OH, HOW I LOVE THIS GIRL

This girl is my favorite little thing on the planet. She is so much fun. She is learning all sorts of new words. Sierra will go to school and MJ will say, "Where is Sara?" I will say, "She is a school." She will say, "Where is Sara?" I will say, "She is at school." She will say, "Where is Sara?" I will say, "She is at school." Then she will say, "Where is Dada?" I will say, "He is at work." She will say, "Where is Sara?" This usually continues till her nap, which is about an hour after Sierra goes to school and then I am free. For the first time since CC stopped napping three years ago I have a free few hours to myself. I am loving it, but why does the time go by so fast?

KINDERGARTEN ADVENTURES

Well, problems got worse at Sierra's school. We chose a charter school because we felt like we wanted her to get a good education in a safe environment and in a school with strong values. However, she and her teacher butted heads from day one. She wasn't thriving. She was constantly being sat at the kidney table. She was miserable. She was ripping her hair out by the handfuls and then punished for doing so, by being sat at the kidney table. (Which isn't something she has ever done before.) I felt disconnected from her like she wasn't my little girl anymore. She stopped pretending and was constantly arguing with her sister and refused to do any of her homework. I didn't know how to reach her.

After school we went for a bike ride over to the park and saw a beautiful hot-air balloon and played on the swings. Then as the evening came to an end we talked and she said, "Mom, I don't want to go back to that school." I asked why. She said, "Mom, I am scared to death of that kidney table. I think if I sit too long there I will get a stone and the docotor will come and take me to the hospital." Funny, but not. The next morning on a whim I decided to send to her the public school. She has three other friends that attend our church that go there. We all walked over together. She was a little scared but she went. When I came to pick her up she ran into my arms and said, "Mom, I want to go to this school for the whole rest of my life! We got to get out of our chairs, and we got to have fun!" She came home and played a game of pretend under the table with her sister until dark. It is good to have her back.

ODE TO MR. TOAD

We found you on a real farm. You were so much fun. I kissed you several times hoping you would turn into a prince. You didn't. I played and played with you. I dipped you in water. I dangled you by your hands. I put you in jars. We had so much fun but you died. I was so sad. Mom, MJ and I had a little funeral. We burried you in the backyard. I said a prayer. I said, "Heavenly Father, help this frog to go to heaven and then come back to life and be resurected. In the name of Jesus Christ amen." I cried. I was sad I wish you would come back to life and play with me.

Love,

Sierra

RUBBER DUCKY YOUR THE ONE

I AM A BAD PEOPLE, SO I AM GOING TO HELL

Sierra may have been sent to the office yesterday because she may have refused to participate in PE. Then she may have refused to tuck in her shirt after PE by blatantly saying, "NO." Then she may have been made to sit at the kidney table (AKA the naughty chair). Then she may have been asked to go to the office because she looked at her teacher and said, "I don't have to listen you, you aren't my mom." Then she may have refused and threw a tantrum. Then she may have been forcibly removed from class. I am not saying any of this is true. I am certain it isn't because my little girl is an angel. She is my everything and my bestest little buddy. She would never. Then she may have said, "Mom, I am a bad people, so I am going to hell." Which may have come from a discussion we had early this month on hell arrising from the question, "What is hell?" I assured her she wasn't because children can't go to hell and because she was a good girl. Anyway, I am certain someone else hacked into my blog (or my life) and made this whole thing up.

FIRST DAY O' SCHOOL

I bearly slept last night. I kept having nightmares and I couldn't relax. Today was a big day for me. For the first time in my little girls life I had to entrust her in anothers care. We were way early to school. I thought it would be fun to play on the playground with the other kids before class. She was overwelmed and just stared and clung to my legs. She said, "There are so many kids." I am sure she has never seen so many children in one spot. As she lined up and filed into class I had to choke back the tears. Her teacher said, "If you need to call mid-way through the day you can." I didn't. I just filled my schedule so the time would go by faster.

I was late picking her up, I thought school let out later. She was in the office. I thought she would be sad, but she wasn't. She loved it. She said she drew trees in art and played on the playground and sat on a rug that looks like a map but that was all she could remember.
Doesn't she look beautiful and smart?
Here are her assignments from her first day of school
Seriously, give her a break, it is her first day. She wrote the number one line down, but she got it right.

CHEF BRAD

We had a famous chef visit us and cook for us for two days. He brought gifts and food, lots of food and I was happy. I am excited to play with Nate's graduation present, which was really for me and I love it. He brought his very handsome son that my daughters fell in love with.

