...and they all lived happily ever after...

Why I love Melissa DeMoux

2012-02-14T07:43:00.001-07:00

Yes, yes, I know that many of you will be surprised that I am putting up a post. I hope that my man card will be allowed to stay in my possession as today is Valentine’s Day. My wonderful wife has often asked me why I kept after her while we were dating. I have on occasion tried to explain to her why, but she continues to ask me anyway. I have decided the problem is she has not seen my responses in print yet, so I am doing so today, so Melissa and you will know why I love her and chased her down before and continue to chase her every day.

I should preface my explanations that at first Melissa didn’t like me so I was forced to convince her why she should. I chased her to convince her that when I shaved, I was actually handsome (I had some facial hair the day we were introduced). I chased Melissa because I always felt so comfortable with her and really wanted to be around her. I chased her because I wanted to be a better person when I was around her and I wanted to be better for her. I chased her because she was (and is still) sooooo beautiful. I chased her because she is so intelligent and I love talking to her. I chased her to show her that I was really funny and I did on occasion have a serious side to my personality. I chased her because she told me she didn’t always agree with me, even if I said I knew something about the topic being discussed. I chased her because for the first time in my life I was nervous to kiss a girl. I should note that our first kiss took me a while to work up the nerve for I will let Melissa post about that some other day.

I chased Melissa to convince her to marry me because I realized how I couldn’t imagine eternity without her. I chased Melissa because I knew that with her genetics our children would be adorable, and they are! I chased her for the fact that for the first time in her life she had conversations on the phone that lasted more than ten minutes and she didn’t even mind. If you can’t figure it out Melissa was talking to me. I chased her because I fell madly in love with my best friend, whom I always seemed to know, but had just met.

My dearest Melissa when will you realize that you mean everything to me and I want the world to know it! I will chase you to the ends of the earth and shout from the rooftops that I love you more than anything. Thank you for being my best friend and loving me with all of my faults included. Thank you for giving me six amazing wonderful children who remind me of you every day. Thank you for letting me steal some of your blog space, I hope I didn’t mess it up. On our and a half anniversary I want to wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day my love.

Love,

Josh

Love is in the air...and the kitchen

2012-02-14T06:27:00.003-07:00

As part of our Valentine's Day fun we decided to make chocolate suckers. This is one of my favorite kid friendly activities because whatever mess the kids make you can just make them lick it all off the table (just kidding, but wouldn't that be funny...except also gross for eating dinner later).

You can buy just about every color you can think of in melting chocolates, or you can melt white chocolate chips in the microwave (30 seconds at a time until they are smooth) and then dye them with a couple drops of food coloring.

I love this activity because it lets my kidlets be creative and show their artistic side, but it is also unique because we don't mess around with colored chocolate every day.

As an added bonus we can put plastic wrap around our creations and take them to friends and neighbors to show our love for this fabulous holiday.

Back in the day (oh so long ago when I was young) we used to do all of our Valentine deliveries under the cover of darkness. There was this great little song that went,

"Knock, knock, knock then run, run, run

Today is Valentine's Day.

Knock, knock, knock it's fun, fun, fun

To try to get away."

The kids and I still like to aim for that sort of holiday fun when we can. We're planning to weave our chocolate suckers into that magic if we can.

Here are some of our finished creations.

As an added bonus, Valentine's Day is also our And-A-Half anniversary (exactly six months after our wedding day so on Valentine's Day we have been married how ever many years and a half...you get the idea).

With that in mind I just want to tell my sweetheart (not to mention anyone else who is paying attention) how much I ADORE him. He is my best friend, my best influence, my biggest fan, my favorite play mate, my level headed thinker, my favorite pillow, my kissing partner and so much more. This man makes my life warm and inviting and he still has the power to make me weak in the knees (in the very best way, of course). I'm sure I would be happy in life even if I had never met him, I just wouldn't really have any idea what happiness really was.

I love you Joshua, here's to many more And-A-Half anniversaries to come.

Things I have loved this past week

2012-02-12T06:45:00.003-07:00

Lets skip the verbose introduction (I know, weird for me) and just get right to it.

Here are a bunch of things that made my last week very much worth living.
1. Kissing Josh (that's pretty much always my favorite)

2. Welcoming my baby brother home from his two year LDS mission in California (I asked him to pray in Californian at dinner that night...he didn't think I was funny, but I was laughing anyway. He might just have been a tiny bit overwhelmed).

3. Listening to Ellie wander around my parent's house singing "I looooove my mommy...I have a vagina," over and over again (wouldn't my newly returned missionary brother have turned red if he had picked up on what she was actually saying). Yup, we're all about anatomical correctness at our house, even with two year olds.

4. Watching Logan (age 4) giggle like crazy when he discovered that if you flip a number 6 flash card upside down it magically transforms into a number 9. That's fun for the whole family.

5. Snuggling into Josh's chest (how is he always so warm?) to watch NCIS and then NCIS L.A. (which is not nearly as good, but is still passable so we put up with it).

6. Eating fettuccine alfredo with shrimp that Josh made all on his own (well mostly, he only had to call me for recipe clarification twice...but lets blame that on my bad handwriting). Geezo I love that guy.

7. Warming my cold toes on Josh's very very warm belly (am I the only wife that does this? It is heaven).

8. Going grocery shopping and staying under my budget (way to go me!).

9. Watching my children thrill in the exciting world of the airport.

10. Making beds on the floor beside my bed for three different children on three different nights. Don't misunderstand, I don't love that my kidlets woke up scared or sick in the night, but I do love that just by being their mom I can give them comfort and confidence and that just by being next to me they can get some sleep (although if this were a constant occurrence I think I would quickly grow out of any reverence I have for it). FYI on the 4th night I was preemptive and made a bed next to mine just in case, but no one came up that night. Josh laughed at me the next morning.

(I know, you would think I would stop at 10 and not bother going on to 11 unless I planned to head clear up to 15 or 20, but no...I'm going for 11 just to be different.)

11. Seeing my crew of six get all excited at the sight of their father coming down the escalator to meet us at the airport and thinking how grateful I am that we get to be a family and that the sight of my sweetheart not only thrills me but thrills my children as well. Combine that with my smooch when he caught up to us and I may just have had a new favorite moment of the week. Fabulous.

Home again, Home again Jiggedy Jig

2012-02-10T06:23:00.002-07:00

On Wednesday I packed up our crew and we headed to the airport. The kids haven't been there too often so they were pretty excited to see planes flying so low overheard as we drove toward short term parking. Josh was still at work so it was just me and the kids and boy did we get looks from our friendly neighborhood other airport patrons. A lady leading six sprites around gets plenty of attention on its own, but add in the excitement factor because said kids will be welcoming home their uncle who has been serving a mission for two years and also the thrills that come from things like moving sidewalks and interesting strangers and the spectacle grows exponentially.

My littlest little brother had been serving a mission for the LDS church in Ventura, California, but his two years of service was up and he was coming home. His flight was supposed to arrive at 2:29 pm. I called my parents about 1:00 to make sure the plane was on time and they said it was.

We were a little slower getting out of the house than I planned so we didn't arrive at the terminal until 2:20 pm. I was worried we might be a bit late...but I couldn't find my parents so then I worried that I had the wrong terminal. I called my dad's cell phone to find out where they were. They were still at their house. Joel's flight had been delayed and wasn't going to land until 3:00 pm.

I was now facing down the fun of me and six excited kidlets hanging out in the airport for more than 30 minutes with nothing to do.

Super fun!

Angels smiled down on us and I found a vacant corner with three empty chairs so I settled us in. I pulled out my cell phone (Angry Birds, I have never loved you more than I did at the moment) and the older kids took turns playing while Ellie danced to the Angry Birds music (we were very entertaining). Logan and Gavin were fascinated by watching the workings of a nearby elevator so I assume they will grow up to be mechanical engineers or something like that. We played my emergency card games (Pictureka and Uno which I keep in my purse for just such occasions).

Ellie was the first to spot her dad coming down the escalator. She started screaming, "My daddy's home! My daddy's home!" as she sprinted toward the descending stairs. Josh scooped her up and she was happy for a minute.

Soon after everyone else arrived and we set up our missionary vigil in a prime location (the benefits of arriving very early).

This was the scene that followed.

My mom cried the whole time. Bryce could not stop telling Joel EVERYTHING that had happened during his two year absence (science projects and sports events, you name it). For me, it was just good to see my baby brother again. We spent the evening chatting and sharing stories and just enjoying each other. It was a good thing. It is nice to have all five of us home and happy and together.

My mom and her baby.

I never imagined...

2012-02-08T08:45:00.001-07:00

Earlier this week the fam and I trundled over to my parent's house for dinner. Somehow it doesn't seem fair to my mom when we do that (sorry mom). When we have them over for dinner that is only two extra people and it is oh so easy to cook for 10 instead of eight. When we go there she has to cook for 10 instead of two. Something is wrong with that picture. My mom wouldn't even let us bring anything this time this time around.

Anyway, we got there a little early and Josh and I were in the kitchen with my madre helping to prep the meal. She asked me to get out some ice for the drinks so I pulled a couple of ice trays out of the freezer. I grabbed the ends of the first tray and twisted and POP all the ice tumbled out just like it is supposed to.

However, as I grabbed the second tray it fought back. I just couldn't get it to crack. This didn't surprise me too much because Crohn's disease has done a number on my joints and they just aren't what they used to be. My wrists in particular have become very weak, so much so that I can no longer remove a tray of brownies from the oven with only one hand (wow, that's sort of embarrassing to admit). Thankfully God had the foresight to allow me to have two hands so really it is mostly no big deal. Also, (as in this case with the ice) I have an amazing husband standing by who is quick to step in if I ask him to (and not if I am being stubborn and want to do things on my own). He snapped the tray to the sides and all the ice fell obligingly into the bowl. My mom's sympathetic/semi-sad face as she watched that exchange was sort of hard to take. I didn't want to make her feel bad. I don't even really think about it much anymore, it is just the way things are now.

Only moments after the ice incident Ellie scuttled into the kitchen and wanted me to hold her. I suddenly realized how grateful I am that Crohn's disease left me alone until all six of my children were old enough that they didn't need to be carried around much anymore. I am simply not as able as I used to be to heft my little ones. If this disease had reared its ugly head when I was still bringing babies into the world I would have had a much harder time handling all the baby oriented chores that would strain my weakened muscles and joints.

I can't imagine having to carry around a car seat not to mention a heavily packed diaper bag or to constantly hold a sad infant or to lift a little one in and out of crib or to open those tight baby food jars or the thousands of other little things that every day would bring that would make that weakness a real trial.

But the blessings don't stop there. When our oldest children were small, Josh was working jobs that expected long hours every day and on top of that he was also in school for several years which kept him away from home almost all the time. Imagine if I had to try to handle all those tasks not only with weakened joints but also without any help around. I think I would have felt very helpless and lost. I'm not sure I could have managed it all.

But I didn't have to do that.

I am more thankful that I know how to say that my Father in Heaven allowed me to get through those years before I had the chance to face Crohn's disease. I am grateful that even in our struggles there are just so many blessings that sprout up if we keep our eyes open that it doesn't seem fair to whine or complain (at least not all the time).

I never imagined that this is where life's journey would take me. I never imagined I would be the mother of six. I never imagined I would be counting every penny as the stay-at-home wife of a school teacher. I never imagined that I would be facing a chronic disorder that would wind its way into every inch of my daily life.

But I also never imagined I would get to spend mornings playing basketball at the church gym with half a dozen sprites (our current favorite off track activity). I never imagined that I would get the chance to share my love of writing with the world by being published in our local paper. I never imagined that I would cry as I watched my two year old daughter spin in the school gym while two of her older siblings sang and played recorder in the school concert. I never imagined that I would count the moments until my the phone would ring as my sweetheart calls me every single day as he drives home from work. I never imagined life would be this sweet. I never imagined God would give me so much to be thankful for.

My crew (my uncooperative crew on this day).

I can't wait to see what else life has in store for me; I bet there are loads of other things that I never imagined either. Some of them will be sweet and I'm sure some of them will be sour, but that is the way of life. That's what makes this trip to Earth such a precious thing, that chance to look for beauty scattered among the ordinary and sometimes ugly pieces of everyday life. But it's there, there IS happiness and even joy if we just keep our eyes open and let ourselves see it.

Lately...

2012-02-06T08:31:00.001-07:00

This is a little bit of what we've been up to lately...

I have been trying for a while to come up with a fabulous way to store more towels in our bathrooms (we go through a lot of towels at our house...I don't know how you get around that with kids).

I saw this wonderful idea on Pinterest that used a wall hung wine rack to store towels, but I couldn't find a wine rack with slots big enough for anything other than hand towels.

That's when I stumbled on these little beauties and thought, "I bet I could get those babies to store rolled up towels!" And you know what...I could. They work great, and they look sorta cute so it all worked out. I love it when that happens.

Upstairs bathroom

Downstairs bathroom.

Last week I had pot pie on the menu, but I forgot to buy a pie crust. So, I thought I would try to make one on my own. I haven't ever done that before, but I know lots of people do so I googled some recipes and thumped all the ingredients into a bowl and went to work.

I did make something that looked a little bit like a pie crust (even though it sort of resembled Frankenstein). I cooked it and...........it was HORRIBLE! Yuck! I either need LOTS more practice OR I should just stick with store bought (or, as a friend from high school used to say "boughten," weird word eh?) pie crusts. Sigh.

Aubrey has been all entrepreneury lately and wanted to start her own business. So, we went to Michaels and bought a whole mess of boondoggle. I taught her how to lace the strands into braided key chains and she has been selling them to the masses at school. Creative tyke that she is she also let kids sign up for classes and taught them how to make their own boondoggle (for the very fair price of 10 cents per person).

I love that she wanted to earn money and so she thought up an idea and took matters into her own hands. What an amazing young lady.

Just for fun (and a few laughs) I threw together this funny little ruffled pillow...

Then I put it in a zip seal bag and used my vacuum to suck as much air out of it as I could. Finally I shoved it in a postal service pre-paid envelope and shipped it off to a friend in exotic regions far away. Hopefully she got a chuckle out of it.

And last but not least, after all of our tireless effort on science fair projects this year, we learned this week that Bryce and his partner took 3rd place in the school science fair. They did an experiment on balance involving a Wii fit and some ear plugs (begging the question, does hearing affect balance?). I really was proud of these boys and thrilled that they ended up with trophies for all of their efforts.

However, even without a trophy I was awfully proud of Aubrey because she put a lot of dedicated work into her project as well.

Cleaning up moon sand, snapping pics of adorable kids (and husbands), watching basketball games and chorus concerts, repairing scuffed boots and building with Legos...lately they sometimes feel like crazy days, but thankfully they are usually good days too.

("Mom, you didn't put in a picture of me playing basketball." Sorry buddy, here you go.)

Valentine's in the HOUSE

2012-02-03T06:49:00.001-07:00

Soooo, Valentine's Day is coming and the kids asked me when we were going to decorate at which point I realized we don't really have Valentine's Day decorations, per se, so we should probably come up with some.

Pinterest to the rescue!

I browsed for a whopping like 4 1/2 seconds and found this awesome tutorial on how to make crepe paper roses and thought, "Hey, I can do that." So we gave it a try. We glued the roses on a three inch Styrofoam ball and this is what we ended up with. I think they are fun!

They were so much fun in fact that we later cut out some big hearts and made a really cute door hanger for our front door.

Then the other night for family home evening we had a lesson on gratitude and we decided to tie that into decorations as well. We gave each of the kids a couple of hearts (these are paper doilies from the dollar store...I think I got about 50 of them for $1). We asked them to write or draw things that they loved onto their hearts and then we clipped them onto a ribbon attached to our closet door.

It was loads of fun to see what was important to the kids. Almost all of them chose to include family on their hearts (whew, I guess we did do something right somewhere along the way) but the other things they included ranged from books to food to friends and sports. It was insightful.

What a great way to prep for a very kissable holiday. We'll have to see if we can manage to add to our festive decor before the big day arrives.

Also, here are our finished Valentine's boxes for school (we are on year round school so the k-6 grade kids have their parties today since they go off track after today).

Ok, when I suggested this to the boys I didn't really imagine bloody, blackened teeth and bloodshot eyes, but I guess that's just boys.

Bryce decided to make an arcade game sort of box and Aubrey went for a mailbox theme.

Some days are just like that

2012-02-01T08:57:00.002-07:00

Yesterday was one of those days. You know the ones I mean.

A couple of kids were grumpy when they woke up so maneuvering them to get their chores done before school was more of a headache than usual. However, I did get everyone out the door on time and only one child continued to hang on to orneriness so that was something. I pretty much felt like Super Mom.

