Be My Valentine

We've kind of had a Valentine/Love theme going for Family Home Evening this month. And as bad as I hate making these (because they seem to take FOREVER), I just had to make some Valentine cookies for my little sweethearts this year. I can't believe how happy it makes all of them. They love 'em! And unfortunately, so do I...you can't eat just one. Who knows how many calories I'm taking in after all the dough I sneak and the frosting I lick?? (Don't tell Maddy because I always tell her that she's not allowed to eat or lick her fingers while we're cooking)

I especially enjoyed having my little helper this year. It makes such a difference! Not only does it make it go by faster but it makes it much more enjoyable. And as you can see, Maddy adds the perfect touch- sprinkles!

Maddy's 5th Grade Science Fair

This is Maddy's 5th Grade Science Fair project: "What Kind of Popcorn Pops the Best?" I often complain about these types of projects because I swear they are just as much work for the parents (if not more) than they are for the children. I still remember working on Josh's science fair project years ago and it was ALOT of work! (Luckily, he was chosen to go the the District Science Fair for that project on batteries.)

On top of that, Maddy had put it off until the last couple of days...

...so I was pleasantly surprised when I actually enjoyed working on this with her. It was fun to see her excitement grow as we got closer to completing the projecting, figuring the results, and planning out the presentation. (Plus, we got to eat alot of popcorn, for days to come) She really had great ideas and is starting to become so independent. She had a vision in mind and did a great job pulling it off.
It reminds me that we should always take advantage of these moments with our children, no matter how difficult or time-consuming they may be. Because in just a minute...they will be gone and only a memory.

I am so proud of Maddy for her hard work on this. Great job, honey! Looking forward to next year's project.

Side note: In 5th grade, they are not eligible to go to the District Science Fair. Otherwise, I am positive that Maddy's would have been chosen. :) Who wouldn't love that awesome piece of work, right?

Ballet West Presents The Nutcracker

Ballet West Presents...The Nutcracker After being in the Clytie Adams Nutcracker for 3 years, we decided it was time to take these cute girls to Ballet West's version at Capitol Theater.

I must admit that after seeing the Nutcracker about 6 times already this year, I was not super excited to go. But I ended up having a great time. I just love being with Maddy and am once again, so grateful to have a daughter to share these things with. (Let me tell you, it is no picnic trying to talk the boys into going to things like this...not even when their sister is in it!) But on top of spending time with my Maddy, I love being able to watch her interact with her friends. There is nothing I love more than hearing the giggles of little girls. It is so fun watching them get along and just loving being together. They have so much fun together! Good friends can truly "lift" us. I know these are memories she will always treasure.Bottom picture L to R: Maddy, Libby, & Brea

Side note: It was actually Claire's (a fellow dancer) mom that organized this little outing but were unable to attend at the last minute, due to a unplanned family vacation. But we were thrilled to have Libby, as she goes to a different school now so the girls hadn't seen her in several months.

Nutcracker 2010

"But a child is only a moment, only a snowflake of sweet remember when. Yes, a child is only a moment, a wonderful moment that never comes again. Yes, a child is only a moment, hold on to that moment, for it never comes again." -Earl Brown

Clytie introduced the Nutcracker with this quote. Although it makes me feel like crying, I think it is so beautiful...and so true. I know to enjoy these memories with Maddy because I have watched Josh grow up so quickly that it felt like he was gone in the blink of an eye. I know it will be the same with Maddy. So we are enjoying every minute of this wonderful experience (no matter how tiring it can be:)

I was so happy for Maddy that she made the Nutcracker! I don't know who gets more nervous, me or her? I was especially proud of her this year for the way she has handled herself. You see, Maddy made the Nutcracker which is obviously a huge honor, but unfortunately, she got a part she didn't want - Gingerbread. It's not that it is not a cute part, because it is. It's just that usually the younger kids are in this part and Maddy has been in this same scene for the past 2 years. In spite of this, Maddy decided to accept the part and even though a few people commented about her being with the younger girls, she handled it all with such grace. I really am so proud of her for this! She knows that the parts are determined by size, due to the costumes that are available and has decided to just enjoy the experience and have fun. I think she has learned alot from the experience and certainly had fun along the way. In addition to that little trial, one of her best friends got the part that she (and every other little girl) wanted - Party Girl. Instead of being jealous, Maddy showed nothing but excitement for Brea. She was gracious and kind throughout the whole experience. And when performance time came, she reveled in the experienced and smiled just as big as she did the other years. That smile makes all the parent volunteer hours, the carpools, and time away from home worth it.

