My Favorite things

Lately, there are some things that my boys do that bring such a big smile to my face and such Joy in my heart...

Justin. He seldom walks anywhere. He more commonly skips. When he skips, he puts his whole soul into it, so it would seem. He flies so high and so far with each leap, and the swing of his arms with each bound would give you the impression that he's in an Olympic race. He loves to skip and I LOVE watching him when he does.

Max. Max is still nursing, and still loves to eat in the middle of the night. For many reasons, I don't mind getting up--mostly I guess I'm just grateful he's alive. Along with this, he is so cute! After eating his first helping, he ALWAYS...without fail, sits up and holds his arms up to me to give me a kiss on the lips and a smile, and then to the other side for dessert. It melts my heart every single night.

Geoff. Geoff makes every ordinary day Extraordinary. For example...Day before yesterday, Justin, Max and I were outside enjoying the sunshine. Justin and I were laying on the ground gazing up into the sky, forming animals, rockets, and stars out of the clouds. All of the sudden, Max came flying by in the air and as Geoff swung him, we heard him say, "What does this cloud look like?" (From our view, it really looked like he was flying in the air!) We laughed so hard. A few seconds later we heard, "Here comes another one--it's a fast one" and a huge 3-foot soccer ball went flying over our heads. With Geoff, life is never dull. I love my guy! I love my boys.

Pillsbury Dough Boy creates a new recipe

Max is going through a very independent stage right now. He has mastered a very good fake cry and laugh and uses both amazingly well to his advantage. He also talks (squeals and grunts) and uses hand gestures quite expressively. Although he doesn't know how to say the words, he always makes his thoughts and desires quite clear.

Tonight, I had made Pizza dough and rolled it onto the pizza pan, and was ready to put it into the oven. Max told me very clearly in his special baby verbiage and hand language that he wanted to make a pizza too. Not wanting my pizza destroyed, I put mine in the oven and made another little batch for Max. He stirred it up, smashed it with his hand, stomped on it with his shoes, put it on his head, threw it in the sink and on the kitchen floor, ate a bit here and spit on a bit there, and walla...his pizza was ready to cook. You can find his recipe in my culinary creations!

Conference Quote of the day

During the 4 sessions of conference, Justin has worked through one of the conference packets for kids that have circulated around the world and back again via email, and had been anxiously engaged in coloring ties. On the last session Sunday Afternoon, when President Uchtdorf stood to conduct, Justin Excitedly exclaimed, "O MAN! He always wears the greatest ties!"

I can't help but wonder if the Apostles know that thousands of young people are recording in detail the pattern and color of their ties. Well two thumbs up to President Uchtdorf. He- or rather his ties- have won Justin's admiration!

Date Night at the Cheesecake Factory

Our Friday Night date began with a trip to Costco to get Gas and spinach! As we pulled up to the pump, we realized we had both left our wallet/purse at home. Although we had been driving on empty for some time, we weren't able to get gas without our Costco Card. What was worse was the thought of going the week without Costco's wonderful Spinach. So we went in and begged for a temporary pass. The Lady said we had to have photo ID, which we didn't have, but offered her our birth certificate. That made her laugh, and she had mercy on us and gave us the pass. Luckily we had emergency cash in our car to pay for the goods.

Thanks to that cash and a gift card we were also able to pay for a bit of gas and dinner at the Cheesecake Factory...my FAVORITE place to eat! It was a great evening!

Friday Co-op

Recreating Cheops Pyramid!

Watchout Hasbro!

Justin made up a math game to practice his addition and subtraction facts. You roll the VERY COOL die below and add the numbers on top, then move your car that many spaces. The first person to cross the finish line wins. He usually SMOKES me! This has been a fun and effective game!

Reading Rampage

Lately Justin reads everywhere he goes. This is him at the table with some of the books he is currently reading. I got a kick out of his reading collection on the kitchen table this morning and had to take a picture. He has been reading about 3-4 chapter books a day. I've decided to take "reading" out of our school day, as he reads so much on his own! It is especially fun for me to listen to his recap of the stories he reads. Justin is very expressive.

Our new discovery--Absolutely georgious!

Geoff runs this path most every morning. He kept talking about how pretty it was, so finally Justin, Max and I decided to investigate... and OH MY GOODNESS...it was so beautiful! I am kicking myself that we waited so long to explore and enjoy this part of Eagle--literally just 2 blocks from our house!Yes this is an elephant and giraffe you see through the trees. We thought we were in Africa before we looked closer and realized they are statues. Pretty cool though. Justin loved them!
Red winged blackbirds flew all around us. The red on thier wing is stunning. They are so beautiful!We ALL LOVE our early morning walks. Right now the air is cool but the sun is warm! It is so exhilarating and full of life!

Room in the Inn?