Then it was time to get Ellie and Logan ready for the day. Those two were already fighting with each other so I was hearing things like, "Ellie, don't sit on my head!" and "Mommy, he pushed my shirt!" ring through the house.

Our diaper holder was empty. I headed to Ellie's large walk in closet to grab a package of diapers and refill our stash, but what to my wondering eyes should appear...no, no reindeer, instead someone had decided to eat Frosted Flakes in the closet and now they were spread like confetti all over the place and smashed into the carpet after being walked on. I know those weren't there last night when I turned on the light for Ellie to go to sleep.

I threw them into clothes (the kids, not the Frosted Flakes...Logan decided to wear three shirts at once and got stuck halfway through the process of putting them all on so that was fun) and pulled Ellie's hair into the fasted ponytail every. I knew with all the fighting going on I would never really have the chance to clean up let alone get dressed for the day and clean the kitchen from breakfast etc.

So I decided to let the little ones watch a show so that maybe they would get along enough for me to get something done. We turned on Blues Clues and I headed upstairs to try to salvage the morning.

Only seconds later I heard angry screaming. So I hurried downstairs to find Ellie laying on the couch, itty bitty toes touching one armrest, arms extended over her head so that her wriggling fingers could just touch Logan who was stationed as far from her as possible huddling into the other armrest. She was laughing. Logan wasn't, and neither was I.

I scolded Ellie who obediently apologized to her brother. I took ALL of the couch pillows and piled them in the middle of the couch and then stationed one child on each of the two large couch cushions and told them to stay on their own sides. They both said ok. I should have seen through that.

I trudged back up the stairs. But only for a moment because the screaming started again. I exhaled hard and headed back down. From the stairs I could see Ellie lounging over the top of the pillow pile shaking her head back and forth and allowing her hair to cascade all over her furious older brother who was screaming, "GET YOUR HAIR OFF MY SIDE!" I got there just in time to then watch Logan smack Ellie in the nose several times. Great. Time out for everyone.

A little bit later (amid screams of "Mommy, I don't want to go to school!") we collected Gavin after his day at kindergarten. I only had to carry Ellie twice when she refused to walk and simply fell to the ground (in the middle of the parking lot both times...of course). Logan was more than happy to walk...or rather run...without paying one bit of attention to other people so I spent most of the jaunt to and from the classroom with a whimpering, completely limp two year old in my arms while apologizing to person after person that my four year old nearly bowled them over.

Lunch was relatively uneventful. Angels must have smiled down on us and known that I needed a moment. That or they were chuckling to themselves while they geared up for the circus that was to come.

I got everyone to bed and worked on a cutting/laminating project while they were snoozing. It was a beautiful moment.

Then they woke up.

Today was the day that we were planning to make Valentine's boxes for the coming school festivities. I showed you the fun tissue boxes turned toothy monsters that we decided to make. It should have been loads of fun.

I decided to get Gavin started before the other kids got home from school since he sometimes needs a bit more help. I covered the table with wax paper and filled his paint tray with his chosen colors. I got out the sponge brush for him to use and put a cup of water and come paper towels by his place so he could rinse and change colors.

I explained to G that with these sponge brushes you have to rinse them and then dry them really well or else you will make your colors all watery when you try to paint. He said he understood. I showed him how to rinse and dry the brush. He said ok. I went to the counter to start to get Logan's paints ready.

When I turned back around forty-three seconds later I found that Gavin had dipped his brush in the water before even starting to paint then he promptly shoved the dripping brush into the paint which was not running down the sides of the tissue box and all over the table (since he had carefully set the wax paper to the side so it wouldn't be in the way while he painted). He couldn't understand why I looked exasperated (didn't we JUST go over this?).

What the heck!

I would rinse his brush and he could use another color.

For Logan, I got out a set of pre-packaged paints (you know, the kind that come in tiny plastic cups, all connected together with flip top lids). I showed Logan how to rinse his perfectly normal paint brush in water before dipping the head into another color. He said ok. I had learned from Gavin so I stood by him as he started painting. He dipped his brush into the blue and spread the color on the paper (he is not painting a box as he doesn't need one for pre-school). He then rinsed his brush in the water, dabbed it on the paper towel and then dipped the brush into the red and began to create with that. I was satisfied.

I headed to the bedroom to grab a plastic shirt cover for Ellie so that I could set her up to paint. By the time I got back Logan was smiling triumphantly at me. I was suspicious.

"Ha ha, Mom, I didn't rinse my brush!"

Sure enough each of the paint colors now had a brush sized dob of another paint color right in the middle of it. He'd mixed them all...on purpose. Little stinker.

I immediately decided that Ellie wasn't going to get the chance to paint after all. I didn't need one more disaster.

I told Logan that if I couldn't trust him to paint nicely then he couldn't paint at all. I took his paints and started to clean up his mess.

While I was at the sink with my back turned, Ellie sensed telepathically that I was planning to renege on her painting opportunities so she took matters into her own hands. Since Gavin had recently vacated his spot while waiting for paint to dry, she climbed into his place and got all artistic. When I turned around her hands were smothered in dark purple paint and the sticky remnants of her picture were running down the wall and all over the chair.

There was not one drop of paint on her clothes. I guess I didn't need the plastic shirt protector after all.

I cleaned up...some more. I was no longer in the mood to help my children work on their Valentine's boxes.

Unfortunately for me, the older kids came home from school just at that moment and were thrilled to see that they were going to get to paint too. I just couldn't bring myself to say I had had enough already and we would have to paint another time, so I set them up with paint and brushes and boxes.

Aubrey wanted to make a mailbox type container instead of a monster. So we dug up some extra cardboard and I helped her figure out the pieces she would need. She cut and we taped and glued until it looked right. Since there was exposed packing tape to help hold it together, I knew we needed to use paint other than the acrylics I had on hand (they just don't stick to things like that well). We found some red spray paint and headed to the back yard to spruce up her masterpiece.

When I came back in I cleaned up what was left of the kitchen catastrophe from before (oh blessed older boys, thank you for putting most of your own painting tools away). Then I made dinner. I was very much looking forward to getting out of the house to do Relief Society visits (every Tuesday).

I left. I knew Josh could handle things while I was gone.

I got home (30 minutes later) just as Josh was heading out the door to take Bryce to basketball practice. He was literally getting in the car as I headed up the walk. I walked in and was immediately bombarded with shouts of "Mom, can you get me more food?" and "Can I finish painting my box now?"

I refilled plates and then explained to my nine year old daughter that when everyone is at the table eating it is not a good time to paint a Valentine's box. She was angry at me. She headed to her sister's closet to pout. I hope she didn't moosh the Frosted Flakes any more (I still hadn't finished cleaning those up).

I got dinner. I was the only one left at the table. It might have been peaceful except for the wrestling/fighting/crying going on in the next room.

I started the kids on their after dinner chores and scooped up the two youngest for their baths. We washed little armpits and scrubbed hair and then tumbled into the living room for bedtime. Josh was back by then so he read the scriptures and story for us while I wrangled kids who all seemed to want to be on my lap at once.

When it was time to go pick Bryce up from basketball, I volunteered. The drive to the rec center was blissful. No one yelled at me and there was no paint involved.

I listened to Bryce tell me all about practice on the way home. I am glad he is loving basketball and working so hard. We pulled into the driveway and he got out. I didn't. He started to walk to the door, then noticed that I wasn't there so he came back to the car. He asked if I was coming. I said no, he could go ahead. I was going to stay in the car.

Josh came out to check on me. I was listening to the news. He asked if I was ok. I said yes, but I wasn't coming in until after 8:30 because then everyone would be in bed. It was only 17 more minutes. Josh laughed at me, but he understood. We stayed in the car together and at 8:32 we went into the house.

Everyone was in the proper bedroom...except for Ellie who had escaped while our guard was down. I re stationed her in her room, turned on the closet light (never did get those Frosted Flakes cleaned up), and kissed her tiny head. She whispered, "I love my mommy," as I slipped out of the room.

And you know what. I love her too. I love them all. But I was awfully grateful that that day was done. Some days are just like that.

The Leader of the Band

2012-01-31T06:36:00.001-07:00

This weekend the kids and I were working on dinner together. We are all music lovers and I threw in this CD which has ALWAYS (I'm not even exaggerating, I have loved it for as long as I can remember) been one of my favorites.

I love Dan Fogelberg.

I love his lyric voice and sweet haunting melodies.

Anyway, so we were listening and singing along and there may have been some spontaneous dancing involved but we were loving it.

And then came track #8. And the same thing happened that almost always happen when I hear that song. Quiet tears tried to tumble from my eyes (which I fought like the dickens because crying for no reason in the kitchen is silly and will cause kidlets to think you are sad when you really aren't) and I smiled halfway and tilted my head...and I thought of my dad.

The song is "The Leader of the Band" and Dan Fogelberg wrote it for his father who taught him to love music. As I was listening to different versions of the song on YouTube today I stumbled on a live 2003 video where Mr. Fogelberg said that if he had only been allowed to write one song in his life it would have been this one.

As much as I love his other songs, I couldn't agree more.

My dad was never a band leader. He didn't teach me to play any instruments, although he always encouraged us to pursue that learning. But my dad was a lover of music. From the time I was small I would climb into his lap while we played records (yes records, like the ones made of vinyl) of The Carpenters, Jim Croce (one of Mom's favorites), James Taylor and Alan Parson Project. I remember one magical ELO album that made you feel like the music was swimming around your head. We couldn't really dance to the songs then because it would make the record skip. Music was something that lived inside my father and I always felt blessed that he chose to share that with me.

My dad also happens to have a beautiful singing voice and I remember countless times when we were on a family trip that I felt so proud to know the same songs that he did so we could sing along -- in sometimes garbled harmony -- with whatever music was on the radio or the cassette tape at the moment.

My dad was also not one of those parents to be trapped in music of a lost era. While he has continued to nurture a love of Abba, The Captain and Tennille and Hall and Oats, he has also grown into a love of Dave Matthews Band and Jason Mraz and Jack Johnson. He taught me to love good music wherever you can find it (he even likes those Inca pipe flute CD's...ugh). I remember finding him sitting on the living room couch, head back, eyes closed just feeling every moment of music as it surrounded him.

Yet, to me, this tender Dan Fogelberg song goes so much deeper than music. This is a song about the love of a child for his father...and that is where my heart truly gets wrapped around the ballad.

Maybe it is just the way girls are -- I know I see it in my girls -- but my dad is something special to me. I adore him. I have from the time I was tiny. His approval, his attention, his love meant the world to me (no slight on my mother who valiantly attended every clogging performance and volleyball game not to mention patiently teaching me piano and algebra and cooking...my love for her is not lesser, it is just different). I wanted to be the very best so that he would be proud of me, and few things stung more than his rebuke.

My dad is a good man. He just is. He isn't a perfect man, but I am grateful that he is my father. I am grateful that he was the kind of father who would wrestle with the five of us kids, who insisted that we continue our piano lessons even if he didn't know how to play, who took us fishing and grumpily helped us unsnag countless lines and who let us tag along on trips to BYU football games (even if constant questions from a talkative eleven year old made him nearly crazy).

He knew about science and history and English (but if you needed math help, you better head for mom). It seemed like he always had the answer. I just assumed fathers were supposed to be that way.

He took me on my first date when I turned 16 (that may have been my mom's idea, I'm not sure, but it was still great). One time he brought balloons to my high school on my birthday and I carried them around all day proudly telling everyone they were from my dad.

In reality, for me, just being around him felt like delight.

My dad wasn't the kind of guy to say "I love you." Actually none of us were. Those words seldom rang out in our house growing up (something my husband and I have adjusted in our home). We kept our feelings tucked in, in general. But I knew my dad loved me. I knew it without a doubt. I knew it because he let me sink into his lap while we watched TV, because he taught me how to compose a proper sentence, because he said "nice job" when I'd show him my latest composition and because he shared with me his testimony of the gospel.

But it doesn't stop there. Now I get to watch this man that I call Father step into the roll of Grandpa and I am loving him all over again. He teaches these little ones how to laugh and have fun and nobody loves holding newborns more than Dad does. When you watch him with a tiny baby in his arms, fresh from Heaven, you can see how he gets lost in them. He seems to forget the rest of the world as he chats it up with a person who can't even talk back yet.

But it isn't really so much about the things that he did, it is more about the hero he has been for me. I always knew I could come to him with a problem and he would help me solve it. He is still one of my favorite people to talk to. I grew up wanting to marry someone just like him (and in many ways I did). I always wanted my dad to smile when he saw the person that I had grown into. He made me want to be a better person.

I wish I could put down on paper the blessing that this man has been in my life. These words seem too hollow; they simply fall short. He has been with me since I came into this world and I can't imagine having to make this journey without him. He helps me stay focused. He helps me stay grounded. He's my dad, and I'll forever be grateful for that.

I guess it's just like Dan Fogelberg said, "Papa, I don't think I said I love you near enough."

I love you Daddy.

Battling a cold

2012-01-29T06:43:00.002-07:00

Last week we had a cold wandering through our family.

Each of the children took a turn with it (and the adults did too).

There was a lot of coughing and nose wiping and crying and whining and up all night long-ing. We ran out of tissues twice (always at inconvenient moments...of course). We ran out of children's cough medacine and children's ibuprofin and had to make an early morning run to the store. We snuggled on couches a lot and no one ate much. It was a rough week.

But it wasn't all bad.

Sometimes sick kidlets mean moments like this.

And somehow that makes it all worth it.

Two of my tough little boys cuddled up together for a nap. Warms a mother's heart.

...and the kitchen sink...

2012-01-27T06:21:00.002-07:00

This...

is what my kitchen counter looks like right now (ok, this post won't go up until tomorrow morning, but as I sit here typing with all my kidos freshly to bed for naps with full little tummies, this is exactly what my counter looks like).

I only have the one counter in my tiny little kitchen (lets call it cozy, that sounds better) so it often plays the roll of drop zone for odds and ends and project in various stages of completion and just about anything else.

Lets explore.

The set up for me learning how to make Popsicle stick bracelets so that I can teach Aubrey (I've decided I need to get the bigger sticks out of my craft stuff, these little ones are just a pain to try to work with).

Meds for Ellie who is still running around with the family cold. Wish we could get rid of that thing.

Tissue boxes to make these for valentines day boxes for school and pop bottles for a scout project next week (not sure what that project will be...guess I'll be surprised) along with other little bits of stuff that needs to be put away but I haven't done it yet.

Chocolate covered pretzels that Logan and I made earlier this morning (you would not believe how much chocolate Logan got all over his hands...I'm pretty sure on purpose just so he could lick it off in the end).

Left overs from lunch...and a potato just for fun.

I spared you a close up of the sink full of dishes that I have no intention of washing (did I ever mention that washing dishes is my least favorite job in the entire world...YUCK!!). Maybe if I ignore them until Josh gets home he will do them for me (is that too horrible?).

Well, there you go. Everything and also the kitchen sink.

Stuck

2012-01-25T06:20:00.002-07:00

Two days in a row I have been in my bedroom working on things when I suddenly hear a quiet tinkling little voice echo, "Mama....Mama....Mama please help," over and over. I didn't rush either time because the urgency in the small sound, while it was there, did not seem all that...well...urgent.

Both days I made my way into the living room and this is what I found. My tiny two year old stranded on the bookshelf. She managed to climb up, but somehow she couldn't get down. (Don't think I am a monster mother, I didn't leave her hanging there while I searched for the camera, the camera was on this shelf both days.) She smiled hesitantly at me the first time and asked to see herself after I took her picture.

The second time she wouldn't look at me for a picture. She was annoyed at me. Her look said something like, "You think THIS is a moment I want to remember forever and to have my posterity view at some point in the future?"

Yes. Yes I do. (Wouldn't you just love to have a photo of your grandparents stranded atop a piece of furniture, clinging to the sides for dear life, especially one only inches off the ground. I vote yes.)

Love you little one.

(P.S. She hasn't climbed the book shelf for a couple of days now...or she has learned to get down and I just haven't seen it. I guess I'll never be sure.)

Even a bad day...

2012-01-23T07:34:00.002-07:00

Some days as a mother (or as a human being for that matter) are difficult. I don't just mean the ones that fall apart at the seams with traumatic cause or the ones where you really feel horrible and you just can't get a handle on things, I mean the days when nothing in particular happens, but it is still just a rough day. The pieces just don't fall into place like they should and you feel disjointed and out of place.

Once in a while days like that happen to the very best of us. Days where you just want to be left alone. Days where you struggle to smile even though you should be happy. Days where every tiny thing feels like failure and the irking just keeps adding up. Days where you just aren't the person you intended to be.

