2011 top ten

It has been kind of hard coming up with a top the for this year! We have had a nice quiet year, I guess but here it is.

10. The beaches of FL- we visited the beach as often as we could this year. We made it to Cocoa, Daytona, Treasure Island, and several smaller beaches on both coasts. We even spent Christmas Eve day at the beach!

9. Scouting-DB had a full year of scouting and earned his Wolf. He loves scouts, and I love that it gives us some good ideas for FHE!

8. WDW- if we ever had some spare time or a day off of school, odds were that we could be found at Walt Disney World! We live about 15 min from the gate (and will soon be moving even closer!) and definitely used our FL resident status to our benefit!

7. Mama and Papa Shoff-oh, how spoiled we are by our gramma and grampa! The came to visit us not once, but TWICE this year! We have such a good time when they come and I really appreciate the time they spend with us.

6. New car-we sold the Lexus SUV and were intending to buy a house here but have felt that we should hold off on that, so we bought a Honda Civic. It is perfect for me and the minions to run around in and will suit me great when I am commuting to school in 2012.

5. Joyschool-JT, SM and I participated in joyschool this year with some friends we have made here. I am not exactly sure how much learning happens sometimes, but we all have had some fun doing it.

4. St Augustine- when I got back from Utah this summer, Ben took me to St Augustine for my birthday. We had so much fun on our first trip without the munchkins in tow in 4 1/2 years! Thank heaven for Uncle David and Aunt Becca!

3. Broken elbow-ah, yes. The broken elbow. 4 days before coming home from UT....surgery, 1 sling, 2 casts, 7 long weeks-- good times. JT took it all in stride though and actually taught me a LOT about perseverance, patience, courage and the effect of a positive attitude.

2. Ragnar training-the last 5 months have been completely consumed by my training. My whole family has helped me in preparing. Ben has watched the kids in the mornings during my runs, dealt with random runs at the drop of a hat, DB has ridden his bike along side me, JT and SM stretch with me before and after runs...now let's hope they all get along while I am gone for 4 days next week!

1. Utah visit-we spent 5 weeks in Utah without Ben. That was so hard to be apart that long, but I was so grateful for the time it gave me to spend some good time with both sides of our family.
The kids did a good job on our flights, and we had some really great experiences while there.

2011 was a quieter year for us, but that just gave us time to cultivate friendships, learn, and grow closer together as a family. 2012 is knocking on our door with a LOT of enthusiasm already, so I am going to sit back, relax tonight and enjoy the last quiet moments of a year that has served us well.

Merry Christmas

We had a wonderful day today! It was so relaxing to stay at home and veg all day. We did manage to throw some church clothes on 15 min before church and make it there on time. The kids were all happy with their haul, and I got the biggest surprise of all this morning! I am actually entering this post from my present...an ipad! We have been considering getting one for a while, with me starting school and all, and I am excited to put this bad boy to use there. Meanwhile, we are cultivating a very unhealthy habit to angry birds. I put together a missionary book for Ben which has been a lot of fun to read through today. Those letters and documents have been buried in a Tupperware tote for many many years.

We are so grateful this year for all we have been blessed with. We have made some amazing friends here, we have family nearby that we get to see for the holidays, we live in an awesome place, we have food on our table and warm beds. We truly have been so blessed this year! Merry Christmas!

I am Grateful November is over!

Sheesh, that was rough posting every day! It was good for me to be grateful though. There were definitely days that I would have griped more than anything, and it was good for me to just ignore that and be grateful. My blogging experience bled out into my life and I really was a happier person this month simply because I was consciously thinking of being grateful. We are happy to be in the midst of December and the Christmas season. As stressful as it can get sometimes, it is fun to see so much excitement and anticipation on my kiddos faces.

We are definitely counting down until the big day, but meanwhile we are staying as busy as we can to keep everyone out of trouble.

I have had to ramp up my training for the race. It is funny, you know. This race has completely overtaken my life. I consider the race in almost everything I do. Everything I eat, how much I sleep, how much exercise outside of running I get, scheduling, everything! I think my teammates and I are all getting a Ragnar Christmas. This race has turned out to be much more expensive than I anticipated and, well, what do you do. Unfortunately I am that type of person that once I commit to something (except for a craft) I usually see it through, dang the consequences. Speaking of consequences, I finally went in and saw a doctor who is 85% sure that my knee pain is just from overuse. Knowing that, I am able to run through the pain and not worry about really hurting something. I ran 6 miles on Thursday and 8 miles yesterday. When I crossed the 8 mile mark yesterday, I even got a little teary-eyed. It truly is an amazing thing to accomplish an 8 mile run. I am going to me a blubbering mess at the end of my 15th mile, I assure you. (Whether that is out of pain or pride will be determined soon) I am pretty dang proud of myself right now. It is the good pride, though right? I have increased my Ibuprofen dose before my runs and that has helped. There are 34 days until the race. Getting closer! I am definitely worried about my leg. "4.2, 8.1, 2.7" is my mantra these days as I run. Scary. Thrilling.

Our bikes

So much of our day is spent on our bikes. Okay, not MINE per se, but JT and Baby girl definitely are on their bikes a large part of the day (I allow them inside) and DB finally has realized the joy of bike riding and can't wait to get out and ride after school. Because of his sudden interest, I finally got my bike put together after the move and hitched on the trailer so Baby Girl can come with us on longer rides. We have had so much fun the last couple of weeks on our bikes! We love to ride over to Publix (see previous Publix post) and get our cookie and ride home. We take the long route around the pond and look for gators, ducks, cranes, and fish. And SOMETIMES that wears JT out. Which makes me even more grateful for our bikes.

My snack size Snicker stash

Today was one of THOSE days. Yes, you know what I am talking about. Sleep deprived, not feeling good, doctor's appts, work....life. But you know what? It turned out to not be so bad because of my secret stash. Ben, don't you even worry about it--you are never going to find them! I just took out three of those bad boys and all my troubles melted away. I am grateful that some genius made a snickers bar in the first place, but then to make them travel size/calorie wise, really needs a medal. I am grateful that they made me feel better. That little shot of chocolate just made everything a little less blah and I was able to have a better attitude. I am grateful that with all the inventions that has made life a little easier, we have been blessed to have some things that make life a little sweeter also.

Naptime

Oh how I love naptime. As awful as it sounds, it is pretty much my favorite time of day. It is like our family's Siesta! Everything shuts down and there is just silence. Today JT AND Baby Girl are down for a nap, which is unusual because JT thinks he is too old, but the three of us are sick, so they needed a nap badly. I am grateful for this time to do whatever I want! I have watched TV, done laundry, took a shower, blogged, and had lunch. I know that once the minions wake up I am going to wish I just napped too, but what do you do. I am grateful for a little bit of peace and quiet during the day to rejuvinate and prepare for the tornado we call 4-8pm. I love naptime!

