Hymas' Little Moments

2012

2012-01-01T01:25:00.000-09:00

I will laugh more
And obsess less
I will read more
I will want less
I will run more
I will yell less
I will listen more
I will be organized
I will have a spotless house
I will not feel guilty if I don't
I will learn to play the guitar
I will try new recipes
I will jump on the trampoline with my kids
I will not take any of these moments for granted

Road Trip!

2011-06-28T23:29:00.000-08:00

Chateau Chenonceaux in the Loire Valley

From Normandy, we decided to drive across the country to our final destination - Nice. Here are a few of our detours...

Mont St. Michel

Our 16th anniversary fell on one of our driving days. And our song came on. In English. In the middle of France. It was our Anniversary Miracle.

Castle across from our hotel

Yep. We made it. And it was fabulous

Rocky beach of Nice

Beach across from our hotel in St. Maxime

Normandy

2011-06-28T00:12:00.000-08:00

The town of Arronmanches where we stayed- D-Day's Gold Beach

One of the most moving places in the world - the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach. Over 9000 men are buried here.

Walking along Omaha Beach

A crater (one of many) left from WWII bombing

A field where a key battle was fought which was re-enacted in the Band of Brothers series

These coastal towns along the D-day beaches were amazingly picturesque.

My husband who has watched all the WWII movies out there, and read all the books, was in absolute heaven to be actually viewing the areas where D-day happened. We hiked along the beaches, peered over the cliffs at Pointe Du Hoc, toured the cathedral of St. Mere Eglise, and climbed into the German bunkers dotting this beautiful countryside. So weird that this peaceful countryside was war torn 65 years ago. And so wonderful that we got to be the good guys who saved the day. Our two days in this area was a somber reality of war and a moving experience of heroism and patriotism.

I can't believe I'm here!

2011-06-27T01:15:00.000-08:00

I don't remember what sparked it, but I had a poster of the Eiffel Tower in my room all growing up. I took high school French. I saved a dollar from my allowance and put it in my "Paris fund." At a young age I decided that I was going to go to Paris. I won't ever admit to this, but is it a coincident that I married a guy that speaks French? So this trip was an absolute Dream Come True! Here I am, eating lunch at the park beneath the Eiffel Tower. And going to the very top at night. Every time I would see it from a different part of the city, it would give me chills. I am in Paris! Paris, people, I AM IN PARIS!!!

Hello. I love you.

2011-06-25T19:44:00.003-08:00

Hello Seine River. I love your bridges and the way you run through this city that is the most amazing city ever. EVER.

Hello stained glass of St. Chapelle. I was blown away.

Hello Moulin Rouge which I know because of one of my favorite movies.

Hello Arc de Triomphe. You were surprisingly massive with the most crazy traffic round-about I have ever seen!

Hello Louve with your pictures that are bigger than my house.

Hello teeny cars that would not even have enough room to lug my suitcase around.

Hello mounds and mounds of the most delicious ice cream.

Hello pastry stores that are on every corner and I love them more than a love for a food is even possible...

Hello bread. Oh hello wonderful bread made in France that tastes so much better than it does here. What is your secret?

Hello sugar. David hasn't had you for a while.


Hello crepes that were the yummiest, most delicious crepes I have ever tasted and it makes me cry thinking that I will not have that taste in my mouth again for a very long time and even one day is too long.

We had six glorious days in Paris. There were a million more things I could have said hello to. Notre Dame, the amazing train system, our cutest, tiny apartment we rented, the church on the corner of the street of our cute apartment, L'Opera, the markets, the "merci" on the trash cans, the scarfs, the beautiful, skinny, french women wearing the scarfs, the shopping, the gardens, the buildings, the history, the, the, the... There was so much. Thank goodness for pictures so I can remember every detail of our six glorious days in Paris. Until we meet again Paris!

Farewell Elder Hymas

2011-05-07T23:22:00.003-08:00

This is the last time the Hymas family will all be together for two years!!! Yes, we've got a missionary in the house! Elder Jayson Hymas reports to the Orlando Florida mission (Spanish speaking) on July 11th. We're so proud of him! We were so very happy that we could be in Utah for his farewell. Families are happiness.

Ugly April

2011-04-10T19:43:00.003-08:00

In Alaska, April showers do not bring May flowers. April showers might be rain, snow, or hail. All the snow is melting, it's brown and muddy, and just plain ugly! Only this little guy seems to have found the beauty in it all. He finally wised up and realized his rain boots were not cutting it on puddles that went up to his knees. So he got his waders on and played for hours outside.

Karsten has never met a puddle he doesn't like!

Can you guess what meal this is?

2011-04-02T23:22:00.000-08:00

If you guessed lunch you'd be wrong! It's breakfast. Some days you just have to go with what you've got...

Uncle Jayson

2011-03-29T23:04:00.000-08:00

It was a sad day when I had to say good-bye to my shopping, Glee, cooking, and laughing buddy! For almost 4 weeks, we were lucky enough to have Jayson staying with us. It's even more special since he will be leaving for 2 years to go serve a mission in Orlando Florida! Luckily we made some really good memories to try and tide us over while he's away. Jayson made EVERYTHING more fun.

This little boy had a birthday...

2011-03-27T22:58:00.000-08:00

Yes, you can count them - all the candles are there! And yes, it is sugar free! And yes, it is a wonderful day to celebrate a wonderful man.

Happy Birthday David!!!

Aloha

2011-03-14T22:32:00.000-08:00

Lots of people in Alaska go to Hawaii for spring break. And when I say lots, I mean half the state. So I'll admit - I was feeling a little bitter looking at all the snow. Until I remembered I had 12 leis. I bought them a long time ago knowing that someday I would need them. How happy I was to realize now was the moment! It was all the inspiration I needed.

We invited our friends who made the party absolutely fabulous by invading the Hawaiian shirt section of the second-hand store and we had one mean luau. Complete with fresh fruit, tropical fish, and lots of hula dancing.

Maybe one year we'll join the Alaskans that come back from spring break with very tan faces. Until then, thank goodness for friends who are on the same white boat as us. Mahalo Noble family!

Watch out girls!

2011-03-13T22:29:00.000-08:00

Spring Break

2011-03-13T19:56:00.002-08:00

A little of this...

