Ten on Tuesday

 1. Biggest news of the week is Henry turned 1!! We had cake and ice cream. He is an amazing baby. who our neighbor calls, Stupid happy. Henry is, he is happy 99% of the time we are so blessed to have him our family.

what I get to see everyday!

2. a good friend was so kind and wanted to improve her photography skills took some photos of him. I picked a terrible time of the day. Now the hard part is choosing which one I like best!

3. In case you were ever worried about how you look when you go work out. . . Don't you could look like this :)

4. Saturday night Annmarie and I went on a girls night of sorts. We went to a baptism of a family. ON the way there She was confused why the parents were not baptized  I told here they had not made the choice to but they were getting baptized tonight. She then says "this is the best day ever for them." Such a sweet girl. Love her and am so happy to be her mom.

5. Will started reading Harry Potter book 1. At first is was a punishment from the parents to get him to read more. But thankfully he is actually enjoying it! yeah to moments when kids start reading and like it.

6. I was told this morning (at my 5am HEAT class) that my class was harder than the other teacher. You have no idea how this made my day. When you teach similar classes (with little to no format) it is always nice to hear that people like your class!

7. Last night we had thunder and lightning! it is January crazy. now we have a winter storm warning in effect. Makes me wish I had gone running out side today in the 33 degree weather. I detest running on a treadmill!

8. Jeffrey has been trying so hard to be "grown" up like his siblings lately. It is cute to watch him try and do all the things (ie reading among other things). I love watching him try. Oh he also started piano lessons. He is in heaven!

9. Jed continues to be. . . Jed stubborn, loud, thinking he is always right and his family is horrible and mean and he tells us we are out of the family. I thought this happened as teenagers, not as 4 year olds. We are changing the way we do things with him and trying a much more love and non yelling approach (we are not perfect with either of these things) only time will tell if it works!

10. random fact - Chris and I leave in 2 weeks for a conference in DC!!!! I am so excited to spend some time there (it better be warm), and to spend time with just Chris. Huge thanks to those wonderful families who are making this possible for us!!

10 on Tuesday late

what a week!

1. Jed is now the owner of a brand new green cast. from his toes to his knee. What did he brake, nothing. After injuring himself we discovered he has a rare bone disease, kohler's. The navicular bone was cut off from the blood supply while it was growing so it died. The cast is placing his foot in the correct position to allow blood to get to the bone again and re-form. My arms are getting really strong from carrying 2 kids to and from  the car.

2. I did conditioning for the boys soccer team last night. oh it was a blast. If you think you are in ok shape. go do circuits with HS boys. you will feel great about your self.

3. Jeffrey got glasses. He looks handsome.

4. Chris started back in school on Tuesday. I think he is happy to be back and busy again.

5. Chris also got an A in one of his classes. Cannot express how proud we are of him.

6. With after school we are trying to decide between taking the bar in Iowa and Washington (state).

7. I will be running 3 RAGNARs in 5 weeks. I'm a bit crazy. Makes me glad for my new and old jobs so I can save. (no haircuts, no "quick cheep" lunches at jimmy Jon's. Guess I'm finally learning to save)

8. Henry turns 1 on Friday. I cannot believe we are even close to this day.

9. Annmarie is enjoying laying with the neighbor girls. She complains at least once a day that she doesn't have a sister.

10. random thing: 10 feels warm when you have experienced -25

Ten on Tuesday

1. Will had his first pinewood derby race on Wed night. Chris is also in scouts so they both got to make cars. It was fun to watch will sand, then say he was done, then was instructed no way are you close. Will ended up in 2nd place over all!! not too bad for a first time.

Waiting for the race to begin

His first race. Will's car is the red and blue one (with the #12 on it. think tom brady)

Not sure where he gets his excitment from when he wins ;)

Yelling at his car to go faster.

After realizing that he got 2nd place over all

Chris's awesome car

Will's car plus award

Will with his car and 2nd place medal

Jeffrey showing off Chris's car

 2. Thursday I started "coaching." a local catholic high school has asked me to help out with conditioning for the boys and girls soccer teams. I love it!!! next time we will be playing dodge ball  BEST JOB EVER. plus the girls were way nice (I meet the boys next week).

3. Friday Chris and I went out. It was the first time in a long time it was just us on a date. It was nice to talk about things and then start moving towards deciding things for our future.

4.  While on our date we hit up the local sporting goods store and we got some kettlebells ( Chris and I are both taking a trx, and also a kettlebell class. employee benefits :) ) We love them. we have been doing a circuit of TRX, kettlebells and ankle bands. Come join us!

