Time to throw in some updated pictures on this ol' blog.  Jeff wanted a picture of the two of us but couldn't get a good one on his phone.  I love this one from my phone despite the fact my lens needs a little cleaning. :P

 I am starting to have little kid withdrawals now that my baby is in kindergarten.  Time has gone so fast.  I try to make time for her little adventures like playing Candy Land (blah).  Hazel wanted to play, too. (I won.  Chloe kept playing until she won,too.
)

A couple of weeks ago, Jeff decided the kids needed to pull their weight a little more when it came to dinner time.  He wanted each of them to plan/prepare one meal a week. After thinking about it a little bit, I handed each person (mom and dad, too!) in the family a piece of paper and asked them to write down 4 meal ideas, A month of meals- done!  It's been fun watching the kids learn to do more advanced things in the chicken.  One of the meals Sophie picked was lasagna.  Others we've had are chicken salad, Cajun Chicken with rice, Beef and Broccoli, a South West style salad, and BBQ chicken wraps.  Lots of yummy things!

Sports have ruled our Saturday.  Dance (totally counting).  Basketball x 2 and indoor soccer.  It makes for a busy day, but it's so fun to watch the kids and see how far they've come.  It beats staying home and doing chores. ;)

Annnnd snow.  Snow. Snow.  And- more snow.  The last day or two we've started to see the sun including some incredible sunsets/brilliant evening light.  It makes me wish I had a really good camera. It's January and snow and cold are okay I guess, but I am sure looking forward to slightly warmer temperatures!

and here's a picture of my family. :)

Celiac Disease

I have recounted this story so many times I'm tired of it, but I have not yet written it down.  So.  At least one more time I will have to share it.

Clear back at the end of 2015 I woke up with strange spots all over my skin that were round and itchy but looked more like a mild cigarette burn than a rash or hives.  I skipped church that day not knowing why my skin was reacting this way and didn't want to spread anything on the off chance it was a weird contagious thing.  Instead, I went to my doctor's office.  The doctor just shrugged it off as something I probably ate.  For the record I could not think of one single new thing I had eaten.

This past summer I started getting red, itchy spots again.  I was trying to ignore them as best I could. However.  I saw a link to this post on Instagram from Becky Higgins.  She shared how important it is to listen to your body.  I started to think maybe I should look into this a little bit after all.  But I didn't do anything sure it was nothing and I'd have the same response as before.  Really soon after I read Becky's post, I saw this one from Ali Edward's who had a health scare and also cautioned her readers to listen to their bodies.  How could I ignore it this time?  I called an allergist and made an appointment.

I second guessed everything the whole way through.  I was sure it was nothing and that I would walk away $40 poorer with no new information.  The allergist was fantastic.  He did the scratch test I requested, but the only thing that turned up was grass.  He checked my ears, nose and throat.  He thought my thyroid felt a bit enlarged and wanted to draw blood to check it.  He was taking notes as he explained this.  He sort of stopped and looked up at me and said, "Let's check for Celiac, too, since we're drawing blood." He explained that sometimes it can manifest as a rash.

It took almost a week to get the results back due to Labor day.  When the doctor's office called me back, they told me my numbers were high.  The doctor wanted me to meet with a GI doctor and get an endoscopy.  I did that and yes.  It was confirmed.  I have a moderate case of  Celiac's disease.

As much as I have hated the idea of it, I am so grateful to have an answer.  I did a lot of reading after the diagnosis, especially looking into the symptoms.  I know people with Celiacs.  I've had to cook for a Celiac friend at Girl's Camp. I thought I knew what they symptoms were.  Apparently there is a lot more to it than just tummy troubles.  (which I never had)  I read through the symptoms and could check off several!  (Just not the super obvious ones)  I now had an explanation for so many mild problems I had been having.  I had been working with my doctor on trying to figure out a few things because I knew something wasn't right.  I was so relieved and grateful to have somewhere to start making improvements. I started feeling better within the first 2-3 days of giving up gluten.

