And the house projects continue

There were several items that didn't get completed before we moved into this house just for the sake of being able to get into the house after all the numbers were crunched and people were paid.

But now, thanks to a hefty check from Uncle Sam for doing geothermal cooling and heating, we are now in full swing again. However, the list is rather lengthy and it can be quite cumbersome deciding how to prioritize.

1. Number one on our list was easy. Blinds and shutters. We are tired of living in a fish bowl and sitting in the dark. They are now ordered and should be here in a month. (Does that mean they are coming from China???? Hmmmm . . . )

2. Our tile man is coming tomorrow to finish the kitchen backsplash. Tyler and I have been tossing around different ideas on how to design the area above the cooktop. I think we've settled on a keeper. I'm crossing my fingers that it all comes together . . . beautifully.

3. A swing set. I thought this was lower on our list until we came across a pretty good deal. And since we are going to be getting one eventually, it moved further up our priority list. We also live in an area with some pretty gusty winds and decided to spend a little on a swing set that's sturdy and hopefully won't tip (several neighbors have already warned us of theirs tipping over).

Now of a purely different nature: GO BYU! And Jimmer. He is just fun to watch. They've made it the Sweet Sixteen and we're all hoping they can pull off another game.

I'm also winning the brackets in our household. Um, wait a minute while I check one thing . . .

Oops! I predicted Florida to beat BYU. Now who do I root for?

Happy Birthday, Ash

Ash,

Happy Birthday to a cute 6-year-old.

I just could not imagine our family without our Ash.

The day you were born was a rainy day, and you came into the world rather quickly.

I knew the moment the nurses laid you in my lap that you were a special baby.

You bring such happiness to our family with your spunkiness and love for life. 

I hope you always share that happiness with others.

You requested chocolate muffins from Sam's Club for breakfast. I didn't really want to make that trip just for muffins and you were happy to have chocolate muffins from a box. However, the grocery store didn't have any, so you settled for a chocolate chip muffin mix and I added some cocoa to make it chocolatey. You don't get too upset over trivial things like muffins and I love that about you. Remember to never take life too seriously.

Several days before your birthday you requested Costa Vida for lunch. Your dad and I were a little surprised by that since you don't care much for Mexican food, or any food for that matter. But when we were at the grocery store getting your muffins, you saw Lunchables and immediately put them in the basket for your birthday lunch. That's was more like the Ashlyn I knew.

And for dinner you requested homemade macaroni and cheese and chocolate cake for dessert.

I love you Ash and are so glad to have you.
Love, Mom

 

39.4 pounds

??? inches

 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Just for your reference of what your world was like on your 6th birthday:
Price of gas: $2.36

Price of milk: $2.33

Price of our Stansbury home (.34 acres and 2900 sq feet): $218,900

Minimum wage: $7.25

9.0 Earthquake hits Japan on March 11

Your favorites:

Book: Junie B. Jones

Color: purple and pink

Song: "If I Listen with my haert" (Primary song for 2011)

Movie: Enchanted

TV shows: Bedtime storys.

Foods: Makcaroni

Games: Chuets and Laders

Toys: Barbeis

School subject: Centers

Places: reshrontes (restaurants . . . and when I asked which one, she said she likes Training Table)

Close friends: Alli and Keira (Swensen)

Hobbies: Play with Freinds

What I want to be when I grow up: Baby docter

(taken from a sheet I have the birthday child fill our; spelling has been retained)

March 14, 3/14, 3.14, PI, PIE

Happy PI day!
or in my world,
Happy PIE day!

And I do think we'll have some. Chocolate, banana, peach, raspberry.

It really doesn't matter.

I love pie.

Update:

After I had posted this, Kiersten came home from school and surprised me with this.

Can I just say math geek.

She says she's up to 36 digits on the video, but as of today (3/26) she has 55 memorized.

"We do not doubt our mothers knew it"

I could not have said it better than the following. It pretty much sums up thoughts I've had recently.

