As for the Christmas to-do, I:

• remade the caramels, didn't kill the poinsettia, got gifts divvied up and crafty gifts finished
• absolutely didn't exercise, unless you count walking around in 4" heels for two days and /or Wii Bowling exercise.
• The kids didn't break any Christmas decor
• didn't keep our outside bird feeders filled, but they are filled now. Happy New Year's, birdies.
• You know I made three snowmen. I also made a Christmas mix CD with the kids. They have loved it.
• My husband's mother made the popcorn balls for her son. My kids and I made the dough for gingerbread men. Santa almost didn't get any treats.
• Cam and I managed two dates this month. HEAVEN!!! Saw "True Grit." Loved it.
• Ooh, that stinkin' Christmas garland. I made the templates and bought the felt for it. I guess I'll just have to make it myself. Or have the kids help me over the next year.
• did take more pictures of my kids, even if the lighting is bad, because they're so cute and they just keep growing.
• sang in my parents ward last Sunday. It (my voice) worked.
• snuggled with babies, kept the house somewhat sane and watched the original Grinch movie.
• gave my grandparents a present.
• got no sleep until Christmas night when Cam and I stayed at my grandma's house while the kids stayed at their grandma's house. We went to bed at 10. They went to bed at midnight.
• did get to the DI and my neighbor gifts were pretty easy. Everyone brought ours to us and we just did a quick swap. Note to self: payback is next year. Get them out first.
• read to the kids. I loved my time with them and am sad that our four weeks together is almost over. As always, though, I'm glad we get to end the season with a bang (New Years) and a Birthday (DANE!)
• We read Luke 2 before bed on Christmas Eve. All was calm, all was bright.

Today so far:

• I've been organizing the formerly-crashed computer back to a functional system. Once more, I am so grateful for a husband who 'gets' technology and we never have to deal with tec support.
• I removed decorations and dismantled (with the help of my kids) our smaller tree. I'm excited to have this main room in our family's life clean and functional again.
• I suggested that Cam give a Family Home Evening lesson tonight on Resolutions. I was feeling brave. Last year I was a fussy, pathetic pill about resolutions and so I promised to be good.
• I've been throwing out those extra hang-on goodies that fill counters at the end of the season. I even put the bags of candy my mom gave me right into the freezer for another time.

For Family Home Evening last night, I read the kids a story out of the March Friend about a boy who realized that he can do things that are hard for him to do.

My kids often get frustrated by the new and seemingly difficult challenges of growing up and learning, so this lesson turned out to really be excellent for them.

After I read the story, I asked everyone to name something that was hard for them to do once, but now was a lot easier.

This is what they said=>

Bryce: Climbing Trees
Ella: Playing Lego Star Wars
Dane: Math especially subtraction
Cami: Visiting Teaching
Cameron: General Handiwork/Home Fix-em-up stuff

Next I asked what is something we each do now that is hard, but we do it because we know it's good or important. Answers =>

Bryce: Putting toys away
Ella: Riding my tricycle uphill
Dane: Piano Recitals
Cami: Balancing my time
Cameron: Discussing family and financial matters with Cami

Finally, for fun or future, I asked for what they would like to learn one day that they think would be hard. =>

Bryce: Fix holes with tape
Ella: Be an artist and paint
Dane: Build machines that work
Cami: Play the piano or mandolin
Cameron: Learn to do basic electrical work

It turned out to be a pretty cool lesson and I think that my trying to be closer to the spirit lately helped bring that about. It was nice to get a glimpse into everyone's thoughts as well, which makes me so pleased in the progress I see them make.

We can do hard things!

Just in case you ever wondered, the following are websites I frequent. Using a five-star system, I've rated them on level of recommendation to others. The photo images all have links to the sites.

(This list does not include blogs of people I know, I love you all already. I doesn't need to be said in a list! Ha!)


If you read then pure and simple, this site is for you. It's my home page. I could live here...wait... I DO!
* * * * *




My second home online. I love blip.fm! Its a site where you are the dj and has be called Pandora (see below) on steroids. You just type what song you want to hear and you get a list of potential matches to choose from. Just click and listen and share with others. * * * *



I craft cuteness vicariously through Elsie Flannigan's blog A Beautiful Mess. * * *









I simple am at the library site reserving books, cds, movies and sanity. I love the SLCLS! Memorize your card number now. * * * *


Terresa Wellborn speaks truth from the perspective of a mother, a poet, a writer...I love her insight and her talent. * * * *

A superb online radio site that takes elements of songs you say you like and searches for those elements in other songs and makes you your own customized radio station AND IT'S ALL FREE! * * * * *

What is there really to say? I see most of you there anyway.
* *

Funny how one of my favorite blogs features my absolutely least favorite colors. Oh well. How About Orange is the blog of Jessica Jones, fabric designer, but oh she has so much fun sharing great craft ideas, digital designs, fun ideas and web finds. Fun stuff here! * * * *

Yes, I do. Gotta keep up with the Twilight Saga news. * *

I check images here.