My Calling(s)

I have the best calling in the church right now. I am the Primary teacher for the 10/11 year old girls. There are 3 of them, and one currently investigating. It is the most awesome primary class I have ever taught. They are good girls--smart, funny, teachable, humble....everything I wasn't. They are wonderful! I have had a primary calling for about 8 years now, and I love it! I am grateful for the Primary program in the church and all that it does for the chilren. I also recently got called to be the ward Girls' Camp Director, and I am looking forward to that. I am grateful for the chance the church give us to serve in different capacities throughout our lives that help us to grow and stretch and learn and love all at the same time. What an inspired thing, to CALL us to serve instead of letting us pick and choose what we THINK we want. So many opportunities would be missed if we chose our service from our narrow point of view. I am grateful to have been called.

The Internet

I am grateful for the internet. That and cell phones. After depending on these things for so long, I look back at my life and wonder how we ever survived without them? How did anyone ever get the answer to a question? How did you call someone for help when you were stranded with a broken down car? How did you keep the kids entertained while you took a shower? How did you keep your schedule straight? How on earth did I ever get my research papers done on time? I realize that there has been so much negative that has come wtih the advances in the internet...for me it is mostly the TIME I lose in my life from mindless browsing....but the positives are so worth it! I am able to keep in touch with friends all over the country much more easily, I am able to talk/text my mom whenever I want, I can get quick answers to questions on anything, and I am so grateful!

Nature

I am grateful for nature. We had Thankgiving in Gainesville, FL where Ben's sister lives. They have a cute little house surrounded by so many trees! When I was loading up the car this morning, I could smell the nature. Okay, it was probably all the pine needles on the ground surrounding me, but what is more indicative of the smell of nature than the smell of pine! I am so grateful to be surrounded by so many beautiful things innature. From trees (from pine to palm, I love them all....except for Russian Olive) to flowers, to the mountains (on vacation in Utah) and the beach. We have been so blessed to live in a country with so much diversity in nature. I am grateful for beautiful sunny days at the park, crisp evenings snuggled in watching a movie, stormy days spent building forts with chairs and blankets, starry nights spent searching the sky for planets and ufo's, and although I could do without the extremes of any of these, I really wouldn't appreciate the perfect-ness of it all without those extremes. I am grateful to have been able to live in different parts of this diverse country and witness for myself some pretty amazing thigs in nature. The wide and powerful Mississippi, the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean, the grandeur of Zion's Canyon, sprawling cotton fields, gigantic trees in California, mysterious gyesers in Yellowstone, the wide open spaces and barren expanses of Texas, so much to see and appreciate! I can't wait for a time in my life that I can explore even more! I am grateful for the beauty that Heavenly Father has surrounded me with.

Bing Crosby....well, Music, really

We pulled out the big guns this morning. Bing Crosby is our Christmas big gun. There is nothing that gets you in the Christmas spirit faster than Bing Crosby's White Christmas. I wait all year long until Thanksgiving so that we can start listening to the Christmas music. I am so grateful for talented people that share their gift of music. It can be hard for me to feel the Spirit much in Church sometimes, surrounded by my munchkins, but whenever there is a musical performance, I ALWAYS can feel it. I am grateful that people are blessed with the gift of music. I wish I had that gift. Put me next to a good singer in the choir and I am good to go, but let's just say I have never been invited to give a solo performance. (or even duet/quartet for that matter!) I am grateful that my kids love to sing, and that they all still learn better when there is a song involved. DB is learning his Articles of Faith and is depending on the songs to help with the harder ones. Kids learn their ABC's first through a song. I am grateful for music.

Publix

I am so grateful to live so near a GOOD grocery store. It is so clean, neat, and the employees there are always so happy! I have never had an experience with an unhappy employee. They are so friendly and helpful. They give my kids free cookies and balloons every time we go there (which, during DB's breaks from school is every day!!) and they have BOGO sales that can be pretty awesome. It is so nice to have such a great place to go shopping and not be totally annoyed by the end of my shopping trip. That usually happens for me at Walmart. The employees there bug me just because they are not happy people at ALL. Anwyay, back to being positive.....I am grateful for my Publix.

Grandparents

I am thankful for Grandparents. My kids have the most amazing grandparents who love them and support them from so far away. They will call to encourage DB with homework, provide some much needed incentives for better grades, listen to stories that I am sick of hearing, send love notes in the mail (they check EVERY day to see if there is some mail for them) and come out to see them as much as they can to spoil them while they are here. (see previous "My Parents" post) I also have been so lucky to have the most amazing grandparents. I am grateful to come from an amazing line of strong, faithful, loving people. I am the oldest grandchild on my mother's side and I was blessed to know my Grandpa a bit more than some of my very young cousins and I am so grateful for that. I remember arguing with him about Robert Redford once. Such a funny memory. I am grateful to have so many wonderful memories of my grandparents, and to be able to continue making memories with my Grandma P. I am grateful for the capacity that grandparents are able to fill in a child's life. Grandparents get away with stuff that a parent never can, but that a child needs to witness for themselves. I am grateful for grandparents!

Dearest JT

Hello my son, You are my big 4 year old now! You truly are growing right before my eyes, although it is often to get a really good look at you because you really don't hold still for very long. Most pictures of you are blurry. You are so full of energy and life, that it can be exhausting for me and your dad. We are learning so much from you every day. You are teaching us about joy, patience, excitement, exhaustion, energy, and laughter. You go strong all day long, putting all your effort into anything you do. If we had half your energy, I can't even imagine what we could accomplish in a day! I have endeavored to do some new things in my life that don't scare me so much anymore because of what you have show me to be possible! You are a light in our family. You bring so much joy and laughter to our family and prove to us each day that if we want something badly enough, we have only to apply ourselves and anything is possible. You are able to make us want to wring your neck and kiss your sweet little dimple all at the same tim. Your smile is absolutely dangerously infectious and it is so hard to be mad at you when you flash those ivories at us. We love you so so much and are so blessed to have you in our life. We love our JT! Love, Mom

New Toys

I am grateful for new toys. JT's birthday is today, and the new toys he got today kept all three of the minions entertained pretty much all day with NO fighting. The best part was that the main toy he liked was an Imaginext castle that we scored at the local Goodwill for $3.50! Those babies usually go for 30-40 at the stores. We have all fall birthdays at our house, so we wait all year long for new toys....and yes, I say WE because even I need the kiddos to have new toys by the end of the year. We are all bored by the end of the year! We have had a blast with Baby Girl's new toys from her birthday too. I am grateful for the creative people who manage to create a toy that keeps JT's attention for longer than 5 minutes. I am grateful for toys that spark my kid's own creativity and ingenuity and imagination. I am grateful for new toys!!

