Jordan's Baptism Pictures!

Yikes spikes!  I have never waited this long to do baptism pictures!  Jordan gets baptized this Saturday, and here it is Wednesday-oops!  In any case, Jordan's pictures turned out so well, thanks to my awesome camera, and Jordan's natural, self-directed ability to take awesome pictures. He truly came up with nearly every single pose on his own, and I never had to press him to smile.  My favorite pictures are the ones in between the two pillars-JD took the same picture, but Jordan just had to figure out how to climb up in between the two pillars. ;)  Such a handsome boy!

Skateland

We went to Skateland today with about half the family to finalize our celebration of Jorda'ns birthday.  I had won 10 free admissions for doing a superb rendition of "Ghostbusters" last time we were there, and we wanted to use that as a friend birthday party...unfortunately, most of Jordan's friends had already planned to be out of town for President's Day, so that kind of fell through.  We invited the Mantanonas to use the free admissions, and brought along one of JD's friends to keep him busy.  At the last minute, Jordan's best bud Joshua ended up being in town, so we were able to bring him as well-made Jordan's day!  I had stuff for gift bags, so I made those up and passed them all out, let the boys play some of the token games, and watched them skate for over 2 hours.  They did great, and Jordan officially broke in his new rollarblades at an actual rink-he has gotten so very good on them after spending a few weeks skating around the wood floors at our house.  I was super impressed, and just as impressed with JD's skills!  We had a blast, that's for sure! We missed Karianna since she is in Catalina, and I think I might take Sara to Skateland next time (she was on a play date, which suited her wonderfully).  Jared took a spin on rollerblades for the first time since he was a teenager and had it down pretty good by the time we left-it was impressive! 

Valentine's Day

This Valentine's Day was quite special and unique, not because of anything extravagant, or a special date Jared and I had planned, or anything like that.  It was wonderful because we made it a family holiday.  We've always had a treat for the kids, and we have even done some extended activities in the past just for fun, but this year, we really made it a day to express our love for each other-as siblings, as parents, as children; as a family.

We gathered together, and I handed each child a valentine's bag.  Instead of candy and small toys as we have done in the past, the bags each contained 5 hearts and a sharpie marker.  The job was simple: write at least 2 sentences of compliments on each heart, directed towards the name on that heart.  The kids went to work, quietly writing kind thoughts about each brother and sister. After they were done, we read them out loud-or in Jackson's case, showed his scribbles and watched him give each kid huge hugs and kisses.

That was the sweet moment.  I was so touched by the sweet things the kids said about each other.  We get wrapped up so often in chores, screen time, homework, and everything else that keeps us busy, that we forget to just be kind and build our relationships as family members. That's why this family gathering-all thirty minutes of it-was so special.  The rest of the day was, of course, busy, and we did have little treats for the kids, but they were kinder to each other, more loving, more Christ-like, and just....wonderful.  It was a terrific moment ,and I hope one that will inspire us to slow down a little more often and treasure out time together.

Valentine's Boxes

So my goal is to be positive with this post. Lets just suffice it to say: I highly, highly dislike making valentine's boxes.  I don't understand why teachers can't simply bring paper bags, let the kids decorate them with some good old fashioned markers and crayons (heaven forbid!), and let them collect valentines in said-bags, knowing full well they will get tossed very shortly after the holiday expires. Heck, making red heart pockets is not that hard-I've done it for full size classes multiple times! I get that teachers want to encourage a home-school connection, promote creativity, etc, etc. But this is not the time to do it.  Give me a good literature project, a science fair endeavor, an invention....but a valentine's box?  Four of them?  With the added pressure of winning a contest for the best box that will again end up in the garbage????? Ugh.  

Man, my very quick commentary turned into not-so-quick soapbox.  All right.  Back on track.

The kids each made their own valentine's boxes, and while I only got a picture of Jordan's, they each turned out great with their own personal touches.  Jordan made a robot monster creation, complete with pipe-cleaner hair.  Sara used an envelope-style box from Amazon, covering it in a patchwork of scrapbook paper and a border of feathers.  JD made a briefcase, on which he drew cartoon-style images of himself, his best friend and his teacher.  Karianna thankfully declined making a box and just brought her valentines home in her backpack.  The boxes were cute and creative, and the kids truly enjoyed making them.  Those are the positives, and end of the day, that should be my focus. 

Just so you know, JD's briefcase has been forgotten on the arm of the couch in the front room, Sara's box is nowhere to be found (and she doesn't care), and Jordan's monster is under his bed with the aluminum foil torn in multiple spots.  Does that mean I made my point? ;)  Go back to the picture above and check out the smile on Jordan's face.  Sigh.  That makes it worth it.

JD's 4th Grade Performance

Tonight was JD's 4th grade performance, titled "Arizona, How Do You Do?"  JD auditioned for, and was cast as Arizona's first senator (and his name escapes me at the moment!).  He memorized a lengthy speech to deliver about Arizona's origins and how often the capital changed.  He did a FANTASTIC job, and delivered it with terrific voice and energy.  JD will tell you he hates to sing, but this is proof that he does sing, and he is quite good!  I enjoy this play quite a bit-comical, informative, and the songs are terrific.  Such a fun night to see JD perform! 

