To All My Family and Friends who Struggle

Musical Resources: The Truth About Piano Lessons

What a great article to parents about Piano Lessons! Well said, well written.

Musical Resources: The Truth About Piano Lessons: A piano teacher looks at what it takes to succeed in music, why parents should care, and what they can do to help their kids.  To piano t...

Hanging out with Grandma

Jerricho looking at pictures with Grandma!  It was great to see Aunt Deedee and Grandma Sanders. We love you!

Arrow of Light

Solomon earned his Arrow of Light this week! We had the ceremony Thursday. He is now a real Boy Scout! Good-bye to Cubs.  It is finally hitting home that he is growing up. We are so proud of him in this accomplishment. We are proud that he works hard in Scouts and we are happy that he enjoys it.


This amazing cake was made by his 5th Grade teacher Mrs. Green, who also happens to be a good friend of mine! She is so talented and nice to make this for him!

17 Years Today . . . 82 Reasons Why I Love My Husband

Why I Love My Husband

1. I love you because I am your honey.
2. I love you because you are my honey.
3. I love you because you put your family first.
4. I love you because of the way you tease me.
5. I love you because you let me tease you back.
6. I love you because we can "bark" at each other and know we do it with love.
7. I love you because you wow me!
8. I love you because you said yes to wowing me forever.
9. I love you because you hurry home from work to see me.
10. I love you because you always remember our special days.
11. I love you because you know hanging out with my friends is important.
12. I love you because you wanted to be with me even if we could never have kids, (genetically anyway).
13. I love you for helping me press forward to have a family.
14. I love you because you know when I need to hear you say "I love you"
15. I love you because you give great back rubs.
16. I love you because you are a great Daddy to our children.
17. I love you because you enjoy (or put up with) my quirks. 
18. I love you because you fix things when they break.
19. I love you because of your practical, logical mind.
20. I love you because you are the logical side that balances my abstract impuslive side.
21. I love you because you make me laugh.
22. I love you because you know how to cheer me up even when I am stubborn and don't want cheering up.
23. I love you because you like to buy me fashionable clothes I would never buy myself.
24. I love you because you have great taste.
25. I love you because you wanted us to have a home we own.
26. I love you because you always have good advice.
27. I love you because you let me make mistakes.
28. I love you because you trust me.
29. I love you because I trust you.
30. I love you because I can be myself when I’m with you.
31. I love you because you make feel wanted.
32. I love you because you are never boring.
33. I love you because we are happy doing nothing together.
34. I love you because even when I’m grumpy, you still like me.  
35. I love you because you let me give you a detailed description of how I spent my day.
36. I love you because you are forgiving.
37. I love you because you are easy to forgive.
38. I love you because we both know that together we can work out anything.
39. I love you because we communicate together with ease.
40. I love you because you can talk me down from my anxious- irrational thoughts to a calm clear perspective.
41. I love you because you stick up for me.
42. I love you because you protect me.
43. I love you because you protect the children.
44. I love you because when you hold me tight everything is always all right.
45. I love you because you make things fun.
46. I love you because your love gives me the feeling that the best is still ahead.
47. I love you because you always talk things out with me.
48. I love you because you bring out the best in me.
49. I love you because you’re simply irresistible.
50. I love you because you always know just what I need.
51. I love you because you always say what I need to hear.
52. I love you because you are a great cook.
53. I love you because you help around the house.
54. I love you because all the little things you do make such a big difference in my life.
55. I love you because I love all the ways you give.
56. I love you because you’re always on my mind.
57. I love you because you’re someone I can be goofy with.
58. I love you because you are a dog-lover like myself.
59. I love you because I enjoy being with you.
60. I love you because your favorite pastime is to be with me and the boys.
61. I love you because I love the sense of security I feel when I am with you.
62. I love you because of your awesome 80's/90's dancing, especially the "mixing-pot" dance.
63. I love you because of the way you plan for our future.
64. I love you because you would fiercely defend me or the boys if needed.
65. I love you because you support me in my work.
66. I love you because of your thoughtfulness.
67. I love you because of things I won’t share on a public list. :)
68. I love you because you are passionate.
69. I love you because of your respect for me.
70. I love you because you are always looking out for our boys' best interest.
71. I love you because of your sense of humor.
72. I love you because you would rather be home with us then anywhere else.
73. I love you because you are nice to my friends.
74. I love you because you help your friends.
75. I love you because you are my best friend.
76. I love you because making this list is easy.
77. I love you because new reasons show up everyday
78. I love you because of who you have been in your life
79. I love you because of who you are now.
80. I love you because of who you are becoming.
81. I love you because you know how to love me.
82. I love you because I can’t imagine my life with out you.

