Happy Birthday Fiora

I guess having time to post doesn't necessarily motivate one to post often, how did half of February already pass?  Well TODAY is Fiora's 10th birthday so I will add some birthday pictures at the end.  But what also has happened in the past two weeks: my first attempt at making sour dough bread (turned out pretty but I was missing something so I'll need to try again), a couple ice fishing trips for Jared and Gabe (they got skunked the first time but persevered and caught several large beautiful trout the second time), Jared cooking up the fish with some excellent citrus marinade, Savanna and her friend Ella making a cake (Sav thankfully has one friend she can count on to want to hang out with her every Saturday, she loves it), a temple trip down to Manti with my sister Krystal and my parents, a sleep over with my siblings who stayed with my kids while we went to Manti, a Sweetheart Ball the Stake hosts that Jared and I attended,  and the Lindon Spelling Bee Fiora participated in (she competed with 3 5th and 3 6th graders and made it through 6 rounds! Jared and I were so nervous for her and very proud that she was so brave as to stand up and spell in front of the whole school). 

 

 

ok here are the birthday pictures. Fiora got a family party on Sunday and my sister Heidi was kind enough to make the cake for that. Fiora waited patiently for the family visiting and spiritual message to end so she could open some gifts. She got some clothes and nail/body accessories, and then our favorite part cake, ice cream and the birthday cantata. This morning she was able to open the gift she wanted this year...a Build A Bear! I think she has wanted one for years but we have always thought it a bit pricey for a stuffed animal, but this year she was determined so that was the only thing she asked for, and I think because as I'm a little sad she is growing up so fast and in denial that she will soon be too old for bears, well we relented and got her a bear and bear clothes. She loved it! Fiora and Weston gave her beads and string for jewelry. She is having her friends over for a hot tub party tomorrow since tonight is too busy, so this has been birthweek rather than day for Fiora!  We sure love our sweet, calm, smart, beautiful Flower.  (I also added a pic of Fiora and Savanna from 2003 for fun)

 

Home is where you throw your junk

Life has slowed down a bit this January, and I'm grateful for the pace. Today I have time to note a few things I haven't had the time to blog about before due to other demanding topics and events. First of all, I haven't posted pictures of Weston and his new bow yet, so I'll include some of those. He's gotten it out a few times.  The last time he had to come in for some gloves, super cold, then kept going.

Nextly, I thought I might show you readers what I am up against when it comes to keeping my house clean. Granted its not nearly as intense as when they were toddlers, but it seems to still be the mentality of my children that home is not where you hang your hat, jacket, clothes, or anything of the like, but rather home is where you throw your junk.  Savanna actually displayed her philosophy on the issue quite deliberately when I asked her to pick up the curlers she had left on the living room floor and right in front of my eyes she swept them with her feet in a little obscure corner by the fireplace and moved on with her life.

The kids' bathroom downstairs is their responsibility to clean, so of course it never is clean. And since the kids do their own laundry and the consequence of not doing laundry is not having clean clothes to wear, often their bedrooms look like their dressers and closets spit everything up.  The top of Weston's night stand is getting awfully crowded with his valuables, but otherwise he likes to organize his messes.  A pile of ninjagos in the corner, a pile of origami next to his bed, a pile of toys next to the toy box, and his laundry of course, overflowing his hamper. At least its in the hamper. And of course the finishing touch, unmade beds.  I don't have a picture of the entry way where jackets and coats are supposed to be hung and shoes supposed to be set on the shoe rack, but I'm sure you can imagine what it looks like knowing that the coats and shoes rarely make it where they are supposed to.  Just because we don't have a house maid is no reason to not live like we don't, right!

Fiora's clogging pictures for this season turned out really cute, she is doing a great job practicing her steps and having a good attitude about going to clogging every week.  She is improved leaps and bounds, literally! Fiora also surprised us by entering into the spelling bee competition at her school, and came home last week saying she was one of three 4th graders who won the grade level spelling bee and she will be competing with 5th and 6th graders next week in the school-wide spelling bee!  Cool! So we have been spelling words morning and night to prepare.