Easter

On a blog that  I follow I saw the idea to list what Jesus did each day of the last week before He was resurrected.  I liked the idea, so each morning this week we have been reading about what Jesus did on the corresponding day of the week.  Today I showed the kids this video that my friend Sheila referred me to yesterday- it is amazing and so I thought I would share!  It corresponded well with how Peter denied he knew Him and how the other disciples fled when everyone came to take Jesus away.  And of course, Elder Holland always does such an amazing job of expressing everything.

This is what a wall in our "scripture room" looks like this morning:

...Two more days to go!  I am getting so excited for Sunday and to read about His resurrection!! I am so grateful for Him and all that he has DONE for me, and DOES for me, and for each of us!

Happy Easter, everyone!

rawrrrrrrr!!!!!

Friday morning during family scriptures we saw the snowplow coming to clear the road of the four inches of snow that fell the night before.  We stopped and watched for a minute.  I said, "It looks like he's going to come right up our driveway!" Last minute he turned just a little bit and instead plowed away half of my planting bed beside the road.  Dirt was flying, since he was FIVE FEET off of the road and threw dirt another five.  He paused for a moment, but then apparently decided to continue on his merry way without correcting his course.  I hope it was fun for him- he only took out six sprinklers in our sprinkler system.  Not just the tops of the sprinklers, either.  He went clear down to the pipe part, people. I felt like I had to repent that night for talking about what an idiot he was - not because I felt bad about that part, unfortunately, but because I felt bad about my kids hearing me:)

This doesn't even show the scope of his destruction.  The bolder in the picture is about 12-13 feet from the road.  The driver's boss did come by today and was very nice and actually said that they would try to fix the sprinklers. We will see what happens.

Sunday I hurriedly took the little boys to the bathroom before sacrament meeting started (it's very last right now).  Nolan refuses to go into the ladies bathroom now that he is so very, very old, so I told him to hurry while I took Abram and I would meet him outside his bathroom door when he finished.  I rushed Abram in and out of the bathroom and we hurried over to meet Nolan.  Sure enough, I could hear him in there taking his time - slowly washing his hands, finally getting a paper towel.  The meeting started, so I began knocking on the door and jiggling the handle to get him to hurry up!  After a knocking and jiggling episode I would wait (impatiently) for a moment or two and then do it again.  FINALLY the door opened up...and out stepped a man from another ward (blush, blush).  Nolan had decided, last minute, to use the bathroom on the opposite side of the church...

Random things...

Maddie was a cat in her class "science musical" a couple of weeks ago.  She had a few early morning practices and discussed it quite a bit while it was going on. We bought a copy of the recorded play and she has been excited for us to sit down and watch it with her again:)

This kid plays so hard that he has been crashing at around 4:00 every afternoon.  Cute little bat boy Abram.

I finally got the first year of my blog published and I think someone has been reading it almost every second since it arrived in the mail - so worth it! There is so much that I had already forgotten about and it has motivated me to be a better recorder of what is going on in our family.  I am excited to get 2012 done next!!

Often, when I go into Kami's room there is a new picture sitting on her art easel.  This is one of my favorites that she has actually had for awhile - a self portrait!  She is such a talented young lady - I was telling Shawn that if she had lived in Pride and Prejudice times (and was rich!) she would be quite a catch because she'd be considered such an "accomplished lady".  He said, "she's quite a catch in our time!!"  Her grandma Gee has been teaching her how to teach piano by having her do all the teaching of Isabelle while she observes.  Yesterday they went to a piano teacher's workshop and Marilyn bought her a whole slew of piano teaching books that she has been pouring over and explaining to me all day.  She is pretty excited about it! She is so lucky to have such an accomplished grandma who is willing to teach her all of these piano skills!!

Sometimes when you're bored you discover that you can help (destroy?) your older sister's social life...

Yesterday the kids had no school, thanks to a teacher in- service day, so we decided to take care of their piano lessons in the morning instead of in the afternoon.  When I dropped the kids off for lessons I asked Isabelle if she had brought a book to read while all the other lessons were going on.  She said, "No, I couldn't find one. I am going to be boe-ed off my go-ed." (That's how you say "bored off my gourd" when you can't say your R's very well.)