Muffin Sundays

As much as I don't like 1pm church for our family, I am grateful that it provides us with time in the morning to relax and eat muffins! I am grateful that we can have a calm, relatively peaceful morning with a relaxed breakfast, nice music or Veggie Tales in the background and there is no rush to get DB out the door. I am grateful that Ben let me sleep in on this Muffin Sunday since I stayed out late with my girlfriends last night at a very corny movie. I am grateful that Sundays give me a chance to recharge and prepare for the week. I am grateful for muffins. I mean, seriously. Who doesn't love a good muffin.....and we really only have them on Sundays, so I've gotta give them props in this post too! Little bites of wonderfulness, if you ask me! Anyway, I am grateful for my warm, cozy, easy going, delicious Muffin Sundays.

Basketball

Today I am grateful for basketball. Since moving away from UT, there really hasn't been ANY opportunity for me to play b-ball for myself, but now I find myself in the middle of b-ball season with my boys. I am the coach for JT's 3-4 year old team and DB is on a 3rd grade team. I love to see them learning how to play. I love to get a ball in my hands and just dribble. Ben and I got on the court at the YMCA after our workout the other day, and I had such a good time shooting free throws and shooting from my sweet spot from 15 years ago. I really hope that at least one of my kids ends up loving b-ball as much as I did. It is such a good game to play. One funny story....I told DB's coach that if he needed any help during the season that I would be happy to help, and he had the nerve to look me in the eye and say, "yah, if your husband is ever around, I might be able to use his help on a couple of the games on Saturdays." UMMM. EXCUSE ME??? It took all the control I had to CALMLY tell him that I was the baller in our family, and I would be able to have the TIME to help, and that is why I was offering to help. Dude. Seriously? Like a girl can't teach a 7-9 year old kid how to dribble/defend/shoot? Whatever. I am over it. Okay, not really, but I am working on it. Meanwhile, back at the ranch......I am grateful for the greatest game ever--basketball.

My Parents

I really have been posting every day....I just was having technical difficulties and couldn't figure out how to publish the posts!! I am back. I am so grateful for my wonderful parents (both sets!!) Most people think that they have the greatest parents in the world, and I am no different. I have been so blessed to have 4 people who love me for who I am, 2 of which are responsible for who I am! It is so interesting to be a parent now and look back on my life and truly appreciate what my parents were thinking/feeling when I made the choices I did or said the things I did. I think that is probably the main reason that children grow up to have their own kids. Redemption for the parents. To finally have your kid realize what they did you to as a person!! I love my parents and am so grateful to have been blessed to have them in my life.

Books

I read a whole book today. I still feel like I had a relatively productive day so I don't feel guilty about it at all either. I love that you can open up a book and be swept away to a different time, place and/or event. I love that I can sit with my kiddos and read silly stories or learn about something new. I am grateful that there are books about anything you can possibly think of, written in a way that can be understood and appreciated. I am even grateful for Captain Underpants books and Pokemon books. I feel like a better person when my children and I have all read something good for the day. I am grateful for the gift of books.

The monkey

We have a monkey backpack (leash) that we use for JT, and I truly am grateful to whoever invented that thing! That backpack has saved the boy's life too many times to count, and it sure comes in handy at all the parks that we have visited while living here! It was a $15 investment, completely and absolutely paid for itself in a day. He has learned to hate the thing, but he still can't get it off and it keeeps him safe and with us whenever necessary. When he has it on, people either look at me with complete disgust that I would leash my kid, or they ask me where they can get one. Judge all you want, but I am grateful for the monkey!

Modern Medicine

Where would my family be without modern medicine? One of us would have died this year alone. Two of us would have died in 2002, and yet another of us would have completely lost an arm this year. I am so grateful to have been blessed to live when medicine is so advanced. I am grateful for competent people that put themselves through school so they are able to save lives. I am grateful for the technology that has allowed those same people to learn how to best care for my family. Not to mention the technology that is in place to help me make more informed decisions regarding my family's health. I am grateful for antibiotics, breathing treatments, pain medicine...you name it...I am grateful for it!

To Live In FL

Ben's parents are here this week and today we went to Sea World. I truly am grateful to live in FL. TN was an amazing experience where we met some amazing people, but I am grateful to live in FL where there is so much to do! DB learned a lot today at Sea World and it was so great to have some good times with Gramma and Grampa. I am grateful that FL has such wonderful weather, we couldn't have planned it better if we tried. I am grateful to live in FL.

Ragnar Friends

This post is going to be for Sunday. I had a Ragnar meeting last night with my running buddies, and I just love them all! I am so grateful to have made such good friends here who have inspired this new part of me. They have pushed me to do something I never thought possible, and I will be forever grateful for all those "Luna Chicks" or "Girls Gone Ragnar." Team name is still being voted on....

Saturdays

I am so grateful for Saturdays, especially in the fall. I love going to basketball and soccer games in the morning. I love just hanging out with the family all day. I love that there is no stress over a schedule. I am grateful to have Ben and DB home on Saturdays. Saturdays are the reason that I do laundry on Fridays! Saturdays feel like our one really FREE day during the whole week! We can do all we want, or nothing at all and it is usually okay. Even our meals are laid back on Saturdays. I am grateful for Saturdays!

Washing Machine

Fridays are laundry day. Usually at the end of each Friday, I start to think that maybe nudists aren't so crazy after all! As much as I detest the chore of laundry, I am grateful that I don't have to do it all by hand or sit around waiting for the laundry to dry in the wind. I am grateful for nice smelling detergent and bleach. I am grateful to even HAVE clothes to clean. I know that there are parts of the world, even our own country where people would LOVE to have more laundry to do--that would mean they have more than one pair of pants to wear! I am grateful for the opportunity I have to do laundry. It means that my children are clothed each day, I have running water in my house, and I have the money to buy detergent. How blessed am I!

The Holiday season

I am grateful for the holiday season. I have started to have so many daydreams of the holidays already! Last night I wrapped my first presents of the season and I have started planning all the delicious things I want to make/eat this season. I have been remembering holidays past and getting so excited to see the look on my kiddos faces on Christmas morning. I love the creativity that is blossoming as I come up with new homemade gifts or projects for the season. I am grateful for the holiday season already, but no...I haven't started listening to the Christmas music yet, out of respect for the Turkey.

my iPod

I have become serious pals with my ipod as of late. Last night I stayed up syncing some Glee soundtracks rented from the library onto that bad boy. More specifically, I was adding new songs to my running soundtrack. I needed some new mojo during my run today, and there is nothing better than some new music to keep you going! I really don't know how/why people would ever run without music. Now, my ipod is a huge one that they don't even make anymore, so I don't even have a carrying case for it. I have a suspicion that Santa may bring me a shuffle this year in preparation for the race in January.....

I also love my ipod for the extra hour of quiet time he has given me in these early mornings after the time switch. Right now I have two movies on it: Curious George and G-Force. Those two movies got us through our traveling this summer and this week.

I am grateful for my ipod that keeps me going and slows my kids down for just an hour or so!

