2012 The Year in Review

Merry Christmas to all of our family and friends!

Thank you for your kindness, caring and compassion towards my wonderful family. I appreciate your friendship and concern. Even the fact that you take the time to read our blog (and sometimes even post a response) means a lot to me.

I enjoy the tradition of reviewing some of the blessings, events, and individual accomplishments at the end of a year; I believe it can help us express gratitude to God for His bounteous blessings.

Below is our family collage for the year. Tim saw it and said, "Wow, I do not remember that, when did we take that picture?" Puzzled, David asked Tim if he know that it was a bunch of photos put together to which Tim replied, "Oh, that makes more sense."



Some of my most cherished memories from this year:

- Celebrating my tenth anniversary with David with two couple outings (in addition to our weekly dates)!

- Celebrating the children's 9th, 7th, 5th, and 2nd birthdays.  We had 3 friend birthday parties and 6 family parties.  Each one marked a passing stage, leading toward more great things to come.  I continue to be amazed at how they grow.  One particular point I've noted recently is their sincerity in prayers.  They are each expressing gratitude and seeking Divine help without vain repetition.  It is enough to make this mom's heart happy and feel they are gaining the protection they need in this ever-changing world. 

- Josh and Allison's kindness in providing a refuge from a smoke-filled mountain. We were evacuated from our home due to a wildfire in June. My brother called to offer a place to crash in spite of his family's busy schedule and birthday plans. Many individuals would allow us to come and stay, but they saw the need (pillars of smoke) and extended an offer.

- Going to St. George and Zion's National Park in August to show the children how to be happy camping in monsoon weather. Fun! We greatly appreciated having a wonderful sister come along and great friends to camp with. The moon over the mountains in the summer evening remains a treasured memory. I still laugh at how Maggie and Tim "overcame" their fear of heights, while just saying the words "Angel's Landing" causes involuntary shutters in my husband.

- Having Mom (Nannie) come while David managed his responsibilities at scout camp eased my burden and blessed our lives. Good times.

- The children and I enjoyed the Living Planet Aquarium membership. Petting the sharks and stingrays, laughing at pooping penguins, shivering at glow in the dark cockroaches and scorpions, taking picture after picture of the children posing in the Amazon Rainforest, playing hide-n-seek in the coral reef, and chasing Susanna from room to room then peeling her off the educational game computers are just a few of the memories I cherish from the Aquarium.


Susanna
She is strong willed, opinionated, mischievous, loving, tender and highly observant. She is truly a gift to David; he finally has a daddy's girl constantly cuddle and give him hugs. She always points out his office as we pass, is the first to give him hugs, and regularly spends the evenings sitting on his lap as he plows through his eighteen to twenty hour days. It does not hurt that he lets her enjoy his electronics and watch Phineas & Ferb on his iPad.

Amirrah
This year Amirrah made great improvements in violin through diligent practice and an amazing violin teacher. She had her first concert after just 3 months of studies.  Each performance, whether at home, visiting friends, or for her teacher's Doctoral classmates, improves her skill and confidence.  She continues to fly through her education: she finished online preschool with flying colors, tested out of kindergarten, began home school. She enjoys studying Spanish and math. Now if we could only get her to clean up after herself... If it were not an insult we would nickname her "Tornado."

Timothy
May be the youngest child to make the under-nine competition soccer teams in the State. In spite of his youth, his lock-down defense earned him the most playing time of anyone on the team in his first season. He served as captain and earned the nickname 'hawk' because of his bird-like method of sweeping in to steal the ball (along with his accompanying chicken-wing arm position). Tim is a great friend, kind to anyone he meets, and a favorite of his teacher.

