Being Sick is the Pits!!!!!!!!!

Last Wednesday I felt a fever coming on so I took some medicine and thought that it would stay for one day then go away, like it usually does. Well, It is Monday and I am just now getting rid of the fever. I am still somewhat weak. My kids have had no fun for the past 5 days and I feel so bad for them. I have not been able to eat anything except for an occasional piece of fruit and I just weighed myself and I have lost 5 lbs since Wednesday! I truly need to eat and get better for my kids. I need to get up my strength so that I can clean my disaster of a house.

My kids have been such wonderful helpers. Ashley gave me a bell to ring if I need anything from her and Lindsay gave me a bell to ring if I need any food. Hailey has sang me to sleep quite a few times and Ashley wrote me a song about being sick. I need to videotape her singing the song. Mitchell has been a huge help also. He has not once complained and has been right there every time I call his name. He, with the help of the girls, cleaned the house yesterday and did a lot of laundry. It is so nice to have a helpful and supportive husband and kids.

We were suppose to go to Boise yesterday to meet up with my sister Tricia and her family. We have been looking forward to it for some time now. Tricia called when they were an hour away from their home and said that they were in a bad snowstorm. We checked our weather and noticed that our passes to Boise were pretty bad our way also so we decided to cancel. Our children were looking forward to this trip so much. Tonight, (I hope that I feel up to it) we are getting a hotel in downtown Portland with a swimming pool. Hopefully they will have fun and hopefully I will have strength to do it.

I hate being sick and can not wait to be back to myself again!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christmas in Review

We have had a busy, but fun week. Mitchell's parents came down from California last Friday to spend Christmas with us. We had such a great time with them. They were here for 7 days. I did not take any pictures, but on Saturday Lindsay got her ears pierced. Ashley was going to get hers pierced also, but she said she will wait until she is 20. I was amazed that Lindsay went through with it. There was only one lady piercing ears at the time so she had to get them done separately. I thought she would get one pierced, then run away and not get the other one done. She looks really cute with her pierced ears.

Lindsay and Ashley are getting ready for Santa to come. Ashley made Reindeer food in her class and they are placing it outside of our home so that the Reindeer know where to fly. It had oatmeal, chocolate chips and glitter in it (to light the way for Rudolph).

Here they are placing it on our porch. They did not want to miss a single spot, they wanted to make sure that Santa would come to their house.

This is a special gift that the girls were able to open on Christmas Eve from their Nana. It is a bear that reads "Twas the Night Before Christmas." It will be fun to get that out every year and have the girls listen to that story.

This is also a special gift from their Nana. Her husband collected about 70 furby's and she thought it would be time to let the grandchildren and great grandchildren each get two of them. Every furby is different and we were able to choose what two we wanted. We let the girls each open one of their furby's and we are saving the other furby for them to save.

I did not take any pictures of the girls opening their presents. I have no idea why. I had my video camera out, but just forgot about pictures. Oh, well.

We walked outside on Christmas and it was snowing! It did not stick, but it was still fun to say that we had a White Christmas.

Hailey got this Gingerbread house for Christmas. It was a lot of fun to make with the girls. Last year our gingerbread house fell apart, but this one is still standing.

We went to Tillamook, Oregon with Mitchell's parents in their travel trailer. It was a fun trip. The girls loved riding in the trailer. We went to the Tillamook cheese factory and sampled some cheese and ate an ice cream cone.

On the way home our trailer got stuck. We were going up a big hill to reach the summit on the mountain and we realized that we could not go any farther so Mitchell and his dad had to get out and put chains on. There were other cars at the same place that we were chaining up because they were either stuck or sliding everywhere also. It was pretty scary, but we made it out alive.

Here the girls are playing in the snow while the chains are coming off.

We hope that each of you had a Merry Christmas!

Every Mother Needs One

I finally talked Mitchell into being able to get a gym membership. I had a membership when we lived in Utah and I only used it a couple of times so talking him into it was not easy. Since I have been working out at home for 13 weeks, I think I have proven to him that I will use it-and so far I have.

