Relaxin' at Bear Lake

Friday-Sunday, February 18th-21st--We spent a wonderful, relaxing weekend up at Bear Lake with my sister and her family. It was a winter wonderland, so gorgeous. Most of our time was spent just being lazy. My BIL's family owns this HUGE cabin (house) up there and when it's not being rented it's up for grabs. It is a gorgeous place and can hold a large amount of people. I'm sure glad we don't have to pay the rental prices though....WOW! Check this place out! The kids loved all the activities/games there are. Nate and I enjoyed a very comfy theater room (Nate continues to covet it! Someday, my love!). On Saturday it snowed. We brought our snow gear and made a sledding path on the side of the house. We had to be careful, if any of us went too far we'd land right in the prickly bushes--OUCH! Nate got bored with this and decided the hot tub was calling his name. He got changed into his swim gear (Speedo) and soaked a bit while the kids played on the swingset and teeter-totter. I've got some great pics of Nate in his skimpy Speedo but I've been threatened with my life should I post them (shucks!). When the hot tub got to be too much, Nate got a little crazy and played in the snow and on the swingset with only his Speedo on and a towel wrapped around him. Gosh, I love that man! : )
Later on in the day we went over to Garden City's little city hall for their Chocolate Festival. It was pretty wimpy but we did find a booth that was chocolate everything and it was WONDERFUL, especially fresh chocolate dipped strawberries! YUM! I got some raspberry jam and syrup at another booth (they do make some dang good raspberry jam!). From there we went to a local pizza place (blech!) and finished our meal with shakes. I got the famous Bear Lake raspberry shake, which made up for the not-so-great pizza.
The rest of the weekend was just spent at the house enjoying family and all that this place has to offer. We're so blessed and thankful that we're invited whenever my sister and her family go up!

Blog Books

November-December, 2010 & January, 2011--I am SOOOOO proud of these books! These blog books are basically 3 years of family journals for our family. I decided to get them printed to have so anyone can sit down and read them. I started working on 2008 quite a while ago and then life got busy and I didn't work on it. I started back up in November and finished it in no time. The other two, 2009 and 2010 were so easy and went fast, thanks to the blog publisher website improving their software. These books are small, 7X7, but the cost difference to upgrade the size is pretty steep. I was happy to find the font is not too small nor are the pictures. Each month I got one printed--they aren't cheap so I had to budget in the cost.
Now I'm working on digital scrapbooks for the years 2003-2010. I've got some of these years completed and printed but I still have a long way to go. It's been fun remembering and surprising that I do remember so much. We had a 35mm camera for the years 1999-2002, so we have a lot of pictures to scan before I begin on those. I'm really enjoying it and finding I have free time a few days a week to work on them while the kids are at school. No more excuses!

I wish I was into scrapbooking. I tried it for a long time, bought all the cute paper and cute-sy little things to glue onto the paper, plus many different kinds of fancy scissors and such. But, it's just not for me. If I could afford to pay someone to do it for me, I gladly would because I've seen some scrapbooks that are so gorgeous. My MIL scrapbooks and has done so for many years. She does a great job and helped me get started. For me it's about time-management. It would take me 1 1/2 hours to do 3 or 4 pages of scrapbooking, not to mention all the planning out of the pages. For digital scrapbooking I pick a backround, pick a template, drag my photos, type in some captions and voila!, the page is done. It takes 5-10 minutes tops. Sometimes I buy stickers to enhance the page a little. I wish I had the patience to sit down and scrapbook---I admire those that do!

Happy 6th Birthday Brady-Bear!

Tuesday, January 11th--Six-years-old!!! Brady is high energy and full of character. I swear he needs an agent--he's so entertaining! He continues to amaze us with his talents and how smart and witty he is. There is never a dull moment with this kid, including some random thoughts he has no problem sharing. Usually these random thoughts have us laughing and wondering where the heck he comes up with these things! He's also quite tender-hearted when he wants to be and still loves to snuggle--something I treasure.
Brady has afternoon Kindergarten so I let him pick a place for lunch and we were off. First, we went to Smiths and he picked out 3 mylar balloons and a bright blue cupcake for after lunch. Then he wanted Arctic Circle chicken rings so we went there. He and I came home and ate lunch then it was time to dig into his cupcake. I was worried we wouldn't be able to blow out candles at his birthday dinner so I got some candles and sang to him, then he made a wish and blew out the candles. I loved our one-on-one time together, celebrating his special day.

