Child of the WORLD!!!

Last night-we got dinner done early (for once) and took a family field trip to the Elementary school...

To watch Colton participate in his choir concert

Child of the world!

(Colton walking in with his partner)

I really enjoyed this program. It was well written with upbeat, "makes you wanna dance" kind of music, and modern. I felt like the principles it talked/sang about were EXACTLY what I would want Colton to learn.

Colton had a speaking part, and also was able to ring the chimes. Although it was an elementary school and I did not have any expectations, I was really surprised at how involved Colton was, and how well he did.
Colton stood super straight in the back row the whole concert. He has the most beautiful big hands and long fingers and did the sign language part of the song precisely. The signing looked "beautiful" (if you could use that word to describe a boy) because of that. When it was his turn to ring the bells--He stood perfectly straight and would ding the bell and then hold the rod out properly in between dings. (refer to picture below--far right). He spoke clearly and into the microphone for his part-he even had to bend his head quite a bit down to reach the microphone (because it had been set low).
I know this may all sound lame and like I am bragging. But you have to understand Colton is pretty complacent about most things in his life, and it was surprising to me to see how natural and perfect he looked. I felt like he stood out because he stood so straight, did everything so precisely and opened his mouth wide while singing. He followed exactly what he was told. It was a testimony to me that he listens and is a good kid.
My sister turned to me and said, "wouldn't it be funny if you ended up with a singing music boy instead of a sports one, and you were so into sports?" It would be ironic, but I do have to say he looked more natural singing than he does playing basketball up to this point. I would be happy to have him excel in anything, right now we are just trying to figure out what that will be, his nitch and passion.
Colton also looked so grown up standing there.It made me wonder where time had gone. I still remember him being my little toddler. That image of him will forever be stuck in my mind AND when I look up and see the man he is becoming it floors me...where has time gone?
Although Daddy got stuck at work until 6:50pm and missed the concert (he was heartbroken). The kids were SUPER good (thanks to Aunt Cara who came too)... and I could tell that it meant the world to Colton to find us and point out his baby sister dancing on my lap to his friends.

So here is to PROUD MOMMA moments AND COLTON!!!!!!!!

He LOST it..

~EPILOGUE to the toothless wonder~

Sterling DID in fact lose his tooth the VERY afternoon he would not put it in a safe place. He spent a majority of the early evening panicking and searching for it outside. Colton prompted him to pray about it. It still did not turn up, so we had a good conversation about timing and how prayers are answered. I FINALLY made him come in teary-eyed for the evening. HOWEVER-the tooth fairy did still come that night and leave him 50 cents for being brave with a promise she would try looking for it with her magic. Sterling found the tooth (in pieces) and case 2 days later with faith in answered prayers but NOT in the tooth fairy's finding magic skills! he is trying to leave it out for the fairy to see if he can get some more money out of it...hasn't happened!

TOOTH-less WoNdEr!!!!

In the last few weeks Sterling has lost his 2 front teeth (his most recent one in the car on the way to school this morning). It always is surprising to me how it changes their look so completely!

Sterling would not let me take the tooth home with me after dropping him off. He went to the school nurse and got a cool tooth carrying case so he could show it off all day.He will not even put it in a "safe place" after school (it has to be RIGHT BY HIM)--I know it is going to end up lost (It is a good thing his tooth fairy is so forgiving of Lost teeth!!!)

JUST BECAUSE...

"Just because" flowers are MY FAVORITE-- (not only because they go on clearance AFTER V-DAY! and are cheap)

BUT because I like being SuPrIsEd (not getting them when you are 'suppose' to get them)

and I like feeling...that I am WoRtH a bouquet of roses (even if they do die quickly)!

AND despite our SERIOUS conversations as of late, about

longer work hours & the amount of time I am spending on Girls camp...

it makes these flowers even more special.

Even if we disagree, My MaN still sends me flowers and tells me I am pretty...

He is a KEEPER!

Renaissance Festival 2009!!!

(Mommy and Sterling being Jesters-Sterling was fond of the jesters)

This year for the Renaissance Festival. Rather than just going as a group of girls (which it still ended up being) We had opened it up to anyone involved in girls camp this year..as we are running with that theme.

