Christmas 2011

We had a wonderful Christmas holiday this year.  To head off the season,  I was in charge of the program for the ward party on December 9th.  I put together a musical program with characters dressed up from the nativity who sang musical numbers, including two songs from the Forgotten Carols.  We also had a nativity scene and a narrator dressed as a Roman Centurion who spoke in-between the musical numbers. It was a lot of work for me to put it together but rewarding, too.    I learned a lot from the experience.  I was also glad to have it over.  (I wish I had a few pictures to show from the program).   After the program, we had dinner and then a surprise visitor came to the church.   The kids lined up to sit on his lap and get a candy cane.  

As you can see, not everyone was thrilled
to sit on Santa Claus's lap.

A few days later, when I was tucking Heidi in bed, I asked her, "So, what do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?"  She said, "A candy cane."   "Oh, really?  Anything else?"  and all she would say was "a candy cane".   I thought,  "Wow!  I guess I shouldn't push that one!   Give it a few years and she'll have a list a mile long."  How fun that they are thrilled with the simple pleasures of life!  

We enjoyed a nice Christmas at home with our family.  We have had fun the last few years establishing our own traditions.  We took a trip down to Salt Lake on Dec 22nd to visit extended family.   We went to my grandma Schulz's Christmas party and then also visited my Oma and Opa Michel.  It was great to see all of them.  We also stopped in to visit Aaron's grandpa Christensen.  His wife just passed away in September and she is greatly missed.    We met up with Aaron's brothers and parents at Temple Square where we enjoyed the Christmas lights.  

On Christmas Eve we had a nice dinner and a program with our kids and with Aaron's parents and brother Ryan.  Erika and Kyle played songs on the piano, we sang some Christmas songs and then acted out the nativity while Aaron did the narration.  

Jared loves to climb into things and if he's lucky,
his siblings will push him around.

Jared was figuring out the whole "opening presents" thing
and just happy with a few small gifts.

Heidi was loving opening presents.  
They all got new pajamas for Christmas.  

Erika and Kyle were the most excited about the Wii and couldn't wait to play it.  

Erika, Kyle, and Heidi each also got a scooter from Santa Claus (the rest was from mom and dad and grandma and grandpa).

After church we took some pictures in front of the Christmas tree while everyone was still dressed up.

We had a nice turkey dinner and then just enjoyed playing with our new toys and spending time together.  It was such a great break!   We enjoyed relaxing and being with family.   One thing that was different this year was the lack of snow outside, but we found other things to do to have fun.  

Potty-training is not for the faint-of-heart!

As it is Thanksgiving weekend, I just have ONE VERY BIG THING to be thankful for.  There are so many others, but this one hits pretty high on the charts for me this month.  YES, the big day has finally arrived- Heidi is now officially potty trained.   This is my ultimate cause for Thanksgiving.  I was starting to wonder if it was EVER going to happen.   It has almost felt surreal, like it just can't be true.  I have dreamed of this day for a VERY LONG time, too long in my opinion.   

We started potty training at age 3, which was the age that it "clicked" for my other two.  I would have liked to do it sooner, but they just weren't ready.  With Erika being my first, I wasted a whole year from age 2-3 doing potty training and then when she turned 3, it just clicked.  Then, with Kyle it only took like 2 days just after his 3rd birthday and he had it down.  One thing that has been harder with Heidi is that she has been behind in pretty much everything else, including walking (25 mo) and talking.  We had her in the up-to-3 program and she was receiving help with a speech therapist and going to developmental preschool.  So, I was not expecting her to do as well as the other kids had at this.  But, I had no idea it would take this long.    

We took a few breaks after starting just because she simply didn't care at all.  She would walk around in poopy pants for hours if I didn't catch it and it really didn't bother her.   I tried every method I could think of.  I hate to admit this, but by the end I really wanted to burn the book "Potty training in less than a day"  (Even though it worked with Kyle).  It just bothered me that they claimed their methods worked so well with handicapped children.   I honestly tried EVERYTHING.   I was looking things up on the internet, reading books...   Finally we just stuck to the timer method.   I took her to the potty every 2 hours and she did okay with #1 but was terribly afraid of #2.  And, I went back to pull-ups mostly for my own sanity because getting her pants all wet didn't bother Heidi at all.  

Well, last month we started a potty chart with stickers and prizes- and she finally got it!!   (Before this I don't think she could really understand the chart thing).  If she went #2 in the potty she would get to pick a prize from the prize box that we have for the other kids when they earn rewards for being good.  I could not believe how excited she was about it!!  She went #2 in the potty that day and almost every day after that.  Well, a few weeks and only a couple of accidents later, I think we have arrived.  

