Out of the Mouths of Babes: Christmas Edition

Duane had a Christmas interview with the kids that I thought was pretty darn cute and I wanted to share it with you. I hope you enjoy!

Church: Sacrament Meeting: Last Sunday

Isaac: (BELCH), oh, excuse me.
Duane: Isaac, you shouldn't burp in church, it's not polite.
Isaac: But Dad, I said "excuse me".
(chuckles heard from behind).

I am glad we can keep people entertained at church.

Defining TENACIOUS

tenacious [tuh-ney-shuhs] –adjective
1. holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold (often fol. by of): a tenacious grip on my arm; tenacious of old habits.
2. highly retentive: a tenacious memory.
3. pertinacious, persistent, stubborn, or obstinate.
4. adhesive or sticky; viscous or glutinous.
5. holding together; cohesive; not easily pulled asunder; tough
6. Lucy Land

My dear sweet Lucy is characterized well by the word tenacious (as you can see, in more ways than one). She has been called many things ("little pistol", "so cute", "a handful", "a little booger", "slightly stubborn", etc.). For example, as we prepare to enter the grocery store she firmly announces that she wants no part of "the cart", and she stiffens her ENTIRE body and will not sit down in the cart.
I can only hope that she uses this same Iron WILL and chooses the right as she faces the tough decisions of her youth.
Can you believe that Duane has the audacity to blame me and my side of the family for this particular behavioral trait!?!
That's okay, I'll take whatever credit I can for this little one. She may be a "little stinker", but she is MY little stinker. And I love her forever for it!

(oh, by the way, this is a picture of her following some time with some of my make up, please note the comb stuck in her hair).

Upside-Down Pie

Isaac: Dad, how do you make upside down pie?
Duane: I don't know, how do you make upside-down pie?
(drumroll please ...)
Isaac: You hang upside down and bake it!

Perfect Attendance

Isaac with some other kindergarteners who also have perfect attendance. They were presented with certificates and necklaces by the Principle at a school assembly.

Later that week Isaac and the other Kindergarteners presented a Thanksgiving program. They were so cute! Isaac is in the middle with a black pilgrims hat on. They sang songs and recited poems, we were all very impressed.

This is Isaac and Lucy posing after the program. The kindergarteners decorated these turkeys last week which was part of a family homework assignment. Isaac's turkey the one that says "EAT BEEF". We had lots of fun making that turkey.

50 Years

Don and Donna Land married 50 years!

Last Saturday the Land family celebrated Don and Donna's 50th wedding anniversary. We had lots of fun planning and preparing for and enjoying this celebration.

I am so happy and proud to have married into such an incredible family. Don and Donna are such an example to us. They show so much love to eachother and to each of us as we continue to grow and grow as a family.

Here are some stats:

Married: 50 years
Children: 8 (all married in the temple and all college graduates).
Grandchildren: 22 (and 1 on the way, and more to follow).
Missionaries: 6 children and 2 grandchildren (1 of which is currently serving).

I feel so blessed to be a part of a family where living the gospel is the first priority.
Thank you Don and Donna for everything. We love you! Congratulations!

Veterans Day

As we go about our day today, enjoying the day off, playing with family and friends, I hope we will all take a moment and think about all those brave men and women who sacrificed their lives to bring us the freedoms we are enjoying today.

I feel truly blessed to be able to exercise my freedoms of religion and speech, and to have the right to vote. And I am proud to be a citizen of a nation who fights for the rights and freedoms not only of their own country, but for others.

I am proud to be a daughter, granddaughter, great-granddaughter (and so on) of men who served in the military.

Thank you to all who have served and who are currently serving, for preserving our freedoms.

Mud....

This first picture she must have "hand-painted" a mask on her face.

On this second picture, you will notice Lucy's famous "head-dip head", some of you may remember the toilet bowl incident...

