Last Day

You know the Nickelback song "If Today Was Your Last Day"- LOVE IT.  I hear it all the time on the radio.  Today I saw the video for it and wanted to share.  It's so cool!  Since today is our last day this year I thought it fit perfectly. 

Check it out HERE

"NOW"

Let me start this post by saying that we got the kids a Wii.  A Wii that I haven't wanted to get for several years.  So why now- why this year?  Because this year Jeff played Santa.  Jeff has never helped, nor have I ever wanted him to help with any of the gifts for the kids- other than keeping me inside our budget...ha.  This year however I think he could see that I was starting to lose my Christmas spirit with all the other things I had going, so he volunteered to do it all.  I am so glad he did!  At first it was very hard for me to give up control and to stop worrying about every little detail, but he came through just like he said and the kids had one of the best Christmas's ever. 

Back to the Wii.....We decide to hide the Wii and just give the kids the accessories.  The very first gift opened was by Ethan and it was Lego Star Wars for the Wii.  Seeing his face was priceless.  The look of devastation that some horrible mistake had been made- that Santa had made a huge mix up and brought us the wrong gifts.  Jeff and I could almost not contain the laughter.  I know this all sounds so cruel- but as each accessory was opened and they grew more concerned it made it all that much more worth it when at the very end they opened the Wii and the room erupted into great expressions of glee.  Clapping, cheering, laughing, screaming.  It was so worth it.  They had no clue- despite the fact that Santa had brought other things in between that we had wanted.  I wished that I could wrap it all back up and do it over and over- so that I could some how capture the feeling of that day.  I realize that all too soon that magic will be gone.  They will be gone all too soon.

This leads me to my post today.  2010 is almost over so I have been thinking about what I want my 2011 word to be.  Last year I chose a word that I wanted to focus on all year- to represent what I wanted to work on for the year.  Last year it was MINDFUL.  This year I have chosen NOW.  NOW because Christmas reminded me that time is my worst enemy- I can't stop it, I can't ignore it, I can't change it, I can't catch it and I can NEVER get it back.  Recently I Read This.  It reminded me why I think I desperately need to choose the word NOW this year.  My oldest is 9- that means she is half way to the age of a legal adult- half way to being able to leave my home and make her own decisions, choices, build her own life (I secretly hope she chooses to wait till closer to 30).  Her sister and brother are not very far behind. 

I have spent far too many days wishing for time to hurry up so they would be able to take care of most of their own needs- make their beds, take their own shower, make their own breakfast, etc.  Wishing their infancy away- wanting so badly to hear them speak, to see them walk and finally be potty trained (that one I'm not sorry I wished for).  So many times I found myself saying "Just as soon as they aren't little kids any more".....NOW I wish that I could get some of that back- to live in the here and NOW a little bit more. 

I am always thinking of the future- which is a good thing, but not when it makes you completely skip the NOW- TODAY- HERE- THIS MOMENT.  One of my favorite writers is Anna Quindlen and she once wrote about her own experience as a parent and said:

"  But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us



make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This


is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only


in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them,


sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on


a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what


we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how


they looked when they slept that night.


I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next


thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing


a little more and the getting it done a little less."

People tell you that all the time, but you don't believe them until it's too late.  It's also one of the hardest things for me to do because I feel like I have to always be one step ahead to keep order in our life.  But I also know that she is right- The time to enjoy your kids is NOW.

Our Family Top 10 in 2010

10. Hiked, Hiked and Hiked some more

9. Our Niece and Nephew graduated from High School

8. Amanda went to Denver for her Dad's wedding

7. Nana and Papa left to the Marshall Island's for three years

6. Planted our first garden

5. Brody's 1st birthday (I know he's not our kid- but we love him like he is)

4. Ethan got to see Big Foot in person

4. Park City Vacation

3. Hiked the Y

2. Ethan lost his first two teeth

1. Whitney's Baptism

We have loved sharing our lives with you!  Happy Holidays- and Best Wishes for a wonderful 2011!

The Matching Tie Guy

I found the best little gem of a store online.  It's called The Matching Tie Guy.  They sell ties in all sizes from  newborn baby to XL adult.  Ethan thought it would be cool to buy matching ties for him and Jeff to wear to church and I couldn't resist!  We just received our order today.  They were super fast.  Great to work with even after I changed my mind on my original order and wanted to switch to a different tie.  The one we got for Ethan has the coolest design I have seen in a little boys tie- it has a zipper- you pull up on the collar to unzip it to fit it over your head and then pull down on the back tie part to tighten to your exact fit.  I am really happy with the quality and you can not beat the price!  Thank you Matching Tie Guy- if you have boys or are planning an event like a wedding, family picture, etc. where you want to match you will love it!!  They also sell matching hair ties for girls and matching pocket squares.   