It's been a good thing.  That said, it has it's challenges.  It's hard to find things I like - breads, crackers, etc.  There are options out there and I'm grateful for them.  Despite the well meaning comments of people, it doesn't really help.  I still try not to cry at the grocery store.  I just paid $5 for 10 tortillas.  This is pricey.  But.  That 50 cent tortilla wrapped around my hamburger was heaven.  It was the closest thing to real bread I've had since september.

I know this will get easier at some point. Maybe in the summer when fresh, delicious produce in crazy abundance.

Dinner Time

We are huge fans of Mexican/Tex Mex cuisine around here.  Especially since I was diagnosed with Celiac's disease in September of last year.  Don't get me wrong, I am so grateful for all the resources at my disposal for eating gluten free, but really, it's still a pain.  I've had people tell me (trying to look on the bright side I'm sure) how much more accessible gluten free food is at any grocery store.  While that is true, remind me to show you a picture of the gluten free section at my grocery store.  Until then it's about the width of my arm span, floor to ceiling and that has to cover every type of shelved food.  Crackers, cookies, pasts, etc.  So.  It's a pain.  I try to look for recipes that don't have glutenous things in them in the first place.  It's just easier.

Enter this Cheesy Enchilada Rice skillet.  It is delish.  And has no gluten.  And I love it.  So does my family so a definite win!  Check out the link here (assuming anyone is out there- if not- future self, here is one more place where you have saved this recipe).

http://damndelicious.net/2014/09/17/cheesy-enchilada-rice-skillet/

Your taste buds will thank me.

A New Year

Hooray!  I love the new year- fresh beginnings and an overwhelming urge to purge and organizer and put things in order.

No set resolutions this year but I have thought of some words I would like to focus on.

WORK
-hard
-smart
-in the yard
- with my family
-to make my life what I want it to be

INTENTIONAL
-Be intentional about the things I bring into my home and into my life.
-Be intentional about choosing joy
-Be intentional about what I allow myself to think about it (and what to leave out)
-Be intentional about my relationships- nurturing and strengthening and lifting when and where I can.


As the year goes on I hope to focus on these things. I'm not aiming for perfection.  Just improvement. :)

The Magnolia Story

I just finished this book and I loved it. The book reads like a comfortable conversation with friends. The Gaines' faith in God is inspiring and I was so impressed at not only how faithful they were when they needed help but how diligent they are and how quick they are to recognize his hand in all things. I love, love, love their work ethic as business people, as a couple and as parents.  It was great read for me as I prepare to take on 2017.  I had already decided I want work to play a bigger role in my life and my family's and this has definitely been a push in the right direction.

I love finding couples (and individuals) who make me want to be better.  I felt better just being around them in their book.  They don't shy away from the bad stuff but are able to look at it without despair and negativity.  How they work together as a couple = life goals. :)

Definitely a book I will reread in the future.  (I actually ended up pulling out a highlighter because I kept finding little gems that I want to incorporate in my own home.)

January Blahs

I'm not typically one to have a lot of the January blahs, but this year I have.  I think I've been spoiled the last couple of years with a pleasant, mild winter.  This year seems colder and wetter.

I really enjoyed our Christmas break.  It was so fun to have all the kids to myself.  No dance, basketball or a million other things demanding our time and attention. But like all good things, Monday came way too soon. :P

Yesterday I was feeling a bit sorry for myself if I'm being honest. ;)  Chloe and I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things we needed for dinner and I splurged.  I bought a package of big, bright red, sweet smelling strawberries.  And I didn't just get the measly one pound package.  No way, Jose. I bought the big kahuna.  Two pounds of beautiful (and delicious!) berries.

Let me tell you.  It was worth every out-of-season penny I spent.  I hid them, too.  I didn't want my kids to know I had them.  They've been happy.  They were still smiling and laughing when they came home from school.  They didn't need them.  These berries were for me!

I did come to my senses and have shared them.  And they taste sweeter for it.  Plus my kids know me well now and ask before they eat them.  Haha.

But seriously.  Worth the splurge to feel a little springiness in the dead of winter.  The berries, combined with some unexpected sunshine have chased away the January blues and left hope and excitement for the new year.

3 more weeks of summer!