 

 See, here's the proof JD sings-and does correlating hand actions! 

 

The whole crew with the backdrop.....

It's a long play-he admittedly looked a bit bored at certain points.

Coming up for his part-no fear! 

 Such a great play JD-awesome job!

It's a Goner!

 Congratulations to Miss Sara Grace!  Her tooth has only been wiggly for a week or so, and after getting knocked pretty loose during dinner, she wiggled super hard for an hour, and then agreed to let Jared pull it-and out it came!  Such a pretty smile on this girlie!  The tooth fairy bestowed upon her 4 coupons for various goodies, and I am sure she will be back sooner than later for the second wiggly tooth on the top.  Great day for Sara!

Happy Hearts All Around

It has been about 9 months since we have had a cardiology check up-about a month longer than we wanted, but scheduling is so difficult with the office we go to, and it ended up being later than we wanted, especially since we had to work around Jared's travel schedule for this week. James has been doing great, with absolutely no reason for concern.  It never fails though: I get nervous.  I worry Dr. Garn will see something in the echo or the EKG that is cause for concern.  It has happened before, and it always worries me, even if there are no red flags.  I didn't sleep much last night as I tried to work through a lot of anxiety.  We woke up early the next morning, got the kids to school, got James in and out of a bath, combed through his matted hair, and headed to the doctor's office.  I was doing great on time, feeling totally prepared, and not terribly anxious until we got to the office.  The receptionist took my name, I had my cards all ready to hand her, and she informed me that I was at the wrong office.  Yes, that was the Gilbert office, but unbeknownst to me, they had opened a second Gilbert office that no one thought to tell me about--so when they said on all the reminder messages "Gilbert office", I assumed it was the same Gilbert office we had gone to last time!  Oh, I mentally flipped out.  I asked the receptionist to call the office we were SUPPOSED to be at, and then rushed the boys out of the office and back into the car.  I was so prepared, everyone was happy and calm, and that all went up in flames.  Sigh.

So we zipped down the road to the OTHER Gilbert office 15 minutes away, dashed in to the office, apologized profusely, and thankfully had a very warm welcome from wonderful office specialists.  They felt so bad no one in scheduling clarified, and reassured me we were just fine.  That admittedly made me feel a lot better.  They called us back before I could even finish the paperwork, and got James right into his echo.  It was his best echo to date.  he watched the Paw Patrol and never moved a muscle--talking to the tech, following all her directions, and enjoying the cool lights show she had displayed on her ceiling.  Jackson was just as good as James-it was amazing!  We were in and out in 20 minutes-we've never had an echo go that fast.

James made our nurse laugh at his ability to help with the EKG and the blood pressure cuff.  Dr. Garn came in very shortly thereafter, chatted for a while, and had a resident come in to all listen to James.  I love Dr. Garn-he has always been a source of comfort for me and Jared, and we continue to appreciate all he does as James' cardiologist.

In short, everything with James' heart looks great!  His numbers are pretty much the same as post-surgery.....which means all the repairs are holding wonderfully.  The pressure gradient over his aortic valve, and across his arch, is 18-20....AMAZING, considering he is typically in the 40s, with surgery talk getting serious around high 50s/60s.  Truly, it was excellent news, especially when paired with a healthy mitral valve (they were a little concerned there was a gradient a year ago, but it wasn't at all present this time).  

So with that appointment under our belt, James does not need to go back until December--a great choice so we can get the appointment in during this insurance year after we will have obviously met our deductible and likely, our out-of-pocket max.  This one appointment was nearly 500 dollars.  How we miss our 100% coverage we had with Walden!  At the end of the day though, knowing James' heart is doing well is well worth it.  

Happy boy-great day for you!

Hey kids, what are you looking at?  Please don't tell me Jackson pooped in the bathtub again!!!

Ah, this is a lot better-a hamster!

We got to pet-sit Jordan's class pet again.  I believe this is the fourth time we have taken care of the hamster, although this is a new one-Ginger unfortunately passed away over Christmas break.  Buttercup here is a younger hamster, much more spry, and so fun to watch as she skittered around the bathtub while I cleaned her cage! 

Moments like these make me wish we had a pet.  Then I consider how often I would have to clean a smelly cage and I reconsider. :)

Random Tid-Bits!

Really, this is just concerning me and Jacks....