My daughters feel in love with the Chef. Especially MJ who sat forever and let him read to her. They are welcome back anytime. We loved every minute of their trip.
If you want to check out this amazingly talented man, you can on his website, chefbrad.com. We are big fans.

BLACK CANYON NATIONAL PARK

We woke up yesterday, loaded the car, and headed off camping.
There was an ornery lady in the car she was sad she forgot her coat and the girl's coats. She forgot a pillow and the girls and her toothbrushes and toothpaste.
She was very ornery.
She pouted and wanted to go back home, but it wasn't possible.
"Everything will be okay. You forget things when you go camping, and that is part of the fun." Stated her more rational male counterpart.
He was right.
It was beautiful and warm and there was an extra pillow in the camping gear and who needs clean teeth anyway.

When we arrived the oldest little one saw a sign she said what does that say.
Her mother being quick on her toes said, "It says Fairy Mischievous is in these woods today. She is stealing peoples food and will take ours if the containers are left open." (Fairy Mischievous is a mischievous fairy that does all sorts of naughty things. She use to live with other fairies but they didn't like the naughty things she did, so they sent her to live with the humans and cursed her to be a slow flying fairy.)
The sign said, "WARNING BEARS IN CAMPSITE DO NOT LEAVE CONTAINERS OPEN." I couldn't tell her the truth no mother with a daughter who has nightmares would have.

A lady in a near by campsite overheard the conversation and came by and said, "Did you know there are fairies in these woods and I found one of their shovels. Would you return it to them when you see them??"
It almost brought a tear to my eye that this sweet stranger would come over and play an important role in our game and bring so much joy and exploring to our side of the camp. (See small pink shovel pictured below.)We went on a few hikes to find Fairy Mischievous and to return the shovel to the Hard Working Fairies. We threw rocks into the river. CC collected handfuls of worms and named them all and made them a bed fit for worms. We built a fire and had tin-foil dinners and cuddled up and sang Children's Hymns in the peaceful canyon night. We snuggled down and slept till the morning. Then awoke to the cool clean air of the woods. My better half went fishing. A photojournalist was perusing the river and spotted his big catch and asked if they could put his picture in a magazine. Then they had him sign a model release form. (MY HUSBAND IS A MODEL, we all knew he was good looking, but now... proof.)We all had a really good time.

WHAT ARE THOSE GIRLS DOIN'?

Yesterday, they played airplane in the living room; CC was in her car seat and MJ in her booster seat.

MJ has spent several hours pushing CC around in her baby doll stroller. Both of them were laughing so hard they couldn't get a breath.

Story time is always a favorite. When CC was young I really struggled getting her to sit still and listen to books. Sometimes I wondered why I bothered, but MJ will sit quite as a mouse and listen to books for hours. I don't know if this is a personality difference or not. I sometimes think it is because CC loves to be read to now and sets a good example for her little sister.

The other afternoon, after struggling all morning to get CC to clean her room she announced it was done perfect. When I walked through the door I thought wow, she finally can clean her room on her own. Then I checked the closet. Yep, we still have work to do.

This is the sneaky one thinking she almost got away with it.

She has been really good at helping me clear the table and rise the dishes, lately. Well, I am off. I get to go and do Kindergarten testing with the little sneaky girl today.

TROMPING IN THE RAIN

Yesterday, it started to rain but the sky was still mostly blue. I asked the kids if they wanted to dance in rain. MJ wanted to hid behind my legs and Sierra wanted to protect herself with MJ's highchair tray, not conducive to dancing. These girls are hilarious.
When the thunder stopped MJ went out and promptly sat on the wet sidewalk.
Then they tromped throuh the muddy gutter puddles. It was a lot of fun.

LESSON IN SELFISHNESS

Well, last night Daddy came home with a special treat for CC and one for me. Aren't they beautiful?
CC ate the top cupcake and said she was going to share the bottom one with the rest of us. Well, it must of tasted really good because the entire thing disappeared. I asked Nate, "What happened to the rest of the cupcake?" He said, "I think she ate it." I said, "CC, did you eat that whole thing?" She didn't respond. The next morning I am laying in bed and I hear a scream of shear terror. I jump up to see what was happening. Sierra has the cupcake and it is covered in ants. She hid it under her bed because she was too full to eat the entire thing but didn't want to share. The ants got it instead. We have a large ant problem. The girls have been forbidden to take food out of the kitchen. I think she thought if she was sneaky she could get away with it. I am grateful for the simple lessons my Father-in-Heaven teaches my children.

