A Little of This and a Lot of That

March 6, 2012

Visiting the Lake Land Hills Fire Station, as we can see Miss Brooklynne was flirting with the firemen.  The firemen at the station especially liked Josh's fire flame rain boots he wore.

Josh enjoying the sunshine and tire swing at the Stuards home, I love that cool tree in their yard.

Gathering green things, a splash of GREEN found around the home for clover day~ on a rainy day the younger kids and I had fun on a scavenger hunt arount the home gathering green items to put out to decorate with.

The inspiration started with this...a St Patty's Day shamrock shake.

Mike and Ashley and little Levi, Brodie and Stephanie and Matt and I got out on a date this weekend, a little adult time is always a nice thing!  (Of course little Levi is still a nursing baby and attached at the hip so he tagged along, the other twelve children stayed home...Levi was a good little guy and it was fun to see his little personality blossoming and shine through.)

G-ma Noble gave Brooke this little nighty it says "dancing makes me happy," it's very fitting for her.

Josh has this ginormous lion pillow pet he keeps and sleeps with on his bed every night, it ended up down stairs since at pre school they had pj day and were able to bring a stuffed animal or pillow pet with them.  I tried to convince him to bring his smaller Thomas the Tank Engine pillow pet but again for the 2nd year in a row on pj day he just had to bring Mr Large Lion his favorite. Later in the evening when it didn't find it's way back up stairs to it's home Spencer decided to wear the pillow pet and take willing riders for a lion ride.

A mess in the kitchen this evening.  One Sat night we broke out the chocolate fountain at our home with the kids, always sure to please all.

Friday we celebrated my 36th b-day, yep getting up there in the years right?  Cheryl stopped by after the kids got home from school as a surprise that Matt had planned for her to take me to the salon for a manicure/pedicure which was very nice.  When we were away, Matt and the kids went to town- they decorated and planned a nice taco bar b-day dinner, Matt even made some authentic Mexican rice...very impressed!   

That's a lot of candles.

Present Time.  Matt and I went shopping for some new kitchen/dinner ware, our glasses always tend to disappear and vanish over the years and then Matt likes glass glasses vs. the plastic ones that are questionable these days anyways so we started off fresh again, nice to have things match once again.  The kids had broke so many plates and bowls we decided to invest in the Corelle's for them for the every day use with the break and chip resistant and the stone ware for the adults or nicer meals with the kids.  We had to get four boxes of each of these since a place setting of four only comes in one box of 16 pieces, two boxes covers our family...then you have to cover company, good thing they were on sale!    

This newer play dough that doesn't dry out is fun to play with, Josh and Brooke love it!  It does make up some shapes pretty easy.  The mess and crumbs all over the kitchen in the after math, be prepared to get the vacuum out every time- such a mess. 

Bre put a report she had to give for school together on Rossa Parks.  She did a good job on her research and we as a family were priveledged with hearing the oral report/presentation numerous times before the actual report was given at school.

Ellie won the Lorax book at the Dr Suess assembly on March 2nd in celebration of his b-day and the movie that came out.  There were only two names drawn in the school, the other one won three tickets to the movie.  All of the teachers in the whole school signed Ellie's book she won before it was presented to her, very cool. 

Self Reliance is a simple concept that encourages each of us to take responsibility for our own needs- physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and economic.

"Through obtaining sufficient knowledge, education, literacy; by managing money resources wisely, being spiritually strong, preparing for emergencies and eventualities; and by having physical health and social and emotional well being." -Elder Robert D. Hales

Br ready for rainy day emergencies

Avoid excessive debt; be content with what you have

Use resources of the earth wisely; don't be wasteful

Prepare for the future by making spending and saving plans

Keep a family or personal budget

Teach children wise spending habits and help them to save for the future

Obtain and education or vocational education

Find gainful employment

We had a FHE lesson on these topics last night and made fire starters as part of the "Be ready for a rainy day/ emergencies" portion.  Jarom had made these in Scouts, I remember making them for girls camp back in the days and I got the idea that sparked from the Hailey family, it was a fun and inexpensive activity to do with the fam.  I know we as a family can do a better job at many of these points and as part of our yearly goals we have decided to do a little each month to aid in our families self reliant efforts, especially for the emergency preparedness portion as who knows what our future has in store for us.     

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Very Inspiring

March 1st, 2012

Have I Done Any Good?  

no 223 Brightly

1. Have I done any good in the world today?

Have I helped anyone in need?

Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?

If not, I have failed indeed.

Has anyone’s burden been lighter today

Because I was willing to share?

Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?

When they needed my help was I there?

[Chorus]

Then wake up and do something more

Than dream of your mansion above.

Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,

A blessing of duty and love.

2. There are chances for work all around just now,

Opportunities right in our way.

Do not let them pass by, saying, “Sometime I’ll try,”

But go and do something today.

’Tis noble of man to work and to give;

Love’s labor has merit alone.

Only he who does something helps others to live.

To God each good work will be known.

Text and music: Will L. Thompson, 1847–1909, alt., James 1:22, 27, Alma 9:28

This has been one of my favorite hymns ever since I was a young child.  It reminds me of my Grandma Noble when I was young visiting her at her ward when I had spent the weekend with her and Grandpa at their home, love the memories.  Now that I look back, I didn't really relate the actual words to her as a young child but more that it was a happy song that reminded me of spending time with her.  Now that I am a bit older, I see that the words are very fitting to her and her life and Christ like service.  I love the lyrics to this hymn, they are just so good and inspiring...makes one want to be a better person.

As much as I love my children and the living and breathing of a full functioning family, chaos and all. I do love the morning hours, the quiet time that where I have a few hours before the day starts- and the children are up, time to collect my thoughts for the day.  Scriptures, prayer, exercise, pondering...my favorite spiritual fill comes from reading the thoughts and inspiration that comes from our modern day prophets, church leaders and members through the church magazines. 

This morning as I read through the March issue of the Ensign that just arrived this week, I was very inspired by the article of our Prophet Thomas S. Monson.  "Have I Done Any Good in the World Today?"  What an inspiration our prophet is!  He says, "Let us ask ourselves the question, Have I done any good in the world today?  Have I helped anyone in need?  What a formula for happiness!  What a prescription for contentment, for inner peace...There are hearts to gladden.  There are kind words to say.  There are gifts to be give. There are deeds to be done. There are souls to be saved.  Reading through this article, our prophet dedicates his life to reaching out to the weary, the lonely, the faint hearted.  He reminds us to reach out to one another.  I love the quote that says, "President Monson does what most people only think about doing."  So true!

LDS Artwork by Greg Olsen, all rights reserved.

Very fitting to this article that I read this morning, yesterday- BreAnna and I sat down to take a look at what she can be doing for her Personal Progress in the young womens program and she had decided to focus on the "Good Works" portion for the next little bit.  As I helped her decide where to put her efforts into action, she realized there are many around her, her neighbors, friends even teachers at school who could benefit from her reaching out to them with love or to lighten their burdens.  She remembered our neighbor down the street is going through cancer right now, another just had surgery and is recovering, then a teacher just had a death in her family and is struggling with health issues herself.  At first she was a tad shy/reluctant since she is young and these people aren't her age or she isn't too terribly close to them but I encouraged her that an act of kindness never fails.  I told her of a time when I was eight months pregnant and broke my ankle in numerous places needing surgery.  I was so touched by a sister in our ward (who I did not even know, we were newer to the ward so I guess I really didn't know anyone in the ward yet) but she stopped by with brownies and a flower.  That meant so much to me that some one I didn't even know would care enough to think about me and reach out during  a tough time.  It was a very heart felt gesture. In other words, little gestures or acts of kindness can go a long way.  BreAnna came up with ways on her own that she can reach out to these people around her through acts and service, it will be fun seeing her put these efforts into action. When our family helped some relatives to move at the beginning of the year, in the moving process I read a quote on a vinyl lettered piece that we unpacked, this year I decided to make a conscious effort to put this quote into action "never suppress a generous thought," so true, love that quote! Because really...acts of kindness are just as much if not more for the doer than the receiver, right?  I need and depend upon the happiness and blessings that serving others brings into my life and the lives of my family.  I am so thankful for the countless examples of good that those around me throughout my life have exemplified, for our dear prophet and his life and for the our ultimate example of goodness and charity our Savior Jesus Christ.

February Celebrations

A family in our ward came around selling these Hershey kiss roses for Valentines Day, I remember making them when I was younger in young women's.

 We had a Special Valentines Day Dinner, with many of my Valentine Matt's favorites- Raspberry Lemonade with lemon-sugar rims.

 A roast with the trimmings, thanks for the easy idea sparked from one of my sister Leah's recent home cooked meals.

