family pic

 

Just a snapshot of our family at the Atlanta Temple openhouse.

April Fools Day fun

It's April 1. April Fools Day. I've known it was coming, and I started scheming, but then Ben went out of town (all the way to Nashville) for a training of some sort and I completely forgot what today was. ...and I got GOT! Joshua didn't forget. He taped the sprayer nozzle down. So when I went to the sink this morning with a pot in one hand and the other on the faucet, I was soaked before I really even realized what was happening. Well, me and the floor! I untaped the handle and filled the pot with water for cream of wheat. When breakfast was done, Josh asked if he could put color in Michael's breakfast. (I had changed clothes by that time and was a little happier than I had been when I was wearing all that water) I ok'd it and he put a drop or two of food coloring under the spoon. Then we put sugar on top and poured the milk. When Michael stirred up his breakfast, it turned green. We all had a nice giggle and then William started screaming. I reached for the food coloring thinking he wanted green breakfast too, but instead, I discovered that Josh had done the same thing to Will's bowl and William DID NOT want green cereal. I didn't even see Josh do that! So I scolded him lightly, reached for my bowl to share with William in hopes of settling him down only to find that MY bowl had fallen victim as well! That boy was busy!! Unfortunately, I wasn't smiling by that point, feeling like I had to dump breakfast and start over so William would settle down. I was still feeling annoyed when Josh left for school. But I had all day to think about my actions and finally concluded that I do love Joshua's sense of humor. It's alot like my dad's in fact. I don't want to squelch the 'tease' in him. But I'm not about to be outdone by a 10 year old.
SO.....
This is what Joshua is getting for dinner.






Sure, looks innocent enough. But it's not. I made meatloaf (something my kids love) in muffin cups. I took the cooked meatloaf out of the cups and put them in foil cupcake liners. Then I whipped up some yummy mashed potatoes and blended in some beets to turn them pink. I piped them onto the meatloaf with an open star tip (frosting decorating gear) I sprinkled some 'sprinkles' made with cooked rice and food coloring. They almost look yummy.
Oh, and I don't have picture, but I also filled everyones cup with Jello--looks like juice, but doesn't spill! Perhaps I'll be better prepared next year.

It's official...

Today I went from this...

 

to this. Makes me a little sad, in a way.

 

Guess it's about time!

One Year Old Jenna

 

Happy Birthday. Here, want some?

1 year....can it really be one year?

January 11, 2010. 38 weeks into a pregnancy with a baby that, just the week before, had been presenting with her bum first, I was sent for yet another ultra sound to confirm the placement of said baby. I walked away from the Dr's office with one of the biggest surprises of my life. FINALLY! We learned that we were having a little girl. Not that I wasn't excited to learn that the boys were boys, just that I was NOT expecting to hear words like 'her' or 'she' or 'hair bows' for several more years (like until one of those little boys grew up and married and had babies of their own). It was a pleasant surprise. And so was the news that sometime over the weekend, she had done a summer-sault; she'd flipped to a head first position. So, January 12, 2010, I went to see my OB/GYN at her office. She looked over the ultrasound report, and with a smile on her face, told me that, if I was ok with it, she'd like to cancel my appointment for a C-section and schedule me for induction. Hey, that works for me! But even more surprising was when she called the hospital, the L&D nurse persuaded her to send me to the hospital that day, instead of waiting 2 more days and chancing another flip from the baby. I left Dr Whatley's office about 2 in the afternoon to go pick up William from the babysitter (Thanks, Lori and Tad Sharum), receive kids from school and make arrangements for another sitter to spend the evening with them. Dr W told me she'd meet me at the hospital after her office closed at 6 pm. I was going to have a baby...a baby GIRL! What!!
But Jenna had other plans.
Meanwhile, we didn't hear about it until after we'd gone home from the hospital, but thousands of lives were being affected elsewhere. Haiti was hit with a violent earthquake and several aftershocks. Lori and Brent have been trying to adopt a couple of children from Haiti.

New Year, new 'do

 

I did it. I finally did it! I got brave enough to commit to something different; a long over-do change. I got a new hair cut and I actually like it. It will take some time to get used to, and to learn how to do my 'do, but I like it. Over ten inches of locks were donated to Locks Of Love. Almost makes me feel lightheaded
Happy New Year!

...And May All Your Christmases Be White...

Well, Merry Christmas, Ya'll!
This is what we woke up to this morning. Unusual for these parts! We love it though!
Apologies to the locals. It seems that the snow followed us from Illinois.

(Please don't notice the date. It's not accurate. Ben changed the batteries in the camera and didn't reset the date. Oh, and pardon the construction equipment in front of the house. It's not my husbands 'project car'. I does belong to a contracted construction crew. They assure as that they're almost done, but I've been hearing that for a month. Of course the project completion date was Nov 15, and we still can't use the road.)