Blessings

a few weeks ago:
Anika saying the lunch prayer:
"Please bless that we will catch fish today so we can give them to Jesus."

"My mouth hurts- I think it is because I talk too much."

"lepercan" (leprechaun)
so excited that the "lepercan came to preschool, but he made a big mess and we had to clean it up by working together because that's what we do, work together! I am going to catch him when he comes to our house. I am going to tie ropes up and put tape on the floor to catch him and glue!"

Yesterday: "Scott can you please stop talking so I can sing my songs?" (to Scott and Grandpa)
Gum drops, Dinosaur song, and I Love To See the Temple

Who says kids watching t.v. is a bad thing?

By watching Ratatouille Anika has come to like food I would never have dreamed she would.
1. a couple of weeks ago ~eating cheese she told me she has to have a strawberry with it to "give it the best nuttiest flavor" so we did and she likes it!
2. today while at the grocery store in the produce department she asked pointing to a big round thing, "what's this?"
I told her it is cabbage.
Anika: "CABBAGE YUM, I LOVE CABBAGE! Can we buy it?"
Me: "you've never had cabbage, I don't think we will buy a head of cabbage." of course I'm thinking she won't like it. This is the girl won't eat her dinner if she sees lettuce on her plate.
Anika: "We can make cabbage soup, it is the best!"
me: "We've never had cabbage soup.
Anika: "Like on Ratatouille!"
The cute produce clerk hears our little conversation and chimes in and asks her if she likes cole slaw, (which she of course says no because she doesn't know what cole slaw is) and then he tells me how I could make that and I rebuttal with, "I am not that adventurous to cut up a head of cabbage to make that!"
So he comes over and strips the outside leaves off and gives her a piece and says, "Here you try it and then you can see if you like it and your mom will know if she should buy it."
At first she is a little hesitant and I decide to go along with it as I just know she will spit it out all over his floor, (serves him right!) that is if she even tries it! Well, she takes a little nibble and then another and then she keeps going back for more and more leaves and "hmmmm, I like it!"
So, out we walked with a head of cabbage!
All night she has been reminding me we are going to make cabbage soup tomorrow. Anyone got a good recipe? I was thinking to do somethings like a cabbage roll soup- cabbage, hamburger, rice...mom didn't you use to make something like that?
All I know is it has too be good. Maybe I will have to watch Ratatouille tonight to get the rat's recipe!

Jared gets home and calls for Anika to come upstairs. (he doesn't know any of the days occurrences) Here she comes up the stairs with a head of cabbage in her hands. She is downstairs watching t.v. naughing away at her head of cabbage!!!!

Here she is a few days ago: got a cucumber out of the fridge and away she goes!

Oh the things they say

Jared was giving Anika a hard time (in a teasing way) about her still peeing the bed/ wearing a diaper at night (which she hates wearing a diaper- but I hate pee on the bed and washing sheets even more so I win this battle!) She was trying to be funny back and of course can't keep up with her dad so she comes out from the bathroom into our room with her hands an her hips and says, (quite boldly I might add) "Dad, Where is your love and compassion?!"
We couldn't stop laughing it was so funny as we never say this!
(Later in the day we found out from the kids it is from a Sponge Bob movie that somehow ended up in our house!)

Anika's conversation on the way to Grandma's house a couple of Sunday's ago:

"Mom, our brains really help us. They help us decide what dress to wear to church. Well MY brain wasn't working today because I didn't know which one to wear!!"

Will we stay or will we go?

sorry for the prolonged Christmas music and no I don't have time to change it today either.
This is actually the first time in two weeks I have sat this long! I have had long long days rearranging, painting, and cleaning this house yet again! It's official our house has a for sale sign in the front yard and we are on the MLS list.
We have found some great listing and will go look some more today so stay tuned for what is too come next. We love our ward, our neighbors, and friends but with 5 kids and probably too much stuff we are on the hunt for the next perfect house. There is more that I would love to write but for now I need to go finish the last few things and maybe get in the shower before 3pm......

perfectly imperfect holiday season

What was your best Christmas as a kid? Was it the one where there was a lot of stress about a perfect meal elegantly served-on time-to a perfectly dressed family? Or was it the one where the dog pulled the turkey off the stove and dragged it away through the dog door? There was no perfect meal that day. Everyone rolled with the punches. They rolled up their sleeves and worked together in the kitchen to salvage a makeshift meal.

