Yellow Roses

These showed up at my house, as they do every year at this time
...and not for Valentine's Day.

Can you guess why?

Ten years ago this month I agreed to set out on the adventure of a lifetime.
I knew I was in for a great ride. I had no idea just how great.

I should have known from the very beginning how special James would make me feel. I know it doesn't look like much, but he proposed to me in a place near and dear to my heart. These winter-barren crags are the apple orchard in which I spent hours and hours and hours with my family during my formative years. Yellow roses (and tulips) are my favorite.

Oh how beautiful are the blossoms and fruit of that engagement.
I truly believe if everyone felt the love and selflessness of one person like I do, the world would be a different place.
Thank you James, for the way you love me.

National Pancake Day

James called me from work this afternoon and suggested we go to IHOP for dinner in honor of national pancake day. YES! We NEVER go spur of the moment to dinner. We NEVER take our kids to dinner because they wouldn't want to eat anything at the restaurant. It was so nice. Pancakes with Butternut Syrup was a huge hit with everybody. No prep, no dishes. And the bill...$0.00. Free "small stacks" of pancakes for national pancake day with an encouraged donation to help children's hospitals. Gladly. What a treat!

Pirate and Princess

We love Fridays for several reasons. We get James home for two days, it's homemade pizza night, and the kids love Friday because they get to sleep on the air mattress. This Friday we had a Bryant who insisted he wear his pirate costume to bed. On that note, Sariah insisted she wear her princess dress to bed. So, we had a pirate and a princess on the same air mattress that night.

Our Bishop asked James and I to speak at a single adult fireside tonight. Following an impression this afternoon, we took Talmage with us to give part of his talk he gave in primary last week. He did an amazing job. As he stood there in front of that room full of adults, not the least bit nervous, I had tears in my eyes as my mind's eye saw a missionary in the making, boldly teaching the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He really does have a gift for memorizing, and public speaking.

Two days left and counting on Hyrum's antibiotic. Oh, how I hope it has served it's purpose. I wonder how long it will be until he eats again.

Inevitables

Hyrum has his first ear infection. The fever started Sunday afternoon and because he won't take any medicine, was relentless through most of Tuesday. No fever now, but he's still not himself. In fact, I reserve the word "hate" for things I really feel that strongly about, but I can honestly say I hate giving my kids medicine. All of them fight it with everything they have and it is an all out battle of restraining limbs, forcing open jaws, and praying that they don't choke while the medicine in squeezed into the back of their mouth, and the jaws are held open until they have no choice but to swallow. It's awful, awful, awful. And we've tried all the other alternatives. In fact, Hyrum has had so much food with "hidden" medicine that currently he won't eat anything off a spoon. It makes me a little angry because it took him so so long to eat any solids at all, and now that he has done so well for a month or so, he won't eat anything again. That episode, three times a day for 7 days is dreadful.

I have now exchanged one pair of Bryant's school pants at least 4 times under Shopko's tough kid policy since the beginning of the school year. Thank you Shopko.

While Talmage was doing his homework this afternoon, he randomly asked me, "Can men have pepper spray too?" (For Christmas, Grandpa Wells gave me pepper spray to take jogging early in the morning. It must be on Talmage's mind.)

Sariah spent the day talk, talk, talking to Grandma. A fresh ear for a conversationalist.

My Mom was here for several hours today between her ride in and her ride out. It was so nice to have her here. I told her the only way we get to keep her here for any amount of time is if she can't drive. She made Hyrum smile, played school with Sariah and read her her naptime story, did dishes, coaxed me into having a nap, and was all the moral support I could ask for after a couple of rough nights. There is always a spirit of peace about her.

She told me to cherish the fact that Talmage had asked for and was eating raw lasagna noodles while I cooked dinner. She said Laryn used to do that with spaghetti. I never would have thought to cherish that so now it is in black and white for years to come.

LOVE

On this day of LOVE I have watched my little family to observe those things that they love. Here's what I've noticed.

Bryant loves whip cream on blueberry pancakes.