It has been so much fun going to the gym. I can not believe I called it fun. It is just my time to think and to do something for me. The gym has a kids club where Hailey can go and play for 2 hours a day while I exercise so that makes things easy for me.

I love swimming and this gym has a swimming pool and a hot tub. I lap swam for 45 minutes (never have I done that before and never would I have been able to do that before I started exercising 13 weeks ago). It felt so good to set my mind to 45 minutes and I actually did it. I then relaxed in the hot tub.

Today I get to work with a trainer so hopefully he will give me some good pointers and set me in the right direction.

Christmas Ship Parade

What a fun way to celebrate Christmas! I took the girls to see the Christmas ships on the Columbia River this past weekend. It was cold, but worth it. They are a lot of fun to see and this year Santa was there. Hailey wanted nothing to do with him so he kept trying to go behind her so that I could take a picture and she found him everytime he was there. It was funny. She was fine on Santas lap the other day, who knows what gets into her sometimes.

Hailey is no where to be seen. :) She was hiding from Santa.

This was my favorite Christmas Ship. It was not a ferry boat and they decorated it to look like one.

By far the girls favorite ship. This was the lead of the ship parade, the firetruck. It had sirens and a megaphone so they could talk to the audience.

A lighthouse ship, a ship with a mommy and baby whale and the green one is a dragon.

We had a great time and at least I plan on going every year.

Santa Clause is Coming to Town and more

The girls got a very special letter in the mail today and it came all of the way from the North Pole. They were so excited to receive this letter. A girl in Lindsay's class also received a letter from Santa. I told my girls that I never received a letter so they know that Santa is watching them really well this year to make sure they are really good.

It will be fun to save these letters and give it to them when they are older.

Ashley made a gingerbread (well a graham cracker) house at school. It looks really yummy! Her class also won a pizza party with the firemen so they helped the kids make their gingerbread houses. Ashley said it was a lot of fun.

I think my girls need to get out more. Why would I think that? I came into the living room and found the girls pretending to be at the beach, laying on their towel reading magazines. I snuck up on them and had to take this picture. I think we need to get out tomorrow and do something!

12 Days of Christmas

I really wanted my kids to know a meaning of Christmas other than the Santa part of it. I think I found a fun way to get my children involved. We are doing the 12 days of Christmas for a lady who lost her mother a little less than a year ago. She has lived with her mother all but nine years of her life. I thought she would be the perfect candidate.

I took her to drive around this afternoon to look at Christmas lights with my kids and while we were doing that Mitchell ran our 1st day of Christmas package onto her doorstep. Do you think she will ever think it was us since we were with her while it was placed? Sneaky. We had a great time looking at all of the fun and festive Christmas lights, listening to Christmas songs and hearing her stories. We had a great night.

So, it is a take off of the song the 12 days of Christmas:

Day 1 - Now in the song, it's partridge and pear -When I looked, my trees were all bare.So I ran to the store at a hurried pace.Pears they had plenty, but no birds in the place! (Give a bottle of canned pears I also gave a pear scented candle.)

Day 2 - Did you know two turtle doves areExtremely hard to find?So here are Turtles ‘n Dove—The chocolate candy kind! (Give a turtle candy bar and a dove candy bar)

Day 3 - Hens are chickensIf they are French or not!Here is chicken soup To heat in the pot. (Give Chicken Noodle Soup)

Day 4 - The calling birds have all flown away.They're visiting the South to see the view.Instead of a call, they left these few things,Some pencils and paper – their gift to you.

Day 5 - Only five golden rings?There really are moreOf gold pineapple ringsI got from the store. (I will give pineapple rings in the can and a real pineapple.)

Day 6 - Six geese a-laying some eggs quite unique.I looked at them close and what do you think?They are made of white chocolate candy!Here are six for you, isn't that dandy? (I bought Ferrero Roche candy. I know that I spelt that wrong but oh well. The candy looks like a carton of eggs, kinda.)

