Valentine's Day Cards

The outside (top) and the inside (bottom)

I thought it would be fun to make Valentine's Day cards with my Primary class of 5-year-olds today. We are talking about families and thought it was perfect timing to make a card to say "I Love You." This is a demo card I made.

While I was making that card and cutting papers, ribbons and tying bows, Brent and Sammi were busy crafting too! They made these Valentine's Day cards for grandparents. Don't worry Grandmas and Grandpas, there are three cards! In case I don't get them in the mail in time--They are on the way and we love you!

A Budding Photographer

Sammi is developing real skill with the camera! Just look at the composition.

I'm Gorgeous, Darling!

Sammi hates TV, so sometimes when I need five minutes to get something done, I turn on the water and let her go to town. This is what I discovered this last week when I went to turn the water off:

Cleaning Breakthrough!

I've been reading Don Aslett's book about housecleaning. I had a chance to use his 4 step method this morning! The four steps are eliminate, saturate,dissolve, and remove. The idea is that you eliminate all the dust, surface crumbs, loose stuff, basically. Then you saturate the surface with your cleaner and then you let the cleaner dissolve the stuck on stuff. Finally, you come back and remove the cleaner and the dirt and are left with a perfectly clean surface.

So, this morning we were cleaning up the kitchen in order to make breakfast. I am ashamed to admit it, but the counter was covered in dishes all day yesterday. So, I finally got the counter cleared off, and lo and behold, the counter itself was dirty! So, I decided it was time to try out the four step process. I wiped the loose crumbs off and squirted down the counter. Before I could even think about letting it dissolve, Sammi dropped a little cup of Cheerios and I went over to help her pick them up. After that was all cleaned up, I went back and wiped the counter off! The timing was perfect.

He reiterates several times in what I've read so far that you have to be patient in letting the cleaner do its job so that you don't have to do all the scrubbing. I had to chuckle at how helpful Sammi's otherwise-unhelpful mess turned out to be!

I still don't like to clean, but I am getting better about motivating myself to do it. Now that I'm arming myself with some techniques and tricks-of-the-trade, I can't wait to have a sparkling pretty house.

Valentine's Day Craft

I saw this cute project on KSL Studio 5 and thought it would be so much fun! While deciding if I really had the energy to do it, I came across the cutest blog, homemade by jill, and was truly motivated to make this craft.

They are chocolate covered oreo cookies on lollipop sticks! I decorated some with red candy hearts and some with red sprinkles. They looked so cute arranged in the cup like a little bouquet of flowers. What a great Valentine's Day present.

So, for all my family and friends that I won't get to see at this holiday, I love you! And here's a little treat for you!

XOXOXOX

Laundry Day!

I love washing clothes. Sammi gets such a kick out of playing with them while I fold them. On this laundry day, she was taking the towels and placing them like blankets on her Aloha Bear. (Even though it's a Christmas book, she still begs me to read it to her!)

After the Aloha Bear was thoroughly covered with blankets, she laid down using him as a pillow and asked me to cover her with a towel. (Yes, she asked for a towel, not a blanket!) Then she rubbed her eyes and said, "Tired, Mommy, sleeping."

Where'd Sammi Go?

Sammi loves to take books to bed with her. Now we know she even reads them!

Dress Up!

Dress up with Mommy


Dress up with Daddy


Cowgirl riding her "horsie"

Itsy Bitsy Spider!

A New Heartbeat

Well, this is the official announcement! Motherhood 101 has progressed to Motherhood 102! Sammi and I went to the doctor's today. I told Sammi on the way that we were going to hear the baby's heartbeat. She kept repeating "baby heart" on the way there! And, just to prove how smart she is, just after we listened to the heartbeat she told the doctor, "baby heart!" The heartbeat was so fast! The doctor said about 170 beats/minute! I forgot little hearts go so fast.

Now I am about 12 weeks. I'm looking forward to entering the second trimester and getting my energy back. We are really excited about having a new baby come to our family. If it's a boy we have a name picked out, but if this baby is a girl, we are up in the air. Brent vetoed my suggestion of Daffodil. (As has everyone else I've told the idea to. Although I almost convinced my brother Jonson to back me up!)

So, if you have any suggestions for girls names, I'd love to hear them.

Hinckley Challenge

I have been very emotional this week as I've watched reports on President Hinckley's life. He was a great man and an amazing example. He was more productive in one day than I feel I've been in my whole life!! I started his biography by Sheri Dew but haven't even finished it (it's been about two years!) My new goal is to finish it before she comes out with the conclusion to President Hinckley's life.

Another goal I have came to me in the form of an email. Normally I don't read forwards and such because I hate the guilt trip at the end to make others endure the email too. But this email was different. I got it from a close friend of mine and it contained a message I could really get behind. It's a challenge organized by Jake Anderson and reminiscent of President Hinckley's own challenge a few years back. He's named it the Hinckley Challenge and it is a challenge to read the Book of Mormon in 97 days-one day for every year of President Hinckley's life. What a wonderful way to honor this man's life and to keep his legacy alive. 97 days means reading about 5 1/2 pages a day. For me, I think that will be quite productive!

The challenge begins today! I encourage all who have an interest in President Hinckley's life or in Book of Mormon to join me in accepting this challenge and opportunity to honor President Hinckley's legacy.

A Thankless Job?

So often we hear that parenthood, and especially motherhood, is a thankless job. We slave away day after day and our efforts seem to go unnoticed by our children. Well, today was a bright spot that proves it's not always thankless.

As I was getting Sammi ready for breakfast, I had her all buckled in her chair and her cereal ready for the milk and then found the tray to her high chair still covered with food from dinner last night (Yuck! I know) So I grabbed the tray and headed to the sink to clean it off. As I was returning to her chair to put the tray on, Sammi looked up and said "Thank you, Mommy." I don't know if she realized that I had done something nice for her or if she just spontaneously said it, but I sure felt thanked for cleaning off her tray!

Then, we were getting dressed after her bath and she was running around the room away form me as I was trying to get her shirt on. I finally got the shirt over her head and on her arms. I asked her to lay down on the floor so I could snap it up. As she laid down she said, "Thank you, Mommy!" At this moment I thought she was doing something nice for me, so I responded by saying, "Thank you, Sammi." She looked at me for a second and then said, "You're welcome."

So maybe our kids do have glimpses into the work we do for them. What I know for sure: I really needed Sammi's Thank-yous today and she was kind enough to oblige.