The Ultimate Goal

We had another successful Hamily Foam Evening tonight. I wonder what Micah thinks Hamily Foam Evening really is. Actually, I know exactly what he thinks it is: an excuse for treats.

Here's how we usually do it. We gather together, then we all start to wiggle. If two of us are sitting close together, we wrestle and poke each other. Then we make silly suggestions for songs. Then we wiggle some more and depending on the patience level we manage to squeeze in a little lesson while we wiggle.

So tonight, I found a great talk on Resolutions by Joe J. Christensen. We had a little discussion, then we all made some goals for the upcoming year. They consisted of things like reading chapter books (Ben), reading some non-fiction books (me), learning the abc's and sounds (Micah), sitting quietly in church (Jacob) and not beating any one (Phil - see above description of our evening before passing judgement.)

As I told Micah it was time for bed later, he protested saying, "But I need my Hamily Foam Evening tweet!!" Ok Micah, "What did you learn at Hamily Foam Evening?" Blank Stare. "So, what is your goal for this year Micah?" Without much delay, he responded, "Chocolate." Chocolate? Holding back the laughter, "Chocolate can't be your goal! What about Chocolate?" "You eat it."

There you have it, another life lesson taught by a three year old. Chocolate is the answer. Who cares what the question is!!

Come and See

We, and the rest of the Salt Lake Valley, headed to Temple Square last night for Family Home Evening. Though it was cold and crowded, there is just an indescribable beauty that exists there at Christmas time. Though my pictures don't do it justice, they are a glimpse into this beautiful part of Christmas in Utah!!
My favorite part of the evening came when Benjamin asked, "Mom, were you and dad sealed to the temple?" "We are sweetheart." With his fist clenched and boyish enthusiasm he said, "Yes!!!" I asked what that meant and he knew that meant we'd be a family forever. It was very sweet for a little boy who was SOOOOO freezing and wanted to go back to the car...Elder Bednar, we're trying to be consistent and occasionally it pays off!

Monday Morning Fire Drill

I was helping out at Ben's class this morning when the fire alarm went off. Wow, that brought back a lot of early childhood memories. My first reaction was, "Oh Brother!" But as I watched how quickly and efficiently those students and teachers evacuated I was so impressed!! They lined up, turned out the lights, grabbed the emergency bag and headed across the parking lot in no time at all. In fact I was so impressed it actually brought tears to my eyes! That was unexpected, but I realized the fire alarm wasn't my reason for tearing up. It was the fact that I was just feeling generally blessed. Blessed to live in such a great community. Blessed to send my boys to a good school where they learn lessons in life, in addition to the three R's. Blessed to be able to know their teachers and help out in the classroom. Blessed to feel safe in my little corner of the world. Blessed that it wasn't snowing and the sun was shining. Life is good. And to think, I could have slept in and missed the fire alarm!

Abstract Art

I think we have budding young artist on our hands. And it's not Benjamin this time. Micah has begun to love to color and draw. In fact, I'm contemplating getting him a ream of paper and an ink cartridge for Christmas. We are constantly printing out coloring pages for him. The other night when I said no, he asked, "Can I draw?" Yes you can!! So here's an abstract art piece I found on a google search for abstract art:
And here are a couple of Micah's drawings:

We're going to keep an eye on his ears, but add a little color I think he's got something going here! I'm his mom, but I think these are pretty good for a three year old!

The Lellow Cwayon

Phil always comes home to warm greetings. Actually he comes home to a house of little boys and a loving wife who all have something they need him to know at the very moment that he enters the house. He can barely open the door without being attacked with shouts of, "Dad look at this!" "Guess what happened today?" etc. etc.

So the other night he and I locked ourselves in the computer room so we could get a minute to discuss some things without interruption. Before too long Micah came pounding on the door and wouldn't leave us alone. Phil finally said, "Go away Micah." In the saddest little voice, on the verge of tears, Micah exclaimed, "But I need help finding a lellow cwayon!!" I stifled my laughter as I told him where to look for one. When we came out of the computer room, Micah was happily coloring at the table with his lellow cwayon. Very cute!!

