Thanksgiving 2011

Yes, I'm being very original with my blog titles. I'm just keeping it simple. I don't want to confuse anyone as to what the post is about. This year, we had a nice, small, quiet gathering at our house with Chad's parents and grandma. Peggy and I split up cooking duties. She did the turkey...it was picture perfect as you can see. She also brought rolls, stuffing, pumpkin pie and her delicious banana cream pie. I did the appetizer, homemade cranberry sauce, yams, green beans, green salad, mashed potatoes and apple pies. We had enough food to feed a small army and we sure enjoyed trying to put a dent in it!

After dinner, the kids had a great time playing games with Grammy and G'ma Ginger. We all had some good laughs playing around with the "Fat Booth" app on my phone. I am pretty sure that is the hardest I have every seen G'ma Ginger laugh. It was wonderful to see her enjoying herself so much.

Halloween 2011

We had a great halloween this year. Everyone enjoyed the traditional halloween party at G'ma and G'pa Jensen's house. They always go to so much work to make it special and memorable for everyone. There were many games and lots of food.

On the home front, I gave the kids the chance to experience pumpkin carving first hand. I think the photos speak for themselves. Yes, that is a genuine dry heave I captured on Sarah's face (Yes, I'm an awesome mom like that). Even though Josh is past trick or treating :( I still had to include him in the obligatory front porch photo. This year, Andrew was all big and cool and went out with friends. I took the girls around the neighborhood with the Scott's. They had a great time. Jenna almost made it around the whole neighborhood, but pooped out w/ a couple streets to go. The neighborhood was extra busy this year (and I'm sure for years to come). We have several house that go all out and I mean ALL OUT as in graveyards and Thriller performances. Chad joked that we should have them pay for all the extra candy we have to buy to accomodate all the people that drive into the neighborhood.

One memorable milestone!

I've been sounding like a broken record lately. "Where did the time go," has been said by me multiple times a day as of late. It seems that each five-year increment of life seems to get progressively faster. The first five years as a mother moved along at a nice leisurely pace; story time and mall walks with stops at the sale rack at the Baby Gap and a big pretzel to share filled our days. The next five years started to pick up significantly with more kids in the mix as well as adding in school, scouts and extracurricular activities. The last five years? Some days I'm left wondering if they even really happened at all. Life is increasingly becoming a blur. One day you are doing little league baseball and elementary carpool...the next you are getting ready for dating, driving and wondering if you've done enough to prepare your child for a mission and college. I'm not kidding. All I can do is accept it and work hard to live in the moment. And this moment has truly belonged to Josh.

How wonderful it has been to reflect on Josh and to celebrate who he has become (and working to become). I have loved seeing him thoroughly enjoy this milestone. Sometimes it is nice to stretch out a celebration and this year we did just that. It started last week with a special surprise from Chad. He surprised Josh with tickets to the Dream Theater concert. Spending an entire night with his dad's undivided attention would have been enough...the concert was the cherry on top. A night with dad, a sandwich from Moochies and a concert...Josh was in heaven. 

Wednesday we got to celebrate again by going to dinner with Chad's parents and Aunt Tammi. Grammy's birthday is Oct. 3, so it was fun to have a joint celebration. Josh got to pick the restaurant...Q4U bbq. 

Friday night a friend party was in order...a boy-girl party...his first to host as a matter of fact! After buying the entire junk food aisle with a few veggies thrown in for good measure (the veggies were the first to go btw!), cleaning the basement and creating a photo wall of Josh, we were ready to go. (If you ever want to do something super easy...and special, do this photo collage. It was a big hit on so many levels.) Josh had about 25 friends. They had fun eating, playing games, watching movies...and mostly just hanging out. It was actually really fun. I loved getting to experience Josh's friends. And guess what? He has really good friends! He hasn't stopped smiling since last night. I can't tell you how much I love seeing him feel so loved and celebrated. What a good kid....a very good kid indeed. 

