Life Isn't Measured by the Number of Breaths You Take, but by the Moments that Take Your Breath Away

Monday, August 23, 2010

First Day of School 2010

Michael and Hunter were super excited to start their new year of school. Hunter is in the 5th grade and in Ms. Smith's homeroom class. Michael is in 2nd grade with Ms. Zimmer. They seem like fantastic teachers. Ellie has been a very good sport watching them get ready and excited for their new year. 




Michael has a look of dread on his face here in front of the school, but I think he was just tired of me taking pictures and raring to go to school. 

 

and here they are on their way into school.

 

We went to meet their teachers and see their classrooms last week. Ms. Zimmer is cheerful and very organized. She seems very kind and cute in every way. She reminds me of Sally that way ;). Michael sits in the front at a group table. He's going to love Ms. Zimmer. 

Ms. Smith seems very organized too, but in a no frills kind of way. Her classroom is stark and bare, but it seems like she's intentionally left plenty of space for her students to fill the space with their work and create ownership of her room. Hunter got to pick her desk and load it up with all her brand new supplies. She will have three different teachers this year and rotate between them throughout the day.

The kids were so blessed this year to get grandfather's blessing from BOTH of their grandfathers. Papa blessed them before they left Louisiana when all of their cousins were receiving their blessings the night before their school year started.  Their grandpa Adams blessed them last night too, on the eve of their first day of school. 

In Hunter's blessing she was promised a wonderful year at school, especially as this will be her last year in elementary school. She is to be a good example to all the kids at her school, especially those younger children who will be looking up to her.  She was blessed to be kind and respectful and to have courage to stand for what is right. She was blessed that her mind will be quick and active. She's encouraged to ask questions and participate so she can latch onto a good foundation of English, math, science and reading for future years. She will love learning. Last year her homework was very hard and time consuming. She was blessed that her homework will be easier than before and that many nights she will remember how far she's come. As she does hard things she becomes more like her Heavenly Father. She was reminded to continue her scripture study - and find quiet time to do so. That as she does this she will have a special love for them and her Savior.  She will come to know Jesus Christ as her brother. He can identify her feelings and needs and will answer her prayers. Hunter was told her teacher will pay attention to her needs and peak her interest and make her excited to learn. As her mommy finds a job and begins to work, she was blessed to be a help to me, as always. 

In Michael's blessing he was promised a great school year too! His teacher will love him and understand him and his needs. She will patient and kind.  He is to respond to her, be respectful and quiet at quiet times, to listen and learn and work hard and study. Michael will gain a love for reading and math. He will choose good friends, the best friends. As he chooses the right he will be an example to help others. He was blessed with health and strength. He was also blessed with love and compassion. His speech will improve this year. 

Ellie got a blessing too! She has grown to be a big girl and this year, as she is home by herself she will have a good time with her mom. She was blessed to learn new things and to be obedient and choose the right. She was blessed to be a good example and friend at church. She was blessed to keep her room and her bed clean. She is maturing into a young woman. 

We are so blessed to have the priesthood in our home. I'm so grateful these grandpas honor thier priesthood and can bless my children. This is going to be such a great school year!

Um, yep. Want this.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

New Shiney Rooms

While the kids were away, mommy and friend played. My dear friend helped me paint and redo the kids rooms. They were SO surprised and SO happy with the results.

Hunter got her coveted loft bed from IKEA decked out it all her favorite colors.


Michael and Ellie are little monkeys in their blue and green monkey room.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Emily all Primmed and Trimmed

Emily's new haircut!! Thanks to Jen's amazing stylist friend.




Wednesday, July 7, 2010

I love my Donna

Sandy and her boys came to see me off the morning I left Louisiana. I love my Donna. 






And I got to relish in my birthday regalia one last time :). I'm such a lucky girl.



Tuesday, July 6, 2010

A Big Giant Cookie Jar of Love

Before I left Louisiana to head back to Austin, I bought a huge cookie jar and filled it full of my kids' favorite homemade cookies. YUM! When they eat one they can think of how much their mommy loves them.






Two favorite recipes:

Emily's Super Awesome Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
  1/2 cup butter, softened
  1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
  1 cup brown sugar, packed
  1/2 cup granulated sugar
  1 tsp baking soda
  2 eggs
  1 tsp vanilla
  2 1/2 cups flour
  1 bag of Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
  1) cream together the butter, shortening and sugars. Add baking soda. If you're using unsalted butter, add 1/2 tsp salt here too.
  2) mix in eggs and vanilla.
  3) add flour, then chocolate chips.  I love adding nuts too.
  4) Bake at 375 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes. This is key here - don't over or under cook them. Keep an eye on the first pan and be sure to pull them our just as soon as the centers aren't shiny anymore and the edges are goldening up.


Emily's Super Awesome White Chocolate Chip Cookies
(same exact recipe, but substitute the chocolate chips with Ghirardelli classic white chips)


Enjoy ;)

Happy Birthday to me - again!

Elle showed me how to My wonderful mother in law gave me the best birthday present on my birthday! She taught me how to make her famous gumbo recipe. MMMmmm! It turned out SO yummy! I am so proud to know how to make it for myself here in Austin when I'm missing my Louisiana family and friends.


Elle even stepped in to help us cutting the onions just right. She actually did a really good job, with a butter knife to boot!


The entire day of my birthday I got to take it easy with my kids and my Voisin family. We just hung out at Sarah's house being with each other. Roland and Ellie fancied up Aunt Sandy.



Elle helped her grammy doll up too. Grammy said, "Elle came to help Grammy put on her make up almost every day that she slept over ... It was one of her favorite things to do with Grammy while she stayed in LA this summer :) . xoxoxo"

And she wasn't to be left out. Check out that long luxurious golden hair!