The Highlight of My Day: February 2014

Sat 2/1/14:  I enjoyed watching Lizzy and David play "fetch" in the den this afternoon.  They kept picking up toys with their teeth and dropping them off at my feet. I would throw the toys up to the dining room and they would run after them and bring them back to me.  I couldn't tell if they were dogs or cats, because the animal noises they made kept changing from cat meows to dog whimpers, and then to sounds I couldn't recognize.  It was pretty entertaining.

Sun 2/2/14:  We enjoyed having dinner with the Bruce-Clan tonight.  Lizzy was very grumpy when we told her it was time to leave.  I'm glad that my kids have such good friendships with their cousins.  I'm grateful that we live so close by and that they get to socialize with them as often as they do.

Mon 2/3/14:  I registered Brad, me, Scott, and Emma for Studio C today.  We want to go to the February 14th 6:30 pm taping.  We've decided that even if are names aren't selected, we'll still wait in line for the overflow room.  Looking forward to the 14th!

Tue 2/4/14:  I had fun looking at my friends' Facebook Lookback Movies that came up today for Facebook's 10 year Anniversary.  Facebook gave all of their members a premade movie using photos from their albums.  I tried looking at mine, expecting mine to be sweet and uplifting like many of my friends' movies. But instead of the memorable photos I was expecting to see, the very first photo that popped up was a bunch of bloody, naked, newborn rats that I photographed back in 2008.  I couldn't stop laughing about it.

Wed 2/5/14:  Scott went on his very first date tonight!  That boy is getting so big!  He took his friend Kaicee to a Young Men's activity tonight, which was all about dating and getting to know new people.  Scott had a lot of fun with her.  I think they really liked getting to know each other better.

Thu 2/6/14:  Brad and I took Emma to the Oakcrest kick-off meeting tonight.  I enjoyed seeing how excited Emma was about going to Oakcrest this summer.  Oakcrest is a special young women camp for LDS girls in 7th grade.  She's going to have so much fun.

Fri 2/7/14:  Brad and I stayed up late watching Sherlock tonight.  We're on "The Hounds of the Baskervilles."  It was spooky and entertaining.

Sat 2/8/14:  We watched the Winter Olympics tonight.  I loved watching the snowboarding competition the best.  Lizzy liked it, too.  She kept pretending she was "sledding" in the living room.  She also liked the ice dancing.  She had a lot of fun mimicking the female skaters.

Sun 2/9/14:  It was fun going to see the Hydes tonight and getting our pictures taken.  Brother Hyde asked us if we would like to get our photos taken in his studio.  Lizzy had a blast playing with Valeen.

Mon 2/10/14:  Another night at the library!  Lizzy and David are big Charlie and Lola fans.

Tue 2/11/14:  Our names didn't get selected for the Studio C taping on Friday, but that's okay!  We're going anyway.

Wed 2/12/14:  I got some extra time with Brad tonight when his home teaching family canceled their appointment.  I love spending time with him.

Thu 2/13/14:  I made some adorable Valentines for Lizzy to take to her preschool class today.  They were "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" Valentines.  It was a build-your-own-snowman kit, with marshmallows, pretzels, M&Ms, and candy corn.  They turned out so cute!

Fri 2/14/14:  Brad and I took the older kids to see Studio C in Provo tonight.  We had to wait in the standby line this time, but that was okay.  We liked watching the episodes for Season 4 being filmed in the overflow room.

Sat 2/15/14:  We bought a new (used) couch and chair set today!  We bought them off of KSL.com.  They are a nice brown leather, and very comfortable to sit in.  They have some minor tear issues, but I was able to correct some of them.  They are very nice.  Our living room looks so much better without our old falling-apart couch.

Sun 2/16/14:  It was nice not having to give the lesson in my CTR class today.  Sister Ruff did a wonderful job, and the kids did great!

Mon 2/17/14:  We had a fun President's Day!  We headed to a comic book store called Black Cat Comics in Sugarhouse, where Scott and Emma found some new books to purchase.  After the book store, we went to Centennial Park in West Valley City to play in the sun.  The kids enjoyed swinging on the swing-set and having some swordplay while I had a blast taking photos of them.

Tue 2/18/14:  Brad was my highlight.  Yes, that's all I'm going to say about the subject.

Wed 2/19/14:  Scott got his first job!  YAY!  He'll be working with his dad at PW Companies in fulfillment.

Thu 2/20/14:  I heard a lot of commotion in the kitchen earlier this morning, so I decided to investigate.  I found little David emptying out the dishwasher and putting the silverware back in the silverware tray.  What a good helper!  Too bad the dishes were dirty.

Fri 2/21/14:  I took some cute photos of Lizzy playing out in the backyard today.  I love that the weather is warming up and that the kids can go outside more often.  She made a face with some rocks and dried blossoms in a little mound of dirt.  I thought it kind of looked like a snail coming out of the ground.  It was very cute.

Sat 2/22/14:   Lizzy had so much fun today at the Fancy Girls Par-Tea at church.  She looked so pretty dressed up in her purple princess skirt, hat, and white gloves.

