Top Ten Reasons to be Grateful for 2008

10. Caleb finally potty trained (hello cheerio toilet targets!), got rid of his binky, and graduated from "peach dare pee" (i.e. speech therapy)
9. We were able to finally go camping, somewhat successfully, several times as a family this past summer
8. Joseph was successful in 'getting up' and 'staying up' on the wakeboard at the EQ summer boating party activity, unlike 2007
7. Elizabeth turned 18 months earlier this year and was dropped off with great relief and anticipation to the Rosewood Nursery...
6. Emma grew 2" over the last 6 months and climbed back into the 3rd percentile for height and weight, and will no longer need to consider growth hormone therapy at this time
5. There were no issues with small infantile posterity mishandling the Christmas tree
5A. All four children still believe in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny, but not Big Foot:)
4. Our family as a whole was much healthier than 2007...$400 healthier, as of today's Flex Spending surplus update
3. We did what the government hoped we would do, which we didn't agree with, by spending the stimulus package on a backyard fence
2. I got to meet two of my heroes this year: Glenn Beck and Jenny Oaks Baker

And the top reason the Kelly's have to be grateful for 2008...

--- no, I'm not expecting more infantile posterity--- just checking to see if anyone's awake

1. We received the confirmation tests back on the bizarre nightmare blood tests. Joseph does NOT have a rare and fatal disease (which shall remain nameless) that the BioLife Plasma Center told us he tested positive for. Yeaaa! We will get a chance to see our 401K gain back some of the serious loss and use it to pay, someday several decades from now, for wakeboarding lessons for him in retirement.

What a glorious year despite worries with the economy and future of our country. God bless us, everyone!

Confession: I Told Another Man Last Night I Loved Him

Last night I stood in line with my son Josh and my parents at Barnes & Noble so I could get an autographed copy of Glenn Beck's "The Christmas Sweater". Luckily I had purchased my copy on the day of it's release last month, because as of yesterday, there were no copies available in Idaho Falls. They are completely sold out. We stood in line for 90 minutes, and Glenn signed over 1400 books in an hour! He was so gracious, too. When we got up to him, Josh had been reading his Harry Potter book and didn't look immediatley up at Glenn. GB said to Josh, "Don't put Harry Potter down for me! I just want to shake your hand, young man. God bless you."

I told GB I loved him. (Don't worry-- my husband and I had this full disclosure confession when I got home last night.) GB responded, "Thank you so much for coming. Sorry about the long wait!" Shown in this picture, which was taken by a sweet stranger in line behind us named Stacey, is Glenn reaching to shake Josh's hand. My mom is to the right. Glenn's bodybuard Adam is the tall dark man behind him. The book, by the way, is wonderful. It is our ward's book club book for this month. The message is one of hope and forgiveness, and above all, redemption. It is so touching because it is all based on his true life story. He simply changed the name of himself in the book as well as a few of the details. It is well worth the read, and a perfect Christmas gift. Because of people like GB, with a voice for true conservative values and clear thinking, we have hope for our country. God bless you all!

Reason #71197 I Married Him...

My sweetheart has started a new 'part-time' job to help pay off some medical bills quicker:
He donates blood plasma twice a week for an extra $200 a month. Well, the idea was actually conceived by him to "support his habit." (He knows he is getting a hand gun and concealed weapons permit for Christmas... what I didn't realize is that purchasing the gun isn't the ONLY expense... you have to purchase a safe, safety mechanism thing-eys, ammo, the optional undercover-covert-wannabe-CIA-agent-inside-your-waistband-holster...) So JP was originally just going to donate for a month to earn his cash to pay for accessories for his new toy, but when he started going, he realized it was a pretty cool way to earn a little extra cash. Who doesn't like vampires? (I'm an Edward fan myself) and what guy doesn't enjoy getting paid to sit in a recliner and watch t.v. for $25 an hour? So tonight he mentioned going permanently and using the extra money to help pay off medical bills quicker. I love him for it. Don't get me wrong, he consented to taking me to the Sandpiper for dinner in a couple of weeks. (I'm a great negotiator.) I do have my own Edward, after all, don't I? After all, 'tis better to give than to receive...

