find joy in the journey

in the thick of it

some lucky, last place finishing, pinewood derby racing Cub Scout is going to be the proud owner of this Flat Tire Award tonight.  I don't do themed cakes, so I am pretty impressed that I was able to pull this off.

 

78 flags made from white and teal fabric and a bolt of burlap have been sitting on an ironing board in my kitchen for a few days now (er, week).  Waiting for me to finish them into a pendant banners.  Just be patient, your turn will come.

 

Because right now I am in the thick of preparing for Anna's preschool Easter party.  On one hand it's nice that no one came to the planning meeting because I can just do whatever I want.  But on the other hand, some help would have been lovely.

 

What am I saying . . .  I'm sure I still would have taken all this work on myself!

I feel like I've been immersed in the "create" mode lately.  Which is good.  Because creating brings happiness, right?

spring is in the air - winner

It's a little after 8pm, Sunday night as I begin to write this post.  Snickerdoodle cookie at my side and the boys are still chatting away in their bedroom.  It's been a good Sunday.  Got to sleep in until 7:30, wore my new cardigan to church (so fun to see I was twinsies with one of the YW), enjoyed a juicy Omaha Steak hamburger for dinner, and turned & pressed about 70 teal and white pennant flags while the kids played Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii. 

And now it's time to announce a winner.  Thanks for all your spring comments!  Everything you mentioned from tulips, to cadbury mini eggs, to sunshine & fresh air . . . . are among my favorite parts of spring.  It's just a happy season.

Here is the prize.  Something springy, cute, and not too fancy.  :)

 

And thanks to the Random Number Generator here is the winner . . . . comment number 6:

elisha -- I always enjoy reading your blog . . I love Spring it's my favorite time of year.  Everything comes alive and it smells so fresh and clean especially after a nice rain.  It's not too cold and not too hot it's the perfect tie fo the year for fun. . .

Yay!  Congrats Elisha!  E-mail me your address and I will pop this into the mail tomorrow.

You'll be getting one cute bag of Peeps . . . . 

 

I love this adorable idea.  You can download the bag toppers here.  Elisha - let me know your preference:  blue, pink, or yellow.  

You'll also find 3 little vinyl birdies in blue, pink, and black.  Here's what a I did with a couple of them around my house . . . . 

 

And finally a springy card with a photo of my tulips that I took years ago.  (Try to spy Conner writing with sidewalk chalk in the background.)

Enjoy your spring goodies and to everyone, have a happy spring!

a glimpse into teenhood

So in our ward I am the Primary President.  And Scott is the Young Mens President.  Does that make us busy?  Eh, just a little.  But that's not what this post is about.

I've never had a calling in the Young Women's organization (well, other than my one-week stint as Girls Camp Craft Lady last year) . . . so it has been fun to see the in's and out's and workings of the youth program through Scott.  It's especially fun because we have a fantastic group of youth in our ward.

Earlier this year the YM were in charge of the combined activity for the month and they (with the help of Scott's brainstorming) decided to do an Iron Chef competition.  What a cool idea, huh?!  They divided into groups and our house was one of the kitchens.  They came with ingredients, a 45 minute time limit, and a secret ingredient . . . . candy canes!  

 

Everyone participated, there were no saucy attitudes, they handled the cooking completely on their own, and I just got to stand back and watch.  We made fudge puddles (with a sprinkling of crushed candy canes) and I think everyone was happy with the result.  I just wish I had been there at the beginning to witness the traditional Iron Chef biting of the green pepper.

Last weekend they had a Priest/Laurel date for the 16-18 year old boys & girls in our ward.  Seeing as this was a date, I got to come along too!  Hehe!  We had dinner at The Spaghetti Factory and then it was on to laser tag.  Ohhhh, I think it had been 10+ years since I played laser tag so I was a little unsure if I was going to be "into it".  But once I strapped on the laser pack and stepped into the black-light arena I was ready . . . . and it was fun!  Even when the third game rolled around at 11:05pm, and I was so tired I could barely stand and keep my eyes open at the same time, and a little 7-8 year old girl was taunting me (by the way, who keeps their kids up that late), I was having fun.  And then I was ready for bed. 

 

See what I mean . . . . a great group of kids.

And I hope they didn't mind having the old grown-ups around for the date.  We used to be kids too!

 

We still look pretty cute, though.

So even though Scott is racking up the miles on the van (two youth temple trips, a stake youth activity day, a dance, and this priest/laurel date in the last 30 days alone), I don't mind giving a kiss and a wave goodbye as he heads to another mutual activity, dance, or fireside.  Because I know that these things are important learning & building blocks for the youth.  And with the caliber of kids around us (respectful, obedient, fun-loving) I just hope that their example continues on and trickles down to the time when Conner is a part of the youth program.  In . . . . almost . . . 2 1/2 years.  !!!  Gasp!  

{deep breath}  

Okay, I think I need to go before I have a *moment*.

How about a change in subject? . . . . 

Don't forget about entering the giveaway on the post below!  I'll post the random winner sometime tomorrow evening.

spring is in the air

Spring is officially here and I am lovin' it!  The change in weather (60's and sunny!), the appearance of springtime blossoms, and the longer days have added a little spring to my step.  The wintertime tendency to snack all day and schlep around the house is replaced with more self-control in the chocolate department and a desire to get stuff done!

Spring is all around me and I am ready to enjoy and celebrate it.

There's the simple things, like going outside to play with the sidewalk for the first time this year.  A game of hopscotch was definitely in order.

And there's the things you can count on every year, like springtime blossoms bursting from all the trees.  I have 4 trees blossoming right now and I love it!  

As we drive around town Anna points out all the popcorn popping trees.  Early on I think she truly believed there was actual popcorn on the trees.  She has asked me, "why is some of the popcorn pink?"  and made comments like, "oh, I can't wait to pick some popcorn from the trees and put it in a bowl to eat."  

Getting to visit the temple grounds during the spring, and during the day (usually I'm there at night) is a real treat.  The grounds are absolutely gorgeous, perfectly manicured, and overflowing with flowers and blooming things of every color.  It's Spring explosion!

And spending the morning at the temple with these lovely ladies adds another measure of happy to an already beautiful day.

Spring days like this take us to the park and give us a glimmer of the many fun-filled summer days ahead of us.  We spent two hours in the sun, swinging, sliding, flying kites, and playing tag.  Ahhh, just what we needed.

 

What better way to celebrate the first day of spring than with an Easter egg hunt?

 

Face painting, hot dogs, eggs in the grass for the little ones, eggs in trees and on the Mud of Doom for big kids, experiencing spring's fickle weather (sun, wind, and rain) -- what a great kick-off to the season.

Anna's preschool Easter party is coming up and I'm experimenting with fun snacks.  The bird nests turned out really cute (melted chocolate mixed with chow mein noodles) but the kids in this house gave a thumbs up to the jelly beans only.  I think I may revamp this idea with chocolate rice krispie treats molded into a nest shape.  What do you think?

 

And even though the fluffy chicks are missing their beaks (can't seem to find candy corn this time of year - surprise, surprise), they are dang cute!  A Nilla wafer topped with yellow frosting, dyed coconut (add 1/2 cup coconut to a ziploc baggie with 6-8 drops of food coloring and smoosh it around), and two mini chocolate chips for eyes.  I think we'll have to use some orange decorator frosting for the beaks.  Super easy cookies, no baking, and you just pop them in your mouth -- delicious!  I think I might make some cute little blue birds too.

The kids are on spring break right now and our big plans consist of . . . . staying home!  Doesn't that sound lovely?  All the extra-curricular activities are canceled for the week and that just makes me breathe a big happy sigh.  We are going to ride bikes, visit the park, play games, do some spring cleaning, and maybe fit in a little outing.  

With my bare bones schedule this week I'm feeling like it might be time for a little giveaway.  And I do mean little -- don't expect anything too fancy.  Leave me a comment and share something related to spring -- your favorite thing about the season, what your daughters' easter dress looks like, how many tulips are popping up in your yard and what color . . . . . . You have until Sunday!

a touch of green

We are not Irish.

I like to decorate with green, but it is not a color I like to wear.

But, for some reason St. Patrick's Day is calling to me this year and telling me to celebrate!

Will we be celebrating with a big meal of corned beef and cabbage?  No.  The kids have requested green macaroni & cheese (our usual St. Patty's fare).  I will be eating a salad.

We might make this as a cake.  Just half of a cake though.  It is my half-birthday.

 

Around the house I've added a few touches of green here and there.  It doesn't take much to change things up.  A green wire garland (thanks to my secret sister) wrapped around the chandelier . . . . 

 

Felt shamrocks, strung with ribbon and a few pony beads, hanging over the kitchen island.  The idea and templates came from Skip to My Lou.

 

Have you ever heard of the Blarney Stone?  It's a rock in Ireland and they claim that whoever kisses it is blessed with the gift of eloquence and persuasiveness.  Okay, sure.  Here's our own little version.

 

My favorite project of all . . . a simple white frame, a simple sheet of white cardstock, stamps, green paint, and a teeny family picture.  One word says it all . . . 

the many moons of saturn

Behold, Conner's 3rd grade Saturn project!

The week that his project was due was also the week of Valentine's Day and my parents' visit.  I knew I was going to be busy cleaning, painting the living room, baking cookies for multiple class parties, entertaining, and planning a sharing time . . . . so I asked Scott if he would please take the reigns on this project.  

