Week in Pictures... kind of.

That picture in the upper right corner is our mailbox!




I decided that since we were snowed in all week my kids probably wouldn't do much about Valentine's at school, so we set out to make notes for each other. They worked on them all week, filling each others bags. On Sunday after church they were aching to open them, it was charming! They were so sweet with each other and happy to recieve handmade notes. It was as fun as Christmas stockings! (Sorry for the major sun glare, I just grabbed my camera quickly so I didn't miss their reactions, I wasn't thinking!)

Just call me Martha...

Blizzard of 2010

What is it about a good blizzard that brings out the Becky Home-Ecky in me? We've baked dozens of sugar cookies, drank gallons of hot chocolate, washed every stitch of clothing and bedding in the house (felt risky Saturday when I realized the very real possibility of loosing power while all the blankets were sopping wet....)! We've sewn a-MAZE-ing valentines (Kids loved using my machine!), stitched crochet flower headbands and Evie even got a haircut! I have a wooden block/modge podge project on the counter and dozens of valentines yet to be made.... good thing tomorrow is ANOTHER SNOW DAY! (HOLY COW! They are canceling school again (no school today and an early release last Friday! We aren't expecting the next storm to start till 4 p.m.) (You Westerners would think us all so wimpy! We haven't had church in 2 weeks due to snow!)

I guess I better run to the market for more eggs and powdered sugar! (who needs "real" food? As long as we can make more sugar cookies we are all set right?)

p.s. I just have to laugh at myself because I am so not Martha! I look at cute blogs with perfect pictures and then I make stuff that just doesn't quite turn out the same. Do you think those people with those perfect sugar cookies, perfect sewing projects and perfect children also have dishes in the sink, crumbs under the table and kids arguing over who gets to create the next mii?

Jane Elizabeth...

(Please excuse my Halloween picture in January... Dad, if you read this, my Kodak easy share is actually a Kodak IMPOSSIBLE to share, help please! Christmas is trapped on the camera waiting to be blogged!)

Today is my sweet Janey's birthday. Nine years ago she came into this world and hasn't stopped making me smile since.


J- Jane is Jubilant, Jazzy, Jumpy! She fills our house with Joy!
A- Attitude, Jane has a great attitude, she isn't a quitter!
N- Nice. Jane is genuinely Nice, She reminds me of my sisters, she is loyal and thinks of nice things to do for other people... even saving her favorite treat to share with Eve or Michael when they get home from school.
E- Excellent Speller! Exceptional learner!

E-Energetic! Jane doesn't tire out easily!
L-Laugh! Jane's laugh is soooo contagious. Seriously. When she laughs, we all join in!
I-Introspective. Jane is a deep thinker.
Z-Zippy. Before we named her I was worried about the whole "plain Jane" thing... little did I know what kind of spirit she had! When she was about 3 years old Dave or I said the phrase Plain Jane then we looked at each other and burst out laughing. Nothing plain about our Jane!
A-Accesories! QUEEN of the accessories, from crowns, to ribbons, to striped toe socks! She started as soon as she could put a string of beads around her neck and hasn't stopped since!
B-Babies! Jane has recently discovered a love of Babies! She loves them and they love her! She begs to go see my friends who have babies! :)
E-Etch-a-sketch! My girl has skills! really! You would be amazed and impressed!
T-Tinkers. Jane likes to create things! All sorts of things out of all sorts of materials!
H- Happy! Jane is cheerful! She is also amazingly Helpful!!

Jane truly is a special spirit. I feel so lucky to have her home with me right now. I learn something new everyday. We laugh together a lot, work together a lot and love spending time together. It is a blessing to be her Mom.

Joshua

I'm embarrassed to admit that my knowledge of the story of Moses is weak. To say the least. (Was there a Disney about Moses? I think I saw one!) I know about the plagues and manna and the whole Red Sea business, but I didn't know " the rest of the story". I guess I always figured they made it safely to the promised land and lived happily ever after. (Please cut me some slack, we studied Old Testament my senior year and I did a fair bit of... "missing" class that year.)

