Halloween 2009

We got invited to several Halloween get togethers this year and i actually made an effort to go to each one of them. you must know that I am not much of a halloween person- in fact the idea of dressing up stresses me out. So much so that every year I say I'll go to this or that but in the end I can't find a costume and so I opt out. But this year David had a costume he just had to have which meant that I needed to at least try. Thanks to a very good friend of mine- who had just bought hers to use one time- I was able to, without to much problem, borrow hers and make my appearance. If I learned anything this year it that- if you have more than one party to go to- you need to have more than one costume. By the time we went to 3 parties and trunk or treat I was ready to throw the costume out the door. But anyway here are a few highlights.

Wicked!

I got to see Wicked. Oh- it was spectacular. In fact there are no words to completely describe the joy that exuded from my soul as i watched the sets move from scene to scene, the costumes, the lines and ultimately the music envelop me. It was AMAZING! Here is just a little something to keep the memory alive in my heart and in my mind.

School has begun

It has been so long since I have posted anything... kids are my excuse. If I have time for anything I want to scrapbook and yet I haven't had anytime even for that...until last week when the kids got the flu. Oh, i don't know what kind it was but they had fevers, coughing, aching and well, it was almost a week of no school for at least one of the kids. Nicholas was by far the worst and now I wish I had taken pictures of each of them in the midst of their sorrows. Natalee had it for the shortest amount of time (on Halloween) but we loaded her up on medication and she still went trick or treating. Nicholas got it that night and he was the worst- in fact it lasted the entire week. Some days were better than others. Xander- he got it on Sunday evening and he complained the most--I had to tell him that I would do anything for him but the whining and moaning had to stop because all it did was make me want to not be around him. Don't worry I said it nicely and lovingly but a mom can only take so much. Anyway- i was expecting this since school started. it is inevitable that kids are going to get sick. Anyway, the week wasn't a total bust because while the kids were sick and only wanted me to sit with them and love them, i took the opportunity to scrapbook on my laptop with them snuggled up next to me. I got a lot done and i am almost caught up with 2009. Here are a few highlights from their activities thus far...



Nicholas climbing the tree at Grandma's house and the beautiful fall foliage!



We don't buy school pictures but we take them at home on the same day!



This little boy truly makes me smile!



It was so fun to be with Natalee- she doesn't need me there- she just wants me there.



Xander was so excited for his class' opening day of their student store. He was also nervous because he had to give a commercial. I will post it later for you all to see. He was amazing and he did a great job. But he sure was glad when it was over.

The views are spectacular

They say the light comes at the end of the tunnel or the rewards come after the trial but in this case it was the views that came after the climb were worth every aching limb afterwards. My sister Bonnie, my friend Mary and I backpacked in to Summitt Lake last week and despite the bugs I enjoyed every moment I had to myself. It truly was inspiring and thought provoking. Self renewing and breathless- not just because of the hiking and extra physical exertion. Take a look...

A band-aid can't fix this

well- it was bound to happen since the summer has been relatively injury and sickness free. Nicholas was climbing the fence- when he shouldn't have been and because Xander had been- he couldn't get down and called for me- I didn't hear. So he tried it on his own.... Here are the results



Nicholas holding pressure on his owie!



Mommy keeping him company



Not for the faint hearted and weak stomachs



10 stitches later



He came into the house holding his hand and I was puzzled as to what had happened. While Xander is trying to explain, I ran to the sink to wash it off...I immediately saw that I did not have the medical capabilities for this "owie"! I told the kids to get my purse we were going to he dr. Natalee instantly telling Nicholas that stitches tickle..."the first shot hurts, but after that the rest tickle." I am not thinking clearly and realize I need to get things under control. we get in the car and i take a deep breath and announce we are going to say a prayer. Everything calmed down and i was thinking clearly. I realized the other kids didn't need to go to the ER so I called a friend. She took the kids and we were off and back home 4 hours later. But the rest of the story I found out on Sunday. She tells me tha, when I called, she had friends over that normally keep her from answering the phone but she felt a prompting that she needed to answer the phone. She was an answer to my prayer and another testimony that my Heavenly Father knows me and my needs as an individual. He is truly watching over me and will answer my prayers.