And a little of this...

Lots of this...

And even some of this!

Of course a spring break in Alaska wouldn't be complete with out some of this...

Throw in some downhill skiing, movies, one crazy hike, Wii, cookies, and a luau, and Spring Break 2011 was a success!

The FUN has arrived!

2011-03-08T11:25:00.002-09:00

Nothing like Uncle Jayson to come

and make our spring break the funnest!

Dark Clouds Fade...

2011-03-05T19:49:00.000-09:00

Suddenly my step is a little lighter.

And I'm sure my smile a little more truer.

And if you look close, there is even a twinkle in my eyes.

Our clouds of darkness have gone away.

It started with a doctor's appointment which

rid David of his neck brace!

It continued with a mission farewell that we are so thrilled about and get to attend!

It's sprinkled with the news that our friends really are going to come visit us this summer!

And it ended with the purchase of

two tickets to Paris France.

Oh how I've missed this feeling!

I do believe it is called HAPPINESS!

Friday Night Dates

2011-02-21T23:48:00.002-09:00

Lately, David and my Friday Night Dates (capitalized on purpose!) have revolved around the exciting sport of volleyball! And it IS so exciting because we get to see one of our offspring playing! Being a great volleyball player in middle school, I'm sure that it is my genes that are ruling at the moment. David claims to overall be a better athlete than I am, so he tries to claim the moments when she scores the game point on her awesome serve (true story!). We discuss this at great lengths during our Friday Night Dates. Here is some documented proof that maybe BOTH of our genes are at play here...

Nice form! This must be David's

Fancy Footwork! Probably MY genes

OK. Probably mine

Confidence and anticipation. David's!

We are just so proud of Sierra for trying a new sport!

And giving us a great, FREE, Friday Night Date.

Vacation

2011-02-21T23:17:00.000-09:00

Apparently my kids need a vacation. Actually we all do.

The thrill of throwing some outfits and a tooth brush into your suitcase and getting to leave.

Go.

Somewhere.

{Sigh.}

And since we didn't go anywhere for our four day weekend, Skyla and Karsten took it into their own hands and went somewhere

all by themselves -

with their wonderful imaginations!

I wonder where they went in their bathrobes and winter hats.

Where ever it was, they had fun!

Fablehaven Signing

2011-02-20T23:38:00.001-09:00

Why yes, that is Brandon Mull, author of Fablehaven series and Candyshop Wars, smiling, signing my children's books. He was here at our library giving a lecture and signing lots and lots of books. Did you know it took four years of rejection before he finally found someone to publish his book? Never give up kids! How nice (and brave!) that he would come here to Alaska.

Tres Magnifique

2011-02-20T23:11:00.002-09:00

I need some motivation to lose this layer of fat that is keeping me warm here in frozen land Alaska.

I think this may do the trick...

Ice!

2011-02-20T23:07:00.002-09:00

Some cool ice structures downtown make
for fun Sunday afternoon family time!
And the amazing thing is look how light it is!
I took these pictures at 5:30 and it's still light outside!

Welcome back sun! We've missed you!!!

What the heck?!!

2011-02-20T23:01:00.000-09:00

This is how Karsten came down for breakfast this morning. He was so proud. He had a zap! (That's what we call zits at our house. Somehow it just sounds nicer...) The girls were busting up laughing. I was completely clueless. Here's what happened and why my son is so excited to look like Rudolph:

Skyla has her first zap. And it was a dousy. Big and red right on her nose. So of course Karsten, being the typical younger brother, wants to be just like his older sister and wishes he could have one too. Apparently he was doing the "zit dance" the girls taught him because that's how you get them. He was so proud when he came down for breakfast the next morning and the dance had worked!

I was worried he was going to go to school like that! I voiced my concern and heard, in a very disappointed voice, "Don't worry mom, it wasn't real. It washed off." Now I just wished I could have somehow gotten video footage of that Zit Dance!

Love is in the air...

2011-02-14T23:16:00.002-09:00

I love this holiday! Hearts and chocolate and candy and LOVE! And this year I even found pink heart marshmallows! Have you ever seen anything so cute?

So here are some of our Valentine's happenings:

Skyla's Cookie Party!

All these cute girls rode the bus home with Skyla and came over for our annual cookie party. They were very good cookie decorators and really great taste testers. :)

Karsten's Kindergarten Class Party

I got to help in Karsten's class for their Valentine centers. Is there anything cuter than 18 kindergartners painting hearts and making love bug hats? There is not! Can you guess what station I was assigned to? And look at Karsten's valentine's that he wrote all by himself! And his darling box! And his dazzling smile! I sure love this little guy that melts my heart!

Sierra's 6th Grade Dance

I can't believe I just put all those words together in one sentence. I can't believe Sierra, my little girl, is a 6th grader. And I can't believe that she is old enough to attend a dance (it was during school), and even more surprised that she was looking forward to it, and the MOST surprised that her and her friends dressed up for it! (The teachers told them to, but still, she did!) I'm pretty sure she is not happy that I am the type of mom that is there, everywhere she is, with my camera. But as spoken in the language of love (since it is Valentine's Day after all), c'est la vie!

This is what a 6th grade dance in the classroom looks like. Where are the boys? On the other side... Perfect!

Broken Neck Update

2011-02-14T08:31:00.000-09:00

If you go to work one day and someone hits you with their car and you break your neck, here are some things you can expect:

You will be in a lot of pain for a long time. You will not go to work for 7 weeks. You will not drive for over 100 days. You will still be in a neck brace 4 months after the accident. Four times 30 is a lot of days that you have something wrapped around your neck which reminds you of the skiing you're not doing. Or the ice climbing. Or the ice skating. This may all make you feel a little crazy. And sad.

But if you're this guy, it will not conquer you. You will find the good in the bad. You will be touched by the many people and the kindness and care you're received. This will change you forever. You will not give up even though you are still feeling pain and it's been almost 4 months. And four times 30 is a lot of days.

I feel so lucky to be married to such an incredible guy.

Surprise!

2011-02-14T07:44:00.001-09:00

I can't wait for my kids to wake up this morning!!!

Frozen Land

2011-02-13T00:06:00.000-09:00

Who says Alaska beaches are only great in the summer?!