Please note that both of these pictues were taken the same day. Yes, my daughter has become MUD GIRL. Isaac was not like this as a 2 years old. He hated getting his hands dirty, he still does. Lucy on the other hand has had almost everything known to children on her hands. She loves it, no she revels in it!

Halloween

Cousin Picture

From the left: Lucy (Red Riding Hood), Isaac (Jedi), Laurelle (cute witch), Addison (winter Belle), Jolie (butterfly/fairy), Kolby (wolf-man)

Isaac was a Jedi (convincing huh?)

Lucy was Little Red Riding Hood (cute huh?)

We had a really fun Halloween this year. For months, Isaac has been wanting a Jedi costume for Halloween. And Lucy, well, she is still at an age where I can dress her up in any cute costume I want (we'll see how long that lasts). My mom helped me make these costumes last week. I am so glad that we live close to eachother! I think I am starting to get a hang of this sewing thing (well, I can handle a couple of capes anyway).

This year was a little different from previous years. In years past, I would dress the kids up in the morning and take them everywhere (my moms work, Duane's work, etc). This year Isaac is in school, and they are not allowed to wear costumes to school (which I support, because it is too distracting). Duane is on vacation, so we didn't go to his work. My mom is off on Fridays, so we didn't go to her work either. So I had to wait all day long! By the time it was time to get ready, Isaac and Lucy had zonked out on the couch! I guess the anticipation had worn them out. We woke them up and got them ready. Duane took them around our neighborhood to trick-or-treat, while I stayed at home to hand out candy to our neighborhood kids. It was so much fun. When the kids got back, we headed over to our church for the trunk-or-treat. While there, we caught up with my brother and his kids. Then we headed to my moms to make our last trick-or-treat stop. The kids had lots of fun, and they got lots of candy. All in all , I think it was a success!

Take Courage

I got this via e-mail. I thought that it was appropriate for the current political climate.

No matter what, we MUST do what is RIGHT, and what GOD WANTS US TO DO!

Remember: GET OUT AND VOTE! YES ON 8!

8 Things About Me

I got tagged ...

8 Things I like a whole lot
Being married to such a hardworking man
Being a mother to 2 of the cutest kids on the whole planet
Blogging
Reading good books (vampire books included).
Talking to my mom
Talking to my sister
Looking at my house when it is clean
Going to Land family parties

8 Phrases I Say Often
"No”
"Please share"
"What do you say?"
"Sit on your bottom"
"Keep your hands to yourself"
"Honey, I need to go to Target for …. something"
"Love you"
"This time, we’re going to be on time"

8 Things I want to do before I die
See all of my kids go to the temple
See my sons serve honorable missions
Go on a mission with my husband
See all my children graduate from college
Be a grandmother
Learn a different language
Learn how to organize my time
See 8 places I'd love to visit

8 Things I've learned from my past
Never judge another mother
The importance of marrying a good man with a good family
Setting a good example to my children
Sometimes it’s better to just keep my mouth shut
Keep the bathroom clean, because you never know who will want to use it next
Men think differently than women
Being a mom is the most important job I have
Give others the benefit of the doubt

8 Places I'd love to visit
Machu Picchu, Peru
El Castillo, Chichen Itza, Mexico
The Colloseum Rome, Italy
Great Wall of China
Great Pyramid of Giza, Cairo, Egypt
The Alhambra, Spain
Taj Majal, India
Easter Island Statues, Chile

8 Things I currently need or want
1-Prop 8 to be passed in California
2-Barack Obama to somehow drop out of the presidential race
3-Mitt Romney to somehow get in the presidential race
4-Federal/State/Local economic stability
5-World Peace
(am I asking too much?)
Now for the other self-centered wishes:
6-Duane to be done with his masters degree
7-To lose some weight (I will not be specific as to how much)
8-A clean house

8 People I tag
1. Veronica P.
2. Kristin
3. Tami H.
4. Ashley D.
5. Alice H.
6. Becky W.
7. Allison H.
8. Jessica L.

Californian's: Vote YES on Prop 8!

