ALLLLVIINNNN!!

Ella and her friend Irene after watching the new Chipmunk movie.

Let it snow?!

Since this was our last Christmas in St Louis before our move to Florida, the kids were really looking forward to a White Christmas.  We got sunshine and 48 degrees instead.

This morning we woke up to a light dusting of snow on the ground.  Ella was determined that this snow was not going to go to waste!

Cookies for Santa

Every year on Christmas Eve we decorate cookies and leave some for Santa.  We usually make gingerbread cookies, but the kids don't like the way they taste, so this year we just made sugar cookies.  We always have fun and I love how the finished products reflect everyone's personalities.

 

Chris made a grinch cookie but I think it got eaten before I managed to get a picture!

From the very first moment this chair entered our house, our kitty Sarafina was in love with it!  As soon as the furniture delivery people left, she hopped on the chair and started rolling on it.  It was hilarious!!  If someone is sitting in the chair, she will actually stare you down.  "Who do you think you are sitting in my chair?!"

Ella left her Little Pet Shop Friends on the chair this morning, but that wasn't going to stop Sarafina from taking a nap in her favorite spot.  She nudged them over and squeezed herself into the corner.  Funny thing is, this chair is what drew me to the furniture in the first place.  So glad you like it Sarafina!

It's the Small Things

We all know that since the economy took a turn south, it's made things harder for a lot of people.  So many of my friends have had to go back to work.  Many worry about financial stability.  People who should be retiring can't.  Some are downsizing out of necessity not choice.  People's outlook on life just doesn't seem as sunny anymore.

Or maybe it's just me.  Maybe I'm projecting.  Maybe I'm jaded, but I've noticed this distinct "out for my self attitude" in people that really frustrates me.  I grew up in a family that was like the three musketeers.  (Or 150 musketeers)  If someone needed something, everyone helped.  No man, woman or child was left behind!  And here's when it becomes a problem for me.  When I see people that could care less, (especially people that have a reason to be invested) I get so upset about it, that I actually start to become angry.  Then because I'm a worrier, and a Type A,  I literally start losing sleep.  Then, what is supposed to be joyful, serving someone, providing help, ends up becoming a miserable experience.

If you are still reading, here is the GOOD NEWS.  In the last few weeks, I have witnessed so many little acts of kindness that remind me, that even though there are a lot of people that are out there for number one, there are just as many that want to do good for others.  And sometimes is something really little that can make a big difference!

I just got back from running some errands.  I work with the Activity Girls at my Church.  We are collecting items for two kids organizations.  Ronald McDonald House and St Vincents Home for Children.  St Vincents needs School Supplies.  Someone at church donated $20 in cash.  Officemax had a few items on special this week that were a penny, 25cents etc. and I wanted to buy some of this stuff for St Vincents.  You know how this stuff works, Limit 3 per household etc, so my plan was, I would buy a set, Riley would buy a set.  The ad started on Sunday, it's now Monday afternoon and when we got to the store, literally the only thing they have left is filler paper.  So I give Riley and Ciara each a $1 and hand them each 3 packs of filler paper and I tell them to go pay for it.  Bless their hearts though.  They don't understand this concept and are of course yelling over to me and asking me if they can have this, that and the other.  The cashier explains to me that it's limit of 3 per household.  I promise her that it's not for us, we are donating it to a children's home and I am simply trying to get them the best bang for their buck by driving around to different Office Supply Stores buying their specials.  The manager of the store was standing right there.  She put her hands over her ears.  The cashier rang all nine packs of paper up in one transaction and charged me 9 cents.

This may not seem like a big deal, but I've been at stores before, where they have enforced their policies tooth and nail.  I understand why they have them.  I didn't buy anything else.  They didn't make any money off of me.  But they will in the future because I will remember their  goodwill.  I will remember that they chose to put needy children before corporate policy.

It also put me in a good mood and reminded me that there are plenty of people that are still willing to do what they can.  Even if it's something small.  So if you only have a dollar to donate, that's fine.  If you can can sacrifice an hour of your time once in a while to help someone, all these little things can add up to something a lot bigger!

I'm going to list a few other things below.  Add your comments.  Share how something even small or that might seem inconsequential helped you or someone else out.

:) Clair  

• 9 Amazing Youth from our church gave up their saturday morning to cook breakfast for the patrons of the Ronald McDonald House.  They worked hard, they were respectful and made the adults with them proud to claim them.