I hear the clock...

I just got the last of the kids off to school and I'm sitting here enjoying some time on my laptop (most certainly on Pinterest.com). It's weird to only hear the clock ticking...blissful and bittersweet at the same time. At the same moment that I realize all I can hear is the clock, I look across my uncleaned counter top and I am struck by the items sitting there and how much they tell about my life at this moment (well, parts of it). I know this little vignette is important and I grab my camera and take a picture exactly how it is.  My eye first goes to "Ping Ping," Andrew's beloved penguin that he still loves. He may be twelve years old, but that tattered penguin is still special to him. My eye quickly goes to the other items: 1- Pokemon cards from yesterday's hangout with friends (Sarah and Andrew hanging out with Stuart and Danny M.) 2- Piano books from yesterdays lessons (of course they aren't put away yet) 3- Jenna's homework packet for the week (She is making big strides in school...yay!) 4- Remnants of a Diet Coke (Yes, I had one for breakfast-gasp, with left over chicken and rice no less. I am not a breakfast person...give me some real food in the morning. And for the record, having Diet Coke for breakfast is not a habit for me.) 5- Note pad and pen (I just wrote a note to Jenna's teacher about volunteering.) 5- The tiny piece of pink paper that Jenna did her spelling words on. (too funny)

It's really kind of strange to find myself at this place in life. No kids at home during the day, diaper changes are a distant memory, no mid-day pick-ups from preschool or kindergarten, no more story time (Who am I kidding, I pretty much only did that w/ Josh and Andrew!), no more co-op shifts. That chapter has come to an end. Yes, my house will stay cleaner...until 3:30 at least. I know this moment of realization is only preparing me for when there won't be that 3:30 break in silence....only an empty nest to host visits from it's previous dwellers. Sometimes we get so tired and weary from the daily grind and we wish it away and then when it's almost gone we realize what we had; the good and the bad we are leaving behind...the good and the bad that lies ahead. Blissful? Sure, who doesn't enjoy some quiet, me-time and cleanliness? Bittersweet? Yes, and it stings bad. And I cry...all because of a mess on my counter top.  All I can do is clean up the counter top and let the clock keep ticking. Because it will.

Girls Camp 2011

I can't believe another girls camp has come and gone. As always, we had a great time and the girls got along splendidly. This year we used all things pirate to complete our them, "Treasure Island." With 29 girls, we had a record number go this year with 11 if those being new girls (7 new beehives and 4 new move-ins). I was a little worried that with bigger numbers it might be difficult to keep things as harmonious as they have been in the past. Silly me...these girls are awesome! This year we were in tents and had no showers....so we were roughing it more than last year. In these rustic surroundings, there are a lot more chores to be done the girls did great job stepping up. One thing I hope to improve on next year is our hike. Our success rate wasn't as good as it should have been so maybe we need to do more to prepare them emotionally and physically for the exertion. Some of the highlights this year were: the newspaper fashion show (a tradition of dressing up the YCL's), seeing the Bishop sing and dance with the girls and doing the zipline. We had a particularly touching moment when one our young women (who is partially paralyzed from a recent stroke) was able to  participate in the zipline. Everyone was cheering as they hoisted her up to the platform. How wonderful to feel the love and see the big smile on her face. Yay young women....yay girls camp...and most of all YAY for my incredible camp committee amd YCL's!!

A highly anticipated visit...

We were so excited to have the Ellis family (well, most of them) spot by on their way home to Colorado. Sarah had been talking about seeing Christen for months now. She was so excited she went out and bought matching lockets for them with her own money. We had a great time going to the movie, eating out and mostly just hanging out. I love that friendships continue through distance and time!

*I love the little "friends" in the photo that Sarah and Christen created from taffy.

Tween?!