Sometimes on these days it is hard to quietly manage the group of beautiful sweethearts that swarm my home. Sometimes I feel like as much as I love them I just want to lock myself in the closet for the day and try again tomorrow (oh the screaming and pounding that would ensue if I actually did lock myself in the closet).

I don't love days like that. Who does. Yet they still pop their heads up and enter life from time to time (darn them). Handling them is not pretty (at least for me). I do a lot of tongue biting and eye clenching and even take some extra trips to the bathroom (a door that locks where sans the two year old the kidlets know to let me be for a minute or two).

But then, these little sprites have a way of quietly noticing that their mother is not at her best and they just can't help but try to drag me out of my personal pit of despair.

And then you end up with an evening like this.

"Mom, come in the living room, we have something to show you." Parker proudly plays his new piano song as Aubrey tries desperately to sing along (not easy when an eight year old trips across the keys accompany his older sister who doesn't really know the tune).

Not to be outdone, Aubs decides to parade her song for me and Parker, who is disappointed that her song doesn't boast its own words, decides to dance for me instead.

Enter Gavin, running around the living room during the musical feast shouting, "I love you Mommy! I love you Mommy! I love you Mommy!"

Even the littles took a turn at the piano and made up their own etude for me to enjoy. (It is difficult not to smile when small children make up the music and words to their own personal piano sensation).

My eleven year old is a little too hip to be performing for me in the living room anymore, but he did plop down on the couch next to me and hold my hand. What mother's heart wouldn't be warmed by that little show (pictures of near teenagers holding their mother's hand are generally not allowed).

Even as Ellie climbed onto my lap screaming for no real reason, and Logan sidled in next to me flailing his little arms in fancy newly invented Karate moves, I had to admit that this difficult day had been salvaged.

There is just so much of life that can be heavy and fogged up. Sometimes it is hard to see the beauty of ordinary things, especially when you are frustrated and tired and worn down from the day after day after day. I am not someone who believes in enjoying every moment. Some moments, at least to me, are not intended to be enjoyed, they are simply there to be endured. And on some days enduring feels triumphant.

When the children are all in bed (finally) and the house is quiet and you can now breathe, and you love your sprites all the more because they aren't scampering all over the living room and jungle gyming across your lap and you can truly appreciate their adorable little faces because they look so sweet when they are sleeping...that is sometimes as much a win as planning the perfect day trip or arranging an incredible science project or solving the most traumatic sibling battle.

I am far from perfect when it comes to looking on the bright side and enjoying every small moment (it is hard to enjoy screaming and fighting and tormenting and mess making) but I am glad that no foul mood lasts forever and that these tiny glistening moments have a way of sprouting into life just when I need them most.

Because when it really comes down to it, even a bad day can be a beautiful thing.

Ellie helps out

2012-01-20T07:42:00.000-07:00

Aubrey has been after me the last week or so because I made a skirt for myself and one for Ellie, but I hadn't made one for her yet. The reason I was slow is that I wanted her to help create her skirt and we haven't had a lot of free time when she was at home lately (I do most of my projects while the kids are at school).

So, last night we decided to give it a go. She chose her fabric from our fabric box and she chose the pattern she wanted to create. We measured and cut the pieces we needed and then we had to take a break so that I could make dinner (measuring and cutting with a nine year old takes a little bit longer than doing it on my own).

After a couple of minutes Ellie toddled into the kitchen. She walked up to me and petted my leg and said, "Sorry, Mom." I knew this meant trouble.

I stalked into the living room only to find tiny little shards of red and white fabric littering the carpet and couch and a pair of scissors nestled amongst the carnage (I had actually put all the sewing/cutting implements up but this little girl is determined and she finds a way when she wants something).

This is some of what was left of our skirt pieces.

We tried to stitch some of the cuts back together, but that just wasn't going to work.

Thankfully, we had just enough fabric left (although it was in sections that we had to creatively piece together in order to hide the seams) to finish off the skirt. Aubrey didn't get to help as much as I would have liked because the project became logistically more complicated after Ellie's "help" but she did still do a lot of cutting and sewing and she can definitely claim a hand in our creation. I think it turned out pretty well. She can hardly wait to wear it, which was the whole point to begin with.

I love those crazy girls.

Hoopin' it up

2012-01-18T07:40:00.001-07:00

This year our boys decided they wanted to try their hand at basketball. Other than shooting hoops in the front yard this sport is pretty new to them. As we started the season I was embarrased at how little I have taught them about this game. I grew up playing basketball and played some in high school. Josh played for years (even though he looks more like a linebacker, he really rocks the hardwoods and also the soccer pitch).

Anyway, so we signed our two oldest boys up for Jr. Jazz teams and started running simple drills in our front yard when we had spare time. We dribbled and passed and practiced layups and learned to shuffle rather than run when trying to play defense and all that other good stuff. I pretty much blew the boys minds when I showed off some of my mad skills (since they have mostly played soccer in the past and I have near zero experience there, they were pretty amazed that Mom -- who is a girl, mind you -- can hold her own, and even look AWESOME some of the time).

Parker has really taken to this sport and he has no trouble adapting his athletic abilities to this new undertaking.

The look...

The shot...

SCORE!!!
(insert wild -- verging on embarrasing -- cheering here)

Bryce has had a little bit tougher time. He is in sixth grade this year so he is a bit more behind than the boys that have been playing basketball for years already. Thankfully, my oldest child is not a quitter and has a bit of my "I'll show you" attitude so he has practiced in the yard, studdied college games (any excuse to watch sports is a good one at our house) and focused on learning and developing. We enrolled him in a three day basketball camp over Christmas break and he learned a lot there as well. I am amazed at the improvement I have seen in this boy in just a matter of weeks. He has grown into basketball beautifully and I think he is really learning to love it. He has really become an asset to his team.

It will be fun to watch the boys finish off the season and see if they choose to continue their relationship with basketball or if they decide to try something else (Parker already says he wants to try baseball next year instead...we'll see when we get there). Either way, it will be fun to watch, and I'll be on the sidelines cheering my brains out not matter what!

Crohn's Comes for Dinner

2012-01-16T09:46:00.002-07:00

This weekend we had a family party. I had talked to my mom earlier in the week to see what we could bring for dinner and she mentioned that she was planning to buy a couple of frozen lasagnas from the store to feed everyone. The day after she said that I couldn't get it out of my head.

One of the exciting tendrils that Crohn's disease so kindly (watch out for dripping sarcasm) wriggles into your life is a deep and abiding awareness of food. The idea of pre-made lasagna made me incredibly nervous (how pathetic does that sound). I don't handle most processed foods very well at all. I can pretty much expect to throw up any fast food or greasy suppers (soooo, good-bye pizza...but no big deal, I was never a huge fan anyway). Restaurant food in general is touch and go, so the thought of a processed pasta dinner didn't sit well.

No worries, I make a mean lasagna so that problem was easily solved. Josh and I made lasagna at home and took it to the party (which solved the what should we bring for dinner dilemma and made things easier for my mom so it was a great solution for everyone involved).

The point to the tiny-bit-longer-than-I-intended anecdote is that life with Crohn's disease has altered our eating habits (I say ours because everyone has to eat what I cook so my whole family is stuck with Crohn's friendly meals).

I should mention, its not like we used to eat a ton of processed or fast food before or anything, but I find that making things as much from scratch as possible works best for me, which is a bit of an adjustment (you may remember that I don't love cooking). I've learned to make things like bisquick type biscuit mix and monkey bread and terriyaki sauce on my own and that has been a big help to my tummy. I have become good friends with google search as I seek out new recipes -- things that will sympathize with my lamenting intestines.

So having become a mom-that-cooks-from-the-bare-bones-of-the-pantry-much-more-than-she-used-to, I have a couple of wonderful recipes that I thought I would share. These are Crohn's disease approved meals that will hopefully tempt your family to the table too.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Few things are more calming on a churning stomach than chicken broth...but that doesn't usually go over well with the kidlets so this beefed up (or chickened up as the case may be) recipe is a favorite. It is creamy and delicious and everyone loves it (even the four year old which is really saying something).

10 Cups chicken broth (or 10 cups water and 10 bullion cubed if you are me)
4-5 carrots chopped (I don't peel vegetables when I put them in soup partially because I LOVE knowing there are extra vitamins in there and partially just because I am lazy)
2-3 celery stalks chopped
1 small bag frozen peas
1 bag (16ish oz) Homemade style egg pasta noodles (our favorite kind are called "Country Pasta"..or make your own, but my hubby doesn't like home made...I know, weird!)
1 can cream of chicken soup
salt and pepper to taste (we like lots of pepper)

Put the broth on to boil in a large pot. Add carrots, celery, peas and noodles and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stir in cream of chicken soup and allow to heat for 5 or so more minutes. Serve with sliced French bread or crackers. Yum!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

This looks better when it hasn't
been in the fridge packed for tomorrows
lunch before I remember to snap a photo.

I found this recipe just after Christmas and it has become one of our favorite meals. We serve it over rice (rice is great for me almost all the time) and Josh swears it tastes even better as leftovers the next day for lunch. He seriously told me this is his favorite meal ever the other day.

Meatballs:
1 lb ground beef
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
(honestly we just bought frozen meatballs and used them instead, they were still really good)

Sauce:
3/4 cup tightly packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar
3 Tbsp soy sauce

Mix sauce ingredients together in a large sauce pan. Cook until it thickens a bit then add your cooked meatballs and turn down the heat. Let them simmer together for 15-20 minutes but stir them often so they don't burn. Serve meatballs over rice or pasta. This goes GREAT with green beans (if you were wondering).

Orange Chicken

Lame picture, I know, I
forgot to take a picture of the real
thing. Sorry.

This one tastes just as good as orange chicken from any Chinese restaurant (if you ask me, with the added bonus that I don't puke my guts up twenty minutes after eating it). Serve it with ham fried rice (we leave out the "fried" part) and I can almost promise your whole family will love it.

2-3 large chicken breasts cubed and cooked (Lots of people like breaded, fried chicken bits but that doesn't work for me. If you want that create a breading by mixing eggs and cornstarch, dipping uncooked chicken chunks in that and then frying them in oil for a couple minutes until done.)

1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed or from concentrate)
1/3 cup vinegar
2 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp orange zest
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp garlic
2 Tbsp green onions (did you know you can chop these and freeze them in a ziploc bag FOREVER so they are always there when you need them...grow a couple rows in your garden and you will be set for the whole year)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

*3 Tbsp cornstarch
*2 Tbsp water

In a large saucepan stir together water, orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce. When that is heated mix in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger, garlic, green onions and pepper flakes. Bring to a gentle boil. In a small bowl combine cornstarch and water and then stir that into the sauce to thicken it. Stir in chicken chunks and serve over ham fried rice.

(Ham fried rice for us is rice with carrots, peas, green onions, scrambled egg, cubed ham or bacon broken to bits mixed with some soy sauce...I often just throw it all in the rice cooker together and let it cook there.)

I hope your family (and your belly) enjoy these meals as much as we do.

Second Breakfast

2012-01-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

Does this ever happen to you...after popping out of bed in the morning you get caught up in the rush of feeding, dressing and otherwise preparing your bundle of children for the day. Once you have scooted the school attending crew out the door you find yourself cleaning up the kitchen mess and folding laundry and vacuuming and reading stories and whatever other thing need to be done and before you realize it it is 10:30 am (or 11:00 or 2:00 pm) and you haven't eaten breakfast yet. Oops.

You know you should eat breakfast (most important meal of the day, right) so you decide to throw something together. Your little ones are playing so you grab a pre-made hash brown and throw it in a buttered skillet...then you get smart and grab another and tuck it in beside the first one because you know for a fact that this will happen.

Even though they ate just a little bit ago as soon as my children see me with food they are suddenly StArViNg!!!

I think they must be related to hobbits (Aubrey was a baby when "Lord of the Rings" the movie was first released and she looked just like a little hobbit child). Hobbits have the habit of eating many times throughout the day indulging in breakfast, second breakfast, brunch, luncheon, twosies, supper, dinner, etc.

And I just can't resist those sad faces...

so I give in every time (and like I said I usually make extra because I know this will happen).

All Better!

Well, Friday morning Josh didn't have school so he was here for the morning routine and he got all domestic (I love that about my man).

He wasn't about to let me forget to eat until afternoon (you might be surprised how often that happens...he just laughs at me when I lean into him and ask "Did I eat breakfast (or lunch or whatever) today? I can't remember.").

So he made me breakfast sandwiches. He called me up from the basement where I was folding clothes and surprised me with tasty food.

But that's not all, he is an amazing father and he knows his children well enough that he knew to make second breakfast for our littles that were still at home. Geezo, I love that guy.

Even though they ate less than an hour before our kidlets were thrilled to shovel in second breakfast. I love mornings like this. What a wonderful start to the day.

Simple Pleasures

2012-01-12T06:24:00.001-07:00

This...

is the rug that graces the floor of our family room. Let's call it unique (instead of hideous or 70's-esque). I can't exactly say that I love it, but I am glad to have it because it protects my carpet from my children (and believe me, the family room carpet NEEDS protection from my children).

For many moons, this rug has been the only splash of color in the room because...honestly...I just couldn't manage to match anything to that...uh...interesting array of shades.

But no more.

After Christmas I decided I wasn't going to be hobbled by weird floor ware anymore. I trotted my little self to the store (Ross, oh how I love you!) and used part of my Christmas gift card to purchase couch pillows (because hand-me-down couches sometimes don't come with pillows). None of them match anything. They don't even match each other. I actually didn't even try to find coordinating bundles of fluff, I just found the cheapest pillows I could find and threw them in my cart.

But now my whole room has a colorful, eclectic feel...and I am thrilled with the result (consequently, so are the children because we now host pillow fights galore in this room).

(But I still don't love that rug!)

That's sew cool!

2012-01-10T08:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Pinterest (I am really new to Pinterest, but have found some great ideas in my brief browsing so far...thanks to my sister-in-law Jenny for introducing me to the site) I came across a sewing blog that I LOVE! I have always enjoyed sewing, but this lady is AMAZING! She creates the cutest patters for women and girls (and a couple for boys so they don't feel left out). Her blog is "Sewing in No Man's Land" and I think she is great.

Once I stumbled on this woman's brilliance, I couldn't wait to whip out the sewing machine, dig into my pile of fabric, and get started.

And this is the result for this past week.

I have been looking for a colorful skirt for a while (by looking I mean checking stores I happen to be in to see if they happen to have one because I honestly HATE shopping so I avoid it if I can). I haven't seen much so when I saw this pattern I was THRILLED! I am no super-seamstress so it took me just a bit to translate the pattern into something I understood, but once I got there I zipped through it and ended up with a skirt that I really like.

When I saw this skirt on the sewing blog I couldn't wait to get my little princess into it. It was pretty easy to throw together and my baby girl really loves the result. She has paraded around the house in it twirling and dancing every day since I finished it.

I stitched a couple of coordinating bits onto a plain white shirt just to dress up the look a bit (and we did actually style her hair before we went to church although you can't see that yet in this picture) and I was really pleased with how it turned out.

I love that feeling of creating something, watching things that are plain and shapeless slowly take form and transform into handiwork that I can admire (as long as I don't look too close because my creations always have flaws...it's to let the evil spirits escape, right?).

Come to think of it, maybe that's why I like being a mom so much. I get to watch as these beautiful little creature that I helped create learn and grow and turn into something even more incredible. What fun!

Parker Gets Baptized

2012-01-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my son, Parker, was baptized. I am so proud of him and the choice he has made to make covenants with his Father in Heaven. He is a bright and thoughtful boy who is often the first to offer to help or to quietly sneak in a hug when someone is sad. It was so incredible to spend the morning surrounded by family and friends watching as my little boy made a big step on his way home to his Heavenly Father. These moments are the ones that make being a mom so worth it. I love my PJ and I love the amazing young man that he is growing into. I can't wait to see who he becomes, and today was a beautiful start to that journey.

Poor Baby

2012-01-06T06:39:00.002-07:00

Care to venture a guess how this happened? Well, I'll tell you. Ellie has recently discovered the joy of coat pockets and she loves to scamper around with her hands in her pockets. Unfortunately, as she was trucking down the sidewalk after her brother she tripped...and since her hands were snugly installed in her pockets, she decided to catch her fall with her nose.

At least she didn't knock out any teeth. That's something. Silly girl.

Growing into the new year...and cheering about it

2012-01-04T06:36:00.002-07:00

Every year, the first Monday night family home evening of the year we pull out a tattered old box that we have had for years and pry it open smiling all the while. Inside we find things we stored away a year before to remind us of our goals and other fun bits and pieces of information from last year. The kids always look forward to this activity and I have to admit it is a lot of fun for the grown ups too.