We discovered a very frozen, yet very beautiful world

just a short hike away.

Wonderful Week

2011-02-12T23:23:00.000-09:00

Things I loved about this week:

We've got a missionary!
David's brother just got called to the Florida Orlando mission! We (including David who left work at 4:30 so he could be home for the important moment) were able to be right with him as he opened his call even though he is all the way in Utah. It was such a beautiful moment to see him open up that envelope and slowly but surely start at the top, "Dear Elder Hymas, You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints." That gives me chills! What a beautiful example he is setting for my kids! They simply adore their Uncle Jayson. And now it's the Uncle Elder Jayson. And we get to send care packages to a missionary! Now my job is to find a good airfare deal for him to come up here so we can help him kill the three months that is going to drive him batty waiting for the day he enters the MTC. That seems like a perfect job for us!

Amazing field trip with Skyla
I got to accompany Skyla's class to the Performance Arts Center for an amazing jazz performance. They totally catered to the students and had them clapping and stomping and chanting the beats and really feeling the music. I love the schools here!

Catching Karsten BEFORE he took his sweet ride down the stairs.

Karsten was the B.I.P (Beary Important Person) at school this week. He got to be line leader and take in special things to share with the class. His biggest joy was stumping the class on his choice for the "rhyming bag". He had to bring something from home and give a clue about it. His clue was "It rhymes with Band Aid." No one in his class got it and that, apparently, is super duper cool. Did you guess it? Gatorade!

Superbowl Bliss
This is David's day. He is completely in charge and I love it! He knows exactly what we're going to eat, takes care of all of it, and it's delicious! (Although this year on seeing a lack of ANYTHING healthy, I made up a veggie tray which he mocked and yet we ate the entire thing! Yeah kids! Veggie victory is sweet.) He loves his couch, his own TV w/ remote in hand, and his "near beer." He even turned down other Superbowl Party invitations so he could have it just this way, and our little family, home alone together, thought is was just PERFECT...

Karsten can't take his eyes off the game for even one second!

Rediscovering bribery
My kids are not big talkers. They don't come home from school with the details that I am craving. It dawned on me that I am NOT ok with this. So I told them that I wanted them to come up with 10 things about their day. I had subbed in Skyla's class that day so she didn't think there was anything more she wanted to share. Karsten had to go to the bathroom so bad (or maybe it was because he was so starving?) that he just couldn't even talk. So Sierra started on her 10 things. I threw her some candy. Suddenly they all had 10 things they wanted to share! And every day since then they have so much to share with me! I MUST remember the value to candy! And I am LOVING the details of their days. Why didn't I do this before?!

Clutter Corner
There has been a pile of "stuff" sitting in the corner in my bedroom for a very long time. Just some random stuff sitting there. Some scissors, a Thanksgiving candy dish, a cake decorating thing, one of the girl's ribbons from a swim meet, etc. They were there for no reason other than I haven't put them away. But then one day I did it. I just picked up each thing and put it away. And now my room feels so clean! I didn't realize how that one little corner was bringing my whole room down! What a wonderful feeling and why in the world did I not do that sooner and why in the world am I not doing that to all those clutter corners in my house?! So then I cleared off the desk. Beautiful! And then I picked up the random things laying around in the kids' rooms. I cleared off the stuff that was stacked on the washing machine. And my house suddenly feels clean.

There is so much of every day I want to remember.

But at least now I've got a couple of those details for this week down...

Wrapped in Love

2011-02-01T21:14:00.001-09:00

I love quilts. I LOVE them. And having moved to the far north, we use them a lot! My aunt just sent this one to us for Christmas. It is so amazing. How cool for David and I to have a quilt to remind us of our Japan days. I can only imagine the hours and hours of work that were poured into this present. And she did this all while dealing with some health issues. She is one amazing woman and one amazing quilter! Thanks Aunt Mary!!

Surprising Three

2011-01-31T15:49:00.002-09:00

The biggest surprise of all was opening the garage and seeing this...

Or rather NOT seeing David's beloved (new) (well, used, but new to us)

FJ sitting in the garage.

It's not in the garage because he DROVE it.

To work. All by himself.

After 106 days of not driving.

It was scary, but he did it!

Please don't mock us for a messy garage.

So nothing was quite as surprising as David driving, but the kids had "June in January" at school so they got to wear shorts and t-shirts. Except, SURPRISE! - they still had to go outside for recess. Even though they were wearing shorts. I guess this is how we raise tough kids in Alaska. It's been in the 20's so I guess that is pretty warm for around here!

I love this picture. I went to go do the dishes and found them just like this. A hidden heart. In the chocolate sauce pan. Just for me. You can find love anywhere if you'll just look! :)

Good Threes

2011-01-22T23:46:00.000-09:00

Three wonderful and amazing things happened this week.

First, I got some new shoes. Finding new shoes is hard because I do not like shopping. (I know, it's not very womanly of me...)

Second, my children finally like REAL old fashioned oatmeal. No more of that instant crap!

Third, David and I were able to go on our second date of 2011. This is my best New Year's Resolution ever! (And if you want to do something really really REALLY scary on your date nights, write down the ages of your children and the ages they will be in the the next five years while you discuss things like finances and vacations and goals. AUGH!)

Day Off

2011-01-20T22:37:00.001-09:00

This is my first day off in working 8 days straight.  Working?  That's right.  I am an employee of ASD, Anchorage school district.  The new politically correct term for my position is "Guest Teacher" although that hasn't really caught on with the kids and they still call me the substitute teacher.  It's an awesome gig!  I spend most of my time teaching 1st graders.  First graders are adorable although you have to repeat everything you say 9 times.  And even then there will always be one kid who says, "I don't know what I'm suppose to do here."  But many are missing those two front teeth which of course I LOVE so I can't stay irritated at them for very long.  

I also got to teach Skyla's class which is a 4/5 grade combo.  That was awesome too because they are independent workers and laugh at my jokes.  Except that they are growing terrariums on their desks and within the first 5 minutes of me being there I found 2 of the crickets had escaped.  I was VERY proud of myself for not screaming.  I would have lost all credibility if that would have happened.  So disaster averted thank goodness! 

