Marching with the Penguins at the Zoo!

Jenn invited me to go to the zoo with her and the kids. We had a lot of fun. For me the hightlight of the adventure was watching the penguins. So very, very cute!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRACIE LEWIS NORTON

Happy Birthday Tracie!! We sure love you and hope you have had a wonderful day. Sounds like Aaron really is going to come through for you. We wish we were closer so we could give you a few spankings!! I won't say how many......

T is for TESTIMONY (very spiritual lady)

R is for READING (which is your favorite way to spend extra minutes)

A is for AMERICA (love history)

C is for CURIOUS (could also be travel) Love to go on trips!

I is for INDUSTRIOUS (have always been a very hard worker)

E is for ENERGETIC (keeping those Young Women on the straight and narrow)

Thanks for all that you do for us. We so appreciate you. You are a wonderful daughter, wife, and mommy. We are all so blessed to have you in our lives. Happy and healthy year ahead. You deserve it!!

LOVEYOUTONSBABE...maybe next year we can be in the same state....

Liz and Josh....Josh and Liz???

Yesterday we celebrated Liz and Josh's birthday. I was a bit confused because Liz is married to Josh, but it wasn't his birthday. It was Josh, our youngest grandson's birthday. So Liz is standing in the picture with Josh AND Josh. Hence, Liz and Josh....Josh and Liz. Anyway we had a lot of fun celebrating and eating cake. Josh was fine that it was a Sleeping Beauty cake. He didn't seem to notice. As soon as he tasted it, he was more than happy to eat all he could get.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIZABETH ANNE LEWIS HORTON

Hey Liz! We are so happy that it is your birthday! We are so grateful that you are part of our family. Neat that you found Josh and had such a wonderful wedding. WAY TO GO!! This was a big year for you. You are 21 years young. Amazing!! We sure love you because.....

E stands for elegant (just look at those wedding photos!)

L is for listener (the best one in our family of interrupters!)

I is industrious (way to work two jobs all summer)

Z is zealous which is how you approach your education!

A stand for Ally (we have her because of you)

B is beautiful, inside and out!

E is easy to get along with...no drama here!

T is the traveler (New York all alone....amazing!)

H is harmonious. You like "all to be well".

We love you Liz. We can't wait to celebrate on your special day. Thanks for being the neat person and example that you are!! loveyoutonsmom

Sorry to put this over London's walking.... but looky looky

My kids. And Katie's boys. It's just the greatest thing ever. It's just beautiful. What this woman can do. Christy, I do adore you.

Did I mention...

She's actually been taking steps for a few weeks now, but only recently have we seen actual walks across the room. And getting braver every day.

When you tuck your kids into bed at night ask them these two quesitons....

I have learned a great deal about kids because of my chosen profession. I have shared a lot of this information with my little "mommies" because sometimes they ask me. Sometimes I share when they don't ask, too. Even though I have "mothered" four wonderful daughters and some other wonderful little mommies as well (a.k.a. Kelsey and Brooke), been involved in education for seventeen years, and studied psychology, I am still learning. I read a wonderful article in the Ensign today. There were so many great ideas that I just had to share one or two.

The question was "I love and am grateful for my young children, but I sometimes get distracted or discouraged by the practical details of raising a family and I struggle to remember what an important work it is. How can I better align my day-to-day actions and attitudes with gospel truths about family?"

My favorite answers:
FOCUS on what YOU do well... (not what someone else does well)
Don't run faster than you have strength. (limit your "lists")
Try to keep the big picture in sight.
My favorite and the whole reason for the post.
When you tuck your kids into bed at night, ask them these two questions.
1. "What was your favorite time today?"
2. "Did you have any sad time today that you would like to tell me about?"

You are all doing a great job. Be sure to tell yourself that once in a while. LOVE YOU!

COOKIES...Bite-Size Life Lessons!

My first lesson this year is about Attitude. I decided to use my book about cookies. Of course that means I have to make cookies for the whole school. Making the cookies won't be too bad. Listening to the kids ask for cookies every time I go into their class for the rest of the year is going to be hard.

"COOKIES... Bite Size Life Lessons"

COOPERATE means, "How about you add the chips while I stir?"
PATIENT means waiting and waiting for the cookies to be done.
PROUD means, "My chin is high, and I sure do like the way my cookies turned out."
MODEST means you don't run around telling everyone you make the best cookies, even if you know it to be true.
RESPECT means offering the very first cookie to your grandmother.
TRUSTWORTHY means, "If you ask me to hold your cookie until you come back, when you come back, I will still be holding your cookie."
FAIR means, "You get a bite, I get a bite, you get a big bite, I get a big bite."
UNFAIR means, "You get a bite, and now I get the rest."
COMPASSIONATE means, "Don't worry, it's okay. You can have part of my cookie."
GREEDY means taking all the cookies for myself.
GENEROUS means offering some to others.
PESSIMISTIC means, "How awful, how absolutely dreadful. I have only half my cookie left." OPTIMISTIC means, "This is great. I still have half my cookies left."
POLITE means, "Excuse me, can you please pass the cookies?"
HONEST means, "I have to tell you something. The butterfly didn't really take the cookie, I took the cookie."
COURAGEOUS means, "It was not easy for me to tell you that I took the cookie, but I took a deep breath....and made the words come out."
ENVY means, "I can't stop looking at your cookie out of the corner of my eye--it looks so much better than my cookie. Boy, I wish it were mine and not yours."
LOYAL means that even though the new person has a much bigger cookie, I'm sticking by you and your little cookies because you're my very best friend."
OPEN-MINDED means, "I've never seen cookies like that before, but, uh, sure I'll try one." REGRET means, "I really wish I didn't eat so many cookies."
CONTENT means sitting on the steps-just you, me, and a couple of cookies.
WISE means, "I used to think I knew everything about cookies, but now I realize I know about one teeny chip's worth."

A few pictures from a long lost friend

Now if this isn't the most amazing tombstone you've ever seen. It's incredible.

It's neat to see my family heritage. Even if it is just on a tombstone.

I may not have known my Aunt Pam very well, but what an incredible woman. And I have to admit, she had (has?) an amazing husband and family. Her funeral just a little over a year ago was such a beautiful tribute.

"We can find something fun to do ANYWHERE!"