For those of you who are unaware, Californians will be voting on an important issue in November. Here are some details:

Proposition 8 is simple and straightforward. It contains the same 14 words that were previously approved in 2000 by over 61% of California voters. "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California".

Because 4 activitst judges in San Francisco wrongly overturned the people's vote, we need to pass this measure as a constitutional amendment to restore the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.

Voting YES on Proposition 8 does 3 simple things:

1-It restores the definition of marriage to what the vast majority of California voters already approved and what Californians agree should be supported, not undermined.

2-It overturns the outrageous of four activist Supreme Court judges who ignored the will of the people.

3-It protects our children from being taught in public schools that "same-sex marriage" is the same as traditional marriage, and prevents other consequences to Califonrians who will be forced to not just be tolerant of gay lifestyles, but face mandatory compliance regardless of their personal beliefs.

If you live in California, and are registered to vote, please vote Yes for Prop 8.

If you are not registered to vote, please get registered. You have until October 20th to register. Click here: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_vr.htm to register.

If you living outside of California temporarily, but are registered in California, don't forget to vote by absentee ballot.

If you support this Proposition, tell your friends! Spread the word! And get out to VOTE!

Go to http://www.protectmarriage.com/ to find other ways to contribute.

Picture Tag

Tami tagged me.

Here are the rules. You go to your files, and pick the fourth picture in the fourth file. Then you tag four friends.

This is Lucy in one of her more adventurous outfits.

I tag:
Christine
Veronica
Kristin
Sarah
(and whoever else wants to be tagged)

Tag, YOUR IT!

Chickens!

Just before FHE this week Duane was getting the kids nice and "reverent" when they decided that it would be fun to put some gloves on their heads and act like chickens. So here are my little chicks.

I have to hand it to Duane, he comes up with the funnest things for the kids, with some of the simplest things. He is so creative!

Here is a little video of my little chicks.

From the archives...

I was looking through some old photos and found this. This is Duane and Isaac just a few days after Isaac was born. Now my sweet boy is 5 and in school. Oh how time does fly!

Hmmm....

I have to wonder what he was dreaming about. Isaac has been so preoccupied with school and homework, that I wonder if it is affecting his sleep. What do you think?

Playing...

Isaac loves riding his bike up and down the street. I think he is almost ready to take off those training wheels.

Lucy is such a girl! Yes, she was hitting this football with a golf club. Fun times!

Happy Birthday Grandpa Olson

For 28 years, Grandpa Olson and I have shared the same birthday. I can't think of a better person to share it with. I have always thought that my birthday was extra special because I shared it with him. He is such a special person, a wonderful father, grandfather and great-grandfather. I have so many wonderful memories of him when I was a child. From "Niki-niki-tembo" to "The Pig Who Wouldn't Jump Over The Stile". He is a great story-teller. I am especially grateful to Grandpa Olson for his service in the Navy in WWII. I am only now starting to realize the sacrifices that he and so many from his generation made for our generation. So thank you Grandpa, we love you so much, and thank you for your service and love. Happy Birthday!

Lucy-ella

Since Isaac started school, I have been much more organized with my cleaning schedule. So Lucy has been helping me with all of my chores. Here she is helping me with the dishes, isn't she cute?

Happy Birthday Christine!

My sister Christine turned 30 on Sunday! This is sadly one of the most recent pictures that I have of her (she got married 9 years ago!). So everyone who knows her, please comment, and leave a happy birthday message or favorite memory.

Love you Sis!

New Back Yard!

Well, we finally did it, we got our new backyard. It is finally landscaped. No more muddy mess when it rains. We are so excited! The sod was put down yesterday, concrete work on Thursday.