Traditions

My kids are on B track at school which means that they get the entire month of December off- YEAH!!  I love not having to wake up and take them to school during this chilly winter month.  This year has been a little hard because I'm not as organized as I have been in the past, but we have managed to make time for a few of our favorite Christmas traditions.

New Ornament- Each year we buy a new ornament for the tree- one that will help us remember this year- things we liked or did, etc.  Here are the ones for 2010:

 Dad- This is so cute because it definitely reminds me of Jeff- He's a really easy going happy guy.

 Mom- I love birds- they just make me happy and hopeful for good things to come.

 Ashtyn has started to love polar bears this year- this little guy is so cute.

 Miss Whitney is our animal lover- dogs specifically- she begs for a dog daily.  She is also our allergy sufferer- so this little guy is as close as she will get.

Ethan loves gingerbread boys!  In Kindergarten they did a big gingerbread activity where they baked a boy and then he ran away and we asked all of our out of state friends to send in a post card with a gingerbread boy sightings- Ethan LOVED this and and loved these little guys ever since.

Gingerbread Houses- We decorated a gingerbread house and train this year.  It's one of the kids favorite things to do and they start asking to buy a kit as soon as they see them in stores.  One day I'd love to try baking our own gingerbread.  My favorite is seeing the bits of candy start to disappear mysteriously every day.

Temple Square- I love living in Utah so we can do this.  There is no more beautiful place than at the temple.  We love to see the christus statue, all the beautiful lights, the nativity scene and all of the lanterns and nativities from around the world.  This year Ashtyn wanted to do something for all of the homeless people you see sitting on the street down town so she made several homemade Christmas cards with a hand written note from her inside.  Then she asked Santa for money to give to the homeless- so we gave her a bunch of $5 bills that she taped inside each card.  We also bought several reusable hand warmers that she wrapped up. ( we didn't actually hand these out because after experimenting with one at our house we found out that they only hold heat for a couple of hours and then they turn rock hard and to reuse them you have to boil them on the stove- which wouldn't have been the most convenient thing for a person with out a home to do.)  It was so touching to see her hand out her cards and see how happy it made the people.  I was really proud of her for thinking to do this all on her own.  She has such a tender heart.

Scavenger Hunt Cards

Photo from Blynkenandnod

My cute cute neighbor is so incredibly talented and designs and sells playground scavenger hunt cards on her Etsy site.  I wanted to share this because I bought a set for my kids and I think they are adorable.  Plus I love to support local artisans.  These cards are so darling and enchanting.  They hold hours of fun and imagination for little ones.  Check out her site here

Oh Christmas Tree

Why we LOVE real trees- also known as Why we pay tons of money for a real tree each year:

1. The smell- LOVE IT!- It's not the holidays till my house smells like pine.

2. Tradition- Our family loves to get all bundled up and search for the perfect tree.

3. It is a living breathing thing- that absorbs CO2 and fills the room with oxygen.

4. There is no plastic, metal or small pieces that can break.

5. 100% Renewable.  Their death brings life to other plants because they are recycled into mulch, fertilizer and compost.

6. Three trees are planted for every one harvested

7. 100% American made

8. I don't have to store it in our basement.

9. We get a different tree each year so each is unique.

10. It's imperfect.

I'm not opposed to fake trees- one day I'm sure we'll end up with one out of sheer convenience-but for now I'll keep my real tree tradition for as long as I can.

I love when I turn on the camera and find...

Just a few cute shots I found on our camera today- I love when this happens.

Ch Ch Ch Chia

If you google Chia you are going to find two things.  Chia pets and Chia seeds.  Wouldn't you juts love to have Obama's head sitting on your windowsill??  I actually think the Chia animals are adorable- you know the original little bunny- so cute.  In fact I've always wanted one, but recently I have discovered Chia seeds- the super food.  Chia seeds are in fact the same that are used for Mr. President (don't eat those kind because they aren't FDA approved- stick to the kind you can buy at any health food store.), but they are also one of the best things in the world that you can eat.  They are tiny so you can add them to any food.  They are packed with really great things for your body- read this and this or this and that is just three of the billions of articles containing information on these little gems.

