Monday, May 23, 2011

"I will never.....

 ....play sword fighting on the trampoline again!" That's what Cutie said  on the way to the Dr. office after he fell off the trampoline three weeks ago. Of course if I had known what they were doing I would have stopped it sooner. He came to the door crying and kept crying for about an hour. I thought it might be broken and told him so. He asked me if they would cut his arm off!

Here's his swollen up elbow that night. He was pretty excited to get the x-ray. He was really excited to see the bones in his arm. Apparently he thougt x-rays were only something in cartoons. He said he didn't know x-rays were real. 
Here he is with the splint and sling we got that night. He doesn't look too unhappy here and he really wasn't after we had been to the Dr. and gotten some ibuprofen in him. Just a couple of days later the neighbor called and asked if he should be jumping on their trampoline! Of course I said he better wait at least until he had a cast on it. After a week with the splint so the swelling could go down we went back to the Dr. to get a cast.
This hasn't stopped Cutie from doing much--only going to the school swim party. Here he is with his nice green cast running in the Wildcat Run at school. A couple more weeks and he'll get the cast off and be back to normal.

Tulip Time!

 I got the best gift for Mothers' Day! My tulips bloomed the day before. Something about watching things grow and bloom just excites me. I walk around my yard watching how much my plants have grown and counting the buds as I find them. I feel a little silly but I just love the anticipation of knowing that the beautiful colors will be coming soon.

Seven or eight years ago I planted lilac bush in my yard and waited and waited and waited for the amazing and intoxicating scent in the spring. About three years ago it got one rather disappointing bloom on it that lasted about a day. You can imagine my joy and pleasure this year at finding about thirty of these...
 on my bush! Finally after years of waiting I'm going to have lilacs on my bush! Wahoo!!!!!!

I also got for Mothers' Day this lovely sculpture made by Cutie. He was so cute as he kept asking me for more and more food to add to it. This kid is going to be an artist---or an engineer----I can't wait to see!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

We've got the Power!

Today I sat and watched three of my favorite priesthood holders administer the sacrament. Alright, I know I shouldn't play favorites, and there are a lot of others who are right up there, but my husband and two sons have to be my favorites. I think this may be the first time in our almost 22 years of marriage that I have heard Stephen bless the sacrament, and to have Sonny Pie next to him, and DaVinci passing--wow, what a special day!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

To Be and To Do

Last weekend was one of the highly looked-forward-to events in  our household. We spend time with family, play bingo with candy for playing pieces, shush the kids(a lot), and feel the spirit as we listen to the leaders of our church give us counsel. It's such a great weekend twice a year.

It's been a week since LDS General Conference and as I contemplate a message to put in my ward Relief Society newsletter I ask myself if listening to those eight hours of conference has made a change in me? Have I changed who I am as a result of the inspired words so that what I do will reflect more of the Savior? As I strive to become a Woman of God what things will I change in my life to become more like Him?

Will I keep the Sabbath more fully and allow it to enrich my life as Elder Perry counseled? Will I be one of the Incredible Women that Elder Cook spoke of or take more opportunities to do good as Elder Eyring suggests? Am I waiting on the Road to Damascus for a manifestation or am I actively seeking to know Christ and become like Him?

Being worthy and receiving revelation, attending the temple, building my marriage, seeking and accepting correction , so many good words of counsel received from these good men and women. How do I do them all? How do I internalize them and make them part of me? I believe the answer lies in the life of Jesus Christ who grew "grace for grace"(D&C 93:12). If I want to be An Ensign to the Nations I must choose one or two things at a time and always be improving and I can receive 'grace for grace' just as Jesus did. What better way is there to be like Him?

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Attitude

Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what other people think, say, or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home.

The remarkable thing is, we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for the day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a different way. We cannot change the inevitable. All we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.

    -Charles Swindoll

Monday, March 21, 2011

The big 1-2!



 DaVinci's big day finally arrived. He has been planning and looking forward to his twelfth birthday for a very long time. So many things to decide--whether he wanted presents or just money, whether to get the priesthood on his birthday(which just happened to conveniently fall on a Sunday) or wait 'til the next week when maybe some family could come to be with us, whether to have a party or not. All of the decisions got made and DaVinci planned his own party and carried it out with no help from me except making the cake.

They played frisbee, Apples to Apples, and trampoline games. Davinci says it was a successful party so I guess it was!

The whole crew
Trampoline games

Busy times!

 Things are starting to pop around here---lots happening. Of course there is always a lot happening so I just couldn't skip over a few fun events over the last little while so here's a quick review:

Superstar doing the Boot Scootin' Boogie at the school dance program. Cutie got to do the chicken dance, but none of my pictures turned out.

DaVinci and Superstar getting their orange belts.

Pinewood Derby. Superstar got the award for the 'most outlandish' car. He asked me what that meant and I told him it was the most cool and crazy car. He thought that was great!

DaVinci at his winter orchestra concert. Wow! That sixth grade orchestra is good! How wonderful that our kids have the opportunity to be part of something exceptional without it costing us a fortune!

All the boys gathered around the piano singing songs from Newsies. This is a really blurry photo, but by the time I tried to take another one they caught me and wouldn't stay where they were. I just couldn't leave it out.
Icon ski night. The only pictures I took were of the snow sliding off the roof of the lodge. The pictures don't do it justice. It was hanging way out off the edge. The area was fenced off so it wouldn't fall on anyone.

Superstar in the 4th and 5th grade spelling bee. He is asking the judge to repeat the word since he pronounced "museum" really strangely.

Brothers! They are just so cute!