Black Widow

Joseph's Black Widow didn't win the Pinewood Derby,

but it sure made these really cool wheelies as it came down the track.

You did a great job on your car, Joseph,

and thanks for being such a good sport!

And those wheelies WERE awesome! (just like YOU!)

Spitting Cousins

I've heard of kissing cousins before, but these two are the spitting cousins. Not sure who thought the game up, or why they were doing it, but they were extremely amused to sit close to each other, and just spit and giggle.

They had a lot of fun together, besides spitting - playing basketball, teaching each other to throw sand, swinging, going down the slide, etc.

It was great to see everyone again, and especially to see the new additions to the family: Nathan and Lucas. They are both so cute!

We waited a little long to take the picture of the clan of cousins, and Lucas had had enough and wanted to go home. We all had a great time together though, and the older kids weren't the only ones who wanted to hold the babies - Jalen Andrew was trying to get his baby time too.

Wonderland

It took a lot of work, a lot of practices, and it made for many late nights of homework, but we finally got through the roadshow. Jessica Holt wrote and directed our ward's entry which was Wonderland Reloaded. It turned out great! Everyone did such a good job, and it was so fun to watch. Our girls were singing, dancing flowers, and as always it was fun for us, their family, to watch them bloom.

Jalen Andrew was thoroughly scared by the dark cultural hall, loud music, and screaming teenagers, and it took him a long time to settle down. The Windrose Park bumble bees really freaked him out (although it was a really cute and colorful play). He finally settled down, and then fell asleep, missing of course his flowerish sisters.

Leprechaun Mischief

Every year on St. Patrick's Day our house welcomes in

a nuisance of a Leprechaun.

He turns our milk green, while it's being poured into the cups.

He also turns our strawberry jello into lime, and turns the water

in the pitcher into a green, lime flavored drink.

This year he got us really good. Perhaps because there were so many children milling around the kitchen, but the Leprechaun got a little over anxious, and turned our mush, not just green, but DARK green.

He was still hanging around the house, because at dinner time he somehow managed to turn the lemonade and our sour cream green, as well.

In first grade, James learned how to catch a Leprechaun, by propping up a box, with a potato underneath. The Leprechaun they caught at school, left them cookies. James sure was surprised when our house Leprechaun left nickles in exchange for the potato.

Manly Make-up

This is the manliest application of make-up

that I have ever seen!

After he had a great time applying

"the pretty stuff,"

he went straight to the bathroom

to wash it off, not wanting me to see it.

Nice try.

(Not crying - I just caught him in the middle of a yawn).

Not a Pretty, Pretty Princess

Yes, he'll let Rebekah paint his fingernails,

and then quickly clean it off before Dad sees it.

Yes, he'll model all kinds of hair accessories,

and do funny little dances with them in his hair.

Yes, he'll sneak behind my back, and apply my

red lipstick to his own lips.

But just try and dress him up like a Pretty, Pretty

Princess, and . . .

Happy A-Day

As busy as the lives of our teenagers have been these past few weeks, we just couldn't find a time for the whole family to get together for some fun. So we celebrated Jalen Andrew's A Day two weeks late, but I don't think he minded at all. We rode our bikes to the park last night, and played basketball. The 2 younger boys and I spent some time on the jungle gym equipment, while the older kids tried to beat their Dad in a game of basketball. We joined in, shooting hoops, once Jalen Andrew got tired of swinging and going down the slide.

Anyhow - Happy A Day, Little Man! We sure are glad to have you in our family!!!

Sew, a Needle Pulling Thread

When I took Home Economics in junior high, I HATED sewing! I made an elephant pillow, and it was a pain in the wazoo. It turned out not as cute

as I had hoped for. My Mom, on occassions, would try to help me sew, but would get so frustrated with my inaptitude, that she would end up doing the project herself. I consigned

myself to the fact that sewing was a skill that belonged to my Mom, Katrina & Michelle.

I had no desire to learn the frustrating trade.

As a young adult, I tried my hand at it again, making a quillow for myself, and then one for the man I hoped would someday be my husband. And he was. We married. And I don't remember why, but I was bent on buying myself a sewing machine.