• A wonderful woman that we met at the Ronald McDonald House, Mary, works three jobs.  Even so, she  volunteers one entire weekend (nights too) a month there.
• Ella's five year old friend Madison had a lemonade stand at her mom's yard sale.  She used all the money she made to buy school supplies for the kids that were victims of the Good Friday tornado.
• My friend Scotty rides in multiple legs of the LiveStrong Challenges and raises money to fight cancer.  His 10 year old son Jared joined him this year.  He wore a plaque on his jersey with 5 year old Abby Jensen's name on it.  She lost her battle with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, a rare brain cancer a few weeks later.
• My friend Brandon, started an annual bike ride called the Tutu Riders.  He has been a long time supporter and fundraiser for Special Olympics.  Last year he issued a challenge that if he could raise a specific amount of money, he would ride his Harley up the Pacific Coast Highway in a pink Tutu.  He did and the Tutu Riders were born!
• The kids in Primary at church are collecting their spare change to sponsor a family at the Ronald McDonald house.
• Brittany, a young woman at church is having a yard sale.  She is donating the proceeds to the Jensen Family.
• My mother, who did not know the Jensen family at all, and is on a fixed and tight budget made a small monetary donation to the Jensens.  She just knew that a family had suffered the loss of their child and wanted to help in the small way that she could.
• I made a few cookies for the volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House.  I hand drew their logo on them.  An event coordinator saw them and asked if I would be willing to make and donate 150 of them for a fundraiser they are having.  I agreed not quite sure how long it was going to take me to handpaint 150 cookies.  I contacted the company I usually buy the edible markers from to see if I could buy the three specific colors I needed instead of 10 packs.  They offered to print the logo onto edible sheets of icing for me for free!  And asked for nothing in return - not even their company name to be aknowledged.

If you can't beat 'em......Join 'em!

Chris had surgery on his right eye this week to remove Cataracts and to correct his vision.  After surgery they placed a protective plastic shield over his eye to prevent any accidental injury etc.  Smart move considering the five year old that lives in this house.  Five year old little girls love to jump all over their daddies!

We thought she might be a little freaked out - so I explained to her that the doctor did that to help Daddy's eye get better.  She loved it.  In fact, in the spirit of compassion and support, she wanted to wear an eye patch herself.

 She looks way more thrilled about the eye patch experience than Chris!

Lawn Mower Incident

Riley was mowing the lawn.  We were in a hurry to get it done cause it was soo hot.  Soo hot there was a heat advisory.

He start mowing while I cleared away twigs, gumballs, leaves etc.

I guess neither one of us noticed the newspaper, until we heard a big pop and saw a minor paper explosion.

Despite the heat, we all found this to be rather funny.  Not that we will be making a habit out of it.  Dad will not be happy if we ruin the lawn mower!

Ciara's Sewing Project

For her birthday, Grandma Mari and Aunt Cheryl took Ciara out to lunch and shopping.  They made a little stop at the fabric store.

 She picked out this fabric panel.

  She immediately jumped on the sewing machine to turn it into a skirt.

 Modeling her finished project.  

Her favorite kind of sewing project - no pattern cutting!

Somewhere over the Rainbow...

American Gothic in Lego

Riley's art teacher gave the class this cool assignment.  Reinterpret the painting  American Gothic in any way they would like.  I love what Riley came up with!

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Goodbye Beautiful Butterflies

Ella decided to release her butterflies today.

 She was very grown up about it.
She said it was such a beautiful day today.  

It was a perfect day for them to search for a new home. 

(Or, maybe this has something to do with the fact that when we were at the pet store buying cat food yesterday,
she was begging me for a hamster.)

Strangely enough they didn't leave right away like I though they would.
They seemed almost reluctant to go.
She fed them and showed them some dandelions
and told them to enjoy the sunshine.
She told them to come visit anytime.

The Very Grouchy Ladybug

Ella's teacher sends home these little bag buddies.  A tote bag with a stuffed animal of some kind and a book.  In the past we have had Sammy the snowman and Chomper the Dinosaur.  Our most recent visitor was Lucy the Ladybug.  She came with Eric Carle's Book:  The Very Grouchy Ladybug.  While they are with us, we are supposed to document what they did during their stay with us.  The kids can either draw something or we can take photos.

Ella just loves these bag buddies.  Sometimes she doesn't want to send them back!

 Riding home in the car

Shopping at Sam's Club

Sharing a Happy Meal

A ride in the wagon

With her friend The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

New interest in the butterflies!

This morning, I set the butterflies within their habitat, on the kitchen table so that I could replenish their food.  The phone rang so I left them there for a minute.  When I came back I found the butterflies had a new admirer..........

Our kitty Sarafina found them most interesting!

Butterfly Update

As of yesterday, all four caterpillars that made Chrysalides have transformed into beautiful butterflies.  Ella and I actually happened to catch one emerging.  I was soo transfixed, I forgot to grab my camera.

