BON APPETITE

Sweet Tarts, Asparagus, Kotten Kandy and Taffy

I LOVE these crazy kids!  They had too much fun making and eating pizza tonight... and topped the evening off with pool and other games.

EXTRA cheese! - These kids know what makes a pizza delish!

Making pizza is messy work....

Especially when there is a flour fight?!

YUM!  Time to eat!

This date is definitely full of hot air!

Unusual attire... but these girls don't seem to mind too much?!

I'm sooooooooo blessed!

These kids are GREAT kids!

And while I'm blogging.... I just finished re-reading Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin.  I absolutely LOVE this book.  I read it last year, and decided to re-read it because it is so packed full of GOOD and  USEFUL information!  It truly motivates me and inspires me to be better.  This book is all about practical steps to improve your life, but it really focused on the fact that our personalities are a major determining factor in how we operate on a daily basis.  As a result, the strategies offered are not one-size-fits-all, so it helps to pick and choose what works for each of us individually....

Gretchen Rubin manages to combine professional and research-based content with a warm, inviting and conversational style.  I feel like I could be friends with her.  I feel both informed and empowered to apply what I've learned.  I definitely recommend this book... again!  

IT'S A HOMESCHOOL LIFE!

Today we went to the temple with the homeschool group.  Afterwards we went to the American Printing House for the Blind located in downtown Louisville.  It was really neat.  I loved learning about service dogs, talking books, braille, Helen Keller, the Blind Boys of Alabama and Stevie Wonder.  (Of course, my favorite people to learn about were the musicians....)  It was a fun day!

The Group

Crazy Teens

This pretty girl is mine!

And I claim Nuts as my own too!

He's learning what it's like to really have vision problems....

I was grateful for this pic of me with my daughter....

Sometimes I forget to be in the pictures.

And standing next to her takes the focus of "old mother!"

I love this quote!

I also wanted to share a few more random pictures from the past couple of weeks:

Raisin found a cute cubby at my house.

Fig Newton took a few cute pics of Jelly Bean....

Isn't he adorable!?

We joke that he's a hurricane!

But he's WAY TOO cute to be destructive!

Fig Newton playing the song "Once I Was A Jelly Fish" by Kotten Kandy

Apple Muffin can also fit into small spaces!

She's one loving little girl!

Kotten Kandy and Maple being delightful!

I sure love these two!

They are a lot alike - they both make fun faces, they are both sweet, they are both funny, they are both GOOD girls, and they are both a lot like sisters!  Can I keep Maple?!  She has been an answer to prayers for my daughter - she needed a good girl friend to laugh and spend time with!!!!!

JANUARY 21st BIRTHDAYS

Yesterday was my Thai daughter's 16th birthday!  And she shares the same birthday with another one of my favorite people:  Rice Krispie.  So naturally we celebrated!  We had a party - complete with cake, presents and really good friends!

This crazy bunch of teenagers rock!

I love having kids at my house!

Rice Krispie and Fig Newton share a birthday!

Rice Krispie is 13 and Fig Newton is 16!

Scott made the cake!

He is sooooooooooooo amazing!

Fig Newton wanted a squid cake and Rice Krispie loves music.  Hence, a musical squid cake!

He spent all day in the kitchen....

I think it turned out great!

Singing "Happy Birthday!"

Playing a hitting game...  I didn't understand it, but it was funny to watch.

Taffy made a whip - so everyone tried it out... even Scott!

"Do the whip!  Do the nae nae!"

Taffy and Scott tried communicating on "old fangled technology." 

Fig Newton was really excited by her gift from Kotten Kandy.

Koala is to Fig what Sloth is to Kotten Kandy....

Opening presents if fun!

Happy Birthday, to my beautiful Thai daughter!

She brings us such joy and laughter!

We LOVE her and are glad she came to us in Kentucky!

