November 2012

November was a fun and busy month for us. We finally took the kids to Avila to get our apple cider for our Thankgiving and Christmas dinners. It is one of our annual splurges- raw apple cider is the best! We hit up the barn so Emma could feed the animals too. Of course, she loved it. 

 We have a funny dog. James made a new rule that he can't sleep on the bed anymore. Too much hair and mess. Marley is very insulted. One night when James was working, one of his pillows fell on the floor and Marley capitalized on this moment. I took a picture of Marley laying James' pillow and texted it to him! James was so upset and told me to get him off.

I was going to, but when I looked back he had curled up like this and I just couldn't do it! Doesn't he look so comfy?

 The Littles watching a show.

 Brad received his Wolf Badge and is now just enjoying the last few weeks of being a Wolf scout before he moves up to a Bear in January. They took a trip to the fire station. Emma loves it when she hears the sirens of a fire truck or a police car or an airplane. She will stop whatever she is doing and ask to go see whatever she hears. We thought she would love seeing the fire trucks up close and personal. She did like the trucks but just wanted to crawl inside them and was super shy around the firemen.

Ben is still enjoying his photography class with 4H and takes his camera with him everywhere! I got him his own digital camera for Christmas which he is going to love.

 Bradley is finally done with soccer! The rain postponed his final jamboree tournament twice. It finally happened today. It was eventful, but not in the way he had hoped. They not only lost all 3 games but he got hit in the face with a soccer ball, cut his lip, and chipped his front tooth. It was a total bummer. He handled it so bravely but the poor guy was really upset!

 One of the James' fellow officers gave the boys camouflage nets when we visited the station one morning. They built forts and hid under the nets all day. James came downstairs and Brad was lying flat on the living room floor, frozen, with the net thrown over him. James said, "Dude, I can totally see you." Brad got up very frustrated and yelled, "I know! This thing is worthless!" That was the end of that.

Our Thanksgiving was quiet but lovely. We had a beautiful dinner which we were able to enjoy with James on Thanksgiving for the first time in 5 years! He left for work and I hit some awesome Black Friday sales! I got these darling boots for Emma along with almost all of our other gifts. It was a bit hectic and crazy (and there were some totally rude people out), but overall it was worth it! I saved on average 50%! I wish I could say that meant I spent less but I just ended up getting everyone more! We will be having a nice Christmas. I am so grateful for the ability to do that for our kids. Not all of our Christmases have been so fortunate.

James' early birthday present! I am 15 days into it now and I absolutely LOVE it!  I finished the first phase of my Rev Abs strong and lost several more inches but then decided to try out Asylum. It is only a 30 day program, and then I will get back to the last 2 phases of Rev Abs. It's fun to switch things up, and MAN does this program kick your butt! It is hard and crazy, but super fun. You are constantly moving, changing exercises, using cool tools like an agility ladder, jump rope, and free weights- it's an amazingly good workout.

 Here are my current reads! I wish I had more time to read. I have finally come to terms that this is not the season in my life where I will finish every book, take long notes, write thoughtful responses, and share all my knowledge. I may do that some times with some books, but it is okay to just dabble; to learn a little here and there when I get 10 quiet minutes to myself.  Learning is fun, and I have much of it to do!

Emma trying out the agility ladder.

 The boys learning to jump rope.

Fall Update

Savanna's birthday party was a success! It seems to me that as kids get older, their parties get easier. All she wanted was a doughnut cake, Hot Cheetos, popcorn, and a movie night with her girl friends. Super easy! It was a good thing too because I was sick with strep throat for close to two weeks and it was about all the energy I could muster to go to the store and get these few items. Still managed to get a picture for the blog too! And, yes, we embarrassed her by singing "Happy Birthday" loudly and making her blow out her candles. :)

I don't know exactly how it happened but Savanna has finally entered Scholar Phase! She now studies 6 to 8 hours per day on her own, without any prodding or pleading. She is reading a book on setting goals and plans out her day meticulously. She studies all morning and early afternoon, works out every day, attends seminary and reads her scriptures, does her chores, and works on the weekends babysitting and gardening- it is AMAZING! She recently was contemplating going back to pubic high school. We wrote out a pros and cons list, had her talk to several people (home schooled and public schooled), and then she fasted and prayed to find out what she should do. To my complete surprise (and relief), she felt she should stay home and prepare herself to start junior college next year. Since that moment any complaints about home schooling have ceased and her motivation to improve in her academics has gone through the roof. It is great to see her not only learning, but enjoying learning (I might even dare say love learning...but that depends on the day and the subject)!

