The Light

So I just heard Alex in the hallway playing with Jane and James and this is what he said,

"Jane, Light Savior! To the rescue!"

How sweet, and yet how true! The Savior is our light and He IS our rescuer.

I love the truth that my kids bring into our home, however unintentional it may be. :)

February Trip to WA

I had an absolutely GREAT time visiting my family in Washington on February 4th! I got a lot of stuff done for mom, and also had play time. Wimp and I missed our trip to Theno's but we were able to go to the Village Cafe for breakfast. Can we say, "Cinnamon Rolls?" For $5 you get a roll the size of 2+ Cinnabon rolls stuck together. And it was DELICIOUS!

Each night we were absorbed in a series about John Adams and the framing of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. I now covet that series. Dad is going to have to will it to me. haha

On Saturday mom and I saw Dear John. For those of you who have yet to see it, make sure you know where your tissue is BEFORE they turn off the lights. Less than half-way through I was digging in my purse to find mine. And let me tell you, it's always harder to find tissue when your eyes are all teary!

After the movie we went shopping, then came home to get ready to go on our GNO. We took Aunt Patty to the Pink Door in Seattle where she was given a small bridal shower (as in, just the four of us). She told us all her wedding plans during dinner and when Jay came to pick Patty up I was able to congratulate them both on their upcoming nuptuals. He's so awesome!

On Sunday I went with mom and dad to their ward for church, then stayed for Wimp's Single's ward. All I'm going to say is, it's truly a Single's Ward! haha! Love that movie!

Monday was my play day, so that's when I went to breakfast with the Wimp, had lunch with Molly (no pics because I forgot my camera!) and pigged out on corn bread and potato soup in a bread bowl, then dinner with Pali where once again corn bread was my friend, along with a YUMMY salad. I had a great time catching up with all of these girls and sharing some laughs.

Tuesday was packing/last minute stuff before we headed out to the airport. I was exhausted all last week as I adjusted to being back with responsibility, but I was refreshed and reenergized. Just what every mom needs now and again. Love you, mom, for bringing me up! And love you, honey, for bringing me home and making this possible!

Hearts and Taters

So I saw a blog featuring all sorts of projects, two of which were fabric hearts and felt Mr. Potato Heads. I thought, "Oh, that's gotta be easy. Let's give it a try!"

Well, so here they are:



Some things I learned:

* cutting wire coat hangers isn't as easy as one might think.

* doing 8 hearts in 2 days isn't recommended - it hurts your fingers. MUCH better: doing some over a period of time and not waiting until the last minute!

* Mr. Potato Head can end up looking like Mr. Egg Head if you don't do it right - I still don't like the template I ended up with. Perhaps I'll wait for Becky to draw me one before I start another. :)

* felt is easy to sew, but not if you use sticky-back velcro. It can ruin the machine. Get the sewable velcro instead.

* alcohol gets the sticky-back velcro glue off your needle, scissors, and just about anything else it sticks to.

* little kids' fingers are great for shoving the stuffing into small holes.

* I am NOT an artist! ;) haha Nor can I sew in small circles very well. One step at a time, I say.

* learning something new is fun, but having a template is funner!

Crystal's Quilt

So I started this quilt when I found out that my good friend, Crystal, was having a boy. I was so excited for her, and, selfishly, decided to expand my talent of quilt-making. I admit, I wasn't that bright and tried to do it by hand, like I did with Traesa's, but I wisened up REAL fast (since it was taking SO long) and decided to just wait until I got my sewing machine. Well, for my anniversary and Christmas presents combined Sean got me the sewing machine I had wanted. It's light, works great, and in less than a week I was able to whip this baby out:




I have to admit, I absolutely love making quilts, and I'm kind of addicted to the triangle edge. Perhaps on my next quilt I'll branch out to something new...perhaps.

San Luis Rey Mission

Becky's mission report was coming up so we decided to make good use of our three day weekend in January to visit the mission Becky was to do her report on: San Luis Rey.

We met Aunt Kathy in the parking lot and went on the tour together.

We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the mission, but there was such beautiful architecture in and around the building. Here we're standing behind of one of the three fountains inside the courtyard.

It was raining as we walked through the graveyard and James LOVED holding Alex's umbrella.