The kids have been in school for 3 weeks and now I get them back to myself for 3 more weeks!  I have big plans.  We'll see how much we get done, but hopefully we'll get a good portion of it.

3 Week Dream to-do list:
1. Sewing "camp" with Sophie
2. Jurrasic World with McKay
3. Clean the house.
4.  Lots of swimming
5. Snow cones
6. Library time
7. Finish Anne of Green Gables with Soph so we can watch the movie.
8. Finish Soph's birthday gifts
9. Send McKay to Grandpa for a "boys week" with his best cousin, Bry.
10. A little camping

Between their schedules and mine it may be tough to fit it all in, but we are sure going to try! Thankfully camps are all over now and piano hasn't quite started yet.  That should help. :)

Sophie

Love this kid so much

Good Things

Loving all the rain we've been soaked with this week.  Also love all the yard work I'm NOT doing because of it. :) Everything is so green and gorgeous, if slightly overgrown now.

Jeff and I celebrated our 15th anniversary this week.  Nothing says romance like Culvers for lunch and a late showing of Age of Ultron.  I'm serious.  Totally how to win me over. Besides.  It was a Wednesday.  Best Wednesday in a long time.

Our Stake President visited our ward to day to make a big announcement.  Our stake is switching to Sacrament meeting first!!  In the 10 years we've lived in this stake we have always had it last.  I am so thrilled to have it first.  Hooray!!

I have back muscles now.  And shoulder definition.  I'm very excited about this.

Dance competition is over for this year.  Lyndsi's team and studio did really well at all their competitions. It's been so fun to watch these girls mature into awesome young ladies as well as beautiful, talented dancers.

Housekeeping and the Atonement

Admittedly, I am not the world's best housekeeper.  I don't come in 2nd place or even third.  Many days I don't even come first in housekeeping among the 6 of us that live here.  I like to blame my right-brained, creative side for the mess.  (It sounds much cooler than thinking I am in general a bit of a slob.)  As I've worked to improve this particular weakness, I have noticed a few things.

1.  When I open up the blinds, even when my house feels beyond help, light floods in and the mess suddenly looks manageable.

2. When I buckle down and clean up, I love the results.  I feel free.  I feel light.  I can dimly remember the mess that was my house only a short hour or two before.

3.  I cannot always manage the cleaning on my own.  I rely on the help of my kids.  My husband.  Occasionally my mom and even on occasion a friend has stepped in to help (usually with more organization projects or a helping each other out thing)

The more I think about it and the better I get at cleaning my house, the more I realize what a great analogy it is for the Atonement.

1.  When I let Jesus Christ into my life, my sins and short comings don't seem so terrible and definitely look more manageable.

2.  When I repent and/or ask for His help, I feel free and unburdened.  I know that I have made past mistakes put only know the joy of feeling clean and pure.

3.  I not only need His help, but the help of my family and friends to stay on the right path, to help make good choices and to keep me from giving up.

Little revelations like this have helped make gospel principles relatable for me and strengthened my testimony.

Relief Society and Love

I've had this post on my mind for quite some time.  I am so thankful for the tender mercies of the Lord and especially those that come through the channel of Relief Society.

This is a very tender, personal, emotional experience I'm about to share, but feel like it may help someone else.  Several months ago I was having a rough Sunday.  I was struggling even to desire to get to church that morning and feeling so spiritually weak and lonely.  But I went, determined to set a good example for my kids. I went to Relief Society as it is our first block.  I sat on the front row.  My friend and walking/running buddy sat down next to me.  A few minutes later another sweet friend whom I also look up to and admire greatly sat next to me on the other side.  As we joined our voices in the opening song, I literally felt their spirits reach out and hold mine up. That day I learned about the power we have as Relief Society sisters.  Those 2 women had no idea what just their presence did, but for me it made me want to go back the next week and the week after that.  Recently I was having another challenging Sunday and had a very similar experience, once again reaffirming several things. Relief Society is a place filled with power.  God uses other people as his angels.  Most importantly, God is very aware of me and my deepest, innermost struggles and wants me to feel loved not only by him but the ladies I live by.

