"Christmastime"

Candy canes

Counting days

Kids who still believe

Falling snow

Mistletoe

Trimming the tree

Then laying underneath

The glow of colored strings of lights

Dreaming of Christmas Eve night

Popcorn chains

China plates

The smell of pumpkin pie

Wrapping gifts

Ornaments

Stockings hung high

Baking cookies and reading stories

A different tale each night

Seeing it again through a child's eyes

It's the hope that one day the world will know peace

It's the love that we feel helping others in need

It's the Shepard's who followed a star in the night

All wrapped up in the gift of Christmastime

Holy night

The Gift divine

Unto us has come

A perfect child

The Baby mild

And holding her Son

Mary sings a lullaby as peacefully He sleeps

And she marvels as what this miracle will mean

It's the sound of heaven as angels sing

It's the grace that only the Savior can bring

It's the wisemen who follow Him each day of their lives

All wrapped up in the gift of Christmastime

It's wisemen who follow Him each day of their lives

It's love

And hope

It's joy

And light

It's Christmastime!

Can You Say "Yum" ?

Chad's best friend here in Utah's name is Ward. His wife, Deb, and I have of course become good friends due to process of elimination, and much to my benefit!

Each Christmas she gets together with her mom and sisters to make hand made chocolates, toffee, fudge and carmels. If you can believe it her mom is in her 80's and continues to make these delicious delectables by the dozens for all her neighbors and friends. This year (as usual) Deb asked me our preference of treats. I asked instead if I could simply hang out and watch as they make the yummy treats, to be taught how to make them. She jumped at the chance to spend the day together- it turned into a week. I have always thought that the art of hand dipping chocolates is another talent that is under credited, and a dying talent. This was the highlight of my season, thus far...

We made numerous treats, chatted, laughed and bonded over dripping warm chocolate (what else can be better?) I was hooked!

As soon as I got home I quickly stirred up a batch of the most heavenly fudge on earth- and believe me I am a lover of fine fudge, after all I have been to Mackinaw Island... Sadly, I need report is was gone in less than a week! But the sweet memories of working together those few precious days will forever mean the world to me!

Thanks Deb!

Mel- Mo

So Corbin called Nanny (with a little help from his Momma) here was the conversation that followed:

Corby: Nanny you will never believe what happened to me today!

Nanny: Really Corby, what happened?

Corby: I was at the store with Momma and this guy said I was cute.

Nanny: Well Corby, that is because you are cute!

Corby: Then, he asked me if I was his sweet heart.

Nanny: (Slightly alarmed) And what did your Mom say?

Corby: Mommy didn't hear, but then he asked me if he could have a kiss.

Nanny: What? This strange guy at the store wanted a kiss?

Corby: Yes. Then he followed me around the store wanting another one.

Nanny: What? Are you serious?

Corby: Yes, Nanny. Then guess what?

Nanny: (audibly alarmed) What?

Corby: He followed me home and wants more kisses!!!

Nanny: He followed you home??? Are you going to call the police?

Corby: Mom, Pie and Ash all say it is okay and not to worry.

Nanny: What? Why?

Corby: Cause hims name is Elmo and he will be mine for Christmas!

Nanny: CINDY!!!!


hee hee!

The Christmas season is off to a rip- roaring start here...

Gobble Gobble!

So on Thanksgiving we called back to Pennsylvania to wish everyone a great day, and much to my dismay, I got a talkin' to about how my family on facebook seems to know what is going on in our lives, more than the "phone call crew" does. I simply told Bus, that if he joins facebook that he will know what is going on with us all the time. He did not find that as funny as I did, however.

So I swear that I will blog more faithfully so that they know what is going on too!

Sorry! :P

A Giggle Or A Scream?!?

Over the weekend, the kids were dying to do something fun- yet slightly spooky...

So after a wonderful celebratory dinner with Melzie's family- we decided to take all the kids to a haunted house.

Now... knowing that Mel gets spooked easily, I thought Hannah needed someone to be calm on her behalf. So I told her that she could hold my hand and that I would help protect her.

We make it though the haunted house (if the actors figure you are not spooked, they find someone else who will scream their lungs loose... in our case it was Mel)

Hannah looked at me and in the most serious voice said, "You were really brave, but why were you screaming?"

Me: "I was screaming?"

Hannah: "Yeah!"

Me: "I don't think I was screaming..."

Then Mel jumped into the conversation by saying, "No that would be ME screaming..."

Nice job Mel... thanks for making me look good! :)

Life Is GOOD!

Life is good!

I love the new music that is on the radio, it seems so happy!

Or is it just me?

Even though things are rough,

I really can't complain-

For each and every difficult thing thrown at me,

There seems to be a silver lining.

Life is good!

After Many Long Hours...

I am pleased to announce after many long hours that I have finally completed school...

well *gulp* this degree.

I begin a new masters program in December. I plan to certify in both blind and deaf special education, using both my interpreting degree and Braille skills.

So until then there will be no long hours,

late nights,

stress...

Thanks to everyone for all their support, especially, Chad, Pie, Crash and Roo! Loves you all! <3

I'm HOW Old?!?!