Roller Skating

Last month, we celebrated my nephew Kolby's birthday at a skating rink. Prior to going, I assumed that my kids probably would not want to try, but I brought some cash just in case. Well, once again they proved me wrong. As soon as they saw their cousins skating, both Isaac and Lucy wanted a try. So we got the smallest size possible for Lucy, got some for Isaac, and yes, I rented some for myself as well. I know what you are thinking, "Jill, do you skate?". The answer to that is sadly NO. Ever since a bicycle mishap in college I prefer to stay away from anything that requires self propulsion on wheels. However, for my children, I did it. (Of course I had them tighten the wheels as much as possible). But we did it! Of course we never made it out on the rink, but we wore them and we skated (more accurately, skate-walked) quite a lot on the fancy star-carpet. But eventually, the kids got preoccupied with the video games that I did not have the money to pay for (since I just used all of my money to rent 3 pairs of skates). So they just sat there and pretended. I think they had just as much fun (even if the screen kept saying "Insert Coin to Play"). We had a great time, and thank goodness, no major injuries). Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of the Birthday Boy (he was way to busy cutting it up on the rink, that boy has skills!). Anyway, here are some of the pictures that I did manage to get.

Isaac celebrating the fact that he is still on his feet.
Lucy was so proud when she got her pair and a bracelet too!

Jolie in front, then Lucy and then Hunter (all 2 years old and all very interested in the race-car video game). Very cute!

Hyrum and Laurelle, very stylish in their skates. They both did very well.

We all had a great time!

Pancakes

I got this fabulous idea from someone elses blog (you know who you are ... Kristin). So I decided to try it out this Labor Day morning.

Isaac asked for pancakes, so I surprised him with his name!

Isaac's name didn't quite fit on the plate, but he loved it all the same.
Lucy got her name next and was equally proud.

Then, I had some extra batter and got creative.

It was so much fun. If any of you have similar ideas, let me know.

I am excited to try new things. Any lunch ideas??

I hope everyone enjoys their Labor Day!

School Shirt

Ever since the Kindergarten Orientation, Isaac has been begging for a school shirt. You see, every Friday, all the kids in school are supposed to wear their school shirt to show their school spirit. Unfortunately, whenever we happened to pass by the PTA members who were selling them, I never had the necessary cash on me to buy one. Well, on Friday, Isaac reminded me before we left the house on the way to school, to get the money. I assured him that I had the necessary funds. So on we went. As we drew near the PTA leaders and the coveted shirts, Isaac (in the most endearing and sweetest voices I've ever heard) asked if we could get him a shirt. We purchased one and we changed his shirt right there in front of the school. He was so thrilled! You would have thought it was Christmas! Needless to say, he wore it to bed that night.

Isaac has had a great first week in Kindergarten. He has a great teacher, and is so excited about going to school each day. On Saturday, he woke up and was eager to get ready for school. I reminded him that he doesn't go to school on Saturdays and Sundays. And he replied, "well, I don't want to go to church!". (I'm not sure what to make of that). I hope that he isn't too sad when we don't go to school tomorrow (Labor Day).

After I took the picture of Isaac (top), Lucy was eager to share in the excitement, and grabbed her backpack and posed as well. She loves walking Isaac to his class (and she insists that she wear her backpack en route as well). She misses her brother so much while he is in school, and is always asking, "where's Isaac?". But they seem to be getting along much better when he gets back. There has been less fighting and more laughing. So no complaints here!

I have also discovered that I may in fact be a morning person! I know! Who would have thought? Yes, ever since Isaac started school, I have been getting so much accomplished! It is amazing. It seems I have tapped into this amazing source of energy! I have time to do so much! After I drop off Isaac, from 8am to 11am, I am able to complete projects that before seemed much too difficult! It's a miracle! (We'll see how long it lasts!).

The Mystery of the Wet Hair

I will give you 3 guesses as to how Lucy's hair got wet. Please be creative. Winner will get, well ... my respect (sorry, that's the best reward that comes to mind). Answer to this mystery will come later.

