Missy's End of the Year Band Concert

This was incredible!  I am so sad she is quitting band, but I know she can't do it all!!!  This concert was so amazing, especially for being a junior high group!  Missy has worked really hard and is just a good student in all her classes.  I am so proud of her!

Missy with her band director

I wish my sound quality was a little bit better.  They really were amazing!

The Sliced Finger

While helping get ready for the shower Fuzzy sliced her finger open pretty good.  It wouldn't stop bleeding so thankfully we had nurse Maren there! (Have I ever mentioned that I would NEVER have made it in the medical profession!!!)  She was starting to work on Fuzzy when Dr. Mush showed up.  So Mush glued her back together (it is the second time she has had to glue one of my kids)!  

The next morning we went to change the bandage and this is what we saw - it didn't look very good and she was still bleeding.

This is Fuzzy trying to give me a happy face just moments before she passed out! I was a little scared because she almost had more seizure like symptoms than fainting.  I called Mush right away and she just said to watch her really close for 24 hours.  The next day I called my doc and he told me that the clenching or her hands and shaking can also come with fainting.  I felt much better, and so did she!  Thankfully they think it was just related to seeing the blood, no breakfast and those kind of things, but she is totally fine!  Thank Heavens!  That was way to scary for me.  Luckily I was putting her bandaid on when she passed out so I was able to catch her.  

Holly's shower

I had a fun time getting the food ready for Holly's shower (Corry's brother Tyler's new wife).  I asked her what kind of food she liked, and she told me she loves Mexican food.  So we opted for a taco bar.  We made two kinds of meat, beef and pork.   

Jana eating!  Love that she is always eating at parties!

I gave up control of the camera again and this is what I got!

She received a lot of great things and we had a good time

Especially making her embarrassed at the end.  We have had a family tradition of writing down everything the bride says while she is opening her presents and then reading them back to her as what she will be saying on her wedding night.  It gets pretty funny!

Fuzzy's Birthday Party!

I didn't take many pictures from Fuzzy's party partly because it was a little rushed! We had to do it on a Friday night after dance so it wasn't all she hoped it would be, but the first party we had scheduled had to be canceled because she was so sick. 

Fuzzy chose to tie blankets for her project to serve others.  The girls were hilarious and had a great time, but it took them 1.5 hours to do one blanket!!  I told them to move on to the playhouse and do something else and they were a little mad they didn't get to finish all the blankets!  (Fuzzy spent the next week finishing them up whenever she had a chance.)  Love those cute girls!  Anyway, Fuzzy had a great time with her friends and I KNOW there was A LOT of giggling and eating junk going on.  They were so funny and chose to watch Barbie's Fashion Fairytale for their movie!!!  So funny and they were all singing... "Get your sparkle on.." the rest of the night!  Fuzzy decided not to have a cake or any dessert at all, just a whole lot of junk food.  Sorry moms!

Fuzzy's Country Report and Art

All year I have been teaching art in Fuzzy and Alli's classes. I know, don't laugh, they needed someone to do it and I guess anyone is better than no one!  I had no problem teaching the kindergarten art - I am about on that level, but 6th grade was a totally different experience for me!  They were amazing though! Those kids truly are artists.  So for my last class I wanted to do something different and really fun, so we decided to spray paint t-shirts.  I had all the kids bring in a shirt to paint.  Then they taped off designs and words on their shirts.  After that we headed outside to spray them.  What a blast.  I hadn't really thought through where they would dry, so we had Mr. Hadley hang some string in the classroom to dry them on.    The kids loved it!  It was a little pricey of a project, I spent about $40 on supplies, but I mixed my own fabric paint and that kept the cost way down for 33 kids and I still have stuff left over to do it with my own kids this summer.  FUN PROJECT!!!!  