In the box we will find a tracing of each of our hands (and some years our feet too) so that we can see how much we have each grown in the past year. We will also find some lists of everyones favorite things (like foods and books and movies) that we always get a kick out of. It is always interesting to see where we have come from and how much we have changed in the year.

Also in our box we will find a list of our family goals for the year and a written version of our family cheer (we give our cheer every evening after family prayer). Seriously, if you are looking for something new to try that will pull your family together, this family cheer idea may be just the thing. We stole the idea from some people right after Bryce was born and it has become one of our families favorite things. We usually involve clapping or fist pumping or some such thing as part of our cheer and it is just a fun, uniting way to end every day as a family.

(Examples of family cheers include everyone standing in a circle, hands in the center, the person in charge for the day counts to three and we all chant "together...forever," or last years cheer we all drum on our legs as fast as we can until the person in charge calls "what are we going to do?" and we all say together "SERVE...WITH...FAITH." Anyway, you get the idea.)

As we plunged into our box this year we found that last January we put everything one one huge sheet of paper instead of individual sheets like we normally do (I had completely forgotten that). We all measured our hands (Josh and I didn't grow at all...I guess we should be glad of that) and read through our favorites. Some we could recall, some surprised us and some embarrased us.

After plenty of laughing and remembering we decided on new goals for the year as a family (learn a new hymn from the hymn book each month and try 10 new family dinners without whining about them throughout the year). We also picked a new family cheer (clap clap "COURAGE" clap clap "LOVE" clap clap "FAMILY").

Family traditions can be loads of fun, I'm glad I get to create these fun memories with my little family.

Hooray for the new year!

2012-01-02T06:44:00.003-07:00

Welcome to 2012!!!

Ringing in the new year with the people I love best...and all but one is happy, that's pretty good!

I am SuPeR thrilled to be starting a new year. I would be a big fat liar face if I didn't admit that part of the reason I am excited for 2012 is just to get away from 2011. We have not been the very best of friends. Let me recap just for a quick moment some of the not so fabulous events that toddled into our year.

* We faced the rebellion of household appliances calling for repair of dishwasher, stove, washing machine, furnace (not an appliance, I know) as well as the death of the VCR (who uses a VCR anymore anyway), a cell phone and two expensive (at least to me) cameras.

*Illness has also harassed us this year (I do expect our fair share of that, especially with six little germ tornadoes constantly whirling around the house). Between dozens (no kidding) of ear infections, two rounds of strep throat, a tussle with pneumonia, a brawl with bronchitis, several bouts of the flu (which sprouted from both ends of the children...gross!), and a round of hand, foot and mouth disease (not to be confused with hoof and mouth disease...sometimes my children sound like cattle but in reality they aren't!) we may have single handedly kept our doctor and our local pharmacy in business.

*My diagnosis with Crohn's disease gets its very own bullet point even if it is another illness.

*Our house discovered its own bowel issues because we had to completely redo our electrical boxes and a large section of our plumbing...super fun!

*Our cars decided they were being left out so one whined until we gave it new tires and new brakes and rotors and the other one simply gave up completely and had to be replaced. Then our new car got in on the action and wanted its wiring and brakes and several other issues fixed. Stupid cars (Logan: Mom, we don't say stupid).

Budget issues, health issues, family drama...we've faced a bunch of nasty things this year.

And yet...

When I really think about it, 2011 has offered up some pretty incredible moments as well. Here are a few of my favorites.

*Our family trip to Vegas

*Josh found the PERFECT part time job that fit our needs

*We were lead to an amazing gastroenerologist that helped me prepare for my lifelong battle with Crohn's (and get it under control to start the fight on good footing)

*Josh started work on his masters degree so that eventually he hopefully won't need the part time job...and he is doing really well in his classes (I love that smarty pants!).

*We have been blessed with miracles both large and small!

*Because we have had struggles, we have needed support from time to time and we have been able to clearly see the love of others. What an incredible blessing.

All in all, there have been many more good days than bad this year and I feel blessed that we have been able to get through the bad ones and still have enough energy to smile (even if sometimes there's a hint of a grimace in it).

I have been given an incredible existence overloaded with funny moments like this and like this, and sweet moments like this and like this. Everyone has life pimples bubble up from time to time, who am I to whine if I have to pop a few more than I would like. I know that trusting in my Heavenly Father and following the example of my Savior I can get through anything, and that is an amazing blessing.

(But I still hope for a calmer, quieter, simpler, less pimple filled 2012)

Happy New Year!

Hold Still

2011-12-31T06:59:00.004-07:00

Josh has had this week off from school (both high school and college school...it has been lovely!). Because of that we have had the chance to spend the afternoons together here at the house (mornings and evenings are dominated by the needs of the children and the house but nap time -- which isn't the quiet escape that I usually look forward to when the older kids are home from school -- is time for adult indulgences).

Well, Santa knows how much our family loves books so he brought us a bunch (thanks Santa!) so Josh and I have done a fair amount of reading together in the living room when the little kids are resting.

We have two couches in the living room so we each claim one as our spot and we plop down to enjoy our stories. The thing is, once Josh settles in he doesn't seem to move until he gets up to go do something else. I, on the other hand, fidget and adjust and change positions every few minutes trying to stay comfortable. I cannot fathom sitting down and just staying put in that same position for an hour or two. That is completely weird (if you ask me).

This picture has nothing to do with any of this, but I
thought I'd put it in here anyway.

I have known that I was broken when it came to sitting still for a very long time. I remember going to a movie with one of my best friends in high school and noticing that when she sat down to watch the show she didn't budge until we got up to leave the theater. My body twitched and moved while I crossed and uncrossed legs and arms and shifted from one side of the chair to the other. That was the first time I realized maybe there was something wrong with my internal fidget-o-meter. I think it is on high when maybe it should only be on medium.

Oh well, I still get the books read and the movies watched. Maybe all that extra movement counts as exercise and it will keep me thin (ha ha ha). Mostly it just makes me chuckle at myself (like lots of other things do). Keeping up with six children does require near constant movement so maybe this little gift was a blessing to help prepare me for the life I never knew I had coming. Life is good, even if I can't hold still.

Turf War, Nerf Style

2011-12-29T06:55:00.007-07:00

One of the Christmas treasures that I stumbled on while shopping was a set of six Nerf guns that all worked beautifully (you should have seen me in DI plugging the two darts that I could find into each slot in each gun and then shooting them into the shelf to be sure that they all worked...what a dork!). Anyway, these guns are a total hit and a couple of epic battles have ensued in the DeMoux home since Christmas.

Everyone gets in on the action (usually we all gang up on poor Dad, but he's a good sport about it and sometimes even outdoes us all which usually results from some sort of hostage situation).

Because we have had a couple of Nerf guns before I knew that if we were going to have any fun at all with our new toys we were going to need a boatload of darts to go with them. I watched for deals all season and ended up buying 136 (138 if you count the two darts that I found in our used guns) darts for use in household battles.

We have had So. Much. Fun! We ambush each other from closets and splatter a barrage of bullets onto unsuspecting couch sitters. We keep the guns in a communal basket where they are easily accessible so everyone can quickly load up when war starts.

The only downside is that now I have become fanatical about our darts. I rally the kids and meticulously gather and count them after each onslaught while Josh just shakes his head and laughs at us (I mean me). We started with 138 darts...already (as of this morning) we are down to 117. Unacceptable. Guess I will be making the rounds to try to find the stragglers and get them back in our arsenal. I find them everywhere. Sometimes in plain sight, sometimes not so much.

I realize that over time our darts will slowly vanish, but I'd like to prevent that as long as possible. I hope there are many many more Nerf shootouts to come.

Christmas in a Nutshell (hopefully a pistachio one because those are my favorite)

2011-12-27T08:39:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas this past weekend. What a great time to celebrate and be together as a family. I feel so very blessed to know kind people who make our lives so much sweeter in big and small ways; thanks to all of you for making our Christmas holiday memorable and bright. I could not be more grateful for all those who share their love and light and help us feel the Savior's spirit. We want to be more like Him because of your example. Our family has been richly blessed this season and we love you all!

We had such an incredible holiday that I could hardly wait to post about some of our fun. Holidays with kids are THE BEST!!! Thanks to my little ones for completely restoring all the magic of Christmas and then some.

Kidlets spreading magical reindeer feed (oatmeal mixed with sparkles) on the back lawn to attract Santa's reindeer.

The exciting conclusion of our scripture reading and nativity on Christmas Eve (don't you love Logan's gifts of candy and cookies). We know that when it comes time to open presents it is REALLY hard to maintain any kind of focus on the Savior so we try to spend Christmas Eve night remembering whose birth and life and sacrifice we are celebrating.

As we finished our nativity and scripture reading and hymn singing, Gavin just
couldn't leave our baby Jesus alone on the table so he cuddled him for the rest of the
evening. Love moments like that.

DeMoux sprites in their new Christmas Eve pajamas. They usually whine that it is no fun to open just pajamas so we
thought about giving Jimmy Kimmel rotten gifts to our kids, but I just couldn't do it...and for the first time in a few years
they were all THRILLED to get new pj's. It was really fun.

Our Christmas morning was enchanting (to me). The kids were all thrilled with their Santa Surprises. We waited on present opening until after 9:00 am church. I LOOOOVE it when Christmas is on a Sunday and part of our day includes taking the sacrament and worshiping the Lord with neighbors and friends who we adore.

Toward the end of sacrament meeting our bishop got up to speak and asked by raise of hand how many people still had presents to open at home. Lots of hands shot up. He then said that was nice and that maybe we should let the meeting go for another hour or so. As loud chorus of "NOOOOOOO" sprang out of the mouth of every child (I think ours may have been the loudest). We couldn't help but laugh, all of us. It is great to have such a family feeling in your ward.

I could not be more grateful for this past weekend. I just keep saying I feel so blessed, because I really do. Like many families, we are not rich. But as we shopped this past year it seemed like every trip to DI (a local second hand store) or every stop at a yard sale netted just the right thing for one of our children. Secret Santas stopped by our house helping us fill our fridge with beautiful food and just plain love...and the real live Santa showed up and brought twinkling joy along with him to our kids and some neighbors who happened to drop by.

I say I feel blessed, because I am. I have the kind of life that I never imagined was possible. I have an amazing family, a much bigger one than I ever thought, but I couldn't be more glad for that. I am grateful for my Savior who lived and died for me and who helps me through the hard times, and smiles down on me during the beautiful times. There is just so much to be thankful for. Hope your Christmas was just as magical and your new years will be too.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T08:15:00.000-07:00

Because He came to earth, we have a perfect example to follow. As we strive to become more like Him, we will have joy and happiness in our lives and peace each day of the year. It is His example which, if followed, stirs within us more kindness and love, more respect and concern for others.

Because He came, there is meaning to our mortal existence.

Because He came, we know how to reach out to those in trouble or distress, wherever they may be.

Because He came, death has lost its sting, the grave its victory. We will live again because He came.

Because He came and paid for our sins, we have the opportunity to gain eternal life.

Because He came, we are gathered tonight to worship Him, in bonds of brotherhood and love.

May His precious Spirit be with us, and may He ever be the center of our celebrations and indeed of our very lives, I pray in His holy name, amen.

-Thomas S. Monson

Christmas: The Rundown

2011-12-22T06:22:00.002-07:00

This holiday season has been a great one. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people and to have the chance to do so many fun things. Thought we'd share just a bit of what this past week of Christmas has held for us.

We had a family party and helped to fill stockings for each of the 12 kids under 12. I opted to give them each coal (did I tell you about the time I actually gave my little brother coal for Christmas and told him he'd been bad and it made him cry...sorry Bri-Guy). Thankfully this coal was tasty so it didn't draw tears.

Aubrey had her last couple of musical theater performances and one of them was at the Dickens Festival so I got to hang out there with Aubs and my parents and we had a lot of fun. Aubrey's group did great and we got to eat funnel cake...what more could I ask for?

Aubs and my Dad and me posing with a faceless Ghost of Christmas present. I think we all make pretty good looking ghosts as well.

Poor, sad, shackled Aubrey.

Three generations of wonderful women ready for a carriage ride (boy am I grateful for bucket seats and shocks).

Isn't my oldest daughter gorgeous (not to mention nice and smart and kind). I really adore that girl.

Also this week, Santa and Mrs. Claus showed up at our house for a pre-Christmas visit. We thought it was amazingly sweet for them to take time for our little brood and were very very grateful for their kindness. Santa took time with each of the children and made them feel like the MOST important child on the planet. Santa is pretty amazing and Mrs. Claus isn't half bad either.

A couple of friends stopped by while Santa was chatting it up with our family so they got to join in the fun as well. I would definitely report that they are on the "nice" list (if Santa needed my input).

We have also spent a lot of time reading Christmas stories. I LOVE BOOKS! (Have I ever mentioned that?) We love to read Christmas stories, both the book kind and the "Cheesy but Sweet Story a Day 'Till Christmas" kind (we read one by candlelight every night before bed).

School parties, neighborhood treat delivery, Christmas cards and all kinds of holiday love...it really is the most wonderful time of the year.

I hope you all have a really incredible Christmas. More than anything else I hope that you feel the spirit of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and that your family is filled with love and peace and hope (with six kids in the house peace is something I hope for every year). I hope you feel the love of our Father in Heaven and remember that you are a precious child of God and that our big brother came to earth to set a perfect example for us to follow because he adores us. May His sweet spirit fill your heart and home this season and always.

Merry Christmas.

Out with the old...or not

2011-12-21T07:42:00.001-07:00

This year as I pulled out all of our Christmas odds and ends I decided it was time for a new tree skirt and maybe a few other things.

This old, sad, maroon tree skirt has dressed our Christmas trees for ten Christmases now. I made it, along with seven stockings and a couple of matching pillows, the second Christmas of our married life (I was working full time our first Christmas but by our second I was staying at home with our then six month old son and had plenty of time but not much money so I got all crafty).

When we moved into our house here in West Valley I found that our really really old, faded, maroon carpet looked even older and fadeder when topped by my bright maroon tree skirt (which went with the beige carpet of our duplex great!). So for years I have thought about making new Christmas stuff, and this year was the year.

But I just couldn't do it. Even if these things are old and plain, I am in love with them. They have seen every Christmas present that our children have ever gotten. The pillows have been hugged while reading Christmas stories. The once nameless stockings have slowly been filled as children entered our family and Mom and Dad lost their individual status when Elinor was born (I only made seven stockings that first year because I never imagined we would have more than five children...in fact I never imagined we would have five).

These sweet Christmas pieces hold so many memories and so much love that I just can't get rid of them. So, even if they don't match the carpet and they are a little bit tattered, I think we'll just keep them.

Letters to Santa

2011-12-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

This week we wrote our letter to Santa. I always love it when we do this, it is so much fun.

Santa is very sweet to us and he usually returns our letters to us so that we can put them in our kid's scrapbooks so that someday they will have fun looking back and remembering what they asked for for Christmas. As part of that fun, when we write our letters we like to cut out the picture of what we are asking for and glue it on our page. That way when it is thirty-seven years later and we read a letter asking for "squinkies" we won't just curl our lip and wonder, "What the heck is that?"

We have tried to teach the kids not to be too greedy (ha ha ha) so they put their three favorite wishes onto their Christmas list and then we remind them that Santa may bring them ONE of those items. (Of course, Santa also has the option to ignore their requests altogether and instead bring them something he thinks will be best for them, that happens sometimes. It's his prerogative.)

Ellie was stubborn and did not want to participate in our family letter writing so she pouted in her room on her own instead. Silly girl.

Hopefully the big man up north gets our letters in plenty of time and we end up with happy kidlets on Christmas morning (actually, I know we will because if nothing else my sweethearts are pretty easily pleased -- we'll see if that continues as they get older). So. Much. Fun.

Mmm, Mmmm good...Oreo Truffles

2011-12-16T06:54:00.004-07:00

A few weeks ago someone brought us some treats and the kids gobbled them down in a flash. That in and of itself isn't abnormal, but the kidlets kept asking if I had any more or I could make them. My friend Kathy said she thought she had a recipe for these sweet treats hiding somewhere in her kitchen. Well, the kids wouldn't stop. They just kept pestering me so I joined the fun and pestered Kathy until she finally gave me the recipe (she is a dessert creator extraordinaire...goodness the stuff that girl can throw together).

Anyway, I needed to put together some treats to sell at the snack bar for one of Aubrey's dance performances last week (surprisingly I don't usually package treats quite this way when they are just going to be eaten by my sweethearts). So I gave the recipe a shot. It is a little bit time consuming because things have to cool between steps, but these treats are easy to make otherwise. Our family loves them so I thought we would share. Hope you enjoy!

