A Little Christmas Cheer…

Hoping you all had a great Christmas season.  Here’s a look into the happenings at our home this year.

Tender Mercy

We had a family Christmas party last night, and we weren’t really sure if we would go.  Since Jared was gone most of the week, he really wanted to stay home and get some things done.  But I was feeling lazy and didn’t want to cook dinner.  He let me make the final decision, so I decided that we’d go.

Because of that, I had to run to Macey’s and grab the items we were supposed to bring.  While there, I ran into a lady from our ward.  During our conversation, she mentioned that she just had to figure out what she was going to do for Primary.  And then it hit me…I was supposed to be teaching the Young Women lesson the next day!

I am so thankful we (I) decided to go to the party.  If we hadn’t gone, I would not have run into this woman, we wouldn’t have had our conversation, and I would have completely forgotten about teaching the lesson!  I can only imagine the horror of showing up and realizing that I had completely dropped the ball.  I am so thankful for this tender mercy, even if all it did was save me from being utterly embarrassed!

Chicago

Jared was in Chicago for some work training last week.  I asked Caleb at least every day (some times several times a day) where Daddy was.  I really got a kick out of how he said Chicago:

Day 1: Shopko!

Other variations: Sha-shago, chick-a-cago, ka-shago

I know there were a few other variations that he threw out – I should have written them down.

By the time Jared got back, though, Caleb was pretty proficient at saying CHICAGO, as long as he slowed down and took his time.

And when he got up this morning and Jared was already gone to meetings, he said, “Is daddy gone to Chicago?”

I was so thankful to say, “Nope - he’s just at church!”

Catching Up

Jared is gone and I’m bored and trying to keep my thoughts from wandering, so I thought I’d do a little catch up here on the ol’ blog.

Emily the birthday girl – 10 years old!

The fall this year made for a rough time with asthma.

Halloween cuties…a witch, a pumpkin, a fairy, and a ninja.

Sailing away in a banana boat…

Thanksgiving at home….yum!

The only problem with having Thanksgiving dinner at your own home is the LEFTOVERS! I can handle them for a day or two, but by Saturday night I was getting pretty sick of them! So we threw the turkey in the blender, along with some celery, green onions, mushrooms and mayo, gave it all a good chop, and used it as a sandwich filling. It was a yummy way to use up the rest of the turkey and the rolls (which were starting to get a little dry). I thought it would have been good with some grapes, and Jared thought it would have been good with some chopped apples. Either way, it was delicious, and even the kids loved it.

Ward Christmas party Nativity, performed by the senior primary. That’s Emily as Mary by the manger. Last year they had a real live baby. I think Emily was a little disappointed that it was only a doll this year.

Look Who’s 10!!

Holy cow – can you believe Emily is 10 years old today?!?  Has it really been 10 years since we became parents and commenced the most unpredictable, busy, and rewarding  journey of our lives?  WOW!

Emily is such a sweet and special girl.  We are so lucky to have her as our oldest kid.  She’s a great helper, and has even been babysitting for us a little bit lately.  She is a great friend to everyone around her, and she almost always has a smile on her face.  She is an awesome musician, especially on the piano, and she’s getting really good on the violin and guitar too.  She is a collector and quite an artist – her creativity seems to know no limits.  She is also a voracious reader.  Her class requirement to read 400 pages each month is a breeze for her!

I could go on and on – she’s just such a great girl!  Take a look at this cutie through the years.

We love you Emily!  You are a wonderful daughter and we are so blessed that you came to our home.  You are a great example to all of us.  We hope you have a great year!

The Adventures of Caleb, part XVIIVXX (or something like that)

Life with Caleb is seriously one adventure after another, full of never-ending questions, physical perils, food  discoveries, and rigid routines. 

Here’s an example of a conversation with Caleb:

C: “Where’s Dad?”

M: “At work.”

C: “Why?”

M: “So he can make money to pay our bills.”

C: “Why?”

M: “So we have a place to live and food to eat.”

C: “Why?”

…you can see where this is going.  And I’m sure most/all of you reading this have been there, done that.  Caleb just takes it all to the extreme.

But he comes up with some really great statements too, such as, “Alright you guys!  What’s going on in there?”, “Turn that TV off right now or you’re grounded!”, and “Go to timeout right now – 1…2…3…”  Where in the world does he come up with these things?!?!