5. Saturday I had a girls night!!!! it was so much fun. we ate great food, laughed and talked. I love girls nights

6. After girls night Annmarie had left me a note. telling me she wishes she could have spent time with me because she loves me. It about broke my heart.

7. Sunday Chris and I had a chance to sit down and really talk about my lesson for Church. it was on the Atonement  Thanks to him I know understand it a bit better. The thing I got the most out of it was LOVE. So glad I have a great man like him in my life.

8. Monday We had a wonderful FHE on prayer. We used the idea from the Ensign from the HOme teaching message. Then Will and Annmarie talked with us about the importance of prayer. It was a great great one. I makes all the other crazy nights seem worth it.

9. After FHE we kind of feel like we should Look at Dallas, or Seattle. Hoping that things will become a bit clearer for us, but we are doing our leg work.

Just because they are so handsome!

10. Random fact - Chris is a jackrabbit, artichoke, Thunderbird, sun devil and bull dog. what is next?

Ten on Tuesday

We headed to Chicago for 2 days last week. Oh my where to begin.

 1. Chris had an interview with Northwestern for their LLM in Taxation program. So we all went up. While Chris was in the interview I drove around Downtown Chicago. . . (have I ever mentioned that I really don't like big cities and all the traffic, and expenses to park etc. ugh!)

I saw this Chicago sign at a red light. Its famous right?

Oh how I would have loved to have gone in this store. . . although the $20 for parking would have made anything I bought not worth it. 

2. The kids played in the hotel pool for hours. they had a blast. While talking with the kids about what we are doing when Chris Graduates in May Jed says I want to go to Chicago and see the Oregon ducks. It took us a bit to realize that he was talking about the BCS game we watched while in the hotel.

3. Chris got to go to the temple in Chicago. Oh how the outside reminded me of Dallas. Chris said the inside was pretty much the same.

4. While Chris was in the temple The kids and I played in the car. Henry obviously loved it :)

5. While in Chicago I got sick (no fun but I lost weight so that should be a plus right) and on the way home we knew Henry was getting sick (he slept way to much. The kids were really great in the car. So lucky for that blessing!

6. Here is the Mississippi River. The kids and I were so excited to get back into Iowa. I tried to get a photo of the welcome to Iowa sign, but I messed up.

7. Saturday we took Henry to the Dr and found out he had a horrible sinus infection along with Pink Eye. So thankful for awesome Drs!!!

8. Sunday we were fasting as a family to know what to do after Chris graduates. Will has been fasting since he was 8 but Annmarie and Jeffrey decided to join in as well. It made my heart so full to know that they were willing to join us. as of today the plan is to do 1 more year of law school (a LLM in taxation). This program is not offered here, and it seems only in really really big cities that are way expensive (chicago, NYC, DC, Boston, Miami, LA) who knows where we will end up.

9. Chris and I have started lifting weights together (since he is on break). I must say I really enjoy "training." It has made me think about going and getting my personal training cert.

10. Random fact - I love the song Home by Phillip Phillips. I was explaining to someone why I liked it and here it goes. He has promised the person he is with that regardless of where they are he will do all he can to make that place Home for them. (this is my take and my be way off). But while doing this it made me cry. Why because I would love to be right here a year from now, the reality of that happening means I will be spending a year without Chris (school) or He gets a job here. It made me cry because it made me think of Chris, he wants me to be happy where ever I go. Love that I am so lucky to be his best friend and wife for eternity.

Ten on Tuesdayish last of 2012!

 1. We spent New years eve ringing in the East Coast time zone with good family friends. all of our kids made it until 11 pm. Yes even Henry after a brief nap. We played fun games and had great company. Hopefully the kids will be too grumpy or we may never do this again.

2. We had a short visit from my Dad Monday as well. We are trying hard to decide what the future holds for us after Chris Graduates this spring. It was so nice of him to come and spend some time talking about important aspects. The giving Chris a blessing was an added bonus.

3. Saturday and Sunday became craft day. The blocks the kids got for Christmas we started to paint. Plus Will and Chris are working on their pinewood derby cars (2 wed's and then the race!) We let the kids pick out their own colors. . . I will get photos of the others when they are done.

4. Henry likes to get into things. . . His latest spot is our shoe basket. He often just chills there. Love his smile when he in there and he is so happy!

5. Here is proof that Henry is actually growing. Here he is in a 6-9mo onesie. Note the diaper coming out through the snaps.

6. Saturday Chris and I went out and saw Les Mis and had dinner with friends. We both had different takes on the movie. I have never seen the production but grew up  listening to the original soundtrack. I love that soundtrack. that being said. I enjoyed the movie. I will probably not ever see it again. Side not I thought Greg's rendition of Stars was much better than Russel Crowe. Chris lets just say he is a kind and loving husband who does things because he knows it will make me happy. Dinner with our friends was wonderful! So glad that we have great friends to do fun things with.