Performances go for basically a week, with Dress Rehearsals on Tuesday and Wednesday, and 4 performances Thursday through Saturday. It's a whirlwind week! This year, I was on the Sweats committee so I helped sell sweats one Saturday, chaperoned 2 nights, and sold sweats at the boutique one night. We always go with our whole family and grandmas and grandpas one night and take her out to dinner before. This year, Grandpa M and Shay weren't able to come because they were out of town but Uncle Jeremy was there, along with her brothers. Even her friends, Lindsee and Olivia came to see her this year. That meant alot. We met Grandma and Grandpa O at Tony's Pizza before. Daddy brought her flowers, which always makes her night.

Then Jeff and I always go and see her at the Saturday matinee. We've been lucky so far because we've been able to sneak her out after Act 1 and take her to lunch. This year we went to Texas Roadhouse. I think she really enjoys having this one on one time with just Mom and Dad. I really think kids need that and I think it makes her feel special and to realize what a big deal this is. It really is such an honor!

This year, we gave out little Nutcracker notebooks and Nutcracker cookies as Maddy's gifts to the other Gingerbreads. She received lots of great gifts including ornaments, soap, shower gel, flowers, a Nutcracker, socks, cookies, and candy. This is always a favorite part of the experience. Other than performing, Maddy's favorite part is the time she gets to spend with her friends in between. As you can see, they keep themselves entertained and build wonderful memories that I hope she will remember forever.

Happy Halloween!

This is my beautiful, 10-yr old Halloween punk fairy. Isn't she gorgeous?This year, her and her friends made these skirts at Apron Strings at Olivia's house. So they decided clear back in August what they were going to be for Halloween. At first, Maddy was a little concerned because we weren't exactly sure what a "punk fairy" wears. But as you can see in the picture below, they all turned out so cute! It's fun to see each of their personalities shine through.
They trucked all over the neighborhoods together. In past years, we have walked around with the Fuhriman's and all the little girls. This year, Mike was hunting and Jeff was getting ready to leave on a hunting trip so Sheri and I drove the girls around together. I really enjoy this tradition! I'm wondering if the girls will allow us to accompany them 1 more year? I sure hope so!


Sadly, Jake was not as "cute" this year. As you can see below, he was downright scary! He and his friend, Christian, decided to dress up as rock stars when they found these lovely zebra pants at the Halloween store. Once we saw how much Christian looked like Axel Rose, we decided to call them "Guns N' Roses." What a pair! It's especially funny because these 2 boys are both 4.0 students and such great kids. Hard to tell from the picture, huh? They left early to go trick-or-treat to close friends and their Young Men leaders. The pictures below show the beautiful weather we were having that night. It actually poured rain for about an hour. (Luckily, by the time the little girls went, the rain had almost stopped.) After that, Christian headed to a party and Jake went out to his cousin, Colton's.

And Halloween wouldn't be completed without Jeff and a mask. He went with a different choice this year than his usual mask. I think he fits right in with the scary side.

And what Halloween would be complete without Jack-O-Lanterns? We made pumpkin carving at the last minute this year. It has been so crazy with football, Nutcracker, work, etc. this year that we seriously started carving pumpkins (homegrown, of course) about 1 hour before trick-or-treating.

It was a great night, as usual. For some reason, I love Halloween! I love the autumn season, the fall colors, the crisp air and the wonderful smells it brings. I watch my kids get older by the second and have learned to treasure each year, each event. Happy Halloween!

"Red Hot" Chili Peppers

Since it is the last soccer game of the season, I thought I better get some pictures of Maddy in action on the soccer field. I've been horrible this year in taking pictures and video at both soccer and football. I just hate it because I feel like I miss the game while filming because I'm concentrating on getting the perfect shot, which I never get. Also, whenever I think about filming, I get there and realize that the video camera isn't charged or the batteries are dead in the camera. Regardless, as you will see below, I was lucky enough to get some great shots of her game today. I will try and be better next Spring. Although soccer is Maddy's least favorite of her extracurricular activities, she has enjoyed a good year. She loves her coach Mike Jensen and has here good friends, Megan, Emma, and McCall on her team. I have been proud of her for sticking out the year even on weeks where she didn't really want to. It has been fun watching her improve little by little each year. The first year it was all about the color of shirts which luckily, were pink! The next couple of years, she loved that you got a drink and a treat after each game because you don't get that at dance. And then the most recent years, it's been all about the friends. Even though Lindsee and Olivia moved to a comp team this year, Maddy has continued to play and enjoy being with her other friends. We will stay tuned to see what she decides after the Spring session is over. But for now, we're proud of you, Sis!

The Witches are out!