That same day Fuzzy presented her project on the Bahamas.  She did a fabulous job and really enjoyed learning more about the country she has gotten to visit twice.  Thankfully Grandma and Grandpa Cloward had a lot of stuff to let her bring, but I think the kids favorite part of her presentation was looking at the digital scrapbook I made of our trip in 2007.  Their favorite part of that was the picture of my mom going down the free-fall slide through the shark tank.  They couldn't believe there was a slide going through a shark tank and couldn't believe even more that Fuzzy's Grammy would go down it!!! 

Fuzzy's First Temple Trip

A week after Fuzzy's birthday we were able to take her to the temple for her first time.  What a wonderful experience as a parent.  There are those moments when you wonder what on earth are the kids thinking, what did I do wrong, why did they choose that, and so on.  Then there are those moments we cling to of how amazing they are, what a good choice they made, and how pleased we are with their progress.  This was one of THOSE moments.  I LOVED being there with her and I love that we have made it a tradition to take the child finally old enough together.  Sadly I didn't think of taking my camera to the temple to take a picture because it was BEAUTIFUL there will all the tulips in bloom, but I did think to take one before we left.  If you want to know more about temples, click HERE.

A picture of the temple closest to us from another year - obvious by the lack of snow on the mountains!

Mother's Day

I don't have any pictures this year!!! :(  Anyway, it was a very busy day.  We started off in our ward at 9 AM were I had to give a talk.  Can I just say I don't think women should have to speak on Mother's Day.  That should be our gift, but no, I have spoken at least 3 times now on this day.  (Corry thinks it was the 4th time - I must have blocked out the other one!)

Let me just say that the week leading up to speaking was a rough one!  The Bishopric member called and I just laughed.  Anyway, it was a rough week because of some family issues.  On Thursday night I was informed about all the things a certain family member did not like about me.  I was heart-borken.  I have tried so hard to unify our families and to create great memories and to find out where I really fit in the family (according to this family member) was hard to handle.  I have felt for awhile like I needed to realize my place as an in-law instead of as a blood relative, but I always thought that was wrong.  If I have and idea, a problem or whatever, why on earth should Corry bring it up instead of me.  First of all he is usually way too busy and second, I like to solve my own problems.  But, many believe that it is the place of the family member to handle it.  So I began thinking my views on family were warped.  Anyway, back to this situation... I was committed to follow-through with a few family things and then Corry and I talked about it and decided maybe it would be best if I did back off.  So I am going to, at least for now.

Back to the talk.  I was REALLY low at that point.  The talk, by Sheri Dew, I was supposed to use was fabulous though and gave me a lot of hope and comfort during the week.  Then I went to my regular temple trip on Friday morning.  I came away feeling like the Lord knew my heart and that was what really mattered.  I felt so much like that was the message I was supposed to leave with the ward on Sunday above all else.  Heavenly Father knows us, loves us and He knows our heart, even when others do not.  Anyway, so I learned that there was a reason for this to happen, because I needed to learn that lesson and share it.

I also talked about why Mother's Day can be such a hard day for so many women.  My sister in law lost 3 babies and I know Mother's Day is a tough day for her.  My mom has a Mother who has some mental illness and hasn't always been very nice.  I think that makes it a hard day for my mom sometimes.  I know so many great woman who would love to be mothers and are not.  (Read the talk!  It is fabulous talking about how we are divinely appointed mothers and we are all mothers - to those we have borne and those whom we bare with.)  I watched Kyler and Carter's birth mother give up all her rights to her sons and do a most unselfish act and I am sure Mother's Day was a tough one for her!  A few of my best friends have lost their mom's and I know that is a hard day for them.  I struggle, as I am sure many other moms struggle, feeling like I am not as good of a mom as I should be or as others are.  I know it can be a hard day.  I have been there, but the last few years I have chosen to focus on others instead of myself and I feel better and LOVE the day! (Please don't tell my Bishop that giving a talk on that day really has helped me to have a great day!)  Anyway, I felt good about the talk, not that I said anything from me, but that my Father had prepared me to say what he wanted me to say that day.

