Lucky Number Thirteen

Yesterday was my anniversary. Once again, allow me to digress... a couple months ago I got an email from one of Chloe's activity day leaders saying they had got tickets for the girls to go see "Savior of the World." I was so jealous. So much that I went to see if I might be able to get tickets for me to go. They've been sold out every other year I'd tried, but this time there were some still available! So, I asked Brandon if he'd like to go for our anniversary (which is the point of this post).

Now Sophie was really sad because she was the only one who wouldn't get to see it. Especially when one night another one of the leaders called me to tell me they had some extra tickets and wondered if our family would like to accompany them. Unfortunately I had already ordered my tickets by then so I had to decline the offer. Now Sophie was really disappointed that she almost got to go, but I made it so she couldn't.

Jump to the day of the activity -- which just happened to be the same day as our giant wind storm -- we were out talking to the neighbors (a leader), when I got up the courage to ask if any of those tickets were still available and if Sophie might be able to tag along. She called another leader who was in charge of it and found out that Sophie could go! I thought I'd be a big hero for that. But as the time for the performance neared we got a phone call. Our bishop had cancelled the activity, thinking people needed to be home to take care of their homes/yards/families. We were pretty disappointed. But then we get a call back from the other leader (let me interject here to point out that the phone lines were down, so only cell phones were working and our neighbor doesn't have one, so we were the telephone operator passing messages along) and she told us that she had all these tickets now that were going to go to waste, so we could have them and just go as a family, and not a church sponsored activity. I had other obligations that evening, but I thought the girls would love to go with Brandon (it wouldn't hurt him to see it twice), but all of a sudden they backed out. They were no longer interested in going. I guess since they wouldn't get to be with their friends? Anyway, after all that, nobody used the tickets. Chloe nor Sophie got to go.

But I did! On my anniversary. Lark planned her annual sleepover for that night so the girls would be taken care of. They got to ride to Logan with my parents who had been down here, so that saved a trip. Then Brandon and I took off for dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory. Then we had a wedding reception to run over to at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building for our neighbor across the street. We had to support them since they picked such an awesome day to get married on! We had dessert there, and then ran back across the street to the Conference Center for the show. Brandon and I both felt like we had a really good evening. Lots of good food and entertainment, and all relatively cheap. That makes up for last years.

Bubble and Bee

I have a favorite store, and I'm going to share it with you. The long version, of course. Way back when Ross was living in Salt Lake (about 3 years ago), we had taken him to Trolley Square for some reason. Just hanging out. He and Brandon got really excited about some scooter/motorbike they saw in a store so we went in to check it out. Only the store wasn't really a bike shop. It was more bath and body stuff, with this bike in the corner. The bike was cool, but I just remember having a really good feeling about the products in this store -- and this was before I had gone all organic. As we were about to leave the guy told me they do a chapstick swap -- you give them one of your old chapsticks, and they'll give you one of theirs for free! I just happened to have a chapstick on me that I really was not a fan of (some new thing I wanted to try), so I was happy to trade it in for their yummy one (I picked the peppermint cocoa). So, I carried this chapstick around with me which had their store name on it, Bubble and Bee, which I'm sure is one reason I never forgot them.

Fast forward over a year, when I started to care about what I was putting into my body, and that includes on my body. Brandon had always preached to me about how bad antiperspirants were, but I could never find one made for women. I found several in the mens, but I don't want to smell musky. But at one point I really got fed up with the aluminum in my deodorant that I knew I had to find something else. It had to be out there. I simply quit wearing deodorant while I was on my search, which I find I usually don't need in the winter months much anyway. This store, Bubble and Bee, kept popping up in my head so I finally went searching for their website, and sure enough they had deodorant. All natural - with no bad stuff! And lucky enough for me, by this time they had moved their store to Bountiful so I could just run over and grab some. The first deodorant I tried didn't really work so well for me, though. I still stunk. But they had a great deal with their deodorants because they want you to find the one that works for you, so you can exchange it for another one if it doesn't work out. I did that and found one I liked better. She (Stephanie Greenwood, the owner) has since developed a cream deodorant that I like a LOT better than the old sticks. And once I started using the deodorant, I found myself going back for more and more -- trying all their products.

