Winner at Pinewood Derby

Nathan got first place in the bear division and then second in the overall competition. Not to shabby considering there were 20 cars that he was competing against. He was WAYYY excited. I loved how he said, "My favorite part that probably helped my car win was the fire that I painted on it" I think Stephen might feel a little different after the time spent sanding and graphiting the wheels.

I always love going to these derbies because the fathers get soo into the cars and racing. Anyway, good job Stephen and Nathan!!!

Girls and Hair

I remember when we found out that Jerrica was a girl. Stephen instantly thought, "another wedding to pay for" and I thought "another head of hair to do each day". It really takes such a chunk of time to get all four girls ready for the day, and I'm anal about making sure it gets done.

Anyway, as I was putting the hair box away today, I thought that I should document this because it's not going to last too much longer. The girls will get older and not need my hair service any longer. I LOVE the one on one time I get with each girl as I do their hair. They talk, laugh and giggle as I pull their hair into their fancy up do. I love kissing each one on the cheek after I have finished their hair and telling them how beautiful they look.

I get a kick out of the girls doing MY hair because they too, kiss me on the check and tell me how beautiful I look with my twenty pigtails all over my head. They tell me to look at the window or something just as I tell them, so that they will turn their head. Monkey see, Monkey do!!!

I love our hair box above, that color obsessive Aunt Kristy gave us to keep all of the hair bobbers sorted. We just snap off the color we need and are ready to go. Thanks again Kris! I'm also glad that Alesha taught me how to curl with the flat iron. That is SOOO much faster and actually holds the entire day!

Then I love making bows, headbands, and ribbons with my sisters. They are a fun accessory for my girls. Especially my girls that HAVE to be "fancy". I'm excited for the new idea that I'm doing with my sisters. We are taking a few shots of our girls with their hair done and going to make little laminated cards on a ring out of them to hang on the hair box. Then the girls can look through them for different hair styles. It will just be fun for them to see all their cousins and themselves. OK now I really do sound anal about hair! And looking at mine right now, you wouldn't think I was that obsessed with hair!!!

Ryan is HOME

Kristy's husband is FINALLY home. Here is a picture of the kids greeting their daddy. He left right before little Thomas was born. How exciting to finally see his first son!!! Ryan was gone for almost eight months. I'm just so happy for my sister to have her honey home.

Ryan had been in Afganistan flying Black Hawk helicopters for the Army. Now who are my kids going to pray for in the prayers?!?!

Weather in Colorado

The first of this week was gorgeous. Perfect weather for hiking (too bad the kids were in school). The temperature was high 60's/ low 70's, then by the end of the week we are FREEZING again. Anyway, I did take the girls to the duck park this week.
There were sooo many ducks that I thought the girls would be scared. I was wrong. They would feed them for a while and then smile at each other and chase them into the water. Then the ducks would gradually climb out and the entire process would start over again. The girls were so cute talking to the ducks.

Jerrica learned not to hold her bread too low. She was so upset that a duck tried to get her bread. Little did she know Sydney and Ashley would soon be trying to get her bread to feed the ducks.

This is my favorite picture of her holding her bread tighter with a tear on her cheek.

Then of course a couple days later here comes the snow. It just seems like you never know what kind of weather Colorado will be having!!!!!

Notes

Today I volunteered at the girls' school. I always try and leave a post it note on their desks when I leave. Anyway, today Rebecca came running back in the classroom from recess and caught me in the act. She squinted her little eyes and got such a wide little grin as she read my note. She said, "I just love you so much mamma". Of course I was elated and thought what a simple little thing as a post it note, can bring such love and joy to another. Anyway, it got me thinking of notes and how much I love writing and receiving them.
Stephen had given me this note last Christmas. I had seen an Oprah show where she was talking about how special a framed note can be for the recipient. I commented on it to Stephen and of course a light went on in his head as he thought, "that's something FREE I can give her and she wants it!!!" It was a win win for both of us that year because I did LOVE it. It's so Stephen too, because he misspelled a word and just corrected over it. Anyway, I love having it in my room to remind me that "I make his life beautiful".

