Recent events...

MY BULBS BLOOMED
I thought you would want to see! (It reminds me that I still need to finish my garden. I blame a rainy weekend for no progress, but truth be told I wasn't home anyway.)

In other news...
Travis and I went to his first company party about 2 weeks ago. (Sorry for the delay in pictures.)
RHM learned about the "P" sound in preschool.

Sweetie cried hard enough that you can finally SEE her 2 teeth. She has had them for a few weeks now.

BTW- she is eleven months now and a professional walker. (Video soon to come.) Check out this blog for fun pictures of a photo session of brother, sister, and friend - very casual.

Super Bowl Wednesday???

Super Bowl Sunday is this week! I love the commercials. Do you? Anyway. The game is something I like ok, but for me it is just another reason to have a get together. Patriots. Giants. I don't care who wins. But I do care about my Cub Scout Pack...

This Wednesday our pack had the opportunity to go to the University of Phoenix Arena to help set up for the Super Bowl!

We were there as a "service" project to place seat cushions on the stadium seats. We actually earned $0.10 per cushion. AND they gave us dinner and a T-shirt. CRAZY, but true. How awesome does this sound!!! It was fun and easy. Let me tell you what we did.

First : Stuff the seat cushions with 4 give aways.

Second: Get cubs to run the seat cushions down the 200 stairs.
Third: Place cushions. This is the hard part - NOT REALLY!
We stuffed the give aways in the zipper pocket. The boys did the work themselves. GREAT JOB! They were so fast, we got done an hour early.
Awesome, huh?

The Boy Scout Troop in our ward went with us, too!

One of these is not a "real" leader. Can you guess which one? Some people will do anything to see the inside of a stadium.

Can you tell we had a great time?

Look at those happy cub faces!

Watch the Stadium Floor come in the Dome.

It is real grass on a retractable floor. Very cool. It takes around 90 minutes for the floor to come in from outside.

Me. Near the Patriot's 50 yard line.

Think of my cool Pack when you watch the Super Bowl.

Family Night

We found out Sunday night that our Prophet, President Hinckley passed away . I will miss his sweet spirit and guiding words that he used to lead The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was an amazing man. My cousin wrote a great story about him here.

His death reminded my family that the Church is true - so we had Family Home Evening Monday night. FHE is one of our basic teaching opportunities within the family that the Church teaches us. One day a week we gather as a family - have a opening prayer, song, lesson, activity and dessert. It is fun. I realized that some of you know little about my church, so here is a cool video. It talks about Myths and Realities. (Thanks MSK!)




SO BACK TO MY STORY: We read this story out of The Friend and learned to tie ties. It was fun! The Princess is the best at tieing ties. You go girl!

Don't look too close at the skinny end hanging down.

Schedule of 2008

I have yet to FINISH calendaring 2008. I bought this cool desk calendar at Wally World for $1.88. I started to fill it out, but NOT soon enough.

Thursday - I flaked on a friend wanting me to babysit while she went Visiting Teaching. My Wednesday Visiting Teaching appointment moved to Thursday and I double booked. As Mak would say, "Uh -oh!"

Saturday - I did it again. I am helping with the Stake Play, "Hello, Dolly!" (See website link on side column) Well I was supposed to help with the Children's Chorus, but I double booked and had to go to Pow Wow training for my Cubmaster position. I love Cubs! I love the play. Oh well. The world went on without me (as I knew it would) and everyone had a great Saturday. I went to Pow Wow. Ward calling comes first!

Sorry - no pictures. Might add some later. Check back!

Do YOU have any great scheduling advice? I would love some. You can't tell me to quit doing something though - that won't happen.

Right now I am helping or participating with:

• Cub Scouts (cubmaster)
• Stake Play (asst. producer)
• Stake Trek (activity committee) - very little, just meetings
• VAPO (PTA at charter school) - 2 breakfasts in Feb.

That doesn't include life - i.e. being a wife, mother, hiking, teaching piano, Visiting Teaching, playgroup, babysitting, teaching preschool (rarely), and keeping up with the Jones' (kidding). I love keeping busy because I know it feels good to have a reason to get up in the morning. It is a safety mechanism with me. I also LOVE to feel needed. It is nice to realize (repeatedly) that I am replaceable. I mean that in a good way. It keeps my ego in check. I like to be"in the know", but that doesn't mean I am the only one that can help. DELEGATE! I don't need to do everything. I can organize and then let go. LET GO! Key words: LET GO!