 Savanna's very first cake! She had to make a two-layered frosted cake to bring to her first cake decorating class. Apparently it is harder to make a two-layered cake then one would think!

 Thank goodness for frosting!

 Ta-Da! Super cute, and just in time for her birthday!!

 Every afternoon the boys go out to the garage while Emma naps. They play Foosball, make crafts, play playdough, make forts, eat their lunch, and listen to their books on CD. They are currently listening to the 4th Eragon book on CD- Inheritance. What creative little men.

Speaking of Eragon, Bradley is also reading the series himself and just finished the first book! A whopping 730 pages! Not too shabby for an eight-year-old!!

Brad has his last soccer game next weekend. He is bummed to see it end, but it will be nice to have a little more family time and one less commitment. He finally started up cub scouts again and has completed all the requirements to receive his Wolf Badge! He should be getting that next week and he is very excited. He has worked very hard and has learned a great deal this past year in scouts.

 Like most kids, the boys love animals. We were taking a walk and this horse took a liking to Ben. He galloped right over to him and began sniffing his face. The boys were elated. 

 Benjamin's front teeth are finally coming in! The bad news: he has THREE front teeth. We took him to the dentist last week and he referred us to an oral surgeon. It looks like little Benny (as Emma lovingly calls him) will be having surgery to remove that third tooth some time next year. Poor kid.

 Little Emma is busy as ever. She has been fighting a cold on and off for several weeks. I almost think she might have allergies but I can't even go there mentally right now! I am hoping it is just a weird virus and she will be back to her healthy self very soon. The time change has thrown everyone off but Emma has been the worst. She normally is an early riser (she wakes up around 6am) but with the time change she now has been waking up at 5am! And for the past week she won't nap longer than 45 minutes or an hour which means she spends the majority of the afternoon whining and crying, "Mama, I want to hold you!" Not too fun but we are still enjoying how cute her little voice is (even when she is whining), and we are amazed at how quickly she is learning. She counted to 8 the other day, she knows her ABCs, she can name most of her colors and animals- yeah, she's pretty much a prodigy!

As she has gotten bigger, James keeps saying how much she looks like him. I think this is hysterical because 1. I don't think she looks anything like him (but we humor him) and 2. He thinks he looks nothing like the boys who, in fact, look exactly like him! He was talking about how much Emma looks like him again at dinner last week and Benjamin finally had enough. He said, "Dad, she doesn't look anything like you! She has hair and she is cute!!" Doh!

I wish I had more time to update my dinner blog. I have been trying some amazing recipes lately. During my sickness I watched every food/nutrition documentary on NetFlix. My favorites were "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" and "Forks Over Knives." Both advocate a high plant-based diet rich in fruits, veggies, whole grains, seeds, nuts, beans, and animal products sparingly (Sounds like a scripture I read once...hmmm...). I found the "Forks Over Knives" cookbook at the library along with another fascinating book called "Eat to Live" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. I think I have finally found the balance I have been looking for as I have studied nutrition over the past five years. Going too extreme in any direction has given me great results, but not long-lasting, continual results. These books talk more about a way of life that is based on eating high nutrient food MOST of the time. Eating to fuel your body, eating to live a life without excess weight or disease. But unlike some of the other avenues I have tried it isn't super rigid. It is just common sense mixed with desire to care for yourself, our animals, and our planet. 

So far the fam loves the recipes! They are basically vegan or vegetarian recipes but they are hearty and very tasty and they don't involve any rare or faux-type products that are costly and hard to find. Above is an AMAZING pizza bar we made for the missionaries. Tomato sauce, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, red bell pepper, olives, black beans, corn, cilantro, spinach, and  nutritional yeast (or a small amount of cheese) baked on whole wheat pita breads circles.

 Our make-shift Panini pan! Veggie Paninis are one of our new favorites- hummus, green onion, red pepper, mushroom, avocado, spinach, and cilantro. Grill on each side for 1 minute. It lightly steams the veggies and warms the hummus. The kids say it tastes like pizza and even my husband will eat them!

 

 I started my new workout program, Rev Abs. I know I say this about every Beachbody program, but I REALLY love it! I think I have just finally fallen in-love with exercise. I love the way it makes me feel (and look). I enjoy working out different parts of my body and feeling stronger. Just prior to getting sick I completely fell off the wagon with my diet. Not sure what I was thinking but I was eating very BAD! Then I was in bed for 2 weeks and I had a lot of time to contemplate my actions (and the consequences of my actions). I renewed my commitment to take good care of myself both with exercise and diet, not for 90 days, but forever. It is worth the time, energy, and preparation. Plus, I deserve it. :)

The boys have been practicing magic tricks. This is Brad's new trick which he calls, "The Magic Tunnel." 