 . . . and I mean every single word of this. 

Sleeping Jerricho

This collage was too hard to pass up. Jerricho has been caught in so many funny places and positions sleeping, I just had to put the pictures together to share. My only regret is that I haven't taken pictures every time he's fallen asleep in an odd way. Oh Well!

WORK HARD! PLAY HARD! SLEEP HARD!

"The Journey to Christmas"

It is hard this time of year to stay focused on what really counts.  The busy, rushed, decorating, gift buying, and baking seems to fill up the time and another day has gone by.  We received a Christmas from our Bishop and church leaders (as everyone did in our congregation) just the other day, and it really helped me see that I need to slow down and enjoy the blessings and intangible gifts that my family and I have.

I'd like to share the letter with you. Please forgive me for the lack of creativity on my part. My mind is still too crazy to come up with my own thoughts so I have to steal from others. This is worth the read for everyone...

"The Journey to Christmas"

The month of December is a time of joyful anticipation. The sights, sounds, and smells of the season evoke feelings of excitement and wonder. For generations, children - and grown-ups- have used advent calendars and paper chains to count down the days. But does our focus ever become so fixed on the future that we forget to enjoy the journey to Christmas?

This year, instead of just looking forward, let's also take pleasure in the preparations: in the little, less spectacular moments along the way, even in the spontaneous joys that may, at first, seam like interruptions to our bigger plans. In order to recognize those moments for what they could be, it sometimes helps to slow things down a bit. We may need to shop less and savor more. We mights have to dim the bright lights in order to see the stars in the heavens, but if we look, we will find them.

Often it takes a child to redirect our focus. Think of how much children enjoy the present moments, the preparations, and not just the finished products. When helping to decorate the home, wrap presents, or bake Christmas treats, they usually make more of a mess than we would; they might not do it just right, but they als usually enjoy the moment more than we do! Their enthusiam can be contagious.

A three year old girl, wholeheartedly living in the present, exclaimed: "It's not tomorrow! It's not today! It's "to-now!" When was the last time [we] felt "to-now"?

Yes, we are busy. But the days leading to Christmas are not just to be endured. In fact, perhaps they offer more of what the season is really about. The promise of Christmas is everywhere to behold. It's not saved for Christmas morning. If we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to open, we truly can enjoy the journey to Christmas.

Newspaper

Here's the Newspaper Clipping of the assembly . . . Yes, that's the back of my head :)

Hair Cutting Assembly

In an earlier post I explained about how our the PE teacher and I were starting a fundraiser for raffle tickets for kids to purchase in hopes to win the chance of cutting our hair.We also planned to donate our hair to Locks of Love. We had our assembly Thursday.  Also, my picture was in the local paper with a small blurb next to it. I tried to find it online but couldn't. I suppose I could scan it later and post it. It's just the back of my head with my hair in braids showing the kids sitting in the background. It was cool.

Here are photos from the event. It was fun!

Before, Middle, and After:

Hair has been sent off to Locks of Love, money has been earned to help pay for PE equipment and music instruments . . .

but most of all . . .

Many of the students want to grow their hair out and donate their hair to help other children get hair pieces. That is awesome.

My baby