Love one Another

i watched this youtube video today and was instantly touched by its message. No matter what faith you belong to it is imperative that we realize every person needs someone else. If we can keep our eyes open to our surroundings we will be able to be that person to lift someone when they need it most. Please take a moment to watch the video and be renewed in the faith that we can make a difference no matter who we are. Just click on the bolded words "watch the video" to view it.

Summer is here!

These past few weeks have been beautiful, weather wise, but as is the tendency of pure blood washingtonians, after a few days of out of the ordinary hot weather, we begin to wither, and become somewhat irritable due to the heat. this does not get lost in my children and with being is school, getting up early and coming home in the sun they are irritable messes and combined with my irritability it makes for a not so pleasant household. So being the intuitive mother that I am (ha, ha!) I saw what was coming on a day last week and instead of bearing through it I told the kids, spontaneously, to get in the car we were going to the beach. natalee and nicholas were thrilled, Alex not so much but still we needed to get out of our hot house and away from daily chores and homework. It was short-lived but very pleasant. To breathe in the puget sound air and listen to the waves hit the shore, to watch the kids explore and not hear the complaining (except of course alex who didn't want to be there) It was so worth it and I was able to capture a few nice photos.

More May fun

Here are some final entries for the month of May. It was all in all a fun month and we had a great time with our friends and family. what would life be without others to share it with--

Tom and SuAnn threw a great Memorial Day Weekend Party. We all had a great time and loved every minute conversing with old friends and making new ones.



Monday we continued to enjoy the sun and family by heading over Sunday evening to mark and patty's. It has become a tradition for our family to do this and the kids love hanging out with mom's cousin's children.




The sun just kept on shining and we did what we could to stay cool, as well as just enjoy the warmth that had been lacking for so long.

Family and Friends what more can you ask

Well last week was busy and I am sure the summer coming,with the sun shining, will be even busier. I am trying to keep up on my scrapbooking pages so I don't get behind like I did last year. I am still catching up on last year. Anyway, I think I am doing pretty good and I enjoy sharing my "art" with others. Here are a few pages that I enjoyed doing. they really capture the important things in my life....my family and friends.

I must admit that I love throwing parties, especially for other people and David is way fun to surprise because while he knows that I am going to do something he never guesses what I am going to do because he likes the surprise. David had a birthday last week and for David, as soon as May hits, its his "birthday month" then his birthday week, then his birthday, and then his birthday weekend. Let me tell you it is quite annoying at times but secretly I find it kind of amusing because he is like a little child and truly that is what I love most about him. He keeps me from being too serious and helps me to see the lighter side of things. So this year I planned a "birthday bbq" for him and invited his friends(and mine too) It was a beautiful day, we had a full house and it was great to see him smiling from the morning he woke up, until his head hit the pillow.


last week we also had the opportunity to go and visit my grandparents. It is always such a delight to be with my family. It is even more fun to see my dad with his. to watch my dad visit with his parents helps me to see even more now how much he is like them and how I am so lucky to have been raised by him and that he was raised by them.

Some fun may events

Here are some of the good times we have had this month so far. Last night we celebrated David's birthday and it was so much fun. the best part was the smile on his face at the end of the evening. We had a few friends and family over for a bbq and the weather was perfect. I haven't scrapped those pictures yet so be on the look out. Here are few to tide you over- if you've been looking. I know I haven't done a lot of blogging - i keep up weekly with my peace of mind blog-which I have made public and my moment to moment blog which is private. So here are the pictures you are looking for.

Outings with Nicholas

Well we have been busy this month. Actually Nicholas and i have been busy. we got to go boating and to the zoo on the 2 days of sun we actually had this past month. I must admit it is fun to have only one child home and I really don't take advantage of it as much as I should. I have even come to enjoy going to the library again. oh, the thought of dragging 3 children to the library was exhausting but this past month I have gone twice with Nicholas and we both got to look at books. checkout was a breeze and well... I'll go back. Nicholas makes me smile and everyday i can count on him to ask "can I watch monster truck videos" every now and then i give in and log on to my youtube account to access my playlist of monster truck videos. he is usually glued for at least 30 minutes or until the computer times out and he can't see his videos anymore. both of our trips were made even more fun because Aunt Bonnie and Gretchen, Uncle Joe and Andrew came too! it has been even nicer since we realized Nicholas is allergic to pollen and got him some daily allergy medicine- it was downright painful, there for a while, to watch him scratch his eyes, sneeze and suck in his snot to keep it from dripping out his nose. but all is well and now I have the same problem- will it ever end? Anyway here are a few pictures of our outings. I'll get some more up in the next little while.

