Graduation Celebration Invitation!!

I attended my last official BFA class today. My final is on Tuesday and I have a lot to do before then, but I am so close to being done! Forever! It is absolutely thrilling! I will no longer have that "only two classes left" cloud hanging over my head. I graduate in just over a week, May 6th to be exact, and have decided that a little celebration is in order. And so, if you can read this, then you are invited.

When? - Saturday, May 14th, 2011
Time? - Party starts at 6:00 pm - come anytime after that and stay as long as you'd like.
Attire? - Casual. Warning: there will be a LOT of red, white and black. For those of you who bleed blue and if all that red will make you uncomfortable, then by all means, wear blue.
Where? - my parent's backyard, since it is much more conducive to a large gathering with lots of children. Address: 10268 S 1000 W South Jordan.
Why? - I really don't think I need to answer that one, but if I must...just because I am always looking for an excuse to throw a party and because it has taken me ten years to get to this point!! Maybe I shouldn't admit that.
What? - I will provide the main course (I'm thinking pulled pork sandwiches), the drinks, and the desserts. Lots of desserts! If you so choose to come, I ask that you bring a side dish (chips, salad, fruit, etc.).
What Else? - A bounce house for the kids, relaxing and visiting by the fire for the adults.

*If you are going to join my celebration, please let me know, aka RSVP, so I can plan accordingly. Either leave a comment or send me an email - jamerlou@hotmail.com

**Not all my family and friends read my blog, so feel free to spread the word. The more, the merrier!

***NO gifts please :o)

Easter '11

Easter Sunday 2011 proved to be extremely busy. Fun, but busy. I don't think we could have crammed anything else into our crazy, yet wonderful day. It started out early at 7:15 with a treasure hunt ending in some fun-filled baskets.

Then we hurried and packed our bags and headed to my parents house to get ready for church. Why? Well, because our hot water heater decided to go kaput late Saturday night. Yes, we discovered the problem (a small flood in our basement) around 11:30 pm and did not go to bed until 2:00 am - 7:00 am came all too early on Sunday morning. Anyway, so we took nice, hot showers/baths at my parents home while my Dad and Mom fixed us a delicious breakfast of french toast, bacon, and fruit. Then we hurried to our ward (we skipped Sacrament meeting) just in time for Trent to give the 2nd Article of Faith in primary, which he did completely on his own from memory. It was adorable.

As soon as we got home from church, we had just enough time to eat a snack, make the necessary potty breaks, re-comb a couple of heads, and head back out the door. We didn't feel too bad about missing our Sacrament meeting because we went to listen to Mindy and Marty speak in their ward. They both spoke on the atonement and both did an amazing job. It was a great meeting. When we got back home, I took the opportunity to take a few pictures of my three beautiful children. (I never did take pictures of them in their Christmas outfits and I feel terrible about it.) Anyway, it usually takes forever to get a picture of all three of them together that I am satisfied with, but by some miracle, I got a perfect shot on the third click! This is my new favorite photo:

They really are beautiful, aren't they? I love my kids.

After the photo op, Brian took Ashlyn and Trent to visit the Smiley's while I stayed home and put Luke down for a much needed nap and made a couple carrot cakes. When Brian and the kids got back, we dyed a few eggs and even though the photos might say otherwise, they really did enjoy themselves!

After all that excitement ;o), we headed to my parents house yet again for yet another yummy meal. After filling our bellies with honey-glazed ham, creamy potatoes, homemade rolls, green bean casserole, layered salad, fruit, and deviled eggs (my mouth is watering!), we sent the kids out for an egg hunt.

The great surprise of the hunt was personalized eggs for each of the kids sent from our favorite Missourians! Each egg contained a note from both Ben and Maggie stating a reason why they loved each cousin. It was priceless! After the Easter egg hunt, there was visiting, skyping, some more eating (it's what we do best!), and clean-up. We were exhausted by the time we got home and got the kids to bed.

And now I have to share just one more photo to prove just how well these two are getting along lately. I knew they would both eventually come to the realization that the other wasn't so bad!

Food Storage

One of mine and Brian's goals for this year is to seriously increase our food storage. Brian, in particular, has become increasingly aware of our responsibility as parents to ensure that our children will be taken care of in the event of an emergency. Recent natural disasters have only increased that desire to become better prepared. And apparently our concerns have rubbed off onto our children, mainly Luke.

Look a little closer...

Hey, a kid's gotta do what a kid's gotta do!

Things I Missed In March

Conjunctivitis made its way through each of our three children during the first part of March. Luke was hit the hardest and the least affected was Trent. It was so sad to see Luke in the morning with his eyes completely crusted over, looking around and completely confused as to why he couldn't see anything. This was on a good morning:

I think I gave Luke a bath every morning in the kitchen sink for a week. It was a lot easier to clean his eyes once all the gunk had softened up.