After lessons, Kami came out, and with a tolerant attitude (meaning that she could see the humor in it but was a bit irritated) reported that Isabelle had found something to do to occupy her time...She had spent Kami's 45 min lesson texting as many of Kami's friends as she could! I think Kami was fine with her texting everyone that she had texted.... EXCEPT for her friend Nate- I think that one embarrassed her pretty good.

Kami had texts coming in throughout the day from the friends that hadn't been able to respond right away - And Nate had school, so he answered when school got out. Here were some of the conversations that Isabelle amused herself with:
                     Belle: Hi. I'm Kami's little sister.  I didn't know that Kami could text
                     you. It is really cool.
(She started every text with this same line)
                     Kami's friend Annie: Hi!!!! Which sister is this?????
                     Belle: Isabelle
                     Annie:  Oh how are you??? You are just the cutest!!!!!!
                     Belle: good
                     Annie: haha you are a silly willy!!
                     (no response from Belle)
                     Annie: Isabelle!!!! Kami showed me a picture of you with your
                     glasses, and you are so cute with them!!!!!!!! Do you like
                     them? I got glasses in first grade!

Next conversation:
                     Belle: Hi. I'm Kami's little sister.  I didn't know that Kami could text
                     you. It is really cool!
                     Carli: Hi Kami's little sister!!!

Next conversation:
                     Belle: Hi. I'm Kami's little sister.  I didn't know that Kami could text
                     you. It is really cool!
                     Nate: haha ya it is:) What's your name?

 I think there were even a few other started conversations...
This had me laughing all day long!  I think that Kami is probably pretty grateful that she is the proud owner of this not very up-to-date cell phone:

because it takes so long to get a text out on it that Isabelle couldn't make headway to text very quickly!

 Kami is the awesomest big sister - she gets a kick out of her younger siblings and puts up with the things like this that they do, and has a laugh about it even when she is a little bit annoyed!  (And I am just noticing that the picture she has on her phone is a picture of Abram.)

Anyways, while I'm on the subject of Kami, I ought to report on some of her other goings-on, namely her driving.  She (and her dad) have been working hard on getting enough driving hours in so that she can get her license.  Shawn schedules a couple of hours in every Saturday just to practice driving with her. Since we live in Idaho, she could have her license now (at fifteen) if she had all the hours for it.

Yesterday Caden went to lunch and then rock climbing with the Powell boys, and the little girls went to play with cousins, so Kami and I decided that it would be fun to drive to the next town and get some Easter clothes. (and get her some more driving hours)  We brought Nolan and Abram along and had a great time and successful shopping trip- and she got in 90 more minutes of driving time:)

skills for a lasting marriage and proper humility

We were just experiencing some HUGE snowflakes outside!! Isabelle, Nolan and Abram decided that they needed to hurry outside and enjoy them, and Isabelle was helping Abram to bundle up in his snow clothes.  I kept hearing her say, "No, your boots are on the wrong feet...switch your boots to the right feet... Abram, you need to put your boots on the right feet!!"  Abram was being his usual independent self, and was just fine with the way his boots were, so Isabelle tried a different tactic.  With a wheedling, sweet little voice she said, "Abram, what if you get married and your wife is like, "You are wearing your shoes on the wrong feet.  I don't think that I want to be married to you any more!!" Abram just kept his boots on the wrong feet and gave her a blank stare - perhaps that is a little too far down the road for him to think about?! But good attempt, Isabelle - it gave those of us listening a good laugh:) I hope I can sleep tonight what with the worrying that he will still be having a hard time with his shoes by the time he is a marriageable age! If he is, I hope he has a more understanding wife...and I hope she is able to over-look it ALL while they are dating.

The other night around the dinner table, I was bragging Nolan up by telling everyone about how well he is doing in Kindergarten.  I mentioned that he gets 100% on all of his long comprehensive tests! Everyone said something like, "Wow, Nolan!  Good job!!" Then Nolan said, very casually, "Yeah, and I didn't even pray to do well on those tests..."