Chad has always reveled in the fact that I am 9 months older than him. He teases me about how I squeak in the morning if it is cold, and about the gray hair I found last week, and how anything after 10:00 seems late when you have been up and running since 6am.

Well, here is the clencher...

I was scolding the kids on something and spit out that even though I was only 29, I knew what it was I was talking about.

29?

29?

Where did that come from???

But the truth is, I don't feel as old as I am.

So, I have (very maturely) concluded that I will skip this birthday. No presents needed. Just another day. No cake or candles. No singing.

Just another simple day!

What Is My Purpose?

One of my favorite (and highly inappropriate) Broadway plays is Avenue Q. It is a spoof on Sesame Street with a vast assortment of colorful puppets who put their character- sakes to shame. In this play Princeton, one of the main characters, is looking for his purpose. He has just finished college and feels like he is now a has- been, breaking into song about how "It Sucks To Be Me".

Through the years I have been asked by many people how to find their purpose, and I have also thought about my purpose as well. I think that at some time or another every one wonders to some extent if this is the life they are meant to have.

Well, the good news is... after looking long and hard "My Purpose" fell into my lap recently.

I was asked to help some of the kids in the Salt Lake and Orem programs with their summer school this past year. This meant me going into their homes, meeting with their families, and giving advise as I saw needed- educational or otherwise.

After spending time in each of these homes, I realized that this was my purpose. Not that I know everything by any means, but I could see where they needed guidance, and had the wisdom to respectfully advise each family into something that *miraculously* worked for them.
Families would try my suggestions and call me in tears tellig me that they worked. Thinking I was some sort of miracle worker- which I am so clearly NOT.

Can I even tell you what a huge high that was??? To be needed.

Positive feedback was given to my boss, who has now molded a job to my accomplishments from the summer. I have loved the opportunities that USDB has given me, and continues to give me.

So "For Now", I have found my purpose... It may once again change, but for now, I love what I do!

What I Will Miss About Summer...

-Wearing flip flops every day

-Spending time with my family

-No stress from homework and school obligations

-Vacations and road trips

-Sitting in the back yard in the evenings & watching the hummingbirds play

-Staying up late & sleeping in the next day

-Smores in the fire pit and movies in the back yard on the screen

-Bob's Brain Freeze!

-Watching the pumpkins, raspberries and corn grow

-Swimming & hot tubing parties

-Driving the convertible with the top down & music loud

-Watching the yard (finally) come together after many hours of landscaping

-Sun kissed shoulders

-Naming freckles

-Watching Wigget smile as he hops through the yard to me

-Lavender blowing sweet scents through the back yard

-Popsicle mustaches

-Newly cut grass

-Clothes line dried

-Reading a good book in the sunshine

-Lunch dates

-Day lilies dancing in the summer breeze

-4 Wheeling through the mud

-Catching fireflies

-Camping in the Unitas

-Block parties

-Fishing

-Weekends in Midway

- Giggles from kids while running though the icy cold sprinklers

I Have Found Me A Home...

The days drift by

They don't have names

And none of the streets here look the same

And there are so many quiet places

And smilin' eyes match the smilin' faces.

And I have found me a home,

Yes, I have found me a home

And you can have the rest of everything I own

'Cause I have found me a home.

- Jimmy Buffett

Joe

So...

My friend Joe is FINALLY able to move to Salt Lake!

I cannot even begin to tell him how amazing he is and how fun it will be to
have him closer to us!


Just don't ask me to:

* Shave your back, again
*Clean your bathroom, again
*Help you move, again!

Welcome, welcome, welcome!

I Am Loved!

A cute thing happened this week at our house...

I was scheduling my summer home visits with a student, and was chatting with his teacher as well as the other workers who know this child I have never met.
I was being told he is "difficult". He bites, hits, kicks and you need to watch yourself around him, other wise you are black and blue.

Taylor out of thin air asked if he could accompany me on my home visits.
Confused, I asked him why he would want to go. His reply made me stop in my tracks.
He very calmly answered that if I was going somewhere I was not safe, he wanted to go to help keep me safe.

This from my 15 year old? Where did he come from?

My Family

We REALLY are this close!

Thanks for all your love & support!

One more month to go!!!!!

Neener Neener Ha Ha Ha!!!

This pretty much sums up my life right now...

My Simple Life

Tradition at our house is that every New Years Eve it is semi- mandatory to announce your New Years Resolution.

Things spill out like, "Be a better person" and "Serve others" "Read the BOM 3 times" but this year mine was simple...

To make my life less cluttered. Simplify things. Get rid of, organize, rearrange things making life simple.

So, the exact goal came out amidst all the other brilliant ideas that I would give to good will 100 items this year.

Now the piece I am leaving out is that I need therapy.... Yes me.

I have this complete obsession with being organized! (It came from my Mom who denys it, but is the most organized person I know!)

Well...

I have now taken this to the ump- teenth- degree...

I "adopted" some Craft Made closet organization inserts and (embarrassing I know) went wild!
I have now not only given away 100 items... (it is more like 200 things...) But my closet is AMAZING! I open it just to feel the stress leave my body.