There was only three of us who could make it (Desiree McDowell, Denise Steinert, and I)....AND since it was a holiday from school (not work) I took Sterling with me to alleviate some kids for my sisters babysitting benefit.

I was glad I made that choice-Sterling was a PERFECT kid and said at the end of the day ( "this was the best vacation day ever"). All my boys were getting pretty agitated about not being able to go...so maybe it will become a tradition and I will take a different one each year! Besides it was Sterling's turn to have the date this month with mom and dad (he just had to settle for mom, since Dad had to work)!

We ended the GREAT vacation day watching the barbarians head bang to the Scottish bag-pipes. This bag-pipe band are kind of like the "boy band" of the festival-they are the "studs"-ha ha ha
Sterling got to go on one ride and this was his choice. They hand-crank the kids in hammocks and get them going pretty high and fast and then give their hammocks a little shove to make them spin!

Of Course, I was paying attention to different things this year; like the decorations and table settings!

So here is a few of those pictures.

Sterling was pretty excited to go see the jousting tournament, and he was not let down at all.

Typically we are "frying" by this part of the day due to the heat...but pretty much it was a PERFECT day to go weather wise. I think I only felt warm one time. Sterling thought it was pretty great that he could use his dollar store umbrella for the sun (not only the rain) that day.

The Knight we were cheering for!

This tree was pretty special as he walked and really talked, and even moved his branches by Sterling-you can see his face in the foliage. It reminded us of an ent in the Lord of the Rings!

I got some more pictures of different costumes this year (sorry for any cleavage shots-it really was milder this year in regards to the crude part of things)

The reigning king of the festival-he was quite a good actor and king!

A Bar Wench (the word for 'chic' in that day)

This lady taught us how to dress, sew, and layers, etc.

THE ENTERTAINMENT was GRAND-Here is one of the sword swallower's. If you click on the picture closer you can see... It was pretty amazing to see him relax and open up his throat to let the REAL sword slide right down! They practice for years to do this....it was cool (unless you were a bit squeamish like the lady in the bottom right of the picture)

We also saw a guy juggle a bladed chainsaw and fire sticks, fit his body through a hoop (unnatural I tell ya), and completely balance on a loose rope...amazing!

We watched an insulter at work on the streets. People would pay him to throw insults at someone.
We got in some musical instrument playing, and

a professional whipper with whips, fire and snaps!

Not to forget the infamous bird show.

I had to get a close up of this owl...because I NEED ONE! The owl has no sense of smell and eats skunks-I asked the guy if I could buy him--he laughed!!!! I don't think he realized how SERIOUS I was!

AND there will be plenty of these going on at camp!

I think Crests are cool!

Last but not least, because it was PRESIDENTS DAY!!

They had a rescued bald eagle at the bird show

&

I FINALLY met the president! (not that it was on my list of things to do-ha ha)

What a GREAT VaCaTiOn DaY!!!

I (heart) THE SORENSEN'S

It was a LATE night for Dan and I-we took our valentines date on Friday the 13th (b/c there was youth dance on V-day that Dan and I were chaperoning) Dan got us a babysitter (that is 2 weeks in a row now!! wahoo) and we went to try out a new restaurant that came highly recommended. It so happened that you were suppose to make reservations at this place (unbeknownest to us) and they were serving their 6 course Valentines meal that evening. They squoze us in, and what was going to be a normal dinner out..turned into a fancy valentines dinner for 2. You have to understand that places like these are RARE around these parts. It felt special and was super yummy. I was grateful for it.

Things have been touch and go physically and harmonallysince the miscarriage and this evening was one of those HARD nights (too much info..sorry) The dinner was able to throw me out of the funk I had found myself in.

THEN DAN voluntarily took me to a "chic flick" at the theaters (confessions of a shopaholic) IT was a GREAT, clean, uplifting and fun movie. It had much more depth than I thought it would. I was pleasantly surprised.It was a PERFECT girls valentines dream night--with my eternal HoTtIE who held my hand...to boot! I LOVED it!

After our late evening the kids awoke bright and early the next morning to our traditional simple gifts and home-made sugar cookies!
Colton had double-header basketball games..so Dacie and I went and ran errands (taking presents to the HIGLEYS) and watched some of his games. Dacie wore her heart shirt, heart antennas, and heart jewelry quite proudly wherever we went!

