2011 Review

I thought I would do a post on some of the moments that stood out in 2011. We had a blessed and happy year, with lots of growth and learning.

And now... our year at a glance!

I included some pictures, but you can click on the links for the full posts with details about our year.

-Walker and I were co-stars in a tiny local commercial production.

-We had the snow storm of the century hit our house, and spent days digging out.

-Del decided that he was off carbonation! For the month of February. The shortest month. It didn't last! Ha!

-Walker was released from physical therapy for his Torticollis with a clean bill of health!

-Wally turned eight and was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, by Del. Both sets of grandparents were able to travel to Chicago to be here for the big event.

-Del took our good friend Jared to the Bulls vs. Jazz game, thanks to the generous Christmas gift of excellent seats  from his employees

-Del and I went on a trip of a lifetime to Costa Rica with seven of his employees and their guests for the first company rewards trip! It was beyond amazing! I am ready to go back any time now! My very patient sister Lauren, and her husband Christopher came to our house to watch our kids.

-The local farmer's market became my best friend. Our city market was voted the best in the state by the way! Del laughs at me because I come home with small gifts from the vendors at Holiday times. He says they must know me pretty well. I would say yes, considering the lady I buy eggs, chicken and pork from is now making personal deliveries to my street for the Winter! Loooove it!! Oh, and I gave up carbonation. Nine months and counting!

-Walker started going to the Nursery at church for kids 18 months to age three. That means Mom and Dad are kid free for the last two hours of church! No more chasing a little terror around the church!

-Well I was kids free for a few months, until I got called to lead the music in the children's primary. Now I am with 30 plus kids for two hours. Just as exhausting, but still a lot of fun!

-We attended the Clark Family Reunion, here and here with my Mom's side of the family right here in good ol' Illinois! It was completely surreal to have so much of my family on our local stomping grounds. We toured both Chicago and Illinois, and it was a treasured experience!

-Our power went out after a thunder storm. For AN ENTIRE WEEK! Now we are not unaccustomed to the power outages in the area. Over the past seven years we have been dealing with their annoying frequency on a regular basis. But this was beyond anything I expected! It was SO stinkin hot!!! Taking humidity and heat into consideration, Chicago was reading the same temperatures as the Amazon Rainforest! Our house was boiling, we had electrical cords running all over the main level of our house from the generator to whatever appliance we were using at the moment. We made toast on the kitchen floor, ate mostly fruit for a week, slept in the guest room/Del's office in the basement, and listened to the hum of generators up and down our street day in and day out. Del had to shut down his office for a few days because they did not have power there either.The power went out on laundry day, so we finally had to make the big trip to the laundry mat, because we were leaving for Utah the next week. I ran into several friends while there, doing the same thing, and we all stood around and talked about the misery that was a Chicago Summer with no power, while we folded clothes and our kids ran around the laundry mat like wild things. I got more than a few stares and several comments about the amount of laundry I was cramming into my car while I loaded the clean clothes up in the parking lot. Several of the people we go to church with can't flush their toilets without power because they are on a well system, so it was getting pretty desperate! I am a baby, I know many are out of power for weeks after hurricanes and such.We left town grateful for the relief and returned only to have the power go off again for two days when we returned! I guess I can take that as a sign that I have not yet perfected my patience with the power situation. So I better make sure the generator is ready to go in 2012, while I repent of my bitter ways.

-We made our Summer trek West to Utah, here, here, and here, for a visit with family. We always have fun with cousins and Grandparents! Our kids live for this trip!

-We stopped in Denver to visit our friends Bryce and Christy, and to give Del time to do some work.

-We learned the hard way that I ave a major fear of mice.

-Del went to Texas to work. While he was there he went to the BYU vs. Texas game at Texas Stadium. Oh, and he met Ty Detmer.

-Del ran in his first Warrior Dash with one of his reps in Missouri. They had a lot of fun, and got VERY

 muddy!

-We spent the year chasing Walker, cleaning up mess after mess that Walker made, listening to Walker scream, laughing at Walker's silly antics, flushing our pet fish we had for two years after Walker dumped the entire bottle of fish food in the bowel and killed the fish, and just plain being worn out, entertained, and falling even more in love with our crazy, wild, mischievous and sweet two year old.

-Our friend Jared took Del and the kids out on Lake Michigan for some fishing. The trip did not disappoint! They came away with a massive king salmon. Georgia and Ella were not fans.

-We went on a family vacation to Disney World where we stayed at the beautiful Grand Floridian Hotel, and wore ourselves, and our kids out, visiting the parks for five days of fun.

-The kids looked positively Medieval for Halloween

-2012 birthdays brought new ages for our kids that can be recited with a cheer..."2, 4, 6, 8, what do we appreciate? Sleep, sleep, SLEEP!!" Hopefully we will see more of it in 2012!