Maggie
Our little imperfect perfectionist continues to excel in school. She loves the Aquarium otters so much, she opted to study otters for a major school research paper.  Her busy schedule includes piano, exercise, and a lot of helping around the house. It is not easy being the oldest, but she continues to prove resilient in spite of our consistent struggles at parenting. Maggie joins me in my Traditional Chinese Medicine studies and is particularly attune to the ebb and flow of life within individuals. Her emotions run deep along with her desires to do good, and develop her many hobbies. She loves drawing, crocheting, and hopes to begin learning flute within the next year or few.  

Me!
I am learning just how much David did around the house now that a lot of his time is spent working on a PhD. Homeschooling Ami has been quite the learning experience. It has built a stronger relationship between me and our "middle child" while helping me understand the educational process. I continue to sew here and there for "In-and-Out Burger" cash - though my cooking is vastly improved so our journeys there are less frequent! I enjoy studying the human body and Traditional Chinese Medicine for my personal development and our family's health. I also get to play around with violin as I help Ami with her practices. Aside from the normal challenges that accompany life, I am enjoying this time of growth and giving.

David
Continues to develop his many talents, mind, and parenting skills. One way he is working on this is by pursuing a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) at Utah State University. He is in the Theory and Practice of Professional Communication Program. (USU is one of the top 5 in the country for the field!) For those who are not aware, this field studies written, digital, and verbal communication along with rhetoric. Working full time, exercising, coaching Tim's soccer team, and his other responsibilities leave him sleepless in Eagle Mountain.

In spite of such a busy schedule, he still puts us before his schoolwork and pursuits. I am well aware of how lucky I am to be married to an individual who puts my and the children's wants before his own; who provides for all of our desires, presides in wisdom with inspiration, and protects the family physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I love how simple the decision to do what is right is for him. When he understands something, or receives an assignment, or learns something that will help him be better, he just does it.


May you and your family experience happiness this season and through the upcoming year!

Thank you for caring!

Dear Parents,

"Mom, did Dad have any holiday traditions from California?"

"Yes, why?"

"I have an assignment."

*Hands me a paper which reads:*

"Dear Parents,
"We are learning about different countries. We want to learn about traditions, music, dances, artwork, poems, rhymes and stories that distinguish cultures. As we are heading into the holiday season... be willing to share with us... please fill out the portion below...
"The country I will discuss: ___________________
"Preferred date and time: _____________________"

"Tim, California does not quite count."

*From the bedroom* "What doesn't count about California?"

*Show him the paper*

"Tim, California is one of the two greatest communist countries in the world..."

"Honey! Stop, you'll just confuse him. Tim, I've been to Costa Rica, talk to me."

Numbers

Thanksgiving break by the numbers.

1- twenty-one pound turkey eliminated in 80 minutes
  - berry cheese pie
2- pumpkin pies
  - apple pies
3- cool whips
  - kinds of waffles
4- hours to cook the turkey
  - cups of gravy
  - boxes of stove top
  - pizzas
5- pints of ice cream (it comes in pints?)
6- guns put into use
8- wonderful dinner guests
9- pounds of sweet potatoes
10- pounds of potatoes mashed
40- handgun rounds sent downrange
80- shotgun shells sent (mostly) through clays
140- rifle rounds sent downrange
240- Crescent rolls ("I forgot each batch made 24 not 12.")
2300- words written in nine hours for a final

Decorating the Christmas Ledge

It's that time of year again, decorating is here again. After the children picked which ornaments they wanted to put on the tree, trama began.

"Not on tree. Up there."



"Where on the tree would you like to hang this?

"No tree. Up there."



"Ornaments go on the tree."

"No. There."



"Can you please put it on the tree?"

"No."

We lost the battle and the war. We decorate the Christmas ledge.

We might be getting the hang of this...

Six pumpkins.

Four ideas.

Tim wanted minions. He nearly cried when no else voted with him.

Ami wanted Narnia, as she is going as Lucy, but she decided to vote otherwise.

 

 

  

Melissa asked if we wanted to do a "Plants vs. Zombies." To which Susanna responded, "Eat brains? Iprod plezeze?" (Ipad please.) (We found out she and best friend in nursery apparently have bonded over the "eat brains" phrase, as it is the only phrase they understand each other saying. 