Happy Easter

Hope your Easter was as enjoyable as ours. We watched one of our new DVD's in the morning. Had a spectacular choir program at church and spent the rest of the evening surrounded by friends and family. It was fabulous. Here is a look at the kids this morning as they saw their Easter basket. I must say when it comes to Easter baskets are all about the reason we celebrate this holiday. If it wasn't for our Savior and his sacrifice in Gethsemane and on the cross we would not be celebrating this holiday. He gave his life so that we could live ours eternally. Happy Easter!

April events so far

Well it was spring break last week and we made a trip to Walla Walla to see our good friends. Oh it was so fun! The kids had a great time with their friends. It would have been nice to see the sun but oh well. After being in the house 4 day -with a few breaks in the weather so the kids could go to the park, jump on the trampoline, or run around, it was nice to go to the YMCA and swim for an hour in the warm "family" pool. We even got to spend an extra day due to the weather in the pass being less than desirable to travel through. I must admit it is hard for me to be away from home, even when I get to spend 3 days straight talking, scrapbooking and really doing nothing except hanging with my friend...you would think i would never want to return but me being who i am I looked forward to coming home to my home. I know, I know this week i want to go back-- I just can't be satisfied. It was a great time and we can't wait to see our friends again. We just wish they lived closer.

Prior to leaving for Walla Walla we had a Pre- birthday party for Nicholas. We wanted Grandpa to be there and since he was leaving for warm, sunny Arizona we celebrated a tad early. I can't believe my buddy boy is 4 years old. I will of course be posting a tribute to him when i finish scrapping his "actual" birthday pictures but until then here is a pre-tribute collage. I love this little boy and his smile, his goofiness, he eagerness...i love everything about him- even those things I don't like. :) He makes our family complete.



I can't believe i forgot to post about Alex's first blue and gold dinner for scouts. He and David got to make a cake together. It was actually a family effort because of time issues. The first cake Alex made from scratch all my himself, with my help in getting the ingredients out and measured but he did it all. Nicholas and friends, after being told not to touch, enjoyed taste testing the cake and I hurriedly whipped up another cake. That evening David and Alex frosted and decorated the cake together while i sat in another room so I wasn't tempted to tell them how to do it or get in the way. That evening as we ate dinner and admired all the other amazing cake displays Alex was "initiated" from Tiger to Wolf. It was fun and i look forward to many years of scouts- all the way through eagle- and of course to learning how to sew on patches--anyone up for teaching me how.

Alex finishes his wrestling Season

We tried wrestling this year. It started in November and we explained to Alex it would go until March. We showed him the calendar explained that it would be a lot of practices and meets and he still wanted to do it. After his first couple practices I could tell his heart wasn't in the sport- he loved the friends but not the competition and spotlight on the mat. Well after his first meet he did not want to do it anymore and we had a long conversation about not quitting and how you have to keep practicing if you want to improve. He did not want to hear it and I wouldn't let him quit. Every practice was an argument and every meet we had to drag him out the door but as the season progressed so did he. He improved, he even had a few pins. At one point he wrestled a boy who was literally him a few weeks prior. After pinning the boy Alex exclaimed "that was so easy," as the little boy sat sobbing to his dad. We pointed this out to Alex and a little coaxing from us, he went over to console the little boy and explain to him what he had learned. Well, needless to say the season ended and I found myself asking Alex, just for fun, if he wanted to do this again next year. Much to my surprise, after many days and nights of "i hate wrestling and I don't want to do this anymore" he announced that he MIGHT do it again next year. We'll see. Here is a picture of his trophy from wrestling and a couple of him with his trophy from baseball last year. He is so pleased to have completed and not quit.

march 16, 2009

Yikes has it been a month- I better update some thing---we had sickness here for the last few weeks- the dreaded flu/cold whatever it is. So I haven't been doing too much in the way of scrapping but here are a few pages. I do a lot of blogging of my thoughts on my peace of mind website if you want to be invited let me know. It is my ramblings about the things that I am teaching every week in Sunday School. There is a lot to learn not just about the gospel but about myself. I also have been keeping a personal journal about the kids and what they teach me everyday. I really am very blessed to be a mom and parent. A thought that was recently brought to my attention that I have been pondering upon is "what if the fruits of my parenting are not about how my children turn out but about how i do?" Hmmm! Interesting thought, huh! Here are a few moments captured of the fruits of my labor.

