Jan 21st: Spelling Bee Champ

Today was Savannah's Elementary School Spelling Bee. About a month ago, each 4th and 5th grade class took a written spelling test to see who would represent each class at the school spelling bee. The top two from each class would go forward. There were a total of 16 students who qualified, Savannah being one of them. Over the next few weeks the students stayed after school to practice together. For the next month Savannah practiced and practiced her spelling words. She worked very hard.... and had fun too!

Finally, the Spelling Bee arrived! I was so nervous for her. She looked so calm up there--waving at her friends, making funny faces at her teacher (who was making funny faces at her), and smiling at me in the audience. I can't remember the last time I was so nervous! I could feel my heart beating so fast. I felt like I was shaking so bad that I thought would ruin the video-taping. But every time Savannah stood up, she looked relaxed and like she was having a great time. It just broke my heart when some of the kids just rushed through a word and misspelled it--many looked so nervous!

Here is a video of her spelling the last word of the round and the championship word....

Jan 19th: The Lollipop Queen

Every night we let the kids choose a treat after dinner. Tonight, Eliza choose a lollipop (one lollipop). I left the room to for a few minutes to help Savannah with her school project.... when I came back in I found The Lollipop Queen with her stash......

As you can tell, she was quite pleased with herself

Somehow she got a hold of three more lollipops, unwrapped them, and was taking turns licking them. I even found her at one point with two in her mouth. I do have to note that she didn't finish any of them, after awhile she got tired of them and said to me, as she waved her arms, "All done!"

Jan 11th: The Christmas puzzle that lasted through January....

Earlier in December we put together a 500 piece Christmas puzzle. We were all very proud of ourselves for finishing it within a few days. So I went out and bought the "next level" puzzle of 1,000 pieces. The puzzle was fun for awhile.... until it came time to piece the tree, garland, and wreath! By the time January hit, we had to make a goal of at least finding 4 puzzle pieces a day. You pretty much had to organize the pieces by shape then try each one in each space. It painfully took FOREVER! But we finally finished it on January 11th! Thank goodness :)

Here is Madison putting the last piece!

It's finished!!!!!!

The finished product.....

It was painstaking taking it apart. I just didn't want our hard work to go to "pieces." I asked Jesse if we would do it again next Christmas. His answer was simply "no."

Belleview Park

Today we ventured out with our friends to Belleview Park.  I haven't been there for years--not since Savannah was little.  It is a beautiful park with with a creek flowing through the middle. 

 The kids first played in the water.  I didn't bring swimsuits because it was cold and cloudy when we left our house but when we got there it was warm and sunny--of course!  The water was freezing but the kids didn't seem to mind.  

(I frantically followed Madison around trying to help her avoid falling in--cast and all!  She only fell once but she quickly lifted her cast up and avoided getting it wet.  Phew!)

After the kids were too cold to play in the water anymore,  we took a ride on a little train around the park.  That brought back memories of riding it with Savannah when she was little.

Meanwhile, Hunter was off exploring up the creek with the older boys.  He came back competely soaked and very cold.  After I got him all wrapped up in a towel, he excitedly told us all about the adventure they went on--finding loads of golf balls, a basketball, a very rusty car (greaaat), a piece of tile (which he asked me if I liked it enough to keep it), and seeing a snake swimming in the creek (yikes!).  

Then we gathered together on the bank and had a yummy picnic lunch.

Then, when all the tummy's were full we played at the playground.

It was a fun full day!

  I love summer days when we can get out of the house and just play.

A busy week...

My parents came in town on Thursday.  I don't think they were expecting a full couple of days of grandchildren activities....

 Thursday night....

Savannah's Ta Vaci spring performance. 

A few months ago, Savannah's Ta Vaci --performing arts teacher-- asked Jesse if he would sing/dance the duet "Together Again" from the musical Annie with Savannah for the spring performance.   They both were looking forward to singing and dancing together on stage.   Then Jesse put two and two together and realized he would be out of the country the night of the performance.   Our Sweet Hunter stepped up and performed with Savannah last night at the Ta Vaci spring performance.   They both did a great job!  

 Thursday night 

(only a hour after the Ta Vaci performance)

Hunter's Baseball game 

Friday morning....