Another child in our house has left life in single digits! I can hardly believe Sarah is 10...TEN years old! When I asked Sarah what she wanted for her birthday she said, "Oh, just clothes and jewelry...maybe a gift certificate to Clair's." Now, I don't know about you, but I think she fits squarely in the "tween" category. For further evidence, all you need to do is look at what she is wearing in these photos and where we are celebrating. No more Gymboree ensembles. No more princess parties. (Nope, I am not going to get sentimental...no, no, no...I will just keep telling myself that.)

First, the clothing. A couple weeks ago, she was trying to describe to me the kind of shirt she wanted. "Mom, it has this little jacket thing attached," is what she told me. I wasn't sure when she was telling me, but once I saw it I was pretty sure and when she unwrapped it, I knew I'd been exactly right. She also loved the "tunic" shirt I gave...only problem was, it apparently needed a black belt to complete the look. I obliged by sewing up a little black sash (see photos).

Second, the party. She was quick to tell me she wanted to celebrate at Boondock's this year. I'm glad I didn't see this one coming because I think I would have been much more sentimental about not doing a little theme party at home. Maybe I expected to do princess, butterfly and kitty parties forever or maybe I am in total denial that my little girl is growing up. Regardless, the party was hit...a huge hit and that makes me nothing but happy. It was such a joy to watch her having so much fun with her friends....she was in heaven. While watching all the girls at the party, Chad and I maybe an observation. Sarah has a wide variety of friends and that is just cool. I love that she can have so much fun with a variety of ages and personalities. I think finding commonalities with people is so important and I hope that Sarah continues to do that. I am so thankful for her truly unique and creative spirit...for those of you that know Sarah know exactly what I am talking about. She is special. She is one of kind. She brings so much joy to her family and those around her.

Here kitty, kitty....

This year was Jenna's very first friend party! She was so excited to have a real party this year (we only do friend parties every other year). Jenna had no problem deciding what kind of party she wanted...a kitty party all the way! With so many creative ideas floating around, I had no problem finding cute things to do. Jenna loved handing out her kitten invitation (found on Etsy) and she also loved helping me get ready for the party. Just before the party as I was running around trying to finish everything up, I exclaimed, "Where did the time go?!" Without missing a beat, she hollered from the other room, "It's on the stove, Mom!" I love, love this age.

As each of the girls arrived, I told them they would come as a little girl and leave as a kitten. While they were waiting for everyone to arrive, They got to practice licking like a kitten with a popsicle. (yes, I tried to turn whatever I could into a kitten theme)  We then started our first game in which they would be given their new kitten name. My little helpers (Sarah and her friend Maggie) had strung yarn every which way in the basement and the girls had to follow their string to their new, unique kitten name. I think my helpers got a little carried away with the string as it got a little tangled and confusing, but still very fun.

Next, we created name collars with ribbon and tags. Then, they were given a set of "paws" (socks with pink felt paws). Once they had their paws on, it was time to start the next game. I had two boxes wrapped in layers and layers of paper. The girls then had to paw their way through the layers. I love this game (and have used variations of it in many parties), the socks make it take longer and what kid doesn't love unwrapping something? When everything was unwrapped, the kids found two of their party favors; kitten ears and a kitten tail.

To make the transformation complete, I had my helpers paint whiskers and nose on each girl. They were so excited....I have never heard so much meowing (yes, it was loud!). They all began running, hopping and crawling (and of course, meowing...lots of meowing) like kittens all over the house.

Finally, it was time for cake and presents. In true Jenna form, she got a little embarassed and shy when everyone started singing to her. Look closely at the photo....she has her head turned to the side with her tongue twisted in her mouth....so funny, so Jenna. The girls loved their kitten cupcakes and kitten party bags. I think it was all a success. Jenna slept with her kitten tail pinned to her pajamas....I don't think I could have been given a better compliment!

Babies grow up

So my baby turned six today. I am trying really hard not to think about it too much. I keep pushing down the sentimental memories of Jenna when she actually was a baby. I swore I would never "baby my baby," but the hard thing about that is when you have your last one, you are never forced to move onto babying the next one and so you just kind of get stuck into always seeing that child as a baby. It's these darn milestones that force us to face reality a bit. We all grow up and that's a good thing, right?