It's amazing how we all have our own little struggles, which at the moment seem like the only really important thing going on in this world. Most are easily solved and probably seem like nothing to onlookers. My current struggle is my chair being kicked by that same little three year old who would like some lunch (a popsicle.) I'm off to defeat the dragon!

No. 1 for No. 2

Benjamin lost his first tooth last night! It was pulled out by his big brother who has gained much experience over the last 1 1/2 years.
And yes faithful readers, the tooth fairy is making a come back...

Jacob wanted me to post this picture he took of the boys. They have sure enjoyed drawing today. Here's one of his favorite "scribble art" pictures.

I love Fall

I love the crisp autumn days...not TOO crisp and snowing, but crisp, sunny and beautiful. I wish there were more of these days!! Yesterday was one such day. We had to convince our young Jedi's that it was time to get out and do some training, but once we were on our favorite fall trail, they really got into it as you can see!
As the mother of these Jedi's, I have to admit I have a bit of a hard time getting into the whole Star Wars thing. I just don't quite get it, I don't think it's in my blood...but I'm trying. The R2D2 pumpkin was my attempt to fit in...it's really about as close as I get:
But check out the great pumpkin my sister-in-law created. She really is amazing! The pumpkins in our patch all scrambled to be the one she carved.

Happy Halloween!!!

And the Winner Is...

ALMOST Jacob!! For the past three years, we have participated in a "Spooktakular" Kids K race the week before Halloween. The boys are always there to cheer me on at my races and I LOVE the thought of being able to cheer them on in something I love.

Well, this year Jacob had a goal to be in the top 10 finishers. It seemed like an obtainable goal, so we talked it up on the way to the race. When they lined up at the starting line, the coordinator explained the race course. It was a bit confusing, and Jacob informed him he didn't know where he was going. "Don't worry, they'll be plenty of kids to follow." As the kids started running, Jacob broke out in a full on sprint. Oh no! I hadn't prepared him. We didn't talk about pacing himself and I thought for sure he would lose it quickly and slow down. But as the kids turned the corner and started running back towards us, Jacob was still running strong and in third place. I was so proud of him!!

(love this picture!)

And then, as he passed me watching in wide-eyed wonder, the girls ahead of him slowed down and Jacob kept going. He had just taken first place. I was exstatic!! My son was in FIRST PLACE!!! I had never had that feeling that Jacob must have felt at that moment: Leader of the pack. What a feeling!! My son!! Yeah, yeah...Oh no, why is he turning?? Suddenly there were no kids to follow, and instead of going straight, Jacob had turned at the cone and was heading back towards us, while the other kids continued on the path. My heart sunk! By the time I got over to him, he had figured it out and took off back with all the other kids. He fininshed the course, passed many of the runners back up and ended up coming in fourth place!! Which is fabulous, but left us all wondering "what if he hadn't turned?" The race coordinator felt so bad about the situation and gave Jacob a medal. In our book, he was the winner.
One of the reasons I love races so much is because of the little life lessons that can always be learned. Phil and I talked about how proud of Jacob we were. When he found out he had taken the wrong path, he could have given up and stopped running, but he didn't stop to pout. He quickly turned around and finished good and strong. If Jacob can quickly and eagerly get back on the straight and narrow path when he takes a wrong turn in life, he will sail on to the finish line as he did yesterday. Great job Jake. You're my hero!

Cut it out

One of my favorite things to find scattered about the house these days is the collection of pictures that Micah has produced over the past few weeks. His favorite thing to do lately is to get pictures from the computer, color and cut them out (he's is excellent with the scissors for his age) and play little games with them. We have star wars pictures, cats, baby dumbo, puffles, dragons and all sorts of little creatures. I love to see my kids be artistic and creative with their blossoming talents!

Home again, home again!

