...and to all a good night

I love sleeping children


I especailly love brothers sleeping together in their little twin bed. This night it looked like it was William's bed.

oh...and now it's Jake's bed. we must take turns, of course.

The perfect ending to a perfect Christmas. A seriously exciting game of LIFE with Chocolate fondue. We all went to bed sick with over indulgence to chocolate pretzels and William and dad went to bed happy. They won. But Jakey and I went to bed happy too. Cause we did our BEST!

Christmas Morning 2010

A wonderful memory. A wonderful feeling. Just our little family. We had one groggy, bewildered baby, one not feeling so good Mooch, and one incredibly, excited, this is the "Best Christmas Ever" Bug.

All in all, a WONDERFUL Chirstmas day. James even woke up at 4:30 A.M. to run into the hospital to make an extra $100! What a man! Oh, and he went back later that day to make an extra $35. Thank Babe.

Christmas Vacation 2010

We started our vacation this year with a road trip to visit Grandma and Grandpa Ford in Chicago. What fun! Nothing better than Grandma to spoil your kids rotten. Our two day adventure was PACKED with the Shedd Aquarium, the Children's Museum, Panera Bread, and the Dollar Store. WIlliam couldn't understand why the Dollar Store was not more crowded the day before Christmas Eve. To him, this was the greatest store on Earth for Christmas bargains.

making the drive. we loved it.

until next time...Chicago!

No School Day

Gingerbread Houses on Sunday

No School Day on Monday (SNOW DAY)

I walked in the boys room this morning and hollered,

"I have an announcement, I have an announcement"

Their sleepy eyes looked up at me in confusion.

I continued, "There will be NO SCHOOL today!"

Instantly, I saw a smile glazed over Jake's droopy lips and William turned toward his window, looked out at the blistery blizzard and lay back in his bed...

both happy with the world.

Jake MADE me make sugar cookies. I decided since it was "a kid's day" they could make them any way they wanted. Jake even pounded out the dough with his feet instead of the rolling pin. (Don't worry, I threw those one's away)

Then I put four bowls of frosting on the table and a tray of cookies. I left the room. I couldn't handle watching all the dripping, slipping and goobers. I told myself, "just leave the room, leave the room"

I returned to some beautiful cookies. None that we will probably deliver to neighbors, but they were sure proud of their creations.

Here's to a "NO SCHOOL DAY"

SNOW

The boys made a snowman with their dad. What a cool looking dude!

1 Moment Each

1st. The Mooch
Today he came to me saying, "Mommy, I'm hungry." I responded that I would love to make him a peanut butter sandwich.
His response, "No, I'm not hungry for any protein stuff."
Well, what are you hungry for?
"Ummm, maybe something likem ummm, like, cold"
Like what?
"ummm, maybe something in the freezer. Like something that maybe starts with a "I"".
Don't worry. He didn't get any frozen "I" food. If he was really hungry he would have eaten the protein food.

I learned a new level of patience with William. Have you ever tried to teach a 7 year old how to play chess? Seriously, an hour and a half later I pointed out he had a check mate. He won. THank goodness! Time to make dinner.

Naomi was invited to her 1st ever Birthday party! She couldn't have been more excited! She loved it. She loved giving a present. The whole thing. And I loved taking JUST her. It was SOOO fun.

Goal...accomplished

Jake has always been a little jealous of William because William actually reads the scriptures by himself for family scripture study and Jake has always just had to repeat us as we read for him. At the beginning of the school year, we talked about our goals for the year. Jake's #1 goal...to read a scripture ALL BY HIMSELF! I was a little nervous. The scriptures aren't written in normal English.

But last night, as I was out doing errands, James told Jake to read...all by himself. Jake told him ,"no, I can't." But James told him to try. And try he did! And success!

As soon as I got home, I walked into the boys room and Jake threw his arms around me, pulled open his scriptures, and showed me the three he read. I couldn't believe it.

We wrestled on his bed with excitement. He couldn't contain himself.

Here's to Jake! And here's to Goals!

Natural

Thanks to my parents, I was able to take William skiing while in Utah. So I took him last year with my brothers for the first time. This year, I wasn't going to take him. Jake didn't want to go. He said he'll go when he's 11. William kept begging me to take him. I'm kindof a wimp. I HATE being cold.
My dad still bugs me about when he would take me skiing. All I would say is, "I'm cold, daddy, I'm cold." Now James gets to hear me complain. I'm always cold.
Only one of my three joys could get me out on the mountain where I basically freeze to death. But after-all, thanks to my dad for making me freeze over and over again. If only to be able to teach my babies.
I know that's what parents do. They teach their kids to ski. I get it. Whether you want to or not.

Now that William is 7, I made him carry his own skis. Way to go, Bug.

It was probably on this run where he said to me, "well,mom, I think I'm just like... a natural." He did pretty good. Not at turning. He hates turning. But he LOVED flying down the hill in a straight line and stopping by running into the metal gate. For some reason he just loved that part.

The best part about skiing. I'm sure my dad feels the same way. Talking to your baby on the way up the lift.

It was here where William and I had "the conversation." The most humbling conversation. I looked down on the hill and saw a snowboarder. I told William that skiing is wayyy BETTER and TOUGHER and HARDER than snowboarding. I told him his dad was kindof a wimp because his dad snowboards. I explained to him the long tradition of snowboarders making fun of skiiers and skiiers making fun of snowboarders.

His response.

"My dad is not a WIMP! He's the hardest worker in the family. He goes to work like every single day of his life. You don't even have a job, mom!"

