{In it for the long run}

 

Gotta love kids! Today I received a message that my daughter had a track meet about 30 minutes away from us. Why would this be an issue? Well, I was only given about an hours notice. Thankfully, the kiddos got ready as fast as they could and we made it in time to cheer Shi on! 

She expressed that she was really nervous, not only was this her first meet of the year, she was running and jumping as on the Varsity team which meant the competition would be that much more fierce. Both Joe and I tried to explain that it is not all about winning but trying her best that really mattered. I am not sure she bought into the idea. 

As you can see from the video she did not win. And that is 100% ok in my book. Shi has never been a strong runner, she has never been very athletic at all. She is my child who prefers to draw and write; not participate in sports...yet here she is trying her best at a sport that she absolutely loathes. When I took her to get her new track running shoes and spikes as we left the store she looked rather disappointed. When I inquired about it she said up until that point she was thinking she would never really have to make it! Silly girl, one would think that by now she should know me a little better than that. When it comes to my children when they want to do something, come hell or high water I am going to make sure they have the best equipment there is! Even if it is just shoes. 

Anyway the last time I timed Shi on the track running the 100 meter dash her time was a far cry from varsity time - both she and I were fully aware of that. Hence today's killer nerves. Today she pushed through and shaved 2 seconds off her personal best record!! 2 SECONDS! Needless to say we were both jumping for joy once I met her at the finish line. She may not be the fastest now, she may never be but she is persistent and does not give up...even when the odds are against her. In my eyes, that makes her a winner.

{A few of her favorite things}

It is no secret that children learn through play. One of my favorite sounds is when I hear my kiddos playing be it alone, with someone else, inside or out. I love the laughter, the various character voices they demonstrate, the conversations the toys have, the car sounds, everything! Nothing brings a smile to my face faster than hearing my children playing! 

I read somewhere that, "When a child asks you to play it is like you telling your spouse you've had a hard day and need to talk." While this may not always be the case I have tried to always keep that sentence in mind, when my kids specifically ask me to play - I engage! Whatever I was doing becomes less important, though sometimes they do have to wait a few minutes for me to wrap things up. Keeping in mind that play should never ever be a duty; it should always be for fun. My children ask me once every two weeks at most to play; they understand I am busy but they also know that I will make sure to make time for them in my busy schedule. Plus, I home school the two youngest so the get LOTS of "Mommy" time during the normal school week. The older kiddos, they would honestly prefer not to play...unless it is family game night. 

{An outward expression of an inward faith} Our Family Baptism

 Yesterday was a monumental day for us - we, as a family, were baptized! Of course the weather was less than desirable but Jesus suffered a painful crucifixion on the cross so we figured we could endure cold temperatures and even colder water.

The Savior taught, “Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed” (3 Nephi 18:21). In our home we believe that f

amilies that pray together build eternal relationships on a foundation of strength, comfort, inspiration, and love.

{Living outside of the Box}

Scarlett got her class shirt yesterday. I love that she drew herself with arms and legs.smile emoticon

Today's post will be shore and sweet but I wanted to share. Scarlett got her class shirt yesterday and I love that she drew herself with arms and legs.  (Notice she is the ONLY kiddo who did so.) Always has to be different; I love that! 

Always has to be different. heart emoticon

{A long road ahead}

 On March 16th, my "baby" cousin Mandie was involved in a truly tragic accident. She was riding as a passenger in a vehicle when the driver to lost control (we are unsure of the details at this time) and Mandie was ultimately ejected. She underwent emergency surgery to have her spleen remove, she suffered a broken collar bone, broken pelvic bone, seven broken ribs, internal bleeding and both lungs were punctured. Thankfully, she is a fighter and I am pleased to report she is doing as well as expected given her injuries. 