For dinner we let Brady choose a place for us to meet up with Nate's family. Brady chose Sweet Tomatos--a soup, salad, bread buffet. It's a family favorite and a place our kids actually eat many of the items. We found great coupons on-line, which helped a lot with the cost. Everyone filled up on delicious food and we brought in a cake from Sams Club. Not surprisingly at all, Brady chose Spongebob Squarepants for his cake. Like I said, I worried if we would be able to light candles or not. Fortunately, it was okay and Brady got to make another wish. The cake was quite yummy! Brady got some fun gifts from family. He's been asking for walkie-talkies for a little while and got them from Aunt Jenny and Aunt Wendy. They included batteries so we opened them up. Brady and his cousins went crazy roaming the restaurant, listening and talking to each other on the walkie-talkies. We had to round them up when they got a little too carried away. It was a great evening celebrating! Nate met us there so he drove home with Brady and I drove home with Elise. Each of them took a walkie-talkie and were able to talk to each other for quite a while as we made our way home. It was fun to hear them talk to each other!

When we got home Brady opened the gifts from us. Nate got him "Despicable Me", complete with a blow-up minion. We also got him some mini skateboards, sticker book, puzzles, pajamas and a Spongebob Squarepants blanket and pillow. He loved it all! It was a great day and I know Brady enjoyed it too!

The next Sunday, we had my sister, Alishia, and her family over for some home-made lasagna and a second birthday celebration. We had a great time and Brady loved opening more presents! He still likes to remind Nate and I that Elise got to celebrate her 8th birthday in Disneyland and now it's only 2 years away when he'll turn 8. Nate and I just look at each other and laugh and then tell him what we always tell him, "We'll see!"

Family Skate Night

Monday, January 10th--Some of our neighbors decided to go to Family Skate Night at a local skating rink so we thought we'd go too and enjoy a fun night with them. I gotta admit, when I was younger I was pretty awesome at skating. I could skate backwards and do all sorts of tricks without any worry of falling or getting hurt. Call me the Roller Boogie Queen! Well.....apparently skating is not like riding a bike. I rented some old school 4-wheelers and slowly walked to the floor. I got on the floor and about fell right then and there on my back end. I started slowly progressing and over and over again I almost fell. It was so pathetic I actually "borrowed" one of my friends baby and his stroller to hang on to while I skated around the rink. It actually kind of upset me, knowing how good I use to be. I went around 5 or 6 times and I was done. I'm thinking it's time to get some roller blades and start practicing around the neighborhood.....at night....so no one can see me......fall on my rump!
Anyhoo, we had a great time visiting, eating dinner and watching all the kids and some adults that showed their awesome skating/rollerblading skills. Razors are allowed so Brady & Elise took theirs. It worked out perfectly! We rented skates for Elise and she needed a support system to get around but she seemed to enjoy it.

We'll have to go again!

Time for Sledding!

Saturday, January 8th--I've said it before, I'll say it again--We've got some of the best sledding hills around! There's hills for all sorts of levels of sledding fun. We went to Nolan Park where the hills are small and perfect for Elise and Brady but also fast and fun for Nate too. Me? Yeah, uh, I went down twice but it's just not my cup 'o tea so I took photos, laughed and cheered them all on. Elise & Brady got to use their new Spongebob Squarepants sleds they got from Santa. Those things are FAST! Even Nate used them a few times! We had a great time! When everyone was tired, wet and freezing we came back home, got in comfy clothes and made hot chocolate. YUM! A great day spending time with my wonderful family. It brings me so much joy to watch them all have fun together and laugh.

Well, Hello There, 2011!

