A little wrinkle…

There’s nothing like a small home renovation project to keep the winter blahs at bay.  Right?  Joe and I decided to give our kitchen a facelift by staining the cabinets and putting up a backsplash.  Luckily, we know a guy who does great work and he had some time right now…so we got started. 
I emptied out all of the kitchen cabinets and put the contents in the sitting room just off the kitchen.  We had piles of stuff everywhere, but it only had to sit there for two days, tops.  I took a picture because it reminded me of the day after Christmas.
Day one, we were out and about for the kids day off of school.  Day two, the kids went back to school and I had Beau and Annie.  I went into the office, just off the sitting room to grab some stuff for Relief Society, when I heard “Mom!! Emergency!!”  and a loud shooshing sound.  I ran out to see a giant cloud of green smoke.  I quickly determined that it wasn’t coming from the fireplace, opened the door to let the smoke out, grabbed Beau and Annie, and took them upstairs.  I was asking Beau what happened, and after some encouragement, he finally told me, “I made the red thing to do a back flip”.  Huh?  What red thing?  I was thinking maybe he got into some equipment that was there from the guys doing the kitchen.  After the dust settled a little bit, I went down to check it out.  There it was, covered in yellow-green dust, was our fire extinguisher.  He had pulled out the pin and it sprayed everywhere, doing a back flip as it fell to the ground. 
This is what it looked like:
That’s where it fell, right behind the chair.  Right on top of our new curtains and right next to my open purse.  Awesome. 
Did you know this is NOT like dust?  It does not just wipe off, it takes warm soapy water and lots and lots of vacuuming.  It took me four and 1/2 days to wipe off everything from our kitchen individually.  Plus, the walls, the pictures, the furniture, the fireplace, the books, and everything else that was nearby.  Did you also know that it floats in the air and settles?  I still come down every morning (over a week later) to a new, fresh layer of yellow dust on our counters and shelves.  To be fair, it’s getting to be less and less dirty, so maybe after another week and good carpet cleaning, we’ll be done.  I hope. 
I had to lean on the couch to plug the vacuum in, this handprint actually made me laugh out loud.  
Beau felt bad and helped me a lot with the clean up. He is going to do great things someday, I’m counting on it. He has a curious mind, this one.
Despite this little wrinkle, the kitchen cabinet update took place and looks great.  We just need to add the backsplash, then I’ll post some pictures. 
In the meantime, here’s a peek of the before and after…we went from oak to cherry…

Blah, blah, blah, blah

Monday, the kids didn’t have school so we had some fun.  We got a few things done around the house, then went to a couple of stores, lunch, and to see a movie… Hotel Transylvania.  It was hilarious!  I liked it, the kids liked it and they’ve been quoting Dracula all week, “I do NOT say blah, blah, blah!” 

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

Colin had a birthday, shout hurray!

My oldest son turned 9.  What?  How did he get so old and tall and handsome?  I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday and now he’s a young man. 
Here are some things you may not know about Colin:
He shares a room with Beau and they say prayers together every night.  Colin is a very talented artist and has creative ability that I envy.  He loves football and basketball and loves to practice (he shovels the snow off the b-ball court in our yard so he can practice shooting hoops).  He is sensitive and feels bad when someone else feels bad.  He loves spending time with Mom and Dad, he’s always the first one that wants to go with us when we have to run an errand.  He’s good at math, it comes easily to him…just like his Dad.  When he reads, it’s usually a Star Wars book or Body Worlds book, both things fascinate him.  He’s a wonderful son and brother.   
Of course, we had to start out his birthday with breakfast in bed, but Speedy Gonzales was already out of bed and ready for school when I started to go up to his room.  So, breakfast in kitchen was in order.  He ate it on a tray, so it was still cool, right?
We gave him his gift before school…a new Star Wars Lego set.  It’s the Sith Interceptor and has about 750 pieces, it’s a biggie.  He’s also getting his room decorated and organized, more on that when it’s complete.  It’s a bummer that kids have to go to school on their birthdays, but Colin had to leave his Legos and go anyway.  However, I did check him out to take him to lunch with Dad.  There’s a cool place by Dad’s work….Sweet Home Chicago.  It seemed fitting since Colin wore his Jordan shirt underneath his Bears sweatshirt… he was in heaven.  Pizza and wings? His favorite!


















This is where he sat for most of the afternoon, he finished most of it before dinner!

He finished the rest of it the next day!For dinner, he requested fondue with shrimp, pickles, mushrooms, and ham.  Yum!!
And yes, he’s wearing his scout shirt because it happened to be Pack Meeting tonight.  It was a big deal because Colin was advancing from Wolf to Bear.  Good job buddy!!!  Joe and I went with him, I got my Mother pin, and we took a few pictures.  We didn’t stay long because we invited grandparents over for dessert. 
I’m so proud of our boy!!
And for dessert?  Chocolate fondue of course!  We sang to him with a cake, then covered the cake (and strawberries, marshmallows, and bananas) in chocolate.  Good choice Colin!
Happy birthday dear boy!  You continue to make us proud and I love you more and more fiercely as the years go by. 