My other special note that I have framed is from Rebecca. Last year she was in half day Kindergarten and always wanted a project or something to do in the afternoon. Well, one day when I was BUSY with my project she started hounding me for something to do. She was just starting to write so that phonetically you could understand it. So I told her to go and make a list of her favorite toys or favorite games. A little while later she came down with a list, but told me that she decided to make a list of all the things she liked about me. Of course I cried as I sounded out each one. I loved her spelling and list so much that I have had it by my nightstand since that day. She always comments on how I framed it and have kept it. I LOVE it and will always treasure her sweet comments to me. Below is her list to me:

Anyway, I just love notes. I love writing them to people and I love receiving them. I do save a lot of them too. A friend from basketball told me that her sister just had a book made of all the love notes and cards her husband had given her over the years. She scanned them in and then had Shutterfly do the rest. That is something that I MUST do. I wish that I would have saved more of Stephen's notes. I guess he will just have to start writing more to me!!!!

Fun Technology

Just a quick review of the week. Stephen and I went to the musical, "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels". It was quite humorous. Thanks Angie for the tickets!!!

Then Wednesday we did a PJ'S night with the YW. PJ'S stands for Prayer, Journal, and Scriptures. They came in their PJ's and had a breakfast as the speakers spoke about each area. It was a nice evening. I was excited today as different girls told me that they had started writing in their journals again and reading their scriptures.

Now for the fun technology. Stephen had gotten me a new camera for Christmas and I FINALLY got it this week. I was so excited. Of course Stephen had it shipped by row boat all around the world twice since it was WAYY cheaper that way. But hey I'm not going to complain since I have it in my hands now. I loved my old camera, but had a hard time with sports pictures. Now to learn about the camera. Help me Becki!!!

My last fun technology find was the "torpedo". Target had all their toys on clearance last week. So I stocked up for birthday parties. Well, this torpedo was sitting on the bottom shelf for $22. Yes I did say$22. I couldn't believe it. It is usually around $150. I've always thought that one of these would be fun to watch movies outside during the summer. I remember showing movies using a film projector on the outside of people's houses on my mission. Anyway, I was way excited at the price.

Born With Talents and Traits

Jerrica LOVES pens and pencils. I know, I know... she's going to poke her eye out or get lead poisoning. She is just so obsessed with holding and having them AND drawing. She draws on books, tables, walls, and herself. She shrieks and throws major fits when we take them away. I don't remember any of my other kids having such a love for pencils and writing. She literally has been obsessed with them since she was able to grasp and hold them. Anyway, I had to document this obsession with Jerrica's writing. I started thinking of what the other kids liked at this age and was amazed at how their love is still literally "their love".

Jacob loved books. I have tons of pictures of him reading. He would sit in his room forever just pulling out books and looking at them. Well, he still LOVES books. I'm amazed at how quickly he can devour them. He always has a book to take with him in the van. In fact, he's upstairs in his room reading right now.

Then there is our Nathan. He was always obsessed with balls. We remember how he would go over to a wall as a toddler and roll or throw the ball at the wall for hours. He would always tote a ball under his arm. I don't know how many MILLION times we have told him not to play ball in the house, yet I can hear him up in his room right now throwing a nerf ball at his wall. He is such an incredible athlete though.

I know we are born with inherit talents and interests. I think it's so interesting how it is displayed right from the start. I'm sure our little Jerrica is going to be an amazing artist or author someday. I just wish she wouldn't use my walls and books to practice on.

Nathan's Patriots Day

Nathan's fourth grade class has been studying the American Revolution. Today they had their culminating "real life" day. That is one thing that I love about The Classical Academy is how they go ALL out on these days. They had these three men from The Sons of the Revolution come and talk to the class. They had so many interesting facts, props, and stories. I think they were as excited to be there as the class was to have them.