Hunter received the Paw Pride Award at school for showing

"Truth and Tolerance"  

The principal read the following aloud (written from his teacher)... 

"I have never met a student who can tell the truth no matter how tought a situation can get.  He finds ways to stay positive and honest whether it is himself or a close friend in a sticky situation.  Hunter has a contagous smile and a heart of gold, which truly make shme one of a kind.  I am very pround of you Hunter!  Keep up all the hard work"

Later Friday morning....

A trip to the Orthopedics for Madison

At this appointment they took out her spacers and sealed her cast with a new wrap.  They asked her if she wanted a new color (other than purple).  She looked down at her shirt and said, "Green like my shirt!"  (a true girl, coordinating her cast with her outfit!)

And of course, I have to add something about Eliza.....

She missed her Daddy!  I have never seen her so clingy--she would get upset even if I left the same room.  I think she thought I was going to disappear like her dad did. 

This is a picture of her talking to Jesse on the phone... who is all the way in Saudi Arabia!

She is so pleased to hear his voice!

12th Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary! 

 Jesse and I celebrated our 12th anniversary today.  

Madison's Anniversary Present

Since our anniversary fell on a Sunday this year we decided to go out Saturday night to celebrate.  Jesse made reservations at one of our favorite restaurants, The Melting Pot, for some delicious fondue.  Just as the hostess sat us at our table, Jesse's cell phone rang.  It was Savannah telling us that Madison had fallen and wanted to "talk" to Mommy.  When Jesse handed me the phone all I could hear was crying and not just a normal "I am going to get over this cry in just a few minutes."  I had a hard time getting an answer as to what was going on from Madison, Savannah or the babysitter--with all the crying.  I called my good friend down the street to come over and assess the damage.  So here we are at a very nice restaurant with the two of us on our cell phones--Jesse on the line with Savannah and me with my friend.  We decided since we hadn't ordered yet we would just head home.  When we walked in the door, we found Madison asleep on on the couch, surrounded by everyone.  After giving Madison a blessing, Jesse took her to the Urgent Care.

Three hours later........

Madison's diagnoisis:

Midshaft radial/ulna fracture  

(broken the two bones in her arm as you can see in the x-ray)

She came home with her arm wrapped in a splint and would have to head to the Children's Hospital in the morning to have reduction (push back into place) and casted.

The next morning, Jesse took Madison to the hospital and 3 1/2 hours later she came home with a beautiful purple cast.  (For some of you who don't remember, August 2007, Madison broke some of the bones in her elbow and had to have surgery to put pins in.  She choose a pink cast so this time around she wanted a different color--purple.  Let's just home we don't have choose another color every again!)

This her welcoming committee....

Savannah made this Welcome Home banner all by herself--with cereal boxes.

The kids also wrote her get-well cards...

My favorite was Hunter's card

"Dear Maddy,  

Welcome home you will get twice as money for handy candy then you usually do."

(Handy Candy is the name of Hunter's candy shop he has in his room--sells candy to his siblings and friends)

That afternoon Hunter was in charge of our family activity.  He was very organized.  Here are his "conducting" notes....

These are some of the pictures I took while we made our "project" for Madison....

Anniversary Presents from the Kids

The kids were very sweet and planned a few special gifts for our anniversary.

  We got a "love singing" bear (our neighborhood was having it's annual garage sale) and a journal to write in together. 

This is Eliza's reaction to the bear....

 Then they had us all take a walk so they could show us a surprise...a single rose blooming along the sidewalk around the corner.  They found it when they were walking home one day from school.  Savannah wanted to share with us that in the winter the bush was an ugly brown thorny bush but now for our anniversary it is green and blooming a beautiful rose.

Quote of the day!

"I love pizza, it's my enemy!"   --Madison Fillerup, Age 4 We had pizza for dinner tonight.   Madison picked up her pizza and said the above quote.   We were all quite confused..... Savannah:   "What?" Madison:   "Remember the guy from the t.v. show?" Savannah:   "What guy?" Madison:   "The guy with the hairbrush." Savannah:   "Oh, Samson and the Hairbrush"   (veggie tales show) Madison:   "Yes!   He said we should love our enemies.   And I love pizza!"