P.S. They taste better (to me) served chilled so we kept ours in the fridge until we were ready to eat them, but they do fine on the counter as well.

Oreo Truffles Recipe:

1 package (18 oz) Oreo cookies
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
Almond bark or white chocolate, for dipping
Chocolate Chips, for drizzling
Makes about 35, depending on size
****
DIRECTIONS
1. Crush Oreo cookies, cream center included, into small pieces. You can crush them in a food processor if you have one. We had fun crushing our cookies with a simple kitchen utensil.

2. Mix crushed Oreos and cream cheese until well-combined. The best way to do this would be with your fingers, though a bit messy!

3. Roll into one inch balls (we used a small cookie scoop to make sure they were all the same size) and place onto a baking sheet or tray.

4. Refrigerate until firm (3-4 hours) or place into the freezer for about an hour.

5. Melt white almond bark or Vanilla Melty's from Winco according to package directions. Using two forks, dip Oreo balls into white coating and place onto waxed paper to harden (I stuck mine in the freezer to help them set faster).

6. Once dry, melt chocolate chips with a bit of shortening/vegetable oil and scoop melted chocolate into a Ziplock baggie. Snip a very small corner off the bag and drizzle back and forth over the truffles. (I didn't use the bag, just drizzled off a spoon) Let dry.

Then the good part, EAT THEM!! Yummy.

Christmas goes to the birds...and a little laugh

2011-12-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

This morning while the two youngest boys were eating breakfast I stripped all the bedding off their beds. I found some wet underwear and pajama bottoms in the bathroom this morning and I think G may have had an accident in the night (that hasn't happened in forever, but no big deal). Since I haven't washed their bedding in a little bit I just decided to do both boy's sets.

When the boys came downstairs to clean their room Logan was mad. "Mom, I didn't pee my bed, why did you take off my blankets?" (Logan has a very small bladder and does still have issues through the night so nighttime accidents and sheet washing are a pretty regular occurrence for him.)

Gavin piped in, "No, Logan, you didn't pee your bed...I did."

Now Logan was REALLY disgusted, "What! You peed on my bed? Gavin WHY DID YOU DO THAT!" I don't think that is quite what Gavin meant, but it made me laugh. Silly kids.

***********************************

Also, yesterday after school we did a fun project. I bought the supplies for this in the summer, but we never got around to it until now and probably the birds will be more grateful since it is cold and food is scarce this time of year.

We made peanut butter covered pine cone bird feeder things (no, that's not the official name...I have no idea what to call these).

We gathered a bunch of pine cones at our local elementary school (since we didn't have an obliging pine tree anywhere near our house). Then I gave the kids small bowls of peanut butter and plastic knives and they set to work filling every crevice of their pine cones with peanut butter. This was a pretty messy process, but it was plenty of finger lickin' fun.

Once our pine cones were properly coated, we rolled them in bird seed and tied ribbons on them. Waiting until this point to tie on ribbons was a BAD plan. With greasy peanut butter fingers ribbon tying is not as easy as it ought to be. I STRONGLY suggest tying ribbons on before you peanut butter anything if you ever try this.

Finally, we installed our new feeders in our front yard tree and now we will wait to see if the birds actually dine with us or if they snub our holiday offering. Should be fun!

Holiday fun for our fowl little friends. What a great season.

Phamily Photo

2011-12-14T07:41:00.001-07:00

I needed a new family picture so I asked my parents if they would help us out with that (lots cheaper and they have lots more patience for six kids who don't always want to cooperate). So, on a Sunday after church (not the best plan as the kids were already tired of being good) we got together at their house to try our luck.

Disclaimer: I haven't cleaned these up yet because, lets be honest, it's the holidays and I just haven't gotten to is yet...but I still think they are fun so I am going to share anyway.

Getting all six children to look at the camera at the same time and make non-dorky faces is next to impossible, but sometimes we come pretty close.

There is just something about daddys and daughters...love those guys!

Ellie was pretty much uncooperative the whole time, but at least she didn't scream the entire session (just half of it...we'll keep the incriminating evidence to ourselves though).

Even if we can't afford a professional photographer, I still love having family pictures scattered around the house to remind us of good times and happy memories together. We are so very blessed.

And the piece de resistance...my very favorite picture of all...the real true honest to goodness DeMoux family. I think I'll blow this one up for the family room. That should keep us smiling for a while.

Thanks, Mom, for all you do to help us out and for your time and especially your patience. I think you do a great job and we are very very grateful.

I love my family!

Visit to Christmas Street

2011-12-12T07:47:00.001-07:00

Last night we took our annual drive to "Christmas Street" here in the valley (which is located just northwest of 3200 West and 5400 South -- the street, not the valley-- learn more about it here). I have been going there since I was a kid and I still love it. Everyone living on the street gets in on the Christmas action. They put up big signs that tell the story of "The Night Before Christmas" and they decorate their homes to the nines so the whole place is glowing and it is WoNdErFuL!

Anyway, so we drove over with a car full of kidlets and even though it was was only a fifteen minute drive we still had calls of "are we there yet?" but it was just because the kids love it too.

As we drove we sang along with Christmas songs on the radio. During one song Aubrey heard someone mispronounce a word and called from the back seat, "Did someone say 'white' instead of night?" Logan, ever helpful, giggled and said, "Nope, I didn't say white. I said tighty-whitey." We all laughed (that kid is all about underwear anymore).

We kept on singing and soon found that Ellie was singing along too. She doesn't know the real words to most songs so she makes up her own. This song included a section that said, "I have a bumble bee in my bum buuuuuuuuuum!" Not sure where that one came from...and ouch! but it did make us all laugh.

By the time we got to "Christmas Street" Logan had fallen asleep. We tried to make him up, but he was out cold. Aubrey and Bryce took turns reading the Christmas story and we all oooohed and aaaahed over the beauty of it all. Logan woke up just as we were pulling out of the neighborhood and passing out brownies (guess he knows what is important). What a great evening activity for the fam.

Bacon wrapped goodness

2011-12-09T06:27:00.004-07:00

One family favorite treat that we loooove to nibble on (especially at holiday parties) is "Bacon Wrapped Lit'l Smokies." My mom found this recipe and we have used it over and over and it never fails to please the palate!

Bacon wrapped around sausage drenched in brown sugar...can you really get better?

They are simple enough to make that I often have the kids create them with me. They are just a tiny bit time consuming at first, but the flavor is well worth it.

You will need:
1 pkg (16 oz) Lit'l Smokies mini smoked sausages
1 pkg (12 oz) bacon
1 Cup tightly packed brown sugar

And here's how you do it:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut your bacon pieced in 3rds and wrap one bacon strip around each Lit'l smokie securing it with a toothpick.
3. Place the Smokies tightly in rows on a cookie sheet (one with a rim to hold in dripping oils and keep your oven from becoming a gooey mess). The online recipe I am linking you to says to put your brown sugar on top from the start, but I like to cook these for about 10-15 minutes first and then pour off excess oil. The end product is a little less soggy and a bit more crispy that way.
4. After cooking for 10-15 minutes and pouring off excess oil, spread the brown sugar evenly over your meat skewers and put it back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes, until sugar is melted.
5. Remove from oven and let stand a few minutes to cool. Then serve and watch them disappear from the serving platter. Yummy!

This link will take you to an online version of the recipe where you can read reviews and other ideas. Some people say they even cook these in the Crock pot, that seems like a great idea to me.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/brown-sugar-smokies/

Anyway, these are super tasty and I think you will love them. Happy holidays (and happy eating!).

Singing Sponge Bob

2011-12-07T07:02:00.014-07:00

Bryce got a Lego DVD in the mail a few weeks ago as part of his Lego Club membership. He was pretty thrilled. So we watched it.

Before the movie started up (which was a bunch of Lego short films) there were commercials. One of those was for a Sponge Bob Christmas special (I didn't come in to check out the show until we were a few minutes into it so I, sadly, missed the commercials). I HATE Sponge Bob, so we don't watch that here at our house, but the kids apparently thought the commercial was pretty hilarious.

The next day, Ellie came up to me singing a song. I had to listen closely to be sure I heard her right. Yup, sure enough she was wondering the house singing, "Don't be a jeeeerk, it's Christmas," over and over and over. WHAT THE HECK! Of all the snippets in the movie, that is the only part that stuck in the brain of the two year old.

Great.

She hasn't stopped singing it yet, but recently she has added a "baby" on the end so now it is,"Don't be a jeeeerk, it's Christmas baby!"

It makes me laugh and shake my head every single time. It's pretty entertaining. Maybe Sponge Bob isn't all bad after all (just kidding, it's still banned!).

So, Ellie wasn't being completely cooperative in the video (she wouldn't even sing!), but you get the idea. She sings it ALL the time...except when the camera is on (we've tried to film this over and over and she never participates when we are filming). It still makes me laugh (silly kid).

Here's the real song for reference, I'm sure it will become very very big hit probably topping Christmas charts everywhere in 20 or 30 years. It is actually funny...but I still HATE Sponge Bob!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVOPRCnc8r4

The Candy Fairy

2011-12-05T09:41:00.002-07:00

Several years ago a wonderful primary leader made these ornaments for every single child in the primary (that must have been 50-60 kids, she is a pretty amazing woman). They each had a candy kiss in them for the children. My kids, of course, ate the kisses and then lost interest in the ornaments (they were still pretty young).

But I didn't.

I thought these ornaments were adorable and a fun idea occurred to me. That year, we invited the "Candy Fairy" to start coming to our home and she has been secretly fluttering her way into our holiday ever since.

Every day while the kids are out of the living room, the Candy Fairy sprinkles her way to our Christmas tree and sneakily fills these kissin' critters with candy kisses -- one for each child (we actually only have four of the ornaments so some get choked with double the kisses...every year I always mean to make a couple more but I have never gotten to it yet).

This little tradition has become one of the kid's favorites (of course it is...it involves chocolate!). It is fun to see them get so excited when the Candy Fairy has visited (it is also fun to see them check the tree in anticipation a couple times every day).

I love that no one cheats and eats more than their share and that when someone finds the critter's cheeks full of kisses they yell out "The Candy Fairy came, the Candy Fairy came!" and everyone comes running.

I've put in a link for the instructions if you want to start your own Candy Fairy tradition. I think this could be a good project to do WITH older kids and they would have fun with it. I highly recommend the Candy Fairy, she is a sweetheart.

http://sweetteasoakers.blogspot.com/2009/12/squeeze-my-cheeks-and-ill-give-you-kiss.html

I always love to try new things. Do you have a favorite Christmas tradition to share?

Welcome to December!

2011-12-02T08:49:00.002-07:00

December is here!

So we spruced the place up and got all holidayed.

Ellie and Logan getting into the spirit.

PJ and Bryce dressing the highest limbs of the tree.

A nativity scene that Josh has from his mission in Chicago more than 13
Christmases ago.

A messy, but happy and festive living room full of kidlets.

Ellie loves the tree.

I love that excited air that fills the house as we break out all or our beloved Christmas trinkets. The kids were most excited to bust out our chocolate advent calendars (my mom brought these to us just after Thanksgiving and the kids have been itching to open them every night since then). Our living room is graced by a brand new, pre-lit tree this year and Josh is THRILLED about that. Our old tree was not pre-lit and you had to install each and every branch individually, hammering them into place then spreading the wire pieces of the branch. It was always a process that made our dad grumpy which makes tree assembly and decoration not quite as fun (silly old bear...but you know what, that even bit was nostalgic too).

It is always fun to pull out our home made bits and pieces and decorate the house. We have school projects and family projects that add a layer of memories and fun to our holiday and I just love it. Hope you all have a great time prepping to celebrate the Christmas season.

Merry Christmas from the DeMoux family.

A New Tration?

2011-11-30T07:03:00.003-07:00

One of the things about year round school -- year round school which I ate-hay -- (that's "hate" in Pig Latin...it's obviously more extreme if you mean it in two languages) is that when the kidlets are off track you get to concoct activities to keep them busy and happy. Don't misunderstand me, I love doing things with my kids, but I still hate year round school.

Anyway, so this week one of our outings (doesn't that sound all Mary Poppinsy...love it!) was to wander over to Gardner Village and visit their elf displays. We have never been before because, to be honest, I always thought the elves looked a little bit creepy in the online pictures. Along that same vein I really don't care for dolls that people display either, they seem eerie to me. One time Josh and I stayed in a quaint little bed and breakfast in Ephraim and the room next to ours was decorated with dolls and I was sooooo glad we didn't have to try to sleep there. Eek!

Well, the point is, we went to Gardner Village and the elves were adorable and much less villainous than I'd imagined. The kids had a great time. Because they were off track and everyone else wasn't we were just about the only people there so we had the run of the place. We talked to the ducks (Aubrey swore they were croaking like frogs not quacking) and inspected the shops and ended our trip with a stop at the bakery for a fresh cookie. We had a wonderful morning.

The kids told me they liked the elves even more than they like the witches in October, but I think that was really just the cookie talking. Still, it was a fun and free (purchase of cookies not required) and fabulous way to keep everyone smiling for the day.

Singing carols with the fake people.

Bryce trying to help a sad stuck little elf down.

G found his name at the very top of the "nice" list...YES!

Six little cutie pantses and two little elves.

Fun for the fam at Gardner Village.

Singin' in the mall (and the streets of West Valley)

2011-11-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

After watching her brothers participate in sports and more sports for years, this year we finally put Aubrey in a class of her own. We've let her do community education classes before, but lets face it, a six week dance class for kids age 3- 14 is not going to be a super awesome experience.

So this fall we enrolled her in Miss Margene's Creative Generation musical theatre show choir. The group sings and dances and is a lot of fun and Aubrey LoVeS it! We love watching her learn and grow and have so much fun and we especially love that Margene is so sweet and amazing with these kids. We trust her with our little girl because she cares for her "little angels" in a way that feels more like family than a dance group. She is an incredible woman and we are grateful to have her in our daughter's life.

So, this weekend was the group's first of a bazillion holiday performances (I may not love trotting from venue to venue the entire month of December, but for Aubrey it will be worth it!). The group sang in the West Valley City day after Thanksgiving Christmas parade and then performed in Valley Fair Mall.

Marching in the parade.

Ellie had the time of her life waving at all the passing
cars and people. She got TONS of individual attention
from color guard and firemen and the WVC mayor
who singled her out and waved directly at her. What a ham!
(She gets that from her father).

Who is that most adorable little elf that you've ever seen in the road? Oh yeah, that's my girl.

Performing in the mall.

Add caption

Ellie was with us at the performance and she sidled right up to Margene throughout the show. She literally screamed bloody murder when I tried to pull her away since Margene was trying to help the kids remember to smile and help the little ones remember their parts. Ellie has a new friend for life, guess we'll have to join her up in a few years.

Here's an exciting snippit of the performance to welcome in the Christmas season. Have a wonderful holiday everyone. Merry Christmas.

How do you know when it's done?

2011-11-25T06:52:00.002-07:00

(That title is a shout out to all you "Hudsucker Proxy" fans out there...and if you aren't a fan, you should watch it and become one...GrEaT MoViE!).

However, this post as nothing to do with Hudsucking (??), it is instead about Crohn's Disease (yup, the old bait and switch).

When last I visited my GI she told me my exciting colon issues were subduing nicely but that I was not yet in remission, but hopefully would find my way there soon. Abdominal pain has decreased dramatically and most days doesn't really bother me. Joint pain only rears its head on occasion and is very muted compared to what it had been. Mouth ulcers are all but gone (just learned I could credit Crohn's for that one...another exciting symptom). Dread of eating has all but vanished. And so it goes.

So I've been patiently waiting. And waiting. And waiting some more.

And I have no idea what I'm really waiting for.

Everything I read seems to say that even when in remission most of my Crohn's pals seem to experience some symptoms. Most of them have symptoms that I have never had from the beginning (like diarrhea and bloody stool...sorry, I know that's gross). I feel so much better than I did when I was diagnosed, but I am nowhere near symptomless. I still have moments of pain, but they are moments, not days. I still feel exhausted some days, but who doesn't.

The thing is, any symptom that shows up in my life I automatically wonder if it is Crohn's related. It seems like just about anything you can think of CAN be seen as a Crohn's symptom (skin problems, eye problems, joint problems -- you name it)...but that doesn't mean it IS a Crohn's symptom.

I guess what I am saying is will I even know if/when my Crohn's is actually in remission? Am I going to feel better than I do now, because what I've got now I can live with.

