On this last day of March I'm thinking about....

....General Conference, and how excited I am to watch and listen this weekend. I've been busy making packets from here, and my goal this year is to have everything set out and ready by Friday night. I'm planning my menu and doing my shopping early, and we even made this adorable GC craft for FHE. If you need my recipe for Conference Rolls, email me....

...Spa day, at my house a few weeks ago, when we were lucky enough to have 4 extra (wonderful) children spend the weekend with us. With my own kids it evened up the scored at 4 boys, 4 girls---but as you can see even the boys participated in the spa in Cassidy's bedroom. I had a massage, my make-up and hair done, and a mani. Even Sam got his make-up done---"Asian Style", the girls informed me:

---other random thoughts, this last day of March:

I'm anxiously anticipating Spring and warmer temps

I'm excited to garden

I'm amazed at how fast the school year has gone

I'm overwhelmed in so many areas of life

I'm wishing we were going somewhere exciting for Spring Break

I'm looking for my next great read

I'm hoping to accomplish so much more than I do

I'm wanting to redecorate (decorate) my entire house

I'm smiling at the prospect of soccer season

I'm needing to go shopping for a day, a week, maybe a month (purely for therapeutic reasons, and to stimulate the economy)

I'm happy, worried, content, stressed---but right now needed (and loved) by a two year old who needs his oatmeal.

The new man of our house

So we celebrated Ben's 12th birthday last week. (gulp)

He's registering for junior high this week. (double gulp)

He went camping with his scout troop on Friday and......had a fabulous time. (smile)

Last Sunday he received the Priesthood and his Dad ordained him a deacon, and tomorrow he will pass the sacrament for the first time. (gulp.smile.gulp.)

I'm happy....I'm sad....I guess that makes me sappy (definitely). Mostly I'm excited for him and the great young man he is becoming. Here now, some highlights of birthday week:

Imagine the fun that Garrett and Sam and I had wrapping this gift. We wanted to make sure that Ben would never guess what it was....

but that Ben is so sharp he guessed it anyway.

 It's tradition---we celebrate Ben and Grandma's birthdays at Olive Garden in Provo. (Grandma turned 70 this year, which I think is really cool)

Birthdays are so much more fun when your mom takes you and your friends to the movies, and you get to take your brand new ipod touch with you, which you are pretty sure is THE coolest thing you will own in your entire life. Period.

It's tough to be the newest person in the deacon's quorum, going on your first camp-out with new leaders, knowing none of your close friends will be there because they haven't turned 12 yet. It's tough to make sure you have all the right gear and didn't forget anything. It's tough wearing a new uniform (that's too big) instead of basketball shorts and tshirt. It's tough when your mom wants to take your picture every blessed minute of your life.....But you did it anyway. So proud, Ben.

P.S. Does he look like he's heading off to the Marines or something? It was just an overnighter!

Lucky

by Garrett, age 6

twelve

Happy Birthday, firstborn.

We love you!

My Favorite Time of Day

Do you have a  favorite time of day? I'll share a few of mine...

6:30am

 The house is quiet, and I am the only one awake. This is my time to read scriptures, pray, think, and try to plan my day. I love sitting in my quiet house, listening to the faint but joyous sounds of sleeping kids, the start of the shower indicating Rich is up, and the cats scratching at the back door, asking to come in. Soon the sounds change---and sleepy faces then appear in the kitchen, needing hair combed, breakfast made, shoes found, and eventually, a ride to school. But for that one half-hour, I bask in the silence of the house that is all mine. 

12:17pm, approximately:

An exuberant, red-cheeked six year old bounds through the front door, full of stories and questions from his 3 hours of kindergarten. Mom, what do Polar Bears eat? and Why is the E silent in some words? pour from his mouth. I love hearing about Naomi's birthday and the fruit snacks she brought to share, and how his new friend Ethan and him have made plans to become police officers together someday. I love to see his excitement on library day (Tuesday), when he gets to choose a new book to bring home and he reminds me how to correctly turn the pages and treat the book carefully, just as the librarian instructed him. I love how he can't sit still when he eats his tuna sandwich (a favorite of his) but always leaves the crust. I love to be around his happy, excited little self, and secretly hope some of that exuberance will rub off on me. Maybe I need to learn some more about Polar Bears...

2:30pm

Ben and Cass come through the door, full of details about their day: Science and math tests, friends who were kind and those who were not, a new seating arrangement in the classroom, a cold slimy lunch in the cafeteria, and somebody's (no names mentioned, to protect the innocent) 3-pointers made during recess. Of course, this time also includes some squabbling, some friendly and not-so-friendly jabbing and tattling, but soon they are off again, playing with friends, and so I cherish those moments when they share their day with me.

8:00pm

I'm in a rocking chair, snuggling with a 2 year old who is clutching a beloved blanket with one hand and sucking his thumb with the other. I have drawn the line at reading two books, but as usual, he has talked me into reading many, many more. We  read about  a certain Sam-I-Am, about Pigs and Pancakes and Wockets in Pockets. We say Goodnight,Moon and and listen to Mr. Brown Moo (Can you?). Then we go through the ritual----kneeling beside his new car bed to pray, tucking him in with Mouse and George (stuffed animals), kissing Mouse and George (and Sam), laying the blanket just so, and then playing the turn off/turn on light game for a few minutes. He always asks for a drink, and I always tell him I'll get him milk in the morning. I open and close his door a few times, as he calls "mom!" and has to tell me one more thing. And then finally, he is quiet. I wonder if he ever knows I sneak in to check on him several hours later to make sure he is covered up? I wonder what age my children will be before I will stop checking on all of them before I go to sleep myself? 

9:30pm, give or take

Rich and I are sitting on our perspective couches, he with his laptop or ipad, me with my laptop or Kindle. Faintly the TV is heard in the background, though we are not watching anything. This is a favorite time of mine, when I pour out the days menial events to a thoughtful, concerned husband who listens patiently as I complain, explain and expound on the joys and frustrations of stay-at-home-mom-ness. We talk in-depth about the kids, local events, and usually we even get around to politics. I hear about his favorite (not) client who drives him batty, he hears about the great deals I picked up at Target (and seems genuinely interested). We talk about schedules, more about the kids, worry about finances, and look forward to our next date. All too soon we've stayed up later than we should but as we trudge off to bed we are decidedly content that we have each other to share it all with.

And then all too soon that blasted alarm clock is screaming for my attention. Definitely NOT a favorite time of day.......

Happy March

Was it just me and the cats, or were any of you THRILLED that today was the first day of March, and that it was warm and sunny? Even though I know we're not out of the winter-woods yet, March feels sooo far from January and February that it at least gives me HOPE  that it will not be cold forever. After all, I'M JUST A SUMMER GIRL...

It's been interesting around here lately. Last week....

---Ben got braces (he is really mad at me that I posted his picture so don't even think of looking at his braces or saying you saw his pic on my blog)

---Ben got his first suit from Mr. Mac

--We took down this

 and put up this instead

 and now we are selling our crib and how should/do I feel about that?

---We also played a lot in the snow

--and ate some snow

(please say it wasn't yellow)

and now we are in March anxiously awaiting a certain 11 year old's upcoming birthday (only 9 days).

---and one more thing:

we played in boxes. Love the cat's expression.