Baby Girl

I am so grateful for my beautiful baby girl! She is the perfect little pink caboose for our family! She has started in a bit on her 2-year-oldness, which is getting a little frustrating for both of us, but I wouldn't want her any other way. She is a little mama's girl, but she is usually the first one to scream out for joy when daddy is home and has the cutest little voice when she says, "Hi Daddy!!" I am grateful for my daughter who loves all things pink, but loves to jump in on the pile when Dad and the boys are wrestling. She is so dramatic over a tiny little owie, but doesn't bat an eye when she gets punched during said wrestling match. She hates to be dirty, but won't let me change her shirt for days at a time! I am grateful for my girlie that helps me keep things in perspective!

Can it still be November 7th?

I am going to dedicate this post to my darling 3 year old, JT. Yesterday just flew right by me all because of this little ball of energy in our house. Ben told him yesterday that whatever he lacks in obedience he makes up for in charm. He truly is a little stinker, but manages to get out of trouble so often because of his charm. He has the most amazing smile, and an infectious laugh. Woke up yesterday at about 5:00am and went strong all day until he literally just dropped on the couch and fell asleep at 7:20. Yes, the clock change has thrown us for a loop at our house. This morning he was up at 4:45!! He is undergoing a forced nap right now to try to stop that early morning madness. Anyway, we love our JT and our lives would absolutely be so boring without his energy around! I am grateful for this little boy that reminds me of what is important in life. Snack when you want to, play when you feel like it, sleep when you are tired and don't stop moving until you are done!

my bed

Today I am so grateful for my bed. I haven't been feeling that great yesterday and today. I have felt so tired and everything has ached....like the flu was coming on or something but without the nausea. It has been so nice to snuggle into my soft warm bed and just rest. I know there are plenty of people in this world that don't have a safe warm place to snuggle in to for a little reprieve. I am so blessed to have a place to look forward to at the end of the day, a place that helps me recover. I can't even tell you how many times I lay on my bed at the end of a long day and say, "Oh, I love our bed!" It is almost part of my bedtime routine--and tonight will be no different. I love my bed!

Food

We have done a lot of food shopping in the last couple of days. Our cupboards were looking pretty sad and it was starting to take a bit of creativity on my part to put a decent meal in front of us, so we broke down and went shopping. Food, especially this time of year, means so much more than just filling a belly. I bought my first can of pumpkin for the year today and I am already planning out how best to honor that first can with the perfect recipie. So many memories are attached to so much of the food that you buy this time of year, so it is like when you buy it, you are investing in a revisit to a memory! There is some justification for you! (I know these are bad for me, but come on, I am revisiting an IMPORTANT memory!!) I have really been tutored lately on the importance of food as fuel, not just as food. As I have been running, it absolutely makes a difference in my run with what I ate the day before. There is definitely a balance to be learned over the holidays, making sure that the memories don't overwhelm the health, but I am going to give it a mighty try this year!

Garbage Men

This is a strange one, I know. Especially only 4 days in. And before REALLY important things. But today was garbage day, and I realized that our garbage man is really nice to my kids. He waves to them EVERY garbage day, even crunches up the garbage before driving away so that JT can stand there, wide mouthed, absolutely amazed by the awesomeness of the garbage truck. When I have spoken to him, he is respectful, doesn't dress like a giant slob (which you kind of expect, you know?) and is HAPPY. Like he is grateful to have a job, and is proud to be providing for his family. And he takes my trash away.

DB

First, I should point out that these gratitude posts are coming in no particular order. I obviously don't think of my car before I think of my children. It was late last night and I just wanted/needed to put something on there quick before I forgot and missed a day. It was only day 2! I had to be quick.

Now, down to business. I am so grateful for my DB. This morning he got Baby Girl out of bed, into the bathroom, helped her go potty and helped her get into some underwear. Then he guided both little ones downstairs to wake me up. He also cleaned up his room before coming downstairs. My DB rocks. He pushes me to limits that I didn't know were possible (good and bad limits, of course) but that is the whole point, right? For me to help him grow and learn, and for him to teach me what I haven't learned yet.

My Car

Today I really am grateful for my car. For a while there we went without a car and just used Ben's work vehicle for getting around when necessary. That got to be quite rough and I really started to feel a bit like a prisoner in my own home! Our "new" little Honda Civic is just perfect for me and the kiddos to run around town in and gets the most awesome gas mileage that I don't have to feel guilty when I want to go somewhere.

November Gratitude Goal

Inspired by my friend's FB post, I am going to attempt to post on my blog every day in November something that I am graeful for. That is 30 days of gratitude, baby!

Day 1--I am grateful for my husband. He works hard to support us while I stay at home and raise our little munchkins. He has completely supported this new running hobby of mine, even waking up early to feed the monsters their breakfast when I haven't gotten back from my long runs. He is a good daddy that has a knack for getting the kids out of my way when I am making dinner, and they can all usually be found wrestling on our bed when said dinner is ready. I am grateful for my Benny Boo.

Happy Haunting!!

Happy Halloween! We celebrated in style with the Fall Festival at the YMCA complete with ring tosses, bean bag throws, spin the wheel, tractor rides, and a dunk tank! Not to mention all the yummy food. When we had our fill of popcorn, sno cones, corn on the cob, chili and roasted chicken we were off to the ward Trunk or Treat. We went to this same event last year with much of our family that was visiting us, and now this year we have been able to make some good friends and still felt like we were among family. The kids brought home way too much candy, and all collapsed in to bed after an eventful day. Tomorrow for the real deal, we are going to stay home, decorate pumpkins and talk about missionary work. I think we have dessert after FHE covered. Happy Haunting!!

To My Beautiful Baby Girl

Happy Birthday, my daughter! We have had so much fun having you in our family. You have brought out a side to all of us that we didn't know we had! The boys found out they like playing with finger puppets and sparkly things, I realized that I really like the color pink after all, and you soften your dad up in ways I didn't think possible! You have such a soft spot in all of our hearts.

You are such a joy to have in our home! You are just about as girly as can be, insisting on pink bowls and cups for meal time (you sometimes SETTLE for purple) you love jewlery (what girl doesn't, right?) and you are really coming in to the princess mode. Whenever I manage to get your hair done, you look at yourself in the mirror and say, "Look! A princess!" and have to hurry and show Daddy. I hope you will be able to do that throughout your life. You also love to look at that beautiful princess in the mirror and make some very silly faces. I hope you don't lose the silly side of yourself--ever.

You love your brothers and are already so compassionate with them. As a matter of fact, JT isn't feeling good as I write this, and you have been patting him on the shoulder, assuring him we will see the doctor soon, and are sitting right by his side with your jackets on, under blankets, (it is only 54 degrees this morning!!) snuggling a toy and watching a movie. He feels better because you are there. He loves having you as his little sideckick.

You love to eat spaghetti, cereal (frosted mini wheats are your favorite), fruit, macaroni and cheese, and not much else. You don't/won't eat meat, except for the occasional bites of a turkey sandwich. Oh, and yoou are addicted to milk (protein to make up for the no meat diet?).

