33 years

33 years ago...




I looked like this. Give or take a few days. Since none of my babies were this chubby, it's hard to tell if any of them look like me. I even remember using that dress on my Cabbage Patch Kids!

Then, 30 year ago I looked like this...



Then I think something got stuck in my hair and it all had to go. So I looked like this...



When I was sorting pictures with my mom I tried to put this picture in my brothers pile. My mom laughed and said it was me.

Enjoy!

If I had a dollar every time...

Every week I tell Jason that "If I can get through this week, next week won't be so busy." Jason always responds with "I wish I had a dollar for every time you say that." Well he would be a rich man!
So blogging takes a back seat to Cub Scouts, PTA, 4 kids, Soccer, Piano, Cello, and various random activities. If only I could clean the house and do all the laundry and it would stay done!!!
Maybe I should post my To Do List for a week and that would count as a journal?
Here is a quick update and random facts about us.
Jason - Still working on Wizards Soccer Stadium and EQ Pres...slipping in volleyball when he can.
Blake - His strings teacher at school said, "Blake is a very talented musician." He is playing the cello and piano (Hates practicing of course!) He also competed in a District math competition as a top 3 finisher from his elementary but didn't place at districts. Almost finished with 2nd Class Scout. Is constantly complaining about pain in his legs and I expect him to grow visibly at this point.
Caleb - Quietly goes about and takes care of stuff. He is a natural athlete so now that we have finished our winter hiatus he will be up and going.
Luke - Ready for kindergarten!! He is excited to be learning his letters and hopefully will finally get them all down.
Sydney - All I can say is that she has no fear and is constantly getting in trouble if not giving hugs and kisses to keep things balanced.
I did manage to read my first Charles Dickens book in March! Now if I could find time to read all the other books I want to read...
And did I mention that I went to parent orientation for Middle School...where does the time go!!!

Jane Austen Fans!

For all my Jane Austen fan friends...

PBS Masterpiece theater is playing a new version of Emma and I really like it. I have only seen the first part of 3 but so far it looks good. The screenplay was done by the same person that did North and South. One of Elizabeth Gaskell's better known works and movie.
The 1st part can be seen online and the 2nd part will be this Sunday with the 3rd part on February 7th.
I hadn't even heard about it when I stumbled upon it last Sunday at midnight when I was about to turn the TV off and heard the names Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax. I did what any good Austen fan would do...I stayed up until 2 watching it because...well you know.

Anyway enjoy and if you miss it I am sure to own it by my birthday for you to borrow:)
www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/

Pictures

For Christmas this year we gave pictures. It was time for grandparents to get some updated pictures. Also, We snuck out and took pictures for Jason's office. Our friend Tiffany took these great pictures of the kids and everyone loved them. So here they are...

Luke

Sydney

Caleb

Blake

HOMEWORK HELP!!!!

Blake was working on a revision for a 5th grade research paper about Belgium and Hungary. After a brief discussion about the word ginormous, we came across this sentence and thought we should share a laugh with all our friends and family...

"Although Belgium and Hungary are similar in many different ways the differences are similar in many different ways the differences are unexpected."

I think we might be up a little late working on this sentence :)

Family Picture

Thanks to my awesome sister for going out with us to take some fun family pictures. Here is one of my favorites.

I dream of...

I loved watching the show "I dream of Jeannie". It was the best and I can't even think of a good reason that it was except for the dream part. Didn't we all wish that we could cross our arms, blink and whatever we wanted would appear?! Even with only 32 years of experience I have already learned that that would be disastrous (although that was probably the fun part in seeing how disastrous it always was for Jeannie). Even when we wish for good things there is a plan in place that is better than anything we could come up with on own. I have found that the Lord likes to remind my stubborn and independent person of this on a frequent basis.

Today I would love to blink my house clean. In fact at this very moment I should be elbow deep in laundry folding, vacuuming, and comet...but here I sit! My house has taken a beating from some neglect over the past 3 weeks. The neglect comes from a hard lesson in trusting to a plan. And the realization that, if we allow, our Savior can make any moment a teaching, testifying, and faith building moment. I am grateful that the Lord is patient in teaching, and that Jade will make a full recovery.

For those of you that don't know, my friend Brenda dropped her 14 month old little girl at my house to run up to an appointment. I put her soup in the microwave and ran upstairs to pick up for a few minutes leaving my 8 year old to watch her with crackers and milk. My son wanting to be helpful took her soup from the microwave and put it on her tray, where she promptly put her hand in and screamed. I was there in seconds to get her out and run her hand under water, but the damage to her sensitive baby skin was done. Almost 10 days later she was released from the hospital. Brenda had a calm peace from the start that everything would be okay. For me, after 6 days of praying for a miracle, crying, agonizing over what if's and why's, finally fasting and asking for a blessing, I knew that everything was going to be fine, I just needed a little more faith. It was a hard lesson in how fragile life really is, but a great knowledge that there is a plan that is better than anything we could come up with or wish for. And most importantly that we don't have to walk alone.


p.s. After 4 kids, I would settle for Jeannie's body:)