I also quit wearing make up, like over a year ago. Let's face it, it sure didn't make me look any better with it on, so I finally decided to quit wasting money on it. Now I just look plain and boring for free!

Now, do you want to know why I'm really writing this post? It's not a sales pitch. They ran a contest over the 12 days of Christmas and gave away different prizes each day. I won day 3 -- my choice of any 3 of their products! I was pretty happy. You know I would have bought them anyway, but it's always fun to win. My girls also love their products, but they day I found out I won they went a little crazy. They picked out these black and yellow outfits, made up a jingle, gathered up all my B&B products (well, most of them), and after practicing it several times they made me record it. So... on Wednesday when I went to pick up my prize I told Stephanie what they had been up to. She told me she wanted to see it, and Sophie pointed out that I had it right there on my iPod, so I let her watch it. She told me to send it to her so she could share it. I emailed it to her, and I just got a note back saying she's sending it out next week. Sophie's so excited. I think Chloe's a little embarrassed. I'll share it here so you can see it before all the B&B fans.

Gift-less Kids are Gifted

Christmas for us was a culmination of activities and time spent together as a family. Not just one day, focused on opening gifts. It was a nice break. It definitely felt different. I want to say more peaceful, but really it was hard trying to explain to people just what we were doing. The bulk of our society doesn't get it. Materialism, consumerism runs rampant. Even those who think they aren't materialistic can't go without gifts on Christmas. That seems to be breaking some cardinal rule. If you say you don't need things to be happy, then I'll challenge you to try it. That's just what we did -- gave it a try. And I have to say, we're just fine without adding more garbage to the landfill (whether it's from gift wrap, boxes, undesired gifts, or things we'd have to get rid of to make room for new things). One night after having a discussion with someone who just didn't get it, Brandon and I had a really good conversation and were able to laugh at ourselves (very hard). That felt good. My family is loved. One person wrote, "Kids Who Are Gift-less are Gifted." I think I gave my kids a real gift in our experiment. We had a fun time together -- played games, sat by the fire, performed skits, recorded a commercial, sang songs, baked and ate. And were really happy to have Brandon home for several days.

For breakfast I tried to make coconut crepes. My kids love to make crepes, and I had seen this variation in my cookbook that sounded yummy. The only substitution the recipe made was to use coconut milk in place of regular milk. But I knew I had seen coconut flour at the store, so I thought that would be a nice addition as well. I tried that -- and failed. I now know that coconut flour does not work the same as other flours. We tried several attempts to salvage it. Nothing was working out. Brandon finally tried to convert them to pancakes. They looked nice, but didn't taste so well. Then he tried to turn them into cookies. Still not quite right. So, after getting on the internet and learning about coconut flour I found a recipe for some brownies that matched up pretty well with the other ingredients we'd already put in our "mixture." After lengthening the cooking time as long as we could (we had to get to church), they turned out ok. Chloe really liked them. So, lesson learned.

My dad wrote on our family blog that all these years he thought the true meaning of Christmas was "giving," but this year he decided the true meaning of Christmas is "love." Yes, Dad, you hit the bullseye.

I came across a couple quotes this weekend that struck a chord with me and sums up our holiday:

1. "There are times when the right thing is the hard thing, and we need to do it because it is the best thing."
2. "It's not what's under your tree that matters, but who is around it."

This is who was around my Christmas tree...

Candlelight Christmas

Continuing our efforts to give our family something a little more meaningful this Christmas, we went to the Candlelight Christmas at "This is the Place Heritage Park." I was really hoping to find a nice night to go so we wouldn't freeze to death, but this time of year every night is cold. Brandon had seen that it was supposed to snow last night, but I figured that was as good as any night. Sure enough, it started to snow shortly before we left. It was a very light snow, and I feel it really added to the atmosphere of the evening. Made it kind of magical. Each house (not every one, but several) had various activities to participate in -- crafts, storytelling. We are reading a book each evening about the life of the real St. Nicholas, and the very first story we heard was in that book. It was great to watch the looks on my children's faces as they recalled what we had just learned. I have found since homeschooling my children that these opportunities pop up quite frequently. It's amazing how the things we learn seem to be interwoven at just the right moments. And because everything I teach my children is done prayerfully, I know these are not coincidences.