Then Maggie suggested "Avengers". 

"HULKYESYESHULKYESPLEZEZEHULKCUUUuuutTTTTEEE" screamed Susanna. Everyone but Tim voted for Avengers. 

"Hulkman mom?" 

"Yes Susanna, we will do Hulk and Ironman"

And she blushed.

After researching google, David drew some patterns. We think they turned out pretty good this year.

Maggie took on her first start-to-finish carving

 Melissa did most of the Cap.

Ironman turned out decent.

So, yea, we were getting tired, and Loki and Hawkeye got tossed for the stink'n emblem.

David's favorite work was his Hulk. 

David drew Mjolnir, because it goes with the Westlake high school theme a little better than someone who's pretty cut for a homeless guy.

Hopefully they will keep until Wednesday!

 Oh, and Susanna found out that the others chose their costumes, and she immediately demanded a she-hulk outfit. "CccccuuuuuTTTTTE" *blush* *giggle*

We round up

David decided that 11 rounds up to 25. In answer to the next three questions in your mind: "Because" "No, it does not make sense or have to do with sleep deprivation (well, maybe, I think he almost got 16 hours of sleep between Monday and Friday)." and "Sometimes, when you are grown up, you (insert action here) just for fun."

So, on Thursday, after a few hints over the last couple months that the truck could be replaced, he took me to pick out a vehicle (of my choice) that better meets our family's long term needs and my wants. 

I got a Honda Pilot. It is pretty. It has some fun features I have not enjoyed previously. A hard drive to store my music. Bluetooth so when people call me as I drive they can catch my children complaining that "she touched me" or "she snorted" or "he's complaining that I farted." It also will wirelessly play music from my iPhone. How cool is that? 

On Friday, I got completely surprised when David took me out a bit earlier than usual for our weekly date. He asked if I knew where we were going, I guessed a corn maze, and he went with it describing (making up) a "marathon maze" in midway where it takes about six hours to get through, and you have a map, etc. etc. etc. About halfway there, he asked if I really wanted to guess where we were going. Totally had me fooled. 

Come to find out, some of his family members (thanks gang!) were set to babysit for the night, and we went out and enjoyed a meal at my favorite restaurant, The Blue Boar, and then stayed next to a waterfall on the Provo river at the Old Johnson Mill. Relaxed, watched "The Artist" (highly recommend), and did not talk about grad school, the children, or work. Best birthday ever, yet, but probably ever. Oh, and we hit a cheese factory, cause cheese is further evidence of divine creation.

The Wild Boar Tenderloin and beef barley soup tasted superb. The duck confit in the rosemary crepe tasted wonderful. The goat cheese mousse turned out excellent, in spite of the beets, and the rabbit wrapped in prosciuto(?) made my mouth happy. Duck breast, not so much. The monchego cheese on the white vinegar salad tasted amazing. Don't come trying to convince me other restaurants around here are better. You can have your garden of olives and houses of steak, I'll head for the hills of Midway.

View from our room.

Look at the bottom left, and you can see Neptune's color!

2012 Portraits

Amirrah

Maggie

Susanne

Tim

We do not have any pictures of Melissa's new baby, Neptune. 

Since I am no longer Scoutmaster, we no longer needed the truck, 

so she chose a Honda Pilot for her (slightly early) birthday present. 

It is the deep blue that looks black at night and an off shade of 

blue purple (plue? burple?) from the wrong angle.  

Ami's first writing assignment

Ami turned in her first grade writing assignment (her first ever writing assignment for school.  Obviously, we typed it up for the blog, but here it is:

Tap. tap. tap. Click. Clink. Clink. I like to dip the big stamps in red ink so it will go on and more of the the design will show up on the paper. I like to play with them because they have red ink. My favorite stamps are those with hearts and little flowers and they make a nice heart wreath. When I make stamped paper, I like to hide it under Mom's fancy pillow.