The big event in March was Ashlyn's birthday, but I think I already covered that one pretty good. But I still can't believe she's five!

We took Luke to his very first Jazz game, courtesy of MedOne. It was actually a really good game, one of the rare few this season. They played the 76ers, it went into overtime and they won! But, that really wasn't the best part. The best part of the game came when Luke was featured on the jumbo tron! What a stud.

And since I hate to leave anyone out, here is Trent enjoying some licorice on a Sunday afternoon. He still has those wonderfully delicious kissable lips.

Cute little story about Trent: Recently I got frustrated at our dog Cooper, and called him a "fruit loop". Trent responded very matter-of-factly with, "Actually, he's a beagle." I love this kid.

Things I Missed In February

I'm not sure why, but I am never a good picture taker in February. There was actually a lot that happened in February, but my camera was apparently in hibernation. My biggest regret was not getting any pictures of our annual Lifferth German dinner.

My family was in charge this year and we had a lot of fun in planning and carrying out the event. The dinner was months in the making and I didn't get a single photo! I had my camera there that night, but the battery was dead, so no pictures. Big bummer. There were so many things that I wanted to document: the prize table, the table settings, the aprons, the family history tables, the food, the decor, my dad singing his song, etc.

We learned a lot about what it takes to feed a hundred people. I spent the entire next day thinking about all the things that didn't go quite right and what I wished I could do over, but hopefully nobody else noticed those things. In the end, all that mattered was that people came, ate good food, and strengthened family bonds.

So, what else happened in February? There was Valentines Day, but again, no pictures. I'm pretty sure I did some cute things for my kids that day - heart shaped sandwiches or something. And they did get gifts, which they both broke within a few minutes.

Ashlyn began the cookie delivery process. It took us over a month to get rid of them all.

And Luke reached the eight-month mark, which isn't really significant, but picture-worthy nonetheless...

I'm sure there was more that happened in February, but that will have to do.

Things I Missed In January

I know, I know, it's mid-April and there are signs of spring everywhere. Sunny days, blue skies, buds on trees, and tulips making there way through the cold earth. It is all very, very exciting. However, I can't get over this nagging feeling that I have missed so many blogging opportunities lately, and so I am attempting to catch-up. And so, without further adieu, I give you January:

The year started out with a bang at our annual New Years Eve party, hosted by the Eyres. I love this party. The hustle and bustle is over. I am relaxed. Plus, there is always a lot of good food - a lot! And this year it was our final complete family gathering before Aaron headed back to Misery, I mean Missouri. Gosh, I just can't seem to get that one right! Anyway, Monica brought a dance game for the Wii, which provided some fabulous entertainment, and a good workout to boot.

There was the traditional puzzle table. Don't tell my family, but I actually hate this tradition. Not that I don't enjoy putting together a good puzzle every now and then, but only a few people can actually participate, leaving the rest of us as spectators. Plus, those putting the puzzle together become very boring.

Grandmom came prepared with some entertainment for the kids - board games and a snowball fight with wadded up balls of paper. The kids thought it was great, plus there were prizes involved. Way to go Grandmom! She's a good one to have around.

Oh, by the way, did you know that my Dad had kidney cancer over the holidays? Well, he probably had it way before the holidays, but he found out about, had his kidney out, and became a cancer survivor over the holidays. We are all very grateful that some mysterious stomach pains sent him to the ER. We are especially grateful that a minor surgery and an overnight stay in the hospital took care of everything. But, we are still praying and crossing our fingers that there will be no re-occurrence.

And just like that, the clock struck midnight, Luke got his first ever New Year's kiss, and the party was over.

So, that is how January began, and here are a few things that followed:

We met up with most of my family to go sledding on New Year's Day.

I think Brian had more fun than any of the kids. Can you see Trent in the above picture? He's there, believe it or not. Poor kid couldn't see a thing and soon decided that it was a lot funner to slide down the hill on his bum.

Ashlyn had fun for about the first 10 minutes and then got plowed by another sledder. She hit her head pretty hard and spent the rest of the time sipping hot chocolate and asking to go home. She refused to do any more sledding and I worried that she would be out for the season. Luckily, we went again about a week later and she had a blast.

It was bitter cold. The hot chocolate helped...a little. But, our outing lasted less than an hour and then we all went back to the warmth of our houses.

I was lucky enough to have Ben and Maggie spend a night at our home before they left the state. They spent the following day with us while Monica was at guard. It was so much fun spending time with them. They are equally adorable.

Speaking of adorable...

I know I've showed this picture before, but gosh he's cute.

On a day when all the snow had melted and the sun was actually shining, Ashlyn and Trent were able to try out their new bikes that Santa brought.

Poor Trent could barely reach the foot pedals. Luckily, he has grown a little since then and has had plenty of opportunities to ride his bike lately. He can now reach those pedals just fine.

And one more photo of this kid, because he really is just too cute.

And that pretty much takes care of January. Up next, February.