Lisa and John

One of my “assignments” in my new ward is the “Wooden Spoon Specialist”. What is the wooden spoon? It is a class that used to be held locally, I think on Welfare Square. Well, they discontinued the classes and our stake wants each ward to do their own wooden spoon classes. The classes are designed to help people learn how to use their food storage. Also, it is to encourage people to gather and store food in case of hard times, etc.

As you know, this is RIGHT up my alley. I love this assignment. I love cooking with wheat and it is somewhat of a passion of mine. Teaching others about this has always come naturally to me. In my last ward I taught a monthly “Healthy Cooking with your Food Storage” class. Now I teach a monthly “Nourishing Wooden Spoon” class. I have a weak outline that I am encouraged to use and then to just do what I feel is best for my ward.

So, this month we focused on the basics. I made up a Jeopardy game all around Home Storage. Most of the question/answers were taken from the new home storage guidelines on www.providentliving.org website. We also sampled some crackers and such that I made with my home storage. This was on Tuesday. Then, on Wednesday, we had a ward Preparedness Fair. So, I brought my “Home Storage Jeopardy” game to the fair and helped out at the Cannery booth. Here is a picture of me and Avalon manning the booth. It was great!

Another fun-filled week included our Calvin racing in his first official Pinewood Derby! He won “most imaginative” for his steam engine, which received many compliments.

He did fairly well in the racing, receiving either 2nd or 3rd place each time! As soon as we arrived home he let me know that he already had another design in mind, and he has already started!

I have never seen nor heard of a train design for a pinewood derby, so I am really pleased with his idea!

–John

Here’s an actual race:

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I (Lisa) am getting a video lesson from John. Here is another one.

Beautiful Avalon (with the hiccups)

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Me, Ivan, here….  I don’t think Avalon cared about it, and I didn’t hear it.  Avalon was really sad after she took a bath.  Before mom cleaned it off I told her to take a picture.  Then I took a picture.  Avalon was really funny when she had the big blowout.

People have been telling me much about how it is to have a “girl”. (Ever since my ultrasound revealed Avalon’s gender.) I think it was Melissa who said something like, “It seemed as if my life was complete when I had a girl.” I didn’t think it made much of a difference. A child is a child. I love my children. I love my boys. But, I think everyone was right! There is something about having a girl! And, I think it stems from my childhood. I loved to “play house” when I was a little girl. I always wanted to be a “Mommy”. I had lots of dolls and I spent lots of time changing their clothes and diapers and just being a mommy to them.

Now my childhood imaginations have come true! I am dressing up my own real daughter. I love to dress her up for church or special outings. This red dress is especially cute, though a tad bit too big. It is a lot of fun having a girl.

Kind of a goofy picture.

Can you see my double chin?

Ivan loves me!

I love my Papa and he loves me!

Avalon and I took a self portrait this afternoon.  Last night was good.  She went to bed at 12:30 or so.  I’m hoping for midnight tonight!

Well, I need to vent a little:

My Little Night Owl

For those of you who don’t know, I am a morning person. I am an early to bed, early to rise type of gal and have always been that way. Unfortunately, Avalon is a night owl. This is causing a bit of stress in my life. Since she has been born, she has consistently had a late bed time. For a while it was 11pm. Not, fun, but doable. Then, last week she started to stay up until Midnight. I’m thinking I am really not liking this. Then, for several nights it was 12:30am. Last night it was 1am before Little Bright Eyes finally crashed. We are NOT moving in the right direction!!!

It might be okay if I could sleep in, but I have been trained since a young girl to wake up when there is light. My dad used to wake us up for school by turning on the hall light. I have always gotten up with the sun. Here in Utah the sun rises at about 6am. Now, take away the hour I was up nursing her around 5am and I have gotten very little sleep. I did attempt to sleep in until 8, and John helped a little, but it wasn’t what I call restful.

I feel like a walking zombie. I haven’t had a nap today and my eyes are heavy. I am praying for Avalon to crash a little earlier tonight. Pray for me….

Objects in Mirror are SMALLER than they Appear

John and I have started house hunting.  We have never seriously considered buying a house before, but we feel that now is the right time to buy.  There isn’t a whole lot available in our price range, but there are a few here and there.  Several are town homes.  We found one that looked great.  The square footage was bigger than where we are living now and the pictures made the home look very spacious.

WRONG!!  We went and looked at it this afternoon and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so claustrophobic in my life.  This place was tiny!  It was very disappointing.  Our little basement apartment seems MUCH bigger.  How do some people calculate square footage?  Hmmmm…..  Perhaps square footage is not really the issue.  Perhaps it is the layout and the light and the perceived space.  I guess that is something that you cannot tell from pictures.

Now we know!

On a Brighter Note

The butterflies are mating!  Ha!

Our Aunt Elizabeth is a 2nd grade teacher at a local elementary school. This week is her spring break and we get to butterfly babysit! It is very cool. There were three chrysalises, but we missed their “hatching”. The last butterfly emerged sometime this morning before we woke up. We were sad to miss that, but it is still cool to see these butterflies flying around their cage. We feed the butterflies fresh orange slices and we put cotton balls soaked in sugar water in their cage.

We also got these cool butterfly catchers at the grocery store. The boys have been chasing and catching butterflies all week. A few that the boys caught were put into the cage with these other butterflies.

On Saturday Calvin came bounding inside. “Come quick, there are lots of deer outside!” Calvin was helping Grandpa prune the grape vines. He grabbed the camera and we all went outside. We counted ten deer! It was a beautiful sight. They looked straight at us. After a few moments, they scattered. Most of them gracefully leaped over a fence into the neighboring subdivision. Wow!

This deer here had just watched six of his “friends” jump the fence.  He looked at it for a while and then ran off another way.  Do you see the broken rail at the top of the fence?  I can’t help but think that is how it got broken.  Many of the deer knocked the fence with their hind legs as they went over.