Back to my day off.  I have quickly discovered that when you work, the work at the house waits for you.  I have piles and piles of laundry.  And errands.  And clutter.  And messy bathrooms (remember that is David's GOAL which means he is still working to achieve such things...)  And things I absolutely need to get done. 

But it just snowed. 

And my friend texted.  

So I'm going skiing. 

And my husband is so awesome that he supports me in that decision.  Even if it means he has to eat left-overs.  (Which he didn't - I made chicken and artichoke heart crepes which were SO delicious!)  

All eyes on...

2011-01-20T21:35:00.001-09:00

David as he had to give a talk in church. Well, I guess he didn't HAVE to because it is something he hasn't done in 10 years. But he agreed to. I wish I had a picture. My husband is an amazing speaker (if I do say so myself!) He gets up in front of a crowd and he's not nervous, he doesn't have to read his notes, he says funny things and makes everyone laugh, and then brings in the spirit and makes everyone cry. Not bad for being out of practice for 10 years! This was his opening joke that brought down the house:

"The topic for my talk is "Righteous Goal-Setting." I am not sure why the Bishop picked me. Since my broken neck three months ago, my goals have been pretty modest: trying to regain strength and use of my left arm, starting to drive again, and since I can't look down with my neck brace, trying to improve my aim so I can keep the toilet seat dry. I'll let you guess which goal my wife likes the best. By the way, it has been 10 years since I gave a talk in sacrament meeting, so if it is another 10 years before I give another one, I guess we'll know that joke made it all the way to Salt Lake."

TMI for most people, but this is my life...

2011-01-16T23:08:00.000-09:00

Sometimes I look back on my planner and wonder where the time went. Now I will remember! At least this week. Or at least part of it...

Monday -

Our neighbor brought the kids home from the bus stop. They were really late getting home. I asked them what took so long. Apparently Karsten wouldn't get into Paul's car. The girls said they bribed and threatened and nothing worked. Karsten would NOT get in. Finally Sierra tricked him into the car by saying one of the other girls (still walking) was a murderer and he better get in. This worked. I'm thinking I must have some details of this wrong because that all seems very weird... Anyway, when I talked to Karsten about why he wouldn't get in the car, Karsten said Paul's car smells like smoke (Paul smokes a pipe but only when the kids are not in the car but the smell is still there I guess) and on the radio he heard if he breathes smoke it will kill him and he doesn't want to die. Which makes perfect sense why the whole murder thing worked on getting him into the car because if he has to choose death now or a lingering death from the "smoke", death by smoke must have seemed the better option.

Missionaries came to dinner. Karsten was very happy to announce ALL of our ages starting with mine. I never feel old until I hear how old I am. Out loud.

Tuesday -
Discovered something like vomit or possibly diarrhea in my bathroom trash first thing this morning. Turns out it was spit up chocolate. Karsten had to clean the trash can out and chose to fill the trash with water BEFORE he emptied out all the toilet paper in it. Utterly disgusting. And then he had tantrum because he found it disgusting too. This is all before school. Five minutes before we're leaving I check Karsten's backpack and find a special project DUE TODAY. Panic moment but we did it and the kids didn't miss the bus.

I got a quick run in! I always feel so tough running in the snow...

In the afternoon I subbed some very darling 1st graders. They corrected my pronunciation of "measure." I apparently say it funny. I did not like being corrected by 1st graders.

Skyla had jazz, I picked up David (who is now working full time again!) and we went to REI to pick up his brand new skate skis! Not that he'll be able to use them this year, but now he HAS them and we're that much closer to being able to go together! But going to REI made us late picking Skyla back up from jazz. Which made us late eating dinner. Which made us late for finishing homework. Which made us late for going to bed. Our life is a domino!

Wednesday
Church meeting to noon duty at the school to a quick run outside to one lengthy doctor's appointment for David (3 hours!) to volleyball meeting for Sierra to DONE! This was literally my entire day. But then David and I watched Inception (his first time, my second) and I love it when we have a good movie to watch. And the second time seeing this one was even better because I could actually follow the storyline this time. And I finally got the ending because it doesn't matter if the token stops spinning... It doesn't even matter!

Thursday
My case in point - If I don't write it down after it happens, when I look back on my planner none of the details will be remembered! I know what we did on Thursday, but the details are gone...

Friday we went out with friends to dinner. Everyone had horrible luck and did not like what they ordered. Except for David and I. Our food was so delicious! Of course we rubbed it in.

All eyes on...

2011-01-16T11:12:00.000-09:00

SKYLA as she was her class winner for the spelling bee. She had to go in front of half the school, lots of parents and teachers, and judges to compete for the school title against other 4th graders, as well as 5th, and 6th graders! And guess what - she did awesome! She made it to the third round where there were only 8 people left!

The word to get her out? Celery. I think it should be spelled with an "A" Skyla! It definitely sounds like an A to me!

We're so proud of our little bee!!

Third Birthday

2011-01-16T11:06:00.000-09:00

Aspen as a puppy

Our little puppy is now three! Or really 21 if you want to be technical. My girls couldn't let the day go without a celebration. Unbeknownst to me, they planned a party, created the invitations on evite being sent to 8 families, worked out the details such as refreshments and party bags and they were just waiting for the ok from me to press send. How could I resist that!

You know you have really good friends when they show up to your doggie's birthday party at the park on a cold, January day in Alaska!! David built an amazing fire in our portable fire pit which helped; we had hot chocolate which was a necessity; and some really crazy dogs the kids had fun chasing around. The party was a success! It was so cold I neglected my camera duty and did not get pictures of hardly any of this! I hate it when that happens...

Now the cutest smile really, truly EVER

2011-01-15T11:00:00.000-09:00

The Cutest Smile Ever!

2011-01-07T02:17:00.000-09:00

Karsten lost his top tooth!

I could only love it more if both of his top teeth were gone. And guess what, it's loose!

Happy Day

2011-01-06T10:52:00.001-09:00

I've been waiting for this day for a long, long time. And with a very generous gift from Grandma and Grandpa we were finally able to make this happen.

My kids are skiers!

We signed them up for an all day lesson and by the end of the day they were going down intermediate runs. More importantly, THEY LOVED IT! They have their daddy's blood running through them. And the best news is that this small resort is 9 minutes from our house. Joy!! We are one step closer to being a skiing family.

