Encouragement begets encouragement

About a month ago, Mike got up early to take the kids snowboarding.  I mean like 5 am early and everyone else with him - including me.  I wasn't up that early to go snowboarding, I was up that early making them all hot cocoa to drink with their lunch.  A tradition that started some time ago when I was happy to get up at 5 am to make a huge batch of cocoa.  Anyhow, unlike them, I get to go back to my warm bed after my cocoa creation is complete.  But this morning, when I woke up  - for the second time - I opened my bedroom door and found a sweet love note from Brigam on the floor.  It made me smile so I stuck it to my door.  5 am cocoa creation time was totally worth it that day.

Isn't that so sweet? 

Well, this morning as I was walking past it for the (about) 100th time, I just had to tell Brigam why I kept it there. "Brigam," I said, "I just want to let you know why I keep this love note you gave me on my door and why it hasn't found it's way into my 'love notes' book yet.  It's because every time I walk past it, it makes me smile and that makes me happy, so thanks again for my love note.'

He gave me the obligatory 'Welcome' and I continued on with my morning.  About 20 minutes later he told me to come upstairs. As I obediently walked the steps, this is what I saw:

 

 

He had completely covered my door with his pad of sticky notes - all love notes for me.  I guess that kid likes it when I smile and am happy.  Now I have no excuse to be grumpy - that is as long as I am standing in front of my bedroom door!

 

Thanks Brigam!  You're my smile creator!

The DASH

My dad read this poem at church this past Sunday.  It is really thought provoking, just like General Conference was the week before.  I just wanted to always have it to remind me of my purpose while here on this journey.

The Dash 

by Linda Ellis copyright 1996

I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone,
from the beginning…to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the following date with tears,but he said what mattered most of allwas the dash between those years.

 

For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.

 

For it matters not, how much we own,
the cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

 

So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?For you never know how much time is left
that can still be rearranged.

 

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what’s true and realand always try to understand
the way other people feel.

 

And be less quick to anger
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we’ve never loved before.

 

If we treat each other with respectand more often wear a smile,remembering that this special dashmight only last a little while.

 

So, when your eulogy is being read,
with your life’s actions to rehash…
would you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent YOUR dash?

 

Mission Papers

So we are now getting ready for our second boy to go on a mission.  Jeremy had his missionary interview with the our Stake President - President Call this evening.  I wasn't there to take a photo of him getting the car to drive over to his appointment, but I was there to take photos of his well needed rest afterwards.  :)

I took lots of pictures because I knew that he would like to remember what his room looked like when he is gone from it for two years - and also because he won't recognize it when he gets back - it's gonna be changed shortly after he leaves, but I don't think he knows that yet!

"Burying himself in the scriptures"

 

 

A face only a mother could love

 

Still studying......

 

That is a scary look, but I am just going to take it as an extra large "EYE HUG" for his ever loving mama

The view from Jeremy's bed - door to ceiling.  I know he'll want to remember that view....

 

 

Jeremy's very own "title of liberty"

 

How the boy felt about the whole interview- he is ready to go

 

Two boys and their technology - that boy is going to miss his cell phone and text messaging for sure!

Tyler's EXTRA LARGE foot

Love it for now, Jeremy, love it for now. 

 

And just to let you know - Yo Mama is so proud of you!

S'mores, anyone?

So we had a impromptu dessert party after our BBQ dinner the other night.  Mike BBQ'd  for the first time this season and it was yummy!  But afterwards it got real sweet with a backyard s'mores party!  Tyler took some time to start a fire in our little metal fire pit and when the coals got nice and red-hot - we pulled out the marshmallows, chocolate and Graham crackers.  The marshmallows were a little sticky as this whole S'mores idea was really Peggy's suggestion from last October when I bought the supplies - but they still did the job.  Poor Briggy was the only one that didn't get in on any of the BBQ or S'mores action because he was over at Isacc's house.  Mykalyn pulled out her camera and got some shots. 

 

Mike really doesn't like to waste any time with the cooking of mallows, melting of chocolate and crackers - so he decided to put all three items together and get it done QUICK! I think things got a little well done, but I think he really enjoyed the speed. :)

It was spontaneous fun for Peggy and the whole family (minus Briggy who got a whole candy bar to himself later!)