I don't know if you really wanted to know all of those details, but oh well.  This has been my life for the last year-and-a-half.  All I can say is, potty training is not for the faint-of-heart.   For those of you who had it easy, lucky you- I have been there before.  But, to anyone who has had a hard time,  I comlpletely empathize!  I have told Aaron- I would pay up to $1,000 to send my child to a potty-training camp where they go for a few days and come home  completely potty trained.  That may sound bizarre, but I think it would be totally worth it!   Motherhood is a great training ground, with so much to learn and discover.  I've always said that among all the tasks of a mother, potty training has to be my least favorite, with baby food falling in as second place.  There are those things that you just trudge through and then you are glad when they are over, and then the rest you ENJOY.  Even the hard parts can end up being successes to celebrate.  

Kyle's 6th Birthday

What a handsome boy, if I do say so myself!  

We celebrated Kyle's 6th birthday on Nov 10th.  It was a fun day for him.   He wanted a "Batman cake" so I spent over 3 hours that day getting his cake decorated.   I think the part that took the longest was kneading the black food coloring into the fondant- it had to be black, not dark purple.  Thank goodness for the internet, too, which provides so many helpful ideas.  This was the finished product:  

The funny thing is Kyle knows he likes Batman but he has never even seen a Batman cartoon or movie before so on his birthday I let him watch one that we found at the library.  Of course, he loved it.   

Kyle had a pretty simple birthday this year.  We don't do a birthday party every year, and he had his 5-year old party last year.  (His next one will be at age 8.)  So, we woke up in the morning and daddy made french toast for his birthday breakfast at his request.   Then, he opened all his presents. 

Kyle found a salamander in the window well back in September and it was a very exciting thing for him.   We had kids coming over from all over the neighborhood to see him.  I let him keep it in a tupperware container with sandbox sand in it.  He was responsible for taking care of him.  He feeds him bugs- flies, crickest, worms, etc.  Well, we told him if he kept it alive until his birthday, we'd buy a real aquarium for his pet.  And he did, so that was one of his gifts.  Kyle and I got it all set up and his salamander was very happy in his new home.  

Kyle showing off his hunting playset from Opa 

Kyle got a Lego building set from grandma and he just couldn't wait build it.     The next day, He and Erika put the space shuttle together.   I was amazed with how well they did on it!   I helped them get started, but then the two of them followed the instructions and figured the rest of it out on their own!   This was Kyle's first Lego building set.

We are so thankful to have Kyle in our family.   He is a great son and brother.  I have grown to love his fun personality and excitement for life.  He is adventurous and motivated.  I have watched him grow a lot this year in his ability to be on task and in his interactions with others.   He has become a lot more sensitive and helpful.  I love him so much- what a sweet boy!  

That night after dinner (spaghetti- Kyle's request) we all went swimming as a family to Crystal Hot Springs, which is about 10 min. from our house.  We had a nice time swimming there- the water is so warm so Jared even enjoyed it.   It was a great day.  

Jared enjoyed the batman cake, too!  

Halloween 2011

We had a fun Halloween this year.  The kids were really excited about their costumes and dressing up.   I put a lot of work into making Erika into a ROBOT.   It was funny because she wore this costume to the ward party on Oct 28th and could not reach her mouth with her hand, so we had to help her eat.  

Kyle had fun being a mummy on Halloween.  Doesn't he look creepy?  He likes the spooky ones.  

This was his first year at the Elementary school so he got to be in the Halloween parade, which he was so excited about.  

I put together a "Halloween Costume Exchange" this year through the Relief Society, which went pretty well.  Anyone who had extra costumes from previous years could bring them and then choose from what was there.  I figured this could be a blessing for anyone who would have otherwise had to go out and buy a costume that only gets worn once.  I have a huge tub of costumes stored away as I'm sure most people do.   This was nice for me, too, so that some of the younger kids didn't have to be the same thing their siblings were in the past.  

A "care bear",  perfect for my little Heidi.  
 She got to wear her costume to school for a
Halloween party and was so excited!

Jared was a little mouse.   He knows he is cute.  

 The kids had a lot of fun trick-or-treating this year and even more fun eating the candy afterward!

                                          

                                               All four of them anxiously waiting to go trick-or-treating.  

