Christmas lunch

I haven't ever finished going back and posting about all the things that happened for the month I didn't post at all, so some of these are going to be pretty old. This is one of those.

Owen was so excited for Christmas this year. Every few days he'd come up with something that had to do with Christmas (Operation or Dinosaur movie, anyone?). He also is loving coming up with his own lunch. As long as it's not too out there and is pretty balanced, I let him go for it. I actually think it's helping him learn about different food groups and how to balance a meal. I'll usually talk him through what else he needs, but let him choose. On this particular day in December, he decided that he wanted a Christmas lunch, so he picked out everything red and green. He had toast with red jelly, red kidney beans, red and green jello that my friend had given me, and red apples with peanut butter (he insisted that the peanut butter looked a little green. He also had green koolaid in a red cup. He was ecstatic!!

Playing

Owen has always been my one that loves to be with people. He (I?) had a really hard time when Josie went to school and wasn't around all day to play with. Some of our favorite days is when Jo is out of school and they can play all day. He doesn't like to play by himself and is always asking me if I will come play with him. Even if he plays something that is meant to be played by yourself, he's always coming and asking me to come and look at what he's doing. I love that he likes to be around me, but it is hard sometimes to get things done. Just recently, he's realized that Zoey is getting old enough to play with and have fun with. Usually I have to remind him that he can play with Zoey, too. Even then, he doesn't want her playing with his favorite toys (his Thomases) because she's too little and won't take care of them. The other day I couldn't find either one of them upstairs, so I went downstairs and this is what I found.

They were playing, WITH Thomases, and having fun. It was great for me to see. They were actually playing together, too. I loved it!! Owen had fun and Zoey felt like such a big girl.

Music Night

I'm sad that I never got a picture of this, but it was such a fun night. I just recently got my cello back from having the pegs tightened (I broke my C string trying to get it to stick) and decided to practice. Then, Nathan decided that it would be a great time for him to practice his french horn. The kids weren't about to be left out. They all wanted musical instruments as well. They all took turns with the trumpet, trombone, and bugle. It was really fun to see them trying out different instruments. I'm glad that we were able to get our instruments for cheap enough that I don't freak out when the kids want to play them. I think it's great for them to have experience with music. Even Zoey ended up helping me play the cello. I loved it.

kiddy bench

Last time we went down to Utah, my mom showed us a bench for kids that she had been given by a neighbor. It had broken and someone had written on the cover for the seat. She was wondering if we wanted to take it home and see what we could do with it and then we could have it. Since moving my living room around to accomodate our piano, I had been looking for something to go under my window in my living room. I didn't want anything that would cover the window or that would stick out too far because it was in a high traffic area. I thought the bench would be perfect. Nathan wasn't thrilled about it, but was willing to strengthen it if I would help him recover the cushion. We did it all in one night. I LOVE how it turned out and even Nathan has commented on how he likes it much better. Before, but after we had taken it all apart.
The morning after. Our kids had seen the bench broken, but we kept telling them that they couldn't sit on it. The morning after we fixed it, Zoey was the first one to see it. She asked if she could sit on it, then proceeded to take all her favorite books and sit and read them for quite a while.

The next day. Zoey is in love with the bench. It is the perfect size for her. She calls this area "her library." I think it fits great! It's just what I was looking for.

Tag #2

I was tagged by Mimi.

Bold the items you have done:

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band - Middle School orchestra anyone?
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland - 2010!!!
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a Praying Mantis
10. Sang a solo - "While Strolling Through the Park One Day!" - Yes, everyone thought it was Julie, but she was just lip sync-ing my song.
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Been to the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables - That's a loose definition of the term "grown."
19. Seen the Mona Lisa at the Louvre
20. Slept on a train
21. Had a pillow fight -pillow fight, played bumper cars, did everything having to do with a pillow and fighting
22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise - not yet. I just need to convince Nathan and I'm outta here!!
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing - do those kid's playgrounds count?
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke - girls' night in bear lake?
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted - Owen does it all the time. I'm so famous!
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie - "The Lords Sisters!"
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business - not yet. Working on it!
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason - Thanks, Babe!
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Tied a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a Bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book - "Little Girl Cried and Cried . . ."
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - Okay I didn't actually do the killing.
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life - Indirectly, but I count it. I watch my kids so Nathan (an EMT) can go save people.
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Visited Italy

Tag #1

So, I was thinking that I had missed a tag. I looked back and I have actually missed 3 tags. Sorry, Mimi. So, to get it done, I'm going to do them quickly now. I'm not going to tag anyone, but anyone who thinks these tags look fun and wants to do them, go for it!!

The first tag was:

Here are the rules for receiving the fabulous award:

1. You have to pass it on to 5 other fabulous blogs in a post.

2. You have to list 5 of your fabulous addictions in the post.

3. You must copy and paste the rules and the instructions below in the post.

Instructions: On your post of receiving this award, make sure you include the person that gave you the award and link it back to them. When you post your five winners, make sure you link them as well. To add the award to your post, simply right-click, save image, then "add image" it in your post as a picture so your winners can save it as well. To add it to your sidebar, add the "picture" gadget. Also, don't forget to let your winners know they won an award from you by emailing them or leaving a comment on their blog.

Here are my Five Fabulous Addictions:

1. I am addicted to jeans, T-shirts, and sweatshirts. It's really all I wear. I would wear them to church if I could. I see other people wearing cute shirts and think I could handle it, so I go out and buy something new, but shortly I'm back to the good old standard. I love being comfortable more than in style.

