Teacher Gifts

I always try to give the kids teachers something for Christmas....It dawned on me tonight that that meant the kids needed something by morning and I'd better get busy.....

saw this idea on pinterest....

Clothes Pins, paper, modge podge, magnets, buttons and glue, and yes I had everything already in my crafting crap. (Yes I am a nerd)

Took me less than 2 hours start to finish...I didn't have to go to the store and it didn't cost me a cent....I love when that happens :)

Gratitude {times} 100

The First Presidency's message from the Ensign this month was The Choice to Be Grateful....Easier said than done sometimes.

For the first day of Christmas a couple of nights ago, as a family, we talked about all the things we were grateful for....each of us wrote ten things on a pieces of paper and put them into our gratitude box.....

Clearly some took this more seriously than others :)

Today I decided I needed to take the 100 Grateful Things Challenge....
So here goes (in no particular order).....


Physical Abilities
1.to Laugh
2.to Walk
3.to See
4.to Hear
5.to Laminate (jk)
6.to Smile
7.to Hug
8.do the Hokie Pokie
9.to look Busy
10.to Craft :)

Material Possessions
1.Washing Machine
2.Dishwasher(s) (also known as H,B,M,A and D)
3.Lap Top
4.The Loser Cruiser
5.My (Great) Grandmother's Rocker, China & Ice Cream Maker
6.My Bed
7.i Pod
8.Our Dining Room Table
9.Warm Clothes
10.Books

Living People
1.My Superman
2.My Darling Rug rats
3.Our Dear Friends
4. Our Family
5.Our Church Family
6.Compassionate Doctors
7.Kind Co-workers
8.Quiet Neighbours
9.Teachers
10.All funny People

Deceased People
1. my Grandma Beena
2. my Mom
3. my Great Grandma Ash
4. my Uncles Bob, Bill, Pete
5. my Grandad Glen (kindest man I have ever known)
6. Pres Gordan B Hinckley
7. Jesus Christ
8. Prophet Joseph Smith
9.Emma Smith
10.Joseph B Wirthlin

Nature
1. Sunsets
2. Sandy Beaches
3. Stormy Seas
4. Fall Colours
5. Rainbows
6. Shades of Green
7. Waterfalls
8. Soaring Eagles
9.Thunder Storms
10.Summer Breezes

Today
1. A New Start
2. Daylight (I'd say sunshine, but its the we(s)t coast)
3. My VT's don't care if I'm still in pyjama's or if the couch is free of laundry
4. Superman's smiling
5. The rug rats attend public school :)
6. A Warm House
7. Food in the Cupboard
8. Christmas Carols
9. It didn't snow
10. Maddie's cookies for breakfast

Places on Earth
1. Home
2.Our Temple
3.Where ever my friends are
4.Music Performances
5.Ucluelet, BC
6.Temple Square
7.Kye Bay
8.Sprout Lake
9.Anywhere, where it is quiet enough to think
10.The beach, any beach

Modern Inventions
1. Medicine
2.Internet
3.Corrective Surgery
4.Toilet Paper
5. Caller ID
6. Headphones
7.Hot Water Tank
8.The Backspace Key
9.Store bought bread
10.Frozen Lasagna

Foods
1.All things Mexican
2.Cherry Pie (minus the cherries)
3.Beef Dip
4.Fettuccine Alfredo
5.Superman's Burgers
6.Any dessert involving lemon
7. Fancy Hot Chocolate
8. Hot Apple Cider
9. Potato Bacon Chowder
10.Anything I didn't have to cook (except fish)

Gospel
1.Principle of Hope
2.Atonement
3.Forgiveness
4.Primary Songs
5.Stake Conference
6.the phrase "to Succor"
7.Family History
8.Relief Society
9.The Welfare Program
10.Testimonies


Gratitude is a choice and something I will continue to work on. What makes you most grateful???

Band Concert Boredom

Last night was the High School band Christmas concert.....yeah!

The first year they have started band in grade 7 here and Alex loves it, seriously. and yes that is Holly`s old sax....who new we were environmentalists ;)

Maddie switched from trumpet to french horn when we moved here and is now playing in the senior band.I heart the french horn.

When you arrive three minutes before the concert starts this is the lovely view from the team benches along the back wall....yeah!

This is what bored parents do while attending their 57th school band concert.....

this....

this....

oh yeah and my favourite, this....

I know, bad parents!

The kids sounded  great.

Pirates of the Caribbean was played.

and yes a kid dropped their instrument.

Why yes it was the perfect band concert :)

Falling

Some days take a lot of quiet courage to get through...yesterday was one of those days.

I realized it had been several days since I had heard from my Dad, so in the morning I called and left a message on his answering machine. He called me back a few hours later....

Hey Dad how are you?
 "Robin I'm crippled."
What do you mean, Did you have a fall?
"Well yes..."
What did you hurt?
"My body"
Did you hit your head?
"No"

So even with several questions he couldn't tell me any more details...when, why, where, how....His confusion is nothing new, but falling is....

My sister also called him and was able to glean a little more information from him...a slip on the stairs.... and  felt that he was probably sore but not seriously injured...Dad refused to go to the doctor or allow anyone to check on him. Living so far away sucks.

Dad is set to travel to spend Christmas with my sister in a few days. I hope time spent with my sister will give us a better idea of what his needs are and how we might help him.

I never imagined that both our parents would have such difficult journeys as they aged. Alone and lost in a mind that can no longer find joy. The dark loneliness is something I cannot comprehend and simply brings me to tears. My daily prayer is that there will some way he will let us in to help and until then....I pray for the quiet courage I need to keep my heart from breaking.

Clean. Christmas. Crazy....

This weekend was crazy, but crazy in a good way...

A funeral in Campbell River

25 for dinner at our house

Ward Party

Church

Concert in Port Alberni

and a Baptism back here.

The only thing that was stressful was trying to get the house ready for hosting dinner and apparently I was a wee bit cranky....although the degree to which I might have been. depends on what rug rat you ask....

None of those joining us for dinner would have cared if the house was perfect, but I cared and thought it was a great opportunity to get the house really clean.....

I wrote this on the white board...to show the rug rats I meant business...some unnamed rug rat wrote "like that will work" :) how could they be so sarcastic? :)...... The house was perfect thanks to them and dinner was awesome. and yes I did apologize for being cranky.

On an entirely separate note:

I collect Nativity sets.

I love my Nativity sets.

The rug rats aren`t supposed to touch my Nativity sets.....

I swear they love playing with my mind!!!

Let's Face It

Good thing he landed on his face, otherwise he might have really hurt himself.....

Not sure, something about the monkey bars, gravity and gravel and the Kramer crash gene :)

I'm just glad it didn't require the dentist....

O. Sew. D.

Holly got here first legit paycheck ever on Monday. I love my employed children, is that so wrong. When she got home from school she said "Mom you wanna go to Fabricland?" "Sure" Apparently they have fabric there...I had never been there on purpose before, its like Disneyland for sewing nerds. I felt overwhelmed and out of my league the minute we walked in the door....Holly walked around like she owned the joint. She wanted to get flannel to make a baby blanket for a friend of mine in the Ward, that had a little girl last week. After an hour (too many choices) she picked.....

So what does my teenage daughter spend her first hard earned money on....Fabric and a Fabricland membership. Awww my little suzy-homemaker...at least nobody can ever blame that on me :) It must be those crazy YW leaders she's had ;) You did a fantastic job Holly.

Here's what I'm working on....

Stockings....this is when five kids seems like alot :) Hey they're even lined, I know even I'm amazed, and I didn't even sew my finger. Now I just have to make three more...sigh