A Child's love

I couldn't go to bed tonight without recording this amazing glimpse I got today inside my girls' hearts. Cerise has always been incredibly generous. She makes paper gifts for people every day for WEEKS before their birthdays. She makes gifts for each family member for HER birthday. She LOVES to give gifts. Gift giving is definitely her love language. I think she gets that from me, although she's a million times more generous than I.

This year for Christmas, Grandma has helped her make a blanket for Tyson and a scarf for Morgan. They've worked hard on them and Cerise has really loved learning how to sew.

Today I told her we needed to go to the store while Morgan went to a birthday party (I usually go while the girls are at school). She asked if we could buy a Christmas present for Morgan while we were there. I told her that I had already gotten all of Morgan's presents and she had already made something for Morgan. She started crying that she wanted to give Morgan more presents and that homemade ones just wouldn't be as good. She offered me the only dollar in her wallet to go towards buying Morgan more gifts. We talked about how there's so much more to Christmas than presents and that Morgan didn't need lots of things. She was so upset. She just kept saying, "I know, but I just want to make her happy!"

After a few minutes of this, Morgan ran upstairs and came down with all $15 of her birthday money. She told me that Cerise could have it. I insisted that she should put it away, but she just kept saying, "I want to give it to her. I want her to be happy!"

I couldn't believe that I was sitting there trying to convince one daughter that she didn't need to GIVE any more presents for Christmas this year, and the other that she didn't need to give away ALL of her money! I was literally in tears as it hit me what amazing, selfless, generous, GOOD girls I have. I am truly blessed to be their mom. I love them SO much!

In the end, we compromised and Cerise "helped" Tyson pick out a gift for Morgan, as well as helping Santa choose a few things for stockings ;).

All the other random stuff

Please scroll down to see all the stuff we've been doing. My laptop died, along with all my pictures and the only way I had to load pictures from my camera, but now it's back and so are we!

Cookie "flowers" that the girls made with Grandma

Morgan in her "cowgirl vest and cowgirl boots" riding her giraffe horse whose name that day, I believe was Shadow.

Cerise with a painting she did in art class. I had to ask if the fruit was already drawn on the paper and she just colored it. "No, it was just a piece of paper. I looked at the fruit and drew it and painted it." I think she's pretty darn talented.

Reading together.

Valentine's Day Pizza

Playing "choo choo train" while dancing to our new favorite Pandora station.

"Q" day at our co-op preschool

tHAIR she goes Part 3

Cerise's hair is FINALLY long enough we can do fun things with it again. HOORAY!!!! Here are a few of our recent favorites:

Class Picture Day

Valentine's Day

The 100th Day of School

Just something fun and different

And our new FAVORITE!

Spring Break Fun

Daddy was super busy during Spring Break this year, so we just hung out around town, but that doesn't mean we were bored! We ended up doing something extra fun everyday!

A Kite Making class with our friends Kellen and Jakob:

Roller Skating:

Ice Cream with Grandma after Skating:

Tyson kept yelling at all the cars that drove by!

And telling me "too much!" apparently he was tired of me and my camera.

Lots of play dates at the park!

Check out those monkey toes!

Who C.A.R.E.S part II

The promised pictures:

Tyson clapping for his "SeeSee"

Cerise turns 7!!!

WAAAAY back in February, Cerise had a birthday. I know, I know, that was almost 3 months ago. I'm working on the catching up thing. For now, enjoy some pictures from her super fun "I Spy" party. And yes, the pics are in reverse order, I'm not redoing them. Sorry.

Blowing out the candle on her awesome cupcakes. (We flavored the frosting with kool-aid powder. So sour, but SO yummy!)

The kids playing tag or something outside.

I Spy bottles




Digging through the rice to find the treasures for the I Spy bottles.

Invitation Back

Invitation Front

Who C.A.R.E.S?

Last week, I got an email from Cerise's teacher saying that she would be receiving an award at an assembly this afternoon. I had heard Cerise talk about the C.A.R.E.S. assemblies, but didn't really know what it was all about. Today, I found out.

Cooperation
Attitude
Respect
Effort
Safety

These are the 5 rules at school. Five times this year, one student from each class has been chosen who represented one of these characteristics (so, October was students who demonstrated Cooperation, November was Attitude, etc). Well, today's assembly was to recognize one student from each class who has demonstrated ALL of the characteristics all year long. Cerise was the student chosen from her class. We are SOOOOO proud of her and her awesome attitude towards school. Every single day when I ask how her day went, she replies, "AWESOME!!!" and she really means it. She LOVES school and is an excellent student.