Day 7 - The swans were still swimming in water so clearIt sparkled and shimmered, I shed not a tearInstead I felt thirsty, a drink would be niceI sent sparkling water, now you add the ice! (I have never drank sparkling water so I got sparkling apple cider)

Day 8 - The maids were all milking,Milk foaming like suds.And then they all vanishedJust leaving "Milk Duds". (Milk Duds the candy)

Day 9 - Nine ladies dancing, they put on a showTheir feet got so tired, so wouldn't you knowI'm sending some slippers for soothing your feet They're comfy and cozy and all wrapped up neat! (I am giving slipper socks)

Day 10 - Ten lords a-leaping.Who could reach the stars first?To send back to usThese delicious "star burst". (Ten Pieces of Starburst Candy)

Day 11 - Eleven pipers were piping- a wondrous sight.'Cause the pipes they were blowing made bubbles so light.Here are some bubbles and a pipe just for you.So you can join in and have lots of fun, too. (Bubbles with a bubble pipe.)

Day 12 - Twelve drummers drummingOh, how they're hurting my head.They gave me such a headacheI had to go to bed.Music should be soothingA listening pleasureSo here's a CDFor you to treasure. (Music CD)

I got this off of http://pie.midco.net/grammalowe/12days.html. It has the labels all ready for you to print off.

The girls are really excited about it and so am I. We will see how it goes. I hope that she does not catch us. :)

Family Fun at OMSI

We have lived in Oregon for 4 years now and have never made it out to OMSI. It is our Science Musuem. The girls were really excited to go and so were Mitchell and I. We did not give ourself very much time while we were there since it was a last minute decision to go and it closed 3 hours after we got there. We still had a great time.

This station was fun with water. The girls could put the water into different contraptions and they could see what each different contraption would do.

Hailey is trying really hard to press down on that lever. It made a small water fountain once it was down. Check out those red rubber boots. She loved them. Thank goodness we had to leave them there.

Ashley our astronaut.

Lindsay and Ashley playing brain teaser games.

Hailey did not want to take this picture, if you could not tell. She was not happy to leave. I am holding a dinosaur foot made out of clay that the girls were able to make and take home. They are really excited to share them for show and tell on Monday.

We had a great time and will be sure to return there again soon.

I Love this Poem

The Stranger at Christmas

There was a man who looked so out of place,
as people rushed about him at a hurried sort of pace.
He stared at all the Christmas lights, the tinsel everywhere;
the shopping center Santa Claus, with children gathered near.

The mall was packed with shoppers who were going to and fro,
some with smiles, some with frowns, some too tired to go.
They rested on the benches or they hurried on their way,
to fight the crowd for purchases to carry home that day.

The music from a stereo was playing loud and clear,
of Santa Claus and snowmen, and a funny-nosed reindeer.
He heard the people talk about the good times on the way,
of parties, fun, and food galore, and gifts exchanged that day.

"I'd like to know what's going on?" the man was heard to say,
"There seems to be some sort of celebration on the way.
And would you tell me who this is, all dressed in red and white?
And why are children asking him about a special night?"

The answer came in disbelief, "I can't believe my ear!
I can't believe you don't know that Christmas time is here.
The time when Santa comes around with gifts for girls and boys.
When they're asleep on Christmas Eve,
he leaves them books and toys."

"The man you see in red and white is Santa Claus so sly,
the children love his joyful laugh and twinkle in his eye.
His gift-packed sleigh is pulled along by very small reindeer,
as he flies quickly through the air, while darting there and here.

The children learn of Santa Claus while they are still quite small,
when Christmas comes, he is the most important one of all!"
The stranger hung his head in shame,
he closed a nail-pierced hand,
his body shook in disbelief, he did not understand.

A shadow crossed his stricken face, his voice was low but clear,
"After all these years, they still don't know." And Jesus shed a tear.

This poem has really made me think about what I am teaching my children during this Christmas time. I want to teach them about the real St. Nicholas who gave gifts to help other people.

