Storage-pros and cons

So, I spent most of the morning underneath the house in the crawl space.  I have been trying to get it organized so we can find what we need and of course, put more stuff down there.  While down there I started opening bins and making piles, stuff to keep, stuff to get rid of, stuff that goes somewhere else.  After hauling up several bags of stuff to get rid of, I wanted to just clear every thing out.  I mean, there is stuff that has been sitting in the same spot since we moved in almost five years ago.  And why have things around that we clearly don't use, and I didn't even realize we owned anymore.  What would we keep if we had no crawl space?

On the other hand, I love my crawl space for storing all the stuff we do use.  I try really hard to keep Bella's clothes sorted and ready to pull out when Sophie grows into each size.  I am really happy when I pull out a ready made wardrobe for the kid.  I do try and get rid of all stained or well worn stuff before I store, so pretty much everything is in really great condition.  I discovered today that when Bella wore a size 9 1/2 in shoes I bought her like fifteen pairs-either she was in that size for a long time, or I was indulging in my love of shoes more often than any other size she's been in.  Hopefully Sophie will be in the right season when she hits that size.  Either that or she will wear Mary Janes and boots all summer.  Along with a pair of barely used tap shoes. 

And I do love being able to have a nice food storage area, camping gear area, and general I don't know where else to put this area.  I just want to be better about not keeping around stuff that we never use.  Today, all the bins are labeled and contents checked.  I thought I might get around to installing the door, but that will have to wait for another day.  I think the main thing I need is the organization of it all, and we are edging closer to that. 

Random Coolness

 I took this picture in September of 2003.  It is at the Utah State Fair, Jack is on one of the ponies.  The other night Nate noticed the lady in the background.  It happens to be Hollywood.  I met her in 2006 after we were called into the Primary together.  Now she is my first counselor in the Relief Society.  She lives down the street.  How cool huh!

Evolution of the Beard

Nate takes a break from shaving every winter. It started while we were at BYU. He wouldn't shave over Christmas Break. The poor guy has such thick hair, he always has the five o'clock shadow. Well, we graduated almost ten years ago, and he has upheld the no shave for winter tradition. The difference being the hiatus from the razor is long each year. This year he began after Halloween. So when he finally did shave on new years, he shaved in small portions, just to see what he would look like. He wouldn't smile, just look slightly intimidating at the camera. Now he is clean shaven. I would guess the beard will come in again around the end of October next year.

2009 A Recap

January-Pretty uneventful!  We had a lot of snow, and Nate started working in the office all day again.  We all went to a Gymnastics meet at BYU-which further solidified Bella's love of gymnastics.  And  we got passes to the Legacy Center-which was supposed to encourage us all to exercise more. 

February-I donated my hair.  We started in on preparing for summer activities such as girls camp and football.  I got to go to some friends temple sealing, it was a really beautiful day.  And my mom visited at the end of the month.

March-March is always filled with a bunch of family birthdays.  Two of Nate's sisters, his mom, my brother, and a few friends.  So there is lot of celebrating, which is fun.  We bought a new couch!  Our old couch had been really awful for a few years, so I was glad to finally be rid of it.  I still love our new one, so that is a good sign.  Jack played indoor soccer.  Sophie started going to nursery-which she loves, except when other kids are crying, then she seems to think they are on to something and joins in.

April-April began fabulously with a book club adventure into the mountains.  Jack and Nate began the baseball season.  We had a spring break which included visits to the pool, the zoo, the Childrens Discovery Museum, and lunch with Nate.  Nate and I spoke in sacrament meeting on the 19th.  I made Jack a quilt for his birthday.  He also got a bike.  Nate had a football over nighter.  And for some reason, my brother-in-law had a duel?

May-In May my friend Shelly and I began work on a quilt-it is still not finished.  Marsha came to stay with us for a few months.  Holly and I went to a childrens book festival in which we should have brought our children.  Isabella had her sixth birthday, it was on the last day of school.

June-Jack and Nate still have baseball weekly, and football practices and tournaments began.  I went to girls camp in the second week in June.  It was really a lot of fun.  The food was to die for and I inhaled a constant stream of hot cocoa.  Isabella played t-ball and loved it, she took it very seriously.  We saw Suessical the Musical in Midvale in the park.  We had family pictures taken.

