Finishing Up! The End ... and Much More!

The bathroom.....the year....etc!

So I realized that I hadn't posted pics of my last hoopla in the bathroom downstairs....so nice to be MOSTLY done.  I still need to install the baseboards and the TP holder, etc.  But it is FUNCTIONAL and I love it.  So does Jordan! It is funny to watch the kids FORGET it is there and run (literally) upstairs to use the bathroom without missing anything downstairs!

Here it is:

 

 

It is hard to believe that I set my first toilet ALL BY MYSELF and put in my first shower door ALL BY MYSELF!  I'll post pics when it is FULLY complete....the mirror is up but it isn't clean at the moment.  I'll hopefully get down there today and get a good pic of it CLEAN!  I think this may be one of my biggest accomplishments of the year!

As stated in my last post, I went through all my pictures the other night.  What an interesting and nostalgic journey!  Life goes quickly anymore, but seeing each picture, each experience, each smile, each milestone was breathtaking...time stood still, if for only that brief time I sat scrolling through the year.

So this post really should be entitled "The Year at a Glance!"

I'll start from the most recent and then go with the flow....what a fun time to be here, with 4 fun, growing children!

Scott's dad hasn't been feeling good so they didn't get to come up for Christmas.  I was really happy to be staying home, not going ANYWHERE.  My usual life is running around at such a fast pace that I stumble just thinking about it.  So it was nice to just live without much of a schedule this holiday break!  I think we have watched a movie (or two) each night (and sometimes in the day too).  I love it!  We have watched The Zookeeper, The Smurfs, Open Season 3, Are We There Yet?, Secret of Skeleton Island, Prep and Landing, and many more that I can't quite remember at the moment - besides all the Christmas ones!  It has been fun.

We got a ping pong table and a game table from the grandparents so I set out clearing the basement so they could fit.  I work here and bit and there a bit and have made some good progress on rearranging that depository into a fun place to PLAY!

Then my mother-in-law called on Friday morning saying Scott's dad felt a little better that day and they wanted to meet and spend the night in Paducah, a nice halfway point for us.  So we got everyone ready, loaded up the games and movies, and off we went.  What a fun time!!!  Laying on the beds just watching movies and laughing together!  What a fun time!!!

Then Saturday we headed off to see anything we could.  We stayed in Metropolis because the hotels were filling up by the time we decided to head out.  So while in Metropolis, IL who wouldn't stop and see the giant statue of SUPERMAN???

 

And pose too?

 

 

 

On the internet I found this place called the Apple Valley Hillbilly Garden.  It looked thrilling enough....move over Jeff Foxworthy, these guys are true hillbilly rednecks. 

I think they called this the hillbilly deer stand

After awhile it all looked like JUNK...but still was interesting to see

Claustrophobia to the max....a tiny space with a million collected toys...

Star Wars

Popeye and Olive Oil

Remember Evil Kanevil (sp???)

Herby the Love Bug

These are some OLD Little People sets

And some new ones...Love Hagrid!

And an OLD Mr Potato Head - does he even come with a pipe anymore?

I did like this caption

 

Yeah, so it was quite the highlight!  Hehehe!!!!  Funny, when we were done with the "tour" I looked across the street and saw THIS house....made me laugh out loud.

After our stint with the hillbilly garden we headed to Patti's 1880 Settlement, about 15-20 miles south.  It USED to be all decked out in time period decor, says my father-in-law.  Too bad it has become a tourist trap with shops, shops, and more shops.  It was fun tho.  Sadly, we then had to part ways and head our separate directions.  I think it was Kelsey who had the hardest time leaving this time!

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CHRISTMAS 2011

Oh, what a fun fun fun day!  We decided that we wouldn't open ALL our gifts until AFTER church.  The kids were up semi early (but not too bad) and got to check out what Santa brought.  I LOVED it this way.  No mayhem.  No tearing through gifts and the entire festivities are over before we know it.  Instead, we were able to play a bit with what Santa brought...get ready for church...and still have time to read the Christmas story from Luke before Church.  What a relaxing and special way to start the special day that we celebrate Christ's birth!  I think we started a new tradition...couldn't find the nativity when we were decorating, so we read the story from a book on Christmas Eve and put it up then.  This was just a great way to celebrate with the true meaning of Christmas.  Church was great and then we came home, changed out of our church clothes, and began to open gifts.  Have I already said that I REALLY enjoyed this year?  The ONLY bummer was that I forgot one of Kelsey's gifts...never had it on my list, just in my head, and therefore...it never got bought.  Sadly, I never thought of it until we were opening gifts and I realized .... yikes.  I HATE that!!!

Here are some pics:

 

All Cody wanted were Lego shoes, LEGOS, and a Phiten necklace...

Santa remembered her coat!

These rubber rain boots were TOP on his list....I wish I had a camera at church! 

He wore them TO church and then ran through the ditch.  I came out and about had a cow as I saw him running through the water with laughter filling the air.  Then I was reminded by a couple of the men who had had the exact same thought that he had rubber boots on.  ALL day he begged me to go BACK to the church to run through the water.  Funny boy!!!

Her baby doll!

"Mom!  Santa ALWAYS brings me a baby doll!!!" she tells me two days before Christmas.  Good thing they weren't out on Christmas Eve!

A total surprise for him!!!  His new Cell Phone

Jordan had been BEGGING me to the point that I told him I'd NEVER EVER EVER E.V.E.R. get him a new phone...hehehee.  But we did!  We sent him on a treasure hunt that morning, saying that present was TOO BIG for his stocking.  When at last he was heading BACK into the front room Scott called the phone.  The night before he stayed up til it was charged (I forgot earlier...sorry, Scott) so he could record a ring tone of his own for Jordan.  I think it's still on his phone, but I'm pretty sure Jordan quickly changed it to something more normal.  It said something like, "Ho Ho Ho...Merry Christmas!  Jordan, answer your phone!"  The phone was under his chair and he couldn't find it.  Funny...we had to call it again...he almost gave up, thinking we were just sending him around for fun and nothing special!  Funny kid!!!