Any advice?

Another Personality Test

I think this fits me. But I also think that it is generic enough to fit a lot of people. I never thought of myself as ORANGE. Interesting. Isn't orange that color that makes people want to eat more? Cafetrias and restaurants use orange to make people buy more food! I guess if I am "Orange" then that explains my waist line. Ha ha!

What's Your True Color?
My Result: Orange

You're a bold, confident orange. A warm, powerful color that indicates a strong, welcoming personality, orange is the mark of people who are social and extroverted by nature. Vibrant, with an upbeat attitude, you have a bright, inviting demeanor. Energetic and fun-loving, you're a real friend-magnet. Your easy charm and unassuming manner make you the sort of person people want to meet and get to know better. Well-rounded and fun to be around, you enjoy helping others, so it's no surprise that orange also symbolizes attraction. Orange is an extraordinary color — for an extraordinary person.

Take this test >

The blogging world

Look here to read about someone giving me potty training advice. So fun to ask the blogging world for help! LOVE IT!

Do you have any advice to add about potty training through the night? I love to read advice, but I only do what is easy (FIRST) then what works (SECOND - but I wish I would start with what works first).

Bath Time

Babe and the RHM (red headed monster)
Babe in a Vegas tub a month ago

Bath time is the best. I have a video that proves it. My kids love the water. Now I just need to get a water proof video camera.

Starting a Garden

I have lived in this house for 2 1/2 years and I am just now starting a garden. Yes! People in Arizona are in prime growing season, RIGHT NOW! No snow here.

The delay has been trying to find the perfect place to plant and what I need to do to "make" a garden. I picked the side of my house, with the help and advice of a friend (thanks, Laura!). It is going to be small (about 3.5ft by 11ft), but better than nothing. Once I get the border down (and level) and clean dirt in the raised bed, I will be excited to plant. I can't wait! My favorite part is eating what you grow.

Cheap child labor

Today the kids and I bought the cinder block like pavers. We bought 42. We loaded 42 pavers on a cart (actually 2 carts), then paid for them, loaded the car with 42 pavers (the tires were low with all the weight), then we unloaded the car (with gloves this time, our hands were cold and sore) and placed the 42 pavers around the soon to be garden. It is a process. I can't believe the things the kids help me with. I couldn't do this without them. Kids are great!

picture of me "working" - not my baby, more child labor

Travis actually installed a drip line for the garden over the weekend. It should be nice. I will update you more about this later. I know you are all on pins and needles and you just can't wait! Sorry. Work takes time.

Thursday Night

PACK MEETING

Our pack had a great pack meeting and now have a busy month left in January. We are going to help place seat cushions(on Wed. Jan 30th) for the Super Bowl (in Phx on Feb 3rd). The boys are so excited. YIPPEE! We are also doing Scouting for Food this month. We also are planning our BIG Blue and Gold Banquet for February with a Chinese New Year theme. SO EXCITED! I love this time of year in Cubs. I also love day camp in the summer - and we are registering for that, too! Lots going on. SO FUN!

Look for pictures in a few weeks from the Super Bowl arena (BTW - we won't be there the day of the Super Bowl. We go earlier in the week and help). For now, enjoy pictures from this month's pack meeting.

Child #5 and #6

I always said that pets are like having another kid (and sometimes my husband is like a kid, too). Any who...Oldest loves animals. I could take them or leave them. I don't LOVE having a pet, but I think they are great for teaching lessons to my kids. Oldest now has 2 bearded dragons (big step up after the sand crab). We inherited these lizards from friends in the ward! THANKS.

Oldest LOVES them. He has named the "girl" Sapphire with the short tail and the large one, Elvis. Travis (Dad) wanted to veto the pets, but he couldn't argue with FREE. Also our Oldest takes care of them all by himself. It is great!

They eat spring lettuce mix and crickets. Oldest holds them everyday and enjoys showing his friends and anyone who stops by our house.