Last night, I could not sleep. You see, lately Mandie and her parents (my Aunt and Uncle) are all I can think about. I am constantly looking at my phone throughout the day to see if there are any progress updates on her condition. I just need to be doing something more for them. That is when I decided to use my "mad" photo skills and put them to use. So I came up with a photography fundraiser. :) 

Then I decided that I wanted her to have her own hashtag.  I know it sounds silly but I am working on a secret project for her and I wanted there to be a way, that when I am ready to expose it to her and everyone else, we could easily find posts related.  Thus #loveforAMM was created. :) I even registered in on TWBS. 

After watching me design my "Mini's for Mandi" flyer my youngest child came to me with an idea and all the money she had...$2.00. She said, "Mama, can I help too?" She then handed me the money. How could I say no?!?! Promptly, I told her to go get dressed for her shoot. 

I have always tried to set a healthy example that life is not all about getting… it’s about giving. As a family we have raised money for countless organizations and I am always trying to give back to the community and those in need. But I have always wondered if my children understood what this all meant. Today it was confirmed that they do listen, they do comprehend and they do have a desire, like me, to help others.

Usually Scarlett loathes being in front of my camera. Sure, she does great for the first few shots but she soon tires of it and wants to go play. Today was different. Maybe it was because she knew what this session meant? Or maybe it was because she just needed to be the center of attention for a few minutes; I am not really sure. The reason does not really matter. What matters is that today she was striking poses left and right, suggesting locations and enjoying the moment. As was I.

When we got home from the session I talked with Mandie's Mom and told her about Scarlett's donation. She suggested that instead of the monetary donation Scarlett could read to Mandie once she is farther along in her recuperation. I mentioned the idea to Scar and her eyes lit up, reading is something she struggles with but she was super excited about getting to share a story with her cousin. {Proud moment #2.}

This is not my usual editing style but I was going for something a little different today. So glad I decided to mix it up because I love how the images turned out.

If you would like to help there are a few ways you can do:

1. If you are a prayerful person please, please, please lift her in prayer and if not I am asking for crossed fingers, positive thoughts, positive energy vibes, love and well wishes.

2. Click here and make a donation on the gofundme account. Any amount is welcomed and appreciated.

3. Please spread the word. Mandie and her family can use all the support we can give!

Thank you, I hope everyone reading this has a wonderful week! 

Ritz Peanut Butter Cracker Cookies

Growing up I remember making these with my Mom, though I swear hers always looked better...PERFECT even. I had attempted these a few years ago and totally failed. If at first you don't succeed try, try again. Not only did I try again, with the help of my kiddos we rocked it! 

Ingredients

• 100 round buttery salted crackers, I used Ritz
• 1-1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
• 24 oz. chocolate/white almond bark

(I also cheated and used the premade Ritz peanut butter sandwiches as they were on sale. We also used pretzels and dipped them into the chocolate.) 

 Instructions

1. 1. Lay out wax paper to put finished cookies on. 
2. 2. Place about a 1/2 tablespoon of peanut butter on a cracker and spread out. Top with another cracker. Repeat until all crackers are gone.
3. 3. Put the crackers in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. (I find this helps the chocolate harden faster once we get to that point.)
4. 4. Melt almond bark in the microwave, making sure to stir frequently so it doesn't scorch. 
5. 5. Drop a sandwich cookie into the chocolate. Make sure it's covered, then remove with a fork. Shake it back and forth a few times and drag fork along the edge of the double boiler to scrape of excess almond bark. 
6. 6. Place cookie on wax paper. Decorate as desired. Repeat until all cookies have been dipped.
7. 7. Place the cookies in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes or until chocolate is completely hard. 
8. 8. Place in container with wax paper between the cookie layers and store in air tight container, I always keep my in the fridge. 

We bought cute little tins from Dollar Tree this year and stuffed them full of our wonderful creations to give as gifts. They were a HUGE success. The pretzels were taken to my work for our Holiday office party, the kiddos really loved hearing from everyone how good the cookies were. seeing their faces light up as the compliments came in got my thinking and i have decided to do this again with them for Valentine's Days. Can't wait to see how those come out.