Hyrum loves the dust pan.

Sariah loves the sparkle dress her Aunt Taneil made her for her Aunt Haley's wedding.

Talmage loves crayon physics.

James loves those whom he teaches and serves.

I love valentine cards made by little hands early in the morning, a husband who makes a delicious breakfast, and having family together on Sunday night.

We all love our Valentine's Day tradition of homemade pizza and sugar cookies by candlelight on an elegantly dressed table.

Tender Moment

Sariah was in our bed last night when I pulled out my tender mercies notebook from my night stand. The following conversation went something like this:

Sariah: "Mom, what's that?"
Me: "It's my happy notebook."
Sariah: "What's that?"
Me: "It's where I write down something every day that makes me happy."
Sariah: "Like what?"
Me: "Oh, sometimes I write about my little girl who dresses up and dances around the house."
Sariah: "Why?"
Me: "Because it makes me happy."
Sariah: Big grin and a sparkle in her eye.

Then, for several minutes, I read to her from a book I'm reading. All of a sudden, in the most tender, inquisitive voice she said, "Mom, what did you write about today?"

It was so tender. Doesn't that sound like a scene straight from an LDS "Family---isn't it about time?" commericial. She really is a precious girl.

Chore Cards and Reverence Cookies

At the beginning of the year, one of the things I really wanted to be better about was getting chores done in a more organized way and getting the kids more involved. While at my aunt's house at Thanksgiving, I noticed she had a recipe box to organize her household work. There were cards labeled "weekly," "monthly," and other designated time frames. I decided to use that as my model. We have "weekly," "every other week," and "monthly" jobs. We also have tab dividers labeled with each month for things like "washing windows" that only get done a few times each year. Each card has the job title and then a breakdown of the job so when the card is pulled it can be taken and referred to until the job is done. Then the card is replaced. I really like the idea of having a very versatile system where cards can easily be moved an altered when necessary. We've been at it a month now and so far it working fairly well.

So, each Saturday, the kids are responsible to get their rooms cleaned up and vacuumed, do their Saturday chore (Talmage the bathroom, Bryant dusting, and Sariah "helps" mom), and draw a card. Bryant is quick to draw the "vaccuum the van" card in hopes of finding loose change. Yesterday I had to "plant" a few coins to keep him excited about it. Talmage is getting the bathroom job down pretty good.

I've decided I like birthday parties. They are great motivators. Talmage got a phone call Friday night to go to a swimming birthday party yesterday. He paced himself and got everything done by 1:30 so he could go. I was very pleased.

I've also decided I'm not going to prod the boys in the morning. They know what has to be done to be ready for school and they know what time they have to walk out the door to get there on time. So far, they have made it every day, but it's been close I'm sure. I'm wondering what will happen if they ever end up tardy. The thought brings Bryant to tears.

So, the last couple weeks have been less than reverent on our bench in sacrament meeting. Today, I told the kids I'd make them reverence cookies if they were reverent. Not perfect, but much improved.

Guest Post (James):
Bryant is the money hunter. I took him to a basketball game at Kamiakin (where I teach seminary) on Saturday night. He likes basketball, but the pennies he would find on the floor in the halls and in the stands were the best part. As we left I said, "There is a lot of money around here." Bryant said, "I really like Kamiakin." I asked if he would like to go to Kamiakin for school. He said, "Yes, but not for the money, just so I could be closer to you." It was a good game, but being with Bryant was even better.

No Cavities

Like Bryant said at dinner tonight, "It's only the second time in my whole life I've been to the dentist and not had a cavity!" Yeah! That's reason enough to celebrate.

Today was a dress up day for Sariah and Barbie. At one point she had on her pajama top, poofy slip (which she thinks is a tutu), and Talmage's shin guards. What a girl.


She has also been insisting I make something for Barbie so she could be "un-a-pope-reet." (She really means "appropriate.") Finally got that one done, Barbie got a dress cape.

Have I mentioned Hyrum is drinking from a sippy? This greatly relieves many of my anxieties.