Sun 2/23/14:  Brad and I went to visit a townhouse in Murray for my parents today.  It's a beautiful home, right next to the Jordan River Parkway.  It's my favorite out of all the homes I've seen available so far, and I want my parents to get it so bad.  I'm crossing my fingers that the homeowner chooses them.  He says they have a 1 in 3 chance of getting it.

Mon 2/24/14: My parents are getting the house in Murray!  YAY!!!!  I'm thrilled beyond thrilled.

Tue 2/25/14:  Today while I was on Facebook, I came across a list of quotes by Fred Rogers from Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.  I found this quote, which I liked very much: "The world needs a sense of worth, and it will achieve it only by its people feeling that they are worthwhile."  It reminded me of how important it is remind others of their worth, especially children.  I'm grateful to be a mother, and to remind my kids of how important they are.

Wed 2/26/14:  Scott is doing so well at his job!  It made me so happy to hear how his supervisors love having him work there, and that he's learning so quickly.  I'm so proud of Scott.  He's turning into such a wonderful young man.

Thu 2/27/14:  I love how Lizzy and I can have conversations together now.  Today we were driving in the car after we dropped off Scott at work, and she asked me her usual question, "Mommy... what tomorrow is it?"  We talked about the days of the week, and what fun plans we had for this weekend, such as Grandma and Grandpa Whitcomb moving to Utah.  I love how she looks forward to our little routines, like going to the library on Monday and Papa not having to go to work on weekends, as well as the big things, like Grandma and Grandpa coming.

Fri 2/28/14:  Tonight at dinner, little David was struggling to pick up a green bean with his fork.  Finally he gave up and and picked up the bean with his fingers, and said, with a very concerned look on his face, "Oh-no.  Es woken."  It was so cute.

First Date and First Job

February has been a month of firsts for Scott!  On the 5th, Scott went on his very first date with a pretty girl named Kaicee.  They go to the same school  together.  For their date, Scott and Kaicee went to Scott's YM activity at church, which was all about dating and getting to know new people.  From what I heard, they had a wonderful time together, playing games and hanging out.

On the 19th, Scott demonstrated once again that he's not so little anymore--- he got his first job!  Scott is now a fulfillment clerk at PW Companies (Brad's work).  Scott's job is to gather order items around the DC warehouse to be shipped out to new locations.  He has impressed his supervisors with his hard-working, yet humorous personality.  He's been really enjoying it so far.

The Highlight of My Day: January 2014

Something good happens every day.  Here's what happened in January 2014:

Wed 1/1/14:  We had a fantastic New Year's Day, as usual!  We went bowling with the Harmans, Christensens, and Polaks at All Stars Lanes.  This was David's first time bowling, and he loved it.  Marian and Gordon looked absolutely fantastic!  They have been getting so healthy. We had a lot of fun spending time with them at their house after we went bowling.  We played a new game called "Dixit," and we started a puzzle with Natalie and Amanda.  The Bruce Clan arrived while we were half-way done with the puzzle and joined in.  The kids loved spending time with their cousins. It was a great way to start off 2014!

Thu 1/2/14:  Tonight I helped Emma complete her Science Fair experiment.  It was all about taste and how our noses help us identify what we taste.  She had fun subjecting her cousins and Sawyer to strange tasting foods.  It was pretty funny seeing some of the reactions.

Fri 1/3/14:  I spent all day studying a couple of books I checked out at the library.  I've been reading the books, Choose to Lose, and Choose More, Lose More, by Chris Powell.  I want to live a healthier lifestyle.  Chris Powell's books are definitely encouraging and inspiring, and I want to put what I've learned into practice.

Sat 1/4/14:  Today I was very grateful for my husband's logical thinking.  I was very angry, frustrated, and sad by what I thought was going to be a very upsetting and unplanned change to our calendar.  He immediately calmed me down and pointed out what I was missing.  It turned out that the information I had seen was incorrect.  It's so nice relying on my husband's brains when my emotions overwhelm me.  He's so awesome!

Sun 1/5/14:  I loved teaching my new primary class today!  I had Parker, Nathan, and a little visitor named Aubrey, who I had taught once before.  They were so attentive to my lesson.  I enjoyed teaching them.

Mon 1/6/14:  I failed to mention that we also watched the Season 4 premier of Downton Abbey last night.  It was very well done!  Today I had a busy day trying to create some better living habits.  I started the day by doing a "Nine Minute Mission" workout, to boost my metabolism, and by drinking a fruit smoothie protein drink.  I was very good throughout the day, and ate everything I was supposed to.  I did some additional exercising before my mid-morning snack.  I think I can do this!  I know I can do this!

Tue 1/7/14:  I am feeling quite confident about my new eating program.  I like switching carbs and no carbs every other day.  It helps me feel like I'm eating in moderation, and that I can still eat what I want, as long as I do it at the right time.  It's been good.  I feel like I am becoming more disciplined.

