March

Jeremy's eagle project is almost completed.  March 1st he and Steve spent most of the day finishing up the brick work.  They got most of the edging in place before they had to call it a day.  Naomi had a soccer game in the afternoon and then we were off the Haylie Tufts baptism.  We all slept well that night.

March 3, 2014, Nicholas passed the sacrament for the first time.  He was so excited to get to be a part of the deacons and he took his assignment very seriously (with a big smile on his face the whole time.)

March 7th, I took Jeremy to the allergist to see if he is eligible for an oral challenge for egg.  He is officially taller than I am - 5'9" and 133 pounds.  He is growing so fast.  Dr. Black gave him the green light for challenging the egg allergy and we got it all set up for April 15th.

Nick had been asking some really good questions about the pre-mortal life and how it fits into the big picture of the Plan of Salvation.  He was having a hard time with the scripture and text book answers so I ordered a copy of "My Turn On Earth" because I had loved it when I was about his age.  We watched it as a family and the kids LOVED it as well.  I was surprised to see that Jen Parker (from City Rep Theater) was in it.  She is so talented and I really enjoyed working with her in several plays.  Nick is now confident that he understands the Plan of Salvation and sings the songs around the house.  They have asked to watch it several times since then.

Naomi loves playing soccer with her team, Hearts.  Coach Rumfelt teaches fun exercises each week to encourage the girls to think on their own and not wait for the coach to yell out a play.  Every week we get better.

Nick's basketball team was finally able to get together and hand out the trophies for participation.  Nick was so excited to get the award for "Most Improved".  As much as the coaches frustrated him this season, he did learn a lot and he enjoyed playing with the other boys.

March 17th, the leprechauns played a big joke on us.  We woke up to freezing rain.  It was really pretty while it lasted.  Everything had thawed by the end of the day.

 March 18th the youth went roller skating at Frye's Roller Skating Rink.  This was Nick's first YM/YW combined activity and he had a blast.

March 19th, Graham David Cannon was born.  I must say that I have the cutest nephews in the whole universe.

March 21st, while I was cleaning the house for company, Nicholas bust through the door yelling, "Mom, Oreo is bleeding!"  Oreo is our neighbors cat and we were pet sitting for the week.  I immediately set down the cleaning supplies and went to check it out.  Before they left town, my neighbor told me that she didn't know when Oreo was going to have her kittens, but she hoped it was not until they got back.  No such luck!  Oreo was indeed in labor and the kids got to watch as she gave birth to five adorable kittens.  Nick was very relieved to know that Oreo was not going to die.  Because we were there and watching over her, Oreo would let us come near and change out her water and food and build a make-shift tent around her because it was raining.  She hissed and swiped at anyone else.  When the rain got really going she even let us gently transfer her babies into a plastic container to keep everyone dry and safe.  One of the neighbors' dogs ventured too close and got a bloody nose as a result of it.

Later that night Bradden, Sunny and the kids arrived for a weekend visit.  It was great to see them.  I love that they are just over the mountains in Tennessee.

March 22nd, we got up and went to Naomi's soccer game.  Naomi loved having an extra big cheering squad.

Jeremy and Hyrum checking things out on the tablet.

Nick, Maddie and Sunny cheering Naomi on.

She is ready!

Olivia liked having the best seat in the house.

After the game we took them to see Jeremy's project.  We packed a picnic lunch and spent some time exploring the farm while we were at it.  

Hyrum loved the gongs.

Hy and Naomi digging in the dirt.

Sunny, Bradden and Steve relaxing.

Olivia and Naomi saying "hi" to Puddin.

After lunch the kids wanted to play at a park so we took them to our favorite park with the big swings so everyone could get in on the action.  

More digging!

Olivia on the big swing.

Nick jumping off the swing.  I am really glad that I didn't see this happening because I might have had a heart attack.  This is how Nick broke his elbow when he was 5. 

We love the big swings!!!

After playing at the park for a couple of hours we came back to the house for some pizza.  Steve and Bradden took the kids for an outing while I had a doTerra party.  Melonie's (sister-in-law) direct upline was coming out to train some new recruits and wanted to have a party at my house so his new recruits could see how it should be done.  We had a great time with the neighbors and friends just goofing off and trying the oils.