Winter fashion

2011-01-06T09:54:00.000-09:00

Why yes, we are so cute in our new knit handbands. Thanks Jyl!

http://yourgrannycalled.blogspot.com/

Here's to the new!

2011-01-04T07:57:00.000-09:00

Happy New Year! 2010 threw us for a few loops so I was wanting to say "Good Riddance!" But then I remembered so many good memories and so many good things that happened during the year! So while we're in a hard spot right now, I can't throw all of our year into this moment.

HOWEVER, here is to a happier and healthier new year!!! We had so much fun bringing in the new year with the Noble family and friends. The talking and laughing never stop! We finally realized we needed to go home around 1:30 when Karsten laid down on the floor because he was so tired. He ran into the house and straight into his bed without stopping once and without a single word. Poor baby!

Busy Bees

2010-12-30T22:34:00.000-09:00

These past 3 months have been BUSY!

First, my girls are on a swim team that practices 3 times a week. (Even through the break!) You should see their developing arm muscles!

Karsten has also been swimming twice a week.

And Karsten is a pumpkin. As in a key player on his Pumpkin soccer team!

Sierra's still playing violin with a lesson once a week and practicing daily.

Skyla has been dancing with a lesson once a week with a recent performance and lots of rehearsals. (And not practicing piano which will change after the new year, right Skyla?!)

And I, as the official (and only current driver in the family) am officially worn out! I feel like I could take a nap for 100 years...

Zoo Pass Expires

2010-12-29T08:33:00.000-09:00

But not until we had one last trip!

Our tradition continues...

2010-12-28T21:11:00.001-09:00

Ice skating on Christmas Eve is a tradition we started the first time we lived up here 8 years ago.  Sierra was 4 years old and Skyla was a baby!  I used to pull her around on the sled.  So even this year though David was only able to spectate rather than skate, it was important to the kids that we continue our tradition.  Granted, this year we had to go on Christmas Day rather than Christmas Eve since it was -6 degrees.  It warmed up to a balmy 0 and was perfect.  :)

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T09:30:00.000-09:00

Hugs, smiles, loves, and kisses to all our friends and family near and far.
Hope your Christmas is magical!

T'was the Night Before Christmas

2010-12-24T23:57:00.002-09:00

And all through the house, not a creature was stirring,
not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads.


I LOVE that my kids decided to sleep together because it's exactly what me and my brother and sister used to do - up until I was married!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Eclipse and a life lesson

2010-12-23T21:24:00.001-09:00

Yes, that little blob in the sky is really our amazing view of the eclipse. You should have seen how excited Sierra was when I said, "Come on, let's go watch the eclipse!" (Yes, she was thinking I was going to let her watch the movie.) It started to get foggy and we couldn't see it when it turned red. We called some friends to see if they could see it where they were, but it was foggy downtown too. I was ready to turn into bed but Sierra insisted that we drive up the mountain to see if we could see it. David told her that was crazy and there was no way it wouldn't be foggy up there. I could see she really wanted to go so I said I would go, but only to appease her. We couldn't just drive out of the fog, right? We piled into the car and headed up the mountain. Suddenly Sierra started yelling and I pulled the car over. No fog. Only bright white stars in the black night and our full moon bright red from the eclipse. It was spectacular. I'm so glad Sierra persisted! Of course I tried to apply it to real life about when someone says you can't do it, you have to follow your dreams. Thank goodness it was dark so I couldn't see her roll her eyes.

What an amazing night.

Holiday Secret

2010-12-23T20:55:00.000-09:00

Underneath these layers and layers of clothes and socks and jackets and slippers, I have a secret. No one gets to see it, because of the layers and layers of clothes and socks and boots and slippers, but I know what's underneath and it just makes me smile. :)

Nothing like a pedicure in the winter with girlfriends to make my holidays bright! My girlfriend and I even wore no nylons AND open-toed shoes to church on Sunday so we could share our secret. It was a big mistake as I've never had such three hours of cold in my life. So these toes will continue to remain a secret.

Worstest Day Ever

2010-12-23T13:46:00.000-09:00

Things are black and white when you're six. It's either good or bad. For Karsten, one thing goes bad and it's "the worstest day EVER!" Problem is, I hear that every single day. Maybe multiple times. And sometimes I even hear (on the same day as the "worstest" day), "This is the bestest day ever mom!" There are no in-between moments in Karsten's world.

I have since banned Karsten from labeling his day. We're working on the concept of moments and being in charge of what kind of day you're going to have. I sure do love my Karsten!!

Let it snow!

2010-12-21T23:55:00.000-09:00

Happy Winter Solstice!

Nutcracker

2010-12-17T09:28:00.000-09:00

Here is my little Nutcracker! Skyla just performed at her Christmas recital for her jazz dance class. I love watching her on stage. I'm so proud of her! She is so full of confidence and smiles when she's out there. I love it. The bummer is that before the performers come off stage, they make them take off their costume so I never get any pictures of her at the performing arts center!

And on a different note yet still exuding that confidence that I love, this is what she wore to school today to show her "holiday spirit".

Bummer

2010-12-16T20:22:00.000-09:00

Three more weeks of the big brace. We were hoping for some better news. Ugh.

Mountain of Cream

2010-12-07T23:23:00.000-09:00

A cake was not needed to celebrate this little guy's birthday. The only thing he wanted was a "mountain of cream".

Six-year-old Birthday Boy

2010-12-07T19:31:00.002-09:00


Birthday Breakfast tradition

From morning until night we celebrated this little man. Can you guess what his favorite color is?

Karsten chose tomato soup for his special birthday dinner. I'm sure he chose it because it is his favorite, not because it would match my color theme, but it sure made for an impressive dinner!

We are so lucky to have Karsten in our family. He is so funny and so cute and so imaginative! There are worlds and worlds he's created in that cute head of his. He is independent and has his own way of thinking and doing things. And my favorite thing right now is how much he loves his mommy, ME! He would rather be with me running errands than be home without me. I know that won't last forever so I am treasuring every minute! How could I be so lucky to have such a sweet, cuddle bug for a son.


