Tyler's Next

I'm skipping Ellie's birthday for now because today is actually Tyler's birthday. I'll get back to Ellie's birthday and our Utah adventure next time. **Okay, I started this yesterday when it was his birthday, but had so many problems with the pictures I gave up. As you can see there are still problems with the pictures but just pretend they are perfect before I pull my hair out. Say it with me now, "Just the way we like it!"**

Tyler turned 10. That is a fine piece of alliteration. Rolls off the tongue. Anyway, this is what Ty has been up to this year and some of the things he enjoys.

• He moved to the middle school this year for 4th grade. That was big for him but has adjusted well. He loves hanging out with his friends and has made some great ones this year.
• He learned to snowboard. He wants to go to college someplace where there is enough snow to snowboard. (I'm sure he means the one he can get the best scholarship to...)
• He is taking piano lessons and is actually very musically minded. He loves to sit down and just play and it is rare I have to remind him to practice - which is amazing. He wants to play the electric guitar next year and start a neighborhood band. I've talked him down to an acoustic guitar but I hope he also sticks with the piano. I love hearing him play.
• He draws comics in his free time (when his mean mom won't let him play video games.) They are funny comics and he's a great artist. I'll have to post one someday when the computer and I are getting along better.
• He still has such a sweet personality. Don't tell his friends, of course, but he has such a huge heart. I see it when he plays with his little brother. I see it when he helps people around him. I see it when he sneaks hugs. I see it when he is patient with those kids at school that other kids can't stand to be around. The teachers have always called him a "calming influence" and I appreciate that.
• He is a Weblo scout as of Thursday. He has enjoyed scouting and loves to go to Den meetings. I am proud of him for it and hope it's a life-long learning for him.
• He loves to be outside. He loves riding his bike, scooter, walking the dog, hiking, camping, trampoline, swimming - you name it.
• He gets funnier every year. He has this awesome sense of humor that will often catch me off guard because he's so funny!
• He is a great kid and we are proud to have him in our family!

With some of his cousins at the Powell's.

On a Father/son/dog backpack with some friends. They had a great time, and FYI the dogs are all siblings. Small world I tell ya.

This was Saturday night at the Rodeo. Ty invited a couple of his friends to attend the rodeo. It was lots of fun, and the boys had a great time!

Birthday Girl- How can she be 12?!

Today is my beautiful McKenna's birthday. 12th birthday. Anybody else having issues with that?! How did she already get to be 12? It is a pretty big deal in our household. 12 means graduation from Primary to Young Women's in our church. This is the age where she also gets to wear make-up, heels and babysit. It's a pretty big deal. I thought since I haven't posted just about her for some time it was a good day to honor McKenna.

Here are some things I love about McKenna. I love how completely and utterly she loves things. As you can tell in this picture, she loves snow. She also loves sunshine, rain and hail with the same happiness. McKenna is happy being who she is and I admire that quality.

She is also not afraid to try new things. This picture below is her in her latest performance where she had to be an undercover German spy in WWII. She was good. Really good! She looked so grown up in her suit and pearls, though. *Sigh*

Fashion isn't always important, as you can tell. We had a bit of a rain storm last month (NEVER seen rain like that in my life!) and she just couldn't resist getting outside in it. My plaid boots and yellow rain coat with her giraffe pj pants. Hee hee.

This year she has also babysat for us for the first time. I can't tell you what a HUGE sense of freedom comes with that! After so many years of not being able to leave the house unless I had all four kids with me, it is awesome to be able to run around with out them occasionally. The best part about that is she already knows how to handle Carter when he's having a meltdown. She already knows what the rules of the house are. She already knows the bedtime routine.

This picture was tonight. She wanted Chocolate Chip Mint Ice Cream Cake. Who am I to deny that? 12 candles, though. Phew, that's going to take some getting use to.

Tomorrow I'm taking her to get a make-over. When I turned 12 my mom took me to lunch, we got make-overs and she bought me make-up. I thought it was a great tradition and I hope it is something she remembers with her daughters someday.

She also got a cell phone. I know, I know. Kids these days. We totally surprised her, though, which was pretty awesome. You can tell by her face, I bet!

She is such a great example to me. She is brave, kind, stands up for what is right, smart, a friend to all, funny, good at sports, willing to try things, a great big sister and a wonderful daughter. I am so blessed to be able to share this journey with her! We love you McKenna!

Law of Opposites - Journal

So we all know the law of opposites. You can't experience joy without first experiencing pain. Love and hate. Safety and fear. Peace and contention. Faith and trial. Etc etc etc.

Sometimes life moves along at a steady, consistent pace. Things are smooth. Things are easy. Sometimes when we fall into a steady, consistent pace we get lazy. Things seem fine - so we don't need to work as hard. Or be as sincere in prayer. Or worry as much. Or be as vigilant. It goes like that until there is almost a numb state where life moves along day to day.

Until there is a bump in the road. Or a tree. Or a brick wall. There comes a point where we are reminded, whether gently or not so gently, that all things great take a bit of work on our end.

Dee was laid off in December, after 9 years. There had been cuts previously and we knew another one was coming but he felt safe. Over a conference call they laid off 1500 employees. OUCH.

This rocked the security boat. Also added to the empathy boat. I have friends and know of people that have been out of work for YEARS. They speak of struggles, of making ends meet, of unexpected blessings. I felt sorry for them but didn't truly understand the range of emotion (from anger, to listlessness, to hope, to counting blessings, to fear and back to worry)and depth of uncertainty that comes with it.

Financially we were prepared for a time, but we re-visited our "wants vs. needs" list. Things that seemed necessary before suddenly became something we could live without. (Nutella!) We also re-visited our blessings list. Our kids are healthy. Our families are safe. Our home is secure and in good condition. We have a good-reliable car. We had time together we would not have had if he were working full time.