Critical mistakes

I came across a quote in some studying I did last weekend. I have been pondering this quote and its application in my life. In my own patriarchal blessing, I am taught: "Satan is real and has many helpers." We understand how critical it is to understand the reality and divinity of the Godhead, but why is it significant to understand the reality of the Adversary? Here is it:

"We can make two opposite mistakes. One is to underestimate the devil's influence and power. The other is to overestimate it, or to assume there is no way out. He delights in either error, for they play into his hands. We are counseled to avoid both."
Truman G. Madsen, 2005 BYU Women's Conference

That's such a simple statement, but very profound.

May we move forward to qualify for the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost in our personal lives. Happy Thanksgiving!

Whole Wheat Berries

A couple of nights ago, we had a 'food storage only' dinner. I made dinner from our food storage, which consisted (gas-x) of shepherd's pie (okay, I cheated and used grated cheese, which is not a food storage item:) and bottled peaches. For the shephed's pie, I used whole wheat berries instead of ground beef. For those of you (gas-x) who didn't know (like me prior to very recently), you can substitute meat with cracked wheat, commonly referred to as 'whole wheat berries'. ??? It turned out okay; not as tasty (gas-x) as meat, but it was actually decent. I woke up the next morning and was a bit upset to see the casserole still sitting out on the stove top. I had made a double batch to eat again the next night, but it was still so hot that I wanted (gas-x) it to cool before I put it in the fridge. When I asked JP why he didn't put it away, as he got drinks for the kids right before bed and would have seen it there. In frustration (gas-x), I complained that it had gone to waste. His reply: "What a tragedy." Hmmm. He was a good sport and ate it, but I put him in charge of dinner the following night. (gas-x). The kids ate it all up -- their little taste buds were none the wiser! I am betting it will be tastier with (gas-x) tacos or spaghetti, where there is more spices and sauce, so I will be continuing to experiment. So if you are looking for a fiber-rich, economical (gas-x)way to rotate your whole wheat, this is it! Anyway, here is the recipe:

Whole Wheat Berries
In a crock pot, pour 9 to 10 cups of water and add 4 cups of wheat and 1 Tbs. salt. Let soak about 8 hours on low. No need to rinse or drain, as the moisture holds a lot of nutritional value as well. Substitute for ground beef, or eat warm with syrup and milk for breakfast. It freezes well. Makes about 12 cups. (Check out http://www.idareyoutoeatit.com/ for more great practical food storage advice...thanks Leisa!)

Some Random Musings...

*Tonight I found a really good website for anyone interested in ideas for cooking with and rotating food storage:
http://www.idareyoutoeatit.com/ She has some cool ideas.
*I wish I understood football. Maybe it's a patience issue.
*Sundays are sometimes a challenge for me. It is a constant struggle to keep kids reverent during sacrament meeting. It is the most important 10 minutes of my week, after all. But I have to say that today was actually an improvement because we sat on a middle row instead of crammed together on the side row, so the kids weren't sitting on top of each other target practicing with their goldfish crackers. Also, I don't see Joseph very much. He has leadership meetings from 8:30 until church starts and then he makes EQ visits all afternoon and part of the evenings. I am grateful he takes his calling so seriously and I know our family will be blessed as he magnifies his calling. I guess I'm trying to say that Sundays wear me out! Thankfully today, though, my good friend Julie stopped by and we had a good chat which broke up the day a bit for me and I was less lonely:)
*The presidential elections really disappointed me and I was discouraged for a few days afterwards. Don't get me wrong, it is a historic time when our country can elect an African-American for President. That's neat and all, but did we have to elect a smiling cobra? However, I determined that I need to do some repenting. I can't change the election results, so I'd better take Elder Eyring's most recent conference talk to heart and do what I can to build unity. Our country needs to do that now more than ever. I need to get behind the new president and pray for him as well as all of us.
*I'm excited for FHE tomorrow night -- we're going to the Museum! Afterwards, we'll go get some flippin' sweet ice cream at Reed's Dairy.
*Speaking of Reed's, apparently I was theeee first egg nog customer last week. My egg nog was fresh off of the production plant. Yummy chocolate egg nog!
*JP and I had a date last night-- we hit the end of Happy Hour at Sonic (thanks for the inspiration, Amber and Melissa!) and got some slushies and sandwiches and then did ALL of our Christmas shopping, including stocking stuffers. My goal is to have a simple, Spirit-filled December where we have energy and time to focus on family togetherness and service. I am excited as well because I don't teach violin after December 15, so that is my vacation time! Hopefully no chaos will creep in as we try to accomplish this...
*October 28 was the last day Caleb had a binky! Yea, he is weened...(I am weak. He is 3 1/2)
* Our family challenge for the month of November: For family prayer, try to only give gratitude prayers. Tonight Mom hit 15 things I was grateful for... tomorrow night whomever Dad calls on will try to trump that without asking for any blessings.
*I'm so grateful for my best friends. I have two best friends from high school, Danielle and Melissa and we are still best friends. We can go weeks or even months without talking to each other and pick up right where we left off and still maintain and strong, sisterly connection. They know my history, my issues and weaknesses and my joys. And they make me laugh and inspire me to be better. Also, one of my best friends from American Fork, Kerri H. is one of my dearest friends and i feel the same about her. How fortunate and blessed I have been to rub shoulders with great women.
*Last but not least, a powerful quote and prophecy concerning our very day. The Church is continually feeling so much opposition fall out after Prop 8 passed in California. Even dissension within the Church (a.k.a. Steve Young... which makes me sad:() Love this quote:
"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Churh even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.' Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the fmaily will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened...Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves, 'summer is nigh.' Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat."
Elder Neal A. Maxwell, February Ensign 1979