If I had another color, it would be dark dark dark purple. Then I could dip the stamp in to the red and purple which are both girl colors. If I could have other rubber stamps, I would want people like girls with pigtails, boys with shinguards, moms with on ponytail in the back, dads play Pirate Code, friends in the bike race and objects like dads desk, window fans, computers, dress clothes, suits, grass, fences, houses, long curtains and teensy, weeny, windows. 

With all of those I will make a house with people in the windows. I would make my brothers and sisters play board games like Pirate Code and Clue. I would help my little sister get her breakfast on the dinner table. 

Ironmom

Tim is making a ghillie suit for his Halloween costume, (with Melissa walking him through the whole way). She taught him how to iron so he could iron the material and the pattern. The following conversation ensued.

Ami: "When are you going to teach me how to iron mom?

Melissa: "When I think you are old enough to do so safely."

Ami: "When I make my own gill-bee suit?"

Melissa: "When you are older."

Ami: "Maggie, when are you going to learn how to iron?"

Maggie: "When do I get to learn how to iron, mom?" (FYI Another situation where verbal punctuation is important.)

David: "Ironmom?" (Ignored)

Melissa: "When you work on a project where it is needed."

Ami: "That will be when you are older."

Tim: "Yea, because it is important for me to learn this now, so when I get married I can teach my wife how to do things."

Melissa: "Hey!"

Tim: "Cause that's what Dads do when Moms do not know what they are doing."

David must be crying because his shoulders are heaving.

Melissa: "If your future wife's parents teach her how to do things, then you won't have to teach her... hey you - stop it."

David: "I need some water."

Ami: "Susanne, do you want some popcorn? If you sit up, mom said you can have popcorn, and you can share."

David: "Ami, Mom did not -"

Melissa: "Actually..."

David: "Really? Really?"

Ami: "Yeeessssssusanneyoucanhavepopcornifyougetupletmehelpyousitupbeforedadsaysno"


Ami pulls Susanne (who is asleep) to a sitting position.

David: "Et tu Brute?"

Maggie: "Yea! You are awake! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII looked out the window and what did I see."

First Crush

Susanne giggles. She shrugs her shoulders up to her ears, turn her eyes down, and blushes.

She pronounces his name clearer than any other word in her vocabulary.

He has his own movie.

He is one of the Avengers.

Does she go for the brainy Tony Stark types? Nah.

Does she dig a red and gold fancy suit? Nope.

Does she seek for Thor's biceps? Negative Ghost Rider.

Does she like Loki's horns? No, that's Ami.

How about Captain America? "Goway" (Go away.)

Does she particularly like how Banner turns into a giant green rage monster? "YesyesHulkyes!"

"What do you like about him?"

"Cuoute" (Cute)

She celebrates every time he's on the screen.

Almost as funny as asking Tim why he was running through the house naked: "I was fast so no one could see me and so no one would know I was awake."

Early Morning Revelations

"Where's Ami? Tim go get your sister, tell her it is time for scripture study," said David

...

"I went in there, and she will not roll over, but I know she is awake because she is breathing!" He replied.

"AMI, time for - wait... Tim, do you think people stop breathing when they sleep?" Asked Melissa

"...sometimes?... yes?" He replied.

"Only people who have sleep ap-" Melissa begin.

"No Tim," David politely cut in, shaking his head in that it is too early to have this discussion way, "People keep breathing in their sleep. I'm sure mom can explain the exceptions when it is not time for scripture study."

"I know what a blue moon is!" Ami states perkily as she walks in.

"Oh, my head," David stated as he rubbed his temples.

"It is when there are two moons for an entire year."

Melissa starts to google blue moon...

David rubs his face with a pillow.

So Tim starts to explain, "Blue moons would only happen on Saturn where they have lots of moons, so the people there would see two moons, because they have moons, and we only have one.

A moan from behind the pillow.