After that we traveled to Lindon for cute little Ford Clayton Anderson's blessing.  I was in tears again.  What a beautiful little boy and how sad his Grandfather was not able to be there in body to hold him and love on him that day.

After that it was back to our ward so Corry could teach the Priests and I could teach the primary children music.

After that it was back to Julie's for lunch.  How blessed I am to have her in my life and what an amazing woman she is through her trials.  I know the Lord inspired her to help me get a job at her office 16 years ago so we could grow closer.  I just love her and her family and how they always make us feel like we are apart.  Clay always did that too.  In fact yesterday Alli said when I picked her up from school, "I wish Clay was still alive so he could wrestle me.  I would have liked that!"

After that it was home to finish dinner and call my mom before Corry's family came over.  We had a great time together.  I love being surrounded by family and friends.  It is a great blessing.  This day I felt blessed to be a daughter of a wonderful mother but mostly I felt so blessed to have a wonderful husband and to have 4 beautiful children to love, to teach and to be taught by.  I love being a mom.  If I didn't believe in the public education system so much and them needing those experiences, I would totally home school my children.  I love them so much and the more I get to be around them, the more I want to be around them.  Don't get me wrong they drive me a little crazy sometimes, but mostly I just really love who they are and take great joy in the best job in the world!  I wouldn't trade being a mom for anything!

Scotty the Sumo Man

So Scotty was gone for a little while from the family Sunday afternoon, then he comes back and tackles his dad like this!

love this crazy kid.  We laughed and laughed, probably something we all needed to do this day!

Missy's Birthday Party!

Can I just say once again how much I LOVE Missy's friends.  These are some really great girls!  

Who like to eat almost as much as Missy

And like to ride wiggle cars down the hill almost as much as Missy

And who like to laugh and play almost as much as Missy

So we decided to take birthday parties up a notch this year from just not getting gifts, but actually doing something for someone else during the party too.  Missy was a little nervous about what her friends would think about that.  They are great girls!!!  We kinda ran out of time that day which was great because the best idea came to us.  Her party was the night before Mother's Day, so the girls frosted and decorated cupcakes and took them to all the single moms in the neighborhood.  When she told her friends what they were going to do, they were excited (ahhhh - that would be what they all said).  They had a great time frosting (I think there was a whole sugar plantation of sprinkles on my floor when they finished) then they went delivering.  I don't know what some of the single moms thought, but I know one elderly lady that is a shut in was so excited to see them.  I know it took up a bunch of the party to visit her, but I hope as these selfish teenage years continue, there will be these moments of looking outside to make a lonely older woman so happy.

There was still a lot of partying going on

and games to be played, until they got to loud and we sent them to the Party Barn for the rest of the night.  I LOVE having that place!  

I just love her friends!  (And you too Miss - I love you too!)

Fuzzy versus the Wasp

Fuzzy went to the mailbox and found this....

She then made it her personal challenge to get rid of that wasp and his nest...

It was hilarious to watch

And this was the end result, at least for a few hours until he came back to build again.  So, she went through the whole process again for a few days until he finally got her message.  The mailbox is now a wasp-free zone!

Young Women's Hike?

Not really sure if you can call it a hike.  It was really just a walk from a park to Bridal Veil Falls and back (a 5 mile walk, but still just a walk).  I love when they invite the moms and I get to go along!  I love being in primary, but my heart is still in Young Womens!  It was kind of nice that Missy had dance so it could be just me and Fuzzy.  She hung with her friends some, I talked to my friends and some of the young women, but most of the time it was just me and her.  Love those moments.  My favorite part was walking back to the car singing "Wicked" songs, very loudly, together!  It brought back all sorts of, "there's a hole in the fruit loop dear Cheri" memories from my own girls camp experiences!  Love making new memories with my kids.  What a great way to start a day!

Missy's Choir Concert

They were fantastic, but my favorite part was watching Missy accompany the choir on her flute.  She has loved choir and Mr. Manning this year and is excited to be in there again next year.  I love watching her do things she loves!