July-We also have a lot of birthdays in July.  My mom at the beginning, my sister-in-law, my brother-in-law, my soon to be sister-in-law.  An aunt, a cousin, a few friends, and me.  We had a fourth of July BBQ and set off fireworks.  The kids had a primary activity about the pioneers.  Jack had scout day camp.  We all had dentists appointments-the first for Nate in like 8 years.  Nate and I went to see The Fray at USANA Amphitheater.  Jack had good news at his eye appointment, his eye is getting better each year.  We had a neighborhood BBQ on the 24th with fireworks.  We went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house as a family.  We set up the tent in the backyard for some near home camping.  Nate's company moved to California and we did not.

August-I went to Youth Conference at Reid Ranch. It was a ton of fun, horseback riding and archery, all sorts of fun activities.  My niece had her first birthday party at our house.  Nate and I had our 12th anniversary on the 5th.  Isabella started outdoor soccer.  The football season began on the 21st.  School also began-I am anti school beginning in August.  I picked out the serger that Nate got me for my birthday!  I love the serger.

September-For book club we went and saw "The Scarlet Pimpernel" at Hale Theatre in Salt Lake.  It was so funny, I am hoping to go again and take Nate.  The Malibu broke down and was in the shop for two weeks, so Nate and I had great times juggling the van between us.  It also cost a week in Europe to fix, not thrilling.  Jack started his second season of flag football.  My mom visited for Sophie's second birthday.  Bella participated in the primary program.  Jack and Nate went to Arizona to see the Colts v. Cardinals game.  I was released from Young Womens.  Then called to be the Relief Society President.  It was a busy month.

October-Roger and Cassie came over and fed us all before General Conference.  The kids went to the Bean Museum with friends.  We had some more family pictures taken, Nate finished up the high school football season.  I made the kids Halloween costumes.  Jack was a Jawa.  Bella was a peacock. Sophie was Tinkerbell.  Alice and Violet came trick-or-treating with us.  We also had a ward Halloween party with games and pumpkin ice cream.

November-We had a getting to know you meeting for relief society which was a lot of fun.  Jack, Isabella, and I went to a fireside featuring Mike Schlappi- it was an awesome fireside, the kids loved it.  The kids ran in the turkey trot at school.  We had Thanksgiving dinner here at our house.  Everyone really chipped in this year, which made it a bit more relaxing for me.  I finished Christmas shopping by doing almost all of it online.

December-Richard Miskin turned 80 years old.  We went to Temple Square with the Glovers to see the lights.  Bella and I went to see "The Princess and the Frog" together.  Jack started basketball season with a clinic put on by the Flash.  I helped out at Bella's class Christmas party, so fun!  And we had a ward Christmas party with a big turkey dinner.  Our neighborhood did a Christmas Pixie thing in which we delivered gifts to an assigned family for six nights and an unknown family delivered things to us for six nights-the kids loved the doorbell ditching aspect.  Olivia, our new niece entered the world!  We then went to Oregon for Christmas.  There we decorated trees and cookies.  Ran into old friends.  Stayed up way too late, played Shang-hai, and had a lot of fun.  Nate's family came over for his birthday-also shared with my grandma.  Then last night Roger and Cassie showed up to play Pounce and ring in the new year.

I counted all my books read in 2009-91, I had no idea I spent that much time reading.  Leave book suggestions for 2010 for me please!  I made 16 quilts in 2009, I think only a few still live here-so that is good.  I also made various outfits and accessories.  I have a list of things I want to get started on for this year, and 4 UFO's that need to be finished in the next six months!!!

That was just a glimpse of our year.  I realize I left out most of the scouts and gymnastics and day to day stuff.  I had a great time working with the Youth, I will really miss that.  I am looking forward to all the Relief Society fun I will have this year.  Jack will turn ten this year and I can hardly believe that!  We have a wedding in the family, which is always exciting.  And we will finally see our long lost Texas relatives.  Leave in the comments one goal you have this new year-if you do that sort of thing!

Watch Out!