At last!! It's been an exciting week for our family. My parents arrived home from their mission last week. They have been in Cherbourg, France, serving faithfully and whole-heartedly for the past 18 months. It has been a wonderful experience for them and our whole family. Phil and I enjoyed meeting the wonderful people there and they have built some lasting friendships. But...it's time to have them back and we are so excited as you can see!!
It was a little slice of heaven for me last week as the family gathered together. The beautiful fall weather was PERFECT! The kids played and played. We enjoyed a family game of baseball, great food and just having mom and dad back at their house. It felt so lonely to go there without them. We're grateful they went and grateful to have them home again. Welcome Home Grandpa and Grandma!!

The Family that works together...

gets Lego Star Wars. Yes, we do bribe our children. Do you ever need that extra boost of encouragement to help them do something and do it well? No complaining, no negotiating, just a productive evening? With not much daylight, we needed one such boost this evening. We have hard working boys, when they want to be, and tonight for the above reason, they wanted to be!!

It was great. Phil mowed the lawn and the boys and I cleaned out the overgrown, rotting, squishy garden. The boys were so helpful. Jacob especially. By the time the rest of us finished our dinner and found working shoes, he had cleared out about half of our pumpkin patch. And he just kept going. It was fantastic. I have to admit on a cool, fall evening I was in heaven out there working with my family. It just felt good.

The other great thing was the enthusiasm we were able to muster out of the neighborhood children. By the time it was too dark to see each other, we had recruited 6 other kids to help us. Actually, they came to us. I guess it just looked like too much fun! The three girls became the cheer squad with loading arms and a bundle of energy. The boys became the muscles of the group, hefting bags of squashed tomatoes and pumpkin vines.

So, all-in-all, it made for Friday evening cheaper than the movies, dinner out or playtime at Kangaroo Zoo. Just $10.99 for a Lego Star Wars set. Well worth the money.

Soccer Mom

I think I just found out what it means to be a soccer mom. This whole season I thought it meant stuffing food down their throats, rushing off to soccer games, splitting up and switching off kids so Phil can get to his church meetings AND see as much soccer as possible, telling my kid to get out there and play like a man, cheering for the "Candy Cane Crabs!" (red and white striped uniforms, of course they'd be called the candy cane crabs!), searching for bathrooms anywhere in the vicinity of the soccer field, consoling Micah twice every Wednesday night as each boy savored his soccer treat, and finally finding joy in watching kids knowing where the ball is AT ALL TIMES!! Yes, it's been great season for all of us.

But just now, Micah, Ben and I took on Jacob in a game of soccer in the front yard. What started as a scrimmage between Jacob and I turned into a lot of fun as we played at dusk in the cool, crisp, autumn weather. Although our team lost, we all got a good work out and enjoyed the game with minimal tears. Little Micah has certainly benefited from watching on the sidelines. What fun to be out there playing with all three of them!! I'm happy to finally experience the real definition of "soccer mom." Love you boys.

Blessed!

This about sums it up!! (no exaggeration!) By Friday morning I was quite discouraged and didn't know if I'd be able to even run on Saturday. Phil gave me a blessing which calmed me down and boosted my confidence immensely. We were headed down to St. George. The race was incredibly hard for me, but I finished!! I was grateful to be able to do it after training so hard and I beat my record by 2 minutes!! The whole 26 miles, well maybe only 23 of it, I said this was going to be my last marathon, but...I totally reserve the right to change my mind!!

Sounds like life to me...

Fan or not, you have to admit that country music most often serves a dose of reality. A song I've heard quite often on the radio has this chorus:

Sounds like life to me it ain’t no fantasy
It’s just a common case of everyday reality
Man I know it’s tough but you gotta suck it up
To hear you talk you’re caught up in some tragedy
It sounds like life to me

It begins with two men talking. One is complaining about all that is wrong in life and the other is quite unsympathetic. It's life. We all go through it. And it is so true.