Kelly Family Halloween 2008 and the 2-step homemade donuts...

We had a great Halloween. Josh was the grim reeper (complete costume with blood pump), Emma was Batgirl (white hair + black spray-on dye+ 3 shampoo washings=gray hair), Caleb was Nemo and Elizabeth was a Dalmation. We invited our Mud Lake cousins (Aaron and Rebecca Kelly) over for Dinner-in-a-Pumpkin and Ghoul-Aid to drink, and then the men took the kids trick-or-treating while Rebecca and I made the donuts. Thanks for coming, Kelly's! 1 1/2 hours + 60-degree weather+trick-or-treating= 1 gallon of candy per kid.

2-Step Homemade Donuts:

1. Buy the tube refrigerated biscuits and cut out the center with a 2-Liter lid or Lemon juice lid. Save the donut hole to use as well.

2. Heat 1" of oil in a pot or pan on medium to medium -high heat and fry the donut dough approx. 20-30 seconds on each side until golden brown. Take out of oil and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Enjoy with hot apple cider or milk!

If Obama gets elected, we're buying stock in Golden Corral Restaurants...

8 more days to go! Here are a few of my thoughts on the election and state of the union: (for what they're worth???)

1. Please vote. We are not terribly excited about either candidate, but McCain is definitely the lesser of two evils. If you're thinking about not voting at all, remember: silence gives consent. What a God-given right it is to have a voice. President Ezra Taft Benson said: "Freedom can be killed by neglect as well as by direct attack."

2. Don't vote for a 3rd party, as tempting as it may be when you don't get goosebumps over either candidate. Voting for 3rd party is a wasted vote because there's no chance that person will win in this case. If you have any opinion on abortion, 2nd amendment rights, foreign oil dependence, the economy, ANWR options, health care, etc. , then vote for the candidate who best reflects your set of values out of the two primary candidates. I for one cannot figure out how anybody can be 'undecided' at this point. The two candidates' views and voting records/accomplishments in the Senate are fairly contrasting. Just get behind the one you think will do the most good. Just vote.

3. The economy... ouch. It is scary to review our 401K and compare it's value from 6 months ago. However, we're not anywhere near retirement, so we have faith it will come up in value again. Joseph has this economic theory that I find enlightening --- the answer to stimulating the economy without all the government bail-outs is to cut spending. Specifically taxes. Specifically payroll taxes, including cutting contributions to Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid. If we weren't forced to contribute so much to those right now, we would have our own money in our own pockets to spend or re-invest as we please. Imagine what that would do. And the best part is it wouldn't create a greater national deficit. Easier said than done, I know. As great as Palin is, admit it... Mitt would have been brilliant at helping solve this financial crisis... Obama keeps saying he'll cut taxes for 90% of Americans. That's a bunch of you-know-what. The problem with that half-truth is that only 40% of Americans pay taxes. In other words, if you get more back in your refund than you pay in, you are among that 60% who does not pay income tax. Lucky you. (See Post Title...)