A bit of Mormon trivia - Some of the Mormon Battalion camped here when they reached California. They helped to build and restore some of the buildings on the mission grounds. Below is a picture of the site where they actually camped. The sign in front describes the events surrounding the Battalion's stay.

Becky wanted to take this last photo of us together outside the mission (can we say, "windy?"). Over all, it was a great learning experience and we're glad Aunt Kathy could join us.

Cuddle Up!

Some kids sleep with teddy bears, my kid sleeps with....

Scientist Jane

It all started with a science project:


Jane and dad weigh 24 eggs. The goal is to determine whether or not the weight of the egg means it will hatch. Jane predicted that heavier eggs would have a greater chance of hatching.

Next came the incubator...

and then 20 days of waiting...

Until "20" started to peep! (Right on the "0" - do you see it?)

And then there was more waiting!

So who knew it took HOURS (practically a whole day) for a chick to hatch?!

And it's kinda gross...and he was only the first...

But when all was said and done, we ended up with 14 of these:

14 ADORABLE baby chicks who make the sweetest sounds in my kitchen. "Peep! Peep!"

*For those scientists out there, we discovered that the weight of the egg DOES (appear to) matter, but a heavier egg does not (necessarily) mean it will have a greater chance of hatching. Of the three eggs that weighed 3oz (the heaviest) only one hatched - #20. (Remember, this is a small experiment with only 23 eggs. In order to determine a true relationship it would have to be done with thousands of eggs.)
Of the 24 eggs, 23 made it into the incubator (#3 cracked and we had to throw it away).
Of the 23 eggs in the incubator 16 hatched. Of the 16 that hatched 14 survived.

Mr. Master Administrator Math-Man...Whatever

Huh?

SO, this week we got a huge surprise - A Principal at an Elementary school in the district will be on leave for at least 6 weeks and Sean was asked to be a temporary Administrator and fill in during her absence.

*silence*

Yeah, we were in shock. Although there is no monetary gain for this service, we knew this would be a great addition to his resume, and a wonderful learning experience for him. However, we were nervous about the time involved, since he is also attending night classes for his (second) Masters program.

After much thought and prayer Sean accepted this "call to serve," believing he will have the time to do both. I have full and complete confidence in his abilities, as well as a feeling he'll enjoy it more than he thinks he will.

Good luck, honey!

Maybe now I'll be able to get a seriuos picture of you. :)

WAIT! Am I going to have to call you, "Master, Master Administrator?" hahaha!

Ugh...Life

Do you ever feel like life is just....life? Like, all the trials and tribulations are coming at you in every direction, but you can't get a grip and you think, "what's all this about?"

Do you ever feel like things are piling up and your burdens are going to break you?

A scripture comes to mind that goes something like this:

"The Lord will shape the back to bear the burden placed upon it."

What if I don't want a crooked back? What if I want to stand tall? I'm pretty sure I'm not an ant. What is the exact carrying load for humans, anyway?

Perhaps there is a mix-up in the appointment books in heaven. Am I getting all these trials at once because someone up there forgot to send me one a while ago, or gave me one too soon?

And, no, it's nothing anyone reading my blog can fix... unless someone has a spare million bucks or so. I know, I know, money doesn't solve all problems. But it would for sure get me into a massage therapist once a week for almost the rest of my life so as I deal with these issues at least the muscles in my back don't kink up and prevent me from carrying this load.

PS I look back on my life even just a few years ago and am amazed at how much simpler it was, even with the trials I was going through then. It's scary to think I might look back on this time and think it was/is simple.....oh, the future is a scary thing.

Memories

I just remembered a time when Becky was about 3 and she and Sean were driving in the car at night listening to Disney music. The song that happened to be playing was "A Whole New World" and as they sang along Sean told Becky, "We're in our own magic carpet."

Becky responded with a serious expression and with wisdom beyond her years, "No, daddy. Magic carpets don't have wheels!"

Happy Belated Alex!

Alex, Alex, Alex....
This year has flown by for you, hasn't it? With Preschool graduation, entering Kindergarten, starting swimming lessons, playing all sorts of sports with dad, teaching James how to throw a baseball/basketball and how to play Frisbee...You've been busy and active all year!