Today has been great.  Feeling good.  Driving home from dropping kids off at school my best friend texted me to say I love you.  My mom called and asked to come help get things ready for a big party we are having this weekend.  During our cleaning session, my visiting teachers -one I've had since I started in this ward and one brand new to the ward- came by and had a lovely visit full of interesting conversation and laughter and testimony.  Later as my mom was about to leave I thanked her for her help and taking the time to come out on her only morning off.  She told me she could not get me off her mind and decided she needed to be with me and help out this morning.

Today I was not struggling, but have had it manifested again that the Lord loves me and has real, living angels placed in my path to help me along this mortal journey.

I love the Lord.  I am not always at my best and definitely have my struggles and challenges- most of which I try to keep hidden.  But I love the Lord.  I am so grateful to be His daughter.

This week

Not much going on this week.  Work.  School.  Dance.  Basketball.  Piano.  I spent a lot of time creating this week. I really wanted to sit down on Tuesday to make some cards.  Finally take advantage of all the fun things I've aquired since starting work at Stampin Up. The stars aligned and I had a hour and a half to myself.  I pulled out my supplies and got to work.  And then I sat and stared at the different elements I had made, The Property Brothers jabbering confidently in the background. I didn't know what to do with any of the pieces.  I sat there for the entire time not knowing how to put together a single card. Thankfully, I did not give up.  I found myself back at my desk the next day and was able to put together some cute cards.  Thursday I did more.  It's always scary when I feel like I have nothing to offer, even it's just a simple thing like making a card. A friend at work reminded me that I do not have to reinvent the wheel.  I can totally copy from Pinterest.  Which is what I did and after a few cards I even came up with one or two of my own.  Isn't it funny how when it comes to writing, copying someone else's work is plagiarism, but copying someone's scrapbook page or card is a very high form of flattery? (I know it's more complicated than that, but still...)

The weather has been pretty pleasant this week and today was gorgeous.  McKay took his skateboard to a friend's house today (cue the foreshadowing music).  Jeff and I went to Sophie's basketball game (she's pretty quick on the court!) and then I headed to the grocery store with Chloe while he took Soph for team pictures.  When McKay came to help me unload the groceries he only took one bag.  I rolled my eyes and told him he could carry more than one.  He grabbed a second bag with his right and tried to lift it.  Tears started.  Uh oh.  Lyndsi helped me after that.  Jeff rolled in shortly and I had him look at McKay's wrist.  Long story short, McKay has a broken arm.  It's a buckle fracture that will most likely not need to be casted, but he does have to wear a brace.  Apparently he was trying to do an ollie and flipped off and landed funny on his arm.Our first broken arm.  Maybe he should get an award. :)

January make me want to dejunk.  At least this year.  I've slowly been tackling little spaces around my house.  The craft room was first.  4 bags of fabric later, it's feeling much better.  And more organized.  Friday, with the help of Chloe and my friend Emily, we did the playroom. It was really exciting to box up toys that no one plays with.  Lots of dumb little things got thrown away. THAT was nice.  Today was the coat closet.  Ugh.  I've been dreading that one.  I think I cleaned out 5 different "church" bags.  Lots of coloring pages, old programs and original art work in the trash.  It looks so much better now.  I know no one will see it but it sure makes me feel better having it done.

Looking forward to next week.  

Couch Makeover!

Well...More like a throw pillow makeover, but it does change my couch up a bit. I still think of these couches as my "nice" couches, but when I really think about it, these babies are 10 years old.  Unless you never sit on couches (let alone have kids around them), 10 years can wear out the best of couches.

This is what my couches look like- the same way they were displayed at Boulevard Home Furnishing years ago.  (Try to see past the terrible lighting.)  The decorative fringe is getting really stringy.  The weave in the pillows are getting snagged.  And honestly, the color is a bit drab for the space it's in.

I can't afford to replace the couches yet.  Nor do I want to replace them until we are fully, 200% potty trained here.  My cute friend at work has been asking me to help her with some throw pillows for her couch.  I haven't really done many pillows but as I've looked at different tutorials, I caught the bug.  I had to redo my pillows.  (I can't teach what I don't know, right?)