7. Friday night Annmarie was not feeling well, She has been complaining of her stomach hurting for about a month now. But Friday night it was about the 3rd day of not really eating. Chris took her to the ER. While there we found out that a family in our branch was there as well with their 9 mo old. Chris left Annmarie to go help give a priesthood blessing, and when he came back Annmarie was all better. Needless to say Chris is convinced that they went to the ER to help give a blessing.

8. Listening to Jed talk is hilarious  He sounds like he is Boston. Chris says it just goes to show that Some people just never grow up and learn to talk :)

9. I have decided that I need to learn to say NO when asked to sub exercise classes. Hopefully I will learn this before I become sick of teaching classes. On a side note. last week a guy in my HEAT class commented that he really enjoys my classes. As an instructor I cannot tell you how much this means. If you take a class and enjoy it please please tell your teacher.

10. Random fact - Annmarie's new favorite color is Orange. . . I wonder where she got that from.

Tuesday . . .

This week we will have a day by day recap.

Wed. It started off with kids going to school with a blizzard warning starting at 6 pm. They named it Draco. How funny is that. The snow started to come down and it was beautiful big wet flakes. The kids came home from school and after dinner we went outside and played. I made a snowman and the kids were in heaven. making snowballs, snow angles. etc. Then off to bed we went.

Thursday. when we woke up to. We lost power for a bit, but compared to some who didn't get it back on for hours and even had to wait until Saturday. It had stopped snowing. But then the Midwest winds came. If you have ever felt them you know they are terrible!! Chris and I often wondered while shoveling how the pioneers ever made it across the plains. 

the height of this drift is about hip height on me.

Friday school was canceled again. We think it was because of the lack of power in certain places. So we played outside and had fun. I had a drs appointment that afternoon. A few weeks back we discovered a lump in my breast. After a mamo-graham and ultrasound tests came back to not have anything to worry about. I learned during this not to judge people because you really never know what is going on in their life that they have not told you. 

Saturday - I taught 2 classes at the Y this morning. It was so wonderful to get out of the house. We all had a bit of cabin fever. After the Y and some lunch the kids headed outside. Later Chris followed and took them sledding at a smallish hill near our house. The kids had a wonderful  time. It reminded me of so many memories from my childhood. Jed even loves the snow. What a difference a year or 2 makes. He is usually the longest one in the snow. 

after coming in from the snow, we delivered jam to some friends houses. Then on to dinner at the Bowen's house. We had a great time. afterwards we decorated really really big sugar cookies. Annmarie made hers a girl while Jeffrey really wanted to add lots of stuff. He even added more than what is here. 

 Here is the Bowen's creations. After we were done David Bowen gave a little lesson about Christ and how he is the light of the world. then he gave the kids a glow stick to use Monday night as they went to bed. To remind them that Christ was born and will always be our light.

Sunday was a typical Sunday. Church, crazy kids, Teaching Sunday school, crazy kids, then friends over for deep fried turkey. It was all in all a great day! oh yeah and Will lost 3 teeth. 1 was his extra tooth!

Monday was a day filled with YMCA workouts and work. Then heading to the Allison's for soup and gingerbread house making. We once again had a great time.

Jed really really like the cookie.

He loves the Allison.

Henry tasting gingerbread, but really only loving the frosting.

Our gingerbread house didn't last too long.

We came home and watched some Christmas movies (Home Alone) and in the middle we heard a knock on the door. Jeffrey opened it and no one was there, but there was a box with a present for everyone in our family there. I cannot tell you how incredibly grateful I was. Jeffrey then says "Mom we need to say a prayer and thank heavenly father for our secret Santa " Jeffrey was right. We had done very little for our kids this year and the kind help made my kids day (I have never felt so thankful in my life, so if you did it and you read please know I can never thank you enough)

After reading Luke 2 the kids went to bed with their glow sticks, then Chris and I wrapped presents and then went to bed.

Christmas morning. Annmarie was so excited to get "Red" from santa

Will got Madden 09 for the Wii

Jeffrey was doing the Harry Potter 5-7 dance. 

Henry thought the wrapping paper was the best!

Santa also brought the kids blocks with their letters on them. Now to find paint. 

It has been a wonderful day. I am so thankful for my Saviour and all that he has done and will do for me. I am so thankful for kind kind kind people. Who don't think things are a big deal but they really are.

Random fact - We are not buying candy or pop until Feb! wish us luck.