Saturday, January 1st--We had a WONDERFUL New Years Eve!! I say it over and over again but I don't care, we have amazing neighbors that we consider very close friends. For the last 4 years we've gotten together on New Years Eve to ring in the New Year together. It's always fun, never a dull moment! We play games, overstuff ourselves on a huge variety of delicious food, laugh till it hurts and just plain enjoy each others company. We were introduced to the XBox 360 Kinect at the Alonzo's house. WOW!!!! So awesome! And yes, I am officially jealous! Some of the guys had fun in Tony's room of musical instruments and tried to coordinate a song together. Uh, ahem.....at least they tried! ha ha ha Anyhoo, it was a great evening and I got to welcome in 2011 with a sweet kiss from my amazing husband and big hugs from my precious kids. Not to mention, being surrounded by dear friends we love and truly appreciate.

(I think this will be a long post but I'm feeling a lot of things right now. Ultimately, this is our family journal and, in some ways, my personal journal.)

I didn't mention this experience in my previous Christmas-time posts because I was focused on our time in Washington. A few days before Christmas the weather in Northern Utah got a little crazy. I had asked my friend/neighbor, Kathy Alonzo, if she'd watch my house while we were gone and she was glad to. Little did she know what kind of commitment that would entail....neither did we! The day after we got to Washington, it snowed about a foot at our house. The next day it all melted and Northern Utah was hit with heavy rain too. For our cramped neighborhood this always means plenty of flooding, mostly in window wells. I prayed and prayed and prayed our wells would stay dry.....they didn't. My sweet friend, Kathy, and her daughters were draining one of the wells at 12:00 at night. When that one was drained she checked the rest to find that another was flooded and almost creeping into our basement. Finally, after 1:00 am, the water was drained and they were able to go to bed. My heart broke knowing they had to crawl down into those wells, in freezing water, so late at night, hauling heavy buckets of water and dumping them to save our house from flooding. Not only that, but they were up early in the morning to make sure the wells were still dry and, thank goodness, they were! The next day was bright and sunny, giving the flooded yards a chance to drain with no more flooded window wells. (HUGE sigh of relief!) Fortunately, there were no more scares like that while we were gone. I cried tears of joy and thankfulness to such a sweet family that sacrificed and saved our house from flooding and an expensive clean up. I'm also thankful to know there are others that are near and surround us that would have made the same sacrifice for us and they know we would do the same in return. We are truly blessed!

I've thought a lot about the things I want to accomplish in 2011. I've made goals, prayed for clarity and understanding of things and issues that are beyond my control. The first week of December was full of drama followed with a lot of anxiety. In the past, within a few days, I've usually calmed down and feel okay on my own. This time, there was never that calming, no matter what I tried, without medication. I ended up having no choice but to go to our family doctor and ask to be put on anxiety medication. After several tests and some bloodwork, he agreed I was in need. Going on medication was a decision I struggled over but I just wasn't handling problems well on my own. The medication works great. I only need it when I feel the beginnings of anxiety so it's not daily. There is a surprising "side-effect" to having to take anxiety medication.....enlightenment. Not a huge spiritual experience, just enlightening on some issues I've been struggling with. It's been a good thing as I make decisions and changes to improve my life and my family.

In the last few days a special movie, I love dearly, has been rolling through my head like crazy. One of my all-time favorite movies is called "Simon Birch" . If you haven't seen this movie then, wow, you should! It's hilarious in some places and cry-like-a-baby in other places. The main character is a kid with severe physical disabilities. He believes God sent him to earth with these disabilities and that God has huge plans for Simon. Over time Simon begins to doubt himself and eventually asks the local pastor if God has a plan for him. The pastor is not very helpful in answering his question but Simon gets his own answers all too soon. It is a beautiful movie and, I would think, most people walk away from this movie with goals to be a better person, better friend, more aware of things and people that should matter to them most. I would hope some walk away wondering what Gods plan is for them and take time to ponder that. As I've thought about this movie, the last few days, I've been thinking of that very thing--along with all the other lessons this movie offers. What is Gods plan for me? I know some of the answers but I know there's plenty more and I've got to work on finding those answers--seeking them out diligently with faith and humility. I've got to stop caring and worrying about things and people that have become or always were toxic to me and/or my family. The strength of a chain is based upon it's weakest link, the same applies to a family. I want to serve my family with love and happiness. I want to serve my neighbors and friends and be aware of their needs. I feel like I've lost touch in so many ways. I don't know what's going on with those around me and I feel bad about that. I sit in church and I don't seem to know half the people and we're one of the handful of families that has lived here the longest! I thought becoming an adult would help me to grow out of the awkwardness of meeting and getting to know new people, it hasn't. Another goal to work on this year? Yes, I think so.