GRAFF DAIRY

I got MJ to to bed and then CC and I snuck out for a little yummy food therapy. The best thing about country living is there are a lot of farms very close by. I saw on the internet that there was a dairy farm that sold fresh milk and ice cream. I had to check it out.
They have the standard chocolate and vanilla ice cream cones and then they have a flavor of the day. Today's flavor, mint. CC thought it was amazing.
I bought some peach ice cream to bring home and share with my husband. They buy the peaches that morning from Palisade (A little orchard community seconds up the road.) and grind them up and put them in their homemade ice cream.
We were definitely happier and more relaxed when we got back from the yummy food therapy.

THE HIDING PLACE

The Bishop's wife spoke on Sunday. Her talk was on forgiveness. Most of her words came from excerpts from this book. The title sounded familiar. I am sure I read it once in my youth or maybe I scanned the cliff notes to get by on a book report, I am not sure. I asked her if I could borrow it. I spent last night and much of today reading it. I was so touched. I must have it for my bookshelf. I loved every word. I always have been weirdly obsessed with books about World War II and the Nazi concentration camps, but this is the first one I read that lifted me as I turned the pages. For those of you who haven't read it I highly recommend it. I will give you a little piece for your pallet to mull over.

"Corrie, do you remember, the day we were arrested, a man came to the shop? You were sick and I had to wake you up."
I remembered very well. Remembered the strange roving eyes, the uneasiness in the pit of my stomach that was more than fever.
"Apparently everyone in Ermelo knew him. he worked with the Gestapo from the first day of occupation...
Flames of fire seemed to leap around that name in my heart. I thought of Father's final hours, alone and confused, in a hospital corridor. Of the underground work so abruptly halted. I thought of Mary Itallie arrested while walking down a street. And I knew that if Jan Vogel stood in front of me now I could kill him.
Betsie drew the little cloth bag from beneath her overalls and held it out to me, but I shook my head. ....
"You lead the prayers tonight, Betsie. I have a headache."
More than a headache. All of me ached with the violence of my feeling about the man who had done us so much harm. That night I did not sleep and the next day at my bench scarcely heard the conversation around me. By the end of the week I had worked myself into such a sickness of body and spirit that Mr. Moorman stopped at my bench and aske if something were wrong.
"Wrong? Yes, somethings wrong!" And I plunged into an account of that morning. I was only too eager to tell Mr. Moorman and all Holland how Jan Vogel had betrayed his country.
What puzzled me all this time was Betsie. She had suffered everything I had and yet she seemed to carry no burden of rage. "Betsie!" I hissed one dark night when I knew that my restless tossing must be keeping her awake. Three of us now shared this single cot as the crowded camp daily received new arrivals. "Betsie, don't you feel anything about Jan Vogel? Doesn't it bother you?"
"Oh, yes, Corrie! Terribly!I've felt for him ever since I knew-and pray for him whenever his name comes into my mind. How dreadfully he must be suffering!"
For a long time I lay silent in the huge shadowy barracks restless with the sighs, snores, and stirring of hundreds of women. Once again I had the feeling that this sister with whom I had spent all my life belonged somehow to another order of beings. Wasn't she telling me in her gentle way that I was as guilty as Jan Vogel? Didn't' he and I stand together before an all-seeing God convicted of the same sin of murder? For I had murdered him with my heart and with my tongue.
"Lord Jesus," I whispered into the lumpy ticking of the bed, "I forgive Jan Vogel as I pray that You will forgive me. I have done him great damage. Bless him now, and his family..." That night for the first time since our betrayer had a name I slept deep and dreamlessly until the whistle summoned us to roll call.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

I love this scripture and this dear little silly face reminded me of it.

ONLY IN THE COUNTRY

At church today I asked the ladies about where I could go to pick up produce. They were giving all sorts of suggestions of wonderful home grown fruit stands near by. I am thinking of attempting to bottle peaches like my mother did for me. I love home bottled peaches they don't have that thick sweet syrup like the peaches at the store and are so yummy with fresh whole wheat bread. Sigh. The tastes of home. Well, one of the ladies sitting close grabbed me after church and said her garden had been overproducing and to just let her know what I needed and she would bring over whatever. I said, "I would love anything." This is what was delivered to me this afternoon. Aren't they beautiful, and what is even better they taste amazing. I need a friend like her to teach me how to grow beautiful vegtables and hopefully I can bless her life too.
So, that led to fresh sliced cucumbers dipped in ranch along side our chicken pot pie for dinner. It was yummy but a little rich for my taste. I will simplify the ingredients and post the recipe on my finer things blog. I have two recipes so look for them.
While I was cooking I got to play peek-a-boo with my daughter in the backyard. Oh, to have a backyard where I can watch my children play as I cook. I could never have dreamed of such a sweet miracle. She can be where she wants to be and I can be where I need to be. I don't think you will ever hear the words from anyone of us especially my sweet CC, "I miss living on the 19th floor." It is good to be on solid ground again. I am blissfully content to be in the country or at least closer than I have been in a long time. I am happy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY BIG GIRL