I hosted Thanksgiving this year for my husband's side of the family. Determined to enjoy my week, I actually wrote out a great division of labor for the four days leading up to the big day and was pretty pleased with that. Thankfully, it worked out well.

While I prepared the turkey for the oven, I got Dane and Ella busy making sugar cookie dough for the cookies for the cousins to frost and eat while the adults were playing games. Thankfully, Dane can read, measure and crack eggs.

I kept Bryce entertained by using his hand to stamp turkeys for the place cards. Then I let him finger paint. After returning from leaving the room for a minute, he had painted his pants, socks, the chair, the table, and the chairs for the kiddie table in the next room. Thankfully, it was Tempera paint and it washed off easily.


Cameron was so willing to help and I did a better job of asking for that help more than usual. Thankfully, he not only handled chores I hadn't got to yet, but they were also ones I didn't want to do.


Later, I had Dane and Ella decorate the turkey hand prints that Bryce made. They did a great job, using their fingers, Q-Tips, and acrylic paint.

Thankfully, they got none of that paint on their clothes.
My turkey turned out great, though it was ready two hours early (how did that happen?). Thankfully, everyone arrived on time.

My husband's sister and family arrived with an extra guest. (Surprise!) Thankfully, we had room at our table and plenty of food.

Five busy cousins under age six had a marvelous time together. Thankfully, the house survived and no one got hurt.

I chose to not play games this year (I'm ususally really competitive and love games), but chose to clean up and spend time with my kids and their cousins. Thankfully, no one missed me, the kids enjoyed my reading to them and my house looks great today.

All that stuff is great but I am truly thankful for:

• a husband like Cameron


• kids that love me anyway
• a warm house in a beautiful area
• food to fill my stomach
• the Gospel
• intelligence and creativity
• digital cameras
• books
• really great friends

Now, bring on CHRISTMAS!

Movie lists by me!

Top B/W comedies:

• The Philadelphia Story


• His Girl Friday


• Some Like it Hot


• Mr. and Mrs. Smith


• It Happened One Night

Top B/W dramas:

• Notorious
• Spellbound
  
• Song of Bernadette



• The Ghost and Mrs. Muir



• Casablanca



• Portrait of Jennie

Top Musicals:

• Flower Drum Song


• Carousel


• Gigi


• The Unsinkable Molly Brown


• My Fair Lady


• Fiddler on the Roof

Top Technicolor Films:

• Rear Window


• Gone with the Wind


• Gentlemen prefer Blondes


• Meet Me in St. Louis


• The Little Princess


• A Star is Born (1954)

Favorite Scary/Suspenseful Films:

• Vertigo
• (the previously mentioned) Notorious
  
• Midnight Lace
• The Innocents
• Laura
• Wait Until Dark
• Rebecca

Most Memorable Films of the 80s:

• Top Gun

• Back to the Future


• The Return of the Jedi


• Karate Kid


• Ferris Bueller's Day Off


• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade


• The Little Mermaid

Worth Mentioning from the 90s:

• Schindler's List
• The Shawshank Redemption


• Pulp Fiction


• Ghost

Favorite James Bond Film:

• On Her Majesty's Secret Service
  
  

Animated Favorites:

• The Last Unicorn


• Finding Nemo


• Sleeping Beauty


• Alice in Wonderland


• Ratatouille


• My Neighbor Totoro
• The Castle of Cagliostro

Last Three Movies I Saw:

• Eagle Eye
• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
• Martian Child

And to finish...

A few quirky-type movies that I think everyone should give a try:

• Strictly Ballroom
• Waking Ned Divine
• The Hudsucker Proxy
• Romeo and Juliet (1996)
• Millions
• Death Takes a Holiday (1934 and the original, of sorts, for Meet Joe Black)
• Stranger than Fiction

and on a movie related note...

At the very bottom of my blog there is a fun and very interesting (to movie lovers) video that has different movie clips that count down from 100. It's about 10 minutes long.