The schoolhouse was converted into a dance hall. I got my husband to participate with me! While the girls sat and laughed at us. Sophie grabbed my camera to record it. Unfortunately she doesn't yet know how to orient things, and the lighting was poor (it was dark out), but her commentary is quite entertaining.

There was also a live nativity. In a real barn. With goats and sheep. They were a little distracting for the children, but it was a very special part of the evening. Our last activity was to take the train ride. That was the only time I got really cold all evening. Sophie's shoes (she wears slippers!) were soaked, however, so she was quite miserable there at the end. Perhaps next time she'll make a more thoughtful choice when picking out new shoes.

Storm Recovery * Field Trips * Christmas Breakfast

We've been having a grand time around here. Not too much to report on, other than the ordinary, but here are a few things we've been up to:

• We've recovered from the fateful storm. I never shared the story of the Sunday after, but it's a good one. Our stake president played Brigham Young and called the men to go out and "rescue" their neighbors. We only held sacrament meeting. He told us to go home and eat, even though it was Fast Sunday, because we'd be no use if our bodies weren't nourished. Wow! The crowds that showed up to help out were remarkable. Renews your faith in the human race. I heard they called out the National Guard, but I never saw them. Just regular citizens helping out neighbors. We have since got our garage door fixed; facia, soffit and gutter replaced; and the tree stump removed. Just need our roofer to come back to replace the few shingles we lost and we'll be back to normal, aside from the new view out our window.
• We went to a Christmas puppet show. It was geared for a younger crowd, but our girls still seemed to enjoy themselves.
• Then we went to a "Holiday Story Night." This one was really for younger kids. There was one very dramatic story teller. He stepped on a little girl sitting on the front row. It was both sad and a little funny at the same time.
• I have a neighbor who expressed a desire to start running, but was worried about how to do it with 3 little children. I had the perfect solution -- let Chloe watch them for her! Chloe is desperate to babysit, and this would be a great way to help out. Sophie ended up going with her, so I guess they both do it. It's been really fun for them, and I hope they feel as good as I do when they help someone out.
• I took the girls to a play - "Brave Little Tailor." It was technically a field trip, since we went as an organized group. But mostly it was just fun. And I got free parking because the parking attendant couldn't make change. Woot!
• Sophie actually had an activity day this week! She got a new leader back in June, and it just hasn't been the same since. Yes, I know we don't criticize our leaders, but what can you say when people simply don't do their jobs? I'm using it as a teaching moment to show my kids how horrible it feels so they won't ever slack when they are given a responsibility.
• Friday night I took the girls to a homeschool choir concert. It was cute and the leader of it is a friend of mine who always done an amazing job at whatever she does (although she doesn't want to hear that!) Sophie seemed like she might want to join the choir, but only if her sister does. And you know how unlikely that will be. I told her to let me know if she ever feels like it's something she wants to do.
• This morning we had our ward Christmas breakfast. It felt a little quick and rushed. Maybe that was just me, but I didn't even have time to eat my breakfast before I had to go perform. I was given a little notice that I was needed to accompany, but who and what songs were not decided until about 5 minutes before the show began. Then Santa Clause came, the girls got their pictures taken with him and it was time to clean up. Chloe did share a pretty funny story with me. She said Santa asked her if she's done all her homework. She told him she's homeschooled. So then he asked if she gets to have chicken sandwiches everyday for lunch, to which she replies, "We don't eat meat." Then he asked her what she wants for Christmas and she said a telescope. Then I guess he asked her if she knew what I (her mom) was getting her, to which she had to explain that I'm not getting any gifts this year. Poor Santa, I think he must have an easier time just listening to greedy little kids rattle off their wish lists!

Gardner Village

When my parents came back from their trip they wanted to go to Gardner Village. I think my mom and Shalee had it planned, and they invited me to tag along. Even though I don't like shopping we all still had a great time. We printed off sheets for the girls to locate elves that were hidden around the village, and then they could turn them in for a free sugar stick (yes, another of my [sarcasm coming] favorite things). It was a little nippy out, but we could warm up in each shop. We got to eat lunch together. Grandma gave the girls each a little spending money, so they had fun choosing just the right thing to use it on. And my mom bought me a gift (I should have taken a picture of it). I thought about buying it myself until I realized the hypocrisy in it. It's a cute sign about simplifying and making things do, so I couldn't buy something I don't need! I was appreciative of the gift.

