The little nerd

Noah decided to put his glasses on Miss Adley. She doesn't even look like the same baby! I kinda love her. So cute I'm gonna die.

My funny Valentine

One day I will not be the only girl that Noah loves. One day some girl will steal Noah's heart. One day he will not want to hug and kiss me. He will no longer write me love notes and draw me lovely pictures like the ones above. But for now, I will thoroughly enjoy every minute of it. He's just so darn precious. For Valentine's Day he wrote me the following (using conversation hearts for part of it): Dear Mom I LOVE YOU so much. I DREAM about you. I love your SMILE. I really MISS YOU. You and me are SO FINE. So can I have ONE KISS? Love, Noah

My daughter is NOT a morning person

About a week ago I was reading in the church booklet about The Family. Something we are not really good about is family scripture study. I'll just say it: Family scripture study RARELY happens around here. As I read that section in the booklet I felt a prompting that I should go into the kids' bedroom first thing in the morning and just start reading the scriptures to them. I thought, "Brilliant! Just the answer I was looking for to our family's lack of scripture study!...My kids will grow up and say 'I have fond memories of my mom's voice waking me up each morning as she read the scriptures to us.'" So the following morning I gave it a try. It worked like a charm. The kids began to open their eyes and seemed to be listening to the scriptures. Too tired to start fighting yet. They were somewhat a captive audience in their beds. Next day, I tried it again. Olivia rolls over and KICKS me, then storms out of the room. Good feeling gone. I wanted to give up...and did for a few days. But I tried it a third time and it might work after all. We shall see.

It's Valentine's Day!

Last night we had a Relief Society activity in which we discussed the 5 Love Languages. I have read the book on 5 Love Languages for Kids, but never really gave too much thought to my own love language. I took the quiz and mine is "Acts of Service" (By a landslide). I realized that is the way that I SHOW love most to others as well. But I'm not sure others value it as much as I do. I have spent this entire week working on Valentine boxes with/for the kids. Zane didn't want to help with his so I made it while he was at school. His was a simple Panda Bear. I used a (new) small black trash can for the body, then foam and poster board for the face, ears, arms, and legs (not pictured). Added some googly eyes and a drawn-on mouth and the cutie is complete. I also made some bamboo leaves out of pipe cleaners for him to hold but that's not in the picture either. And today: Zane is sick so no Valentine party for him :( Olivia wanted a sock monkey. She was the most involved of the 3 kids in the making of her "box". We used a 3 liter soda bottle for the base and I cut the sleeves off of one of my sweaters for the "sock" effect. I can't sew to save my life, but I sure know how to use a glue gun. Under his stocking cap is a gaping hole that the Valentines will go in. This is Livi's last year to do Valentine exchange. Kind of bitter sweet. Noah thought it would be funny to make an outhouse for his. I did most of the work on it as well. Luckily we have a wide variety of boxes in our basement so I chose two that would work. Cut, painted, glued, then some more cutting, gluing etc. I even made a tiny roll of toilet paper. Noah said since he was bringing an outhouse then his valentines should be tootsie rolls and I suggested also bringing yellow gatorade. We didn't do either of those things. The kids valentines are in baggies with a giant pink marshmallow, a small hershey bar and two graham crackers. Stapled at the top it reads, "I could use s'more friends like you". I gotta say, I love my kids, I love doing things for them. I love when others do things for me. I love when others appreciate my work. But I am so glad that nightmare is over. Maybe I can get my kitchen and dining room back now.

12 years and counting.

That guy...the one up there...I kinda like him. He's pretty smokin' hot. Don't you think? And SO gonna kill me for posting this. We just celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary. It was yesterday but we went out the day before since it was on a Sunday. On Friday I went up to his work and wrote on the back of his Jeep: "Just Married...12 years ago. But it's still excitin and we're still in love". I also surprised Greg by buying him a rifle he had been wanting for several years. He certainly was surprised. It's not the gun pictured, of course. On Saturday we went to Sound of Freedom shooting range after dropping the kids off with my parents. I did not enjoy that... at all. It was my idea to go there but I don't know if having kids has made me into a wus or what. The gun muffs I had weren't working at first. They were noise cancelling and run on batteries and I guess I had turned them off. So I was in the range with other people firing shots and the first one made me jump out of my skin because the muffs weren't working. I was a nervous wreck from that point on. I just left the area and let Greg have a go. From there we went to Smallin Civil War Cave. I enjoyed the tour a lot even though it was freezing cold. We had to borrow coats from the owners because we were too stupid and didn't bring our own. Next we went to Fire and Ice at the Oasis Convention Center...Not impressed. It was just so-so. Then off to the mall for a few minutes and then to a second hand shop "Uptown Cheapskate" where I bought a few things. And no date night is complete without a trip to WalMart and Home Depot. Then we went and got the kids. Luckily they behaved for my parents so we all had a great day. I'm so glad I married that guy. I'm also glad that it wasn't this bloody cold 12 years ago. It was a windy winter day but not as cold as it has been around here lately. 12 years down...forever to go!