Congratulations Cerise! We love you tons and are so proud of you!!!

(I'll add a picture when I find my card reader or get my laptop back)

A Moment of Clarity

My brain will not let me sleep until I record this. Our stake (a unit within our church) is putting on the musical production "Savior of the World" that was written and put on in Salt Lake City during the Olympics (and still plays every year at Christmas-time). It is a depiction of Jesus Christ's birth and resurrection. It's pretty awesome. Anyway, I am in the pit orchestra for it and tonight was our first rehearsal of the second act (The Resurrection) with the cast. I was watching as much as possible when I wasn't playing, and it came to a scene where the apostle Thomas finally gets to see the Resurrected Savior. Thomas was talking to the other apostles when suddenly the Savior appears behind him, calls him by name, and gently touches his shoulder and turns him so they are face to face. When Thomas turns around, recognition immediately dawns and he crumples at the Savior's feet. As I was watching the scene, I was overcome with the Spirit and couldn't stop crying (even when it was time for me to play!). Anyway, I can't get that scene out of my head and I think it has finally occurred to me why it had had such a profound effect. I know the men representing both Thomas and Jesus. I think it hit me so hard because knowing them made it so personal to me. That scene wasn't just between Thomas and Jesus, it was between friends. MY friends. That could have been ME. Through any doubts or fears I've ever had, the Savior has been MY friend, and He is waiting patiently for the day that He can truly manifest Himself to me. I've seen so much evidence of His existence already in my life. I don't *need* to see. But someday, no matter if I've doubted or not, He will call my name. He will embrace me, just like he did Thomas. Oh, how I yearn for that day!

Micro-Morganisms

Morgan is at that wonderful age where she is brutally honest...and dang adorable!

The other night she told me "Mommy, you always don't know stuff, but Daddy always knows about everything!"


And a couple days ago we were discussing my upcoming birthday:
Mo: How old will you be?
Me: How old do you think I'll be?
Mo: 11?
Me: Ha ha no much older.
Mo: 12?
Me: Older.
Mo: 13?
Me: No, I'll be 29.
Mo (with an incredulous look): What?!? I can't even COUNT that high!!!

If I Were President

Cerise brought home a book she had made at school called "If I Were President" It went a little something like this:

If I were President, the first thing I would do is..."make los" (make laws)
If I were President, I would eat..."seprd pie" (shepherd pie)
If I were President, I would travel to..."disnyland"
If I were President, I would have a pet... "dog" named..."Cyni" (Keyni)
If I were President, I would pass a law that..."NO SMOKING!"
If I were President, I would help..."pror peple" (poor people)

Just thought it was cute.

Oy!!!!

The following conversation occurred in the car the other day:

Cerise: I was two when Morgan was born, right?
Me: Yep.
Cerise: And Morgan was two when Tyson was born, right?
Me: (hesitantly) Yes.
Cerise: So then, Tyson will be two when our next baby comes, right?
Me: Ummm, probably not. Tyson will probably be 5 if another baby comes. :)

Gotta love her logical thinking though, right?!?

New Year's Resolutions

I'm not usually one to do New Year's Resolutions, as I figure we should always be trying to better ourselves, but this year, there seems to be a lot of things I want to be better about. So we sat down together tonight, and came up with some goals for each of us to work on in 2011. Of course, Tyson didn't give any input on his, but the rest were thoroughly discussed and the girls came up with most of theirs on their own.

Tyson:
Not Hitting
Learn Colors and Shapes

Morgan:
Learn to Read
Less Fighting with Cerise and Tyson
Play nicely with everyone
Be Reverent during Prayers

Cerise:
Read more often
Fewer tantrums
Play nicely with Morgan and Tyson
Use a kind voice

All Kids:
Clean up each night before Scriptures
More active Playing

Toni:
Get Healthy (lose at least 30 pounds)
Sincere prayer every day
Less Yelling
Keep House cleaner
100% Visiting Teaching

Scott:
Daily Scripture Study
Less Computer/Phone
Exercise
Help around house during the week
Go Home Teaching

Scott and Toni:
Date Night every Week (even if it is in-house)
Attend the Temple once per month

Whole Family:
Spend Quality Time every day
More Snuggles
House cleaned up every day
Well-planned Family Home Evening every week