The next room was writing the Declaration of Independance with plumes and ink. Let's just say they didn't get too much written . Then they had a Clara Barton room where a woman was dressed up and talked about her. Clara Barton had lost three husbands and numerous children. She told of how George Washington approached her to make the flag and had initially wanted a square flag. She pointed out that a rectangular one would wave better. She also had requested to make 5 point stars instead of 6 point stars because that would use less fabric and could be made using only 1 cut. The kids then learned the one cut star method. Anyway, the last station of the day was a colonial lunch of stew and biscuits.

I forgot to mention the play at the first part of the morning. Nathan was John Hancock. He was very excited to get this part. All the kids were dressed up for the time period. Some parents rent costumes, but can I just say that I'm grateful for the ARC. We found a men's suit jacket for $3.99 that we cut short in the front and then made tails in the back of it. All in all it was a very educational day for Nathan and fun for me to spend the day with him!!!

TIME

A few people have been asking to see another picture of the bag up close.  Here is another link to a different post with one of the bags.  HERE

The girls would spend hours on Webkinz and the boys would spend hours on the Wii or PS2 if I would let them. Yet if they were working on homework or cleaning, every minute seems like an hour to them. I think we are all the same way though. Hours just fly when I'm playing sports, working in the garden, dinking around on the computer, ...... However, if I'm doing laundry and cleaning the house it seems like time just goes so slow. So I guess I can't blame the kids, I'm just like them.

My mom would always make lists and then check them off. Stephen always has his notebook by his laptop that has his list of to do's. I love sneaking and adding to his list with tasks like "Kiss Shauna"

I love the quote, "You give your life to that which you give your time" by Theordore Roosevelt. It is sooo true. There are just so many minutes here and there that can be productive instead of wasted. I'm trying really hard this year to watch my time and schedule so that it is filled with good things.

By the way, this is how I spent my afternoons last week. I made little scripture bags for each of my girls and then did two more for nieces. The reward for me was on Sunday when Jerrica kept smiling and walking around with her bag. She would take a few steps and then look inside the bag. All of the girls were so excited and little did they know, they were getting in the habit of always taking their scriptures to church each week.

New Years

For New Year's Eve we had the Spillanes over to celebrate. We ate pizza and plenty of other appetizers and goodies. We played games. One game we would set our little timer for 2 minutes and hide it somewhere in the house and then give the kids vague clues of where it was. They had to race around to find it before it would go off. They were way into that. Then we played the holiday game where each person was a different holiday. Our last game we had to dress up in these winter clothes as everyone chanted 10 - 9 - 8 - 7 .... I think Stephen was the only one to beat the time limit. Jerrica loved walking around the rest of the night in the scarf. Anyway, then we watched movies and until the countdown. It was a fun night.
For Family Night on Monday we talked about setting goals and using our time wisely. Basically a lesson for me to apply. Anyway, for the activity we cut up magazines with pictures of the activities that we want to accomplish this year. Now to keep our resolutions!!

I had to post this picture of Ashley's crazy hair. We took it on New Years Eve. She has sooo much hair. Everyone constantly comments on it.

Last but not least is my fun project for the week. Ashley started Sunbeams at Church on Sunday and I felt bad that I didn't have a little bag for her to keep her scriptures in. Of course one won't work because all my girls want new bags for their church things. They have been fun to make. I tried making each one different hair color etc. for my girls. I should've taken a picture of all of them, but I still have one left to make!

Kaylee's Project

Kaylee loves projects and so for Christmas we gave her quite a variety to keep her entertained. Little did we know, some of the projects would entertain the boys as well. They were out of minutes for TV/Video games for the day and helped Kaylee. The three of them were cute as they cut and tied her blanket. Now everyone tries to use "her" blanket to snuggle.

Our other activites during our break included the movie "Bedtime Stories", Laser Quest, Wii Fit, computer games, craft projects, family basketball, lego creations, and swimming. That makes me tired just listing all of those. I'm glad they are back in school!