Well, my friend Bethany made this cute barbie cake with the cake as the dress. I think my mom may have made one when I was little because it brought back a few memories. I decided to make one for Sierra. To say the least, it didn't work out. It turned more into a princess relaxing in a bath tub. Sierra was excited about her cake though and I guess that is all that matters.
I was going to go and pick up a bike for her the night before her birthday but Nate wanted to let her pick out her own on her birthday, so that is what we did. She picked out her bike and then wouldn't get off it. She drove it through the check stand, the lady scanned it and she drove it out of the store.
Nate dropped us off a little ways from our home, so she could ride her bike home. (I had to include this picture because with the mountains in the distance you would think it was taken in Utah somewhere.)
The bike came with this water bottle and I think she may have been about as excited about it as she was the bike. Also, thank you so much Anne for giving her your bike helmet, she loves it and it fits perfect.
The primary president and another woman from the ward came over to our home and gave Sierra a treat and a balloon. She was so excited, it made her day. It touched my heart and made me feel like she was apart of something,.. I guess in all ward's children are members of the primary, but it really was such a sweat gesture. I think she was as excited about that balloon as she was anything else.

I love this little girl so much. I often think, why was I so blessed to have her as my daughter. She is so compassionate and is always concerned about my well being. She loves her little sister so much and wants to teach her and encourage her and love her. She gets excited about things Nate is excited about and is such a good companion for him. I could not have hand picked a more perfect oldest child she truly is one of my very greatest blessings. I love you little princesses. I am never going to let you grow up and go to school, never. I want to keep you forever. I can hear her little echo, "You will mom, but it will be okay because Madison will be here with you and I will come home, I will only be gone for a little while." I can't even really think about it. I haven't registered or done any of the paperwork. I haven't even walked into the school and it starts on the 23rd. I think I am in denial. I am going to try and keep it together but I am going to cry that whole day.

JUST FOR KICKS AND GIGGLES

SPEAKING OF BIRTHDAYS

Happy Birthday Tamara!
Happy Birthday Kimberly!

I made these shirts from a DI pile in my mother's garage. They were clothes that my sister had brought up. One of her friend's husbands lost weight and was discarding. So...walla! Two Beautiful new Sunday shirts for the girls. I love it. It makes me so happy to see something that has passed its useful life, get another one. Happy Birthday. I hope they fit. (No, secretly I hope they don't so I can keep them. ;) (P.S. The ribbon is not included. We will have to find some fun ribbons and/or flowers to make belts for these shirts when I come up.) Lots of love.

THANKS GRANDMA AND GRANDPA

My mother in-law is always so thoughtful and seems to find the perfect gift for Sierra. (Her birthday is on Saturday. She will be 5. Like her mother, she doesn't have the patience to wait to open gifts.) She has been playing with these for two straight days and they have been her constant companion. Thanks a million you made her day.

DINOSAUR MUSEUM

Well, we got a pass to the local dinosaur museum. It is three minutes from the house and we thought it would be a good activity for the girls. Nate took us as a family yesterday. He spent the whole day with us, which was nice.
There were a lot of dinosaur bones there. I told Nate this could be cooler than the Carnegie museum until he burst my bubble by saying, "Yeah, but their bones are real. These are only replicas." Sigh. Then as we got further in and it turned into a mini house of horrors.
The dinosaur's were robotic and they could move around, open and close their eyes, and open their mouths. Sierra was a little bit hesitant but accepting
Until we rounded a corner and saw this guy. Okay, I know this museum was built for children. There is a sand pit where they can dig for bones. There is a water place where they can play. Who, allowed this grotesque thing to be present in a children's museum. Ahhh. I hoped she wouldn't notice, but she did. She hasn't slept in her own bed since and she keeps screaming and saying dinosaur robots are going to get her. Great. They will hear from me. I am sending a letter. It isn't bad enough that it is so grotesque. What is worse are the sound effects and the way it rips its head back and forth. Ahh. This is not family friendly people. Enough of that.
I did find this interesting. Here is a picture of the man who discovered the dinosaur on dinosaur hill and the bones he discovered. Pretty cool.
Here is a little article on our small city. We are a little famous for our dinosaurs.