February 21

So much has happened in the last couple weeks and i have been trying to keep up with journaling and writing and scrapping. It takes time but here are a few memories caught on camera.

Natalee was in her first play. It was so cute and i must admit I smiled everytime she came on stage. She asked after the long week of rehearsals and then her first performance...."Do i have to do this again next year?" I answered only if she wanted to and after a moment she replied, "good, I 'll have to think about it, It might not be my favorite thing." It was cute and I was impressed with her sense of forethought, she didn't totally give it up but realized she needed to think about it.



Next came Natalee's 6th birthday. I can only say, Princess, tea, girls, food and fun. David had a great time putting it on for her and I had a great time preparing it. I must admit I am a bit disappointed in myself for not getting pictures of David and the girls.



Next Alex's baptism...words cannot express the joy this mother felt as her son entered the waters for baptism. I know he is only 8 but I also know he felt something special about this day and it is one that he will always remember. How can you not when you are surrounded by so many family and friends who love you.

Flowers for me!

I'm speechless! For those of you who know me, that doesn't happen to often. I just got off the phone with my husband and they aren't from him- he doesn't even know. He asked if they came from my other boyfriend. Whatever! Like I would admit it if they did. But the card gives me a clue "Lili, we think you're great Love all of..US"! So I know it is from a group of people, a family---friends I would assume. So I am blogging, in hopes that whoever they are from knows how much I absolutely love them and appreciate them. (Their friendship and the flowers) They are beautiful! And just so you can see the beauty you have brought into my life and my heart I am including a photo of them. I must admit I love the surprise...its the anonymity I can't stand. I want to embrace whoever it is and let them know that they are an answer to my prayers. Just the other day i was praying, very sincerely that someone would do something for me that was out of the ordinary and not expected. Something I didn't have to ask or hint at. (I was thinking along the lines of housework) but I will take these flowers in answer to my prayers and recognize that there are people out there who are inspired. (who are angels) Thank you for the reminder that while life gets chaotic, there is beauty all around, if we just take a moment to look for it.

My little nephew and his cheesy grin

What a cutie! He sees the light on the camera and flashes the cutest grins. Isn't it so precious.

Natalee my drama queen

At Alex's family birthday party I have a feeling Natalee was not getting the attention she needed so when there was a minute of breathing room Aunt Bonnie began to teach her about Improv--yeah I bet you want to know what she does when asked to improv me (her mom). Anyway, after a few minutes of that Aunt Bonnie got the camera and Natalee was good and ready to have a photo shoot. So Aunt Bonnie just snapped away. I must say. I can't help but Smile when I look at these pictures.

Alexander David Grover

I have posted a lot about Alex as of late but hey its been a celebration of his birth which is pretty significant. I can't help but smile at the thought of my sweet boy and how much joy he brings to my life. What was even more fun was to see how much his friends find joy in him too. Here are pictures of our parties. Enjoy.

My Sweet Boy

Well its the week we have been all been anticipating--I should say I have been--and Alex too. He is turning 8 years old in 4 days. This is a big thing for our family because he is going to be baptized. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints getting baptized is a big step and with this decision he will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost through the power of the priesthood. He will have the guidance and direction of the Holy Ghost throughout his life to help him to know the truthfulness of all things, to keep him from deception, and to help him to Choose the Right in a world of so much chaos.














Of course he is also pretty excited for his upcoming birthday party. He is having all of his friends over to watch a movie on our big screen- we are having a snack bar, popcorn and pop- 10 boys and lots of fun. These are the invitations that I made for each of the events. They mark a moment that we will remember for all our lives.