I think that one of your biggest achievements in your life is that you potty trained yourself. Daughter, you rock. You saved us about a year and a half of diaper money. That really adds up! I am talking like $1000 worth or something! Now listen to me very carefully right now. In 16 years or so, when you are going off to college and your Dad is grumbling about giving you so much money, you just remind him about how much you saved him when you potty trained yourself, and that he owes you. Now, this is a one time deal, so use it wisely!

We absolutely LOVE having little pink things all over the place. Our friends really came through for you with this year's birthday party. WE have pink ponies, piggies, teacups, jewlery, sparkly coloring paper and all things girly around the house now. What a refreshing change from nerf darts and legos all over the place!

We love you, daugher! Thank you for being our own sparkly, pink, wonderful person in our home!

Happy Happy Birthday DB Dear!

9 years old, baby! How time flies when you are having fun, right? We measured you this morning and you have grown 2 inches since your last birthday. I can't believe that you are growing right before my eyes! I have asked you to stop several times, but you just won't listen to me!

We had such a wonderful birthday party yesterday at the pool. You had several friends over to our pool for a Pokemon party. Taylor, Tyler and his cousin Orion, Ginny, Anthony and Hayden came to help you celebrate. Payton couldn't come but she stopped by earlier and gave you a present. You played pool games including Sharks and Minnows and Jumping over the noodle. We also had a birthday cake ring toss in the pool, and there was an awesome Pokemon version of pin the tail on the donkey. You got some awesome presents, including about a million Pokemon cards, 4 nerf guns, a Ninjago lego set, a Target gift card, a Transformers movie, and a Pokemon reference book. You have some good friends here. I hope you appreciate them and do your best to be a good friend to them too. Here are some pictures from your party:






Now today is your actual birthday! You were a little bummed when you realized that your birthday was on a Sunday but when I told you it was Conference Sunday, you were very happy about that! You already opened Grandma and Grandpa's Kidd and Shoff's presents this morning. Your grandparents love you so much and are so thoughtful of you! You got even more Pokemon cards (is that enough yet???) and are getting quite the collection now, and you got a cool atlas of Utah that has places that you have lived, visited, and relatives houses marked. I hope that you can always consider Utah one of your "homes." Utah is a special place for our family. That is where you were born, where Mom and Dad were married, and where our family officially started. And don't forget that Aunt Jessica sent you a card with TEN DOLLARS in it! You can't wait to go to Target and spend that money and your gift card! I just hope you don't use that money for more pokemon cards! You have upwards of 400 cards now. Good grief!!

Son, you have grown and learned so much since your last birthday. You are currently on the swim team at the YMCA and got 3rd place in the freestyle at the last swim meet. You have a lot of fun and are making so much progress with each practice. You really don't like school right now, but you are very good at reading, math (though you won't admit it) and are enjoying your piano lessons on Wednesdays. You earned your Wolf Badge in Scouts after a lot of hard work this summer. You love your little brother (though you won't admit it) and love to hang out with him after school. You guys have so much fun together....and get in trouble a lot, but deep down inside, I am glad you get along well (for the most part). Here are some of my favorite pictures of you from the last couple of weeks:






I will be taking some more "official" 9 year old pictures this week, so be prepared buddy! I love you, my son. You made me a mommy and continue to make me be the mommy I need to be every day. Our family just wouldn't be the same without you. Have a happy birthday today, and I hope you have a very wonderful, amazing and memorable year as a 9 year old!

Love,
Mom

Great Risk

I write this post knowing that I am at a high risk of sounding a bit like my brother (who I love) by turning things that aren't necessarily spiritual into some great spiritual sermon. (Before you gasp at that Joshie, remember "The Tree.") Anyway, I have to tell you about the experience I had in my spinning class today.

I have been cross training my running with a spinning class every Tuesday and Thursday. It has been difficult to find the motivation to go to this sometimes because I am still relatively tired from my runs on MWF, but it gives me the chance to get out of the house with JT and SM and let them go to a preschool setting, so I go. During class today I was working really hard and sweating and I looked down at the monitor and realized that I had significantly increased my stamina and strength in things she was asking us to do. I think I had a bit of a "runner's high" on the bike. I felt so good and so proud and really felt the Spirit right then. I got tears in my eyes and just knew that Heavenly Father was also proud of me for doing my best to take care of this temple he has given me. I know that caring for our earthly bodies is a way that we can prove to him that we are worthy stewards and are capable of caring for other blessings that he has in store for us.

I truly have felt more capable in all of the roles that I play since I have focused more on trying to have the strongest body I can, while still fufilling my other responsibilities. I have lived a large chunk of my adult life not feeling like I was very strong, and even feeling betrayed by my own body (sounds wierd, I know) and I now realize that in excusing myself from hard work (what about my blood pressure!! Oh! Kidneys! I can't do that!!) I was also hurting my mind and soul at the same time.

It seems strange to me that the Spirit was able to confirm this to me in my spinning class during a loud, high intensity song, but He was. Heavenly Father knew I was strong all along, but He is proud today because I finally remembered that for myself.

Ichetucknee State Park

Yesterday we ventured out a bit! We went up to the Ichetucknee State Park and floated the river. It was so much fun! It was absolutely beautiful up there (abotu an hour out of Gainesville) and it actually reminded us a lot of TN. We rented a little raft and set sail....Ben floated the whole river and got a bit of snorkeling in, and DB and JT came in and out of the water while the girls stayed safely in the raft. It was a bit chilly yesterday, only like 85 degrees or something, so the water was a bit too cold for us wimpy girls!





















Here are some picture of JT playing soccer last week at his game too. He did great in the first half, but got a bit frustrated by the end because of his useless arm. It was tricky maneuvering around all those other kids to try to get the ball! He did great and had a lot of fun while he was playing! (did I mention that the cast comes off tomorrow!!??? YAY!!!!!)



Oh, and here is a picture of the Disney character most like our JT signing his cast...it was fun to see those two talk to each other without words, just body language. Somehow those two stinkers are kindred spirits......


I do have to tell you about my owie too. I was at the end of my 4.6 mile run on Friday and my feet were dragging a little bit, to say the least. I was feeling strong, but I just wasn't doing any high knee kind of drills, if you know what I mean. Anyway, there was a raised crack in the sidewalk and I didn't see it because I had my eye at the end of my run and my toe caught that dang crack and down I went. I can still hear the sound of me hitting the cement. Oh boy. I lay there for a minute a little dazed then got up and walked home. As soon as I walked in the door, the tears came. It was really frustrating to have a good run come to such a lame, abrupt end. And I hurt. I scraped/bruised up my whole right side. My shoulder, wrist, hip and knee are all bruised and sore, and I have a good scrape on my knee. I am not sure I have EVER hit the cement like that. Sad. I was hoping to increase my distance or really kick up my pace tomorrow, but with the way I am feeling right now, I don't know if that is going to happen. Lame. I do have to say how proud of myself I am though. Not to really toot my own horn, but I haven't had a goal to do anything significant in a really long time. It has been fun to see actual progress and feel myself getting stronger. I haven't lost much weight yet, but my tummy looks better, and I am starting to see the signs of an actual waistline! My new mantra these days is:

The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.--Benjamin Mays

I just realized that I didn't post DB's first day of 3rd grade pic. Sheesh! Really! Where is the time going?? Anyway, here is his hansome mug. He has Mr. Jagarnath for a teacher this year and so far is doing well. We had some adjustments at first while we trained Mr. Jagarnath on how to help DB stay on task but we are doing better now. His EEG came back normal, so we can move on to the next thing to try to help him focus and concentrate better on his schoolwork.