Fuzzy Turns 12!!

I seriously LOVE birthdays!

Since this was Fuzzy's big 12th birthday, she got 12 presents from Corry and I.  I wanted them to all have meaning though, so this is what we did:

Oh, yeah, Scotty built her a temple that day as her present.  Pretty cool.  I especially like the steeple made out of the light-sabor and the Moroni on the steeple was Gus-Gus the mouse from Cinderella!

Since her birthday was on Fast Sunday, we didn't have our normal breakfast and presents.  So we had a late brunch after church instead.

Ok, on to the presents!  Every gift had a dad quote clue and a scripture/church publication something to look up.  Here are the first 9:

#1“Don’t throw it in the house”

2 Nephi 2:25

(a beach ball)

#2 “Drafty in the wind”

For the Strength of Youth - Sabbath Day Observance

(a dress)

#3 “A Place to Stick Your Eyeballs”

D&C 18:10

(a glasses case)

#4 “Cause it’s pretty and you’re pretty but I like ya anyway”

D&C 82:14

(headbands and clips)

#5 “Cause you need to put something in those holes in your head”

1 Peter 1:7

(earrings)

#6 “Mightier than the sword - and you can take them through security at the airport” 

D&C 25

(pens)

#7 “Even more drafty in the wind” 

For the Strength of Youth - Dress and Grooming

(skirt and tank - Corry thought that was hilarious because the tank alone isn't modest, but I kept reminding him it was to go "under" her shirts to make them more modest!)

#8 “You owe me $10” 

For the Strength of Youth - Tithes and Offerings

(she was really hoping it was $100, but it was just a wallet)

#9 “No kissin’ til after his mission”

For the Strength of Youth - Dating

(chapstick)

This one was the best.  

#10 “Goes with the pens” 

Ephesians 6:13-20

(Now you have to understand that EVERYTHING she has gotten so far have been little things she has mentioned that she wanted.  Well, Missy asked her what she wanted for her birthday and she said a shield to protect me from you. - Yup - you guessed it.  #10 was a toy sword and shield.  This is her reaction to it - classic - and I think it was one of her favorite gifts.  We had sword fights going on the whole rest of the day!)

Here are the last two clues and gifts:

#11”Not just for paper airplanes” 

Preach My Gospel page x

(a study journal)

#12 “Let’s go use it” 

True to the Faith - Temples

(This one we talked about how we couldn't actually give this one to her.  She had to earn it for herself, but for the last 12 years we have been trying to teach her the things she needs to do to enter the temple and trying to give her spiritual experiences along the way to strengthen her own testimony.  But she has to get her own recommend and remain worthy to enter the temple.  She had gotten her recommend and I had taken it for safe keeping. :)  Loved this whole experience with her!)

She is such a funny kid.  A little bit quiet and shy around those she doesn't know well, but absolutely hilarious.  I love her sense of humor.  She has an infectious laugh that you just have to join in even if you don't know what she is laughing at.  She cracks herself up regularly.  She is super kind to others.  I love to watch her interact with children.  She loves to teach and will make a great teacher and mom one day - she actually already does.  I love to watch her dance ballet.  She is so graceful and beautiful on stage and in the classroom.  She is super smart and a real thinker.  She sits and thinks and figures out things that others have left interest in long ago.  I just love my Fuzzy.  I love that she loves to be called Fuzzy and that she is so OK with who she is.  She has occasional breakdowns (and they are usually big) but she is totally easy going about life and changes that come her way.  I love you my Fuzz!

That night for dinner we had Grandma and Grandpa over for lasagna.  Part of her desire was not only to eat it, but she wanted to make it.  She and Missy made all the noodles and I taught them how to put it all together.  It was delicious!  After that is was crepe's for dessert - Christina style! Oh yeah, and a candle in it lit by a match.  We dropped our lighters behind the fridge and the kids have been enthralled with lighting matches!  

Happy 12th birthday cute girl!  I love you!