“I feel to invoke the blessings of heaven on my [children]--to call out every possible spiritual source of help. They are at the crossroad, their decisions are so crucial; I know the adversary will do all in his power to turn them from the spiritual blessings that are their birthright. . . . These are choice and valiant spirits and worth all the effort Satan can make to waylay them from the right path. Surely the Lord knows exactly what is happening and will send every spiritual source of help that can strengthen them. Their spirits are so precious, their decisions so crucial right now--choice of [spouse], choice of path, choice of life patterns. Their whole life will be so much affected. Their unborn children so impacted. Can these unborn children intervene in their behalf? Can they influence them for righteousness and right choices? Only the Lord knows what my [children] need, what can reach them, what influences will safeguard their souls, keep them on the path to their eternal inheritances. How I pray that they will be protected from the evils in the world, that the people and situations will come into their lives that will encourage them in the things of God. I would give my very life for any one of them to keep them safely moving ahead true to the best that is in them, listening to the Spirit, following it, becoming the men [and women] of God they have the potential to become. But in reality, I know that the most important thing I can do for them is to live by the Spirit myself and be a living witness of the truth.”
--Darla Isackson, Meridian Magazine

“No child in this Church should be left with uncertainty about his or her parents’ devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Restoration of His Church, and the reality of living prophets and apostles. . . Live the gospel as conspicuously as you can. Keep the covenants your children know you have made . . . And bear your testimony! Don’t just assume your children will somehow get the drift of your beliefs on their own.”
--Jeffery R. Holland, “A Prayer for the Children,” Ensign, May, 2003, 85-87

"It's my party and I'll cry if I want to"

Run a half marathon. That was my one and only goal for the year. The other day I registered for the Top of Utah Half Marathon on August 27. I am was hoping this half will would make me feel young and fit. . . . And then I had to select my age bracket and realized I've now moved up a division. I am getting older. No doubt about that. Birthdays kind of do that to you.

This year my mom gave me a birthday gift, however, that definitely takes me back 20 years to my childhood. Growing up she had this exercise video "Sweatin' to the Oldies with Richard Simmons" that we would all hip hop to (VHS naturally). I don't know that you could call it exercise; it was really just a lot of dancin' around. But I guess if it gets you movin' it qualifies and we loved it. Every now and then when we get together, someone inevitably brings up the video, and embarrasingly, we all start sweatin' to an oldies. My sisters are going to be so jealous. I definitely see a Richard Simmons workout party in the near future. My house. Bring your leotards, leg warmers, head bands.

Is it spring yet?

Woke up to inches and inches of snow (no, I didn't measure but I should have). And we still haven't sold our other home so we have double duty on the snow removal today. I would just like to say how grateful I am that our other home faces south. It made shoveling so much easier today. I still had the deck and trampoline, but hey, the driveway practically took care of itself.

Kiersten had her championship game this morning. They were missing their star player who had another conflict. That brought the team count to 6. At the beginning of the 4th quarter our tallest player (who isn't all that tall compared to this team we played) fouled out. We, the parents in the audience, thought she only had 4 but the score keeper said 5. Our little team of 5 played their hearts out. It was like David taking on Goliath in every way. This other team was taller and meaner. At half time the score was 4 to 2 in the other team's favor. The final score ended up being 18 to 2. We were just a tired, little team who did an amazing job. I was pleased with their performance today.

I followed a gentleman out of the gym who had a pack of cigarettes in his hand. Do people really still smoke cigarettes? It made me surprised that with all the negative press cigarettes get and how society is more aware of what smoking will do to your body that anybody still smokes.

Sat at our other home for 2 1/2 hours for an open house we weren't technically having. But the marquee sign never got taken down from last week so we thought we should be there just in case. No one showed. I wouldn't either in this weather. This is our first week where no one has walked through the house. Bummer!

Went to a niece's baptism. I loved my mother-in-law's talk and her analogy of caller ID and the holy ghost. I'm going to use it one day. We only recently got caller ID when we switched phone providers and it was free with the package. I love that I can see who is calling me now, but I remember the days of picking up the phone, having the other person assume you have caller ID and just start talking, and me not knowing who I'm talking to . . . sometimes until the end of the conversation. The holy ghost is like that. Sometimes we have to listen extra hard to know he is speaking to us and the more experiences we have with the holy ghost, the better we'll be at recognizing his voice . . . just like with caller ID.

Anyway, is it spring yet? I'm am still very cold and want my yard to wake up.
 

Did not see this coming

Kiersten's Jr. Jazz team has made it to the championship game, again. A little deja vu of last year?

This was a team that lost the first four games, lost twice to the team we played tonight, and has somehow managed to surprise us all.

GO BULLS and kudos to a great coach! The team Kiersten competes on this year is playing the same team that she upset in the championship game last year. Wouldn't it be sweet if she and her team could beat them for a second year in a row.