My oh my.

Where has the time gone? I simply cannot believe that it is mid-September already! My last post was before I even left for UT?? That is just nuts! Now, I don't really have a lot of time right now for a very informative post, but Ben has been griping about the lack of information being provided here, so I am just going to give you a run through:

Ben-work, work, work. EQ secretary. Sold the x-box 360 and has all his computer games for sale....any takers?

Amanda-trainging for the Ragnar relay (look it up) most miles run so far is 4.6. Need to be able to run at least 5 miles 3 times in 24 hours. My training right now is 4.6 miles on Monday, spinning and abs classes on T/Th, 5K on Wednesday, 4.6 mils on Fridays. Rest on Sat and Sunday. Long way to go.

DB--finishing up his Wolf badge, joined swim team, piano lessons, waiting on results from EEG.

JT--soccer team, still has cast, but coming off on Monday (WOO-HOO!!!) He has been quite the inspiration for me to stay motivated and not let any of my self implied disabilities hold me back. Joyschool every Wednesday.

SM--potty trained herself (except for sleeping times) almost swimming on her own, talks like she is a 3 year old, loves Joyschool on Wednesdays, keeps up with the boys, no problem.

We are just keeping everyone as busy as possible so we stay out of trouble. We are loving this time of year now that it isn't quite so hot. Soon I won't have to go running at 6 in the morning anymore....can't wait for that to happen!

Love to you all....

Pics of Utah

I don't have an explanatory post in me after getting all these pics together. Maybe tomorrow. We had A BLAST though......I will tell you about it later.

The countdown.....

We have been trying to make the clock move a bit faster this week, that is for sure!! It is like we are counting down to Christmas, even JT asks when "airplane day" is. He makes me show him which finger is airplane day every morning. DB has been having to do homework every day (maybe even more than when he was in school) and he is under the impression that homework is going out the window in Utah. Okay, well, it probaby will a lot, but not ALL the time. We are so excited to come!

IT has been stinkin' hot this week. Yesterday was only 90-ish degrees and it felt so amazing!! It was super humid because of the storm, but oh it was so nice. We hide inside a lot and I am thinking of insisting on NO DAYTIME MOVIES in Utah. It seems like that is all we do during the day anymore. Movies and swimming over and over again. Boring.

I also can't wait for the smell of the canyon and to hear the rush of the river. There is plenty of water here, but it is all either coming from the sky or sitting in a little pond. We did see a baby alligator on our walk yesterday after the rain which was pretty cute...I got within 20 feet of it to try to take a lame picture with my cell phone, but the thing turned into a chicken and ducked under the water. Anyway, the pine trees and rushing water......yum.

DB has been calling both of his grandmas pretty much every day to make sure they know he is coming soon. I am not completely sure of their conversations because he takes my phone and heads up to his bedroom each time, but he always comes back and lets me know that Grandma Shoff has a dog and a cat, and Grandma Kidd won't be there until Thursday. I think they might just have the same conversations over and over agian! Thank heaven for patient grandmas!

I am so excited to see all our family! WE are so lucky to come "from good stock" and have such marvelous family! DB can't wait to see his cousins, I can't wait to see MY cousins, and to meet my nephew and sister in law for the first time!

Not to mention how great it is going to be to hang out with my parents and siblings. I have the best 4 parents, 1 grandma, I can't even count how many brothers and sisters anymore, and I hope to be able to spend time with all of you!

Now if I can just make it through Wednesday......wish me luck!!!

Today's journal entry

sum sum summertime!

Oh boy did this school year go out with a bang! Or did the summer come in with a bang? Either way, we celebrated in style this last week. Grandma and Grandpa Shoff came to visit us this week! They technically came to visit our new niece Naomi, but they were kind enough to squeeze us in! (wink, wink!) Dallin ditched school on Monday and Wednesday, but we did manage to get him to school on Tuesday for his 2nd grade end of year party! Am I just the best mom EVER?? He ditched to go to WDW with Gramma and Grampa, so it was totally worth it. We made it to Hollywood Studios to go on the new Star Wars ride and DB and JT BOTH went on Grampa's favorite ride, Tower of Terror! DB went twice (bribed by Grampa with a dollar for each time!) and once was enough for JT--"That was TOO scary! It made me TOO BUSY!" Translated that means it made him "dizzy." Tuesday evening Grampa and I took DB to Magic Kingdom for the standard rides. Wednesday we went to EPCOT. I went on my favorite ride! There is a ride that simulates you going on a space shuttle launch. It almost made me sick, it was so awesome. I haven't felt a thrill like that on a ride for a long time! Totally wicked. Gramma and Grampa also got the kiddos their first Mickey Mouse ice cream bar. They have wanted one of those for so long, but cheap ole mommy just gives them frozen gogurts from home! They were in heaven!

Gramma got in some good girlie bonding time with SM too! They painted toes and fingers, played with dolls, watch Cinderella while I took the boys swimming--I think they were both in heaven! Gramma got SM her first little skirt and I have had a hard time getting it off of her since she put it on (on WEDNESDAY!!) Gramma was so proud of what a little princess our baby girl is!

We had such a great time this week and just made us even more excited to come out to Utah in 17 days for even MORE family time! Meanwhile, we are on 2 a day swimming sessions (morning and after dinner--or DURING dinnertime if I don't feel like cooking--to fill some time and get us out of the house. I am SO glad SUMMER IS HERE!!!

Randomness.

My posts are getting further and further between, aren't they? Well, I think that can be a good thing. That means that there isn't much drama in our lives and I just don't have much to say, right? We are just plugging along every day, doing the best we can with what we've got. This is what I can come up with for a blog:

--School gets out June, 8th. I am quite nervous about what we are going to do until June 29th when we fly out to Utah. I am slowly making a list of things to keep us busy and hopefully out of trouble until then. CAN'T WAIT FOR UTAH!!! Mountains/camping/pine trees/cool weather HERE WE COME!!

--We sold our car to raise funds to buy a house here. FL has some crazy rules with home buying, so it is probably a ways out, but there are some rockin' deals here that are just too hard to pass up. Plus, Ben's employee is our landlord which has been just fine temporarily, but that dynamic just isn't going to work forever. Meanwhile, I am glad we live basically next door to the grocery store and I enjoy walking. So, it hasn't been to dramatic so far to be without a car.