Karsten with his loot

Chocolate

2010-12-07T15:29:00.001-09:00

For Karsten's birthday, we took him to Build a Bear for the first time ever. My guy isn't really a stuffed animal guy - he's never really had a special one that he would sleep with, etc. Well, that was before he met Chocolate. Chocolate is what he named his green camouflaged bear. I have never seen him love a toy so much! When I asked him what his bear's name was for the birth certificate, he said Chocolate. Hmmm. Are you sure? We gave him some really cool name ideas like Kenai, Denali, Hunter, Forraker- all of which he loved and said yes to. But when I asked him again what his bear was named he said, "Chocolate." Chocolate it is!

And because of chocolate, I was able to get THIS picture. Thank you Chocolate!!

It turned out we had never taken Skyla there either! So here is Skyla with Kenai Sierra; named after her sister who donated her portion of getting a bear to Skyla so Sky could get a more expensive one. How sweet is that?!

Medium

2010-12-06T09:25:00.004-09:00

Kids are never predictable. So throwing a surprise party for Karsten who insisted that he did NOT want a party was risky at best. But he's my baby so this was my last chance to throw a party for a turning 6-year old! And he refused a party last year so I just had to have one for him to show him that birthday parties are FUN! So we went sledding, and suddenly all of his friends showed up! He didn't seem too clued in about this. He was just happy to have friends there. After sledding everyone raced back to our house for the surprise. He sensed something was up and would NOT come upstairs. Few tears. Not happy. No problem. Everyone yelled surprise from the balcony. My friend Carolyn saved the party by sending down a present to open (the coolest nerf gun) and then he was happy. Problem solved. Good times. He had so much fun playing with all his friends and eating yummy food and getting awesome presents. I felt very good about how it all went down.

As Karsten was heading to bed, David had him come and tell me thank you.

"Thank you so much for my party mom."

"You're welcome, did you have so much fun?"

His reply, "Medium."

From my son who did NOT want a party, I will take this as success.

Christmas Tree Star

2010-12-03T09:37:00.000-09:00

Putting the star on top of the tree is a privilege each child gets once every three years since they have to take turns. Skyla was stacking book upon book on the chair trying to get high enough. I tried to help her. I think it was easier when they were 2...

Turkey anyone?

2010-12-02T09:08:00.001-09:00

While I am very sad that my baby is in KINDERGARTEN, I must say, I love kindergarten!!!

The Thanksgiving program was the cutest thing ever. Turkey legs anyone?

And the really special thing was that even though it was in the middle of the day, Dad was able to come! Having a broken neck has some privileges. :)

Thankful

2010-11-25T23:50:00.000-09:00

We're thankful for gfreat friends to have a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with.

We're thankful for the delicious food we had to eat!

We're thankful for the tons and tons of snow we got that day to play in.

We're thankful David actually played a game!

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Pie Night

2010-11-24T23:59:00.000-09:00

This is the coolest Thanksgiving tradition ever. Only I never want to host it and hope we're always just invited over to my friend Kristi's house because she made 10 pies for the occasion! So everyone brings a pie and we all eat and sample a gazillion different pies the night before Thanksgiving. Heaven! That way our stomachs are stretched out for the big day AND we got to eat lots and lots of pie that usually I'm too full for. Happiness! Thanks Johnson family for this new tradition!

Speaking of pies, Sierra's been baking up a storm! She made these beauties this past week. Delicious!

In the kitchen

2010-11-22T00:21:00.002-09:00

My sister has done it again! She made this darling apron for Sierra. Could there be anything cuter than this in the kitchen?!? She is so dang talented!

Sierra made a delicious pumpkin pie tonight. Yes, with a homemade crust that turned out better than any I have ever made. I'm about ready to turn over the kitchen reins to this girl! At least for all the desserts anyhow...

November 7th

2010-11-22T00:06:00.000-09:00

Winter came early this year!

Sibling Bonding???

2010-11-08T23:06:00.006-09:00

At least they are all on the same couch, right?!

Options

2010-11-07T22:22:00.000-09:00

Other than stare at the ceiling, this is what David's been up too...

This last picture makes David very proud - he is voting! There was a huge snowstorm on Election Day. The roads were terrible. He didn't dare take the chance of being on the road to go to our voting place. So he called and had his ballot delivered. And this really nice man came, waited for David and I to fill out our ballots, and then took them back. Wow! I don't think a single person that he voted for won, but at least he did his part. :)

Thank you Mother Nature...

2010-11-07T22:04:00.001-09:00

for waiting until AFTER Halloween to snow. NOW we can be excited it's here...

Door Bell Ditchin'

2010-11-05T22:55:00.000-08:00

My all-time favorite Halloween moment this year was this:

We had received an anonymous basket of goodies with a mission for us to pass it on to three families within the next 48 hours. We were up for the challenge for sure! So my two little helpers got dressed up in black (all on their own) and off we went to deliver the goods. Well, it turns out it was a little bit scarier then one of my helpers anticipated. But he wouldn't give up and helped at each house even though he would get so stressed out! It was so funny seeing these two little black shadows run as fast as they could after ringing the doorbell. I'm laughing just remembering it. Next time I need to get video instead. What a wonderful new Halloween tradition!

Spooky!

2010-11-04T22:49:00.000-08:00

Pumpkins

2010-11-04T22:24:00.001-08:00

My kids LOVE pumpkins. Not just because it's fun and they get to carve them. Their love goes deeper than that. They name them and play with them and sleep with them. They develop quite the relationship with their pumpkins.

Sierra went artistic this year and made a witch flying over a full moon. It was amazing!

This is Skyla's vampire pumpkin. It was the thickest, hardest pumpkin I have ever tried to cut.

Yes, I am allowing my 5 year old to yield a knife. He designed, carved, named, and decorated his pumpkin by himself. He had the time of his life. And still has 10 fingers. Thank goodness!

My little pumpkins!

Now we're just waiting for the moose to come and enjoy them!

Calories

2010-11-03T05:49:00.006-08:00

I have drunk probably 10,000 calories of this happiness this week. Stephens Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice hot chocolate. It is divine. Thank you sis!!!