As soon as Jenna realized her birthday was approaching, she began counting down the days. "Six more days, Mom...then I will be six," she said while holding up the appropriate amount of fingers. Without a doubt, this last year has shown a big jump in Jenna's maturity level; emotionally and educationally. It hasn't been without a lot of work though. She has really worked hard this year and it has been exciting to see so much growth. With each sight word learned, I have seen her confidence grow. If you know Jenna, you know she is a bit shy and that shyness usually exhibits itself with a ornery-tinged scowl. This personality characteristic has made learning certain things a bit of a challenge; she doesn't like to be wrong and it's been hard for her to find the confidence to try whether she knows the  right or wrong answer. Nothing has made me more proud of her than to see her keep pushing forward and allowing courage and confidence replace the fear of failure.

Last night, Jenna whispered to Chad that she wanted all of us to be hiding and surprise her this morning. This morning we all gathered around her just after she woke up and sang "Happy Birthday" to her. In typical Jenna fashion, she tried to hide her smile as she was shrinking into Chad's arms from embarassment. So funny to see her love the attention, but still not liking being put on the spot at the same time! Today she had a special lunch date with G'ma and G'pa Jensen, got a special phone calls from Aunt Tammi and G'ma and G'pa Medeiros, opened some fun gifts (she loves "I Spy") and had a dinner of her choice (Chuck-a-rama). I think she had a great day and she will get to celebrate all over again when she has her very first friend party next week!

Spring Break: in photos (lots of them)

The MIM (Musical Instrument Museum) was incredible. This museum featured instruments from every country in the world. The exhibit is interactive and the sounds cue as soon as you walk up to the display. It was amazing finding common threads in so many different cultures. The discovery room at the end was a big hit, too. I would highly recommend going here....just bring some Advil (loved it, but it can be a little overstimulating!)

I have been wanting to visit this place everytime we come to Arizona and I'm so glad I made it happen this time. Ok, really it was Chad who made it happen since he is the one who stayed with the kids so I could "get my art on." I was so intrigued by the beginnings of this desert workshop and it was really neat to move through these spaces the FLW created and lived in. Being in the physical space really gave me an "ah-ha moment" to design philosophy. Fabulous stop for someone who loves art and architecture...pretty sure the kids would not enjoy this (it's pricey, too).

On our way to Bisbee, we made a quick stop in Tuscon for a Sonoran Dog (Mexican hot dog) and to see this old Spanish mission. It was visually beautiful (loved taking lots of photos if you can't tell) and I think it's always great when the kids can be exposed to different cultures and religions. 

Ok, seriously, what a cool town. Think Park City, but kind of cooler; there are so many more old buildings, it's grittier and less commercialized. There are no major chain hotels; pretty much only small, locally owned hotels in old buildings. In fact, we stayed in the old YMCA (Gym Club Suites). We loved walking the streets...it really felt like it could have been 100 yrs earlier. So many old buildings....so much eye candy. One of the highlights was going on a walking ghost tour of the town that night. The kids just loved it.

  

One of the trip highlights for sure! We were going to spend the day in Tombstone, but on the advice of some locals we were told it was just a tourist trap and to head to Rattlesnake Crafts instead. Huh??  What are you talking about?We said the same thing! As if this place doesn't sound strange enough, it was 15 miles of the main room....15 miles of dirt road. That is a lot of dirt road. To be honest, I'm surprised we kept going. We thought for sure we were lost and that we would end up being the storyline for "The Hills Have Eyes 3." This place was so quirky, so unique and so worth it! I have never seen anything like it. A random, historical junkyard in the middle of the desert is the best I can describe it. Just look at those photos; from an old jail ball and chain to old cameras to old war helmets....and even a bear head, this place had a little bit of everything. It was awesome. An old couple from Chicago retired here years ago and they spend their days making crafts from rattlesnakes and gathering (and being given) old junk. They have organized it and generously let anyone wander through. The only stuff for sale are their rattlesnake items (including rattlesnake jerky-they were out when we were there) and rocks. They even have a bin for the kids to pick out some free stuff.