GERMAN UPDATE

We really love hearing from Lollipop!  She is doing well in Germany!  Check it out:

Lollipop with her family

Hello everyone,
It's been a long time since I've been contacting you and I apologize. But the last few weeks have been crazy. I don't know where to start off. 
First of all, I love my Jets Shirt. Whenever I wear it people come up to me and talk to me about the NFL ;). 
Christmas has been great with my family (I attached some pictures). Then I went to Spain. It was the best time ever. Her family is so sweet and her dog is just adorable. We have been doing a lot together. That's why I've been a little sick over New Years. Anyway it was just fine because I celebrated with my best friend who lives in a different German city. 

Lollipop with Inez

Next week I'm having a scholarship interview in Hamburg. If I get the sponsor I can start going the the major private university in Germany and start studying international management for free besides school. That's going to be hard but I'm up for a challenge.
We really do love and miss this girl!

OOPS. I FORGOT.

Sunday the YW leaders put on a wonderful New Beginnings event.  It was really beautiful, fun, well done and interactive!  The focus was on personal progress and it was inspiring!  I LOVE the personal progress program!  (As do my daughters!)  Soooo... they had a couple of photo ops:

Kotten Kandy is so silly!

The laurels in our ward are such great friends!

I love these girls!

Apple Jacks, Chex, Fig Newton and Kotten Kandy

Bonus Picture:

My and my girl just chillin'!

Raisin is adorable!!!!!

SLUMBER?! CIRCLES. MOVIE! DANCE! ICE. OH, MY!

So....  Slumber parties are fun... but EXHAUSTING!  I think I'm officially too old to participate any more -- Last night, Kotten Kandy and I had an impromptu slumber party.  It was super fun and we stayed up until 2 laughing and talking like teenagers... but I'm NOT a teenager.  And I'm paying for it today.  It was worth it.  She and I talked about books, friends, the gospel, and dreams for the future.  I'm SOOOOOOOOO grateful I have such a great kid!  And I'm grateful for the relationship I have with all my kids!  I can be a bit overbearing and crazy and involved... but my kids like me anyway!  I'm blessed!  Thanks, Kotten Kandy, for spending time with your OLD mom!

Isn't she beautiful?!  Both inside and out!

In other words, Key Lime Pie and Shortbread slid on some ice last week.  Grand Junction saw some unprecedented freezing temperatures and the freeways were covered in black ice.  They slid off the road and had to be rescued by Grandpa Mac.  (Thanks, dad!)  They were 2 hours late to work...

The truck is off the road.

Patiently waiting for Grandpa,,, and taking the picture mom asked for!

And Kotten Kandy and Fig Newton got to go to a dance on Saturday.  They had so much fun!  I really like their friends and wholesome activities!  

Sweet Tarts (in the middle) did the makeup and hair for all of these BEAUTIFUL girls for the dance!

Dancing with friends!

Hanging out with friends!

Kiara sent me this cute picture of her and Shaved Ice.  Apparently they dressed alike and looked like twins, but this picture doesn't quite capture the matching shirts.  I love these silly, sweet girls!

Fig Newton went ice skating with some other foreign exchange students the other day.  She had a lot of fun but is EXTREMELY sore.  

Sooooo... we went to see the movie Hidden Figures.  It is AWESOME!  (Thanks, Teresa, for the recommendation!)  I loved it so much I begged my mom and sister to take Kiara and GJ's girls to go see it too.  It's extremely inspirational and there are many great lessons to learn from the true story.  I can't stop thinking about it and how it has inspired me (and hopefully my daughters) to grow, and be the best version of ourselves!

So, with that glowing review, here is a book that I do NOT recommend.  The Circle by Dave Eggers was AWFUL.  I wish I hadn't read it.  When I picked up the book, I knew I was taking a chance.  A lot of modern authors are really full of smut and foul language.  This one was no exception.  So, if you want to read about the government/technology taking over the world 1984 by George Orwell is cleaner and better written.  Although it has some terrible parts in it too,  It's cleaner than The Circle though.