I don't know how to find this magical land of "remission," or maybe I'm there and I just don't realize it. I'm just grateful to be able to get through life without having to focus on working through random pains. That is a very good thing.

Leftovers

2011-11-24T10:34:00.000-07:00

Here is a great way to use your leftover Thanksgiving food. Our family loves this recipe. Enjoy.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705394777/Turning-Thanksgiving-leftovers-into-a-gobble-worthy-dish.html

Gobble, gobble, gobble

2011-11-23T08:15:00.000-07:00

Q: What did the widowed mother turkey say to her son who kept causing loads of trouble?

A: If your father could see you now he'd turn over in his gravy.

***************

Q: If April showers bring May flowers what do May flowers bring?

A: Pilgrims.

***************

Q: What do you call a rude gobbler?

A: A jerky turkey.

***************

Q: Why was the turkey the drummer in the band?

A: Because he had the drumsticks.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Fall, you came late and your stay was too short, but winter, we love you too

2011-11-22T06:44:00.028-07:00

Well, after a whopping 8 1/2 days of fall (Booo!) winter seems to be here to stay. The kidlets are THRILLED and even though I could use s'more autumn, it is the end of November so I guess I need to suck it up and be grateful for what we have rather than wishing for something else (least wise that's what we tell our sprites when they are "I wishing" away so I guess I should take my own medicine).

Last Friday Josh and Aubs and I trundled our hineys downtown to watch a dance performance by Repertory Dance Theatre. I still occasionally do articles for the newspaper on dance events and this happened to be one of them. This dance piece was geared toward children and it was a lot of fun. Aubrey had a great time and it was fun for Josh and I to be with her while she ooohed and aaaahed over the dancers (the super adorable guy in the pictures is by far our favorite dancer...Nathan, you are fabulous!). It was a great way to spend a Friday evening. (Read all about it in the Deseret News review of "Snapshots" here.)

When we came out of the theater we found our car coated with a soft frosting of snow (and we were glad we decided to shut the side door of the van parked across from us...hopefully whoever owned the van wasn't locked out or anything, but at least their interior didn't end up snow covered and soggy).

The next day, we had a few inches of snow to play in and the kids were eating it up. I mean that literally because Aubrey decided to make "snow apples" which she pedaled to the other kids and everyone ate them. Yuck!

They boys wrestling in the snow...that's what boys do.

Aubrey teaching Ellie the finer points of snow angeling.

Ellie's chilly face needed daddy smooches to warm
it up when she came inside. Daddy was not sad about that

Everyone enjoying hot chocolate after our frigid outdoor adventure.

These are not snow related but they make the house so much more inviting
when it is cold outside...Thanks honey, I love you too! (He can be such a sweetheart.)

Also this weekend the kids had some friends over (at one point we had 10 children in the house, but very seriously, when you have six wild tykes already four or five more is NOTHING! No kidding.) One of their mothers brought us some very tasty treats (because she is sweet like that).

Ellie decided to sample them for us.

Every single one of them.

I came in the kitchen to find her perched on the table with a guilty look and some frosting on her face. She was more than happy to let me take a couple pictures of her exploits (while she continued to finger dip mind you). Funny girl.

So, I sigh and say "Welcome Winter." I'm sure this will be a beautiful season. There are few things I love more than snuggling into a comfy couch surrounded by my little ones and reading a story or two together as a curtain of snow floats quietly past our front window. Fall may be my favorite, but winter definitely has its moments.

Finally going digital

2011-11-20T07:13:00.002-07:00

So, this fall I decided I wanted to try my hand at digital scrap booking. I have never been a very good regular scrap booker. I mean, I keep books for my kids and all but I just don't have the patience to cut and paste dozens of cutesy bits and pieces on paper to spice up my pages. Our scrapbooks are mostly just pictures on colorful sheets of paper with printed captions glued nearby. I do have cute photo books from Snapfish printed for our family every year (sign up for their emails and you get great deals if you are patient), but kids need school papers and pictures and ticket stubs in their memories which don't really translate to a photo book.

I want to have cute books full of memories for my tykes, I really do, but it just has not really been in me to manage that.

Until now...

My fabulous sister-in-law, Jenny (I really do have the best bonus sisters in the world) gave me this wonderful scrap booking program and I am completely addicted. As an added bonus you can google search "free digital scrap booking" and find TONS of free pictures and brads and buttons and whatever else that you can download and use.

I started by making 12 x 12 Halloween pages to go in a spooky project I put together this year. I printed them at Costco and slid them into plastic sheets and BOOM, done. No cutting, no pasting, no headache and WOW, the time savings. I love it.

But why stop there. I have always made my own greeting cards mostly because I am too cheap to pay for cute cards and I hate sending dorky packaged ones (why do they always look so ridiculous?). So, now I have started making them on my fancy new program (which has much cuter stuff than any creative desktop publisher I've had before and is a piece of cake to maneuver). I still make some cards but often I print up things and then just add buttons or clips or a bit of 3D effect without having to do as much to dress it up.

I've also found the program handy for a couple things in our house. Following general conference and Elder Holland's awesome priesthood session talk about missionary work (perfect for a quartet or more of future missionaries), we had a family home evening lesson on preparing to be a missionary and sharing the gospel in every day life now. We committed our kids to be part of that goal and printed up this page for everyone to sign and then hang in our house.

Last, but not least, I had the kids help me design some ornaments for our Christmas tree. We love to add an ornament with a picture of our family every year and every year those are the kids favorite ornaments to hang because there is so much to remember and it's sooo much fun to look back. We used our scrapbook software to design a couple ornaments, mounted them on chipboard and then laminated them. They will be fun for us and we'll share some with our Grandma's (close your eyes, moms) to start the holiday season.

Anyway, I know I'm slow to get on board with this (it is pretty old news), but it has been a great discovery for me. Any other hold outs out there, just give in, digital scrap booking is FaBuLoUs!!

P.S. Thanks, Jenny!

...I'm watching, honey...

2011-11-17T06:58:00.003-07:00

The phrase of the week is "Momma, watch this." These words regularly tumble from the lips of my two year old and are spoken as though her mouth is full of marbles (kind of garbled but also kind of adorable).

Then, my little fairy girl performs death defying leaps off the couch or fantastic spins that would make a ballerina jealous. Either that or she knocks a tower of blocks into oblivion or falls face first into a self made pile of pillows. Her balance is not fully developed so she often ends up sprawled on the ground after these daring feats which sometimes ends in crying and sometimes ends in laughter, it depends on her mood.

If, by chance, I don't turn and look at the princess when she calls out "Momma, watch this," then she says it louder...and louder...AND LOUDER until I give her my full attention. She just keeps repeating the phrase over and over, never getting mad, but definitely getting insistent, until she gets to show me her stuff. What a funny little sprite.

Not to be outdone, Logan often pummels himself into the mix and tries to one up his baby sister. He has no interest in my attention until she has claimed it for herself and then he wants to be sure he gets his share. It makes me smile. It makes me crinkle up and laugh.

After all, how many more years of this do I have. How many more years until they want nothing to do with me and are embarrassed when I am around instead of thrilled that I am watching. I am trying to enjoy every moment of this while I can (although when I am in the middle of making dinner or on an important phone call the shrieks of "Momma, watch this," are a tiny bit less endearing).

I am always amazed at how fast these little ones grow. It isn't unusual for me to wake up in the morning, blink my cloudy eyes and slowly focus on the picture of six little sprites that hangs opposite my bed and wonder in awe how in the world all of this happened (No -- I don't need an anatomy lesson, I just don't feel old enough/mature enough/adult enough to be the mother of six).

But somehow these half dozen blessings toddled their way into my life, into my family and I want to love every single moment I have with them. That doesn't mean there aren't moments where I feel like slapping a "return to sender" sticker on them and shipping them back (not the way they came, they'll have to find some other route), but those bits are much fewer than the bits where I feel so very grateful that God sent them to me.

I love that that little call of "Momma, watch this," is aimed at me and that I get to watch every one of these precious moments unfold before my very eyes. I'm going to try to enjoy it while I can.

Family Home Evening is a piece of cake

2011-11-14T06:25:00.009-07:00

Let me start by saying I am not a very crafty person. I have never been one of those "Molly Mormon" moms that makes cute little bits and pieces for the house and the kids and all that. I do put together a craft project from time to time, but it is really not my strong suit.

Anyway, a bunch of years ago I went to a church training meeting and the lady teaching the class brought her personal family home evening files to help present some ideas. Each file folder had an awesome lesson plan with visual aids and games and all kinds of fun things to spice up the lessons and teach different gospel principles.

I LOVED it and decided I wanted to work on putting something like that together for my family.

So, bit by bit I have worked on it over the years and I have found that one of the best ways to expand our lesson repertoire is to keep my eye open when I go to DI (a local second hand store). I watch for primary class and sharing time aid books (like <------- this one that I found this past week). They usually cost $1 or less so they are a steal if you ask me.

Anyway, then I color and cut the lesson pieces (sometimes I find ones that are printed in color and so I am super lucky) and laminate them so my kids can't ruin them after one use (we invested in a home laminator when Josh started teaching school and that has been a FABULOUS investment...it only cost about $30 and we use it ALL the time for things...feel free to come use it if you want).

Then I either copy the lesson plan from the book or make up my own and glue it in the front of a file folder. I try to include a couple of relating primary songs, a scripture or two and maybe a story from the Friend magazine. I put the rest of the new lesson stuff in there too. Now it is all ready to go for family home evening.

One of the best parts about this stuff is that we now have a drawer full of ready-to-use family home evening lessons so as each child is assigned the lesson (we take turns every week) there are a bunch of options all ready to go. It helps the kids be able to participate without as much stress and it makes things easy for Mom and Dad when they forget to plan family home evening until just before it is time to start (which happens more often than I would like to admit at our house).

These are the lessons that I took from this last lesson book that I bought (except that tool box stuff, that was from another book all pre-colored and everything). What a great find!

Anyway, to me this is a great way to strengthen your chances of having good, focused family home evenings without feeling overwhelmed. You also get super cute ideas and fun pictures and art without having to be crafty and I LOOOOVE that.

If your second hand store doesn't really do these, or if you don't want to leave the comfort of your own home try printable family home evening ideas at sites like these.

http://www.mormonshare.com/fhe

http://www.sugardoodle.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5450&Itemid=200015

(or just do a google search for family home evening printables)

It's good stuff.

Ellie gets bugged!

2011-11-11T08:14:00.000-07:00

At our house we like to tease, and no on is immune, not even the baby. Poor kid.

I can't really blame her. After all, who does like cockroaches?

But don't worry, no permanent damage was done. By the end of the day she had mostly recovered and even managed to do some dancing while we sang bedtime songs.

Does it get any better than this? I think not.

. . .a TINY bit of bragging. . .

2011-11-07T09:22:00.002-07:00

This past week a couple of things happened at our house that made me just so proud of my munchkins that I can't help but share.

First Story: Bryce went to play with a couple of neighborhood friends. They headed to one of the boy's houses to have some fun in the back yard. When they got there, the two boys started gathering small piles of rocks. Then they proceeded to throw the rocks at the wooden fence at the back of the yard. The rocks clattered against the wood and some vaulted over the fence into the yard behind. After every throw, the two non-DeMoux boys scuttled behind a bush to snicker and hide.

Bryce felt awful. He didn't feel good about this activity, especially with the other boys hiding. They eventually told him that the old lady that lived on the other side of the fence had asked them many times not to throw rocks at her fence but they just loved to torment her. Bryce told the boys that what they were doing wasn't nice and he suggested they all go do something else. No dice. They were set on harassing their elderly neighbor.

Bryce came home nearly in tears (he has a very soft heart). He felt awful that the boys were being mean and said he had decided not to play with them anymore. We talked about that bad feeling he had had that helped him choose to leave. I told him that was the Holy Ghost trying to send him a message.

He got a huge smile on his face and said, "I better go say a prayer and thank Heavenly Father for sending me a message to help me know what to do." I think I nearly burst with pride and happiness. What an incredible guy!

Second Story: At our house each child is assigned a day of the week that is "their" day. They choose the shows that day, they choose any treats, help with any needed errands and say the family prayer.

It was Aubrey's day and for her show, she asked if she could watch the 4th Harry Potter movie. She had just finished reading the book (we normally don't watch movies until after we have read the book, it is a great motivator to keep our kids reading) so she wanted to see the movie. I said sure and all the kids scurried downstairs to watch the show.

A couple minutes later Aubrey came up with tears in her eyes (why do all these amazing moments always seem to involve tears?). She said, "Mom, I'm not sure if you knew this, but Harry Potter 4 is rated PG-13 and you don't usually let us watch PG-13 movies. I thought about just watching the show anyway, but I decided I better be honest and come and tell you."

Incredible. We don't normally let the kids watch PG-13 movies, but honestly, I didn't remember that this one had that rating (I'm not entirely sure why some of the Harry Potters and PG and some are PG-13, it doesn't seem clear to me but whatever).

I told Aubrey we would need to turn the movie off until I had a chance to watch it again and see what is there (it has been a looooong time). She was disappointed, but she felt so good about the choice that she had made to be honest and up front that it hurt less than it would have otherwise. I couldn't stop smiling.

***********************************

My kids are far from perfect. They are not obedient little angels who never do anything wrong and constantly pull others onto a higher plane of existence (you would know that FOR SURE if you ever glimpsed their bedrooms) but they are good people and I am so proud of the choices that they are making and amazing souls they are growing into. I adore these little monsters, and I am thankful for the bright moments that litter our otherwise pretty normal days. Forgive me for bragging, but I think they are fabulous!

Throw those legs in the crock pot

2011-11-03T08:40:00.002-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I learned a trick that has become one of my favorites. I love chicken legs but I have never found a way to cook them that was painless enough for me (you may remember that I hate cooking so anything that takes too much time or effort I do not do). Anyway, I was browsing the Internet looking for a new way to cook them when I stumbled on this idea.

You coat the chicken legs in your favorite flavors (I'll put the recipe I found below...it was pretty tasty). Then you pull out your crock pot. Now, normally things cooked in crock pots are sort of limp and soggy (which can still taste good) but my new favorite idea is that you crumple up tinfoil and place it in the bottom of the pot so the chicken legs are suspended above the bottom. This lets any juices run to the floor of the pot without having your chicken soak in them and get soggy.

I cooked these legs on low for about 6 hours (just less than that) and they were pretty crisp and very tasty. The kids even liked it (which is the ultimate measuring stick). The cooking was painless, the dinner was yummy -- what more could I ask for.

Crock Pot Chicken Legs

2 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. paprika

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. thyme leaves

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper

4 lbs. chicken drumsticks, skinned if desired

Put all the spices in a zip seal bag and then add the drumsticks. Shake them around until they are evenly coated. I let mine sit in the fridge overnight to really let the flavors sink in. Then I put them on top of crumpled foil in the crock pot and cooked on low for about 6 hours. They were good.

(This is the website where I got the idea if you are interested in exploring more ideas by this creative thinker).

Halloween Week 2011

2011-10-31T08:27:00.001-06:00

This past week has been all full of Halloween excitement at our house. I love this holiday; it is all about just having fun and I think that is fabulous.

We started the week leading up to Halloween with a trip to Gardner village to see the witches. This is a family tradition and we all LOVE it! Whoever decorates that place does an amazing job and we love wandering around enjoying their hard work.

Every child has a favorite witch that they look forward to seeing. But there is so much more than witches to feast your eyes on. There is something fun in every nook and cranny and the on site bakery smells fabulous so all of your senses get a delicious overload. It is wonderful.

Here are a few pictures of our exciting day.

Ellie and Aubrey sharing an old fashioned buggy ride (it was really just them sitting in the buggy and Josh wiggling it a bit, but it was still fun).

The boys worried about the witch with a boat fully of explosives on the Gardner Village pond! Yikes!

Logan showering at a witchy watering hole.

Witches pedaling over top of the cutest kids on the planet (I'm not biased at all).

It really was a fun way to spend an afternoon. We all had a great time.

Logan had his pre-school Halloween party on Friday. After telling me all month that he wanted to be a Power Ranger, he adamantly expressed his desire to be a pirate instead. So, we put it together and off he went. He attends the greatest pre-school in the world and has the most amazing teachers. He had a great day.

Saturday was pumpkin carving. We hauled all of our large, home-grown pumpkins in from the garden and set to work. Our creative juices were wildly flowing as we sculpted our creations. It was loads of fun.

Saturday was also our ward trunk-or-treat activity. Everyone gathered at the church to collect candy from the back of every one's car. The kids always love this and Josh has a great time wandering with them and chatting with friends while I hand out candy.

Many people decorate their car trunks. This one startled Ellie. The motion activated snake rattled its tail while she snuck a treat.

