No fun being sick

It's no fun being sick with the weather so nice outside and all your friends wanting to play. It has actually been a nice change of pace for us because we can't be as busy as we usually are. Other than our nightly activities the twins and Kamryn and I just read books and play. No chores are being done or errands ran but we are learning to relax and get better.

Storytelling

I love the storytelling festival at our school. McKenna and Kylie have both entered since they were in fist grade and this year is no different. They first tell their story to the class and if they make it go to the entire grade and then to the school. If they win at the school level they might have an opportunity to go to the Timpanogus Storytelling Festival in the summer. It is such a great experience for them and they get excited picking their story and memorizing it. This year Kylie particapated with the story "It's the Bear" by Jez Alborough and did a great job. Friday she delivered it to the school.

Piano Festival

This weekend we had our piano festival. McKenna and Kylie both participated by memorizing and playing 2 songs which they have been practicing since before Christmas. It was great to see them preform.

Busy with life

We have been busy, busy, busy here the last few weeks. Young Women's is a big contributor and as I just got done with a huge dinner for the Young Men/Young Womam, I am finding that I have a need to control. So much so I end up doing things entirely myself because I can't seem to relinquish the control. Needless to say it causes a lot of stress.

I was also asked to make a cookbook for the ward. No committee or group just me. Well thanks to some great friends who saw my need for help jumped in and have made phone calls an proofed recipes. While we have over 600 recipes ready to go with the cookbook I have at least 100 more to enter. I have however-with the help of my presidency-decided to make this cookbook a fundraiser for the YW. It was supposed to elevate my stress but I haven't given up the recipes. In giving the recipes to the YW I would:
1. Need to copy each recipe-so that I have a master.
2. Keep a log of who had which one.
3. Log when they were given the recipe.
4. Make sure the recipe was entered in.
5. Make sure it was correct.
6. Then call the YW if the recipe wasn't entered in.
Well with all that work I might as well enter it in myself! Needless to say I am hoping to have them all entered in by this week and sent to the printers. For the fundraiser part I will have the YW collect the money and deliver the cookbooks. I am also going to have them babysit for me so I can take a vacation!!!

Superbowl 2009

What fun we had for the Superbowl!! The kids got their faces painted and in case you can't tell what they are. . . Conner has speed racer, Kylie's is a dog, McKenna just wanted the Superbowl special, Kamryn is a princess (Sleeping Beauty is her favorite) and Kelsey's is a butterfly. We then played fear factor and it was a blast. Marc had to eat a cow heart which he did no problem. Kami ate sauerkraut. She new the big kids were playing and if she wanted to play with them she had to do what they did even if it tasted really bad. McKenna ate Limburger cheese and in case you don't know what it if let me tell you it is awful. It smells worse than you can imagine but since I didn't taste it she told me it tasted like "goat poop". She is still suffering the repercussions of it. It was all so much fun!! But the best was just watching the Steelers win the game!! GO STEELERS!!!

Fancy Nancy and Sledding

With all the snow we got last month we took advantage of it. We packed the kids up and headed for the mountains. We spent the better portion of the day sailing down the hill and dragging ourselves back up. It was a ton of fun!!

Here are a few pictures of the girls at their Fancy Nancy party. They learned all the fancy (french) ways to say things.

Oh Christmas

We spent a nice quiet Christmas at home this year. The last time we were here for Christmas was when the twins were 2 and they don't even remember it. It took us 4 hours to open presents not because there were so many to open but just because we took it slow and let them open what they wanted and play for a while. We even took a break for breakfast and then continued when we were all cleaned up.

Webkinz has again been the "toy of Christmas" for us. My kids absolutely love them and give them as presents for friend's birthday. Even the three year old got her first one this year and can navigate the computer to play with them. All five kids get together and have a webkinz council and take notes of the different ones they have along with names, ages and genders. It is fun to watch them all have a toy they are excited about.

Marc gave be exactly what I wanted!! Pictures of my kids. A few weeks ago our youth had the opportunity to attend the developmental center ward. The youth go to the dorms to pick up the members and bring them to their 2 hour meeting. It was a great service. Well this assignment took up most of my Sunday and while I was gone Marc set up a photo studio in our storage room and took pictures of the kids in different facial poses, happy, sad, surprised, and angry. He even re-took a few after I returned home and fixed hair for our 1 o'clock church time. I have nine face shots of each of my kids in a 12' x 12' frame. I absolutely love them.

We are enjoying a slow and relaxing Christmas break before we head back to school and all our various lessons. Hope you are all enjoying it as well.