Wed 1/8/14:  Brad and I are getting the hang of getting up early every morning to do a quick work-out.  It's been good for us!  I want to make this a part of our permanent lifestyle.  It's such a great way to get our metabolism going.

Thu 1/9/14:  I watched a food documentary today, called "Fat Head," which was basically a documentary about a man who was contradicting a lot of food facts we think we know and understand.  His video definitely slammed Morgan Spurlock's documentary "Super Size Me."  I think the best thing I took from the documentary was that having cholesterol in your diet is a good thing, because it actually keeps your arteries healthy instead of messing them up.  It's the bad carbohydrates, found in french fries and potato chips that are the real heart killer.

Fri 1/10/14:  I love beef and broccoli.  Eating healthy can be quite tasty at times.

Sat 1/11/14:  We had dinner at Aunt Marian's house tonight.  She made beef stew and orange chicken.  Scott and Emma enjoyed playing on the Wii station, and Lizzy and David had a blast playing in Marian's large dog crate.  Marian hurt her finger while we were there, but she still played Nerts with us, which of course was a lot of fun.  I won!  YAY!

Sun 1/12/14:  I did not plan a lesson today, but I ended up teaching anyway.  I love my new class!  Our lesson was on Choosing the Right by Following Jesus Christ.  We played "Do As I'm Doing," and read a story about a boy named Warren who had to choose the right when confronting naughty boys in a bird refuge.  The kids loved me bringing a bird's nest to class with little tiny plastic eggs inside.  They each got to take home an egg.  I'm glad I glanced at the lesson manual before church and decided to bring the bird's nest just in case the other teacher didn't show up.

Mon 1/13/14:  I completed and sold another red minion hat today.  That means I've sold over 30 minion hats since October.  That's a lot of hats!  I had no idea they would end up being as popular as they have been.  I received two more orders on Sunday.  Looks like I'll still be keeping my hands busy!

Tue 1/14/14:  I am grateful for my wonderful husband and our happy marriage.  I love creating new routines with him and strengthening our relationship together.  He is my best friend.

Wed 1/15/14:  Brad, Scott, Emma, and I watched "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D" tonight.  I feel asleep halfway through the episode and ended up going to bed early, but it was still nice going back to that routine from before Christmas.  I love Scott and Emma.

Thu 1/16/14:  My parents are so close to selling their house now!  My dad made me happy today when he told me they want to find a home to rent near my area for a realistic price.  I'm excited!

Fri 1/17/14:  I made a long list of houses I found for my parents today.  I found some really nice possibilities.  There was one near the Jordan River, and a couple near Wheeler Farm, and a few of them in the Jordan Landing area.  I want them to find a home that will make them happy.

Sat 1/18/14:  Today was a stay-at-home day for Brad and I.  We didn't leave the house once, which was really nice.  We cleaned up the house, did some laundry, and watched a few movies and shows.  We saw the Studio Ghibli film "From Up on Poppy Hill."  It was a beautiful story.  We also watched some more Alias.  We are really liking the fifth season so far.  It's much better than the fourth.

Sun 1/19/14:  I made Brad happy tonight.  I made a yummy top sirloin steak dinner with yams and green beans.  The steak was extra tasty.  Brad said it was like eating dessert.

Mon 1/20/14:  Brad and I have been successful with our exercise routine every weekday morning.  We have been doing this for the past two weeks now-- never missing a day.  I have definitely been noticing my body getting stronger, and my endurance level rising higher.  I like that I feel more awake during the day, and that I have more energy to do things.

Tue 1/21/14:  I cut Brad's and David's hair tonight.  Next up is Scott's hair.  I'll have to do that sometime soon.  I like cutting hair for all my boys.  It's a developing skill that I am grateful to have, plus it's kind of fun being their barber.

Wed 1/22/14:  I love having Scott and Emma home for dinner on Wednesday nights.  I've been getting pretty creative with dinners that are both healthy for me, but still taste good for the rest of my family.  For example, I tend to either make beef and broccoli, taco salad, or turkey chili on Wednesday nights.  My family eats the carbs, and I only eat the veggies and meat.  I don't think Scott and Emma even know that I'm restricting my diet.

Thu 1/23/14:  I read an blog post today titled, "Let Your Husband Love You."  I loved it!  I am so grateful for my wonderful husband and our happy marriage.  I am grateful for the valuable learning tools I learned in my marriage prep classes before I married Brad, and all of the things I've learned since then.  He is a wonderful man.  I feel grateful as a woman knowing that my husband loves me and thinks I'm beautiful, even on days when I don't feel beautiful.  I'm grateful to be a wife that lets my husband love me.  I know he's grateful, too.

Fri 1/24/14:  Brad took off work today.  It was nice having him home and getting things done with him.  We took the little kids with us to get the tires rotated on our van.  We sang "Let It Go" and other Frozen songs in the van on the way. Lizzy liked watching the cars get worked on at the shop.  She kept saying that the cars were "flying" whenever they got raised up and their tires removed.

Sat 1/25/14:  I went on a great date with my hubby today.  We had lunch at Romano's Macaroni Grill in Murray.  One of Brad's vendors gave him a $100 gift card, and we ended up spending about $80 today.  My favorite appetizer was their goat cheese stuffed bell peppers.  So good!