Anyway, today I came across Joshua. I felt a bit shocked to realize that Moses eventually died (at 120!) and Joshua had the "glory" of leading the children of Israel into the promised land, complete with all the excitement of the whole walls of Jericho crumbling thing and even more drama! I mean, bummer! After all that work Moses put in, he didn't get to reap the "rewards"!

But then.... My mind instantly went to the sister in our ward who passed away this week after a courageous battle with cancer. She was a young grandma with young grandchildren. She and her sweetheart had plans for travel abroad this spring, plans to watch their children be parents and their grandchildren grow up-- in many ways, she is missing the "glory" of entering the Promised Land! The fruits of her labors!

But then... Before Moses died, the Lord showed him the Promised Land, Moses had had the opportunity to be so close to the Lord, to watch the children of Israel learn (after wandering for 40 years!), there had to be great reward in that... and the amazing Sister... I bet she had a glimpse, I know the veil was thin. I know that in her last days she smiled at her grandson blowing her kisses, that her family surrounded her and poured out their love to her. She put in hard years of teaching, training, working, relying on the Holy Ghost to guide her in parenting--- all the time seeing her family following our Saviors plan. There had to have been great reward in that.

That's all. My Sunday thoughts today. I'm also still hooked on the message read today in church,

“Money is not the only need in Haiti,” the statement continued. “People are frightened, bewildered, and wholly uncertain about their future. In addition to what people can do in helping with food, water and shelter, there needs to be a calming influence over that troubled nation. We invite people everywhere to supplicate God for a spirit of calm and peace among the people.”

Supplicate God. I love that, I know we can help those struggling people feel a spirit of calm and peace. How important is that!


I also love knowing 100% of money given to the Humanitarian Aid goes to help those in need. No overhead, no publicity, no advertising or paying the CEO, just plain help. Lovely indeed.

A riddle for a Friday.

What do these all have in common?

Mom
Dad
racecar
A man, a plan, a canal, panama!
Do Geese See God?
Was it Eliot's toilet I saw?
Too bad, I hid a boot.
Are we not drawn onward, we few, drawn onward to new era?
01/22/10

Have a happy day!

Old Dan and Little Ann

... or is it Anne with an 'e'? Anyway... Michael's class finished reading "Where the Red Fern Grows" today. When he told me they were reading it I cringed. It is a terrific book, engaging, beautifully written, but SAD!

During dinner Michael said "You know what I hate about books?" and then I saw the tears brimming, ready to spill out onto his cheeks.... and I knew. He hates how so many stories have loss and death. He sat on my lap (he is almost 11... more like I sat under him.) and we both cried. (I'm a wimp, when one of my kids is crying over sadness, I almost always join in... sympathy tears.) He saved his tears at school for home when it was safe and we could talk. Old Dan and Little Ann(e).... how sad that one died and the other was so sad it died too! What a heartbreaking book, and yet, aren't we so glad we form attachments and fall in love and feel sad when we loose someone/something we love? It is important to bond, to love and to loose.

I think he'll read Alvor this weekend, he loves it and NOBODY DIES! :) (Only wish we could read Alvor II.....)

"Normal"

Seven years ago, when Eve was a baby, we had lots of ups and downs. One of our lowest came when she was about 4 months old. She caught a cold. No big deal for most babies, but huge for Evie. I remember sitting with her in the ER on a Monday night, and the doctor telling me, "She has a cold. Babies get them. Go home." She was nice, but condescending. The next morning at a follow up visit with our pediatrician, she turned blue. We left there in a helicopter and spent the following month in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, with a lovely private room, our own personal nurse, a team of doctors who would listen and ask if she always sounded like that (what a cough!!!) and a great view of the princess tower. ;)

During the time Eve was in the hospital, many of the days felt like life and death at any time... she had a machine breathing for her and day by day was getting weaker not stronger. I remember coming home one night while Dave stayed with her for the evening. I did laundry and cleaned the toilets and tucked sweet Michael and precious Janey into bed. Normal. On my way back to the hospital I stopped at the store and bought milk and macaroni and cheese. Normal. As I stood in the line I thought, "I haven't held my baby in weeks, she could die. A machine is breathing for her. My arms ache for her and I'm tired of pumping. I want to hold her. I want normal life again" I wondered how many people in the store that night had big huge things going on in their lives, but had to keep going with the "normal" stuff. It was hard, but Eve is strong and God has a plan for her. We were so blessed at that time to have so many friends and family reach out and carry us through those tough days.