Now if you know Scott, you know that he never does anything half-way and this was no exception.  He came home on a Monday with all the supplies to fulfill his vision.  Conner was pretty stoked.  And so we spent family home evening painting and assembling.  Scott even thought to pick up extra planets for Payton & Anna.  Payton made the Earth and Anna created some sort of Pinkalicious planet.  It was a great activity.

 

 Now, Saturn has 53 named moons, I believe.  But they chose to include just 23 for the model.  I think it was sufficient.

Conner was very proud to bring his project to school and present it in front of the class.  (And of course it was pouring rain the day that we had to transport it to and from school.)  He was so proud and excited that when we walked into the classroom (Saturn and two tubs of valentine's day sugar cookies in hand) he announced to the class, "Okay, okay.  Nobody freak out."  This was said rather loudly during what is supposed to be a quiet work time.  :)

 

The project was a success.  Father and son bonded.  And we learned a little more about Saturn.  Now, what is the fate of this model?  Currently it is sitting atop the entertainment center in the playroom.  But there are plans for it to come along on the father-son camp out this year for a ceremonial burning in the campfire.  I guess it's tradition for my men to burn something each year.  And surprisingly, Conner thinks this choice is a great idea.

a happy heart

feeling joyful.

feeling blessed.

loving the sweet moments of motherhood.

from the little rituals . . . 

    giving a bubble bath to Anna in the big tub after some intense (translation: sweaty) play at McDonalds

to the spontaneous moments . . . . 

    taking a detour to the bakery for cinnamon rolls and milk following Payton's dentist appointment.  And then to school.  

to the sweet surprises . . . .

    coming across Conner's journal.  One entry reads, "My favorite time of the day is when I get to see my mom."

I have a happy heart today.

oh, what a ride

This thing called motherhood, parenthood is quite the ride.  Lately I've enjoyed witnessing the emotional loops, spins, and turns that this ride puts before me each day.  Enjoy?  Really?  Well, maybe not all the time.  But I try my best to distance myself from the emotional vortex so I don't get swallowed in and become a participator.  That can get ugly.  From this view, a few steps back, the tragedy of the moment can roll off my back.

And I'm not just talking about the tears & frustration  . . . . but the happy, albeit loud, emotions that are a fun part of this thing too.  Those I want to soak in.

Case in point:

the highs

Anna and I were shopping for fabric yesterday at the mother of all fabric stores.  She was such a good girl. I dragged her up and down those aisles over and over again.  She stayed right by me, took turns pushing the cart and entertained herself by pretending to be a robot and speaking in a robotic monotone voice.  Anyways, then she starts singing "I Know That My Savior Loves Me" and "Scripture Power" and "He Sent His Son."  I could have shushed her.  Her voice does carry.  But she just sang and sang "a long time ago in a beautiful place, children were gathered round Jesus" . . . A woman smiled and told her, "that is a pretty song you're singing."  

Anna was happy.  She told me "I love you" many times, in her robot voice she ordered me to kiss her, and with a deep curtsy/bow declared that I was the queen and said, "your service" with her best royal accent.  (That is short for "at your service").  See what I'm talking about?  Entertainment.

the lows

Payton had a full day.  It was the 100th day of school so everyone brought a bag of 100 things.  He chose, completely on his own and several weeks in advance, to bring paper clips.  Apparently other kids brought other bigger, smaller, and cooler things and won awards for these items.  Then after dinner our kids played Mario Party 8 on the Wii and he didn't do so hot.

Soon it was bedtime and as we were saying goodnight he sat there in his bed just bawling, a red-faced, teary mess.  What's wrong Payton?  With many gasps for breath in between words, "I didn't win a 100 things award, I lost at Mario Party 8, and . . . I was horrible at the math game."

I'm so sorry son, but sometimes life just happens that way.  When I stepped out of the room I admit I giggled a little.  Does that make me a bad mom?  The combination of emotions, his puppy dog face, and the 7 year old "my-world-is-crumbling-around-me" drama is just so amusing.

the spills

Conner is just beside himself because I bought a different kind of bread than the norm.  Toast isn't happening and you can forget about a sandwich.  Well, Sunday before church we gave the kids lunch and the only option on the table was sandwiches.  With the dreaded bread.  And we made Conner eat it.  He just needs to get over it.  The bread is practically identical to our usual stuff.  So as he's suffering through his turkey, mayonnaise, and mustard sandwich he says, to Scott:

I'm sure you're not going to be in the celestial kingdom because it's not nice to torture your kids.  So have a good time in the telestial kingdom.

Slightly disrespectful?  Yes.  But funny as nothing else!  {We made sure to tell him that type of speaking is not allowed and shouldn't happen again . . . as we try to hold in the laughter.}

Find joy in the journey.  Hope ya know I had a hard time.  Come what may and love it.

. . . . . all good pieces of wisdom to help you make it through the day.