Sun 1/26/14:  I helped Emma get some last minute things done on her Science Project tonight.  She'll be taking it with her to school on Tuesday.

Mon 1/27/14:  We finished Alias tonight!  It was an okay ending.  Now I'm looking forward to watching more fun shows with Brad!  It will be fun to watch the BBC show "Sherlock" with him.  We can watch it for "free" on Amazon Prime.

Tue 1/28/14:  My parents are in escrow!  Today I went driving around my area, looking at houses for rent.  I think I may have found a really good one.  We'll see how things go.

Wed 1/29/14:  I am so grateful for my stepdaughter, Emma.  It was nice having her lean her head on my shoulder tonight while we were sitting together.  I love her.

Thu 1/30/14:  Brad and I are really liking the BBC show, Sherlock.  It's better quality than the shows we have been watching lately, like Alias.  I love Sherlock Holmes' quirky, aspergery personality.  Benedict Cumberbatch does an excellent job portraying him.  I also love Martin Freeman as Watson.  So fun!

Fri 1/31/14:  I reviewed our new year budget with Brad tonight.  Brad likes it when I show an interest in finances.  I can tell he appreciates my input and feedback. I like being marriage partners with him.

Minions, Minions Everywhere!

I have been having so much fun crocheting these cute minion hats for the last three months.  I am still amazed by the popularity of the hats, and how many I've sold in such a short amount of time.  All I did was make a few for a neighborhood boutique back in October, thinking I would only sell a couple.  After the boutique, I posted a photo of the remaining hats on Facebook.  I was immediately swarmed by orders that same day from my Facebook friends, and later from their friends. Even now that Christmas has come and gone, people are still interested and buying more.  I have made and sold over 35 hats.  It has definitely boosted my self-confidence seeing how pleased customers have been with my work.  It makes me want to keep doing it, and explore and challenge my skills.  I'm looking forward to seeing where these new skills take me.

The Highlight of My Day: December 2013

Something good happens every day.  Here's what happened in December 2013:

Sun 12/1/13:  It's nice to be home, although I miss being in California.  My highlight of the day was staying home from church and resting with Brad.  It was also nice talking to Scott and Emma on the phone today, too.

Mon 12/2/13:  It was weird having Brad go to work today, but it was also nice getting back into the swing of things.  I liked saying hi to Scott when he came home from school today.  That is always one of the highlight of my days!

Tue 12/3/13:  David had his 12-month doctor appointment today (two months behind).  Dr. Vierra was very impressed that David already knows his ABC's.  "He's a smarty, this one!"  I am going to need to do more things to challenge him, like doing puzzles with him, and teaching him words to recognize.  David will probably be an early reader.

Wed 12/4/13:  Emma sure has been sick a lot lately.  She has missed a lot of school this semester-- all during days when she hasn't been at home with us.  She was dropped off at our house early this morning.  I had her stay home until lunch time, so I could monitor her.  I took her back to school when she seemed to be  doing fine.   I brought all the little kids with me, including Valeen.  It was fun having a van-full of kids.  They liked singing to the Christmas CD I had playing.

Thu 12/5/13:  The kids and I had fun walking through the snow today to get to Lizzy's preschool.  It's so pretty and white outside, but very, very cold.  The temperatures have consistently stayed below 20 degrees during the day and in the single digits at night this week.  Brrrrrrr!  Lizzy made an adorable snow globe in preschool today.  It has Belle inside, with little glitter-flakes floating all around her.  She is so excited about it and wants to show everyone.

Fri 12/6/13:  Lizzy had a little too much fun with a pair of scissors today.  I finished up the job for her and chopped off all her hair below her chin.  She looks so cute now!  She wasn't at all happy with me at first, but she slowly warmed up to it and seems to like it.  I got some cute pictures of her.

Sat 12/7/13:  Brad and I took the little ones to see the new Disney movie, Frozen.  Wow, was it a hit!  Lizzy LOVED it.  She got so excited at certain parts that she screamed out in the movie theater and kept bouncing back and forth in her seat.  It was very well done.  My favorite character was Queen Elsa.  My favorite song from the movie was "Let it Go," sung by Idina Menzel.  So good!

Sun 12/8/13:  My highlight today was watching Lizzy and David try to sing the lyrics from the song, "Let it Go," from Frozen.  I have lost track how many times we've seen the song played on YouTube.  Lizzy loves listening it, repeating it, and acting out what she sees.  David tries doing it, too.  It's fun watching them.

Tue 12/9/13:  I think we've become addicted to Frozen!  We keep listening to the music every day, including Brad.  It's has definitely become a favorite.

Wed 12/10/13:  I put up almost all of the Christmas decorations today.  YAY!  I also enjoyed watching Studio C's Christmas Special and Agents of Shield with Scott, Emma, and Brad tonight.  I love having Scott and Emma home with us.