One of my favorite displays was of Santa's naughty and nice lists. Chloe and Sophie were both on the naughty list! I guess there must be a Santa after all :)

Gratitude

My parents went to Indiana for Thanksgiving this year, which meant that Grandma was left home alone. We volunteered to celebrate with her, and Lark was the only other one left without anywhere to go so she joined us as well. I thought we could just go up to Grandma's house and keep things simple, but she wanted to be difficult. We fought for a little bit, but I declared myself the winner. I told Lark to just plan on going to Grandma's and all would be well. But Grandma still had to call me to make sure that was what I really wanted. Yes, it was. Then a couple more days passed and she called me again! This time I told her if that's what she really wanted then she could make the call. So... I didn't have to go anywhere. We stayed home, and Lark got to do all the work going to get her and bringing her to my house. I guess Grandma does like me better :)

The girls had a great time having their aunt here. Sophie had just gotten a new shirt and she was really excited to wear it when Lark came.

Dinner was very simple. Lark brought some rolls, I made a vegan cornbread stuffing and a not-too-sweet potato casserole, Brandon made some garlic mashed potatoes and I put together a simple relish tray. I put Lark in charge of the dessert because I really wanted a pumpkin roll, and the only time I ever tried making one it turned out not so pretty so I had faith Lark could pull it off. She had no experience with it, and I believe she even discovered how frustrating they can be, but she did a beautiful job. It looked wonderful, but tasted divine. That's what I was hoping for! I had made an apple pie, but we ate that the night before.

One week after Thanksgiving we were given the opportunity to focus on the things we are truly grateful for. I woke up at 1:40 AM yesterday morning to the wind howling -- and unfortunately never could get back to sleep. Living in Wyoming we have experienced enough wind to know we don't like it. This storm in fact surpassed all the windstorms we had in Cheyenne. Wind was a pretty constant 60-70 miles per hour for something like 10 hours, and they recorded gusts in Centerville up to 102 MPH! That is crazy! We lost power around 5:00 AM. A power line came down and caused a big explosion just the street south of us. Firetrucks and emergency vehicles showed up. After seeing all the leaves and dirt blowing into our living room we realized how poorly our door is sealed, so we sealed it up to try to keep some heat in. The girls were quite excited about the whole ordeal. I don't think they were able to comprehend the amount of destruction that was taking place. They just thought it was cool to see trees falling on homes and things being torn apart.

Sometime in the afternoon the winds started to die down and everyone came out of their homes to inspect the damage and compare notes. We lost our only big tree left in the front yard, some facia and a soffit, and the spring broke on our garage door. We only lost 2 shingles which was minor compared to everyone else, so I'm glad our new roof held up to its promise. We lit a fire in the fireplace and invited our neighbors to come warm up with us. We cooked dinner over our camping stove, and power was finally restored around 7:00 PM.

We couldn't get to work on our tree like everyone else was because our chainsaw is electric so we had to wait for power to come back on. But we had some kind neighbors who came over and just started hacking away on it. I was so grateful for their help, but Chloe was pretty nervous. And as soon as they brought a trailer to start hauling it away for us she about lost it. She wanted that tree for firewood and was not going to let anyone take it! So, Brandon politely explained why we didn't want their help and all was well.

Chloe was really upset that we wouldn't let her go outside in the morning. Like I said, they really couldn't grasp how dangerous it was out there. But after the really nasty wind was gone Brandon took her out to survey the damage and I had him take my camera so he could shoot some video of what it was like. He was talking through the whole thing, but the wind was so loud you can hardly hear a thing.



So, when all is said and done this is what I am thankful for:

• A bishopric who were some of the first people I saw out inspecting every home to make sure everyone was ok
• As well as a Relief Society Presidency
• Parents who send their teen-agers out to help
• Neighbors with trailers
• A fallen tree that will provide firewood for the winter
• A wood burning fireplace
• A chain-link fence. Note this is probably the only time I will be thankful for that ugly thing!
• Food Storage -- along with a reminder of what we still need to work on!
• Family -- grateful that no one was harmed