Isaac turns 5 and starts Kindergarten!!

We had 2 birthday parties for Isaac, this one (above) was with the Mosher family, where he celebrated with all of his cousins on that side, and he also got some much anticipated

"light sabers", he played with his cousins all night, we had a great time!

Later, in August, we celebrated Isaac's birthday with the Land family. And much to his pleasure, he got 2 more light sabers, and these ones light up and are spring loaded! Isaac was in "light-saber-heaven"! We had a great time with the Land family that night

(although, Isaac really missed his cousin Eva :( ).

We had cheesecake and all of the glorious toppings for dessert that night.

This last Monday, Isaac also started Kindergarten. He did a great job going in to class and following directions. I was even proud of myself, I thought that I would for-sure spill a few tears. But I held them back! Isaac has been doing great at school and he really likes his new teacher. I am very pleased with his school, teacher and the adminstrators.

We have been very blessed. While Isaac is at school, Lucy and I have been having a great time at home, getting things done around the house. Right now she is taking a nap! Hallelujah! Since Isaac's school starts at 7:5oam, we have early mornings around here, and this morning Lucy woke up at 5:30! So she was due for a little catch-up nap. Hence, I am able to blog uniterrupted! Oh, the little joys in life!

A Day at the Beach

Lucy rested and re-energized with an Oreo cookie.

Duane and Lucy rested after playing in the water.

Duane was trying to get Lucy to sit on the Boogie Board when the waves came in, she didn't really feel comfortable with that, so she grabbed Duane's arm hair for security.

Isaac however did enjoy going for rides on the boogie board with Duane, they didn't go very far out though. Isaac loved it!

Isaac's cousins Hyrum and Peter buried Isaac in the sand. They all loved it! I stood by and watched carefully.

We went to the beach a day before Isaac's 5th birthday. It has become a little tradition. Although in previous years, we went on his birthday. This year, his birthday was on a Sunday, so we went a little early. He loved it. He and Lucy had a great time. We went with my parents and my sister Christine and her family.

Lucy's Fashion Sense

I don't know what has gotten into Lucy lately, but she seems to think that it is winter time, and that we do not live in So Cal! Last night we had a belated FHE and we were headed out to dinner and the movies, so I told the kids to go get ready and put their shoes on. Well, this is what Lucy came up with! I have to give her credit for originality.

"We're Singin' in the Rain!"

How many years bad luck when you open up your unbrella indoors?? I was getting something out of the hall closet today, when 2 important discoveries were made.

1-Lucy found her winter coat and decided that it was a good idea to wear it (now understand that it is over 100 degrees outside).

2-Isaac found the umbrella and discovered how to open and close it.

So they walked around the house with their winter garb, laughing as if it were the greatest thing ever. It was after they started scraping the walls that I removed it from their possession and hid it in another closet. Oh well, a few minutes of genuine fun, how can you beat that!?!

Silly Kids

After eating breakfast the other day, I sent the kids upstairs to get dressed. As I turned the corner to go upstairs, I hear Isaac say, "hey mom, come check us out!", and this is what I saw.

What silly kids I have!

A "How To" movie for Grandma Olson

WARNING! THIS FILM HAS BEEN CREATED BY AN AMATEUR. YOU MAY ENCOUNTER SOME BLURRY SCENES AND SHAKY CAMERA WORK. PLEASE DO NOT VIEW IF YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL. THANK YOU.

Grandma:

Isaac and I made a little video for you to help you with adding a picture to your blog. I hope that it helps. We tried to email it to you but, I think it was too big.

Get well Eva!

Isaacs cousin Eva got hurt and broke her collar bone, so Isaac wanted to send her a little get-well message! Love you guys! We miss you like crazy!

Isaac and Lucy playing with Daddy's tools

Isaac and Lucy were playing with Duanes tools and they looked so cute, so I thought I would share!