Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Tis The Season

Even though the song states "Tis the season to be jolly...". I am feeling more like "Tis the season to be overwhelmed, exhausted, not enough time in the day to get everything done..la, la, la LA!"
I know not everything has to be perfect, and the tree trimmed just right, or the right amount of perfectly wrapped gifts under the tree, etc. etc. etc. But I do feel that I should try my very hardest to make it special and unique for the kiddos. When you throw traditions in the mix, it can get to be just too much! So, I have proposed to my family a new way of doing things at Christmas time. We DO NOT have to have the tree up, Christmas lights on the house, and all the decor out on Thanksgiving weekend. We CAN drink hot chocolate every night if we want to, we CAN go look at lights numerous times in different neighborhoods, (Not just on Christmas Eve), we CAN let the kids wrap their own gifts to each other, (this will be a hard one for mom), we DO NOT have to have all the shopping done before December, and most importantly, we CAN actually try and ENJOY the season, and remembering the Spirit. If I can achieve at least two of these things, I will be a happy camper:)

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Thanksgiving 101

As we slave in the kitchen on Thanksgiving, I am reminded of the song "Because I have been given much, I too must give.." I am very fortunate to have such a giving husband and family. Even when I feel down or alone, I know that they try to cheer me up as best they can. I have a roof over my head, beautiful and healthy children, and a husband who provides for me. I have the church to guide me and give me added comfort in times of great despair. As some of you may know I just received a calling in our new ward as 2nd counselor in the Relief Society Presidency. As I feel VERY overwhelmed, my blessing when I was set apart gave me such admiration and strength for my fellow ward members, and the Bishop, that I know there is a reason for this. I just hope I can give to them as much as I know I am going to receive.
I want all of you to know how much I appreciate and love your friendship and guidance throughout the years, for you have pulled me out of the darkest of times, and enlightened me in the best of days. Have a beautiful and safe Thanksgiving everyone:)

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Josh Turns 7

Today was Josh's Birthday, and ,I am reminiscing about how he was little, and such a cuddle bug. I love how he always wakes up happy and excited to start a new day, ready for any adventure! He of course woke up very excited and wanted the world to know that it was his birthday. He got some cool toys from Mom and Dad, some fun board games from Grandma, and some birthday $$ that he couldn't wait to spend. After breakfast, we went to Wal-Mart so he could spend some of his cash, and then to this really cool restaurant called the "T-Rex Cafe". It is really animated with dinosaurs and themed rooms. We were in the "Glacier Room" with a HUGE wholly-mammoth in front of it, and every so often the "Ice Sculptors" above us would change different colors. They had a "Fern Room" a "Friend-a-sauros" room, etc. They all had Dino's that would occasionally talk or roar. It was very loud to say the least in there. The food was "OK" at best but the dessert was spectacular! They had one called the "chocolate extinction" that had four slices of cake with ice cream topped with whipped cream and butter-finger bits, and in the middle of it was a dry-ice volcano thing that would erupt when they brought it out to the table. Needless to say, Josh's face and smile was priceless:) Due to technical difficulty, my camera stopped working all-together when it came time for the b-day song. (of course, just my luck). I was only able to capture one picture from the restaurant, but at least Josh will have the memories:) He was tuckered out by the end of the day, and happily playing in his room with a $12.00 sword he got.
I guess I can definitely learn from this experience because no matter how much u spend on them they always find happiness in the little things...in my case it cost me roughly $12.00 to make his day:)

Monday, November 7, 2011

Kansas City Zoo

This past week we went to the zoo, and it was such a nice break! There was so much to see and do, that we didn't even get to half of it. One of the coolest things they have is a polar bear exhibit, where you can see him, and he had a viewing area with a big pool so you can see underwater this HUGE polar bear swimming and doing flips, it is really cool. There are a lot of animals here that we didn't get to see in Hawaii, so all of us were in "Ah". They also have a carousel,a tram, and a train ride. During the summer, they even have a boat ride. I liked the Africa part of the zoo that is over 95 acres of animals like elephants, giraffes, zebras baboons, cheetahs, gorillas, exotic birds and other wildlife associated with that country. I am so glad we went, and the kids did a great job, especially with no strollers, no capri-suns, excess snacks, no diapers, no extra clothes, MAN! I could definitely get used to this:) It was part of Josh's b-day treat, and with the annual passes, what we didn't get to see, we will see again sometime in the near future.
Look at how big those paws are!!
These last couple are of the kiddos having a good time:)
These next two pix. are too funny of Josh, he is definitely animated:)