We spent the rest of the day enjoying daddy home, and setting up a new computer airmore we bought from a friend of mine!

Fun Fridays movies and pizza night got pushed back to Saturday evening, and we found the place in town who makes heart shaped PIZZAS so we could enjoy that as a family-Then we opened all our Valentines bags we had made for FHE on Monday evening. It was so sweet to open the tender Valentines we had all made each other and how even the simplest of comments made us smile. It was great Family LOVE!

Then Aunt Cara (we heart auntie Cara too) came over and watched the movie with the kids while....

Dan and I went to take our old airmore and crib to the trash, got a drink and read newspapers by the fireplace at the wildflower bread company...AND finally ended our evening at the youth dance we were helping chaperone at the Sedona chapel. Dan was really trying to drag his feet getting to the dance (as dancing is NOT his thing) BUT we got there FINALLY.... AND had the most fun we have EVER had at a dance! Dan danced!!!!

The ward who was in charge did a phenomenal job, the had blowing bubbles as you walked in, they had covered all the hall lights with pink, the gym was lined with black lights and everyone had glow bracelets, they dropped balloons, had a chocolate fountain (when Dan was not dancing this is where he was) and a table FULL of fancy desserts, gave out prizes, played dancing games and contests, had music videos playing while you danced, handed out pink whoppers at the end, and then put icing hearts all over the car windows in the parking lot while we were dancing!! I had a BLAST dancing with the girls and Natalie Taylor (my friend and fellow stake YW president). It was so rejuvenating...and I was NOT even sore the next day! SWEET!!! It was a great HEART weekend for our family for sure--

Hope you ALL got our LOVE letter to to you!!!

An Epiphony about V-DAY!!!!

While I was teaching school Valentines Day was one of my FAVORITE days of the year to teach. Despite the TOO much sugar and spilled red punch on the floor, as well as all the cards, crafts and bags we made....I LOVED it!!!

BUT last night after baking my 5th dozen batch of sugar cookies (no lie) , and helping spell the last 65th valentine card, finished off our second bag of conversation hearts, and was looking at my white tile floor covered in glitter, glue, scraps, scissors, crumbs, icing, sparkles, stickers...and the like, for the 4th time this week--I realize that maybe Valentines has lost a little bit of the "magic" it once held for me.

Granted I volunteered taking preschool this week for this VERY reason ...Valentines--(I was born and raised DOING holidays ALL out!) After making and painting boxes, making and icing sugar cookies, passing out the cards, planning and playing the games for preschool-- I realized that with my 2nd grader and kindergartner--I was providing cards, and treats for 3 classrooms and their teachers (team teachers and specialty teachers alike!) and it may have been a little bit on the over kill side of things--all my doing I realize, since I volunteered for all of these things.

I also realize that I have not even begun our own family traditions yet, of BIG heart sugar cookies, home-made/heart-felt Valentines for my children and hubby, and our own Valentines bags....phew!

Holidays are tiring on momma's. I am not complaining,I expect my holidays are NOT any more busy than any other mother with a lot of children close together!

Despite Valentines losing a bit of its magic for me...it IS still MaGiC. I LOVE being able to tell people I love them and not have it be uncomfortable.

(Don't worry I have not gone totally bah-hum-bug on you)...but maybe I can talk Dan into some paid housecleaning for my v-day treat?

(ha ha ha now that's a joke)

YES, it does RAIN & SNOW in ArIzOnA

If you were to be in Arizona during the summers you would certainly wonder if it EVER rains here....well, it DOES!!!
and because it is so rare, the kids always want to get out every piece of rain gear we own and go play!

SO you can only IMAGINE how they re-act to snow!

We get snow about 2x's a year (and it never came last year)

so when the rain (above) turned to snow last night and we awoke to this...

You would have thought we were having a holiday!

Dacie has little to no experience with the snow

so she was pretty insistent on getting out there,

so we bundled her in pj's and sent her out

She was quite taken by it all and we had a hard trime convinvincing her to eat it!

AND the best part (according to Dan)--was the fact that this is what it looked like by the time the kids got home from school-

Snow that melts away the same day!