The next morning we had a huge breakfast for everyone before they left to return home.  We are already planning a visit in June or July to see their new place in Knoxville.  Nick and Jeremy had an interview at church to receive their temple recommends.  Nick was so excited - another first!

Nick is getting really good at drawing cars.  Here is a sample of his work.  He wants to be the next Chip Foose from Overhaulin'.

March 26th was Jeremy's last day in the in-class portion of driver's ed.  Now he has to do the behind-the-wheel portion.  I am not sure if I am ready for this.  

March 28th was our monthly Girl's lunch at On The Border.  We love just getting together and gabbing over good food.  

March 29th was a mixed bag with the weather.  We woke up to rain and thought maybe Naomi's soccer game would be rained out.  The rain broke just long enough for them to get in a full game and then it started raining again.  By the time Steve and Naomi were ready to leave for the Daddy/Daughter dance it had stopped raining again.  The dance was a 50s theme and so Naomi and I had a great time getting her outfit put together.  She was so excited she wouldn't let Steve see anything until she came down the stairs all dressed up.  They went to Steak-N-Shake for dinner and then headed to the dance.  As usual, the school was decorated to the hilt and, as usual, they had a great time.  

This picture sums up the whole night - pure joy!

Back at home, Naomi quickly changed into her church clothes and she and I went to the Stake Center for the first ever Women's Broadcast where the girls eight and older were invited.  Naomi was thrilled to be able to come with me.  The spirit was very strong in the room.  Naomi felt it and said she wanted to come to all the conferences with me.  That is what a mom wants to hear.  By the time we got home, she was completely exhausted.

March 30th was fast and testimony meeting since the following Sunday would be General Conference.  Nicholas got up and bore his testimony about how much he loves being a deacon and passing the sacrament and having the priesthood.  He is one great kid!

February, or should I say FebRRRRRRRary!?!

The month started off great!  Nick and his team won their first game of the month.  The final score was 43-25.  This is just what they needed to jump-start their enthusiasm for the last part of the season.  Nick played two and a half quarters and did a great job on defense.

Steve and Jeremy had a streak of good weather and they took advantage of it to get as much done on Jeremy's Eagle project as possible.  They finished the big circle area and got the fire ring placed.  They also got a little bit of the path done before the weather turned.

 Getting the fire ring in place. 

 Jeremy is starting to believe that he might actually get this done.

 Placing brick along the pathway.

 Not bad for one weekend.

For his birthday, Nick wanted to have is bestie (Matt) sleep over and go see the Lego Movie which came out on February 7th.  They had a great time playing video games, going to Chick-fil-A for dinner and seeing the movie.  Going to see a movie on opening night is really fun because the place is packed and you get to hear people's reactions.  It adds to the overall experience.  The kids loved it!

February 8th Nick had a basketball game and only 5 players were able to come.  Everyone had to play the entire game.  They led the entire game until the other team got a buzzer-beating three pointer which tied it up.  We went into overtime.  They played their hearts out and eventually lost  by one basket!!! The final score was 33-35.  He was still proud of himself for playing so well the WHOLE game.

February 9th we had our family party for Nick.  He wanted a homemade meat lover's pizza and pop for dinner and pumpkin roll for his cake.  I let him choose the toppings for the pizza and here is what he came up with - ground hamburger, sausage, bacon, ham bits, pepperoni and ground turkey.  He is our carnivore.

February 11th schools were released two hours early due to a HUGE snow storm headed our way.  It snowed for 5 hours without too much accumulation which was really good because Steve was in Chicago and could have been stuck there if the weather had worsened.  He did make it home just before the biggest part of the storm hit.  

February 12th we got 8 inches of snow!  School was cancelled for the day and we had a great time just goofing off.  Nick especially loved it because this was like an extended birthday!  We wrapped our boogie boards in garbage sacks and headed off to the golf course.  Everyone wanted to give our boards a try because they out-sledded most of the sleds!!  It was great.  Naomi negotiated a ride on Jake's snowboard in trade for him using our "sleds".  She loved it.  

February 13th we got an ice storm over night and woke up to more snow.  It snowed all day long and the kids got another day off to enjoy it all.  Steve even got into the fun and took the truck out for a drive - and almost got stuck.  He did help several people that really were stuck though.

 Shoveling snow - to just for a snowman.

 Building her snowman family

.

 Done!