-We kept busy with the kid's activities. Georgia started gymnastics at a new gym, and took a ballet class, all three older kids started swimming lessons, and the boys both started in a basketball league. In addition to the therapy Wally and Walker were receiving at the beginning of the year it has been a feat of master scheduling to keep it all straight! I think this is a common story for most families like ours!

-We spent the Holiday season close to home this year. We enjoyed time with friends, and enjoyed reflecting on the life of the Savior Jesus Christ. Christmas events post coming soon!

We are excited about the prospects of 2012! Happy New Year!

Georgia And The Pre-School Christmas Program

My opinion is biased. I believe that my daughter has such a sweet prettiness. I love her hair, her eyes, her little lips, and the way that she has two small dimples that show up when she gives a certain smile. I am grateful for that innocent beauty in my life.

Today was Georgia's pre school program. It is always an eventful full of the unexpected. Today there was lots of yelling out by the children to their parents. You learn a lot from those little outbursts. I believe one family's new pregnancy was outed today. Oops! So cute.

Georgia was once again, not trying to steal the spotlight. It is just not her nature. That is okay. That is good for her. She did a good job, and you could tell when she really liked a song because you could actually hear her a bit. It is fun to watch her with her friends. That is where her true personality comes through. Not in the performing, but in the interacting with the people around her.

She came home from school the other day with some of the reindeer food that children are given every year. Oatmeal with glitter mixed in. She told me that when you spread it around Santa's reindeer will come and eat it.
She opened the bag in the family room, dumped the shimmery mixture out, glanced around, looked up at me and said, "It didn't work!"  She had a lot of vacuuming to do after that.

There was no hesitation when it was Georgia's turn to tell everyone what she wants for Christmas. And Easy Bake Oven!!! Oh boy, it sounds like such a mess maker!

Walker was a good little audience member. He did not even scream when I wouldn't give him the video camera.

Georgia vacuuming up some glitter oatmeal that made it's way under the table. Walker is always close at hand when it comes to anything to do with the vacuum. He is keeper of the vacuum at our house. Pretty funny. The thing zonked out on me a few weeks back. It needed a new internal belt. And our house, with no vacuum in sight for over a week, NOT a pretty sight!!! I thought I was going to lose my mind. Yay for vacuums!

All Smiles!

We got our shot for the family Christmas Card! It is always a relief when you get to the END of the photo shoot, and everyone has behaved reasonably well, and maybe even given a little smile here and there!

While we are the subject of smiles... have you ever whitened your teeth with those Crest Whitening strips, and left them on too long?

Well I recently did that, and let me tell you... Eeowww! My teeth hurt so bad I could barley breathe because the air made pain shoot through my mouth, and I finally had to take a pain pill and go to bed! Lips pursed. Pretty pathetic wouldn't you say? When they say that beauty hurts, they aren't kidding!

And I did not even feel like my teeth were glowing white for all the pain involved.
I would love to have that perfectly straight, white gleaming smile.

So my next question is... what are your thoughts about braces? I have felt that as I have gotten older, my teeth have shifted a bit. Especially on the bottom, and I have never had braces, so there is definitely room for improvement all around. I went and spoke to an orthodontist about it, and he talked about the pros and cons of Invisalign.
I think it is an amazing product, but I almost wonder if it is worth it to just go ahead and get the traditional braces because you don't have to wear them as long, and as miserable as they look, you can just get it over with and move on with your life. I don't know.

Thoughts, opinions, words of wisdom from those who have had braces as an adult?

Okay back to the pictures! Photography by Ingrid Karolewski.

Oh, and our Christmas card was designed by the very talented Aarean from La Ditta Design.

The kiddos.

Baby It's Cold Outside

                                         (Our Christmas tree, which is redecorated about four times a day.)
It is most definitely Winter around here. It is completely dark by 4:30. That makes for some long days for the kids.  They are already missing their time to run around outside after school. I hear the door open and close repeatedly every day as they decided to try to brave the cold and play out in the yard for a while. But it opens again not long after when they realize it is cold, gray, and none of their friends are out to play. We need to come up with some good inside activity.
I find the hours of 3:00 to 6:00 to be a challenge. Everyone is home from school. Now it is dark and cold. Walker is up from his nap, ready to terrorize the house, the boys have after school activities and homework, Georgia is always tired by that time because getting her to take a nap has become a battle. I need to make dinner, and I like to attempt to get the house straightened up for when Del gets home. And if there is a trip to the church for activities it is just one more thing. I also like to be able to take a couple of minutes to ask Del about his day if he manages to get home some time within this hour block. This usually gets moved to much later at night, when we can finally have a conversation.
Not to mention I am usually pretty worn out by this point in the day because I have been going for twelve hours straight by 6:00.

