her sense of humor. She was also a great person to talk with because of her experience with life. I sure miss her.

I have to note this before I forget, today I did the unthinkable…I sang a solo in sacrament meeting. Never in my younger years would I do that but my thinking and courage has definitely changed since having cancer. So when Michelle Schmidt asked if I would sing the duet part to “Mother, Tell Me The Stories,” I said sure. I think it went well…after all I did say 3 prayers that I would not be nervous and that I would sing well.

My children are so creative. McCabe found this empty oatmeal box and decided to build a squirrel house. Tim helped him cut a door and McCabe put in a rock and some grass to make it homely. Each day he goes out and checks the box to see if a squirrel is in it.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

It was a beautiful Easter Day. The weather was perfect, the spiritual element was superb and the children’s excitement for Easter is so much fun. Last night Jacinda left notes all around the house for the Easter Bunny. She wanted to make sure he knew there were kids in this house. We told her that Reese’s peanut butter cups are the Easter’s Bunny favorite candy. So she got six of them and put them on our front stairs leading up to the door. Eventually those treats ended up in the kid’s bags because the Easter Bunny likes to share. The kids were so excited about their treats. It turned out well. We did not go overboard with candy because the kids got so much junk days before Easter.

Easter is a great holiday. I love all the “egg” puns added to words like…egg-specially, egg-xtra, egg-cited. I will probably always think of Ethan and laugh inside for the rest of my life when Easter comes. Just two weeks prior we were in California and my brother-in-law was telling us some of his grammatical pet peeves…like saying “ax” instead of “asked” or “egg-specially” instead of “especially.” Every time I saw an egg pun I thought of him and laughed. Funny how silly things stick with you.

Today I heard a story that deeply touched my heart. The moral to the story is that God wants to give us more riches than we can give to ourselves. We have to decide when to give up the cheap stuff for the real deal. Enjoy the story.

Jenny's Pearl Necklace by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown
The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.
"Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please!" Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.
"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma." As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her piggy bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores. She went to the neighbor, Mrs. McJames, and asked if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.
Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere--Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother had told her that if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.
Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"
"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."
"Then may I have your pearls?"
"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess--the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite."
"That's okay, honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.
About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"
"Daddy, you know I love you."
"Then will you give me your pearls?"
"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."
"That's okay, Honey. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss. A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.
"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"
Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. When she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you." With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the prized necklace. With the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case. He handed the handsome velvet case to Jenny and told her, "Thank you for giving me your most prized possession that you even saved for all by yourself. Here Honey, I have this for you also. I wanted to trade you, but I was going to give these to you tonight either way."
As Jenny pried open the blue velvet box, so nice a thing itself she'd never known, the glistening white sheen of the rich genuine pearls struck her teary eyes.