4. I am scratching my head trying to understand why people think Obama is "articulate and brilliant..." Anybody can be articulate using a teleprompter, but spontaneous rally speeches are NOT his shining moments. And what makes him brilliant? After all, choosing Joe Biden proves Obama's intelletual nothingness. All Obama has to do is mention 'hope' and 'change' in the same sentence and the media is smothering him with acolades. Some 'community organizer'. And what about appointing conservative Supreme Court judges? That could really be a defining moment... that is huge in my book. Think about Prop 8. Where does each candidate stand on gay rights?Hmmmm....

5. If a socialist becomes President, it could usher in the Second Coming faster. But I'm not ready. I still have a lot of repenting to do for over indulging at Golden Corrall Friday night.

5. Think less. Less is more in terms of government control. Why would we want more government involvement in our personal lives? Smaller government = more agency and freedom.

I love the war chapters in the Book of Mormon. When studying these chapters, we must ask ourselves why Mormon included 100 recorded instances of armed conflict. That means there are 50 pages, or 10% of the entire Book of Mormon devoted to understanding war and conflict. It is so applicable to today!

Keep the faith. Fight the good fight. Goodnight...

For anyone interested in stretching that grocery budget...

I am elated to share a fresh meat-purchasing tip I learned tonight! My husband's good friend is a veteran meat butcher for Albertson's. He was surprised to hear that we buy ground beef as ground beef... Joseph asked him what he meant by that and he said that anytime any cut of beef roast goes on sale, go to the meat counter and tell them you want it ground. He says they do it all the time for people. It looks like and cooks like ground beef, but it is a better cut of meat! Last week for instance, Albertsons had the rump roasts on sale for $1.88/pound. He stocked up on 'ground' roast meat. I don't pay more than $2.00/pound for meat, so I always wait until I get lucky and see sales on the ground beef. Now I know better. Am I the only one who had never heard of this option before?

Dinner in a Pumpkin

Our Halloween tradition is having dinner in a pumpkin. If anyone else has a good recipe, I'd love to have it. Here it is:

1 med - lg pumpkin, cleaned thoroughly
1-2 lb. gr. beef
1/2 C. chopped onions
1 C. chopped green pepper
Brown meat with onion and pepper. Stir in the following:
3/4 C. brown sugar
2 Tb. lemon juice
1- 15 oz. can pork & beans
1 -16 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 -16 oz. tomato sauce
2 C. cooked rice
s & p to taste

Spoon the above mixture into the cleaned pumpkin. Let the kids draw a face with permanent marker on the pumpkin. Place 'him' on cookie sheet and bake on bottom rack of oven @ 350 for approx. 2 hours. He will start to wilt and turn darker orange. It makes the house smell delicious and it is tasty served with french bread and green salad. Enjoy!

Food for November Thought

"You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift...You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves. "

---Abraham Lincoln

Did I mention they were on Clearance?

We went to Home Fabrics and we were able to get 9 yards of upholstery fabric for curtains and pillows for $30! Maybe next month we''ll paint...

p.s. Does anybody know when the heck Happy Hour is at Sonic?

Conference weekend...

I think the best kept secret in the Church is the Saturday afternoon session of General Conference. I know a lot of people use that day to shop, go camping, hunting, travel, etc., but I feel that there are special blessings for being present and sacrificing to hear the Conference live. Hearing Conference live has a stronger Spirit present that isn't quite the same when reading the talks online or in the Ensign. Maybe it's just my preference? At any rate, Saturday afternoon session was no exception. The primary children's choir was exquisite and I could not keep my tears at bay when they sang "I Am a Child of God" and "I Love to See the Temple." The talks really enriched my testimony. (My toddlers were asleep and the two older ones were quiet, thankfully!) As good as it is, when I sit down in a comfortable place, I get sleepy! So, to help me stay awake, I sewed! My sweet friend Julie is helping me redecorate and we purchased fabric to make curtains and recover throw pillows. I am very happy with the outcome! I can't get the flash to work to show the curtains above, but I will post a better picture later.

Also, for anyone interested in the cutest blog ever with the best music, too by the way, go to my cousin's blog. She is currently hosting a blog warming party with some sweet little giveaways: http://www.granvillehouse.blogspot.com/

I'm getting my life back...