Thu 12/11/13:  I am amazed by how many minion hats I've made in the last 2 1/2 months!  Today I made a spreadsheet so I could keep track of all of my orders.  I made about 30 hats so far, and I still have a few orders to go.

Fri 12/13/13:  We were very sad when Haru died on Wednesday, so to make up for it, I brought home two new male rats today.  They are named after characters from Frozen: Olaf and Kristoff.  Tonight was our ward's Christmas party.  The Madrigals performed for us, which Brad and I enjoyed very much.  Lizzy liked hearing the song, "Up on the House Top," which is one of her favorite Christmas songs.  My highlight of the night was saying hi to people, and eating the yummy pasta buffet.  I love pasta!

Sat 12/14/13:  Brad and I took Scott and Emma to watch "The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug" today.  It wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be, but I still enjoyed most of it.  Smaug was extremely well done.  Best dragon I have ever seen.  My highlight of the day was going with most of my family downtown to watch the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Christmas Concert.  It was fantastic!  It was lovely listening to Deborah Voigt sing and John Rhys-Davies narrating a Charles Dickens Christmas special.  There were little surprises throughout the concert.  It was really neat seeing John Rhys-Davies floating above the audience as the Ghost of Christmas Present.  So cool!

Sun 12/15/13:  My highlight of the day was being with Brad's family.  We had a soup potluck night, and lots of yummy treats, including a hot chocolate bar.  It was nice visiting with everyone, including Grandpa's lady-friend, Silvia, and his brother, Uncle Jerry.  I love Brad's family.  The only thing that could have made the evening better was if Emma was not feeling sick.  Poor sweet Emma.  I think she stilled enjoyed being with her cousins, though.

Mon 12/16/13:  I mailed off two hats today!  YAY! Now I'm starting another order-- a specialized order of red Utah Utes minion hats.  I'm really interested to see how they turn out.  I need to get them done before Wednesday night!

Tue 12/17/13:  I enjoyed attending my Relief Society's Hot Chocolate Party tonight.  I had a mug of sweet vanilla white hot chocolate.  It was tasty!  I liked being with other sisters in my ward and listening to their conversations.  It was nice hanging out with them.

Wed 12/18/13:  I liked hanging out with Emma today, even though she was feeling poorly.  She's been sick the last few days with a virus.

Thu 12/19/13:  It was adorable watching Lizzy and David sit on Santa's lap today.  I love that my kids never cry when they visit Santa.  I'm such a lucky mom.

Fri 12/20/13:  I finished the Ute minion hats this morning!  YAY!  It took longer than I thought it would, but I'm glad it's done.  I sold them a few hours after I finished.  Now I have some more orders I need to work on.

Sat 12/21/13:  I finished my Christmas shopping today!  I got it all done early this morning, despite having to drive in a snow storm.  Looks like we're going to have a white Christmas.

Sun 12/22/13:  The primary kids reenacted the Christmas story from Luke in Sharing Time today.  They were so cute!  Lizzy, Brooklyn, and Valeen were angels.  They looked so cute together with their fuzzy gold halos.

Mon 12/23/13:  We had dinner at Sam's Club tonight before getting our groceries.  Lizzy and David love eating the pizza there, and drinking sodas.  We hardly ever go out to eat, so when we do, they always get excited.

Tue 12/24/13:  My highlight of the day was watching Lizzy and David open up their Christmas Eve gifts.  Lizzy got My Little Pony PJs and David got Batman PJs, and each of them received a Christmas book.  They loved their papa reading to them before they went to bed.  Papa does such a good job with character voices.

Wed 12/25/13:  We had a lovely Christmas!  Lizzy and David woke up bright and early and were very excited to see all the presents underneath the Christmas tree.  Lizzy shouted, "Santa came!"  We opened some of our presents and had German pancakes for breakfast.  Lizzy's favorite present was her Merida bow and arrow.  She played with it all day.  David loved his letter foam blocks.  Scott and Emma came home at 1:00 pm and we opened some more presents.  Scott and Emma loved their framed posters of Young Justice (for Emma) and Studio Ghibli movies (for Scott) the best.  We headed over to Grandpa North's house and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening hanging out together and eating good food.  It was lovely!

Thu 12/26/13:  We saw Frozen again today!  This time with Scott and Emma.  We all LOVED it!  I was singing Frozen songs all afternoon.  In the evening, the Bruce Clan came over and we had a big ham dinner with cheesy potatoes, and watched our new Princess Bride Blu-ray disc.  I loved watching some of the special features on the disc.  That movie is a classic.

Fri 12/27/13:  My ham and potato soup was a big hit tonight.  It was nice having dinner at home with everyone.

Sat 12/28/13:  Brad and I finished watching the end of Season 3 of Downton Abbey.  We were having a Downton marathon to get us geared up for Season 4, which is starting next Sunday.  I am so excited!

Sun 12/29/13:  I had fun meeting my new primary class today.  I will be teaching the 5-year-olds, which are the same batch of kids I had last year.  I am excited to be teaching them again.  But I am going to my miss my current class, too.  I love Tommy's cleverness, and Rachael's sweetness, and Brooklyn's silliness, and David's cute remarks.  I will especially miss being Lizzy's teacher.