When Christine & Rebekah came along, I taught myself how to sew Raggedy Ann & Andy, and "hair babies." My Mom had made me those dolls when I was a little girl, and I loved her for it!

In those early years, with little kids at home, and no car to go anywhere in, I was bored, and longed for adult conversation. I think the ladies in the ward were a little surprised when I started coming to their quilting sessions at my neighbor Jean Squire's house. Half of them were like grandmas to me, and the other half were like mothers. I was the only young one there, toting along my little girls. I didn't get much done, mostly held my girls, and listened to the adult conversation going on around, but it filled me with a desire to be like them.

I started working on a jean square picnic quilt, but didn't get very far because Rebekah insisted on sitting on my lap and helping me sew. It wasn't very helpful, and although I could master the sewing of the squares together, I wasn't sure how to sew it all together. In Relief Society one evening, Diana Westover taught a workshop quilting basics. She gave me the understanding I needed, and I was set on fire. My neighbor Dorothy Bennett gave me some old material that she had hanging around, and I began quilting with it. I LOVED it!

Though I'm not a great quilter like Diana or my mother-in-law, Jannicke, who's beautiful quilt hung in our entry way for a long time, I quilt, and I enjoy it.

I quilted bedspreads for the kids' beds when we moved to this house, and I've made quilts to keep them warm in the winter time. I've made a quillow for each of the kids . . .

Christine, Rebekah, Joseph, James, Jonathon,

and Jalen Andrew's is still to come.

Mostly I've spent my time whittling away at the pluthera of fabric that Dorothy Bennett gave me, making quilts for kids and families around the world, who, because of natural disaster, war, or poverty need them. Those are some of my favorite quilts that I've made. Somehow, the differences of the patterns and colors, come together, and make something beautiful, and warm, and comfortable.

When Ruth Durham passed away, I inherited her collection of fabric, which was good since I had long since used up Dorothy's. I'm now whittling away at those fabrics.

Yesterday I made a couple of blankets for the Humanitarian Center, two of which were crib size. Jalen Andrew was helping me with it, you know, sitting on my lap and pushing buttons on the sewing machine, poking pins where they didn't belong, etc.

He asked me at one point, "What's that for?" I told him that we were making blankies for the babies so they wouldn't be sad, and so that they could be warm. After that, he continued to ask me, "The babies happy? The babies warm?" I would confirm that the babies will be happy and warm, and then he would add, "The babies happy going night-night in their beds. They're going home?" His words almost made me cry. I would take them all in if I could, the children of the world, who are scared, and lonely, and neglected, and cold, and in need of nurture and love, and a roof over their head with a family who loves them.

But I can't.

In fact, we decided lately, with the climate being what it is in our home right now, and the needs of one individual being so large, that we are not seeking to adopt anymore right now. I cried when we decided. I'm still crying now. I know that the Lord will open another window for us, when the time is right, but the time is not right now. So, instead of taking in all the children of the world, I'll hunker down and try to make the world a better place for one little boy, who needs us so badly, despite how hard he tries to separate himself from us.

It's a small offering, but I send these blankets out to the children I love, in hopes that they can feel a mother's love across the miles.

"Mommy, the babies happy?"

I hope so.

White

Look at what fell on our house, around 7 p.m. Sunday night.

We've been having some GREAT rain the last few days,

but this hail was unexpected, but welcome - as you can tell by

the footprints.

The kids had a blast playing in it.

There was so much hail that it looked like snow.

That's our front yard.

The grass and the brick work are completely covered.

3rd Place Champions

The Ladies' Storm won 3rd place in the Jr. High tournament held by Centennial.

They did a great job, and Rebekah made the last points of their game.

She has really improved these past few weeks, and has been scoring points for

the team every game.

Way to go!

(I forgot to bring my camera, so I'm waiting for someone else to e-mail me a pic. Sorry.)

This is the Garden that God Grew

Yes, we planted the seeds,

and I did water it in the beginning,

but then somewhere in the Christmas chaos,

I completely forgot about it.

When life calmed down,

and I remembered our little garden,

I didn't want to even go look at it,

because I was sure that everything was dead.

To my surprise . . .

the garden looked very nice.