--I was so excited that my SIL who lives here in FL (Gainesville, to be exact) had a baby girl last week. I was priveleged to be the first family member to hold her! I haven't been the first in our family to do anything for such a long time since we have lived so far away for so long. SM LOVED that baby so so much! She followed Auntie Becca around to keep an eye on little Naomi--it was really cute. The boys came in, took a look at the baby and were good. It was so fun to hold a teeny tiny little baby. It is crazy how fast they grow up.

--We have been so lucky to live in a ward with a ton of youth. Every Saturday for the last month we have had an Eagle Scout project to help with. It is such a good experience for DB to go to these! We have lanscaped the church building, made cards for the Ronald McDonald house, painted benches at the high school, and cleaned the church building! I don't get much "Saturday" work done because we are out on Saturdays (we reward ourselves for our service by going somewhere fun afterward....like Kung Fu Panda 2 yesterday...) but it is worth it.

--DB has been working hard at school and scouts and we hope to pass off a lot of scouting stuff this summer with Grandpa Kidd in his "man cavern!" He has made a couple good friends in scouts and has learned a lot. He was disappointed that there hasn't been a scout camp out yet, but Ben took him and JT on the father and sons campout where they were able to shoot a real gun, use a bow and arrow and go on a canoe ride! There is a huge LDS Cattle ranch about an hour and a half from us that has a camping area that was very nice. They had a great time apparently because they came home FILTHY!!

--one last thing.....While the boys were camping, SM and I did what all girls do when the boys go away--we went shopping. More specifically, SHOE shopping! Let me tell you, it is quite different going shopping with her than with the boys! It was SO MUCH FUN!! She pretty much tried on every shoe in her size (don't we all) and modeled them for a bit, and eventually settled on the "most girly pair of shoes" Ben has ever seen. They were tennis shoes with pink flowers and sparkly laces. We also got some pink sandals for church. It was hard for both of us to narrow it down to only two pairs of shoes!

We are gearing up for a fun summer with (hopefully) lots to do and learn. We really like living here and are quickly becoming Floridians! (Below 70 is a bit chilly for us already....) Feel free to laugh at us when we are in UT.

Mother's Day

As I tucked DB in to bed last night, he asked if I could stay and talk with him for a minute. We were talking about random things and then he asked what he was supposed to do for me on Mother's Day. This prompted me to tell him abuot my very first Mother's Day. His birthday.

I was scared to death. Special circumstances aside, I assume it is that way for many, if not all, mommies to be. So much responsibility, so much worry, guilt, pressure....just so much. I had a 3 month boot camp on mommy-hood. We had around the clock training by a specialized nursing staff. Training on HOW to do everything from changing diapers to feeding to changing dressings/tubing, bathing around the equipment, massage (only for him, unfortunately...) and many other things.

That training didn't take away any of the worry/guilt/pressure but it DID make me more confident in taking care of him when we made it home. And we DID make it home. We survived. I am still learning a lot about that experience. We are actually still in a mommy-hood boot camp. Every day, I learn new things about how to take care of my little munchkins. Each one is different and each one has taught me something new. I don't think that the worry/guilt/pressure will ever go away (anyone? anyone? have you managed to snuff that stuff out??) but as I work through it every day, we all get closer to "making it home."

Just as when we were in the hospital, our whole goal now is to Make It HOME. It isn't easy, and there are setbacks which sometimes seem devastating. There are daily achievements that seem so insignificant but can carry a lot of weight if appreciated appropriately. Being a mom is the most rewarding/aggravating/inspiring/ soul crushing/amazing job there is. C.S. Lewis said "The homemaker has the ultimate career. All other careers exist for one purpose only - and that is to support the ultimate career." I have chosen the ultimate career. It didn't choose me. Somewhere inside of me, I knew that I could do this, and I hang on to that knowledge every day (usually right before I want to wring some necks!)

I am so grateful to all the mommies I have had in my life. My Mom, Mom-in-Law, Grandma P, Grammy and even friends and relatives that have inspried me to be better. It is interesting that as we all just go along doing our best, we have the capacity to inspire others without even knowing it! How grateful I am to each of you for just doing your best. That is all we can do and that is all that God has asked us to do. While I have been a bit nervous to go to church today to hear about amazing moms and all they accomplished/are accomplishing, I promise myself that I will be proud of what I am accomplishing too. My children are healthy, happy and have little budding testimonies. They love each other and they love me. They are respectful and kind, patient and forgiving, funny, smart, thoughtful, and charming, although MAYBE not all in the same breath! They ARE still kids after all!!

I am an imperfect mom, but I am the perfect imperfect mom for my kids, and they are the perfect imperfect kids for me and we are all working on making it home together.

Translated

A couple of weeks ago, we were notified that Bishop Richard C Edgley would be presiding at our Stake Conference, and that he had been known to pick speakers from the congregation, so we'd better have a talk prepared for the conference. Then it gets closer to Stake Conference and they start reminding us about our talks that we should ALL have prepared, and it becomes the joke of the ward....playing Russian Roulette by going to Stake Conference. We went to the adult session last night, and were a bit apprehensive because our odds weren't that great. It was a smaller congregation, so we really could have been picked! Well, we dodged that bullet and we were safe. Then we knew for sure that we wouldn't be picked for the Sunday session because it would just be MEAN to make one of us speak while the other had all 3 munchkins on their own! We even joked with a member of the Stake Presidency about it on our way out last night!

We almost didn't go this morning. It makes a big difference to leave the house by 9am instead of 12:30! It was rough. There was yelling (all by me) but we made it. We were knee deep in keeping everyone quiet when the opening song/prayer was finished and the Stake President stood up to announce the next part of the program. Yes, Amanda Shoff would be the second speaker (only after a youth speaker). Are you kidding me? Ben and I just stared at each other with shock. Seriously? I had NOTHING written down. I made some notes a few weeks back. I wrote 7 words:

Patience
To this end was I born

That's it. I had thought a lot about what I would talk about, but hadn't come up with anything concrete. I went up there with only my scriptures. And many extra heart beats. And sweaty feet. I almost fell going up the stairs because of my newly developing tremors. The place was packed. Not to mention extra classrooms with translators. And a whole separate chapel for the Spanish speakers. I was translated today! Yep. Hatian, Portugese, and Spanish. And I was televised! Not too shabby. And I survived the whole thing, but just barely. I think I did okay, not because of anything I did, but I know that it was the Spirit working through me to touch at least one person there who needed to hear something that I said. It was a very humbling experience that I hope to never relive again. Although, if it ever does happen again, I know I would survive. And I will have a very detailed PRINTED talk prepared. I really should become a gambling gal, what with my luck! There were only 3 speakers selected from the congregation today!!

I think that the way it all came about is that a member of our ward was called to be in the 6th Quorum of the Seventy. Rulon Munns is his name. He is a really amazing guy and I am friends with his 3 daughters that live here. Anyway, it was fun talking to him after conference at a service/Eagle Project about what it was like to be interviewed, what his travel will be like now, what his calling entails. As I talked with him this afternoon, he told me that he knew then as he was talking to me surrounded by mulch and dirt that I would be speaking at conference. I told him it really wouldn't have hurt if he could have clued me in then!!! Since he is now a general authority, he "helped" Bishop Edgley select the speakers.