Oct- Nov 2012

August Comes to a Close

Our darling Emma turned two August 23rd! We did what she loves to do best- we took her to the park and made her pasta! I love 2 year old birthdays! I figure I have maybe one more year until the "birthday demands" kick in. We always let the birthday child pick an activity and dinner (within reason) on his/her birthday. Since we home school we can almost always celebrate on their actual birthday depending on Dad's work schedule. I don't do too many parties (Only for big years, like when Brad turned 8 and was baptized we had a big party. We will probably do something special for Savanna's Sweet 16 NEXT year- yikes!). I love that some of my family and friends go all out with the parties every year. I love attending when we can and enjoy how creative they are, but throwing my own parties stresses me out. The preparation, the hosting, the cleanup- yep, the whole thing! Maybe I will enjoy that more when I have a bigger space, a bigger budget, and more time (so when ALL my kids are grown and gone, I will throw myself some amazing birthday bashes)! For now I much prefer a family activity and special dinner. One day, and then back to real life! Savanna's birthday is next month and she wants to go get her hair done at a Salon (dyed and cut), she wants to shop with her anticipated birthday money, and then she wants to pick up her best girlfriend and go eat Sushi. LOVE it! One day, super fun, DONE. :)

Okay, back to Emma. Here she is in all her cuteness:
 

She refuses to let us pick out her clothes. She picks out all her own outfits (mostly skirts and dresses). Savanna says we should nominate her for "What Not to Wear." She might win with this one!
 

She is still loving her doll and stroller from her Auntie for her birthday as you can see!
 

Benjamin lost his first front tooth when he fell off a bar stool on our tile floor. He lost his second front tooth last week when he fell on Brad's foot while jumping on the trampoline (AKA Brad kicked him in the face "accidentally")! Dang Boys!!

Brad had his first soccer game today! He is having a blast. He is such a team player. His team's name is The Scorpions. I love going to the games. Now that he is getting older they are becoming much more coordinated and competitive. Emma loves going too. Every time Brad would get the ball she would scream, "Thank you, Brad!" She cheered for him and waved and clapped. Totally cute!
 

 Our garden is doing awesome! I have enough greens for smoothies usually once or twice per week. Having fresh herbs is amazing! I use the basil and parsley a lot, and the kids love to go out and pick fresh cilantro for their burritos or tacos. Our tomatoes and cucumbers should be ready to harvest in the next couple of weeks as well. We haven't had a very hot summer so it is taking a bit longer. We just planted some kale too.
 

 But our pumpkin patch is doing the best! We have several large pumpkins, and the kids can't wait until they turn orange.
 

 

Not too much else to report here! James is officially off training and has started graveyard shift. I absolutely love it, and he absolutely hates it! He sleeps until about 5pm so we have dinner together every night. He helps me at the hardest part of my day with cleanup, baths, and bedtimes. He leaves at 8pm (all the littles are tucked in and the house is clean!), and I blog, read, hang with Savanna- whatever- and then go to sleep. I wake up and he arrives home within an hour and we all have breakfast! The only downside on my end is keeping everyone quiet and having the baby nap downstairs during the day. His body, however, is having a hard time adjusting to being up all night. Plus graves are dead boring so the time drags. He will have this shift until January and then he will be one of the first people to pick their shift instead of the last! In the mean time he is having a great attitude and is just grateful to be out on his own without a trainer breathing down his neck!!

School is still going well. I feel like we just hit a good groove. Savanna is super motivated. The boys are always excited to learn. Benjamin is doing so well with his reading and has gone to the library twice to get more books. I am going to spend tomorrow putting together some "toddler totes" I read about to keep Emma occupied while I do school with the older kids. Having her whine and run around during the bulk of our school morning is pretty distracting. I'm going to make her a rice table with cups and funnels and spoons. Maybe I'll add some dried beans too. Savanna's daycare had one when she was about Emma's age and she played with that ALL day. Someone suggested paint brushes with water and cardboard. Maybe some homemade playdough and cookie cutters. She needs simple, hands-on, independent activities to keep her happy. And then everyone else will be happy too (That's the plan, at least)!

August 19 -  Sept 8, 2012