I don't know why Heavenly Father thought that

He should help our little, neglected garden -

sending rain throughout the winter months,

but I thank Him for the abundance.

Our little vegetable boy

has been thoroughly enjoying the fresh veggies.

He has loved eating the little tomatoes,

and the snap peas.

I was surprised the other day though, when he started

picking the lettuce,

taking a bite,

and exclaiming, "Mmmm, yummy!"

Jalenisms

*I saw this sweater at Target in the fall, and I LOVED it. I knew Jalen Andrew would look so handsome in it, but I just couldn't warrant paying full price for it. So I just imagined him in it all winter long, and then to my extreme pleasure I found it on clearance about a month ago - for a VERY good price. And I was right! He looks SO HANDSOME in it!!!* To say that Jalen Andrew is attached to his blankie is a bit of an understatement. He LOVES his blankie, and carries it with him whenever possible; it also must be in his possession and slung just right over my right shoulder (never my left!) whenever he is hurt, sad, or tired. He used to have a few blankets that he would switch off with, but now it has to be "the green one blankie." (as he affectionately calls it).*Instead of answering "yes" to a question, Jalen Andrew's response is always "Sure!"

*Most kids ask, "What's that?" when they hear a new noise, but Jalen Andrew asks,

"What's that for?"

*He asks me all the time where everyone is. "Where's Dad? Where's Joseph? etc." After he's figured out every one's whereabouts, he goes over and over it again, "Dad's at work. Christine's at the play. Rebekah's at basketball. Joseph's at Scouts. James is outside. Mom is home. And Jalen's home." and he always points to his cheek when he says where he is. Then, after he repeats all of that about 5 times, he starts saying the wrong places for everyone, as a joke. "Joseph's at work?" he says, and then laughs behind his hand. He's so funny! I love his sense of humor.

*He is becoming very independent, and likes to do many things for himself. He tries to buckle his own seat belt, wants to pour his own milk, and dish out the food on the table himself, if I'm clipping limbs in the yard he insists on using the small pruning scissors to help me trim, he has learned to cut with scissors and spends a long time cutting paper, and he folds his own paper airplanes - so maybe they don't look like his brothers' planes, but they still move through the air when he throws them, and he folds them so meticulously. He is constantly informing us, "My turn! My turn!"

*He is really big on lining up cars and trains, and then waiting for me to praise the beautiful job that he did. It used to just be the cars in the playroom, but he has begun parking all the skateboards, and other vehicles in a line outside too.

* He really is doing a great job with potty training, but we were a little worried about his honesty when he first began. One day I asked him if he had poop in his underwear, and he answered quite naturally, "No - James." Sorry kid that doesn't work, James is at school.

Blue & Gold

Happy Birthday Boy Scouts/Cub Scouts!

We celebrated 100 years of Boy Scouts in America

tonight at Joseph's Blue and Gold.

Joseph earned 3 belt loops - kickball, collecting, & map and compass,

the map and compass pin,

and 2 more silver arrows.

He has been working hard to get his collecting belt loop

(and pin - he still has a few more things to do for the pin),

and tonight he displayed his 50 state quarters,

and his Lego collection.

Completing his Lego creations has been quite a project.

It started out with one big bucket of Lego blocks,

everything mixed together,

then Joseph and I began sorting all the Lego pieces by color,

and storing them in containers that way.

Once that was done we began taking one set of instructions at a

time and finding all the pieces that belonged to it.

It has really been a huge project, complicated by the fact that another

inventor in the house kept borrowing pieces from Joseph's finished works,

and kept dumping all of the colors on the floor, together.

But we persevered, and the end result was well worth the effort.

Once Upon a . . .

Christine performed in the school's play of Once Upon a Mattress

(a tongue in cheek, rendition of The Princess in the Pea) this week.

It was really fun to watch her and the others dance and perform,

and they did a great job.

It's been a long week for her though,

as she doesn't get home until quarter to ten,

and then has to attempt to do homework.

She doesn't usually get very far, before crashing.

I have a feeling that she'll be sleeping most of the weekend away

in an attempt to catch up.

She played a very modest dressed wench,

ensemble member, and a lady in waiting,

a boy dancer,

and a dancer.