Another Small Victory

On October 29th, I ran my second half-marathon.  My goal has been to run one after each baby is weaned to get back in shape.  (I actually didn't start this goal until after Heidi, so I've only done it once so far.)  This time was a little different than last time for several reasons.  I actually started training at the beginning of the summer and was set to run a race scheduled for Aug 27th, the last week of the summer.  Then, because of my own clumsiness,  I accidentally broke my toe just rushing around in the house and hitting a door frame.  This was on July 31st, less than a month before the race.  I was supposed to run a 10K the following week and had to cancel that, too.  I was devastated!   I had an ER Dr at my work look at it and he said I would need to splint and rest my foot for 4-6 weeks in order for it to heal.  Then, I vowed to start training again, depending on how quickly my toe was able to heal.  I never thought breaking a toe could be such a big deal.  It is such a silly thing, really.   And, I never realized breaking such a small thing could hurt so bad!   It was also driving me crazy to not exercise for that long.  The only thing I could do to stay in shape was ride my bike, which I did a few times a week.

Well, my toe finally healed after 6 long weeks and I started running again- yeah!!   At that point I had to run in the dark most days and I would only have 6 weeks to train for the half marathon- half of what I should have had.   I had originally planned to go down to Provo for the "Halloween Half" on Oct 29th, but for a few reasons, I decided not to go.   For one thing, it cost $55 and I didn't like the T-shirt with a skull and cross-bones.  I also knew it would be very crowded, you were supposed to dress up, and the first 5 miles were downhill, which can be very hard on your knees.   I ended up deciding to just do a local run.  You can sign up for a "virtual run" on the internet and you just tell them how far you went and they mail you a T-shirt.  It only cost me $16 instead of $55.   So, a few days before my scheduled run, Aaron and I clocked the run in our car to be sure we had the correct mileage.  It was also fun for me to show him where I would be running.  Just driving the route felt long, let alone running it!   When the day arrived, I ran the 13.1 miles and my biggest fans, my little family, were all there at the Garland Park to cheer for me.   I didn't really beat my last time, which was about the same- about 2 hrs, 20 min.  But, it didn't really matter too much.   I was just glad that I was able to do it.  With the money we saved, we went afterwards out to brunch and celebrated at the Golden Corral (my family's favorite part.)  One of my best memories will be seeing Aaron parked at the top of the last hill, cheering me on.  I was exhausted and almost just started bawling.  Actually, my first thought was, "Oh great.  I was going to walk up this hill, but now I have to run it."  That's what we do for eachother, right?  We cheer eachother on.

Aaron has always said he doesn't really understand running.  To him it is very boring and there isn't much of a point.  He would much rather play on a team where you win or there is an object to the game. I have never really been very coordinated or athletic and therefore not very good at sports.  But running (putting one foot in front of another) I can do- and for a pretty long time, I guess.   I enjoy being out there all alone, feeling so in-tune with nature and with myself.  (This area has the perfect country road to run on- almost exactly a mile square, quiet and beautiful.)  I also like it so much because it allows me to stretch myself.  I can set new goals and accomplish them.   In one way, I am conquering a part of myself, pushing myself to greater limits.  I think that's my favorite part about it.

The perfect Father-Son Weekend

I think Aaron has been waiting for the day to arrive for years- when Kyle could finally be his "outdoors buddy".   The weekend of October 21st, they went out and made some memories.

It was Fall break so school was out on Friday.  Aaron took Kyle out all day to Devil's Creek up by Malad, ID.  Aaron had gone up there the weekend before with his dad and brother and they had done very well.

Well, it was a dream come true for Aaron and Kyle.  Kyle absolutely LOVES fishing and hunting, I guess it is just "in his blood".  He was so excited, he got up so early that morning and was ready to go.  Out on the lake, they caught over 20 fish and Kyle kept saying, "We're going to catch a monster fish!"   They did end up catching 3 very large "monster" fish and brought some home to eat.  Kyle had the time of his life and didn't want to stop.

The next day, Saturday, Aaron took Kyle out hunting.  A friend in our ward showed him a good spot where his family hunts that was only about 15 min from our home.   They ended up getting a little spike, just perfect for Kyle's first hunt.   It was quite a hike to finally get him, and Kyle was a trooper.  He kept up with Aaron for the most part, and didn't complain.   He was so excited to come home and show us what they got.   We didn't get much meat from him, but it was a good starter.   I was glad that Kyle and Aaron were able to have such a successful weekend together, and to have such a good time together.