Melissa snickers as the dictionary she is looking at describes a moon as, "when an individual exposes both of their butt cheeks in a public setting."

"Really? Does anyone actually want to study Omni with me this morning or do we just want to sit around making stuff up?" David asked.

Silence.

"Screw it, Tim say the prayer, we need it, Ami, read verse 18, Melissa, stop laughing."

Poaddoy!!!

In the last nine years we have spent about $60 dollars on diapers and wet wipes each month, we had two times where the children overlapped and that doubled for a few months, and another time when we enjoyed a six month respite.

The celebration of Susanna's potty training met with much rejoicing, probably mostly for the wrong (read: financial) reasons.

So she decided to throw a celebration of her own.

At one AM.

Running up and down the hall butt-naked yelling her native-american-victory-style-warcry POADDOY!

Tim woke up to the land between reality and nightmares and started to weep informing us "It's not my fault, it's not my fault, I didn't do it, it's not my fault."

Ami took the casual approach, "Moooooooommmmmm, tell Susanna to stop it and let me go back to bed, and I want a drink."

David and Maggie lay comatose.

The neighbors considered calling the police (we expect).

Two gobstoppers (big flushable potty gets double treats if you take care of business and don't fall in) and thirty minutes later, all was back to normal in the house.

Until 5:30 AM

POADDOY!

[Pictures omitted by federal law.]

Smooth criminal?

It is date night...

"Maggie, most children who want to stay up and watch a movie with their parents ask permission" (after she walked in and sat down as we were watching our date night movie.)

"Oh, okay."

"and?"

"I promise to ask permission next time."

We were too tired to send her to bed. Well played Maggie, well played. We let her stay.

2012 Vacation

For our family vacation this year, we went camping at Zion's National Park with some friends and one of Melissa's sisters.  Then we went to a hotel in St. George and enjoyed Aladdin at the Tuacahn outdoor theater.

The pictures will tell most of the story, but will omit the fact that we had torrential downpours on three
of the three days we were camping in the afternoon.  Every ten seconds during the storm, this occurred with the tent awning.

Welcome to camp.  Who's the squirrel in the food?

Susanne likes climbing and has no fear of heights.  More on this later.


The visitor's center.

The first hike we went on Tuesday Morning was the watchman trail. It ends on the plateau directly above the sign, but you must go around the canyon to get there.  

Starting the trail.

It went along the Virgin river for a while, and based on the attire of the those in the park, we think it was inappropriately named. 

Susanne walked the whole 1.3 miles uphill! She likes to climb.

 Lizard spotting.

Hydration break, Ami stopped carrying her pack ten steps into the hike. 

Us close to the top with the watchman mount in the background.

And now - the worst part of the trip.  Angel's landing.  Kelli joined Maggie, Tim, and me on a hike that includes a half mile of chain hiking over a 1400 foot drop.  The pictures tell the nastiness.  I tried to get them to stop before crossing the evil.  But they persisted.  So, with adrenaline and tunnel vision we finished a hike that makes the 200 meters at the end of half dome look like a backyard playground.  I still get sick looking at the pictures.  

 

Unfortunately, the hike did not kill us.

 Weeping rock was a hike actually worth taking.

Tim heads for the weapons for the daily water fight.


Susanne realizes the error of shooting the Dad with the 20 oz super soaker.


Playing king of the hill.  Susanne pushed Tim off twice before he gave up trying to overtake her.  And yes, she climbed it herself.  Her kung fu is better than his, she practices more.


Checkerboard Mesa.  Did you know bighorn sheep have hooves that can suction cup to the side of a mountain?

Finally to the hotel for showers. Put'n on the Ritz.

Entry of the Tuacahn.

The peaceful rainbow over Zion's says, "Come back, I won't pee on you everyday next time!" And we say, "Screw you hippie."

 Kids are excited.

The Stage, with two individuals who would not get out of the way. 

Final stop on the way home was Kolob canyon.  Named for its Kolobiness (green).