 Here they are feasting on some carnations dipped in sugar water and orange slices.  Grandma Clara thinks the food service is so good they won't want to leave!

Ella preparing their food.  Notice another critter in this picture?  

Eric Carles Very Grouchy Ladybug is helping.

The butterflies are a beautiful orange color.  Ella loves it when they spread their wings.

 

Meanwhile this guy is still hanging out in the cup.  I guess he hasn't heard that the food is much better over at the other place.  But maybe he likes having his pad all to himself.

This has been a really fun experience for Ella, and I have to admit I am enjoying it a lot too.  It's not only been fun to watch the transformation but educational too.  My four year old can now say the word "proboscis"  We read a book about butterflies before bed last night and she was fascinated that butterflies can use camouflage.  She has informed us that next she would like a ladybug lodge or an ant hill.

Then........... and Now!

 

Chris, Riley and myself in front of the Seattle Washington Temple.  

Riley is 3 months old.

 

Fast forward 12 years.  

Here we are in front of the St Louis, Missouri Temple.

Can my baby boy really be 12 years old already?  

He's almost as tall as I am.

Ha!  I guess all three of us look a little different!

Proud Little Mama

Little Ella loves Bugs.  In fact she loves all kinds of little critters.  Little Pet Shop friends.  Squinkies.  Little trinkets.  Just little things she can carry around.

Anyway, she loves bugs.  Don't ask me where she got this from.  Definitely not from me.  I detest bugs.  Maybe from my dad?  If he finds a bug in the house he will catch it and release it outside.  I will kill it so it can't find it's way back into my house.  Or, if I'm too afraid to get close to it, spray it with the can of starch.  (Hey, I was ironing in the basement and that's all I had and I didn't want it to get away.)

Back to Ella.  She loves bugs of all sorts so I bought her this little butterfly house.   We had to send in a card and they sent five caterpillars in a little plastic cup with some food.

Day One

 Day Three

Four of the five caterpillars ate a lot and grew quite quickly.  We were surprised every time we looked at them at how big they were getting.  One of them was the runt of the group and was really small.  We were half expecting one of the other ones to eat him.  (Are caterpillars cannibalistic?)

Finally four of them climbed up to the lid of the cup and made a chrysalis.  So we moved them to the butterfly house.  We left the little runt behind in the cup.  He is there right now as I write this, growing quite big.

This is the butterfly house hanging in the girls room.

Two of the Chrysalides

So four Chrysalides have been hanging out in this butterfly house for quite a while now.  I was starting to wonder if maybe they had died.  Everyday Ella would ask me "When are they going to turn into butterfly's?"  "Soon dear!"   At least that's what I kept hoping.  Today I was in the girls room, putting something away and I heard a tiny fluttering noise.  I glanced in the direction of the butterfly house and there were two butterfly's!!  I called for Ella who of course took her sweet time responding.  She finally came in and when she realized what had happened she was soo excited.  She called her grandma Clara and asked me to call her dad at work.  She even showed Grandy (our dear friend and neighbor)

Ella likes to point out that the butterflies are plain when their wings are closed but very pretty when they are open.  They are Painted Lady butterflies. 

She is now anxiously watching the other two chrysalides hoping to catch them opening up.  And of course the other guy is still in the cup all by himself.  But hey, at least he didn't get eaten right?

Ciara's version of the Titanic

Some people say that they think the titanic sank from the iceberg it hit, but lots of people have different theories on what they think happened. What I think happened was that when they hit the iceberg, somehow there was a sharp point and it made a little hole and caused water to soak into the boat. There were not many survivors in this crash. Over 1000 people died in the crash, but only 2000 people survived the crash. Lots of the people that were so sadly killed were adults and very few were children. Although the people that survived were very sad about their wife, husbands or child's death. Not everyone was married.

Snow Princess

 My sweet hubby got me a new camera for Christmas and I'm still learning how to use it.  The snow was a perfect backdrop for my little sweetie.  I just love these pictures!

Snow day fun!

We have had a lot of snow around here lately, which has meant days off from school and lots of outside play in the white stuff.  Thankfully Chris loves to sled with the kids, while I am quite happy behind the camera!

 

I was on the phone to England when everyone was getting ready to go out so I wasn't really helping anyone get dressed.  For some reason when the kids were sledding this thought popped into my head " I wonder if Ella has socks on"  Sometimes she will put her shoes on without socks, and I wasn't sure if Chris has just asked her to put socks on, or if he had helped her.  Sure enough when we took of her boot, there was a bare little foot!!  Thankfully I was wearing two pairs and gave her a pair of mine to wear.