In Memory of Grandma Christensen

On September 24th, we had the opportunity to travel to Boise to pay our respects to Aaron's grandma, Donna Marie Christensen.  She passed away on Sept 16, 2011.    I had the opportunity of singing at her funeral- "I Stand All Amazed."  This was her favorite song.   It was such a great experience for me.

Aaron's grandma was an amazing woman.  She has left a legacy behind that will be hard to follow.  I can honestly say that  I have NEVER met a more Christlike person in my entire life.  She was truly and angel on earth.  I only knew her for the last 12 years of her life, but from what I am told, she hasn't changed much from before that time in her life.  She suffered from Alzheimer's for the last several years, but despite the challenges she went through, no one ever heard her complain.

To all who knew her, grandma Christensen was full of love and optimism.  She was constantly speaking positive and cheerful words.  She never had a negative word to say.   In his talk, Aaron's uncle Jeff said that he believes if she were on the Titanic as it was going down, she would have been commenting on how beautiful the sunset was.   That was just the way grandma was.  She was always positive!   She raised 5 amazing children, one of which was my mother-in-law Vicki.  She loved to sing and had a great appreciation for music.  She was also passionate about missionary work.  She and grandpa both served in the Scotland, Edinburgh mission (the same one Aaron served in.)  Aaron remembers that whenever he saw her, she would always give him money for his mission and made sure he knew she expected him to go.

I am grateful for my opportunity to know Donna Christensen.   She was truly a wonderful woman.  Knowing her has made me want to be a better person, more like the Savior.  I only hope that someday someone could say something like that about me.  

The Adventures of Jared

Look at my hiding spot, mom!

I haven't posted much on Jared lately so I wanted to write a little just about him.  

From the minute he was born, our little Jared has been such a delight!  He just has a fun, happy little personality and being the fourth, he has had to be pretty easy-going, just hanging out with his brother and sisters most of the time.   He will be 17 mo old on the 19th.  

Jared started walking almost a month ago now.  He loves pushing his little walker around the house.   It is so fun to watch him cruise around and do a little 360 turn all of a sudden.  He has also developed an attachment to his blankie (pictured above).  The funny thing is that he actually has 2 favorite blankies which makes it easier for us because either will work.  He still takes 2 naps a day although recently the morning nap sometimes doesn't happen.   
Jared is also a climber.  His favorite thing to climb up is the ladder on Heidi and Kyle's bunkbed which always makes me really nervous.  He thinks he is pretty cool and giggles like crazy when he can crawl around on the top bunk.   He has no fear.  

Jared loves to plunk out a tune on the piano.

Here is a picture of Jared "helping me" can peaches and pears.  I finally had to move the pears because he kept grabbing new ones and taking some bites out of them, then moving on to the next.                

He is such a great eater and especially loves juicy fruits and vegetables.  During melon season, he wanted to eat it so much that I had to take it away after a few episodes of "the runs".   

Making peaches and pears was a 2-day event at our house and during the meantime with the kids running in and out from the sandbox, the floor was like sandpaper.   Walking in our kitchen sounded like this:  squish-scratch,  squish-scratch.  Until I finally got the mop out and balance was in the force again.  

Okay, mom- you caught me.  I just can't help it!  

I made over 70 jars of jam this year and this is what my kitchen looked like at 1 o'clock in the morning, when I was finally done.  It was a disaster zone!  (We don't eat THAT much jam- it is for neighbor gifts for Christmas- one less thing to do over the holidays!)

  The other day, I put Heidi in the bath and was hustling about doing things before I put Jared in.  Well, he didn't want to wait for me and so he just jumped on with his clothes on.  He thought he was pretty funny!   

We love having Jared around.  He is such fun for the kids to play with.  Erika says, "I don't know what I would do without my cute little Jared!"  I love having him around with me when the other kids are in school.  We have cuddle time.  Sometimes I think I could just kiss his little face off- it is so soft and kissable.   He loves to read books.  He can "growl" like a tiger or bear.  He can also say "no" and "mom" (usually not at the same time :)  He also likes to "dance" to music.   I enjoy his constant chatter in his own little language.   I don't know what I would do without him, either.  

Back to School

In front of the new school with their good friends Lilly and Emma.  

It was an exciting day when the kids went back to school on Aug 29th.  They have been anxiously anticipating it all summer as they have watched the new school being built.
     I don't know who is more excited about the new school, me or them!!  It is only a block away- just down the street, so they can walk to school, now.  I absolutely LOVE that part of it.  The new school is also really nice.