February 14th we got another 5 inches of snow.  No school again.  We played all day and loved every minute of it.  Steve helped with more stuck cars and loved every minute of that.  By the end of the day we were still able to get to a local restaurant for a Valentine's dinner.  It was a lot of fun.  

After three days of non-stop snow this is what my entry from the garage and the front entryway looked like.  Our washing machine was busy for the next two days.  

Naomi got creative and made a house for her Beanie Boos.  She used old boxes and made her own wall paper using construction paper and markers. By the time she was done they had an incredible new home with all the modern essentials.

We've got Cabin Fever!!!

February 15th Nick's team won the last game of the regular season.  Nick played great defense and had a couple of picks to help his teammates get to the basket.  He even went to the foul line.  His shot was dead on, but a little short.  He has really grown during this season and wants to play again next year already.

That night we went to the mall because we were tired of being cooped up for three days.We also wanted to check out some presents for Jeremy's birthday which as quickly approaching.  Unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea.  The place was packed.  It took us an hour to get out of the parking lot!!!

Sunday, February 16th, Nick received the priesthood and was ordained a deacon.  He was so excited.

February 19th Jeremy turned 15 and Nick played in his first Playoff game.  They lost by one, but Nick scored a basket, so it all evened out.  We celebrated Jeremy's birthday the next night and he got his favorite - cheesecake with caramel sauce and chopped cashews.

February 21st I helped with the second grade "Community" activity.  The kids were learning how a community works.  Each room had a different function.  There was a bank, post office, city hall, etc.  The kids sent mail, paid rent and utilities and got to shop at the community store.  That was a favorite.  It was a fun day.  That afternoon I went to lunch with the girls at PF Changs.It was a fun lunch and we just enjoyed talking until we had to rush off and beat the kids school buses home.

Karen Fielding, Sara Muller, Christie Jensen, me

February 22nd Naomi started soccer on team Hearts.  This is her first year in the U10 category and so she is now one of the smaller girls on the team.  It will be a good experience for her.   She likes her coach, Shan Rumfelt, and the other girls.    Steve and Jeremy were finally able to get back to working on his project now that the snow had melted and the pile of sand had thawed.  They almost finished everything.  

February 24th we got our tax refund and I was able to pay off Nicholas' braces.  Two kids in braces within 8 months of each other and they are both paid for.  Not bad.

February 26th I finished both of the recharters for the pack and troop.  We have new chair persons in both the pack (and she just had a baby) and the troop so I was asked to do the recharters.  I didn't mind.  I like working with Roger Penny at the council office.  

February 28th we had the Muller's over for a Cafe Rio dinner.  They had heard for all of us who are from Utah about the Cafe Rio restaurant and wanted to give it a try.  It was a hit and we had a blast just talking and letting the kids goof off.  

January 2014

I just looked at the calendar and realized that we are almost to April and I have only one post for the year so far.  It has been a little busy here lately.  I will break the posts up into months so that you are not too overwhelmed by all the awesomeness.

Now that the grandparents have received their pictures for Christmas I can unveil the gorgeous school pictures of my kids.  I didn't want to ruin the surprise for the grandparents, but I have been excited to

 show them off. 

January 2nd started off with Jeremy getting his blood drawn so we could re-evaluate his food allergies.  Waiting for the results was harder than getting the blood drawn.

January 3rd, the boys went back to school while Naomi and I had a girls day at home.  We did a little shopping to get her some new denim (she is growing way too fast), went out to lunch and then hurried back home because it was only 21 degrees outside.  Brrrrr!  She helped me clean carpets in the bedrooms upstairs and we did a little laundry in between reading fun books and laughing.  It was a great day.

January 4th, Jeremy and Steve went to work on his Eagle project and came back almost immediately.  The pile of sand was frozen solid.  I was a nice excuse to stay in and stay warm for the day.

January was the month of basketball for Nick.  We practiced once a week and had a game every Saturday.  The season started off very frustrating with Nick learning the rules and the moves.  By the end of the season he had it down pat and loved playing with his team.

January 5th Sister Cobb and I got our new group of Sunbeams.  It was hard to see our old class move up without us, but this will be an exciting and fun year.  We have a great group of kids.  I was exhausted by the time the two hours was up, but I had the new season of Downton Abbey to keep me going!!!