The boy who skipped Halloween

2010-11-01T22:33:00.002-08:00

Once upon a time there was a little boy who did not want to go trick or treating. And there was nothing his mommy could do or say to convince him otherwise. Because this was a very stubborn little boy. And so for reasons unknown to even the universe, though his mother pleaded and begged and threatened, he absolutely refused to go. So his mother gave up. And he was finally happy. The end.

P.S. For the record, I have to make it known that this whole incident was NOT because he didn't like his costume. He chose his costume all on his own and loved it. Here's proof - a very happy and smiling mummy when we did a test run of his costume for the school carnival.

Halloween Cuties 2010

2010-10-31T23:58:00.000-08:00

Marvelous Medusa

Glamorous Goth Fairy

Miserable Mummy

And the cutest little witch

Our new dining room

2010-10-28T18:39:00.003-08:00

Since David's accident, this has become our kitchen table. I don't think the kids are going to like it when we make it back to the "real" dining room...

Little Women

2010-10-28T11:19:00.001-08:00

My Little Woman read Little Women! What 4th grader do you know that reads this?! In parent/teacher conference her teacher commented that Skyla is reading WAY too fast for her age and so she was equally shocked when she realized Skyla was comprehending it all! That's Skyla - our little reader!

Mad

2010-10-27T21:21:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure who is more upset at the demise of the FJ...

We are currently waiting to hear if it is repairable or not. Our fingers are crossed!

Wrapped in Love

2010-10-21T23:50:00.000-08:00

This year for each of my kids' birthdays, Nana (my mom) made them a beautiful quilt. My kids love them! They grab them for every movie. They sleep with them. They are warm and cozy and snuggly and made with love.

And the best part is, this year for my birthday I got one too! I, too, am now wrapped in love. In the most beautiful quilt I've ever seen. Thanks Mom!!

Apricot the Get-Well Trout

2010-10-20T23:49:00.000-08:00

Life can change in a second. One minute we're worried about sleep-overs and mowing the lawn before it gets too cold and the next we're suddenly so grateful for the little things in life that we take for granted each and every day. Why can't we appreciate them without bad things happening?

Here's what I am grateful for this very second:

David can walk.

Medical second opinions

Prayers

Wonderful wonderful friends

Priesthood Blessings

And don't forget Apricot the get-well trout. :)

Hero

2010-10-19T21:57:00.000-08:00

This is the face of a hero. My hero. Here's the story:

While driving to work one ordinary morning, a teen-ager rushing to school turned left without even looking and crashed right into David. For some reason in that split second as it was happening, David had one single thought and he knew he could not "t-bone" into that car. He somehow managed to turn his car slightly, hitting the car in the front rather than hitting it straight on the passenger side. This meant that his car, thus himself, took the brunt of the impact. Immediately after the crash, he got out of his car to check on the passengers of the other vehicle. The driver of the other car was fine. He said there were no passengers. It wasn't until he knew everyone else was fine that David realized he himself wasn't fine. That would later turn out to be a broken neck. And it would turn out later there WAS a passenger in the car. Because the driver had only a provisional license and wasn't suppose to have other passengers, he had lied. An unbuckled female had been sitting in the passenger side.

If David wouldn't have turned his car, she would have been severely injured. Or even dead.

And without even knowing, or questioning, and putting himself at so much more risk,

he followed his instinct and saved a life.

Because that's who he is.

And he's my hero.

Love

2010-10-16T20:33:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful little family I have. I am blessed...

WE are blessed.

Hyper

2010-10-07T00:16:00.001-08:00

I always thought that Karsten would come home from all day kindergarten just exhausted. All day kindergarten? Too long! But instead, everyday he comes home and heads straight to here:

And it's even better with some of his buddies!

One day picking up Karsten from school he was so hyper! I told him to settle down and he said, "I can't! I've been paying attention all day!!" I didn't realize, but it's hard work sitting and concentrating all day. And I'm so proud of him!! He's taking kindergarten by storm!

I got me some runners!

2010-10-04T09:43:00.002-08:00

All my kids have been doing cross country running after school, and this weekend was the Jamboree! Skyla and Karsten decided to give it a try and ran a 1 mile trail run! They did awesome!!! I am one proud mommy.

What's in the air...

2010-10-04T09:15:00.000-08:00

Domestic Diva

2010-10-03T21:49:00.004-08:00

You can go ahead and call me that, because I made these...

All by myself...

Parental Rite of Passage

2010-10-03T15:01:00.000-08:00

David and I are quite proud to have survived our first official SLEEPOVER! It was a fun filled night of movies, spa treatments, matching pj's, silly string, cake decorating, and lots and lots of giggling. It was exactly perfect for Sierra's birthday party. She's officially a tween!!!

Let her eat cake!

2010-10-01T23:08:00.000-08:00

Twelve cakes for twelve years. Now that's what I call a party!!!

Look who's 12 !

2010-10-01T09:43:00.000-08:00

We've got a groovy kind of love

2010-09-30T21:53:00.000-08:00

There are lots and lots of reasons why I love David.

This is definitely one of the top ones...

NO ONE can wear this 70's suit and look so good. Or make his daughters feel so loved on their "Daddy Daughter" date. (I was in charge so I got to be there...)

I gotta keeper!

The Best Week

2010-09-22T12:02:00.000-08:00

It is hard living so far away from my parents. I wish so much we could be there for Sunday dinners, family BBQ's, birthdays, and parties. However, if we lived close would I get a whole week of my parents all to myself?! I think not. Here are some pictures of my wonderful week with my parents.

Hiking on Byron Glacier

We had SO MUCH fun with Nana and Papa. They make everyday fun and special. We loved showing them Alaska in the fall. The kids got to take Nana to Back To School Night and show them their school and meet their teachers. I had fun getting my mom caught up on the Twilight movies. I even let my Dad work on my car. :) Because the kids were in school, I even got alone time with my parents! I can't remember the last time that has happened. The days went WAY too fast.

We love you Nana and Papa!!

Keepin' Busy

2010-09-20T10:42:00.000-08:00

This is my Dad - doing what he loves. And it saved me hundreds of dollars. Thanks Dad!

Nothin' but good times here!