Erika started the 3rd grade this year.    Her teacher is Mrs. Oyler.  The funny thing is that Aaron actually taught her in seminary!!  Woe!  This makes him feel pretty old.  He was pretty surprised to see her when we met her in Erika's classroom on back-to-school night.  So far Erika is loving school and things are going well for her.   She has a lot of friends and is always coming up with new games and "clubs" with them.   She still loves learning and is a great example to her classmates.  

          Kyle started kindergarten this year.  What an exciting thing for him!  He goes every day from 12:10 to 2:50.   After the first few days, he was disappointed to learn that he would only go for half a day.   He loves school and wishes he could go all day long like the other kids.   He gets pretty bored at home with me and so it is a challenge for me to find things to keep him busy.  I do love having him with me for part of the day, though, and will miss that next year.   He always says to me, "Mom, what are you going to do today while I am at school?" and "Make sure you watch out for my room so it doesn't get messed up."  One day he said really sincerely, "I hope you are not bored while I am gone.  I know you'll miss me."  What a sweetie.

Heidi is still attending school with the Early Learning Center for Development assistance.   She was bussed to the Corinne Learning Center for 5 weeks in the summer twice a week.  Now that the new Garland school is done, the Fielding school is being remodeled and so they are using the old Garland school until theirs is remodeled.  They have a developmental preschool there and so this year Heidi gets to go there!  This is great for her because it is a lot closer.  She still gets to ride the bus, but it's less than a mile away.  Last year she sat on the bus for almost an hour each way to preschool.  She also gets to go four days a week instead of two this year.    Heidi is really loving school and making so much progress.  I am so thankful for the school system and for all the help they give.  I do what I can at home to teach the kids, but I don't think I could teach them as much as what they get at school.

My First Quilt

After two years of work, I finally finished my first quilt.  I actually didn't really think I would like quilting.  I always thought it was for old ladies who had too much time on their hands and figured I would try it out someday when I was older.   But, a friend in my ward was teaching a free quilting class (and she is a very talented quilter) so I figured I would take the opportunity and learn how to do the basics.  

What I came to discover was that I REALLY like it!  (Great- just what I need, another hobby, right?  I don't even have time to do the hobbies I already have.)  I realized that quilting is just up my alley.  I love piecing things together and I really enjoyed coming up with my own patterns and doing the math, cutting and sewing, etc.  One thing I am challenged with is the color coordinating, but I guess there are helps for that.  I had a lot of fun looking around at other quilts and getting ideas from them, and then adapting those to my own.  This quilt is just a sampler of a bunch of different quilt blocks.   I was also amazed to realize the unlimited potential to create something unique.  I never thought it would be so much fun!  

So, I went to the class once a month and then worked on it little by little, and finally finished the quilt at the end of July.  My goal was to enter it into the county fair.  I have never done that before and wanted a new experience.  

I have to admit my experience at the fair was a little disappointing for me.  First of all, it probably took us at least 15 min. to even find my quilt and when we did,  it was folded up in a glass case about knee-high.  I was a little sad it wasn't displayed up on the wall where most of the quilts were and there were empty spaces up there.  I know I was a little whiney and it shouldn't have really mattered, but I had looked forward to having it displayed.   The second thing was that I had gotten second place, but the more I thought about it, the better I felt about the ribbon.  If I would have gotten first place on my very first quilt, what would be the fun in trying again the next time?   Anyway, I am pretty sure I will do it again someday.  

One funny thing about the whole experience, though, was that a few minutes before I left to turn in my quilt, Erika and Kyle said, "Oh, we want to enter something!"  So they hurried and built a little lego scene and turned it in together and guess what-  Yes- they got a blue ribbon.   Ha ha.  I was very happy for them, though.  They were really excited about it and had to have their picture taken by it.  

Erika and Kyle showing off their blue ribbon and Lego creation.
It's a little hard to see and not so clear because Aaron took it on his phone.

The Box Elder County Fair is just such a fun, down-to-earth event.  I actually think it is really neat to see the amazing things people are involved in.  It is so fun to see peoples' creativity- it's inspiring!   One thing we saw that someone made was a large sculpture of the Brigham City Temple made out of Legos, and it looked like a professional little miniature.  The legos were purchased from all over the world.  There were a lot of things like that.  People enter anything- from baked and canned goods to art or produce from their gardens!  This is so different from the Utah State fair that we went to when I was little.   I just love the small- town feel.  The kids especially enjoy the animals and the rides.

Heidi had a blast on the dragon ride.