I believe that you thought the best thing about turning 6 on Dec 30 was sitting without a car seat. You were so excited to buckle up that you didn't even bother putting the car seat in the house, on the porch or in the trunk - you threw it on the floor of the car just in front of your seat.
But starting the day with special cereal, juice and cinnamon rolls wasn't too bad, either, huh? Nor was spending almost the entire morning playing with your new cars/airplanes/helicopters and the air-hockey table. The $55 in birthday money must have been a sweet surprise, especially since you were looking forward to going to the Lego Store at Downtown Disney later that day. You spent it all, as well as bought your big birthday present, when you left the Lego Store with three huge boxes of legos (a crane, a bulldozer and a helicopter/airplane combo). Lucky for us dad was nice enough to drop it off at the car before we ate dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe. Remember when we sat at our table and James freaked out over the stuffed gorilla (next to our booth) that kept moving his head and shaking the tree? James wouldn't even eat ice cream he was so traumatized! And then we left the restaurant, got out our glow sticks and lit up the car on the way home to watch Dinotopia and eat popcorn and carrots.

Dad and I are so surprised at how much you've grown this year. You still love sports, but you now play with gusto with your friends at school, and then come home to teach it all to James. Speaking of school, you're growing there as well. You've come home with more blue cards that we lost count! Your teacher, Mrs. Sievers, has told us you're learning so fast she's very pleased with your successes. You've tested proficient in math and you're taking AR quizzes already. Your reading has grown so much that you're finding great delight in reading all the signs that you see as we drive anywhere!

You're still the loving, sweet, goofy boy we always knew and loved. You always want to sit by mommy, but you love to play with your siblings and help out around the house as well. You've gotten so big that you can push the lawn mower by yourself (to dad's delight).
I love your smile and I have bitter-sweet emotions as I realize that one of your three loose teeth will soon fall out. You truly are growing up, and faster than I think I'm comfortable with.
I love you, Alex! Thank you for coming to our family!

Christmas 2009

What a holiday this has been! It seems as though the month of December is determined to strip our family of every spare moment and any amount of energy we have to offer. Besides the normal kids activities, we added school holiday parties, Church parties, and get-togethers. It's also the month of Sean and Hill's wedding anniversary, Sean's brother's birthday, my niece's birthday, Jane's baptism (this year), Christmas, New Years, Alex's birthday and James' birthday. We also try to squeeze in some family outings and activities during our two week holiday from school/work, get our Christmas cards made and mailed, and finish up any holiday/birthday shopping.
As it is, I have no energy to blog about Christmas, other than to say it was beautiful. We spent it at home this year and enjoyed being in our own beds as we woke up Christmas morning. The kids were busy all day with their new toys and Sean and I actually got to read some of our new books and rest a bit. I think it's the most time all month that we got to relax.
The kids received quite a few presents this year (including Barbies, art and science supplies, RC cars, model cars, airplanes, Little People firemen, and sports stuff) but the ones they were most excited about were the air hockey table (from grandparents Monroe), the aquarium passes (from grandparents Wake), and Santa's gifts.
Santa brought the kids a scroll, upon which were detailed instructions for two days of family fun. On Monday following Christmas we went to IHOP for breakfast, toured the LA Zoo, stopped by Blockbuster to rent movies (each person got to pick their own) and picked up dinner at Little Caesar's on the way home. Santa then said we were to picnic on our rug while watching two of our rentals (Dinotopia and Ariel's Beginning).
Tuesday started off with another IHOP visit, followed by an exploration of the Discovery and Science Center in Orange. After we "grew our dendrites" we went to Barnes and Noble to get new books (again, everyone got to choose their own). Then we came home and the kids played while mom and dad caught up on some chores (and took a short nap) before gathering on the rug again for another picnic while we watched the third movie (the new Tinkerbell movie - lost treasure something?).
Santa was nice enough to leave gift cards and tickets with the scroll so we wouldn't have to buy anything the entire two days. We're hoping that the kids enjoyed it as much as we did. There was no rushing, no other plans, just an opportunity to reconnect with each other and strengthen our family unit. I'm pretty sure Santa will make this a family Christmas tradition. :)

A Belated Birthday

Happy belated to my dear boy, James! James Tyler Monroe was born two years ago on December 26th. At a whopping 8lbs 13oz he came out with chubby chipmunk cheeks - seriously, he looked like he was storing nuts for winter!