I used this tutorial with one change.  I used one piece of fabric (like this one) instead of cutting one piece for the front and two for the back.  This worked for me because I was doing so many pillows from the same fabrics.  If I were only doing one pillow I would do it the way she did it.

I scoured Hobby Lobby for fabric I loved.  My favorite store did not disappoint.  I summoned all the energy I could and set out to get them made.  (Some dumb virus has invaded me this week and I spent a good 3 days on the couch.)

These were really easy.  Definitely a good beginner sewing project.  My one tip would be to iron, iron, iron.  It takes a good project to the next level.

Love my new pillows.  The kids thought I bought new pillows.  Now I think I need to paint my family room....

The New Year

There is something beautiful about the new year.  Despite the snow and cold, I feel like spring.  New and clean and refreshed, ready to take on the year.  In hopes that the old adage of 'write down your goals and share them' actually works, here are a few of my goals for 2015. 

1.  Use my camera more frequently.  I love taking pictures and love the higher quality of a digital camera especially when compared to a smart phone.

2. To read more.  The last 2 years my hours of reading have been embarrassingly low for being a bookworm.  So far I finished one book and am halfway through a second. I am all ready feeling much better.

3. Take charge of my health.  There are small things in my life that could use a good adjustment and health is one of them.  Things like more sleep, more water, etc. 

4. Attend the temple more frequently. I would like to get in at least one session per month.


These are just a few of the goals, but I think they are pretty manageable.  Hopefully they will bring the happiness and satisfaction that I am expecting from them. 

Here's to a fantastic 2015 and a year of accomplishing things!!

Snow Day

*A little note before my post.  One of my goals for this coming year is to use my camera more.  My actual camera.  Not one attached to some sort of amazing device.  I love that I can use my phone to capture fun, important moments that I may have otherwise missed, but I miss the quality of my camera photos.  So. If I am going to the trouble of lugging my little camera around I may as well go to the extra trouble of posting about it. ;)

This winter has been fabulous.  Warm and green.  Until Christmas.  It got cold and snowy.  I am learning I am not a huge fan of the snow.  This morning I got up early to meet Cami at the gym and the heavens were dumping little fluffy flakes all over.  Ugh.

Farewell warm weather and green grass.  I will miss you.  See you in a few months! Sniff...

The Week of Christmas

Christmas came crazy fast this year.  Maybe it had something to do with working 20 hours a week now.  Maybe it's that the kids are growing up too quickly and are all involved in their own activities.  We dropped a lot of things that we liked to do and went into what (at least to me) felt like Christmas survival mode.  We did good, though.  There was an abundance of Christmas spirit and we squeezed in Christmas activities where we could.  I will admit that it was really hard to let go of decorating my "nice" tree exactly how I wanted to.  I don't think I even hung an ornament on that tree until about a week before Christmas.  I managed to get a few things on there but it was in no way decked out the way I wanted it to be. Eventually I made myself remove the decoration box from the living room.  It helped remove a lot of the stress and disappointment.

We took off to Price on the Saturday before Christmas to spend time with Jeff's family.  I got to love on this sweet nephew of mine.  Aren't his rolls perfect?!

Chloe and Sophie had so much fun being with cousins.  We enjoyed the 2nd annual white elephant-style gift exchange.  Nothing compared to the moment we were surprised by someone receiving a box of Grandma Maynes clothes.  No one was more surprised than Grandma, though, who wanted to know why Grandpa was giving her clothes away.  It was hilarious and we all had a good laugh.

I had to work Christmas Eve.  Thankfully it was in the morning so I could spend the day with the family.  My friend, Emily, and I decided last minute to wear ugly Christmas sweaters.  I really hate this picture of me, but my BFF says that it is all the sweater's fault and I have to believe her.

My favorite thing about Christmas is the love between siblings.  They seem to set aside their differences and are lovey.  It melts my mother heart.  We started a gifted exchange between the kids years ago and it is so fun to watch them really try to pick out the perfect gift for their assigned sibling.  Also PJ's are a big tradition.  I nearly had McKay and Sophie convinced that I did not remember ever doing this.  (Mostly because I was tired and annoyed that they expected it) They were happy to see I was only pulling their leg.