One of my favorite quotes from "Simon Birch" is this:

"Time is a monster that cannot be reasoned with. It responds like a snail to our impatience, then it races like a gazelle when you can't catch a breath."

Whether time goes by slow or fast, and it's usually fast, then I've got to spend it wisely.

Happy New Year, 2011, to you all! May you have a wonderful year full of happiness and joy!

Our Last Night In Washington

Sunday, December 26th--We had planned on leaving Tuesday, the 28th. We even made plans for Monday to go see a movie and have lunch. When we checked the weather forecast Sunday afternoon, we realized if we left on Tuesday we'd be hit with two major snowstorms, one in Oregon, the other in Utah. In order to get ahead of them we had to leave Monday. It made us all sad, especially Nana and Papa but we knew it was for the best. While Nate and I went over to visit some friends and have dinner, Brady and Elise stayed back with Nana and Papa and worked on their last project. Papa had got some little treasure boxes and paint and the kids got to paint them. They did a great job and had fun too. We had a great time at our friends, Jeff & Donnas house. Jeffs mom, Barb, came over too. She's like a 2nd mom to me and cooks just as good. All 3 of them made a delicious dinner (Has anyone ever had Bavarian roast? WOW, it's yummy!). It was so much fun to chat and talk about old times and fun memories. It all went by too fast and soon it was time for us to head back to get busy packing and getting things ready for the drive in the morning. It was hard to leave and to leave my parents house. Our time in Washington seemed so short and we didn't do everything we would have liked to have done. I was especially sad. Afterall, this is my home state, where I grew up and where my heart still seems to be. It rained almost everyday we've been here and I didn't care a bit. It's been 2 1/2 years since we were here visiting and I realize now why it's been so long.....it's just too hard to leave and my heart is already breaking. I'm so glad we got to come here for Christmas, we haven't been here for Christmas since 2003. I will miss it terribly but am thankful for the time we spent with family and old friends. It truly was a wonderful Christmas, one to always be remembered with fondness and smiles!

Hotdog-Head!

(cont.) Saturday, Christmas, December 25th--If anyone knows Brady, you know he's quite the character. The random things he comes up with are knee-slapping hilarious mixed with utter confusion. My dad has a close relationship with Brady. They are best buds when they are together. I wish he lived closer because of how well they get along and feed off each other. It's funny to watch them together, I gotta admit, so when Papa is visiting and leaves to go home or when we're visiting them and come back to Utah, it's always so sad for me, for many reasons, but especially because of the great relationship Papa has with his grandkids. About 2 1/2 years ago, just out of nowhere, Brady started calling Papa "Hotdog-Head" whenever he would say good-bye to him on the phone. We have no idea where he got such a funny name but it's stuck ever since. Papa and Brady go back and forth calling each other other silly names to go along with the fast food theme, all ending with "head": Hamburger-head, French-fry-head, Corndog-head, etc. It's so hilarious to hear them and to hear what Brady will come up with next. For Papa's birthday, a few weeks ago, I had the kids draw some pictures for his card. Brady drew his interpretation of Papa with, none other than, a hotdog on his head and then wrote next to it "Happy Birthday Hot Dog Head!" It was so funny! My dad and mom went to a fun little tourist town in the Cascade Mtn. range called Leavenworth, earlier in December. It is an adorable Bavarian town full of fun and unique shops. In one of the shops was a whole display of novelty hats. My dad saw a hat with a hamburger on it but it just wasn't right. He dug through the pile and found it.....perfect as can be.....a hotdog hat! LOL! He placed it with Brady's other things from Santa on Christmas morning. It was the very first thing Brady saw and he busted up laughing in pure shock. He couldn't believe an actual hotdog hat existed.......neither could I! He put it on and starting singing and dancing to a song he made up as he went "I'm a hotdog head!" After he calmed down a bit we took pics of him with it and then Papa with it. I sure wish my dad had gotten the hamburger hat! I think seeing Brady with that hotdog hat was my dad's favorite Christmas present!

Merry Christmas, 2010!!!

Saturday, Christmas, December 25th--Merry Christmas! The kids woke up around 6:30 am but we wanted to sleep a little longer so we finally got things going around 7:45 am. The kids came out of their room with huge smiles on their faces. They were so excited to see what Santa had brought them! Santa left everything for them on or around Nanas loveseat. Brady looked all over for the skateboard he was sure Santa would bring him.....he found it.....but on a much smaller scale than he anticipated (he he he!). Santa thought a Razor scooter would be much better for Brady until he learns a little more balance. Maybe if he can figure out how to ride the scooter and learn to ride a two wheel bike in 2011 then a skateboard might be a possibility next Christmas. I could see his disappointment but he got plenty of other cool things. Elise and Brady got scooters and matching Spongebob sleds, among other things from Santa. (Note to Santa: make sure you get all the stocking stuffers on the same shopping trip. Breaking it up into a couple of different trips makes you realize you bought WAY TOO MUCH!!) The kids wanted to tear into the presents immediately so we did. Nate got us a family gift "Epic Mickey" for the Wii. I've seen clips of this game on TV and it looks pretty awesome so I'm glad he got it. We got plenty of games and videos. Nate and I got great deals on Nooks on Black Friday. We both love our Nooks! My friend, Ashley, is the Black Friday queen and was able to find some things on my wish list that day as well....including a most-awesome Superman Snuggie for Nate. One word: HILARIOUS! Ashley even got a matching Snuggie for her hubby, Justin. I look forward to the day the two of them can model their Snuggies together!

We had a great Christmas morning! After the presents were all opened, we made a big breakfast. The rest of the day was spent playing with new stuff and relaxing until our big Christmas feast that evening. We had ham, garlic/Rosemary potatos, mashed potatos, veggies, homemade rolls, sparkling cider and a strawberry boston cream pie. It was all delicious and we ate more than we should have! A wonderful Christmas up in the Great Pacific Northwest....in the rain!

Christmas Eve

(Evening) Friday, Christmas Eve, December 24th--We did the Armstrong family tradition of having pizza for our Christmas Eve dinner. Nate was in pizza heaven--we ordered from a local pizza place that makes really good pizza. After dinner the kids got to open their traditional Christmas Eve presents, which are pajamas. This year we also let them open their gifts from each other. Elise got Brady a remote control car and Brady got Elise a bumble bee Pillow Pet she'd been wanting. They were both quite happy with their gifts and love their new pajamas they got to wear for the night. Nate opened a gift from me. I was really excited about him opening his gift on Christmas Eve so it wouldn't get lost in all the madness of Christmas morning. Nate is a HUGE Stephen King fan so I found this amazing book at Barnes & Noble that is full of fun and interesting facts about him throughout the years. He really liked it! I opened a gift from Elise. She had made an adorable picture cube I can put on my dresser. She picked 6 different photos of our family during this year and then had them made into the picture cube. I really love it! Papa also had another craft project for the kids to do. He bought two kits for them to put together using a hammer and nails. He got Elise a house and the roof opens up and Brady got a pirate ship. He even got them safety goggles! They loved putting those kits together with him!The kids were pretty wired but we finally got them to bed around 9:30 pm. I ended up sleeping in the living room on a recliner. Elise started a cold on Tuesday and I had to keep the vaporizer going all night so she could sleep. No fun but at least she got a good nights sleep!