School starting...

School starts again this Tuesday. It is a sad event because I have really enjoyed my last six weeks of free time. I made this car seat quilt for Roman using my new free motion quilting foot on my machine. It is so fun to use. I am half way done with another quilt but pretty much my life ends on Tuesday for the next 3 1/2 months until graduation. It has been fun to have more time with the children; reading books, playing games, frolicking in the snow, breaking up fights, putting people in timeout, etc. Okay a few of those things I won't miss that much. But the next 3 1/2 months will be filled with classes on crisis intervention (the book was 150$!! I didn't buy it yet. I checked out the 2nd edition from the library for a few weeks to see if it was worth it. The class requires the 4th edition but the 5th edition can be ordered already so you know that the book store is not going to buy that 150$ book back from me!), spirituality in social work (I am interested to see what this class is like) and cognitive behavioral therapy (then maybe I can cure my OCD :). There is light at the end of the tunnel.

Requested Video

I made this video in the summer of 2008. It was originally published on my homeschooling blog but when I switched to blogger that got deleted. A certain someone watched it when they needed a laugh so she was disappointed when it disappeared. So it is back by popular demand.

After watching this video again, Joel pointed out that Maeve is the same age as Jude is but he is no where near this articulate. But we aren't going to worry yet...

2nd post

Here is my second post for the month! Just kidding. I wanted to post our family photo, that would have been sent out with Christmas cards if I had actually done Christmas cards. I think we have only done so twice in our ten year marriage. December always seems so crazy, especially since 8 of those 10 Decembers where spent as college students when December means Finals and no money. Maybe we will start doing Easter cards instead since that is my favorite holiday.

Merry Late Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

New Year's Resolution

I am pretty much the worst blogger ever. I do have a lot on my plate but I was a little jealous of my sister's blog books she showed us at Christmas time, where she is keeping an amazing record of her family's daily life. I do not have the time for her type of dedication but I am setting a goal for two posts a month this year. That may not sound like much but it will be a 550% increase from last year! (If Google helped me calculate that increase correctly). Either way, you will know a lot more about my life in 2011 than you did in 2010. You are excited, I know...

My girls...

The girls say the funniest things sometimes. Recently conversations:

Mom: "Please do _________."
Maeve: "No, today I am going to choose the wrong."

Okay.

Mom: "Why are you eating yogurt with a grapefruit spoon?"
Adelle: "Because we didn't have any grapefruit."

Okay.

(Though I do remember a fascination with Dad's grapefruit spoons growing up (I found matching ones at a garage sale a few years back). Maybe it was just the risk of possibly cutting the crap out of your mouth. I don't know. )

3000 miles + 4 kids = insanity

Just returned from a family reunion to Utah with a quick trip to Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Joel drove out with us but headed to California to work while we toured the parks with my mom, sisters, and our kiddos, all 12 of them. Unfortunately/Fortunately Joel got an additional job in Utah after his job in Cali so we had to head back to Kansas without him so Adelle could start school (dang public school starting the beginning of August!?). I took tons of pictures but left the camera in Utah with Joel so the photos will have to wait. Thanks Katie and Jim for hosting us! We had a great time.

Roman Lawrence

This should explain the 9 month absence on this blog.