Spencer dressed for church WITH his boots!

 

A Wii game and his new coat...he's been wearing his old one for the last 2 years!  We finally found one that he would like!

 

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An Old Year Gone...A New Year Begun

As I sat in this very chair reminiscing over picture after picture I was happy to have such memories preserved.  My children are happy and that is a huge plus!  They smile and laugh and have a good time - most of the time!  I saw countless pictures of sporting events, programs, events, and just run around and have fun pictures too.  I saw Europe and the fun times I had there.  I saw Tennessee and Florida and the fun the kids and Scott had while I was away.  I saw Grandparents and the smiles from grandchildren on their laps.  I saw projects at school and creations made at home.  I saw a lot of growth....poor kids grow out of shoes before they are worn out (well, all but Spencer...he wears out shoes the week after he gets them).

I just went back and read my last 2010 blog entry....same type of lengthy entry.  This must be a pattern for me.  The purging part...well, still working on that.  I laughed...it took me til now to not be crazy busy since the day I wrote it.....I wonder if life will EVER slow down.  Sometimes I'd like to try relaxed and easy, but must function better with running running running because I find myself there more often than not.

I do have a few goals for this new year!  

1. I challenged my Sunday School class to read the Book of Mormon in its entirety.  I think I will do that too!
2. I will finish my PhD coursework...had to add this to the list since it will be taking MOST of my time.  AND I will get straight A's - so far I'm good with that, but Statistics is in the forefront now so this is a REAL goal!
3. And lastly, I have this book entitled Whom the Lord Loveth: The Journey of Discipleship by Neal A. Maxwell.  I love it.  Each chapter is just a short snippet of his thoughts about a specific topic.  Most recently I read a chapter called: The Blessings of Meekness.  As I read I was touched and inspired to study MEEKNESS this coming year.  To be gentle like the Savior has always been something I have desired.  This year, 2012, I will do my best at learning and implementing this characteristic of the Savior!

Here is the chapter: (for my records, and you can read along too, if you like)

"If we peeled away from our many verbal communications the ego-driven protion (things said throughtlessly, or for effect, or to achieve advantage), how much substance would then remain?
"Meekness serves us well in this respect and in so many others.  When, for instance, we are overlooked or bypassed, we can easily feel slighted.  Meekness emancipates us from such a reaction, because it neither regards others as rivals nor as objects of envy.  Nor does meekness spend valuable time decoding incoming communications in anxious search of praise, criticism, or hidden meanings.  Meekness also avoids that added fatigue brought on by the breathless persuit of preeminence.
"Meekness thus provides a peaceful sanctuary from all such storms. There is a futher bonus: more time is made available by not always having to keep score, whether in an unsettled marriage in need of improved communication or in a competetive professional relationship.
"Whether at the office roundtable or in our neighborhoods, it isn't that the meek always and automatically have better information.  Rather, they draw strength from a much more fundamental assurance: they know that God loves them (I Nephi 11:17).  They also know that the Lord is just and is "no respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34), so they seek to please Him rather than playing for approval from the various niche galleries.
"The meek are simply more free, more peaceful, and more cheerful."

Yep, I want to be MEEK!  I want to be gentle.  I want to be more free, more peaceful, and more cheerful!  Ready or not...here I go!  2012 is going to be GREAT!!!

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A GREAT EXAMPLE

Spencer is a GREAT example to me!  Today after having a lesson on the Book of Mormon he decided to do a couple of things.  Reading the Book of Mormon by himself every day is the easier of the two.  He was pretty excited to tell me again about his Social Studies class.  He LOVES his Social Studies class at school, AND his teacher.  Today he told me about how his teacher had told the class that she really didn't know exactly how the American Indians came to America.  He was pretty excited to have read in the Introduction of the Book of Mormon that the principle ancestors of the Lamanites are the American Indians.  He set out to share this with his teacher.  After dinner he found a special hardback version we had of the Book of Mormon.  He found some Christmas wrapping paper, and wrapped it all himself, complete with special ribbon and a bow.  A letter followed, but no ordinary envelope would do.  It had to be a special one.  Thankfully I had a special one just perfect for the job.  What a special letter.  As I talked to him about praying before he gave it to her so the Spirit would help him say what Heavenly Father wanted him to say and so his teacher would feel it...his smile was precious and priceless!  No pic of that...though I think it will not soon leave my memory.  But here are some pics of his masterfully wrapped GIFT for his Social Studies teacher, Mrs T, and him ardently reading the Book of Mormon!

 

 

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Our Christmas break is almost over....what has been the best part?  I can't say...it has been very relaxing.  I do have to say that ALL my children are pretty excited with the opening of Panda Express here in Effingham.  On the 28th they had Guest Appreciation Day - free food!  EVERYONE went...even Jordan joined in and loved something other than his staple few entrees. 

For me it has been relaxation.  I'm pretty sure the kids are excited to go back to school.  However, getting to bed at an earlier time and getting up earlier too will be another jolt for a few days...even for me.  I don't start until the 17th at SIUC and begin teaching at Lake Land on the 13th.  I'm excited to be taking a photography class this January also. 

Life is good.....and this is ONE LONG POST!  Wish I could offer a reward to ANYONE who actually finished reading the entire thing.  It's mostly for me...but glad you could hang out with me for awhile today. :)

Happy New Year - 2012!!!