 So... it is a jungle in here! It is a busy time of day, when everyone needs my attention.

I must say however, that my evenings are full of people and rituals that I do love in my heart of hearts. What would my home be without all of this frantic activity? And oh how grateful I am to have a warm, snug house to spend these cold days in with my family!

We make do. And I will admit that making do sometimes involves the Wii and a nice round of "Big Game Hunter" played by the one and only, Wally.

Georgia BEGS Wally to play this game.

All the kids, but Georgia especially, are fascinated watching Wally in action on the hunt for big game. They don't even request a turn to play themselves. They are totally content just watching.
Wally told my parents that Georgia loves it when he takes the deer out with a bullet right to the heart!

Georgia chimed in with a big, "YUP!"

No diamonds for this girl, just a big buck with a shot to the heart. That is sure to draw a fine fellow.

                                   (Georgia, on her new bike back during warmer months.)
We have manage to find a few things to entertain ourselves through the dark Winter, and then head to bed early. Kind of depressing.

Will is up to some shenanigan or another quit often. Tonight he requested I take his picture with an orange slice in his mouth. He was very proud.

Then it was Walkers turn with his most favorite thing to put in his mouth. His "Mowl" Walker cannot make the "b" sound unless he is saying "boo!" Everything else comes out with an "m" sound. So "bye, bye," is "My, My," and so on. It is pretty cute.

We had a whirlwind of activity getting out the door for church this morning. We had to be there an hour early for Del to have a meeting, and so I could practice singing in church. As Del tried to get the kids to gather up tithing money Georgia had a breakdown. She did not want to give her money away.

Del tried explaining the giving the Lord ten percent concept, but it was not going over well with this girl. I guess she does not have a testimony of tithing yet at age four. It is a process, right?

I was a little surprised she was so attached to the money. But she is funny when it comes to cash. When Wally got upset because someone had raided his stash of money, he tracked the culprit down, and of course it was Georgia. He informed her she had better stick to her own piggy bank, and not disrupt his.

She came back with " Well, I don't have any money because I don't like to do my jobs. So I have to steal yours."
Great! At this rate, it looks like Georgia will be serving twenty to life, or hanging out in a park with a sign protesting the greedy fat cats!

                                       (Wally and the last backyard campfire of the year, this past Fall.)

So anyway... we made it out the door on time, but not before Wally told me while putting his church clothes on,
"Mom, the thing I want the most is to not wear a tie. But you always want me to look SHARP!"

Wow! Mom's are mean! But I must say, Wally does look sharp in a tie!

Christmas Season Opening Weekend

Del held the Patient's Choice Chicago area party this weekend. Ginny from the office put everything together for the party. We all went to Dave and Busters. Del and I are not the biggest video game fans, but I am always up for a little skee ball. And you can't pull Del away from the free throw basketball games. It is always nice to see people that work for Del, and meet the new comers. I don't get down to the office very much.
 Okay, I pretty much NEVER get down to the office. So it is nice to put a face to a name. Del has some very nice, very generous employees, and associates. They always come up with a great gift for Del. He told everyone that he does not have a party so that he can get a present from them, so next year, they don't need to do so much!
We are overwhelmed with the kindness, and thoughtfulness of the employees, and those that Del works with! Thank you!

A serious race was underway. I was awful at this game! If you could have earned extra points for driving your car off the highway and into the ocean, I would have been golden!

Okay. Now an explanation. The reason the party pictures are lacking is because most of them are just one big blur. I decided to leave my camera at home and just use my.....

Brand new iPhone! Yay!

Apparently, I have joined the land of the living! I finally got a smart phone!

Del surprised me big time on my birthday with a new iPhone, and a MacBook Pro! And I always tell him I hate surprises!

I guess it all depends on what it is!

So anyway, I am must have a very shaky hand, because most the photos I have taken with this thing are blurry. I hope I can improve my iPhone photo skills. Texting however, is oh so much easier!

I went downstairs to check on the kids while they were watching a movie this weekend, and found Georgia wearing this arch support cast that Del is supposed to wear at night.
She told me that her leg was broken, and she limped around the house in this thing for a couple of hours. It is almost as big as she is!
Every little scratch this girl gets is devastating! Let the drama begin!

Oh, and she has taken to calling me, and everyone else "dude." Lovely. When I give her an instruction, I get a grouchy two syllable "DU-ude!"
Four and a half is certainly bringing out the sass is this gal!

We filled in our extra time with attending a baptism, taking care of achey tummies, and enjoying the Christmas Devotional broadcast from our church leaders on Sunday night.

It was so nice. If you would like to listen to it, and see the video they showed portraying the early life of Christ. Please visit

www.lds.org, here

It is at the top of the home page with a link to watch or listen to both the devotional, and the Bible story video shown during the broadcast.

It is worth the time, I promise!