The Medeiros Family Thespian Club??

It seems many members of this family have been participating in theater activities as of late. This is a new thing for us and it's been fun to try new things.

In January, Sarah auditioned for West Jordan's production of "There's a Monster in My Closet" and was given a great part (with 60 lines!). She is loving every minute of memorizing and rehearsing as she gets ready for the April performances.

Before Christmas, Andrew auditioned for his class' production of "Macbeth" and was asked to play the part of Macbeth! His teacher had written a comedic adaptation of the play. The part would be shared between the 2 Acts with another classmate. In true Andrew style, he dug right in and quickly began memorizing his lines. I was so excited to see him perform especially since he wouldn't let me practice with him at home. I couldn't wait to see how he would project his lines. It was so fun seeing him up there giving his lines without a single stutter! It was wonderful to see how well prepared the kids were....and how much humor there was. Well done, Andrew!

Every year, our elementary puts on a Kindergarten Operetta and it really is highlight for the kids and parents. This year, "Jungle Book," would be performed. It has been so cute to see Jenna's anticipation and excitement as her class has prepared. She was asked to be a snake dancer. They danced with little ribbons attached to a stick and I tell, Jenna was right on! She was whipping that little ribbon around right on beat, all the while her shy smile peaking from underneath her hat. What fun!

Milestone birthday!

Happy Birthday Andrew! I can hardly believe he is 12 years old. Of course we parents say that with every birthday, but it's the truth isn't?! I can still remember him as a toddler with a cute (big) head and angelic (big) eyes and now he is ready for mutual nights and passing the sacrament. He has been working hard to be prepared for this next step (of receiving the priesthood) and I know he is ready. This year, his birthday just happen to fall on Tuesday, which, coincidentally, is mutual night. He was so excited to join the ranks of the youth in the ward.

A girls night out...

Last night, the boys of the family were on a campout. Yes, a campout. In February. In tents. The girls and I were much too happy to be left at home! As soon as the boys left, we began our planning. We had fun getting a little dressed up. The girls asked if they could wear a little make-up so I let them have a dusting of sparkly eye shadow, blush and a little mascara.

I was pleasantly surprised when Sarah requested sushi. Jenna was thrilled when I told her she could get pot stickers (I know, they call them gyoza. We call them pot stickers....Jenna calls them "pop stickers). Since this was turning into a full-fledged night out, we swung by the theater on our way to dinner and picked up tickets for "Tangled."

Once we arrived at the restaurant, we were seated at the sushi bar. The girls had fun watching the sushi being made and they loved using the chopsticks (see photo of Jenna). Sarah loved her sushi. I did, however, gasp when she dropped, not one, but two pieces of sushi on the floor. So sad to see that yummy pile of money sushi now inedible.

After dinner, we headed to the movie. We had already seen the movie, but we loved seeing it again. When we got home, we all snuggled into my bed and when we woke up this morning, we had chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. Jenna declared, "I love girl's weekend," and Sarah said, "This was the best ever!" I have to agree...what a fun it was to have some special time with my girls!

HELLO, Hello...hello.....yep, there's an echo in here

So for the five of you that occasionally read my blog, I am posting! Some of you have been bugging me to come back to blog land and I will try to oblige your requests. You know when you get so behind on something and you don't even know where to start, so you just don't start? Yep, that's me. Like the rest of you, I've mostly been trying to keep up with life and keeping up on my blog just fell to the bottom of the list (ok, it totally fell off the list).  I am going to try to catch up on some past events and I will plug them in by date. Let me warm up my fingers and take a deep breath....here's to catching up.