Every now and then, Geoff and I get a visitor in the Night. Justin is so cute about his need for a little security after a bad dream. Quiet as a mouse he enters our room and pulls out the blanket underneath our bed (placed there specifically for these occasions!), and arranges his pillow, blanket and 3 stuffed animals -Snickers, Charly & Giraffe who never leave his side during the night. He takes a trip to our bathroom and then shuts our bedroom door so as not to be bothered by any scary shadows. If I didn't have MOM EARS, I wouldn't know he ever came into the inn!

More than one reason to have food storage!

I only needed a few minutes without Max in my arms to make some Granola. Desperately, I resorted to my food storage--and gave them a bunch of kidney beans to play with. The boys loved the game, and I ended up with well over an hour with happy and contented Max, not to mention some delicious granola to eat!

A Picture is worth a thousand words!

I love this picture...it says so much. I love the red book that Justin uses as a booster seat, and the plastic bucket he uses for a footstool. I love that he loves to learn from his dad, and that his dad loves to teach him. This for me is JOY! This is what it's all about!

Hilarious!

Justin made me laugh so hard this morning. I pulled out a container of fresh strawberries to top our yogurt with, and Justin came by eying the goods. He saw the biggest, reddest, and juiciest looking strawberry, quickly snagged it, and ran to the table with his stolen produce prepared to devour it. He came back a few seconds later and put the strawberry back into the container. I was completely baffled as to why he didn't eat it. He saw the look on my face and said, "Mom, I can't eat a strawberry that looks like a bum!"

Here's to all my Herbert's!

I have finally finished reading the Novel, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. What a fabulous book- I loved it! In fact, I find myself thinking about the characters all the time. Many believe this novel to have a message of the destructive nature of wealth, the tragedy of betrayal, or the cankering effects of seeking revenge. While this may be so, I found these themes minute in comparison to the message of the beauty and elevating effects of friendship, loyalty and love. Specifically Pip is fortunate to have several meaningful relationships, one of whom is his dear friend Herbert. Herbert has no incentive to befriend Pip, but sincerely cares for him and is loyal to him from beginning to end, when Pip is at his best as well as his worst. Herbert has significant influence on Pip, and I believe is a big reason for Pip's happiness and success.

I've spent a lot of time reflecting on the many HERBERTs I've been blessed with in my life. I am fortunate enough to have family who are especially dear friends, and friends who are as though they were family! I know much of the happiness and success I experience is directly related to my dear dear "friends" who have loved me at my worst and best, from the beginning to the end. How blessed I've been and how grateful I am.

Love planes

Creative, thoughtful Justin at work, again.

Friday Home school

Clark and Emily McCauley home schooled with us today. We've been studying about the Egyptians and the first type of writings used around 3200BC. We made Cuneiform plaques (like the Sumerian's made before papyrus was used). They each wrote their name and a message using the Cuneiform symbols. This is a picture of Justin's clay plaque.
Then I gave the kids a gingerbread kit and left them alone to figure it out.

After working on it together for about an hour they produced this gingerbread wonder! They had so much fun! I was impressed with their creativity and teamwork.

Then we went to the Wright's home for some more creative building. The kids made a very cool marble maze.

It was a fun day spent with good friends and fun activities.

In Grandma's Attic

In Grandma's Attic
by Arleta Richardson

This is the book Justin and I are reading together right now. It is absolutely adorable! We often re-read the chapters and laugh and laugh. Then we laugh again when we tell Geoff about it at dinner time. I highly recommend it.

Children and letters holding hands

Justin is learning the Song "There are children, Holding hands around the World" on the piano. He picks out the notes by sound, and then memorizes the song. He gets so excited when he masters a song. He loves playing. He loves being like his dad!

In school this week we are spelling the shapes. He finished the sheet, held up the paper for me to see, and said, "Look Mom, my letters are holding hands!"

Cute! You can't say you aren't affected by the music you listen to!

Justin's Star Wars Gift

Justin was invited to a Colton Wright's "Star Wars" Birthday party. He wanted the gift wrap to fit the theme as well, so he made his present into a Star fighter. Colton liked the gift wrapping as much as the present itself, so Justin has made another star fighter with an empty box so Colton can keep it.

I wish I had even 1/100 of Justin's creativity. He's ALWAYS creating something wonderful in that little mind of his.

A Peaceful ending to another wonderful Day!

We love the Brookwood Development. It is a lot like our previous neighborhood...streams, lakes, trees, creatures about, greenbelts, etc. Almost always before Max goes down to bed, we take a stroll about and enjoy the sounds of nature. Max especially loves this part of our day, and is most always so calm for the ride.

ICF Training

I love taking pictures when the "victims" are unsuspecting! I love this picture of Geoff and Justin watching the instructional video of how to build a house using ICF Forms (Insulated concrete forms) -the material we will use to build our home. You may have thought this was the movie Cars or Magic School Bus considering Justin's interest level, but no, make no mistake, it is a long and detailed instructional video.

Have no doubt, when we build our home, Justin will be Geoff's BEST right hand man! He'll know the process inside and out.