Shouldn't January Be Over?!?!

I don't know why, but this month has seemed eternal! We have been busy with things...first, here is our family picture we sent out to everyone. If you didn't get it...sorry! I must not have your address. You have to look at the pictures we took two years ago (on the bar to the left). We have all changed quite a bit! It's amazing how much the kids have grown in two years!

Alec went to take his permit test and didn't get it :(. We have to go back (I told him when he felt he was ready) and take it again. When we went, we saw Derrek's best friend there taking his, so I had a good time chatting with his mom and laughing about the boys.

Derrek might be out of a job, soon. They are tearing down the building (McDonalds) and building a new one on top of it. It will take three or four months and so either Derrek has to find something else or hopefully get re-hired when they re-open. He's a little stressed. He really likes the extra money, even though he complains it is never enough (we keep telling him..."welcome to our world"). Plus, he has to pay for his insurance and misc. things (clothes, eye solution, etc.) so that worries him. We are kind of glad because now we can teach him how valuable a savings account is and right now he can be out of work for at least six months and be okay! He's only been working since October! It's a lesson for us all!!! We celebrated my mom and sister's birthdays by driving to McDonald's to visit Derrek while he was working and get some ice cream! It was fun for us!!!

We have started a new "allowance" program. It is working so far. Yesterday Alec was about done with it, but it is because he saved everything he had to do for one day! We started giving them allowance because I thought it would be better for them to take the money that I would spend on their needs (clothing, personal items, etc.) and learn how to budget it and save for when they need shoes or other things, then they are responsible for it and it cuts out me having to say "no, that's too much" or "I don't have money for that". But, they weren't working for it. Now that Derrek is working (which is another reason...we wanted to prepare them for when they started earning more money...learning how to budget and save), he said that he wished he would have worked for his allowance. So, we started doing that with Calvin and Alec. They have extra chores each week (Scott and I don't think they should be paid for things that help us function as a family, like dishes and vacuuming, etc.). They are now cooking twice a week for me (each) and ironing church shirts, doing laundry on Saturday, cleaning the playroom and backyard. It has been a blessing for me because I am now able to do the other things that I relied on Scott to help me with, like getting Ashton to do his homework and violin! But, with Bishop stuff, he is gone most of the week. So, it has been a huge help not having to work on dinner, too. I only cook two days a week! It is really weird for me! Plus, I am really excited that they will be able to take care of themselves when they leave our home. I think I am going to start having Derrek cook on Wednesdays, though. He is the one that needs to learn. He always has Alec do it for him! But, Alec won't always be there with him!!!

Dallen is playing basketball. When I asked him during sign-ups, he didn't want to go, but then his friend got him all excited and he was lucky enough to be able to get on their team (the dad coaches the team). So, he plays for two hours every Saturday. I just want one to love sports, so that I can have an excuse to go. Plus, it is good for them to have something that Scott can support them in :) Anyway, here is a little glimpse of what we get to see for two hours every Saturday! He is the one dribbling the ball first and then shuffles around trying to get open!

Calm Holidays...

It seems to me that the "before" the actual holiday is actually more crazy than the holidays themselves. Christmas day was, according to my kids, "boring". The day before we did our annual Wii bowling tournament with my parents and brothers/sisters and their families. Collin (Julianne's son) was the only child to make it to the finals with his parents and Rod. My boys totally failed us this year...they can't even blame it on not having a Wii because Julianne's family didn't either (they got one this Christmas). Then we played Lego Rockband and that is always fun. We got cash prizes, too and Rod got the grand-daddy prize for top score ($50). It all had to be put toward our family cruise we are taking in May to the Mediterranean Sea.
Derrek got a bag of coal from Calvin...brotherly love!
Ashton posing in his "Snuggie"

Alec with his stocking...he can feel all the candy!!!

Shep giving the camera his "don't you dare touch this bone" look...

Christmas day was a lazy day. Scott and I told the kids that the only thing we wanted this year was to sleep in. So we all agreed to come down stairs at 9:00 am. It was heavenly. Those that were awake, just went and watched a movie. Shep got his annual "candy cane" bone and was/is very happy. All the other stuff took 20 minutes to open. It wasn't much, but some things that the kids did want. Dallen and Ashton wanted Snuggies. I seriously can't believe I got them for them. They are really dumb, but the boys are SOOO happy with them.

