Random musings

This morning was the Terrific Kid celebration at the elementary school. Ryan was picked as the Terrific Kid for his class for the whole term!!! Very proud parents here. He got to get an Arby's bag with a bumper sticker, pencil, badge, sticker, etc. and FOUR doughnuts. (Luckily, we'll miss the sugar buzz while he's in class.) [pictures coming soon]

Report cards came last week & Christopher was picked for the honor roll. The last paragraph on the letter was kinda cheesy -- "We hope you will maintain your interest in school, preserve your hard work, & continue to enjoy academic success -- because at Mauldin Middle, we 'EXPECT THE BEST!' from our students." Seriously though, we are really excited that Chris has figured it out & is doing his homework & getting good grades. [picture coming soon] He is also working at getting his Eagle -- he just needs to decide on a project & wait for the time requirement.

While at Terrific Kids I ran into one of Chris' friend's mom. Back in October, her husband had a massive heart attack & died in front of her. I wanted to call but never felt like I knew what to say so I just (mistakenly) said nothing. To her she felt like I just didn't care. I cried for days & felt so horribly for her & her 3 children, but I never called. Next time, next friend, next chance -- I promise I will call... or hug... or just say something. She is not bitter or anything but I wish that I would have called earlier.

And finally, my shoulder is killing me! (So I am sitting at the computer keyboard typing... go figure.) I went to physical therapy yesterday & while trying to figure out what was wrong, everything got irritated. Here's hoping for better days ahead (or at least good pain killers).

Happy Birthday Ryan!

Ryan turned 10 today. Wednesday is not the luckiest birthday day in the world -- piano, cub scouts, & boy scouts suck up our afternoons. Finally, at 9:35 he opened presents & blew out the candles.

Ryan is sweet, funny, & smart. He is the most helpful kid around the house -- probably in the world! His teachers love him & everyone wants to be his friend. I am lucky to be his mom.

Birthday pictures coming soon!

My desk on any given day

True confession -- My desk is always messy -- ALWAYS! Usually I know the general x-y coordinates of where a given document is located. But lately things have been crawling away into dark reaches where I can't find them. My goal on any given day is to have the pile shorter than the monitor so I can still check out my email. ;)

For today (and probably today only) the surface is mostly cleared -- this picture was taken back in November -- I brought in a table from the garage & unloaded everything onto a bigger surfact. I can breathe again for a few days.

Bucket List

Okay, the movie is supposed to be great but we haven't had a chance to see it yet. My friend Kathy Arp from Samoa posed the hypothetical question -- what 5 to 10 things would be on your must-do list if you knew you were going to die soon?

Scott & I have made 100 Life to-dos before but this made me stop & think again. And I wrote my list several days ago & I would maybe modify some of the items already.

Mine?
1. See my kids grow up happy.
2. Go to Europe with my husband for a month.
3. Graduate from BYU with my bachelor's degree. (29 credits left & counting!)
4. Be published in a good scrapbook magazine.
5. Lose 40 pounds & look great in a bathing suit on the beach.
6. Serve a mission with my husband.
7. Spend a week on the beach with my family. (Or how about Hawaii?)
8. See a Broadway play.
9. Run a 5K, 10K, & half marathon.
10. Go to the Sacred Grove.

Snow day -- part 2!

Wet soggy coats, socks, shoes, & pajamas are piled in a heap by the back door but the kids are happy! I didn't venture outside soon enough to get Jared's picture playing in the snow but hopefully he'll try again. I am just barely sorry that I am not a build a snowman mom. I hurt my shoulder at the gym about 10 days ago & it is NOT getting better.

Ryan & Chris played with neighbor boys Varun & Michael making giant snowballs into a fort.

Sounds like a perfect day to make soup, homemade bread, chocolate chip cookies, & hot chocolate. Goodbye diet & hello comfort foods. ;)

Snow!!!

It's snowing in Greenville! Now if you are someone who is lucky enough to live in the land of frequent snows, then 2-4" possible may not be that impressive. But we don't even get snow every year so it's a big deal.

I am pretty sure that the schools are already planning on being closed. In fact, (don't tell!) I let my kids stay up until 10 p.m. watching MythBusters. (It was the Bond segment -- how could I say no?) If you'll notice, Jared is asleep on our bed, Ryan is passed out under the blue star blanket on the floor, & Chris & Scott are the only ones watching the final stunt.

Notice the real-live snowflakes in Scott's hair! He just got back from refereeing three games.

Funny Jared-isms & Mexican pizza recipe

Jared has a really cute & funny way of looking at the world right now. When we are reading the scriptures as a family, we read a line from the Book of Mormon & then he recites it back. He interprets the words in some really funny ways -- nothing that I can pin down but Chris & I spend reading time smiling at each other about the cute things Jared says.

On Sunday, Jared came & climbed into bed with Scott after his nap. Ryan came downstairs & said, "I got Jared out of bed by telling him a story: 'Come on! Let's get ready for school!'" Jared thought for a second and then said, "That's not telling a story! That's lying!!!" Out of the mouths of babes.

Even better was today's funny. Today was a teacher workday so the kids didn't have school. Chris decided to make Coffee Cake (with butternut squash puree from Deceptively Delicious). He cut the stem off of the squash, put foil on a cookie sheet, & roasted the squash for about 45 minutes. During the entire process Chris had been talking about coffee cake & how great it was going to taste. (Jared was in the other room playing Backyard Baseball on the computer.) When the timer went off, Jared hurriedly ran into the kitchen to see the masterpiece come out of the oven. We put the squash on the counter & Jared exclaimed, "That's not a cake?!!" In the end the kids loved the cake laced with squash much more than the adults.

Oh yea, one more tidbit of fun: We made Mexican pizzas for lunch. Take 1/2 pound of ground turkey breast & 3 T taco seasoning & saute until cooked. Add a can of stewed tomatoes & 1 cup chopped onion & cook until the liquid is gone. Meanwhile, put a stoneware bar pan in the oven at 450 to preheat with four 6-inch tortillas evenly spaced. (I used fresh tortillas from Bloom.) Place 1/2 cup of the turkey mixture on each tortilla, sprinkle with Mexican cheese & olives (very optional at our house), & brown for ? 15 minutes. The tortillas baked up hard like chips & the turkey mixture tasted perfect. I added a spinach salad & an orange to the side & had a happy tummy for hours.

Conner, one of our YSAs, is left the MTC for Argentina today. (Update: His visa didn't arrive so he has to wait a while longer!) He will be a great missionary -- he worked really hard before he left with the Spanish-speaking elders in our ward. (Elders Mason & Martin speak Spanish & work in Mauldin. Elders Carlson & Hall work in Simpsonville.) I was thinking last night at the fireside that the YSA look a lot younger than we do, but I remember feeling just about the same grown-up-ness when we were newly married as I do now. I just have lost a little idealism & gained a bunch of life experience (that has too often resembled junior high!).

After Christmas lake house trip -- aren't they awesome???

A new MasterCraft boat for Christmas made for some great photo-ops at the lake over Christmas break. I had a blast taking pictures of Tanner & Spencer doing tricks.