Which is why after four months, 612 miles (yes I kept track) and only 2 days away from my fourth marathon, I should not be surprised to wake up with a sore throat and a stuffed up head. It's incredible, inconceivable and well, inevitable! If it wasn't a sore throat, it would be a child throwing up all over on the way down to the marathon (which is what my lucky running partner experienced last night!)

So I guess I'm telling myself to suck it up and deal with it. Thanks to a fellow running instacare doc, I've got some meds that will hopefully make it all better and I'll have a great marathon. Come what may, here we go!

Help wanted: Reliable Tooth Fairy

Immed. opng for pt. time tooth fairy. Responsibilities include: collecting teeth on the night they are placed under the pillow and exchanging for a monetary reward. Must be quiet, accurate and above all punctual. No salary or benefits beyond making children happy and less confused. Min. 5 yrs experience needed. References required.

2 Good Legs

This is totally inspiring to me, although it makes me feel like a wimp for only running one marathon next month!! Check out this website: 2goodlegs.org. This woman was inspired by a patient of Phil's to promote awareness for amputees and earn money for the Challenged Athlete Foundation. She is running 18 marathons in 18 days and will run from the top of Utah to the bottom. She's running the St. George Marathon on October 3, then will finish up on the 4th. Some people are just amazing!

We got to meet Lorie on Wednesday at her kick off event. It was held at a bar in Salt Lake. So guess who didn't even think about bringing her ID? Yep, me. They wouldn't let me in!! I apparently don't look over 35!! (I was quite embarrassed!) So she was kind enough to come outside and meet me. Quite an amazing woman and story!!

But the real inspiration is Phil's patient. I've been touched as I've been able to spend time with her the last few days. She is an amazing person who's life was turned upside down, but has managed to come out of it right side up. Phil's lucky enough to be able to deal with people like this on a daily basis and I'm honored to get a chance to meet a few. You can read more about Lisa here.

State Fair

Although we didn't splurge to see the world's smallest woman (I WAS curious, but not a dollar's worth), win a blue ribbon or actually find a seat at the rodeo, this weekend at the Utah State Fair we did:

See a butter sculpture (my first one ever!),
See a real race car (the boys were thrilled!),
and catch our first fish! We don't even care that it was at a stocked pond and were happy they let them go!
Let's take a closer look at that last one. I'm sorry, but I don't think I've ever seen such cute fishermen!

The Only Child

Have you met my shadow? Micah has been very concerned the past couple of weeks that people would think I only have one son. As we walk around grocery stores, go on picnics and play together, Micah has wondered out loud, "What if they think you only have one kid?" He told someone at the store the other day, "She has two other kids too."

Micah is soaking up the one-on-one time that has previously been lacking in his life. It's amazing to think that I once did only have one child and that this was normal to spend so much time together!! As we were on a blanket at the park last week, I looked at Micah and he was almost glowing, so happy to have my undivided attention. It is very sweet, and we're doing our best to enjoy it.

It's also fun to see Micah's excitement at his brothers' return home from school. Though he's got it pretty good during the day, he's also happy that he's not the only kid and loves hanging out with the brothers when they get home. He's got the best of both worlds right now!!

It's that time of year...

A week and a half ago, we got fortune cookies. My fortune read something to this effect: "Good luck will be showered upon you tomorrow." Now, it was no coincidence that the "tomorrow" it spoke of was the first day of school!! Phil and I got a good laugh out of that one.

It is that time of year when we start up again with schedules and routine and it's quite refreshing. Jacob started 3rd grade, Benjamin 1st grade and Micah and I are starting preschool! That's right, they're sending me back! I was going to start him at a preschool this year and a friend of mine asked me to teach at her daycare, so we've begun this week and it's a grand adventure every day. The boys have great teachers and we're looking forward to a good, productive year!

Finally Six

We've been saying Ben is six for several months now and today it is official. Happy birthday my sunshine!!

Ben through the ages

Summertime...and the livin' is easy