So, my watch has been trying to escape from me all year.  I wear it everyday.  I have worn it everyday since my 20th birthday really (gift from my mom).  In the past year, the watch has fallen off frequently.  At Youth Conference this summer, it came off while I was horse back riding, and I thought-well, that is the end, a horse will step on it and I will be so sad.  But, one of the Young Women saw it fall, and though neither one of us could do anything at that moment, she helped me retrace steps and find it after the ride was over.(thanks Paisley!)  It was fine, laying there on the ground.  Other times I find it on the floor after I have been playing with the kids.  Or at the bottom of my purse, must have come off while I was rummaging.  I have had this watch for more than twelve years, I like it, I don't want to lose it.

Nate has had more watches than I can remember.  When we first married I bought him a really nice watch, in a few months-gone.  He told me he was always having to get new ones on his mission because they were constantly dying.  I thought-yeah, cheap watches, so over the years I have bought him, and he has recieved as gifts, many watches.  They all stop or disappear.  The batteries die within a few weeks, the movements go bad, all sorts of weird things.  He even seems to have an ill-effect on stopwatches.  Needless to say, I do not buy him expensive watches any more.

When we were first married, I always interrupted Nate, not out of intentional rudeness.  You see, he used to pause in the midst of his sentences because he wants to be clear and understood.  I am always ready to get my word in, so as soon as he would pause, I would start talking.  Now, I pause and he interrupts me.  And my watch had tried to run away all year long.  I am sure there are a list of traits we have adopted from one another.  Moral of the story-I am blessed to have married someone whose qualities I love and wouldn't mind having myself.  But I still love my watch and want to keep it. 

Tis the Season...

...to be busy.  I decided to download pictures from the camera today to find I have taken only 7 since mid-November.  Sad.  And, my best picture from Thanksgiving, is this one:

So sorry Roger and Jack, you both look great in this shot.








Despite their apparent giddyness, Thanksgiving was really good.  Everyone brought something and we hung out and played games and talked all day long.  It was more relaxing for me than it has been in the past, and that was nice.

We went briefly shopping the day after Thanksgiving, but not first thing in the morning, and the crowds were not big.  Nate and I were sorely tempted to buy a giant TV at Wal-Mart.  They had TV's sitting up at the front of the store with really low prices.  It has been a long time since we looked, so we have no idea if they were good prices, and really we aren't impulse buyers, so maybe next year.  Then over the next few days I buckled down and finished all the Christmas shopping.  Finished.  What I couldn't find in stores, I ordered online.  Everything has arrived, yay!

However, I have a few birthdays in December I have yet to really take care of.  So technically only the Christmas shopping is done.

We have had some snow here this past week.  We have all had our turns shoveling and I can tell you, I am a bit sore.  Sunday morning I took a turn and the snow was really really wet, and I regretted even starting about halfway through.  It was wet and heavy, and it got warm enough to melt the snow into great lakes all down our street and at the the end of our driveway.  Then it gets cold, and we have big icy ponds.  The kids did play outside Saturday.  I was at the church putting together the gifts from the Relief Society, and when I came home they were making forts in the back yard.  Nate gave them my bread pans to make bricks for the forts, I was alarmed at first, but Bella brought them back in reasonably good condition.

Now we are just in the swing of holiday activities.  The kids are getting really excited for Christmas.  Sophie is a little confused about it all still, she seems to like Santa, but keeps telling people "Trick or Treat!"  I am sure in a few weeks it will all be clear to her.

V

It is so weird to be old enough to see the reincarnation of past trends. I suppose a lot of pop culture is on a giant cycle and so if you live long enough, you may see the same things pass by you several times.

When I was little, I spent a lot of evenings at my grandparents house. My grandpa watched a lot of sports and a lot of political stuff. I remember this because he always yelled at the TV, good times. And my grandma watched Falcon Crest, Dallas, and Cheers. For some reason, I remember watching V at their house quite vividly. Why, I have no idea, I was only 7 at the time. This pretty much guarantees I will have to check out the new show based on the old one. I think the remakes of a lot of shows like this are mainly attributed to massive leaps in technology. Also, the new V has Juliet from LOST. What does that mean for her character there? I mean, I remember how last season ended, but it's LOST, she's bound to show up in some fashion.

After writing this post, I think the main point was to practice my reference tags.