Here is Logan being treated by a couple dressed as tail gaiters (what a fun -- and warm -- idea).

Josh, Ellie and I dressed as pirates. Bryce and Parker are "zombie hunters" (that was a tough one, I had no idea what "zombie hunters looked like so with the help of my awesome sister-in-law, Jenny, we made it up). Aubrey is Hollie Short (a pixie police officer from the Artemis Fowl books). Gavin is Spiderman (thanks for the hand-me-down costume Cathy) and Logan switched back to Power Ranger for the evening.

Our family got into the dress up fun and we all had a really great week. I hope you all have a very

Happy Halloween!

A couple of FuN pRoJeCtS

2011-10-27T07:36:00.002-06:00

Holidays are a great excuses to do fun projects with the kids. Here are a couple that we have tackled the last week or so.

My mom found this cute craft to create jack-o-lanterns using old milk cartons.

First, drink a whole bunch of milk (or better yet, chocolate milk). Then clean out the empty cartons and hand them to your children with a magic marker (this is the dangerous part). Let them use their creativity to transform said milk carton into a pumpkin face.

After the tykes are done you will probably want to go back and fill in their coloring because they will probably leave lots of spaces in their drawings (at least my kids did). The faces need to be really dark in order to show up well.

Next, buy a couple of strings of orange twinkle lights. Cut a space in the back of each milk jug and shove some lights inside. If you are anal (like some of us) count your lights and be sure there are an equal number of lights inside and then spacing in between each jug. I also painted the lids green so that I didn't have mismatched pink and red and brown caps on the jugs (that really annoyed me). I sprayed the entire project with acrylic finishing spray to seal everything.

In real life each individual light doesn't show up quite as much as this picture makes it seem. The jugs just sort of glow orange, but my camera decided to honor each little bulb on its own so you can see them all...but you get the idea.

What a fun project, and the kids LOVED it (which is the whole point in the first place).

This is sort of how they look chillin' in our front yard.

Just for fun, we decided to make sugar cookies the other day. We had so much flour smattered, sticky frosting fun that we couldn't help but share.

First we made the cookies (AAARGH! A tray of naked sugar cookies!). My favorite sugar cookie recipe below.

Next we pulled out our colored sprinkles and decorations and we let the kids go wild!

Aubrey did most of the frosting because that was a struggle for most of the little kidlets. She is such a sweetheart. I just adore that girl.

This is my adorable niece who was hangin' in our hood
for the day.

Everyone added sprinkles and shapes to their cookies.

Some added more decoration than others.

But everyone had a great time and finished with a smile (and some crumbs) on their face. So. Much. Fun.

Sugar Cookie Recipe:

1 1/3 cup sugar

1/4 lb butter

2 eggs

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp lemon -- juice and zest (I just use juice)

1 Tbsp vanilla

1 cup cream

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking pdr

Flour to make stiff dough ( about 4 - 4 1/2 cups)

Refrigerate dough for an hour or so then roll out in a thin sheet, cut and bake at 450 degrees for about 7 minutes. They are very yummy!

True Blue in Provo

2011-10-24T10:36:00.000-06:00

My mom found an amazing deal on BYU football tickets ($5 a piece) so we schlepped to Provo to watch the game. This was the first college game the boys had ever watched at the stadium so they were pretty excited about the whole thing.

We made our way to Provo and accidentally missed all the traffic (not that we wanted to be stuck in traffic, but we had expected it) so we arrived nearly two hours before kickoff (oops). We parked on Canyon Road and walked to the stadium where the boys explored all the nooks and crannies and could not wipe the gigantic grins off their faces.

Bryce and Parker shot some hoops with the BYU women's basketball team (they were amazed how tall those girls were).

Our seats were extremely nosebleed, but we were happy to have them. Besides, the boys had a good view of the entire field and that was exciting for them. Bryce in particular was completely entranced by the game. He was giddy, it was so much fun to watch him. Parker was surprised that the field was so small -- it looks bigger on tv. He spent a lot of time on my lap asking question after question about everything around him (football and not so much). It was a magical sort of afternoon and I'm so glad I got to spend it with three of my favorite guys.

By the time we were driving home we were all bushed (some of us may have nodded off, but we won't admit it if you ask so don't bother asking). Josh and I came home sporting raccoon style sunburns on our faces, but it was so worth it. What a good trade for such incredible memories. And it was a two-for-one deal because not only did we have a great time, but also BYU won the game (or rather, slaughtered the other team, it was a bit of a blow out).

What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon in fall.

Why life with a two year old is fabulous

2011-10-19T07:53:00.002-06:00

Without an adorable two year old to lead the way there is no way on earth that this eleven year old boy and his seven year old brother would dance around the room to "Thriller." That is one thing about princesses, they melt even the biggest, toughest hearts.

I love it!

Life around this little face is always worth smiling about!

How to Host a Murder...50's style

2011-10-16T18:27:00.005-06:00

Have you ever held a "How to Host a Murder" party?

I am a big fan. I love these parties in a box (complete with character layouts and plot twists and the whole "who dun it" experience). I think these parties are loads of fun. Since we usually ask our guests to dress their part, we thought this was a perfect activity for the Halloween season.
.

FYI: You can pick them up at any store that sell board games, but this one I found at a thrift store, fully intact and it cost me a whopping $1.00 (just keep an eye out). Anyway, there are lots of different games (I highly recommend the Chinese one --Hoo Hung Woo -- or the 20's gangster one -- The Chicago Caper). The one we played this weekend was a 1950's themes party based in a malt shoppe surrounding the murder of the famous rock star, Rock N. Roley (he's fake, don't look up his greatest hits).

We did our best to turn the house into a 50's diner (within reason) and invited over the required number of couples (this was the hardest part because it was hard to pick just three couples...we'll have to do it again soon). From our candy counter to our cheesy jukebox and our fabulous menu (which didn't matter because our waitress wouldn't take orders for anything but roast beef anyway -- that was my adorable nine year old daughter, she was so excited to be part of the fun) we tried to set the scene.

Josh and I threw together costumes with what we had on hand. He was a stuffy accountant and I was a 50's now married party girl. Everyone else got in the spirit of the evening as well and came in a costume fitting their assigned character (thanks guys).We sat around accusing each other and laughing and eating and just had a really fabulous evening (just so you know...Jay was the killer... who would have guessed?).

Even though it has been several years since we hosted one of these parties, I find that I still LOVE them and I'm really glad we could do something unique and fun to celebrate the Halloween holiday!

Josh and I showing off our 50's duds. If my belt looks familiar
you may remember it from this recent post. Just so you know,
no one complained about my belt placement this time around
but Logan did tell me I looked pretty and should dress like
this all the time...think not buddy.

Crohn's throws me a curve

2011-10-14T07:50:00.003-06:00

Over the past week my little, forever friend, Crohn's Disease, invited a new symptom to come over and play. Pretty much none of Crohn's buddies are welcome if you ask me, but I didn't get asked so I just get to manage the uninvited guest as best I can (he didn't even call ahead...for rude!).

This very attractive brace has actually been a big help. It is
sleek and stylish and even offers my sore wrist needed support.

Anyway, it started in my right wrist. The joint started getting achy and sore and at first I thought I had slept on it funny or twisted it or something. But the discomfort and aching just kept growing no matter how careful I was with my wrist until I could barely move it and any bump from my one my kidlets had me wincing. Then it started spreading to my left wrist and then into my ankles (FYI flights of stairs and sore ankles do not mix) and even a little bit in my knees.

After a bit of reading I have become a semi-expert in Crohn's triggered arthritis which is what I've got going on. This may be my least favorite symptom yet. I'm not a fan.

I had a visit with my GI this week and she told me that the joint pain and inflammation is linked to the Crohn's flares. I mentioned that even being on meds for nearly two months, I still have waves of good days juxtaposed with nasty days (usually evenings). She informed me that that is because I am not completely in remission yet. My body is still trying to settle into its new "normal" with Crohn's Disease in tow. It will probably be several more weeks until the symptoms are really put in their place until the next flare up. That was actually a relief to hear, things will get better. Hooray!

The joint soreness/stiffness does seem to be a kind of indicator of what kind of day I am going to have with my gut. When my joints flare, my intestines seem to as well. Those are the days I end up hovering in the bathroom trying not to lose my dinner or lying in a bath soaking in the calm that the hot water brings.

Life with Crohn's is no joy ride...well, I guess that isn't really true. Life is beautiful and good, with or without Crohn's Disease. Maybe Crohn's is here to help me realize just how beautiful those good moments are. There is just so much about this life to smile about, even if there are cloudy moments in between (not that I don't do my fair share of whining when it is cloudy over here). I guess that's why God sent us here, though, to muddle through our struggles as best we can and try to come out stronger on the other side.

And it helps if we try to enjoy the ride.

I, for one, am not perfect at that. I have days that are a mess to get through where I just wish for the sun to set so the day can be over...but so does everyone else (I think?). Thankfully, there are more days that I think of fondly than not. As an added bonus I get to travel these roads with the most amazing people on the planet, God knew I would need them and I'm awfully glad that they are around.

"No pun in ten did"

2011-10-12T07:54:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I was grumpy. Josh felt bad for me, so he called me from work to try to cheer me up. He read me page full of puns that a student gave him the other day. I was very somber, I rolled my eyes at most of them and did not laugh (but I felt a little bit better by then end anyway).

I thought I'd share them with you in case you are a little bit grumpy today too.

*The fattest knight at King Arthur's round table was sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

*I thought I was an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.

*She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.

*A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of mass disruption.

*No matter how much you push the envelope, it will still be stationary.

*A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

*A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France might result in Linoleum Blownapart.

*Two silk worms had a race; they ended up in a tie.

*A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

*Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

*Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

*I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger; then it hit me.

*A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: "Keep off the grass."

*The midget fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

*The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

*A backward poet writes inverse.

*In a democracy it's your vote that counts, in feudalism it's your count that votes.

*When cannibals ate a missionary they got a taste of religion.

*If you jumped off the bridge in Paris you'd be in Seine. (insane)

*A vulture boards an airplane carrying two dead raccoons. The stewardess looks at him and says, 'I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger.'

*Two fish swim into a concrete wall. One turns to the other and says, 'Dam.'

*Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.

*Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says, 'I've lost my electron.' The other says 'Are you sure?' The first replies, 'Yes, I'm positive.'

*Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root canal? His goal: transcend dental medication.

*There was the person who sent ten punt to his friends with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh...no pun in ten did.

Hope you got a little smile out of it...and I hope you have a wonderful day!

In Search of Fall

2011-10-10T08:03:00.004-06:00

Fall has been conspicuously absent from my sweet little valley home (we've had loads of summer and even a couple days of winter, but it is nearly mid-October and still no fall!). I think my favorite season may have gotten lost (I understand, I do that sometimes).

So we decided to go try to find it!

We headed up Little Cottonwood Canyon to make our search.

What we found was beautiful, and crisp and brilliant...but I'm not really sure we could classify it as fall.

The leaves were just barely starting to change so those deep, rich colors that I have been begging Mother Nature for are still not there yet (booooo!). There were some yellows and some almost nearly oranges, but that was about the best we could find.

However, the Ghost of Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas had obviously visited the canyon because we found breathtaking views like this (even if they weren't what we were after).

So we decided to make the most of it and we had a fabulous afternoon. We trounced around in the soggy snow (it was trying to decide whether to melt or not) and had a DeMoux family snowball fight (Ellie did not enjoy this at all). We even watched some adventurous, possibly nutso, snowboarders shredding it up on the shallow bed of snow on the Snowbird runs. It was pretty sick (or so say my kidlets).

We climbed on rocks and trudged through the muddy start of trails before climbing back in our Suburban and heading for home. It was a wonderful outing.

But I am still missing fall.

Here are s'more pictures from our wonderful weekend excursion.

Josh and I in the confused October canyon.

The boys.

The goils.

Cute little DeMoux hand and foot prints in the snow.

If you happen to run into Fall while you are out and about, please send him my way. I would really appreciate it. I miss him.

Bandaids

2011-10-08T07:16:00.001-06:00

I love bandaids. (They fix the world!)

They save the day at our house on a regular basis. We buy LOTS of bandaids because I let the kids slap them on any owie to make it feel better (I have even given bandaids for headaches and stomach aches).

Don't get me wrong, I don't tell my kids that bandaids will make aches and pains vanish, but if they are hurting in any way and they ask for one I am going to give it to them. It just makes them feel better. You can't beat this cure especially when it only costs 99 cents for 60 of them.

I was thinking last night that I guess I am not really that much different than my little ones. When life gets rough I sometimes find a bandaid to help me feel better (not a plastic sticky one, but a metaphorical one).

For example, last week was a hard one (that seems to have happened off and on lately...but no more, soccer season is over...HOORAY!). My Crohn's was crohnsing so I was pretty miserable for a few days and since Josh was still coaching soccer he was gone until late at night not to mention he had to head straight into college work once he got home every evening. So between the normal dinners and homework and piano lessons and then added dance classes and scouts and sports and friends I felt stretched very thin.

My bandaid came in the form of a sweet lady in my ward (I wonder what a bandaid with her face on it would look like?...you know, like Snoopy or Smurf bandaids). Out of the blue she just called and asked if she could bring dinner in one night. She had no idea the kind of week we had had. She had no idea how tired I was and how worn out I felt. But she slapped herself on my owie and I felt better.

I guess we all just need a bandaid sometimes.

A New Project

2011-10-06T06:28:00.002-06:00

This week I did my first Halloween project of the season. I got this idea from my dad's uncle's son's wife (yup, for real).

I got a large scrapbook and a couple of cheap dollar notebooks that were on clearance at a craft store. The notebooks have hard covers which made them a lot easier to work with.

Then I recovered those notebooks with scrapbook paper and mod podge (the genius glop of crafters everywhere). I printed labels on fake parchment paper and burned around the edges with a candle then mod podged those on the front.

At the craft store I found some metallic "locks" and I glued those on the front to give them a cryptic sort of feel.

Inside the scrapbook I am going to create a page each year of the kids in their costumes and pictures of other holiday activities from that year (photos on their way to my house as we speak for 2008 - 2010). That way when we pull out the book each year we will also be able to browse memories of Halloweens past.

Inside the other notebooks I intend to paste favorites treat recipes, craft and project ideas or games that I want to remember from year to year.

They are fun for display but will serve a purpose as well. I LOVE this idea!

We've been prepping our house in other ways as well. We broke out the costume box and the kids have had fun every day dressing up as witches, power rangers, vampires and other creatures.

The kids also decked our house out in cobwebs and gravestones and purple lights. We are pretty excited for the holiday.

Cross my fingers

2011-10-04T12:29:00.001-06:00

Today is fix the electricity day and just as Mr. Electrician started work this morning this lovely rainbow appeared in the sky.

That's got to be a good sign, right?

(I am hoping it is a sign that the Lord will never again flood my family with electrical problems...but I'm not holding my breath).

Also, for your viewing pleasure, this is what I found when Mr. Electrician moved the fridge out to work behind it. Yikes! Guess I need to clean out behind that thing every now and then.

Super Gross!

The Electric Slide

2011-10-03T08:50:00.001-06:00

We are having electrical problems at our house (did I mention that 2011 is not my favorite year ever?). We have a lazy kitchen breaker that doesn't want to do its share of the work. It has tripped regularly since we moved into the house but this week it completely broke (like its inside mechanics literally snapped in half...who knew that could happen).

The problem is that our breakers/stuff in the breaker box (forgive me, I don't speak electrician) are uber old and no one really carries replacements for them anymore so while we can order the bits they are very expensive relative to the cost of newer breakers. Also, apparently the rest of the box is a mess as well and it all really needs to be replaced. Boy am I glad we happen to know an electrician so someone I trust is helping with this because someone could cheat us and we would have no idea. He will be doing the work for us this next couple of days to get our power up and running again.

So, for the past five days we have been without electricity in our kitchen. We have extension cords running to the fridge and microwave but we have no use of the dishwasher or garbage disposal or outlets (the stove is on a different breaker so that works fine...hooray).

Poor Josh has been really hammered by the lack of a dishwasher. You see, washing dishes by hand is my LEAST favorite job on the planet (I'd rather clean toilets any day) so I will use every single clean dish in the house before I force myself to wash dishes (eat off of pot lids for lunch...why not?..ok, I'm not quite that bad). My sweetheart has been relegated to head dishwasher this past week. He does it without complaining (out loud) but secretly I think his heart will explode with joy when the electricity is back on line.

Also, because the kitchen outlets are powerless at the moment, this is what I found when I dragged myself out of bed (slept in 'till nearly 8:00...awesome!) on Saturday morning.