Derrek got his braces off. He is very happy. He has also managed to "melt" his retainer and already needs a new one! Alec told him that to clean it he needed to rinse it in hot water and Derrek rinsed it in the hot water that they use to make coffee at McDonalds. It melted the retainer. He tried sticking it in his mouth to re-form it to his teeth, but it literally burned his mouth...and did nothing to re-form the retainer. So...now we have to get another. Alec, who is prone to breaking things early, didn't even do that! We tease Derrek...it's fun for us!

For New Year's, Scott's sisters and brother came to stay at his other brother's house (Kent's) and we did things with them. We also had a youth New Year's party for the youth in our ward and played games and ate way too much. It was fun.

I think the kids are ready to go back to school this week. They are off tomorrow, still, but return on Tuesday. They are tired of being bored. They are hoping to go play in the snow tomorrow with Scott (I don't do snow). He has to go up to Panguitch for work and they have lots of snow.

Well, hope everyone else had a great holiday season.

Where does time go?

This is a picture I found of Calvin with Grandma Bowler at Christmas when he was just barely one years old, so it would have been 1996. I find it really strange that it has really been since October that I have blogged...I am generally pretty good and keeping up with it. Where does time go? Well, we are in the thick of the holiday season, getting gifts for others, making cards, treats, etc. We love this time of year. We love the music, the cold weather, the lights all around, and we love the feelings that we get this time of year. We always say we will try to have this same spirit all year, but for some reason it doesn't seem to last like I would want it to. I guess that is something I could work on!

We went to Phoenix for Thanksgiving and it was good to see everyone again. Scott was soooo nice because I was really freaking out about possibly gaining more weight because the past two times I have been down there I have gained 7 pounds collectively and I have worked so hard this past year and a half and I didn't want it to be another hurdle. So he exercised with me every morning and then helped me to remember to control myself because he knew I needed that. So, we made it back and I achieved my goal of not gaining anything. So, I considered it a very good vacation! I think my favorite part was our traditional shopping on Black Friday and then the girls getting together and having breakfast at IHOP or somewhere like that. I just love that we are all friends and really love each other.

We are all doing good. The kids are trying to finish getting things in before the quarter ends. I am proud of them because they really check their own grades and push themselves to get things done they know they need to.

We went this last week to the Temple Visitor's Center where they have the Reflections of Christ photography on display. There was one of the manger scene that I really liked. We all reflected on our love for Christ. We had our Ward Christmas party and Scott, being Bishop and all, had some teen-age girls singing "Santa Baby" to him and kissed him on the cheek a couple of times during the song. He was dying from embarrassment. It was funny, to me, though, because several people asked me if I was mad about it. I was laughing.

Something else that was funny, this last week, was that Scott asked me to print off a new family picture for his frame at work (which currently has a "horizontal" picture in it) and he asked if the pictures my dad took were horizontal. And I said, "well, the best one is vertical, but that shouldn't matter, we can still use your same frame". He could not picture how I could put a "vertical" picture in his "horizontal" frame. He was almost arguing with me and basically saying that I was wrong. So, we were at my parent's and I was working on the pictures to send to Wal-mart and he comes in and says, with a "horizontal" frame in hand and a "just prove to me" attitude, "show me how I could possibly use this frame with a vertical picture" and he throws it in front of me standing "horizonally". Without saying a word, I just turned it "vertical" and it still stood and then went on with what I was doing. It was so funny. He grabbed the frame and just walked away and didn't say anything. Now he says, after I say I did something stupid, "well, at least you knew how to turn the picture frame". It was definitely a classic moment.

So, I found something I would love to have, and thought I should pass it on...

http://www.perpetualkid.com/to-do-tatto.aspx

I am always writing stuff on my hands to remember what I need to do...I just figured this was for me :).

Well, hopefully you are enjoying yourselves. Oh, I forgot to say...no gingerbread house this year. But Scott said that everyone that entered this year stepped it up a notch from what was brought last year! He feels he contributed that way...they were able to raise a little more money, anyway.