January 6th, Steve left for Knoxville to help Bradden and Sunny move into their new place.  He left extra early because of a huge storm in the Appalachian Mountains.  He wanted to have plenty of time to get through that and arrive before the moving van.  He didn't need to worry because Bradden and Sunny had gotten caught by the storm people were calling the "Polar Vortex" and what they thought would be a two day drive actually took them three to complete.  

January 7th we had a record low in the morning, 6 degrees.  Both CMS and LNC schoools were on a two hour delay.  In the spirit of the extremely cold weather, I took the kids to see the movie "Frozen" that night.  It was a huge hit and our new favorite.  When we got home, Naomi said that her stomach felt funny. She then went upstairs and threw up.  Yup, the curse of Steve leaving town and something happening to one of the kids still holds!

January 8th there was another 2-hour delay due to the extremely cold morning temperatures.  Naomi didn't care when school started that day because she was home sick with an upset stomach.  

January 9th, Nick visited the orthodontist for the first time.  He needs braces!  Both boys within six months of each other.  YIKES!!!!  Before the braces could go on he needed to have two teeth pulled.  He is excited about having straight teeth, but not thrilled about all the pain that will come with it. 

January 10th we went to our friends, the Mullers,  for a home cooked dinner.  It was a great night.  The kids played and the parents talked.  We even got to take Justin home with us for the night.  BONUS!

January 11th we helped clean the church, Steve coached the Young Men's basketball team, Naomi went to violin lessons, we all went to Nick' basketball game, Steve and I went to one of his co-workers wedding openhouse, and then we took the kids to diner that night because I was too tired to cook anything.  

January 12th I got to speak in church.  They asked me to speak about how to create a Christ-centered home.  I had a lot of fun writing that talk because it was something I was very interested in doing in our own home.  It was a bittersweet day because our ward was split in order to create a new ward.  I will miss the families that are now in the new ward, but the work of the Lord is going forward and that is exciting.  This is the fourth ward split we have had since we moved here.  

January 14th Nick had two teeth pulled.  He really hates the dentist and the teeth that needed pulling (his canines) are the most painful to have pulled.  He was a trooper though.  They had to give him several shots of Novocaine to keep him numb.  Apparently, the more upset you are the faster your body burns through the numbing medicine.  I learning something new.  

January 15th we finally got the results of Jeremy's allergy blood test.  The results are encouraging and we are ready to move onto the oral challenge phase.   The last test we did was when Jeremy was in second grade.  His egg white then was 1.02, now it is .32.  His whole egg was also 1.02, now it is .22.  His milk number then was 3.86 and now it is .47.  That is a significant drop in the numbers, but is it enough to be able to tolerate these foods in his daily diet?  We shall see.

January 16th Nick got his braces on.  He liked them for the first several hours and then the pain set in.  The poor kid ate nothing but smoothies, apple sauce and yogurt for almost a week before his teeth settled down.  

January 18th Steve and Jeremy helped Ryan with his Eagle project.  Ryan needed to finish up before his 18th birthday which was in one month.  It was crunch time, but they all had a great time putting in the lights on the main walkway at Hind's Feet Farm.  

Naomi, Nicholas and I took lunch to the group and brought Jeremy home so he could get ready for the dance that night.  He was exhausted by the time he got home that night.  But it was a good exhaustion. 

January 20th they finished Ryan's project and worked a little bit on Jeremy's.  I took lunch to the crew again and then had them all over for dinner that night since they had put in a whole day of hard work.  

January 24th Naomi came down with a really bad cold which included a high fever and very sore throat.  She did nothing but lay on the couch for five days.  She was so sick that she didn't even go to her best friends birthday party.  That tells you how bad it was.  Poor thing.  

January 25th Jeremy went to the temple with the youth.  Nick played a great basketball game and felt good about how much he is improving.  

January 29th Naomi was finally feeling well enough to go back to school and school was cancelled because of a snow storm.  The kids loved that day.  We went sledding at the golf course on our pieces of cardboard which worked incredibly well.  In fact, our cardboard was better than several of the sleds!  All the church activities were cancelled as well and we all got to have a night at home together.  

January 30th CMS was cancelled again, but LNC had a two-hour delay.  It was another play day for Naomi.  We had the Tufts girls come over and hang out.  It was a great way to end a very busy January.