Mon 12/30/13:  Brad stayed home with a bad cold today.  I can tell that I'm getting it, too.  But I like spending time with him, even when we're both feeling ill.  The best part is resting on the couch and watching movies together.

Tue 12/31/13:  The cold has really hit me hard today.  Brad is doing better, though.  My highlight of the day was soaking in a nice hot bath while Brad watched the kids.  That was lovely.  Good bye, 2013!  You were a wonderful year!

Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

It doesn't have to be a BIG snowman...

Lizzy and I had a great time making a "baby" snowman today.  We wanted to make a bigger snowman, like Olaf form the movie Frozen, but the snow was too powdery and wouldn't clump together.  Instead we made this adorable little guy.  I crocheted the hat and scarf, just for him.  I think he turned out pretty cute.  Lizzy was very proud of him.

Goodbye, Sweet Haru ~ Welcome, Olaf and Kristoff

Goodbye, Sweet Haru.  We will miss you.

We had a bit of emotional week this past week.  Our sweet little rat, Haru, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday.  Lizzy and I were both heartbroken.  We only had Haru for two months, but during that time Lizzy became very attached to her.  I loved the way Lizzy would carry her.  She would hold her against her tummy, like a baby, and Haru was very patient with her, even when Lizzy was not as calm and careful as she could have been. Haru was Lizzy's special little friend.

To help ease Haru's passing for Lizzy, I went out and picked up two little boy rats today.  They are both very cute, and very friendly little rats.  I'm looking forward to Lizzy bonding with them and having fun with them.  We named them Olaf and Kristoff, from the movie, Frozen.  Olaf is definitely the friendliest rat.  He loves to sit on Lizzy's lap and let her pet him.  It makes me think of the line in Frozen when Olaf says, "I like warm hugs."

Welcome, Olaf and Kristoff.

Oh, Lizzy! You did it again!

Lizzy had a little too much fun playing with a pair of scissors she found today.  The end result: lots of uneven strands of hair all around her face.  I decided to finish up the job and chopped off all her hair below her chin.  She didn't seem to mind it all at first.  It wasn't until we were all done that she realized that most of her beautiful long wavy hair was gone.  She was not at all happy with me at first.  She slowly warmed up to it over the next couple of hours.  That's when I got the good pictures.  She's so pretty!

This is what she looked like after she realized all her hair was gone.  Sad.

This is what she looked like after she warmed up to the idea of having short hair. CUTE!

30 Days of Gratitude-- The Highlight of My Day: November 2013

Papa and Mama on Thanksgiving Day 2013
Photo taken by Rachel Montgomery

There is something to be grateful for every day.  Here is what I was grateful for in November:

Fri 11/1/13:  Today I am grateful for the brief, sweet moments I get to spend alone with my husband.  It was nice sneaking off to our room tonight while the kids were occupied with their own entertainment.  My husband makes me very happy.

Sat 11/2/13:  Today I am grateful for unplanned visits with family and friends.  Brad and I went on a date to Carl's Jr. for lunch and ended up visiting with Brad's dad and the Polaks, who just happened to arrive there about two minutes after we ordered our food.  It was fun eating lunch with them and talking to them.  We also bumped into the Brusiks while we were shopping at Sam's Club.

Sun 11/3/13:  Today I am grateful for nice friends on Facebook that let me borrow DVDs so I can share some of my favorite '80s movies to the kids.  It was fun introducing the movie The Labyrinth to Scott, Emma, and Lizzy this afternoon.  Now I have all of David Bowie's songs in my head.  "You remind me of the babe..."

Mon 11/4/13:  Today I am grateful for snow.  It was nice watching Lizzy and David play in the snow in their new coats.  It kept them busy out of the house for at least half an hour, which was I was very grateful for.  David loves eating the snow, and Lizzy loves making footprints in the snow.  She calls them "foot-trams."

Tue 11/5/13:  Today I am grateful for our routine of going to the library every week.  I like that we are consistent about going, and that we get to check-out some amazing movies and books in the process.  Brad and I are on the fourth season of Alias, now.  We started watching it tonight.

Wed 11/6/13:  Today I am grateful for the little extra money I earn every week, babysitting Valeen.  In addition to the extra cash, Lizzy loves having a playmate every week.  It was fun watching them run around the house with David today.

Thu 11/7/13:  Today I am grateful for my developing cooking skills, and that my husband and kids love the food I make.  I made Parmesan chicken tonight-- a spur-of-the-moment decision, which turned out lovely, considering it was last minute.  I love cooking for my family!

Fri 11/8/13:  Today I am grateful for my older children, Scott and Emma, who helped me babysit David this afternoon when I went to Walmart and Sam's Club with Lizzy.  It's nice having them around every other Friday.  I love them.

Sat 11/9/13:  Today I am grateful for grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato bisque. It's everybody's favorite in our family.  It's nice having Scott and Emma two Saturdays in a row, too, and having lunch with them.