I finished my marathon reading all 4 "Twilight" series books in one week. I started reading and couldn't put the books down, so the house and family got a bit neglected last week! Here are some of my thoughts: I love to read. I read some fiction, and mostly inspirational/self-help type books. I thought Stephenie Meyers was a great writer-- I loved the imagery she used throughout and I loved her intricately-woven plot. It kept my attention for the most part throughout. Normally, I really don't like fantasy-type books (I could never get into Harry Potter books, for example), and when people mentioned vampires and werewolves I was turned off. It was a great read, I thought. What I didn't like was books 2 and 3 were a little slow in some parts. Books 1 and 4 were my favorite. Bella's character started annoying me some because she came across as very co-dependent. Her desperation for Edward, and not being able to survive, function or thrive without him was a little much. Even when they were together in a relationship, but apart due to her employment or something, she was so desperate to be in his presence again. That made her character a bit weak, I thought. However, I remember feeling like that in high school when I was head over heels over a guy, too. Nonetheless, I sometimes felt that relationship got a little too dramatic for me, and Jacob was a bit too dramatic and demanding too.
I was glad she ended up with Edward -- that's who I was rooting for. I thought it was interesting to see how Bella transformed into a beautifully mature person when she married Edward. That emotional drama stuff evaporated in the fourth book. She seemed more at peace with her identity. I also liked the good vs. evil theme throughout; that element of LDS doctrine we understand about the 'natural man', or in this case, the natural/newborn vampire who doesn't restrain himself against inappropriate appetites and passions. The Cullens as well as the wolves honored their treaties, or we could make the parallel between their treaties and our covenants... no matter how tempting the way of the world looks, we honor our word and we fight the battle to the end, as we have been entrusted. I liked that message... Stay the course and don't cross the line the Lord has drawn in the sand. The enemy is outside our borders. Another interesting parallel was the pro-life, pro-family subtleties woven throughout the books. Edward was inherently good and wanted marriage and fidelity, even when Bella was weak. Then Bella was going to have her baby no matter how hard the pressure from her new family was to sacrifice the fetus (they were sure she wouldn't survive the pregnancy or labor anyway.) I only had one unaswered question: how was Bella going to handle seeing Renee, her mother eventually?
Well, that is my synopsis. I can't wait for the movie. Anybody want to go?

From Politics to Vampires...

Okay, okay, so I'm a little late, but I wanted to see what all the hype concerning the Twilight series was... I borrowed Twilight and read it in 2 days. I borrowed New Moon and read it in 2 days. I am now on page 346 of Eclipse. I am quite enjoying the series (obviously, since I've been neglecting dishes and late night talks with my hansome hubby.) So here are my thoughts:
1) Stay with Edward, Edward, Edward. Maybe Jacob could hook up with Leah, if he ever grows up. 2) Can vampires procreate? 3) I think the solution to Bella's dilemma would be if Edward's immortality could could be reversed and and he became mortal again. They would both be happy, and they could have a real family. 4)Who is responsible for the Seattle killing spree? 5) Who snuck into Bella's room and took her clothes and pillow? 6) I really think it would be cool if the Cullens and the werewolves would call a truce and go after the serial killers together. Anything's possible, right? (of course; this is fantasy!) I have to say though, that Bella's character annoys me to some degree. More analysis later. I have a chapter to finish...

Palin, Politics, and Pre-marital Sex

How do you feel about Sarah Palin? I thought she was a great choice for McCain, based on her conservative politics, strong and articulate poise, and her strong pro-family, pro-life values. (Not to mention her fiscal policies!) However, there is one thing missing. Read the article on Mormon Times and see what you think. I loved it. Enjoy!
www.mormontimes.com/ME_blogs.php?id=3525

Gross!

Tonight we invited a family over for Family Home Evening around our firepit. We had a lesson, scripture, sang a song and prayed. For dessert, we made smores. The evening was truly delightful until I glanced at our back door and saw that it had been left open, WIDE open for an hour. When we went in for the night, we discovered MASSES of flies and fly villages all over our kitchen and living room and a meandering group had canvassed the upstairs. So Joseph swatted for well over 30 minutes straight, while I swept up the fly remnants behind him. I had to get out the vacuum and vacuum the carpeted areas as he swatted in the carpeted areas downstairs and upstairs. We counted 50 flies in the first dust pan group and then quit counting after that. It was nasty and it made me itch all over. Sick!