Beau and Annie

With the big kids at school and involved in Young Women’s, Jr. Jazz, ballet, piano, activity days, scouts, and school activities, I get a lot of quality time with Annie and Beau.  I love it.  I will go through withdrawals when Beau goes to Kindergarten next year.  I can’t even think about when Annie leaves.  So, I’m enjoying my time now. 
It’s easy with these guys.  Yep, that’s Beau and yep, that’s Annie. 
See?
She sticks out her tongue when she’s happy, it’s her version of wagging a tail.  Daddy cut Beau’s hair a little bit too short this time, but he still looks so handsome!
Beau helped me build a bookcase for his and Colin’s room.  He nailed all the nails in the back…they were straight and everything!
We read stories, we play games, we learn, and we sing songs.  Right now, Annie’s favorite naptime songs are “I’m so glad when Daddy comes home”, “Mother, tell me a story”, and “My Daddy is my favorite pal.”  I usually have to sing all three before she’ll go to sleep, and now she sings along with me.  Beau likes her naptime because then we get to do fun stuff together, just the two of us. 
Mothers that have passed through this stage often remind me to “enjoy this time, it goes by so quickly!!”  I just want them all to know that I know.  It’s quick.  It’s fleeting.  And I try to enjoy every minute of it. 

Service with a smile

I have to hand it to my kids, they are pretty good helpers.  They put their laundry away (usually), they each have a dishes day, they keep their rooms clean (usually), and they have daily chores.  With eight people living here, it’s too much for me to do by myself.  Plus, when I was in college and on my mission, I could tell which roommates and comps had learned how to work while they were growing up.  It was hard to live with them when they didn’t have a clue.  So, to all of my children’s future roommates, missionary companions, and spouses I say, “You’re welcome.” 
Thursday is garbage day, so my kids take the garbage cans out before school and bring them back in after school.  No complaints.
Every time is snows, they put on their gear and head out to shovel.  They usually do a few neighbor’s driveways while they’re at it.  I almost wish they loved to clean their rooms as much as they loved to shovel snow!  This job is way more fun! 
Even when there are white snow lasers flashing through the sky, they have no fear and shovel snow with a smile on their faces…
It’s not always work around here, we do our share of playing, but it’s true for these great kids, “When you’re helping, you’re happy!”  Thanks kids, for pitching in.  

Minnie the Dog

We love our little puppy. 

The Books I Read in 2012

Last year, I was reading my friend’s blog (Kemi) and saw a list she kept of the books she had read that year.  Great idea!  I love to read, but since I read so much, sometimes I lose track of what I’ve read. Or liked.  Or didn’t like.  I decided to copy her idea this year.  Some are book club books, some are friend recommendations, most are books I checked out from the library (e-books).  I rated them according to my own opinion, based on a five-star scale.

 

This list is mostly for me, but please feel free to peruse…

 

January

Killing Lincoln,  by Bill O’Reilly.  4 stars.   Amazing book about the conspiracy to kill Lincoln.

Chasing Fire,  by Nora Roberts . 1 star.   Fluff about firefighters, poor morals.

The Devil and Miss Prym,  by Paelo Coelho.  3 stars.  Philosophical  thinking, will make you reflect on own ethics.

Blood Work,  by Michael Connelly.  2 stars.  Interesting mystery about a serial killer.

Kitchen Confidential,  by Anthony Bourdain.  2 stars.  Fun look behind the restaurant scene. 

 

February

Dear and Glorious Physician, by Taylor Caldwell.  4 stars.  About Luke from the Bible, fascinating look at the man and the times.

Caleb’s Crossing, by Geraldine Brooks.  3 stars.   Based on the true story of the 1^st Native Americans going to Harvard.

Thanksgiving, by Janet Evanovich.  1 star.  Fluff.

Minding Frankie, by Maeve Binchy.  4 stars.  Intertwining of many people’s lives who are ultimately taking care of baby Frankie. 

 

March

The False Friend,  by Myla Goldberg.  1 star.  About a mean friend, no resolution, no growth on path of life.

Escape From Rwanda,  by John Bizimani.  4 stars.  True, compelling story about a man’s escape from a tortured country. 

776 Stupidest Things Ever Said,  by Ross Petras.  1 star.  Didn’t finish it, I thought it would be funnier.

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt,  by Beth Hoffman.  4 stars.  Brilliantly written story of a daughter affected by her mother’s mental illness.

The Reading Group,  by Elizabeth Noble.  2 stars.  Kind of like Jane Austen Book Club, but not as good.

 

April

Hunger Games,  by Suzanne Collins.  4 stars.  Just saw the movie, I wanted to re-read the series.

Catching Fire.  Ditto.

Mockingjay.  Ditto.

A Good Day to Pie,  by Carol Culver.  1 star.  Lame.

Reflexology.   5 stars.  A good reference book for practicing reflexology at home.

Gluten-Free Bible.   5 stars.  Another good reference book for gluten-free living.