Sun 11/10/13:  Today I am grateful for Emma-hugs.  I was feeling pretty low tonight, with a lot of stress on my mind, then I noticed that Emma was struggling with her homework for the Health Fair. I forgot about my sorrows for a moment and began focusing on her. She and I tackled her homework head-on, and ended up making a fantastic-looking brochure for the fair.  She was so grateful for my help that she gave me a big, long hug and kiss, and expressed how thankful she was for me helping her.  That hug meant so much to me.  It made all my problems (and hormonal emotions) go away, and in return made me feel loved, useful, and appreciated.  I love my Emma-girl so much.  I am immensely grateful to have her in my life.

Mon 11/11/13:  Today I am grateful for Monday night Family Home Evenings with Scott and Emma.  We have only been able to have two so far this school year, and they have been a special treat both times.  Tonight we did our annual "I Am Thankful" artwork and watched Studio C together as a family.  It was so much fun!

Tue 11/12/13:  Today I am grateful for all the little joys and blessing that come from being a mother.  I love watching my children grow and learn new skills.  Today David said, "I love you," for the first time to me.  It was so precious!

Wed 11/13/13:  Today I am grateful for a kind and loving husband, who is willing to sacrifice for me, even when I ask him to do things he does not want to do.  My parents told me about a week ago that they were planning on selling their house in California and moving to Utah.  I, of course, want to go to California to say goodbye to the house and help my parents sort through things and get rid of things.  Brad has been very supportive, even though I know he does not want us to go to California again this year, due to finances and the time he would spend away from work.  I am grateful that he has agreed for us to go.  Today, I was excited to talk to my mom more about her moving up here to Utah.  I found an apartment building not to far from here that has an indoor pool.  She liked hearing that.

Thu 11/14/13:  Today I am grateful for all the people who have been purchasing and enjoying my minion hats.  I mailed off 5 to a friend in California today.  Fun!

Fri 11/15/13:  Today I am grateful for Jane Austen.  I loved watching "Pride and Prejudice" with Brad tonight.  I'm glad he's a Jane Austen fan, too.

Sat 11/16/13:  Today I am grateful for our home teacher, Brother Hyde.  He suggested we watch a movie together with our families at the dollar theater in Sugarhouse.  Lizzy loved seeing Valeen and watching "Despicable Me 2" sitting next to her.  We wore our hats to the theater, which a lot of people liked.  I had two people ask me where I got the hats from.  I told them I made them and they wanted my contact information.  So fun!

Sun 11/17/13:  Today I am grateful for music.  Scott and Emma sang with the YM and YW in Sacrament meeting, and they did such an amazing job.  They sang the Janice Kapp melody of "As Sisters in Zion/To Bring the World His Truth," which is one of my favorite musical arrangements.  The spirit was so strong that it made all the people around me cry, including myself.  By coincidence, my lesson in my Sunbeam class was all about music today.  I loved talking about the power of music with my Sunbeams and why we sing in church.

Mon 11/18/13:  Today I am grateful for DVD sales at Target.  We found the perfect birthday present for Emma (Young Justice League DVD, Seasons 1-3), as well as a fun movie for Lizzy and David to watch on our road trip coming up (Megamind).  We got them both for excellent prices.

Tue 11/19/13:  Today I am grateful for our cute pets, Sushi (cat) and Haru (rat).  They make my kids so happy, which makes me happy.

Wed 11/20/13:  Today I am grateful for my beautiful stepdaughter, Emma.  She turned 13 years old today.  I am grateful for her sweetness and her humor; her honesty and her love.  We celebrated her birthday today with a big dinner of some of her favorite things: loaded mashed potatoes with bacon, sauteed mushrooms, corn, and pumpkin pie for dessert.  I love you, Emma!  You're wonderful!

Thu 11/21/13:  Today I am grateful for Lizzy's preschool.  She has been having so much fun going to school twice a week every week.  This morning we stopped at the store to grab some goldfish crackers for Lizzy's Thanksgiving "feast" at her preschool.  She had so much fun!

Fri 11/22/13:  Today I am grateful for the lasting friendships my children have with their cousins and friends from their old ward.  Tonight was Emma's birthday party.  We invited Emma's friend, Makenna, and Emma's cousins, Kaylie, Rachel, and Jessica to spend the night.  We had homemade chili and salsa for dinner (one of Emma's favorite).  I decorated her cake to look like the Nightwing symbol, which she loved. I could tell all of the girls had a great time together, giggling, singing, and talking late at night.

Sat 11/23/13:  Today I am grateful for little blessings and big blessings that occur in my life, sometimes without me knowing it.  I know my Heavenly Father blesses and watches over my family.  Tonight David had an accident at church that could have been a lot worse than it was.  I am grateful for the network of family and friends that Brad and I have, and the love they share for us.  It was nice seeing the Hill family at their annual pie night tonight.

Sun 11/24/13:  Today I am grateful for my Sunbeam class.  I love the fun moments I get to share with them every Sunday, and for their sweet spirits and enthusiasms for life.  They are such a cute and entertaining bunch of kids.  Today I made them Sacrament paper wheels, to help them remember about Jesus Christ during the Sacrament.  They loved that.