I first heard about them from the Green Smoothie Girl- I don't drink the smoothies but I am constantly on the look out for healthy treats to make for my kids.  Treats has been on my mind lately because I feel like as a society when someone is sick, lonely, sad, in need, it's their birthday or some other celebration we tend to give treats- I know I do- I LOVE to bake and give treats.  In fact I really really love sugary treats- I will never pass up a donut. 

I think treats can be great and they do make people happy, but with so many people now developing diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, and numerous other health issues- maybe treats should be the minority and non-food gifts such as flowers, cards, time- be the majority.  We could all use a little more health in our lives.  I know that Christmas is the worst time to start talking about this- with all the baked goods I find on my porch and at parties.  We will not be giving up treats all together- maybe just finding more that are a bit healthier than what I am use to baking. 

I found a great one called Snow Balls on this site .  This cute girl is associated with the Green Smoothie Girl.  We made these the other day and they were awesome!  They tasted great and have a lot of great things in them- including Chia seeds.  I am always on the look out for subtle ways we can make changes in our health for the better and I think Chia seeds is a great place to start.  Check them out. 

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See!

I LOVE a good flash mob!! It's my goal to do this one day :)

What can I give....

"What can I give Him,



Poor as I am?


If I were a shepherd


I would bring a lamb,


If I were a wise man


I would do my part.


Yet what can I give Him?


Give my heart."

That is a poem by Christina Rossetti.  This year in our ward and primary we have been talking about service.  I love that poem because that is the only gift we can give to Christ at this Christmas season.  The small acts of kindness that we perform for others is the greatest gift we can give him.  Our family made a service advent box.  Inside it are several small slips of paper and written on each is a simple service you can do each day until Christmas.  Once we do them all we will put them back in the box and place it under our tree as our gift to Christ.  I found a star shaped box and we Mod Podged pictures of Christ on it.(Speaking of Mod Podge- I can never use it right and I always get bubbles- if you have any tips-pass them this way:)  I hope that it will help our family stay focused on the true meaning of Christmas now and all year long.

Wonderful Things

I have read some very enchanting books lately and here are some of the "Wonderful Things" I've read..........

 In the book Simple Abundance- A Day Book of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach there was a quote from Melanie Beattie author of the book The Language of Letting Go- "Whatever we try to control does have control over us and our life."  Hmmm makes me think about what I really have control over in my life and I decided the only thing I really control is me- my thoughts, my attitude, my actions.

I found several beautiful old books at DI one day.  Among them was a children's book called Wonderful Things! by Zhenya Gay.  It was written in the 50's.  Inside the front cover was written in colored pencil Third Grade 1955 and under that Billy Damron 2nd owner From Sissy 4-24-97.  I just love that- I love to think about who might have read this book first and did they find it as wonderful as I do.  It's the story of a baby horse and all of the wonderful things he discovers at the beginning of his life- things like his mother, her smell, his new legs, all the sites and sounds of the farm, the grass and running.  The first page is what I love the most.  It says "The first wonderful thing that happened to him was to be born."  Isn't that the first wonderful thing to happen to us all- to be born- to have life and the rest is up to us.


The next book wasn't a book at all but rather a wonderful talk by Richard C. Edgley.  One paragraph stood out to me...
"Because of the conflicts and challenges we face in today’s world, I wish to suggest a single choice—a choice of peace and protection and a choice that is appropriate for all. That choice is faith. Be aware that faith is not a free gift given without thought, desire, or effort. It does not come as the dew falls from heaven. The Savior said, “Come unto me” (Matthew 11:28) and “Knock, and it shall be [given] you” (Matthew 7:7). These are action verbs—come, knock. They are choices. So I say, choose faith. Choose faith over doubt, choose faith over fear, choose faith over the unknown and the unseen, and choose faith over pessimism.  Then he says...

Yes, faith is a choice, and it must be sought after and developed. Thus, we are responsible for our own faith. We are also responsible for our lack of faith. The choice is yours.  Love that too.

The last book we got in a box of Cheerio's of all places.  It's called All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon. 
It goes through all things things that are the same all around the world- things like how all the world is wide and deep, all the world is old and new, all the world is cold and hot, all the world is you and me and all the world is all of us.  The illustrations are gorgeous too.

Conversation with a 6 year old

Ethan: (During scripture study tonight) "Mom after we are done here can I watch dad play Indian Jones on the Play Station?"
Mom: "No Buddy you are grounded from the Play Station."
Ethan: "But you didn't say I was grounded from watching the Play Station..."
Mom: "Ethan please be quiet and listen to the scriptures and then we will talk- besides when we are through it'll be time for bed."
Ethan: "Mom quit changing the subject."

He's one funny kid.