Today we had a joyful playdate with Samuel, Levi and their Dad. I can pronounce his name, but I wont' attempt to spell it. They are visiting their Grandma from NYC, she is a friend of ours and is dying. They came to play, to burn off some energy, get a change of scenery.... and hopefully have some fun during these difficult days. As I dropped them off on our way to swim club after we played for a few hours, I noticed in front of their house the cast off Christmas tree. Normal. I was struck with the thought of how NOT normal the goings- on in that house are... hospice in and out, a hospital bed in the bedroom, medicines and schedules and crying and planning.... It occurred to me how little we know about anything. Anyone driving by that house would think "Life is fine, normal." Anyone seeing me buying milk at the market 7 years ago would have thought "life is fine, normal". We just don't know! I often think that... when standing in a line or watching someone who doesn't seem to be coping very well, I think, "I wonder what else is going on that we just don't see."

Tonight we roasted marshmallows over the fire for Family Home Evening snack. It was fun and normal. But my thoughts were with others. My sweet Uncle Bud is nearing the end of his 9 year battle with cancer. It is my prayer that someone somewhere in Idaho and Utah recognizes how not "normal" life is for his precious family and reaches out to them. I wish I were there to do it.

2009 was Oh, So Fine!

2009 was a good year for our family. Our children have grown up, we've come out on top. I tried to choose a handful of pictures that tell the story of our lives, what I discovered is that I take too many pictures (many of the backs of heads?) and that I can't choose a handful... maybe 7 handfuls?


We've done a lot of schoolwork!

We've done a lot of braids!!!!!
We've loved time with Papa!
And celebrated birthdays with Nana!
We vacationed at the Delaware Beach with cousins and Grandma Hart!
We swam in the Atlantic!
And the Pacific!
And the YMCA! :)
Jane made the important choice to be baptized!

We celebrated 90 years of amazing Grandma Steimle's life!


We've baked!

We've cheered at Jane's swim meet!
Henry has slept!

and slept! (note the ever-present green hat? He loves that hat! One Sunday we sat down at church and during the opening prayer I realized he had it on! He wears it more than he doesn't so he didnt' look funny to me walking into church! oops.)

We've cuddled!
I've been able to field trip, with Michael to see the Nutcracker and Eve to see the Liberty Bell. Cool!
We've been weird.
We've eaten a lot of cake!
We've spent A LOT of time in the car!


We've matched most Sundays. ;)
We love to see the temple!
We've shared our cookies, even with our dollies.
We've picked early spring flowers
We laugh at Dad. Lots!

We loved Thanksgiving with Coburn Grandparents!We've been crafty!
Michael's improved on the trombone with a terrific band teacher and Jane sat on the big man's lap and asked for an etch a sketch! (she got one and is GOOD at it!)



We've read and read and read and read and read.........


I've LOVED my calling as Primary Chorister. I mean LOVED it. So Much Fun!

We loved having G&G Hart spend Christmas with us (stay tuned for a Christmas blog just as soon as I can get the pictures off my new camera... )

7 is Heaven.

This morning my mom called and told her what a miracle she is, her response? "I know!"

Love this girl. Happy Birthday Sweet Genevieve Noelle!

They said we might get some snow...

This is the bread aisle at Food Lion last night.

People out here freak out when they think it might snow!

We did get snow though and have had a wonderful day watching it fall. Tomorrow we get to conduct our own church because it has been cancelled! We are such wusses. I love it. :)



I think Michael was pouting because he accidently face planted. He was being silly, no worries. I think Eve came in once crying because she'd thrown a snowball at her own face.... We need snow more often so they get the hang of it!