For Christmas Matt had gotten me many new baking pans, this one I had been wanting for quite some time- a spring form Cheesecake pan.  I was super excited to put it to good use.  On Superbowl Sunday, Matt's brother Jake and I had tossed around a brownie cheesecake idea so I surfed the Internet and found a true keeper, a Chocolate Chip/Brownie/Cheesecake a perfect fit for my Valentine- Sarah, if you are reading...this would be great for Jake's b-day cake.  Let me know if you want the recipe, it is SO GOOD!  

Sparkling Cider and School Time Valentine Cards.

Red Satin Sheets were an added Valentine touch this year.  Matt and I were able to get out alone on a few couples dates this month, the time together is always nice.

I had to throw in this picture of BreAnna with some heart boxed chocolates, apparently BreAnna has some Valentine Admirers at school.  She had to inform the requests to "go out with them" with a simple "I'm not allowed to date until I'm sixteen" response. 

We took the kids skating to the roller rink over the weekend, they had some time off of school for President's Day weekend. Brooklynne was able to rollerskate for her very first time, she looked so cute in those little skates!  She was the only one who held still enough for a pic taken from my phone.  All the older kids did well at the speed skating competitions, Jarom, Bre, Ellie and Spencer (I took video which I will post when I download them to u tube) all took first for their age category.  Josh even got the hang of it and was able to skate on his own.

Uncle Brodie celbrated his b-day this month.  Matt and I celebrated his special day with a dinner out with him and Stephanie (mine was the turkey dinner, so good...) the day before and then with a family meal at his home the actual day of.  The girls all had fun playing school, the only downside was into the evening poor Josh ended up with a fever then the throw up flu, we were able to drive home with no episodes in the car thankfully.  It lasted a day and he is feeling better now, I'm just hoping it won't take it's course on the rest of the families.

The other day I went out to the shed to get the step ladder to relplace a light bulb and a bit of touch up paint (leaving the front door open in the process) low and behold a baby bird flew into our home.  If was flying all over alarming all of the kids, we finally trapped it in Ellie's bedroom and were able to catch it in a plastic bin (after it nearly knocked itself silly trying to fly through the window, poor thing.)  We let it go and weren't sure if it broke a wing or not, luckily it seemed to fly off with out any problems. 

 The other day, I thought it was really cute Brooke came inside in the middle of her and Josh playing outside to come tell me, "Josh is nice to me mommy."  It was her way of telling me that they we playing well together.  They dug in the dirt and Josh found his first worms of the season, later in the day it started to rain but that didn't stop Josh from playing outside.

Grandma and Grandpa Noble came for a visit here after visiting Tracey and Jon, they brought by b-day gifts for Bre, Spencer, Brooke and I then they picked up Branks BBQ for dinner, the ribs are always tastey, g-ma made little bananna cream treats for dessert.  The kids are always so excited to see G-ma and G-pa.

 -February 2012     

Boys Game Night

February 16th 2012

Awhile back, before the 1st Fast Sunday of the month-Jarom had a start the fast game night at our home.  His Scout leader/Chef Ramsey came well prepared with taco bar items (the guacamole was to die for, so good!) The boys had fun playing a few arcades, then a game of Apples to Apples and before starting their fasts and spiritual thought, Jarom planned a banana split/sundae bar.  The boys had a good time.

WARNING:

Charlie, Tyler, Wes and possibly even Shae~ watch out if there's any potential Turkey Day Paint Balling sessions planned for this coming Thanksgiving, Jarom and Matt have added some major updated attachments to their paint ball guns...

Looking back, this was in 2009 (guess you guys have skipped the last two years Turkey Day paint balling event.)  Jon will you be in this year?  Maybe Jeana's Ben will be up for the event as well???  I know Shae actually joined with the guys as well but she wasn't pictured with the group, I remember her bruises to show for it, no thank you here. Fun stuff for them though.

Our old kitchen faucet died, our poor hard wood floor was soaked from a leaky faucet one morning, Matt got to play plumber and installed a new kitchen sink, such a handy man he is. The new faucet is not pictured but it's a much nicer one with a higher spout which makes doing dishes a bit easier, that and for the kids when they drink from the faucet.  From all of these events that were up and coming at our home, it motivated me to shampoo our carpets.  It was a chore, but well worth it.  I just always put it off too long to the point that our carpets and stairs look atroshis since I dread getting the big shampoo beast out of the garage, always worth it in the end though.  I just need to invest in a new smaller spot cleaner so I can keep up on the spots as they arise...