As I try to even somewhat comprehend what happened on that first Christmas night when that special baby was born, I think how did Christmas turn from such a spiritual thing into what it has become for so many today. I do not want my girls to think it is about Santa and about the presents. I want them to truly know the story of our Saviors birth. I want them to truly understand that importance in their lives. Other than my family, my church is my life. It is my life because I know without a surety that it is true. I can read a passage of scripture and get a warm feeling in my heart and KNOW that what I am reading is true. I want my children to get their own confirmation that the church is true. I want them to understand what I understand.

Last night our ward had our Christmas Enrichment Night. The theme was "Our Divine Destiny." What is my Divine Destiny as a mother? What is my Divine Destiny as a wife? My Divine Destiny is to teach my children all that I can. My Divine Destiny is to be a MOTHER for my children and not just a disciplinarian. My Divine Destiny is to be the best wife that I can be. I want to be that supporting wife and mother that I have seen in my life. My grandmothers and mother are wonderful examples of me. They were/are wonderful mothers. They are women of virtue, women of charity and women full of love.

I think of Mary and what a special woman she had to be to be able to carry our Savior of the World. That would be so hard to know what he was going to go through during his life. To know that he was going to have to go through what he went through in the Garden of Gethsemene. To know that he was going to be ridiculed, spit upon, laughed at and eventually killed. I can not comprehend the pain she must have felt knowing this. The only way that she can get over that pain is to know and truly understand what he was put on this earth for. Because of him we have repentance. Because of him we know what true love is.

I just hope that my girls come away this Christmas with a better appreciation of the true Christmas Story. With the true meaning of what Christmas is all about.

Lindsay's Baptism

In August Lindsay was baptised. I have wanted to do a slideshow for her to remember that special day and I finally was able to sit down and learn how to do it. I really hope that you can view it. It is going on 2 hours now of downloading this crazy thing. I REALLY hope that you can view it.

Getting Ready for Christmas

We had our ward Christmas party on Saturday night. The girls were really excited to see Santa. On the drive there Hailey kept asking, "are we there." I was glad that she was so excited to go since last year she was terrified of Santa. When we got there and sat at our table to eat I noticed Hailey was hiding under the table. I asked her what was wrong and she told me that she was scared of Santa. It was funny. I assured her that he is nice and then she seemed to be a little better. Once it was her time to sit on his lap she was hesitant but then she was fine.

She told Santa that she wanted a cat for Christmas. We are not sure where that came from since we already have a cat and are NOT getting a new one.

Ashley told Santa that she wanted a guitar. Why did she not tell me this a couple of weeks ago? She watched a Rugrats Christmas Special that talked about the girl getting a lump of coal for Christmas. She said that she has been bad this year so she is expecting a lump of coal.

Lindsay said that she is too big to sit with Santa. After some coaxing she was able to tell him that she wants an E Pets for Christmas.

Mitchell wants a dishwasher for Christmas. :) I found him in the kithchen doing the dishes. There were about 200 people there each with a plate, spoon, knife, fork and cup to wash. This is why plastic and paper plates were invented. What a great husband I have.

I am in the making mood and I love advent calendars so I made these for my girls. The girls get one piece of candy a day until Christmas Eve. On Christmas there is a bell and they ring it. I had one of these when I was younger and thought it was so much fun.

I am not sure how I got away with not having a tree skirt all of these years. I had some extra felt left over after I made the advent calendars so I decided to make myself one. I think it turned out to be pretty cute and simple. Just the way I like it.

Crafts at Michaels

Michael's Craft Store did a fun craft day for the kids since they did not have school today. I was able to talk all of the girls so that they could make some fun things for their grandparents. They made picture frames, a lot of different ornaments with glitter, with popsicle sticks, from clay, and from foam, they also decorated bookmarks and a gift bag for their stuff to go into.

The lady in the picture thought Hailey was so cute that she helped her make a "special something' that no one else was able to make. She made a pretty Christmas Hair Clip.

Here she is making her ornament for the tree.

The girls are painting their picture frame.

I think that I will take the girls more often. It was really nice to not have to clean up after making everything and for $5 a person, it was worth it to me!