Feb Picture

Here is our February family picture.  We were just on our way swimming, but I thought Family Day would be a great day to capture our family.

6 months

Thursday our baby turned 6 months.  Man does time ever go by fast.  We have so loved having this little baby in our home.  He has the sweetest little disposition and always has a smile waiting for us.

We celebrated by giving him food.  Rice cereal and a Farley Biscuit. Yum - well at least he thought so.  I think he has been ready for food for while now, but I was none to anxious to go down that road again.  The kids have been so excited to see him eat food. 

Barrett at 6 month

• Is on the verge of wanting to crawl.
• loves to position himself in a push-up position.
• first tooth just poked up
• loves to have his hands and toes kissed.
• loves peek-a-boo and paddy cake

On the Night Stand

The Doctors Wife - Haven't started it yet, but will let you know if it is any good. (I only made it through a chapter of this book before I realized it was not for me)

The Book Thief - Picked up this number after a couple of my friends told me how much they utterly enjoyed it.  I was initially uneasy about reading it as the setting takes place in Nazi Germany, not my favorite time period to read about.  I am thoroughly enjoying it, in fact I would read it all night long if my eyes didn't close on me.   I own it if you want to borrow it.

The Book of Awesome - a little pick me up every day.

Gifts from the Sea - Book Club

The Family Dinner - Last year about this time my book club did poetry.  The discussion turned to Jackie Kennedy and how she and her family quoted poetry around the dinner table, then the conversation progressed to all the other things she did with her kids around the dinner table and I thought, That is what I want my dinner table to be like.

I just wasn't sure how to accomplish it.  Then last week I saw this book at Chapters. It has great advice about how to get your family talking at the table.  It suggests games, and topics of conversation, poetry to memorize, current events, word games and the list goes on.  Dinner time is about to change at our house.

Happy Valentine's Day

Our valentine's day was full of love.  I filled my kids room with notes of love.  Which was so fun to see their smiling faces as they came out and thanked me.  It was such a good reminder to me that words of affirmation is Jarom's Love Language.  He thrives off it and blossoms under praise.

I broke into Spencer's car at work and left him a bunch of love notes and chocolate.  I thought he would think it was a tad juvenile but he loved it and I in return received the sweetest note of appreciation, validation and love with my gifts. The note was my fave.  

Then we all sipped Love Potion and played Everybody's Special as part of our FHE.

Happy Love Day!

The Goal

A little bit ago Nolan set a goal for himself to finish the Book of Mormon before he turns 12.  He has done pretty good, but I could see he was starting to slow down a bit and may possibly not reach his goal.  I searched way down in the depth of my parenting and thought how could I assist him in reaching his goal. 

Then I remembered the classic challenge given to all youngsters at some time in their life. 

Read the book of Mormon and get a free dinner. 

Always a good choice.  Nolan is a bit competitive so I thought I would use this to my advantage and issued the challenge between the two of us.  Whoever finishes the BofM first buys the other one dinner.

As it stands now Nolan is kicking my butt.  I'm in 1 Nephi and he is finishing up Alma.  I still taunt him everyday that I will catch him. 

Who are you betting on, me or Nolan?

Love is in the air

I'm excited about Valentines Day this year. I'm excited to celebrate with those I love most in this world.

It's really not a secret that I don't do the whole pregnancy thing very well, in fact I totally suck at it. It is just a time in my life when I just sort of get by and hope that people still like me when I've become me again. I wish it wasn't so hard for me to get my beautiful babies to earth, but it is.

The struggle does make me more appreciative when I am "Normal" again. Last year was a total write off, this year there will be Celebrating. My head is filled with plans to make this month of Love extra special for my family. I'm excited.

I even made a few crafts which I of course copied from all those overly talented Internet gals. Here are the links Kissing Ball (I plan on standing under it until someone smooches me everyday) and Love One Another.

Things I want to accomplish in 2011

I seem to always be behind.  I did valentine card instead of Christmas Cards (which looked fabulous on the computer, but the printer made them look ugly, so I pitched them - this would be the reason you did receive my lovely card) and now I am finally writing down all the things I would like to accomplish in 2011.  I'm going to write a bazillion things thereby ensuring that at least a few will be accomplished.

It's going to be a work in progress... Here is the beginning

1. Make a Bucket List
2. Figure out some home decorating tips.
3. Add some color to my home decorating.
4. Climb a mountain with my boys
5. Be more connected to family
6. Get back to the Gym.  It's one of the few things I do for myself and something I totally enjoyed.
7. Learn more about Photography and take beautiful pics.
8. Take a family picture each month. - Totally copied from Rhonda cause it's such a fabulous idea.
9. Read my Sunday School and RS lesson each week.
10. Plan more healthy meals for my family
11. Love my kids unconditionally and see them in their best light.
12. Date my husband and make sure he knows how very much I adore him
13. Watch less TV do more positive activities with my kids
14. Kidnap my kid from school and take them out for lunch
15. Put up curtains in my kitchen.
16. Show more Gratitude
17. Beat Nolan at finishing the Book of Mormon before he turns 12
18. Do something I've never done before
19. Do something I'm afraid of
20. Get together with friends more
21. Have more dinner parties
22. Finish Barrett's Christmas Stocking
23. Learn how to cook a roast and Yorkshire pudding

Baby just woke up... to be continued

Jaroms Favorite Winter Sport

Pictures of pure happiness are my favorite in the world.  I love the boys expression in this picture.



Show and Tell and all thing Random

This is what Nolan took for Show and Tell last week.  Other kids took their pets, favorite vacation memento;  Nolan took Barrett.   He proudly showed him off and talked about all the great things Barrett can do.  He wanted to give a demonstration of Barrett's ability to roll over, but the germ factor was a concern to Nolan and he settled for telling his classmates about Barretts tumbling.

I love with all my heart how much these boys love their so sweet little brother.  Barrett is the luckiest kid to be so adored and have such great big brothers to forge the path of life ahead of him. 

1. When I sign messages off Ang in my Ipad it automatically changes it to Nag.  Nice.
2. Today was cold cold and the sun was shining brightly.  It reminded me of the classic Winnipeg winter day.   It started me remembering lots of good memories of our lives in Winnipeg.
3. I had an eye opening experience last week and came to realize that my parenting needed a kick in the butt.  I've been in oblivious bliss enjoying too much time soaking in little bare toes, fingers and giggles.
4. I bought The Book of Awesome.  Now I get to reflex on something awesome every day.
5. I almost cried in Walmart the other day when I skipped down the Valentine Hersey kisses aisle in search of my long awaited Cherry Cordial Kisses.  I couldn't find them anywhere, but I persevered and finally found a small box of them on the bottom shelf.  Yum.

Party Time

It was time for celebration, my mom had a birthday. 

We invited my mom, dad, and the French's (our closest friends from as far back as I can remember) over.  We consumed fabulous food -yes I cooked and am ever so modest, great conversation and just enjoyed a lovely evening celebrating someone that we love so very much!

I bet you are all looking at the cake and drooling over how fabulous it looks.  I looked up how to make The Keg's cheesecake on-line, because it is the best cheesecake ever created, and low and behold there was a recipe.  It was creamy, smooth and divine. 

This morning after lovely packing a piece for Spencer's lunch I dropped the leftovers on the floor. 

Awesome.

Happy Birthday Mom!