Each year we do a Mary and Joseph dinner on Christmas Eve.  This year we decided to add to it a bit.  Jeff and I dressed up as Mary and Joseph and taught the kids from the scriptures about the life of Jesus as we served them.  We eat by candle light and use paper plates and only our fingers for utensils.  It's always a special event.

Christmas morning we had so much fun opening gifts.  I think we did a great job and Santa came through on his end as well.

Chloe, Jeff and I all snuck in a much needed Christmas nap before heading out to the Marchant party.  In the snow. Ugh.  White Christmas's are only beautiful if you stay home.  We met at a church and enjoyed visiting and food and more presents.

The 26th is my family's Christmas celebrations.  The hit gift this year was the bean bag chairs for the kids.  I can't wait for family movie nights now!  I can finally sit on the couch again!!

Jeff and I ditched the kids today in favor of a movie and dinner.  Unbroken was inspiring. A little long but still good.  And have you tried Pie in Five??? Yum!  Pizza in 5 minutes.  They all come in personal sizes so you get the pizza you want.  :) We topped it off with a cupcake from One Sweet Slice.

It's been a great week.  I must be getting old though because instead of feeling let down I feel more refreshed and ready to take on the new year, new challenges, and hopefully reach some new successes.

Four Years

This kid. She is sunshine and spunk and a little stubborn all rolled into one. Mostly she makes us laugh and melts our hearts with her perfect snuggles.

She was so excited to celebrate her birthday. We invited her friends over for a Frozen themed birthday party. (Can I say I'm so happy this is the last 4 yr old party I will throw?) we painted snowflake ornaments, played freeze dance, threw "snowballs" at a tower toilet paper, and had a blast playing Don't Eat Olaf. 

We had a little family party on Sunday. We ate Chloe's favorite- chicken nuggets and fries for dinner with a gorgeous Frozen cake and ice cream for dessert. After presents we watched Maleficent. 

Little Miss was in heaven. 

First Day

Ok.  We are well past the time that is acceptable to post your kids first day of school photos.  But.  I'm going to do it anyway.

Lyndsi-
7th Grade (not sure how or when this happened)

McKay-
5th Grade (Gets asked all the time if he is the oldest)

Sophie-
3rd Grade (Finally baptized! More on that later)

Chloe-
Preschool (We have finally grown out of the Joy School stage!!)

Here's to a fantastic school year filled with hard work, good grades and lots of learning!!!

Family Weekend

In rare alignment of all the right planets and stars, Jeff's entire family got together over the 24th of July weekend.  7 kids in 4 different states (one coming clear from Buffalo, NY) is no easy feat.  It was so great to see everyone.  We played, participated in a bike parade, attended a children's fair, swam, did makeup (I think girls are always 12 years old at heart :), learned crochet, made bracelets for the children's hospital, played some more, ate lots of yummy food, laughed a lot, and made so many great memories.  I'm so grateful we got to be together for a few days!

We may not have the cabin anymore, but we still have the cannon.  BOOM!!

Cousins really do make the best friends.  Wish Bry lived a bit closer.  At least it's really easy to keep in touch with so many fun devices. :)

Sisters-in-law also make the best of friends

See?  Who else could convince me to do rub on tattoos? Ha!

Bottle rockets with Grandpa

The lineup.  Love these kids.  You would not believe the mess these little angels can make. 

Birthday bubbles!  Grandma wanted to celebrate everyone's birthdays at once.  What better way than with bubbles and cookies? 

Spring Piano Recital

**This is an older post that's been sitting in my drafts for almost 2 months.  I thought it would be fun to share still. :)**

It's been a rough piano year for us.  (Three different teachers in less than 6 months.  'Nuff said.) But.  We have found a fantastic piano teacher we are ALL loving.  She is kind and patient and easy to work with. McKay and Sophie adore her and Lyndsi doesn't complain.  Definitely a winning situation.

Friday the kids had their first recital with this new teacher.  McKay missed out, opting to go to the Father's and Sons campout with his dad and Grandpa Ard. The girls did great.  Here are their performances:

Sophie-

Lyndsi: