Track

Carissa is running track. We had a couple of weeks break between Orchesis and track but we're back to "running" (no pun intended) like crazy. She is running the 4 x 100 m relay and doing pole vault. I haven't been allowed to come to a meet yet. She wants to get better at pole vault before I see - [my kids are nothing like me, right :)].

Nicholas & Brielle ready and waiting to leave for church - notice the other children aren't in the picture because they weren't ready yet and as usual, we were scrambling to be on time. We had Stake Conference and it was a broadcast. Pres Monson, Elder Oaks, Bro Snow and the 2nd Counselor in the Gen'l Primary Presidency spoke. We really enjoyed it. We had the missionaries over for Easter dinner. It was a nice day.

Seeing the world through the eyes of a 2 year old

We were at the post office yesterday. Brielle saw the flags and said, "Look mama, flags! They're flapping their wings!"

Luck on Black Friday

We went to Algonquin Commons on Black Friday in hopes of winning the $2500 shopping spree - even the $500 or $1000 ones would have been nice. You had to be 13 or older to win and the deadline for entries was 10 a.m. So I forced Carissa to get out of bed (this started at 8:30) and we arrived without a moment to lose! I dropped her off in front of the entry location at 9:56 told her to put and entry in for her and me and went to search for a parking spot. Finally found one at the end of the row and walked with the rest of the kids in the bitter Chicago cold and wind to the location - they were doing the drawing right at 10 so I figured we'd stay to see if we won and if so, we could do some shopping. They were still allowing entries, so I quickly filled one out for Joe and we got in line for the prize wheel for the kids. Michael and Brielle won flying monkies and Nicholas won some snowman shaped playing cards - those will have to disappear. Carissa was the lucky winner. She was the second name they called - so no shopping spree, but she did win dinner for 8 at Cheeseburger in Paradise. So we decided that we will go - all 8 of us while Amanda is home for Christmas. Good thing I dragged her out of bed.

Cake Wrecks

My friend Robyn, has this blog linked on her's - it is hilarious and SAD, very SAD at the same time. It is a collection of professional cake decorating gone very, very wrong.

It Lives!

Electronics can work again if left alone long enough! I was getting ready to throw the phone away - remember the toilet incident - and thought, well I'll just plug it in one last time to see if it will work. And Voila! I got a dial tone! I am happy because now I have a phone on each level so technically I should be able to answer it when it rings. The problem is 2 of the phones are cordless so I carry them around with me and then set them down when I'm done and then when it rings, of course, I am in the basement and the phones are upstairs, buried in cushions (so I can't really hear where the ringing is coming from) or some other place that makes no sense. Oh well, at least I get some exercise when it rings cuz then I have to run for it!

Primary

I have to admit, having never served in Primary before I was quite leary of the calling. I mean 2 hours every week being nice to other people's unruly children? PLEASE. But I tried to go in with an open mind. I have to say - I was sitting in Primary this week and came to the realization that I LOVE IT! Not the unruly children part. But I also figured out WHY I love Primary. In no other calling I have had do I feel the spirit so strongly EVERY WEEK. I have decided it is because of the music. Right now we are learning "I know that my Savior loves me". I can hardly even sing the chorus by the time we get to it. But Primary is great. I do miss knowing what's going on in RS but I am enjoying Primary. I know Nicholas likes having me in there and I think Michael does too.