Home Life

Today was an absolutely CRAZY day!  We had so much going on we didn’t even know where to start!  The first part of the day was taken up shopping for basketball shoes for Kirstyn.  We looked all over and it was hard to find women’s high-tops!  She finally found a pair she liked and that were really comfortable so we were relieved!

Unfortunately, they cost us almost $100.  I know, that’s typical price for quality shoes, it’s just crazy that they cost so much.

We then took Zach to his first Basketball game, and he was pretty nervous (although excited too).  He was concerned that they might have a season like they did in football where they didn’t even win one game.  🙁  They played GREAT and they WON!!!  Zach was so excited!  He got to play a lot (great coaches that are all about playing time and having fun rather than winning).

Let’s hope they win more games… 🙂  That would be great!  He is really loving playing basketball, although he’s not quite 100% up with what’s going on yet since it’s only his first time ever playing!  🙂  Go Zach!!!

Tonight, Brittany and Kirstyn had parties that they went to so we had to truck them around.  We decided to have a date night, so we left Sarah at home with the boys in order to get away from some alone time!  Thanks Sarah!  🙂

Happy Birthday Kirstyn (yesterday)!!!  Big 13!  🙂  We opened presents, ate a great dinner in her honor, and had baked custard (instead of cake) which is one of Kirstyn’s favorites!

Tonight Kirstyn had a birthday party with a bunch of friends from school and church.  They had a great time eating a bunch of food from a nacho bar, playing games and enjoying one another’s company.  The party theme was a Mexican Fiesta.  The basement was all decorated accordingly and the kids had a great time!

Brittany made some really cute cupcakes for the group that looked very festive (see above).  She was vary proud of them.  🙂   The kids ate these cupcakes with vanilla ice cream or rainbow sherbet and then Angela pulled out the pinata!  They had fun doing that as well.  Kirstyn then opened her presents and had to give each and every one there a thank you hug after opening each gift.  We took a group picture before people started leaving and then they all sat around for the rest of the time playing games and having fun.

As people would leave, their parting gift was a Mexican soda with a paper flower attached to it.  Angela came up with the cool idea and the girls loved it.

After everyone was gone, Kirstyn spent a ton of time cleaning up the basement (a promise she had made in order to have the party).  🙂  She really had a bunch of fun tonight and we’re glad that all her friends could come!  Happy #13 Kirstyn!

Today we had a scare…  Sarah couldn’t get her car started after Seminary (and had to have it jumped).  She then couldn’t get it started after school and so I went up in the dark thinking I would have to do all this work in the dark and cold and when I got in, it STARTED RIGHT UP!  No difficulty whatsoever!

I don’t know what was wrong but we’re all good!  I’m thinking maybe she flooded it or something but who knows?  🙂  Whew!

Today we had our Stake Youth Theme Fireside and Brittany was asked to lead the music for the event.  She was pretty nervous but she did a great job!  She was so cute up there leading and smiling!  🙂  The theme for this year’s youth is “Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations.”  There is a whole bunch of cool on-line content that goes with it.  Check it out!  https://www.lds.org/youth/theme/2012?lang=eng.

There is also a new For the Strength of Youth pamphlet coming out and the on-line material is great as well:  https://www.lds.org/youth/for-the-strength-of-youth?lang=eng.  This site has some great resources for both parents and youth!

Yesterday we took advantage of the big snow storm and while Brittany and Sarah were otherwise engaged, Angela and I took the boys and Kirstyn sledding at a nearby hill.  We had a great time!

It was pretty cold so we weren’t out too long.  Kirstyn’s hands were ice cubes by the time we were done because she said he wasn’t going to sled much and brought little, thin, knit gloves.  I had to lend her my gloves so she could feel her fingers again.  🙂

After sledding, we came home and warmed up with some hot chocolate!  🙂

Today we got hit with a big storm that closed the schools early and closed work early.  Even though I left early from work, it still took me over 2 1/2 hours to get home.  The roads were a mess and I think that when it snows around here (especially the first big snow), people take their brain out of their heads and replace it with oatmeal.  🙂

Angela had a fun experience with Ben in the van when she got rear-ended today!  😐  She saw it coming and knew the lady wasn’t going to be able to stop…  She didn’t bump the van very hard and it only put a slight scratch on the bumper so she was just fine.  When she hit the van, Ben said “Mom, did we just get hit by that lady!  Why did she do that?”  It was pretty funny.  🙂  Everyone is OK and we have yet another experience to put in our vault of interesting things.  🙂

Zachary started basketball today and had his first practice!  This is the first time he has ever played and it is funny watching him.  Most of the team have played before so they know what they are doing.  They are patient with Zach, however.  🙂  When he came home, he said he loved it!  We’ll see how the season goes.  About half-way through football season, he decided he wanted to play basketball with his friends as well.  The coaches are wonderful (one is a neighbor of ours and the other is the Zach’s football coach).  They are great with the kids.

Go Zach!

Tonight we had an Art Speaks meeting at Neuqua High School.  We discussed an event we have coming up on February 9th which should be fantastic.  ARTSpeaks features prominent speakers who will share how their involvement in the fine arts as a public school student molded their way of thinking and contributed to success in their chosen field.

For our February 9th event, we will be having Professor David King from Harvard University, Sean McCollum author of 30 published books and content specialist for Kennedy Center’s ArtsEdge website and Brian Pertl former manager at Microsoft Corporation and current Dean of the Music Conservatory at Lawrence University come and speak.  We heard Brian Pertl present a few months ago and it was funny, engaging and fascinating listening to him play his Didgeridoo.

Check out ARTSpeaks on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/ARTSpeaksNaperville/104018973055732!

Well, today the kids had to get up early again after a 2 week break and go back to school!  🙁  They weren’t too thrilled about it because they wanted to sleep in.  Oh well, such is life!  🙂  It was a very nice Christmas break we had together as a family, though!  🙂