This became especially evident with the relationship between Dee and Carter. Carter became his best buddy and Dee couldn't leave the room without Carter following him. He was able to spend precious time with this quickly growing 2 year old that he has not been able to spend with the other kids at this age.

Then there is the spiritual side. I know the cycle throughout the scriptures: hardship - humility - faith - peace - content - laziness - trials - hardship - humility - faith - peace - content - so on. It's easy to see when it's written out. However, sometimes in our lives the trials come to remind us to start the cycle over again. Prayer is so much more sincere and personal when praying for family members in situations you can't control. It is so heartfelt when there is no one else to turn to. It is also followed by such a feeling of love and peace and the knowledge and reassurance that everything will work out, even if not in the time frame or the way I think it should.

To make a long story shorter, Dee has since gotten a job. It is local so we don't have to move. The job seems better than the last one. RELIEF!

I became a consultant for Shelf Reliance, which use to terrify me, but that is another story. I'm finding I love it. I love the company, I love what I am learning, I'm loving the people I am meeting. Things are working out. Differently than I imagined, but I am continually surprised by how "different" isn't bad.

Change is hard, resetting the cycle is humbling, re-prioritizing is painful, remembering what is important and that there is a greater purpose is amazing. I am grateful for the law of opposites. For having time after being too busy. For feeling peace after nights of worry. For getting out of debt (again) after losing a job. For having food storage after using food storage. For knowing people are praying for you after not needing prayers. Humility after pride. Joy after pain. Safety after fear. Peace after contention.

Braces

The poor kids in our family have big teeth and small mouths. What does that mean? It means Tyler (9 1/2) needs braces already. Luckily for him his best friend has them too so he actually was excited about them. Until day two... OUCH!

Before and after shots.

I might also throw in the rubber band colors he chose were pink and black. He says pink is the new manly color. :)

Forgot one...

I forgot to put the video clip of the ward talent show. McKenna sang with her friend and played the piano, but that video didn't turn out. Tyler and his friend, however, did a light saber duel. Enjoy.

A-maz-ing things here...

Ellie lost her (first) two bottom teeth. Very exciting stuff for this kid. No tooth fairy sightings, but at least she remembered to come!

Carter looks amazingly like Homer Simpson.

And occasionally acts like him too.

It snowed at our house New Year's Day. Did I mention AMAZING? The irony is that was the day we got home from Christmas vacation and were joking how warm it was. Woke up to snow. Ha. ha. ha. It was gone in about 2 hours, though. Phew.

Dee started playing soccer for a rec league. Love it! It's fun to watch and he's loving playing again.

Ty and Dee put together a Christmas gift model helicopter (thanks J&A!). Fun afternoon together plus passed off a Bear requirement. Bonus!

The weather here has been AMAZING too. We had the windows in the car rolled down. Ellie was cupping her hands out the window then putting them on her face and inhaling. I asked her what she was doing and she said, "Catching the wind. It smells like sunshine!"

We went hiking yesterday around the Castle Crags area. We walked on part of the Pacific Crest Trail and as I was explaining to the kids what that was and why it's significant Tyler shouted, "You mean we have to hike all the way to Mexico?!" I think he was mostly concerned about the lack of snacks for that sort of hike.

Amazingly only one kid fell in the water (Ellie) and it was just one foot.

This is Mt. Shasta from the Crags viewpoint.

This is the Castle Crags. It surprises you as you come around the corner on I-5. We live in such an amazing place!

The crew at the view-point. The telescopes were a big hit as you can tell.

A-MAZ-ING!

Christmas Blessings

Christmas time this year was filled with a flurry of emotions. The good ones are what I'll blog about today. :)

First and foremost, my brother came home safely from Iraq. Last Thanksgiving was the last time I saw him and since that time a rock of worry had planted itself in my heart for him and his family. It was always there in the back of my mind and would surface at unexpected times. Having said that, he is home. They are reunited. What a Christmas blessing!

Now onto travels...

We went over the river and through the woods and stayed at Aunt Heaffy's big beautiful house. The kids were sad there was no snow at first, but there will be more on that momentarily. We had a great time making cookies (pictures above), eating everything and anything, playing with the big cousins and Revis. Santa even came the night before Christmas Eve to warn the kids to GET TO SLEEP. But that is a story for another time. Heaffy spoiled us rotten and made us laugh (wrapping a ladder for Bert and watching her do a headstand...) Thank you Heather and Andy!!!

We shuffled back and forth between family activities and had lots of fun playing with the cousins. Besides having a huge sleep-over Christmas Eve (Christmas morning was a blur... 11 adults and 9 kids under 12), we also had Leki's birthday party, a trip skiing, Treadway Christmas party and the seeing everybody in-between. It was so much fun and there was very little "quiet as a mouse."

Remember how I said there was no snow? Well, "luckily" for us that changed. There was a lot of snow. Enough I remember that I like snow and then like to come home where there is no snow. The kids built a snowman the first chance they got. They got all dressed up and played until their cheeks were red and they needed hot chocolate.

We were also fortunate enough the day after Christmas to visit Temple Square. This is something we haven't done in years and the beauty of it always astounds me. Christmas was fun and there was lots of joy but I was thankful to be able to spend some time contemplating Christmas. To take time to remember my Savior even while the world rushes around/through me was terribly important.

We are at a crossroads in life and those moments of peace and reassurance are most precious. With all the preparation and thought and worry that went into gifts I am thankful to remember the greatest gift given to me. I can not imagine a heaven without family - even with the craziness that accompanies it - and that was made possible by my Savior Jesus Christ.

I hope your holidays were also joyous and let's see where 2011 leads!!!