2. I am addicted to Dawn Plus Odor Eraser splash of Lime dish soap. Yes, I know it's funny, but I really am. I used to try a new soap every time, but I can't now. It seriously works. It's gotten rid of onion smell on a wood cutting board. It's amazing!!

3. I am addicted to Caress Moroccan Oil Infusions body wash. It has a rich smell like chocolate and leaves my skin feeling great!! I really love it!! I don't want to use anything else. Unfortunately, no place in the town 10 miles away from me carries it, so I get it whenever I go to Idaho Falls.

4. I am addicted to hot chocolate. My favorites are Stephen's Irish Creme and (my new one) Stephen's Peanut Butter Cup. The only way I can have it, though, is by putting ice cream in it. It cools it down perfectly and makes it taste amazing!

5. My last addiction is kind of three, but they all go together. I am addicted to Turbo Jam, sub lingual B vitamins, and grape Propel packets. I'm trying to work out more and not be so tired. These three things are helping immensely!! The B vitamins truly give me energy. So much that one time I took them before bed and had to get up and do stuff. My body would not sit still. It's not a "hyped up on caffeine" feeling, just a great energy. I LOVE Turbo Jam. I hated exercising to elevator music. Chalene has fun moves that target my abs (I never thought I could work my abs after having back surgery and not being able to do crunches and sit ups) put to fun music that you find yourself singing along to later in the day. The music also makes me work harder. I tried to take it easy one day when I was sick, but found myself working harder and harder. The Propel packets I put in my water before my workout and I find that I'm able to workout harder and longer. I can't eat before I workout or it makes me sick, but Propel does the trick.

25 Random Things About Me

I got tagged on facebook and had to write 25 random things about me. So, I thought I'd publish it here as well.

1. When I was two, I fell in the bathtub and bit through my tongue almost biting it off. I barely missed two major veins and had to have it stitched back up. My tongue was too big to fit in my mouth for quite a while.

2. I broke my arm in the sixth grade on April Fools Day. It was nerd day and I had worn one skate and one shoe. I stepped on the skate and fell.

3. I have titanium rods in my back and titanium screws in my jaw. My husband loves that I look like I have a zipper going down my back.

4. I had an awesome bike wreck going down Granada hill. I blacked out and woke up in Fitch's truck. I still have some good scars. I also blame my wreck for why I can't remember anything before about 10.

5. I've always been better friends with boys than with girls. Sometimes I think I have a male's sense of humor. And I don't like all the drama that comes from being around a group of girls. Surprising since I came from a family of six girls and one boy.

6. I had all of my children naturally because drugs sometimes react wierd in my body and I didn't want that to happen then and also, I wasn't sure I could have an epidural after my surgery and the only way to tell was to try it and find out the way was blocked. I didn't want to get to the point where I really needed one and then find out I couldn't do it, so I went into it with the attitude that I was having them naturally. Even though I was told by a doctor in my OB's office that I wouldn't be able to do it. Honestly, I don't know that I would have been able to if it hadn't been for my husband.

7. I have 27 chickens. They are just starting to lay brown and green eggs.

8. I bottle fed day old lambs this spring and had one die in my lap. But we ended up raising six to maturity and earned enough to buy a 100 year old piano.

9. We also raised two pigs this year. Our freezer is full of pork. YUM!

10. I LOVE living on my little pretend farm.

11. I've had my cosmetology license for16 years. In those years, I have turned a bald guy's head black, a different guy's hair blue, my own hair blue with fluorescent blue highlights, and cut LOTS of hair - especially on my mission. It all started with cutting my Barbie's hair. It doesn't look so cute short.

12. I have a ham radio license.

13. I went on a mission to the Arkansas Little Rock Mission.

14. I took apart a motorcycle and re-assembled it almost single handedly. (I did need help lifting the engine back into the frame.)

15. One of my favorite times of the week is when I watch a movie and eat popcorn, apples, and cheese with my family on Sunday night.

16. I like to mess around with recipes and make them my own, but I ALWAYS have to start with a recipe (much to the dismay of my food scientist hubby). Then I can change it up. This could come from necessity. The closest grocery store is 10 miles away, but most stores are 25 miles away.

17. I have had to have surgery after having my last two kids. Having babies can wreak havoc on a body!!

18. I used to have horrible panic attacks and once thought I was having a heart attack. THAT was an embarrassing trip to the ER!! I think it came from living in the city. Soon after we moved here, they stopped.

19. I love to joke around and tease and tickle. Luckily, my kids love it, too.

20. I learned to talk very young, but it didn't change for a LONG time. I finally learned to enunciate after having many retainers, braces, and headgear.

21. I "play" the cello and the piano.

22. I helped "the guys" plan our prom date in high school. I was sworn to secrecy and couldn't tell any of the other dates. They did still throw in a few surprises.

23. I love it when I feel smart. Especially when I can teach my very smart hubby things like squeezing orange peels into a candle and getting the heart out of lettuce by banging it on the edge of the sink.

24. I LOVE hearing little kids talk. I'm loving how my two year old talks right now. I love that forehead is "horefead" and everything is "la" instead of "the": "la door," "la orange," "la horefead." It's so cute!!

25. I am trying to draw up houseplans to put a salon in my basement, so I can stay at home with my kids and still do hair. We're planning on doing most of the work ourselves.