2010-09-20T10:41:00.000-08:00

Fishing Buddies

2010-08-30T17:32:00.000-08:00

Over the past 6 weeks, we've had five different sets of visitors come hang out with us. It's been marvelous! We've had so much fun and made so many memories. And yes, we took all of them fishing. Here are a few of our new fishing buddies...

My bestie Jen and her two kids came from Colorado to hang out with us!

Grandma and Uncle Jay are ready for some action!

Danny and Charity all the way from DC

David's buddies - Ummmm, I'm seeing waders and boots but I'm also seeing a shot gun. New way of fishing???

Yes, that's Marianna hookin' into something! Her gang came and stayed with us for 3 1/2 weeks!

I'm back!

2010-08-26T08:14:00.000-08:00

That's right - that's my camera. My CAMERA!!!! After a few attempted scams and weird phone calls I had given up hope that I would ever get my camera back. But three weeks later I hold my camera in my hand. I love honest people! The world is right again.

Kindergarten

2010-08-24T23:19:00.000-08:00

I don't like the looks of this one bit...

2010-08-24T22:16:00.000-08:00

Mr. K's first day of the rest of his life! Looking at it that way, no wonder I was a wreck! Luckily he was all smiles. He knew just what to wear and was so so brave!!! This was such a relief since the entire summer he would not admit to even once being excited about kindergarten. I gave him a whole pack of silly bands to wear and hopefully share with all his new friends. He made it through the day without crying once.

I wish his mom could say the same...

The Hymas crew heads to school

Blueberries

2010-08-24T01:00:00.000-08:00

You'd think with this much of an area to cover, we could have found a few more blueberries for Ryan to take home to his pregnant wife... We would definitely not survive living off the land.

Karsten, however, would be just fine...

3 1/2 weeks of happiness

2010-08-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

We just got to spend 3 1/2 weeks with our favorite friends!!! It was 25 days of happiness.

Fight it Like Jack

2010-08-21T23:25:00.000-08:00

Fight It Like Jack!

There are some races I run where I push myself to new limits. Some where I was able to run faster than I had before. Some for fun. And then there was the Lost Lake run. This race touched me on so many levels. The first being I was able to fund raise for the Huntsman Cancer Institute where my dad is doing the clinical trials for his cancer. Together with friends and family, we raised $2000!!! I felt their love and support and it pushed me through the hard parts of the race. And with it being a 16 mile trail run, believe me, there were hard parts.

I loved doing this for my Dad. I love him so much! He is fighting his cancer every single day and I just can't imagine how hard physically and emotionally that is for him. I had some wonderful friends I was running with (see the part below), but half of the race I ran by myself. And I thought about him. And the things he's taught me. And the incredible man that he is. I was glad to have that quiet moment on the trail where it was just me and him.

I got to run a race with Marianna again. Enough said about why this one was so amazing. Not only did she run with me, but she added a little magic to my race jersey by adding a picture of me and my dad on it. I didn't even know you could do that! She came up with the slogan that defined this race for me. "Fight it Like Jack." How could I not run my hardest with a picture of my Dad on my back. Thank you Marianna for being here and getting me up that mountain at all costs - including your earphones. I have such good friends. Add to that running with Brenda and Carolyn (who convinced me that this was a race I needed to do) and that took it up a whole notch on the fun factor. And Mary who ran up Flattop every week with me for training. And Ann who hiked the trail to give moral support and gu. And every one who donated! I knew at the end of the day I would be reporting to so many people about how the race went so I had to stay strong. That made this race so amazing.

Survivors of 16 miles of trail running. Phew!

Part of the beautiful Lost Lake Run trail

At one point in the race I had gotten behind a group of people. It's a single person trail so it's practically impossible to pass others while running. Not having done this race before I thought maybe you just had to run behind them until there was a wider spot in the trail. I slowed down my pace and accepted the pace that others were setting. That was until this old grandpa came up, yelled that he was passing, and passed. Just like that. I passed with him and suddenly the trail was mine and I could go whatever pace I wanted - the pace I had trained for. Why had I just accepted the crowd's pace without a fight? This little grandpa taught me quite the lesson! I passed people the rest of the way. I never caught up to him though.

I was the one who was physically running the race, but it was all the different people that made this race the most amazing racing experience I have ever had. That and the most amazing scenery I've ever run in. Could I say "amazing" enough while trying to describe this experience?! I don't think so.

It was amazing.

Gone fishin'

2010-08-21T00:14:00.000-08:00

This is the first time in over 13 years (maybe more) since these guys have all been together. They were all college buddies and roommates of David back in the day - starting massive pillow fights, fighting over video games, streaking, taking random scooter rides, trash can rides, ski trips, emergency trips, etc. are just a few of the many hilarious stories coming from their BYU chapter of life. Don't let their current fancy titles of accountant, therapist, lawyer, pharmacist, and director of electronic marketing deceive you. Seeing them all together as they got ready to embark on a 5 day canoe trip into the middle of nowhere Alaska was a brief reminder of the mischievous potential of these guys together. Only scarier because now instead of water balloon launchers, they are playing with shotguns. Maybe it's a GOOD thing they're headed into the middle of nowhere...

Craziness

2010-08-19T23:59:00.000-08:00

Since my last post dated July 18th, so much has happened it's hard to begin to blog again not wanting to leave anything out yet not knowing where to start. My camera was returned, my kids started school, we've had 6 weeks worth of wonderful and fun visitors (including a bear in our garage), we've lived through 31 straight days of rain, we've basked in the glorious Alaskan sun, I raised money for cancer research and ran the most amazing race, we've gone to violin concerts, movies, restaurants, tops of mountains, sand dunes, Denali National Park, etc. and NOT in that order and I'm leaving out so much! So bear with me as I attempt to document our "little moments" in a very sporadic way over the next couple of weeks...

Fourth Grade

2010-08-18T23:30:00.000-08:00

Sixth Grade

2010-08-18T23:28:00.000-08:00

First Day

2010-08-18T23:21:00.000-08:00

I know I embarrass them to no end, but I just can't help myself!

P is for Picnic

2010-08-17T23:14:00.000-08:00

Back to school means our annual ABC picnic

From cupcakes

to X shaped jello

a fun time was had by all!

**I love that this tradition has spread and is now being done in Texas as well as in two locations in California. It makes me so happy!!