He smiled at 6 weeks and to this day I'm in a quandary as to whether that was to show me his tender, sweet side or to foreshadow his mischievous nature. He is the only one of our kids who has taken the nasty habit of hitting and biting (though we hope we're seeing the tail end of those)...but he's also the first to smile for a picture (today a lady at the Science Center was asking her daughter to smile and he turned around and smiled for her, too). He's usually looks so serious and always walks with a purpose, but James is quick to laugh, goof off, and play with his siblings, dad, or anyone else ready for a tackle.

Though he isn't ready to give up his binky, he is ready to be a big boy in every other aspect of his life. He tries to sneak around sitting in his car seat, uses the bar stool in the kitchen to climb to the treat shelf in the pantry, loves washing his hands and brushing his teeth, and prefers to sleep in an occupied bed (recently Sean and I have not been allowing him to sneak into our bed at night, so he's taken up sleeping with either Becky or Jane - whoever happens to be on the bottom bunk).

James loves cleaning time and will use a broom and dust-buster like a pro (does he purposefully spill his cereal just so he can use these fun tools?), as well as dressing up in anyones shoes (good luck finding them when he's done!). His favorite hobby remains in the sports field - though we aren't sure which one yet. He loves basketball, baseball, football, golf, frisbee, and soccer and is always asking if he can go outside to play, "Do-gers."

When we are inside trains, planes and cars are still his favorite toys, though he'll play Barbies with the girls, often making the two Ken dolls fight each other, with one ending up dead. His favorite movie is the Justice League cartoon series, but I've curtailed his viewing hours to non-existent since it just seemed to fuel his aggressive behavior.

Despite it all, though, he will give hugs and kisses at will and has found joy in cuddling, for which all his family is grateful, as he doesn't seem to mind with whom he cuddles.

We are so glad James came into our family and he seems the perfect boisterous adventurer in our sometimes quiet family. Thank you, James, for bringing so much love to our family!

Happy Anniversary, Sean!

We have now been married for 11 years and I wouldn't trade a single moment of them for anything! I am so glad we found each other and I am even more glad we kept in touch. Rereading those letters brings back such fun memories and emotions and feelings. I want to thank you for all you do for our family. You truly magnify your calling as a husband and father to our children. I love you so much and hope we can have many more prime anniversaries together!
Remember....
* 1 Thomas Apartments - our first home(s)
* 2 people in an eternal marriage
* 3 degrees (and counting)
* 4 pregnancies
* 5 lost things (old camera, diaper bag, Becky's cell phone, Fantasia 2000, Christmas ornament)
* 6 people in our complete family
* 7 places we called home (Thomas 304, Thomas 201, Grandma's, Wakes', Monroes', Sugar Pine, Betty Jean)
* 8 cars (cimmaron, taurus, truck, pilot, saturn, relay, odyssey, prelude)
* 9 callings (Sunday School Teachers, YM president, YM counselor, Primary teacher, Primary counselor, Stake YM leader, 1st/2nd counselor in bishopric, High Councilman, RS Enrichment leader)
* 10 pets (Davey, Chewy, crab, Phil, Jackson, Obie, Paddy, Lady, Dodger, Fishy)
* 11 wonderful years together. Thank you!
* And counting... an infinite number of good friends (Riskas, Cheneys, Mickelsons, Douglass', Mollers, Novaks, Williams', Cox's, etc) we meet along the way.

Jane is Baptized!

Jane was baptized by her father and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on December 5, 2009. It was witnessed by her two grandfathers, Kevin Monroe and Robert Wake. As a family we were all so happy for her decision to join the Lord's church, but as parents we couldn't have been more pleased with her decision to follow our Savior's example. Thank you, Jane, for continuing to choose the right and honor your Father in Heaven. You have shown Him and the world that your greatest desire is to follow His commandments. Thank you for your example, for your faith, for your diligence and your courage. We love you and are so grateful we could be there with you on your special day. I love you, Michelle Jane Monroe!

The family before the baptism - James, daddy, mommy, Alex, Jane and Becky

Me with Jane after her baptism and confirmation.
*One interesting thing about Jane's baptism - I french braided Jane's hair before her baptism and, although she was completely submerged in the water, only the top of her head and the tips of her braid got wet. When we were fixing her hair afterwards we took her braid out and her hair was almost completely dry! By the time she was done being confirmed her hair had dried completely.