Cloward Capers: March 2013

Thursday, March 21, 2013

My Birthday

I had a great birthday this year. It started off with early morning pastries the day before. I love pastries!

Since Lisa and my birthdays are a day apart and she hadn't been feeling well for the past few weeks, we invited her and her family over to share birthday dinner. There are pluses and minuses to that. It meant work and clean up for me. While sometimes I get annoyed with my family for not giving me the same birthdays I give to them, I would still rather spend my time with loved ones and deal with the time and mess.

On my actual birthday, I got to go shopping with my teenagers, go to a hockey game with my kiddos, my sister and her kiddos, go to dinner with my family and my in-laws, then end if off with Hale Center tickets! What a great way to spend the day!

Weekend in Vernal

We love going to Vernal to visit the Peppers, but in January is NOT the time!!! That weekend, the temperature ranged from -15 all the way up to 2 degrees F. It was so cold!!! Luckily we never left the hotel, except for church the whole weekend. We swam, played games and watched movies. It was a perfectly lovely weekend with family and so low key!

The only bad part of the trip was that Missy hurt her next and actually still hasn't recovered from it! All she did was bend over to towel dry her hair and she stood up and something wasn't right. Poor girl was pretty miserable after that!

Sunday morning we had the event we actually came for! The blessing of our newest niece, Kloe. I love baby blessings. I love babies! I think our Heavenly Father really loves babies too. I love that they are given a name to go on the records of the church and a blessing of hope for their futures. What a wonderful way to start out life!

The little beauty the party was all for...

I love getting together with family. I love that my kids and their cousins love each other and that they look forward to being together. Sometimes I wish the adults had the same love of family. The same forgiveness of past mistakes and just a joy in being together. I think we can learn a lot from kids about letting the past go and enjoying the now!

Thursday, March 14, 2013

New Years Eve 2012

New Years Eve we spent looking at appliances and furniture for our new house. It was fun to have the kids along to pick out things and take some ownership in our new home. They picked out their countertops and tub surrounds that day too.

Then it was time for some sledding and fun with friends. We are to the point in our lives now that Corry and I are happy to stay home while the teens go out for their fun. Our time will come again, all too soon, to hang out with our friends, but for now we are fine with low key family time at home!

Fuzzy had her friend over for the evening, and Missy headed off with some friends to the stake dance. Ahh, New Years Eve Stake Dances, those are some good memories!

Another year has past. Weird it happens so fast now! It was a great year in so many ways, it was a challenging year in other ways, and hopefully over the past year we have grown, changed, and been molded into something better than the year before. I wasn't great at keeping all my 2012 goals, but I think I did better at being more grateful, which was my main goal. There is much to be grateful for when you look for it. So thank you to all that make a difference in my life. Especially my Savior, my Heavenly Father and my family. Here's to a great 2013! Happy New Year!

Science Fun With Christina

When Christina was here at Thanksgiving, the kids were asking some questions about pressure, so she brought her toys to teach us! I love that she shares her love of science with my kids and that she does it in such a fun way! I wish she were their science teachers!!!

We love jungle gym Kimi too!!!

CJ's Funeral and Some Family TIme

On December 13th, my cousin's 12 year old son was a passenger in his mom's car near Vernal when they were in a terrible accident. The car was totaled, CJ was killed and Angela was left in a coma. It was terribly tragic and difficult. The kids all had a hard time, but probably Scotty had the hardest time since he and CJ got a long so well. Cassie's family and our family were asked to sing a musical number at the funeral. Talk about hard!!! Music speaks to my soul in such a way that I often have a hard time singing or listening to beautiful music without crying. This was especially difficult. We chose to sing "I Know that My Savior Loves Me" by Tami Jeppson Creamer and Derena Bell.

A long time ago in a beautiful place,

children were gathered ‘round Jesus

He blessed and taught as they felt of His love.

Each saw the tears on His face.

The love that He felt for His little ones

I know He feels for me.

I did not touch Him or sit on his knee,

Yet Jesus is real to me.

I know he lives!

I will follow faithfully.

My heart I give to Him.

I know that my Savior loves me.

Now I am here in a beautiful place,

Learning the teachings of Jesus.

Parents and teachers will help guide the way,

Lighting my path ev’ry day. -

Wrapped in the arms of my Savior’s love,

I feel His gentle touch.

Living each day, I will follow His way,

- Home to my Father above.

I know he lives!

I will follow faithfully.

My heart I give to Him.

I know that my Savior loves me.

CJ, we know you are home with your Father above wrapped in the arms of our Savior! Thank you for your smile, your light and your example. We love you and will miss you here on earth, but through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and through the power of the temple sealing ordinances, we know we will be with you again.

The up side to any funeral is getting to see family and friends. Kimi, Stephen and Christina were all able to come for the funeral and stay a few extra days. So after the funeral, we had a chance to just play:

Later that night we met up with my mom's brother, whom we never see, to go to see the lights at Temple Square. Maybe the death of CJ can change some hearts and bring us closer as a family again...

Alli had her two best friends, Stephen and Mitch, wrapped around her little finger... all night long! They are my heros!

It was beautiful - and COLD!!!

Carlton thinking he's as tall as Dave...

Nope!

Great night with family. I love that although funerals are sad, they are also a great reunion of families!