Mon 11/25/13:  Today I am grateful for easy-going kids.  We spent all day in the van driving to California, and Lizzy and David did so well!  They were happy and content watching their movies on the portable DVD players, and eating snacks and looking out the window.  It turned out to be a very good trip.

Tue 11/26/13:  Today I am grateful for spending time with my family in California.  Rachel, Brad, and I watched "Catching Fire" at the theater late in the morning, and Rachel and her family came over for dinner in the evening. Baby Claire is such a doll, and Lizzy and David loved playing with Eric.  Mom fried up some pupusas for dinner.  It was so yummy!  It's a Spanish dish from El Salvador, consisting of soft corn tortillas, beans, cheese, and meat.

Wed 11/27/13:  Today I am grateful for spending the morning at Cherry Park with my kids.  It was sweet seeing them play in the same park I spent so much of childhood playing at.  Full of memories.  It made my heart happy.

Thu 11/28/13:  Today I am grateful for the rare opportunity I had of spending Thanksgiving with all of my Southern California family.  We haven't done that in 8 years.  We had Thanksgiving dinner at Heather Montgomery's house, outside on the backyard patio (love the California weather!). I made Loralee's made-from-scratch Green Bean Casserole, and Mom made the turkey and candied yams.  Lizzy and David loved playing with their cousin, Eric, on the swing set.  I enjoyed pushing Eric on the swing and bonding with him.  He's such a cutie!  I also loved holding Baby Claire and spending time with her.  I love how pretty and chubby she is.  Such a darling!

Fri 11/29/13:  Today I am grateful for silly moments I get to spend with my sisters.  Rachel and I had a few hysterical laughing moments when we were cleaning up my parents garage.  I haven't laughed that hard in such a long time!  Both of us had tears in our eyes.  When Susie heard what was making us laugh so hard, she started laughing, too, which of course made Rachel and I laugh even more.  All of our husbands didn't quite get what was so funny.  Maybe it was just a Whitcomb-sister thing.  The subject of the humor: family heirlooms and teeth.

Sat 11/30/13:  Today I am grateful for my childhood home, and all of the wonderful memories I have gathered throughout the years living there.  I'm still in denial about it being sold.  A part of me hasn't accepted the fact that it was my last visit, and that my parents will no longer be living there.  Seems very strange to me.  I hated leaving it behind today, but I was also looking forward to returning to my home in Utah, too.  I love owning my home.

Emma's Thirteenth Birthday

Happy 13th Birthday to my sweet, beautiful, wonderful step-daughter, Emma!  I can't believe how fast time has gone!  Emma was only a little older than Lizzy when I first came into her life.  It makes me realize just how fast childhood goes.  That sweet little bubbly almost-5-year-old is now a teenager.  I am so grateful to have her in my life.  She is wonderful!

Emma's 13th Birthday Interview

What makes "13" such a special age?

You're finally a teenager!  No more "tween."

Who are your best friends?

Makenna, Jessica, Brianna, Rachel, Kaylie, cousin Rachel, and cousin Jessica.

What do you like to do when you are with your friends?

Talk about books.  Hang out.  Annoy the daylights out of them.

What makes you laugh?

When people do "fails."  Having something in common to joke about.

What is your favorite classes in school?  Why?

SCIENCE.  Because Mr. Horscroft teaches it in an awesome way.  Each time I go in I learn something new.

What are your favorite books?

Warriors, Batman, Fabelhaven.

What are your favorite movies and TV shows?

Studio C, Young Justice, Batman the Animated Series, Studio Ghibli movies.

If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?

Save some for college and mission!  Go on a trip to Japan.  Buy action figures.  More Young Justice stuff.

Describe your perfect day.

Able to sleep in with no worries.  Mess around all day.  No plans.  Go to Harry Potter Land!

What do you want to do when you grow up?

I want to be a writer.

What is your favorite family activity?

Hanging out.  Watching Studio C.

What is your favorite holiday?  Why?

My favorite holiday is SUMMER VACATION!!!!  Cause I can finally sleep in.

Random Facts About Me

·        I want to go skydiving.

·        I love cats.

·        I want to speak Japanese, that way I know the two most complicated languages to learn.  (I want to confuse my friends)

·        I am obsessed with Batman.

·        I'm a wing-ding.  (A wing-ding is Nightwing's Batarang)

·        I laugh when I'm in physical pain, sometimes.

·        I hate hiking.

Emma's Birthday Party
Emma had a friends birthday party on Friday, November 22nd.  Emma invited her friend Makenna and her cousins Kaylie, Rachel, and Jessica.  We had homemade chili and salsa for dinner (one of Emma's favorites).  I made Emma a cake with a Nightwing symbol on it, and Brad and I gave her the first series of Young Justice on DVD.  Emma was so thrilled with her birthday gift that she ran over to kiss Brad and me.  The girls had a fun night playing video games, singing songs, giggling, and laughing all night.