I definitely gained more from this experience than anyone else. I recently read Three Cups of Tea, and I usually avoid humanitarian books like that because it just makes me feel like I don't do enough for the common good. You know, thoughts like "I am just a mom" or "I am JUST a primary teacher." Well, today taught me that being those things is JUST fine with me. I am happy to be where I am doing what I am doing, because that is where the Lord needs me RIGHT NOW. That may change in the future, but right now I am not just anybody. I am somebody and the Lord knows exactly who I am and where I should be....even if that means that I should be speaking in Stake Conference!

Dream Interpretation

I dreamt last night that I had acutally been cut from the basketball team in my senior year because I couldn't run fast enough. The veiwpoint of my dream was wierd, though. It was as if that had happened and I was just remembering it happen years ago. I was at my Grandma P's house with my brothers and sisters hanging out, and I couldn't get it out of my head how AWFUL it was that I didn't make the team in my senior year. So, I decided to go for a horse ride. I borrowed Mr. Miller's horse, "Old Jack" and went around the block. Just when I got out of view of Gram's house, that horse bucked me off and I grabbed on to the rain gutter of the nearby house. Old Jack wasn't content with that, though. He turned around and started to kick me with his rear legs. I was scooting along the rain gutter, screaming for help when someone came around the corner, but it didn't sound like they would be able to help me much because they couldn't stop coughing and crying about the scene before their eyes.......when I realized that it was Sarah coughing and crying and actually needed me for real. End of dream, beginning of long day.....although before getting her, I had to sit there and remember if I really did play ball in my senior year!

I have my own interpretation of this dream......I would like a DIFFERENT interpretation, though because I don't like mine. Anyone?

On my way to bed

Well, I was just about ready to wrap it up for the night, but as tomorrow is Sunday and I know my brother will be looking for a blog post from me, here I sit at my computer. So here is your update my dear Brandon!

Ben has been in Utah since Wednesday. He went to celebrate the sealing of his brother James and now sister McCall. He said it was really wonderful and is so grateful that he was able to be there. I have been a little bummed that I have missed out on all the Shoff Family festivities this weekend, but what do you do.

DB has had a tough week, spending the whole weekend grounded. It really stinks to have a kid grounded though, because the parent is therefore grounded also. Especially when said parent is flying solo for the weekend!

I am currently beating Ben in the March Madness Bracket competition. 26 to 20. We both had BYU down for a win tonight, so I wasn't able to pull even more ahead. The winner of our competition gets to pick the next date we go on. Although, when I say "next" it makes it sound like there has been a previous date.....and there hasn't, unless you count his work Christmas party. Any family up for a vacation? We will give you a bed for one night of babysitting?? Any takers?

We are all working on our tan lines as it is consistently in the 80's here. I have so far held out with turning on the A/C though. Fortunately I sleep on the main floor and the kids sleep upstairs where it is hot. They haven't complained so far and they are all still sleeping through the night, so I hope to hold out on that A/C a little longer.

February is coming to a close already???

Sheesh! Where has the time gone this year? February is almost over. Although, in my defense, I think those extra 3 days that other months ususally have make a big difference. Not to harp on February or anything, but I am glad that this month is almost over. This month has been a bit of a trial in ways that I won't really ennumerate, but we survived so there you go.

We are looking forward to a marvelous spring and enjoying more time outside. I almost completely re-organized our house this weekend, and am ready for some sort of a new beginning (again.) I know, we just had a new beginning when we moved here, but my heart wasn't completely in this house we live in, but I have been converted, so I am finally getting moved in. (physically and mentally)


We went swimming yesterday for the first time this year. The kiddos lasted for about 25 minutes and then we continuted the swimming in the warm water of my bathtub. They were shivering by the time we were done outside, JT kept asking for "five more minutes" and tried to hold up his hand to show me "five" but his little fingers wouldn't extend because he was all clenched up with the cold! I took some pretty cute pics of Baby Girl yesterday for her sweet 16 (month) birthday. She is just so dang cute, I can hardly stand it!!



She follows her brothers around like a little puppy dog, trying to copy their every move! She is quite good at getting out of the way when things get a little intense in the physical arena, she can sense when physical pain is iminent! Unlike her brother JT, who goes LOOKING for trouble!! The boys put on capes this morning, and Baby Girl just HAD to have one too! Good thing she is JUST tall enough to fit into our smallest cape without tripping all over herself! DB is quite amazing with her. He even tries to find roles for her in his make believe play. Whether she is a secret agent who sabatoges his mission or a lost princess who doesn't think she needs to be rescued, he usually tries to fit her in somewhere. She loves to color, but only with a marker and a paper she shouldn't be drawing on. She doesn't like coloring books, only paper. She actually prefers a note card. Funny little thing! She also loves books more that anyone I have ever met!! Her current favorites are Goodnight Gorilla, and We're off To Find the Witch's House.

My DB really is something special. He is my oldest, so he is training me how to be a parent just like I trained my parents. (wink wink Mom and Dad!!) I am trying to be patient in my training, but sometimes......I just have to grit my teeth and move along. It has been amazing to watch him grow and figure out how to be a real person.
He is shy, funny, hasn't figured out the trick to knock knock jokes (which makes it a little more funny if you ask me...) is great at spelling, is an excellent reader but struggles with paying attention to exactly what he is reading, very patient, a fantastic swimmer, a good big brother that worries a bit too much about his little brother, and one of my top two favorite boys on the whole earth!!

JT is a fearless boy that loves to just jump into the fray. He and DB like to yell CHARGE!! when attacking their dad, and JT is ALWAYS the first to attack. DB hangs back to see how the inital battle will go and then evaluate his plan, but JT just goes for it.
He started Joyschool about a month ago, and when I drop him off, he just walks right in without even looking back at me. He loves school and loves to learn. He doesn't think that 6 or 7 are really important numbers, and usually says there are 9 or 10 of everything when he is counting. 9 is because there are 9 pirates in his favorite book, "How I Became a Pirate" he has also been fascinated with showing me his fingers and naming them for me. He will randomly yell, "Mom! LOOK! PINKIES!!!" and be holding up both of his pinkies. We have both been struggling on that middle finger and what to call him. He can't keep all his other fingers down when "Tall Man" is trying to stand up by himself yet, so I have some time still......

Well, that is my journaling entry for the month. If you have made it this far, well then, you must need a hobby or you are my parents. I guess this is what happens when you don't blog for a while. It all catches up with you. We truly are loving it here in FL. We have trips to WDW almost twice a month (going to Animal Kingdom tomorrow), we are going to try to make it to the beach at least once a month from here on out, we have great weather, and Ben is home a lot more than he was in TN, and we've been able to see family almost monthly! Can't really complain about any of that now, can we?