The beauty of that memory is not in perfection and organization, but in remembering the joy of being together and doing things together. It was the laughter. It was one of those days when the choices were to laugh or to cry, so you all laughed it off and enjoyed one another. It brought you all together in a different way.

Holidays are times for enjoying one another. We are not suggesting that you purposely feed the turkey to the pets, but we strongly suggest that an imperfect day with little stress will create better memories of loving relationships.

We wish you a perfectly imperfect holiday season,
Jim Fay
Love and Logic

Christmas Sunday Outfits

-oops, I forgot a solo picture of Andrew...next week after church because there is no way I will be able to get him in is church clothes on a week day!
>



Notice how Andrew just casually put his arm around Alex
Now notice what a stretch it was for Alex to reach his younger brother!! I was trying to take the picture and I couldn't stop laughing. It is okay that Andrew is taller, I mean they are only 15 months apart, it was just funny to see! :)

I love this picture!

asleep in the hay

Isn't this the cutest manger?!
Mom/Grandma Allen gave it to us. Thanks! Do a good deed to fill up the manger with hay so Jesus has a soft place to lay on Christmas Eve.

Delivery Girl

We love doing neighbor gifts for our little culd-a-sac. I have thought about just doing the neighborhood food bank in lieu of gifts, but even if we did I know I would still do my neighbor gifts because we enjoy them so much. (except when their dogs do their 'business' on my lawn..!! he! he! he!:) We really do have one of the best neighborhoods.
This year I got a short read book, The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans.

An oldie, but a good message and hopefully everyone hasn't already read it!
No preschool today, so Anika helped me put them in bags along with some yummy chocolates (not homemade!) and off we went to deliver. She was so excited skipping to each new house where she handed the bag to them if they were home and left the ones on the porch to those who weren't. To those who were home her saying seemed to be about the same, "Here, Merry Christmas. This is from my mom, Pam Bennett that's her nick name. See, she's right here! k- Bye!"


It is a little chilly out this morning but nothing to complain about for winter weather. No snow except for that which hasn't melted from a week or so ago on the side of the neighborhood that doesn't get the direct sun on their front yards during the midday! We are lucky that is not us!

Merry Early Christmas To Me!

ya! An SLR camera!!! No more waiting 10 minutes in between pictures! Now I just have to learn how to you use it and not treat it like a $50 camera.
I have so much to post and so little time...

Guilt

This morning I left to take the kids to school while still wearing my slippers and pajama pants, while driving Andrew asked if I was coming to their assembly as his class was performing a song. That would have been nice to know 10 minutes ago! I really didn't want to drive home and then drive back to the school for a 10 minute assembly. Then he goes on to tell me how last year when I didn't come (my guess is I didn't know about it) how he was so embarrassed! I told him I can't be at everything and I am not going to go into the school with my slippers and pj's on.
Well on the way home I thought about how I really don't have anything too pressing to get done today and decided I would go back.
As Anika and I got there his class was just starting their song. They did a wonderful job! Alex's class then did a quick little poem so I was able to see two kids perform! These are the things they are suppose to remember-right?!
Hopefully them seeing my presence will reinforce my love to them and they don't have to be embarrassed that I didn't show up and they can grow up to be a healthy productive adult!!!

My only picture that turned out!

Demolition Update II

no pillars or big box thing in the middle of the floor!

Demolition Update...

Here is a good picture I should have added last time, right before the final blow that made them come crashing down...there was a good thump!-oops :)


Update: not quite done, but the holes in the walls are patched



need to patch the hole with the carpet! I tried to match it but don't think it does now that I am home, it seemed to match my sample when I was at the store...hmmm
perhaps as it gets as dirty as the rest of the carpet it will blend!! It is temporary so I don't really care too much if truth be told!

One more box thing to get out!
As per past post "now you see it"
Now you don't!

And, I like it! :)