Star Wars!

So it's Spring Break and the only one of us that is off on a vacation is Mykalyn who is snowboarding with her friend, Megan Fisk and her mama.  The rest of us are here in our wonderful house with not a lot to do during the day without school taking up hours and hours - so we needed some fun to have here. 
Thus....
the Star Wars Marathon idea!

We had a Star Wars party and watched Star Wars episodes 3, 4, 5 and about 1/2 of #6.  FUN!  I love those movies and hadn't watched them forever!
We started with awesome Jabba the Hutt (homemade) pizza and it took off (un-healthily) from there. 

Thanks for the sign covering up Jeremy's inappropriate house-wear!

 

Our fun "Star Wars" food. 

 Kid loves his "Yoda Soda!"

 

How was your Spring Break?



April Fool's Day 2013

April Fools day is a bit of a fun one around our house only because I have a traditional dinner that is fully for a fool.  I totally make a regular dinner to go along with it, but sometimes "dessert has to come first." 
We had spaghetti & meatballs, potatoes with gravy and peas & carrots:

 

We usually have something that resembles chicken nuggets, but I couldn't find any candy that fit the bill, and I realized that I could have created them out of pound cake, frosting and graham cracker crumbs, but by then it was too late.  There's always next year!

Union Ward Roadshow 2013

So last November I received a new calling at church.  It's title is "Young Women's Activity Specialist" which was a weird calling title because basically I was in charge of creating our wards Roadshow.  I haven't heard of a Roadshow being done for YEARS!  In fact, the last one that I was involved in was when I was 12.  I was Alice from Alice in Wonderland and I still can sing a bit of the song and do part of the dance number we did.  I won't show that to you. 
Anyway, so it hasn't been done for years.  I was a little overwhelmed with this task to say the least.  We spent Thanksgiving at Mike's mom and dad's house and it was very much on my mind.    I decided to put it out of my mind until after Christmas, but we had a roadshow meeting that put me into another Roadshow focus (or overwhelming feeling).  I had very many hours laying in bed thinking about it until I finally fell asleep.  I did come up with some great ideas in those many hours. 
We celebrated in the New Year and actually stayed up after 1am, but at 5am I woke up "bright eyed and bushy tailed" and wrote the entire roadshow in a few hours.  It was really inspiration.  I defiantly didn't do it without some help from on high. 
My challenge was utilize as many youth as possible.  Knowing that we have 40+ youth - that made it tricky, but I knew that not everyone would want to be on the stage.  We needed stage crew, sound and lighting people, someone to run the spotlight, people to help with scenery and I wanted a couple of extra directors - all this besides the actors/actresses.  Our youth stepped up.  I sent around an interest sign up sheet to see what the youth would be interested in doing.  Bishop made my job a little easier by letting them know that they would all be participating in one way or another, so they should choose what they really wanted to do. 
We ended up having 25 actors/actresses, a couple of co-directors, lights & sound people and stage hands..  It was great having so many involved, but that also meant that getting (at least) 25 schedules to coordinate for practices was a challenge.  That made me nervous about the outcome of the final performance.  But in the end, it all came together.  The youth did a fantastic job. 
I would LOVE to upload the video for your viewing pleasure, but it is over 100mb and Blogger only does 100mb, but I will attach some pics!

Jeremy and Nathan - Besties, but in different plays.

Our AWESOME backdrop!

 

Fairies & Tinkerbell!

On Stage with Peach Pod Products.

 

Brigam helps out with the making of the tutus!

Spencer doing the Harlem Shake.

 

Our Dancing Deacons

 Our shopping princesses.

 

This book comes in handy!

 

 Our dancing deacons wiping around their ties.

 

 

King Stefan and his daughter, Nelly.

 Our princesses.

 

Annanana, Random Boy from the Kingdom, One of the guards, Mrs. Hautersteinmeyerson, and the trusty side kick, Roger.

My Chandelier hanger, My HERO!

All in all, it was a great experience! 
Maybe we'll do it again - in a couple of years!