Food is always an adventure.  Caleb continues to wear more of it than what he consumes.  And it’s really a lot of fun to scoop your food into your cup of water to see how it changes!  Oh, and the ever popular, “I HATE (fill in the blank) for dinner!”  I LOVE to hear that one from him!

Have you ever tried new uses for food items (other than just eating them)?  Upon cleaning him up after dinner the other day, I discovered broccoli in his ears.  “Caleb – why is there broccoli in your ears?”  “For earplugs mom!”  Now why didn’t I think of that one?!?!

Caleb is not very friendly with gravity.  It’s always sneaking up on him and grabbing him when he least expects it.  Knocking on wood…I’m amazed he’s missed the corner as many times as he has!

What would life be without routines?  In a word…simple.  No chasing down red blankies, stuffed giraffes, batman car, or whatever the fixation is at the time.  But, he sleeps.  And I’m old, and tired, and to the point of giving him whatever he wants if he’ll just be happy and sleep!!  And he does, and as soon as there’s a hint of sunlight, he’s up and at it all over again.  With those big, bright eyes leading the way!

What would life be like without Caleb?  Incomplete, dull, and definitely less humorous!

Under Construction...and the Primary Program

Please excuse the mess I've got going here. I got bored and decided to change things up a bit. Only problem is that I never have enough time to work on it. So be patient...things will be better soon!

On another note - today was our ward's Primary Program, and my first time participating as a chorister. It was amazing!! I always love the Primary Program - it is so simple, yet so profound. The kids always do so well, and today was no exception. As we were ready to start, the other chorister and I concluded that we were both extremely nervous (and it didn't help that the Stake President was there and sitting right next to me)! For me, though, the nervousness melted away as the kids sang the first song, "I Know that My Savior Loves Me." It always gives me chills to hear them sing that song (good chills). From that point on, I really enjoyed myself. Josh's part was telling about his baptism, and Emily's part was telling about the miracle of feeding the 5,000. They both did awesome, and I was so proud of them. We finished the meeting in perfect time, and the kids did a great job singing "Come Follow Me" for the closing song. When we were done, Pres. Cook turned to me and said, "How in the world do you get them to sing so well? Do you bribe them??" to which I responded, "I don't know. I guess they just like to sing!" In my book, that is SUCCESS!!

Mom says...

I was playing around with Rachel the other day - she was being me, and I was being her. I asked her about some things that Mommy says. Did I really want to hear the answer? Not so sure! But, I got some rather insightful things out of her.

Here are the first few things she said - things that Mom says:
"Be obedient!" (Really, the only thing I want out of my kids)
"Knock it off!" (What else is there to say when they're all fighting?!?!)
"Sweetheart." (I'm glad that was one of them. I love that she knows she's my sweetheart!)
"I love you." (I'm also very glad she hears this one, as I say it plenty of times in a day and wonder if anyone ever hears it!)

Gas Attack!

No – I’m not speaking of the odor that comes from a human body after eating such foods as cabbage, beans, etc!  How embarrassing!!

I’m referring to what happened in our kitchen and living room after Caleb microwaved a hot pepper!  A thick gas enveloped the area, causing anyone who entered the premises to begin coughing and feeling a terrible burning sensation in their throat and lungs!  Seriously, it was bad!  Jared took immediate evasive action – pulling out the fan, turning on the ceiling fan, and turning on the fan above the stove – and we all vacated the premises, finding refuge in the basement.  The fans worked, and after a time, the air cleared out and things returned to normal.

There is one question remaining to be answered: Why, with all the big red tomatoes, bright yellow squash, and green tomatillos on the counter, did he choose the PEPPER???

Josh’s Baptism

Josh was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints by his Dad on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010.  It was such a special day!   Look at these handsome guys!

Josh said that after he was confirmed, he felt so warm all over.  He also said he is so glad he got baptized and can’t wait to do baptisms for the dead.

This is Josh with our current bishopric.  He knows them all very well!  And I wouldn’t be surprised to see him as one of the bishopric members in 25 years or so!

Proud parents.  We are so happy that Josh has made the decision to follow the Savior.  Being a member of His church is such a blessing!  I have seen Josh really trying hard to do what is right, and he’s getting better at thinking things through before he acts.

The whole gang (minus Stacie, who is taking the picture)!!  We are so blessed to have such supportive family.  We love you all and are thankful you were willing to come support Josh on his special day!

As a sidenote: We missed Grandma and Grandpa Ripp so much!  It was so different to not have them there.  But we know their thoughts were with us, and we are so thankful for the example they are setting for all of us!  We love you!