Dare to Dream {Big}

made it home safely

Had a great Thanksgiving with our family.  

I'll post some of my photos from the weekend tomorrow!

weekend entertainment

Keaton is watching this...

Jacek is reading this...

The whole family played this...

happy thanksgiving

feast day

We had a great Feast Day in Kindergarten today!  They made their Indian hats and place mats.  And they wore their "ug" necklaces, which had words like jug, hug, bug, dug and pug on it.  Loved it!

Everyone brought a food they were thankful for and then everyone got to pick their own food to make a thoughtful kabob.  Very clever!  Mrs. L even talked about the different food groups which was awesome too.

Fruit and Vegetables!

Grains and Dairy!

Meat and Sweets too, but I didn't take a picture!  :(

Give me a thumbs up if it was the best day ever!

monday musings

FOR TODAY....... November 24th

Outside my window...the frost is slowly melting with the rising sun.

I am thinking...about getting everything on my checklist done today.

I am thankful for...everything, big and small.

I am drinking...Decaf coffee with peppermint mocha creamer

From the kitchen...sloppy joes tonight, leftover chicken chili w/cornbread muffin for lunch.  Cooking lots of sausage for Keaton's Thanksgiving feast tomorrow for Thankful Kabobs.

I am wearing...black pants and shirt w/rust fleece jacket

I am creating...my Christmas cards.  I'm halfway finished!!!

I am going...to Provo today to pick up some papers for my Dad.  Grocery store.  Big O Tires.  If all goes well.

I am reading...and rereading and rewriting my Christmas letter.

I am hoping...to do my laundry some time today and tomorrow.

I am hearing...Keaton playing with his friend Mason.

Around the house...laundry and packing for Thanksgiving Break.

One of my favorite things...giving and receiving Christmas cards.

A few plans for the rest of the week: packing, traveling, eating lots of turkey and mashed potatoes.  Early morning shopping on Black Friday with my sister-in-law.

Here is a picture I am sharing...

Thanksgiving 2004

santa doggie

I spent a good part of Friday afternoon trying to get the perfect picture of Asia for our Christmas cards. These are some that didn't make the cut.

She was pretty good for the first round, but then she had had enough.

I ended up using one of the photos from the last round I shot of her.  I won't reveal the final pick. You'll have to wait for your Christmas card.  :)

never in my wildest dreams...

did I think I would even watch my son wrestle.  

But I did today.  

Even though I'm from Vernal, Utah, the Wrestling Capital of the World, I haven't watched a lot of wrestling.  

Except, when my little brother wrestled when he was about 5 or 6 years old.  

That was 30 years ago. 

I don't really like to watch boys get thrown around on a mat, but I will go to every match and cringe until it's over.  Jacek got a bloody nose the last second of his match.  He wrestled a Polynesian kid that I know outweighed him by 20-30 pounds.  

Jacek almost had him pinned in the first round.  

At the end of three rounds, it was tied 5-5, so they had to have a 4th round.  The other kid got the first 2 points and so it ended 7-5.  

Jacek did great though, for his first wrestling match.  

He loves it and that's all that matters.  

I guess.  

I still don't like it.

i had to do this...

I saw this list on someone else's blog and decided that I had to post it on mine. You're supposed to bold the things that you've done in your life. After reading through this list, I realized what an incredibly full life I've had. I never really realized it before, but it was kind of exhilarating to be able to bold so many of these. So here it is:

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band ....at school
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland /world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning 
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud 
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band ....at school
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland /world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning 
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud 
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

starting early this year

I'm working on my Christmas cards and decorations right now so I can hopefully enjoy the month of December!  That's my Christmas wish this year!

house of bread field trip

I love Co-op Kindergarten because every month we get to go on at least one field trip. This month is was to a bread shop. The first order of business was helping 22 want-to-be bakers wash their hands.  No easy task, mind you!  

Then, they all gathered around the big floured butcher block table and waited patiently while Ms. Lynn divided up the bread dough.

It was a requirement for the students of Bread Making 101 to dab some flour on their noses.  And some overachievers, got extra credit for flouring their cheeks and chins.  :)

First, the sous-chefs pounded the crap out of gently worked the dough with their fists hands.

Then, they kneaded the dough over and over again.

I love the serious looks on all of their faces in this one!

So, then this....

turned into this.

While the starfish were baking in the giant oven, Ms. Lynn showed them the big mixing bowl and then weighed everyone on the scale.

Keaton was the big winner coming in at 73 pounds, followed closely by his buddy M at 72 pounds.

Ms. Lynn demonstrated the big flour mill.

It was pretty loud!!!

Everyone got a yummy cinnamon roll and a cup of water for a snack, which was a hit with the kids.

Thank Ms. Lynn for the tour!  We had a great time.