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From the Mouth of Babes

10/8/2012

Alli - whimpering in bed "Mom, I think my head has brain damage!" Sadly, I did not handle this well, because I burst into a fit of giggles!!

12/26/2011

Alli - can I go play with my new weasel? She meant her new art easel!

10/2/2011

Aunt Ruthie just reminded me of this story. When Fuzzy was about 4, Ruth asked her something like, "Do you know who you are going to marry?" Fuzzy, "Yes, Carter." Ruth, "He must be really handsome then?" Fuzzy, "No, not that handsome, he doesn't have a mustache yet!"

9/30/2011

Anatomy lessons from Scotty: First you have your arm pit, then you have your knee pit, then you have your elbow pit.

9/28/2011

Alli - "Mom if I had one of those wishing phones I would wish for Grammy to be all the way better."

6/22/2011

Alli - "Mom are you the oldest in your family?" Scotty - "No Alli, she is you, the youngest." Me - "Then that makes you Uncle Chris Scotty." Scotty - "Yes I am TOES!!!! I have strong toes that can break doors!" (When my brother Chris was a teenager he didn't know the door at the bottom of our stairs was closed and stuck his big toe right through it leaving a hole in the door - that is what Scotty has chosen to remember about his uncle!)

6/22/2011

Alli - "Mom can I tell you something before I swim back to the side. Mom, I love you!"

June 2011

Alli- "Sometime I like to point with my thumb-toe!"

"I am going to ride my bike on the garage-way!"

3/30/2011

Alli asked me today if I knew which kind of pie was her favorite. I said pumpkin. She laughed and said, "No, mom. It is cherry and I haven't even ever had it!"

2/28/2011

We were sitting at dinner and I was asking all the kids where they wanted to travel to. Scotty said Japan really fast. I thought that was interesting so I asked him why. He replied, "So I can learn to speak Spanish!"

11/1/2010

We were talking at dinner one night about cheerleaders. Missy said she did NOT want to be a cheerleader at all. Scotty said, "I kinda want to be one of those boy cheerleaders." We all look at him with a "WHY on earth" kinda look. So he replies with, "What, you get to throw girls up in the air." Missy reminds him that you actually have to catch the girls after you throw them up. To which he replies, "I'll just practice on Alli." I wish I had a camera to capture the look of terror and "Oh, no you won't" on Alli's face!

10/29/2010

Alli in the grocery store - "Witchy-poo give me a wedgy." (I have no idea why she was saying this.)

Me - "Alli, we don't talk like that. It isn't very polite."

Alli - "Witchy-poo would you please give me a wedgy!"

9/24/2010

Me - "Alli, are you a good girl at school?"

Alli - "I don't always obey all the rules" (glint in the eye)

Me - "What rules don't you obey?"

Alli - "Well this girl came up and asked if she could join in and I told her no and kept on playing!"

9/23/2010

Fuzzy told me today that she knew what she wanted for Christmas.... Grey Convertibles ... What are grey convertibles? "Oh, I mean Converse!"

8/1/2010

Alli and someone were talking about names and she said, "My trouble names is Allison Calli Cloward. What's your trouble name?"

6/14/2010

Scotty sat back in his dads car, put his hands behind his head and his feet up and said, "Man, I feel good! I had some ribs, I tooted a couple of times, and I ran around a little bit. That's the power of ribs!"

4/15/2010

Alli has her toy phone, "Ahh! Virginia won't answer!" Me, "Who's Virginia?" Alli, "Duh, My cousin Hailey lives in Virginia!"

4/2/2010

Alli and I were playing Disney Yahtzee Jr. She rolled a Mickey and a Minnie. As she put them together, she said, "Mickey and Minnie are in love... Ahhhh!"

4/2/2010

We were reading the Old Testament scripture stories about the pre-existence. There was a picture of a gathering of God's children listening to the plan. Scotty said, "Boy, I wish I knew what I looked like then so that I could find myself!"

3/4/2010

Alli said last night, "You know that one song that goes 'He sent His Son to die for us and rise with living breath?' It makes my eyes have tears."

2/23/2010

We were at Grandma and Grandpa's house and Alli tells Ty "You are really nice to yourself!" is he nice to anyone else? "He is really nice to his dogs too!" Tyler "I think my 5 year old niece just called me selfish!"

10/30/09

We were talking one day about all the different nicknames we have in our family. I'm Merf, Janessa is Fuzzy and so on. Scotty piped up with, "They call me stud muffin!"

4/10/09

When Fuzzy was little, I can't remember how old, she asked me one day to listen to the reindeer song. I proceeded to sing every Christmas song with reindeer in it to her and she kept insisting no, the other reindeer song. Finally, the lightbulb in my head went on and I realized she wanted to hear the "Do Re Mi" song from "The Sound of Music." Doe, a deer, a female deer. Very clever Fuzzy!

3/26/09

Alli was praying and after her usual "thank you for friends, cousins and food," she said, "Please help us to not to stick our tukus' in the air." I had just pushed her behind down and out of my face.

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Running out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Because of Anya by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Shadow Children Series by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin
Recovering Charles by Jason F Wright
The Missing Series by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
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Almost Sisters, Three Tickets to Peoria and Surprise Packages by Nancy Anderson, Lael Littke and Carroll Morris
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Fields of Home by Rachel Ann Nunes
Flying Home by Rachel Ann Nunes
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