1. Jackson is learning to eat more foods-yea!  Since the New Year, he has started eating scrambled eggs, fruit cocktail, bagels, ham, turkey, shredded pork, rice, and most recently-spaghetti!  He will always attempt to decline a new food, or one he has only recently tried, but I do believe he now understands that he has to try it and eat it.  We always cheer for him when he gets a good mouthful.  Go Jackson!
2. Often, Jackson will say something to me, and then repeat, "Right, Mom?" over and over and over and over until I say, "Right, Jackson!"  Sometimes I perfectly understand what he's saying....other times, I have no idea.
3. I have personally been on a quest for the last month to finally figure out why I have major digestion issues.  I don't talk about that frequently, but it has been a thorn in my side for years. I experimented with going gluten free for a while, and had my doctor test me for celiac-negative (I wasn't expecting it to be positive honestly, just suspecting a gluten sensitivity).  I had my doctor check my thyroid and all my vitamin levels-all normal, as was my kidney and liver function.  I had my OB check my horomone levels at my yearly check up--all normal.  I'm just checking off all the boxes, trying to narrow this down.  Next on my list is going to an allergist, and getting tested for lactose intolerance. Even if I test negative, I know I am sensitive to dairy based on my food journals.  I actually am wondering if JD has lactose intolerance (too) given that he still experiences some of the symptoms even though he is gluten free, and a lot of the research said LI and Celiac are frequently paired. Something to check up on during his yearly check up.  I will also probably go back to my doctor or a GI doctor and see if I have IBS or something similar.  An IBS diagnosis feels like a cop out to me--such a general issue that probably just covers an underlying issue.  But some answers is better than no answers.  On we go!

You are a Dancing Queen

First of all, can I just say how proud I am of this girlie???

 Karianna has been asking for ages to do dance classes, and we honestly dragged our heels about it-the cost, the concerns about modesty, the committment.  At the end of the day though, we both realized this is a major interest of Karianna's, and even though she has never done dance continuously (not since she did community classes as a preschooler), she has a LOT of natural talent--not to mention she is CRAZY flexible!  So we started Karianna in contemporary dance lessons once a week at JEM dance, which is a nearby studio run by my primary pianist (who is awesome!).  Karianna is the oldest in her class, but she says she likes it that way-the girls already look up to her, and Karianna's friends at school have taken on a bolder, and sadly, negative role.  I think putting her in a positive leadership role like this is a great thing for her, and we are excited to see the many benefits she reaps from taking dance lessons.

Here's her two signature moves.  I don't even know how she does these things.  In the second shot, she kicks her leg up and grabs it mid-pirouette.  Just....how???? I have a very talented daughter whom I love to pieces!

Apple Crisp and Tool Caddy

The last few Cub Scout activities for JD have been just spectacular.  Our ward has unfortunately lapsed on cub scouts since the beginning of December and JD has missed doing cool stuff with his buddies and earning his belt loops.  So we have been tickled pink (or blue) with the last few activities.  Last week, JD's amazing leaders taught them how to make apple crisp from scratch-they cored and peeled the apples, mixed all the ingredients, and came home with a ready-to-bake apple crisp that was entirely gluten free--his leaders went out of their way to get GF flour, just to cater to his needs.  Things like that warm my heart.  I know it is not easy to go GF all the time, but his leaders really go out of their way to make these food-related activities so seamless for him....I just love it.

This week, they finished up a lengthy activity they have been working on for a while-spray painting the tool caddies they built!  I wasn't expecting something so sturdy, and I was so proud of JD when he showed us his final product!  It has already become his lego caddy as opposed to a tool caddy, lol!  he did an amazing job, and learned a LOT.  Just so great! I may not understand scouting all the way, but I sure do love the things it teaches JD.  Jordan gets to start attending in a week-so awesome! 

Singing Through the Scriptures

I am so excited for this year's theme in primary: "I Know the Scriptures Are True".  I LOVE the prospects of teaching the children about the scriptures through music.  I strongly believe the doctrine taught in our primary songs reflects that of the scriptures, and what better way to teach the gospel than through song?  As I was pondering the songs I wanted to teach this year, I came up with a great idea for a singing time bulletin board that would tie together my desire to teach the scriptures through music.  I called it "Singing Through the Scriptures", and spent a Saturday morning putting the bulletin board up in the primary room.  I love bulletin boards ,and I love how this one turned out!  But more than that, I love the possibilities it opens for this year's theme, and I am just so excited to put it to use!

 For the month of January, we explored two scriptures and correlating songs.  We talked about feasting upon the words of Christ and how we can do that by searching the scriptures, pondering them, and praying. Another week, we discussed choices and who we would choose to serve; singing "Choose the Right" was an easy follow up to that, and I was impressed how quickly the kids learned it in a 5 minute round of fill-in-the-blank.

What a wonderful calling I have.  I am very aware that my time as the chorister will be short this year with an impending move over the summer--and maybe sooner if the rumors about boundary changes are true.  Nonetheless, I am going to use this time to nurture a love of the scriptures THROUGH song.  We also spent January learning all three verses of "If I Listen With My Heart", multiple verses of "Book of Mormon Stories", the chorus of "The Iron Rod" (love how that sounds in kid voices!), and the chorus of "Scripture Power".  We have done so much, and all in the name of understanding the scriptures and what they mean to us as we sojourn through life. I love this theme so  much, and am so blessed to be teaching it to wonderful primary children-including my own!