It is true.

My big de- stresser in life is opening my closet.


Little do they know but the kids closets are next. I hope they don't find me at 3am "de-stressing" with their closets open... But we will see! ;)

the L word at OUR house

A funny thing happened at our house this week.

The boys both went on a scout outing overnight on Friday, so Chad and I decided to order dinner out, but stay in because of the little one.

We agreed on Red Lobster.

I ordered lobster, thinking that I would share some with Corby, not realizing that he would have a LOVE AFFAIR with it.

So you cannot say the L word with out him opening up his mouth and making yummy sounds. It seems as though he has a new favorite... Takes after his Momma.

Happy Birthday Ken!!!

So...

According to blogger tradition on birthdays you are to write as many things about the birthday person as they are old. So, while putting my life in danger I will tell you a few things about my wonderful brother. (He hates his picture being taken so I had to steal it off his work web-site, 95% of the ones I have he is hiding...)

1. Ken is smart! (Not just smart- he is CRAZY SMART!)

2. Ken is fluent in Russian.

3. Ken LOVES to read! (I envy the fact you can read "War and Peace" in Russian)

4. Ken is the worlds BEST uncle!

5. Ken is handsome and quite a catch.

6. Ken makes the yummiest best cheesecake!!!

7. Ken has impeccable taste.

8. Ken is a tax lawyer and works for the most prominent firm in Utah.

9. Ken LOVES the Yankees.

10. Ken has a testimony of the gospel.

11. Ken collects books and sports cards.

12. Ken loves babies. (He is really cute with them too!)

13. Ken always gives the best gifts & is very thoughtful! (He single- handed furnished my kitchen with Williams-Sonoma)

14. Ken LOVES the U of U teams. (He is a season ticket holder of football and basketball and makes sure my kids are too)

15. Ken is hilarious! (He has a great sense of humor)

16. Ken is a fast driver. (He makes me nervous going down the canyon with my kids in the back cheering him on telling him to break 100)

17. Ken has a red couch in his U of U family room. (Yes, I am jealous!)

18. Ken wears almost exclusively POLO brand.

19. Ken loves to golf and often takes his nephews along to drive the golf carts.

20. Ken makes AMAZING pasta dishes!

21. Ken is usually the instigator for going to Midway on weekends, he loves going!

22. Ken has helped his nephews not be "sissy boys" while they didn't have a Dad.

23. Ken is very patient with a certain dog who thinks he is his personal walker.

24. Ken is competitive!

25. Ken lived in NYC for a little over a year. (I am also jealous of this...)

26. Ken loves the arts. (remember RENT? haha)

27. Ken loves his family.

28. He hates BYU! (from Ash & Tae)

29. Ken collects Don Mattingly cards.

30. Ken loves chocolate and peanut butter.

31. Ken loves Carl Snarl. (His teddy bear)

32. Ken would have been better as the oldest in our family. Not me...

33. Ken is really loved by his family!!!

34. Ken has a beautiful home, he decorated himself.

Happy Birthday! I hope you get all the things you deserve! I love you!

Brotherly Love...

So this week we had a "situation" at our house.

I find the whole brother dynamics thing interesting- I was always the sister on the outside looking in...

Well for the past few weeks at school Ashton has been teased a little, due to him being vertically challenged.

So, yesterday while exiting the school Taylor noticed Ashton speaking heatedly with another boy. He was already in the car with my Dad driving. Taylor said, "He needs backup" and jumped out of the car much to my Dad's disapproval.

This other student was calling my child names that were very inappropriate. Including "ginger" (stupid me I had no idea that is another term for red-head).

So out jumps Taylor going to his brother's rescue.

This other boy (who is only inches taller than Ash) proceeds to egg on big brother too.

Needless to say, Taylor gave this student a "hard push" as another father grabs them both pulling them into the principals office. My Dad following them lecturing them the whole way to just avoid each other.

My kids were not in any trouble and it was taken care of quickly and painlessly.

But the pride in hearing that my boys who fight until I want to kill the two of them standing up for each other warmed my little Mommy heart.

I heard the cutest comment by one of my students last week that I just needed to share.

We were outside for recess and the kids were swinging.

Riley was on a swing next to the child I was pushing.

Aaron (his best friend) wanted to build a snowman, and was asking for help.

Riley in his most serious voice said, "I can't help you now Aaron. I can only help you when I am BIG!"

Relative to life...

Consider him a child brilliant beyond his years.

Happy Birthday Corby!

Corby had a birthday this week!

We have a number two!

He spent the day chatting with his brother, giggling through the store with Tae (and random people giggling along) Eating CHOCOLATE cake and ice cream. Then opening numerous gifts that were outstanding!

I understand that "tradition" is to write as many compliments as age number so here goes...

1. Corbin is the absolute light of all of our lives! He smiles and we all melt. He is now the center of our home and we all fight to spend time with him.

2. My favorite thing on the planet is waking him up in the morning. His long curly locks sticking out everywhere, and him calling, "Mommy I ruv you." Melts me every time!!

How lucky we are to have you in our family baby Roo!

We ALL love you!