Maddy and I love to go to see the witches at Gardiner Village each year. This year, Grandma Shay had meetings there so Grandpa invited us to go down and meet her after. We took advantage of getting there early in October. We enjoyed the shops, had a great dinner at Archibalds, and continued our tradition of getting candy at the candy shop. What a great way to kick off the Halloween season!

She makes it!!

Maddy auditioned for Nutcracker today for the third year in a row. And I think this smile says it all... She made it!! And we are so proud of her!

I wish a could capture these magical moments with her and bottle them up to relive over and over. There is nothing quite like sharing the joy of an important accomplishment with your children. It is so fulfilling. I hope she remembers this feeling and these sweet moments forever!!

I know I will.

1st Day of School 2010

I can't believe that summer is over and it is time to go back to school. As always, I feel robbed. Some Moms love it when their kids go back to school but for me, it's a struggle every year. I always want to squeeze in a little more time with them, do a little more. This year, with all the rain in June, it made it seem even shorter than usual. But time marches on and I have to give them up again each day to go become smarter than they already are. :) It just amazes me how quickly the years are seeping one into another.

9th GRADE I LOVE this picture of Jake! I can't believe how handsome he is! He looks awesome with his braces (at least top braces) off. It's hard to believe that he's the same kid that used to be little just a couple of years ago. It's amazing how fast their childhood sneaks by. I have learned this with Josh so I am trying to treasure every moment with these 2. I know it will be gone in a flash.

And this is Jake making fun of me because I told him I wanted his new shoes in the picture. I love this one because it is totally Jake's personality shining through.

These are his famous "Zig Tecs." They are pricy enough that I made Jake pay for part of them. He says it's totally worth it because they are the most comfortable pair of shoes he's ever had.

5th GRADE...Already!

Look at that smile! I just can't get enough of it. When I'm having a bad day, this smile (and a hug) always picks me up.

As you can see, Maddy got layers for back to school. I think they are so flattering on her face. But I think she is beautiful no matter how she wears her hair.

She loves this shirt! She saw it in a magazine and just had to have it. I know how wonderful it feels to wear something you feel good in. I hope it makes her first day back at school a great day!

Hogle Zoo

Well we wanted to squeeze the last minutes of summer out and thought that going to the zoo would be a great way to do it. And this is the reason why - to see this cute new baby elephant, Zuri. Maddy had gone earlier in the week with her friend, Olivia, and was so excited for us to see her. She actually just turned a year old.

Not quite as cute.. okay, even downright scary looking. But very unique.

Also very unique.. a red panda. Interestingly, Maddy had just got a stuffed one of these in West Yellowstone. She (and I) thought it was a fox but found out it was one of these. I had never seen one before.

And of course we had to take a picture of this because Maddy has been crazy about turtles over the last couple of years. This one was pretty cool.

It was a great day! Other than Josh having to work and Maddy getting pooped on by a bat, it couldn't have been nicer. I kept thinking to myself how grateful I was that our kids will still do things like this with us. I actually think they even enjoy it. I don't ever want that to go away. Memories are wonderful but nothing like savoring every moment you have together. I continue to remind myself of that so I find more enjoyment in the "doing" than in the "getting it done." On the way home, we stopped at Tony Burgers for lunch, before football practice.

Summer is officially over...

Apron Strings

This is the Apron Strings group- aren't they the cutest girls ever?? Starting with Maddy and going clockwise: Maddy, Lindsee, Olivia, and Megan. They are such a great group of girls, each with totally different personalities that add so much to this group.

It is a group my friend, Sheri, thought up last year. She thought it would be fun to start our own 4H-like group. So each week during the summer, these girls go to one of the four houses and make something. They have got to do so many fun things - like baking bread, making earrings, tulle skirts, headbands, pillows, tie-dye shirts, and lots of fun! I am surrounded by so many talented women and am so thankful for that.

This was the first activity at our house this year. They are making the cutest tulle flip-flops.
It is fun to see how they turn out, each pair a little different.

And here are the finished products... So fun and easy! You know me, I've got to keep it simple.

I always feel so inferior to the other mothers because I don't feel like I am a very creative person. But I think these turned out cute and I know the girls had fun, so that's all that mattered.

Doing things like this make all the time and stressing about ideas worth it, just to see Maddy smile. It is so fun to get to see her with her friends, see the smile on her face and how happy it makes her. And she is always so appreciative. This is our second year of doing it and I am so glad that Sheri thought of it! It really has been a great experience for both me and Maddy.

This is our second activity of the year - pedicures! I kind of cheated on this one because I didn't teach them anything but I thought it would be fun since it was the week before school started.

The finished product...

After, we went to lunch at the Olive Garden and celebrated with all the Moms. It was a great day and a fun way to end the summer!