On to March...

Father/Son Campout, Wallwood. Brandon and Cole took a friend Joe and camped alongside the Knudsens. They ended up coming home early due to no watch and the camp next to them staying up all night. The boys woke up in the middle of the night and wanted to get up. Brandon thought it must be morning because people were up...then Cole was cold and Brandon being the good dad, got up to make a fire, someone comes by and Brandon asks the time...4:30 They came home earlier than expected because the boys were so tired. I've never seen Cole so tired. They made some memories though :).

This expression is Cole's general feeling about getting on or near deep water.

Joe David

Last of the Mohicans !!!! well I guess they didn't have swords (??), but that was the first thing that came to my mind.

There are no pictures of Brandon, but plenty of other father and sons, cause Brandon's an amateur professional photog.

January/Feb 2010

Anya's 4th bday party at Mom's - her last one before a little brother comes along to steall away the attention

Upper right corner Laura was Cinderellay for literacy parade.

Soccer, Soccer, Soccer....Cole playing it, the girls enduring it :)

more soccer, scooters at a nearby church parking lot

the MagLap openhouse before soccer and the soccer tournament

where they had face painters, yeah!

Trying

to get back into bloggin'. I had the first year of bloggin made into a book and I was just looking at it and enjoyed reading about the kids' personalities back then, so I diving back in.
Here's some pics from Cole's life and some funnies of the girls.


For Literacy week, Cole's class dressed up as Narnian's. His teacher Ms. Yori is Susan, and Cole is the mouse that fights...he has a tail made out of pipe cleaners :).

At pack meeting they had a paper airplane competition, I think Cole won this one just barely.

Cole receiving his Wolf.

And our world is laden with soccer, we have tons of pictures.

soccer in the rain

Some funnies from the girls....

Hannah has started getting in bed with us again at night and she's found a bear she likes to sleep with. The past few nights with the bear have come some interesting things. One night it was a barbie and I think a shoe or something weird. Then there was the kick ball, I said you can't bring a kick ball to bed and she said Daddy said I could sleep with it, I'm fairly certain he was not expecting to wake up next to a kick ball, but I was to tired to continue to argue with her.

Laura's been on a roll lately. One morning I was having a hard time, but was trying to hold it together and Laura said to me in her most reassuring tone, "Mommy, you fixed your attitude".

Yesterday she was sitting close to me during the closing hymn of sacrament and she said, kindly, "Mommy, you don't have a good singing voice, it's crooked."

And this afternoon I approached her to give her kisses and said Laura, I love you. She said very hesitantly, you could tell she wasn't feeling it at the moment, "I love you mostly, the mostest, then a pause as she thought about it, well Daddy then first, then you".

I understand the order.

Bout time

for recapping, we went to Disney a couple of weeks ago as a gift from my dad...the kids loved it, esp the hotel that had free popcorn, Hannah was a big fan of that. It was fun to be together, we all had a good time. The older kids were so exhausted they put themselves to bed w/o dinner...not a peep. :)

No ifs, ands or buts

you may recall this post..
http://flporters.blogspot.com/2009/09/i-didnt-but-i-did.html

well this time...

I DID IT!!!

Turkey Trot 2009 was my first fully ran 5K.

Okay, okay so maybe a few ifs, like some people may have argued that it was just an exaggerated walk, but it was running for me, not stopping per my book. My time was 39:01, and I'll just proudly say that's a 12:30 pace...isn't it nice that you can snicker w/o me hearing you? For me though that time was good.

Brandon and the kids were there to welcome me. Later I asked Cole, when I was running into the finish line was I running superfast, medium or slow (in comparison to how I had been running all along it felt like I was a freight train)..Cole very lovingly said ...medium (better than slow I suppose). I thought I was going to die at the end when I was running medium.

Here's the cool thing though, at the two mile mark I was ready to cross over to the 10k lane and the race seemed short (you know at the end), so even though the week before I said I was never running again after the race, I may have a little fever now. Like can I better my time on the 5k? Can I go for the 10? Will I be in next year's Boston Marathon - okay one too far.

I couldn't have done it w/o Rachel...and her persistence, thanks Rach!

And guess what?

cue Rocky Theme

there were hills, only two but one was kind of steep. Next year I will concur those hills in Indianhead. Aren't you glad you can sing the Rocky theme song w/o me hearing you ;)!!!!

Don't hate the beauty in these pics!

Beautiful Things - Giving Thanks

In Sacrament meeting on Sunday six year old Emma T. sang this song, it's very simple but such a nice way to express a love of the beautiful things we have on this Earth and above. I am so thankful for the many beautiful things this life has to offer.

On a side note I have an "Edward" crush (I didn't catch the Twilight fever and feel a little left out, so here's mine) on the composer of this song...never laid eyes on him :).

1. Blue skies, mountains, rainbows, fountains:

These are some things I love to see.

Rivers, canyons, pine trees, oceans:

Heavenly Father made them for me.

[Chorus]Life is o’erflowing with beautiful things

Made by our loving and glorious King.

If I but strive to be grateful and true,

I can be happy in all that I do.

2. Music, laughter, peace thereafter:

These are some things I love to hear.

Please’s, thank you’s, may I’s, can do’s:

Hearing them fills my heart with good cheer.

Chorus

3. Silky flowers, cool rain showers:

These are some things I love to feel.

Promptings, guidance, warm assurance:

That’s how I know the Spirit is real.

[Chorus]Life is o’erflowing with beautiful things

Made by our loving and glorious King.

If I but strive to be grateful and true,

I can be happy in all that I do.

Copyright © 2008 by Thomas M. Croft. All rights reserved

here's a link to listen (doesn't compare to Emma's version)

http://www.nothingwavering.org/post/13293/2009-07-09/music-video-life-is-oerflowing-with-beautiful-things.html

FSU- giving thanks

just a few reasons why I'm thankful for the 'Noles (and the church).....

Tricia Price

Lia Bishop
Mary Bliss
Sonya Yongue

Nicole Ricks

Mary Ann Carr

Misty Wright

Janet Henderson

Liz Brock

Kim Sirmans

Alison Moulton

Melody Shipley

Rachel Crosby

Ann Thomas

Jennifer Frank

Jennifer Cherry

Jodi Hawthorne

Sara Brown

Trisha Headman

Sarah Rew

and many more

Living in a university town with the ward boundaries being in close proximity to the school makes for a lot of people coming and going. It is sad to see people go, but I've learned so much over the years and been loved and served in manners that amaze me. Thank you!!!

Jennifer