I didn't know whether to slap his mouth for the insult or laugh with his honesty. I laughed. I hugged him. His dad certainly is tough. And definitely a hard worker. But he still snowboards.

On the drive down the mountain, William said that he thinks he should probably get skiis for Christmas. He's probably going to be a skiier, he says. And a swimmer.

31

No Better Way...to spend my 31st birthday.

St. George, UT. Some of my favorite family memories. Climbing the Red Rocks. With my kids. My sister. My sister's kids. My parents. Oh, yeah.

My Knight

So this year Jake was our "Knight in Shining Armor" for Halloween. But yesterday, a Sunday, I saw my Knight in Shining Armor walking up to me in a crowded hallway at Stake Conference.

James got called-in (pretty random) on a Saturday morning that we thought he would have off. Oh, well. I would see him the next day at noon. Sunday.

24 hours later. Sunday. I was tired by this point. But used to it...I guess.

I got the kids dressed for church and headed to Stake Conference. A 2 hour meeting. Just the kids and I...and a million other people.

I headed straight for the Relief Society room. I figured we would only disrupt a handful of people instead of the whole cultural hall.

And disrupt them we did.

Jake most of all. Well, Naomi did her share too.

Oh yeah, and William threw his 7 year old body longwise taking up four chairs because he "had a headache."

I didn't really care. Lie down.

At one point I had to take Jake out and find an empty room. I spanked his bottom.

Then William had to use the restroom. Really. I had just taken Naomi and than Jake.

Fine.

I grabbed the baby and left Jake behind to fend for himself. Or actually, for the rest of the innocent people to fend for themselves...with Jake.

I sat outside the Boys room holding my baby. And then from the corner of my eye, I saw him.

A man. He looked as if he just woke up. Really, he actually never really went to sleep.

He was wearing light blue scrubs. And this old, worn out red fleece. His hair looked greasy. His tennis shoes needed a bath.

But there he was. Completely out of place. Not dressed appropriately. But at this occasion, I saw him dressed perfectly.

I guess I was perfectly in love with him.

Right at that moment.

He didn't go home to sleep. He should have.

He came to rescue me.

A damsel in distress. My knight.

BiG wEeK

William had a BiG wEeK

William with his teacher, Ms. Soujourner. She nominated William for the Resnik Pride Award for being such a great student.

Then he got GLASSES! Jake failed his vision test at school. They made me go get a professional opinion. I decided to just take both the boys. Why not? Apparently Jake passed with flying colors. William, ummm, not so much. It was hilarious.

This morning at 7:00 A.M. I had to yank the kids from their warm beds into the cold car. It was William's FIRST swim meet.

Go, Bug, Go (he's diving in)

waiting for his heat

just checking the goggle fit.

So, kids swimming isn't as innocent as it looks. It's exhausting. James is on call. The kids were crazy. I had to volunteer for the first hour of the meet. The head lady got a little feisty with me.

It probably would have helped if someone told me what a "lane checker, somethin or other" was before I got there. I stood in my place like a stone. I made sure no one drowned. Whew.

Then I hustled Jake and Naomi in with me to watch the Bug. I found a tiny, little spot of bench by the staircase. I asked the mom sitting there if I could sit down. She just looked at me and didn't answer. Normal people would have taken that as a "no". I wasn't normal this morning. I sat down. The lady than made a rude comment about the cute Indian mom who was yelling Indian language up to her husband. The lady rudely said, "I can't stand that! This is America. Speak English." Oh, gees. What have I gotten myself into?

Then the lady's daughter was up. She lost her heat by less than a second. The mother was yelling her brains out. Finally when her daughter hit the wall last she let out a ,"oh, damnit!" Oh, gees. Then a guy told me that my daughter who was sitting in the staircase was going to get stepped on.

Get me out of here.

We cheered for the Bug. Then we got the heck out of there.

We're home.

We're exhausted.

It's been a BiG WeeK for a Big Bug!

Way to go Kid!

Already Missing...

An Ah-Ha moment. It was dark...not late, just dark. I was in the minivan by myself. Driving past Croghan Park. On Sand Run Parkway. In akron, OH. I had that feeling. "I was home." How interesting it is, that I have had those "Ah-Ha" moments in each of the places that I have lived. In Salt lake, it was 13th South, than onto Des Moines on Jordan Creek parkway, and now in Akron on Sand Run. I immediately thought about what the street name would be when I have my "ah-ha" moment in Denver, CO. Our next stop. Our next phase. Somewhere, out there, in Denver, there is a whole new world waiting for me. New friends, new neighbors. New parents to meet on the PTA and new teachers for my kids in primary. With this excitement ahead of me, I am already starting to miss this place that we have made our home.
I am already missing the cashier lady at Circle K with the dyed black hair. When she sees me come in, she holds out her hand for my $.63 cents. That's how much my Coke is. No more. No less. I always have the exact change and she knows it.
I am missing the gangster cashier at Walgreens who knows that when I walk in, he will be doing multiple transactions with coupons. He just smiles at me. As we talk about how much money I am going to save.
I am missing going into Target and running into someone I know. For this, to me, is a sign that I am officially a part of a place. It always has been. If I can go in a store and see someone I know, I have made it.
I am already missing walking up to the playground at the boys school and seeing my friends pushing their little ones on the swings and talking about how frustrated we are with whatever we are frustrated with.
Somewhere, out there, in Denver, CO is a whole new place to make home. Somewhere, our neighbors are waiting for us. Somewehre, there is a street that I will one day say, "Ah-Ha."