My ever creative-thinking kids decided to make toast in the living room. That's a new one. I've never woken to find a toaster lined up next to the couch before. There was a lovely line of bread crumbs running from the living room to the kitchen table, but nothing our trusty vacuum couldn't handle.

I'm looking forward to extracting the extension cords from our living areas later this week and returning the toaster to its rightful home in the kitchen. It will be a good thing for everyone involved.

Something Fishy

2011-09-28T08:05:00.004-06:00

Gavin won a coloring contest at school.

He got to choose his prize.

This is the beauty he came home with.

I think it is awesome (and hilarious). Now his bedroom is decorated with deadly fish...just in time for Halloween. I love it.

Today I am thankful for:

1. The scriptures...especially the Book of Mormon...but also the words of living prophets, I am so looking forward to LDS general conference this weekend (and if you need guidance or just peace in your life you should definitely watch!)

2. Ice-cream (if you need momentary contentment and happiness in your life, this is the way to go)

3. My kids. They make me laugh, they make me cry, but mostly they just make me glad that they are around.

Weekend: check

2011-09-26T08:28:00.003-06:00

This weekend was full of excitement, or rather busyness, at our house. Because parent/teacher conferences were this week the kids had Friday off from school (except for Logan who still had pre-school). Here is a little bit of the fun we had on our long weekend.

We took a trip to the library and came home with five zillion Goosebumps books and also a goosebumps movie (wow, that is quality cinema if I have ever seen it -- notice that quiet hint of sarcasm). However, the true hit of the trip is a "real life horrors" book that Gavin found in the reference section with a picture of the skeleton of a two headed baby. The kids are completely enamored with that one. It is a book full of odd real life things. Everyone loves looking through it (I have to admit, it is interesting, so I don't mind when they ask me to read them bits from it). Success at the library. SCORE!

On the not so successful side, I discovered that Logan has been stashing food on his chair underneath and besides his booster seat the last couple of days. Awesome! It was lots of fun to clean up crusty bread, soggy fruit and hot dog bits. Actually, I made him clean up the bulk of it but he's only four so I did have to follow behind to finish the job. Oh, kids. No wonder he has been fighting me so much less about eating his meals.

This weekend we emptied our lovely backyard pool. We have been de-chemicalizing it for the last 10 days so that we could drain the water onto the lawn without killing the grass. The kids had all kinds of fun playing with the draining water.

Aubrey recruited the younger kids to make a "dam" with her. She used pieces of 2x4 to try to contain the water and let it pool up on the grass. It was fun to watch them (surprisingly, the wood pieces did not hold the water in very well).

The boys also used the drainage hose to make their own "water slide." They set the hose at the top of our swing set slide and then slid to their hearts content.

The kids were having such a good time with the draining water that they didn't want the excitement to end. So they turned on the yard hose attached to our house and towed it over to the now sagging pool to fill the pool back up. So we had one hose putting water in and another hose pulling water out. When Josh realized what they were doing he was not too thrilled, but he did have to laugh a little before he mad them turn it off.

Even though Logan had lots of fun, he was not too happy when Gavin sprayed him with the hose...not sure why it mattered since he was already soaking wet, but that's how he rolls these days (you would think the kid was a teenage girl with all the drama he finds in life).

The children played "top chef" with moon sand in the yard as well. I have a love/hate relationship with moon sand (a sort of moldable, sticky sand that kind of works like play dough). It is great stuff because the kids get to be creative and make things out of it...but it is horrible stuff because it is ALWAYS a huge mess. However, when the weather is good and they can play with it outside I hate it a lot less.

Josh reinstalled the brick step we have between the carport and the back yard. We had to tear it out when we put up our new fence/gate and this was the last piece of that project that needed to be done.

And last, but not least, Josh made a bike rack for the kids bikes. Not only do they tend to be a jumbled mess all over the carport (because we really don't have anywhere else for the kids to park them) but we have also had two bikes stolen in the past month (one we got back the next day because it tends to have its chain come off regularly so we found it abandoned at the school with its chain off...ha ha, jokes on the bad guys...sort of).

Anyway, we created the bike rack so the bikes can all be parked in a row and we can now chain them up at night and (hopefully) put an end to their clandestine adventures.

It was a productive weekend and that is always a good thing. As an added bonus, the BYU football team won their game on Friday (even if it was not beautifully done) so overall we'll call the weekend a success.

Today I am thankful for:

1. A hard working -- and very kind and understanding -- husband.

2. Chocolate chip cookies.

3. Lessons in church that inspire me to want to be better (cause boy do I need that).

Thinking Thankful

2011-09-24T07:09:00.003-06:00

A friend of mine wrote about a friend of hers who challenged his friends to spend a week recognizing the things they are thankful for. He noted the blessing it is for us and those around us to remember how much we have to be grateful for.

This idea struck home with me. This has been a rough year...not just for me and my family; it seems to be a hard year for A LOT of people. It seems to be raining troubles and there hasn't been much of a break in the deluge. Thing after thing after thing seems to be falling in the laps of loads of people. 2011 has been a year of interminable trials.

I wears on you (you know the feeling). This week has felt exhausting, even though nothing in particular has happened. It's soccer season so Josh isn't home much and when he is home he is working on school work (the college kind and the high school kind). That leaves me to do it all at home (soccer season always reinforces my intense respect of single parents...I don't know how you do it all).

Last night, this frustration resulted in the breaking of the ceramic cake topper that Josh and I had on our wedding cake. And I can't even get mad at anyone because it was my fault (I was upset at the kids and as I left the room I tossed a book I had been reading them -- "Where the Red Fern Grows" -- onto the bookshelf but it slid and knocked this piece over). That'll teach me to leave the room in a huff.

Thankfully, I was able to glue it back together (notice the lovely cracks on the boy's chest). We carefully pieced the day back together as well and went to bed all happy at each other.

Anyway, when life gets to the point where frustrations are at their worst, it is time to stop looking at the problems and annoyances and instead focus on what is right with the world. So this gratitude idea could not come at a better time for me -- I need it.

So here we go.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Super Glue

2. Good (and very worn) books

Both of these showed up at just the right moment (one to help me have some peaceful moments with the kids even when I was tired -- until the fighting started -- and the other to repair the damage done by the first one). Each of them made my night just a little bit better in its own way.

3. The sweet forgiveness of little children. Even on my very worst day as a mother these small people are willing to look past my faults (which are many) and love me anyway.

And I love them right back, which is a good thing too.

It is therapeutic to be thankful. I think I'll have to keep at it this week. It's penance I guess. Besides it is a great way to get out of a frustrated funk.

I'd love to hear some of the things you are thankful for as well. I'll bet it will remind me of all that is good in the world, and we all need that once in a while.

Courage

2011-09-23T06:44:00.002-06:00

Lately, Ellie has taken to going limp when I try to get her dressed in the morning. She lets her muscles relax and doesn't stretch or exert pressure of any kind as I try to put her clothes on. This makes putting pants and shoes on especially difficult. She thinks it is funny to watch me struggle and a couple of times I have gotten a little bit exasperated with her because she is making things hard on purpose.

But that made me think of my sweet little sister-in-law, Paula. I have told you before about my niece, Becca. She has rett syndrome (a severe form of autism) so her body just doesn't function as it should. She can't move much on her own and so every day -- every single day -- Paula faces this dressing challenge that my little daughter thinks is so funny.

Every day Paula gets Becca dressed, and Becca is not so small anymore so it isn't as easy as it used to be. Every day she helps Becca's legs stretch into pants. Every day she carefully, tenderly puts socks and sometimes shoes on tiny feet that will never push back to make the job easier.

But she doesn't complain, she doesn't whine. She loves that little girl to pieces and I am grateful for her sweet example. I wish I was more like that. Paula is kind and loving and gentle, but she fights fiercely for her daughter to have what she needs. From pre-school to vacations to hospital stays she stands up for what will be best for her baby no matter what anyone else tells her is right.

She also had the courage to bring more beautiful children into this world, even with the concern of rett gazing over her shoulder. She and my brother have had to make many difficult decisions and will have to make many more, but they do it while smiling and adoring their growing family.

She is the kind of person who makes the world a better place. Actually I have a whole bunch of sisters-in-law (especially because Josh and I have four brothers a piece and no sisters at all) who do that and I love them all. They are amazing women and I'm grateful for the chance to learn from them.

But today I'm grateful for Paula. She's pretty incredible.

Fashion tips from four year olds

2011-09-21T06:53:00.008-06:00

This is the shirt that I wore yesterday.

You may be wondering why I am mentioning that as this blog is not normally overly concerned with style (that has NEVER been something I cared much about).

Well, I'll tell you why we care about clothes today.

Yesterday morning, after scooting the four oldest kidlets out the door and off to school, I got ready for the day. This is the shirt that I wore.

As soon as I walked out of my bedroom Logan walked up to me looking disgusted and this is what he said:

Logan: Mom, what is that thing around your shirt.

Me: That is a belt.

Logan: No it isn't, belts go around your pants (pointing to my waist) down here.

Me: This is a different kind of belt.

Logan: Mom, take that off, it looks weird. You should wear a normal belt.

That's right, fashion advice from my four year old (like he knows anything, remember that picture of him a few days ago with the green socks...and sandals none the less).

Anyway, I ignored him. A little while later Logan and Ellie and I trucked over to the elementary school to pick Gavin up from kindergarten. Gavin tends to come running out of class and to rush over to hug me (he doesn't do anything half way...it makes me smile every single time).

Gavin thundered out the door. He ran toward me, arms stretched to the sides. Inches from that embrace he suddenly stopped. He looked at me like I was an alien.

Gavin (sounding disgusted): Mom, what is that thing around your shirt.

Logan (very triumphantly): That is belt, Gavin.

Gavin (bending over Logan and speaking in a very condescending tone): No it isn't, Logan, belts go around your pants.

Me: No, Gavin, this is actually a belt, it is just a different kind of belt.

Gavin (sneering): Mom, that looks stupid. You should take it off. Belts are for pants.

So that is the consensus. Belts are for pants and mom is a fashion faux pas in progress. I guess I should probably get used to that attitude, I doubt this is the last time I will run into it.

But I showed 'em. I wore the shirt all day long. TAKE THAT! So there fashion forward youngsters!

(Gotta love those boys!)

Pushing Pills (down my throat)

2011-09-18T07:05:00.006-06:00

These are the pills that I have to take every morning (those blue ones tend to get stuck going down...they are the devil).

These are the pills that I have to take every night before I go to bed.

I feel like an old lady. Aren't old people the only ones who have to take piles of medications to keep them running on a daily basis. Guess not.

Dr. Seuss has this fabulous book called "You're Only Old Once" that has a fun section about taking mountains of meds every day when you are aged and decrepit. He pokes fun at taking a blue pill to remind you to take a red pill as well as a bit that reads something like "this purple pill is what I take if I should die before I wake" (you know Dr. Seuss, the man was brilliant and hilarious). Anyway, that's about what I feel like anymore.

The morning pills are mostly the ones that keep my colon in check. The evening pills are mostly vitamins and supplements because my body just doesn't absorb what it needs from food thanks to Crohn's.

One side affect of Crohn's is weight loss. Sounds nice, except that it is coupled with malnutrition which is not so nice. I just have to find balance (it's always nice to shed a few unwanted pounds, but who wants to waste away to nothing).

Anyway, just thought I'd share. I wonder how many people out there take more pills than my little pile just because they believe in supplements for regular health reasons? My brother works for Usana and I know they sell vitamins in pre-packaged packets to swallow morning and night so really my little pill offering probably isn't all that outstanding.

Still, for me, it's an exciting -- and growing -- cocktail.

bYu forever

2011-09-16T08:42:00.000-06:00

A couple of my little cougars.

I was born and raised a BYU fan.

I have been trekking to the stadium in Provo to watch games since I was in elementary school. There is nothing like watching a game amidst the cheers of fellow fans, especially night games...love em (plus the hot dogs at the stadium are AWESOME!). I can sing the fight song. I can recognize Cosmo from 387 yards away. I love cougar football.

Josh is also true blue at heart so we now watch the games in our living room with our own mini cheering section (except for Parker who likes to be contrary so he constantly tells Bryce he prefers the U but honestly I think he only does it to get a rise out of his brother...I just tell him he can cheer for whatever team he wants so when it is just us he tells me he is a cougar).

So all I have to say as the rivalry game rears its competitive head this weekend is...

GO COUGARS!

La la la la Logan...

2011-09-16T06:30:00.004-06:00

First day of pre-school. Don't you love those green socks.
His sense of style is still developing and I like to watch it
grow.

September has been a big month for this little guy. He started pre-school (which was a little more traumatic than I expected). He took a trip to his great-grandpa's farm (which he loved much more than I expected) and he even celebrated a birthday (which was exactly as wonderful as we both expected).

I can hardly believe this little man is already four years old. We get to spend a lot more one on one time together now that the older kids are in school and it is fun to watch my big little boy grow up.

Logan loved his bionicle guys (I was thrilled because we
found them in a set at a thrift store for $12 for 10 guys...it was Kismet!)

Old, rusty, nasty bike
that we've had since Bryce
turned three.

Logan on his new, shiny, awesome Spiderman
bike from his grandparents who were
embarrased to see him ride that beat up,
purple monstrosity (just kidding).

Harvest Festival in my own Back yard (sort of)

2011-09-14T06:27:00.002-06:00

When I was in elementary school we had an event called "The Harvest Festival" at the beginning of every fall season. Kids were encouraged to make creations out of vegetables to then display around the school. Each class got to parade through the halls and see all the vegetable masterpieces. To me it was magic.

I remember loving this festival every year. Some kids (with the help of their parents) made Cinderella pumpkin coaches with zucchini people or squash rockets and tomato aliens. I was a bit more independent and refused any help so my offerings were a little more, shall we say, unique.

I was remembering those times as I went out in what's left of our garden today to check on our pumpkin crop. Our pumpkins have plumped up nicely this year (maybe that's because I bought the seeds that were supposed to produce "state fair" sized gourds). They aren't quite state fair material, but they should make excellent jack-o-lanterns in another month or so and that's what they were intended for anyway.

One minor disappointment with my garden this year is that I planted what was supposed to be a lovely, purple heirloom tomato plant. It grows tomatoes alright, but they aren't what I call purple. They still taste good, but I was really hoping for purple tomatoes in my salad. That would have been beautiful! Oh well, red is good too.

Minor Miracles: Miracles relating to my minors

2011-09-13T07:01:00.016-06:00

This past week I had a follow up visit with my GI doctor. I got some test results from my colonoscopy last week. Thankfully, I get to start tapering down my dosage of the corticosteroid I am on (which is good because I don't really care to be on a steroid). That stuff is pretty tough. I missed taking it one morning (that happens sometimes when you get busy with kids) and I ended up with a horrible migraine that evening. My GI said that this drug can cause major problems and even sometimes death to people who suddenly stop taking it completely (not usually after only having been on it for a week, but it really IS tough stuff). Thankfully it has really helped calm my abdominal pain already so I guess I can't hate it all the way.

Anyway, the GI lady I was seeing (she and my doctor work closely together) was getting ready to write out prescriptions for what I need when she suddenly stopped and asked how old I was. I told her 33 (because I am honest and not sad about my age...yet). She bit her lip and said maybe they would need to consider some different drugs because I was still young and in my child bearing years. I smiled at her and told her that I had six children and my husband and I decided (or should I say felt prompted) that our family is full.

Back in the old days when I was pregnant.

She just smiled slightly and said that was good because apparently some of the drugs that will be best for treating my version of Crohn's disease will increase my chances of infertility and severe birth defects. They could use other treatments, but I guess they wouldn't work quite as cleanly.

That is miraculous to me. Josh and I always felt strongly when it was time for us to bring another soul into our family, just like we felt strongly when our family was complete. We didn't know what life had in store for us, but God did. He helped our family get to the point where we didn't have to worry about interactions with budding lives when I started Crohn's treatments.

I know we all have struggles and things in life don't always work out the way we would like, but it is so comforting to see these miraculous moments show up every now and then that remind us that God loves us and that he can see the big picture even when we can't.

If Josh and I had been left to our own devices we probably would not have had our children quite so close together (20-24 months distance between them...not the closest ever, but still pretty close). We probably would not have had six children either. Thankfully, God let us in on a bit of His plan for us and I LOVE the outcome. I feel grateful that we successfully got our children here and had time to feel that our family was done so that Crohn's disease wouldn't cause one more hiccup in our lives.

I head back to the doctor again in another month so I'll have some time for this new stuff to kick in. Hopefully things in my GI track will be even better by then. That's my plan, we'll see how it goes.