Happy Birthday to Me... 35????

Yesterday I was feeling a little down about 'the BIG 35'. It seems so, well, old. I feel like I am becoming increasingly more forgetful and my teenage acne has come back with a fury. My hair is turning darker and I'm gaining weight for no reason! Sigh. 35. Wow. It was a happy day despite my old age, because of the people around me. Joseph made me breakfast and one of his custom homemade cards and we went to lunch at Ruby River. My sweet visiting teacher, Kelly, brought delicious smore treats and fun lotion and soap. Most of my family, including my grandparents in Missoula, called me. My sister was on the west coast on vacation and managed to leave me a message and email, so that made my day as well. My best friend Danielle (from high school) also left a thoughtful message I appreciated. Two of Joseph's sisters also took the time to email and call. And Heather brought me those oh-so-heavenly bath mineral salts I love so much. Those small recognitions on your birthday really do make a difference! (Especially on the big bad ugly 35th...) But the greatest birthday gift, was this: My mom took me shopping last weekend for some new bedding. We shopped all over the mall and found a $400 Chris Madden satin comforter and shams with bedskirt ON SALE for $100!!! I love the pale blue with soft gold accents. Now if I can get some ideas from any of you who may be reading this (especially my pro-bono home decor consultant Julie Meldrum) for ideas about window treatments or mistreatments as my cousin Melissa would say... and I know I probably need some sort of gold throw pillow, right? I do love my plantation shutters, but I still need something above, do you think? I am a beginner sewer if that helps, but I sure need some advice... and tonight I will make myself a Grandma Lofgren chocolate birthday cake. All is well, all is well!

a few more...

More reunion pictures!

My Mom had back surgery earlier this summer and is recovering smashingly! However, she is most comfortable in this portable fold-out chair. We were so glad she could get out a bit with us.

The picture above is all the cousins on my side of the family: Michael, Jacob and Elia came up from Farmington (Paul and Becky are the proud owners), and Andrew and Amber came over from Boise with Noah, Drew and 4-week old baby Jonah. Wonderful weekend, everybody!

Wolford Family Reunion '08

Over the Labor Day Weekend, we had a family reunion at Mom and Dad's in Rexburg. Friday night, we 'camped out' at Grandma and Grandpa's and early Saturday morning, Joseph and Andrew went fishing on the Fall River. After lunch, we took the kids to the Rexburg spray park and rode the carousel. Beautiful weather!

On the First Day of School...

3 days before the first day of school:
Mom: "So, Emma, what are you going to wear on the first day of First Grade?"
Emma: "I am going to wear my brown and pink shirt with my new dark jeans and the socks with the pink ladybugs on them and probably my silver shoelaces with my new Skechers."
Mom: "Great choice, Emma!"
"Josh, how 'bout you? What are you going to wear?"
Josh: "I dunno. Just some clothes probably."
Mom: "Good way to start out the year, son. Have you thought about what outfit to wear?"
Josh: "I guess I could wear my new shirt."
Mom: "Which one?"
Josh: "Do I have more than one new shirt?"
Mom: "Yes, son. You have SIX new shirts..."
Josh: "Oh yeah."

This was the word for word exchange I had with my children and I thought the responses were so typical of their genders... I remember spending hours prior to 7th grade deliberating which pair of leg warmers to wear to school the first day in that 80 degree heat... "turquoise or mauve, turquoise or mauve..."

At any rate, what kind of mother blogger would I be if I didn't do a post on the first day of school? It went well, other than the fact that Emma needed to urinate all day and tried to go to use the bathroom during recess, but couldn't reach the light switch, and was too shy to ask for assistance, so she held it all day until she got home from the bus. This is not good because she didn't not urinate before school! And I thought she had the bladder of a gnat. More power to her, but we had a talk about asking for help. She is really tiny for her age (4T size clothes; 33 pounds) and quite shy. Josh started 3rd grade and came home excited about the new desks with the pull-up table tops. He is excited to have lunch and recess with his two buddies, who are 4th graders as well. 3 days down, 270 to go...

baby steps...

So I am officially starting our own family blog. Bear with me as I figure this all out...