 

May

The Pulse of Hopeful Life,  by Jeana Watters.  5 stars.  Novel based on a true incident, heart-wrenching and superbly written.

The Scent of Rain and Lightning,  by Nancy Pickard.  3 stars.  The story of a girl dealing with the return of the man who killed her father.

Fabric A to Z,  by Dana Willard.  5 stars.  Very handy reference book for picking out fabric.

Letters in the Jade Dragon Box,  by Gale Sears.  5 stars.  Novel of a girl living in China and the story of her past. 

 

June

Split Second,  by Catherine Coulter.  3 stars.  Fiction of Ted Bundy’s daughter turned serial killer. 

South of Superior,  by Ellen Airgood.  3 stars.  Girl discovers her family up North.

 

July

Living Single,  by Holly Chamberlin.  1 star.  Lame.

44 Cranberry Point,  by Debbie Macomber.  2 stars.  Fluff, okay reading.

Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun,  by Lois Winston.  1 star.  Fluff.

Sister Wife,  by Shelley Hraltischka.  3 stars.  Story of an Amish girl who breaks away. 

Evening Star,  by Catherine Coulter.  No stars.  Horrible, disgusting, didn’t finish because it was so bad.

Same Kind of Different as Me,  by Ron Hall.  5 stars.  Superb true story of a man and his wife who give their time at a Homeless Shelter and find a wonderful man and true friend.

 

August

We Are Not Alone,  by James Hinton.  3 stars.  Sad but nice old man, charged with killing his wife.

Doc,  by Maria Dona Russell.  2 stars.  Didn’t finish.  Had potential, but slow-moving.  Story of Doc Holliday.

Anna and the French Kiss,  by Stephanie Perkins.  2 stars.  Fluff, but cute.

Don’t Say a Word,  by Barbara Freethy.  3 stars.  Interesting story of a woman who discovers the truth about her past.

 

September

The Language of Flowers,  by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.  4 stars.  Book club book about a girl who grew up in foster care and is now starting her life on her own. 

The Expats,  by Chris Pavone.  2 stars.  Story of some expats living in France, former CIA.

 

October

Picture Perfect,  by Jodi Piccoult.  3 stars.  Story of an amnesia patient married to an abusive celebrity.

A Curse Dark as Gold,  by Elizabeth Bunce.  4 stars.  Modern telling of Rumpelstiltskin.

Size 12 is Not Fat,  by Meg Cabot.  3 stars.  Murder mystery book set on a college campus. 

No Easy Day,  by Mark Owen.  5 stars.  Amazing story of a man who was on the Navy Seals team that killed Bin Laden.  Fascinating read, some language.

 

November

Barefoot Season,  by Susan Mallery.  2 stars.  Afghan vet who takes over the family inn on Blackberry Island.

How to Eat a Cupcake,  by Meg Donohue.  2 stars.  A cupcake chef and old friend reunite, solve crime of fire and mother’s murder.

 

December

Before Ever After,  by Samantha Sotto.  1 star.  Strange story of strange immortality. 

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,  by Rebecca Skloot.  3 stars.  True story of the HeLa cells used in medicine that reproduce.  They are used in research even today, and originated from Henrietta Lacks.

 

May-August

New Testament in the Bible.  5 stars.  I read this with Joe and Dakota, five pages a day.  We chose a verse each day to write something about and created a book of our testimonies.   

Saturday fun

Wednesday, the kids went back to school, Joe went back to work, and I cried.  Just for a minute, but still. 
I spent the rest of the week deep cleaning closets and dressers and purging our home of clothing and items that are not being used.  It was exhausting and rewarding.  On Saturday, we decided to keep playing.  We took the kids to Scheels for some fun. 
Football guy.  We’ll put this picture in the slideshow that ESPN will produce when Colin wins the Heisman someday.  

Lincoln.  We’ll show this picture at Dakota’s Inauguration. 
Aaaaaand, the Ferris Wheel, right off the bat.  Annie is too little, so Daddy took her while I took the others.  Koko, Emma, and Colin on one seat….
Me, Camri, and Beau on another.  Here’s Dad’s eye view.
And here’s our view of Dad and Annie.  Hi!!Next, we did a little mini-bowling.
































Time to shoot….all the kids got a turn.
Emma got us fired up with her score, then Koko crushed it.
Until Mom got a turn…High score, baby!
We LOVE Bears!

We left and took them to lunch at Dickies, it’s a fun place for the kids and the meat and sauce is all gluten-free!  Bonus!! 
The kids were pooped and some even fell asleep on the way home.  It’s hard work to have this much fun!!  We took them home and the little ones rested while the big ones played games..we got some new Kinect games that are a hit with the kids (Disneyland is one of them).  We hung out until that evening.  The kids watched Percy Jackson, while we went to birthday dinner with Jake and Liz at Asian Star.  Yum! 
Isn’t my date dreamy?

We tried to go bowling, but it was packed.  We could’ve waited with all the teenagers there, but decided not to.  We watched “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” instead and I felt very grateful for my kids (again).  Thanks Jake and Liz for a fun night!