forever!

we had a very good but also a very long saturday yesterday-with kelsi's volleyball tournament lasting all day and then chores to run in idaho falls...we left before 8 am and arrived home shortly before 8 pm. i was tired-i still needed to feed the animals, clean the house for Sunday and we still needed dinner because i was out of money for take-out! the kids were so patient and i was thankful for that. i opened the fridge to see what to make to eat and there was food in there i hadn't put in there, so i started looking around the house and i spied one of kent's overnight bags for work in our bedroom. i was so excited...i literally got butterflies! i told the kids i think daddy is home, we ran all over the house but there was no sign of him in the house and his car was gone then we realized his massage table was gone and that was where he was at. it was such a nice surprise, even though it meant they were out of work in the field...i really wanted to see him. i slept wonderfully, i love when he's home-i feel so safe. he left to work this morning-such a trooper. then the kids and i went to church-it was ward conference: i came in a little late to sunday school and sat by myself (which usually wouldn't bother me) but i guess i was feeling a little lonely today. then we sang the song "each life that touches ours for good" in relief society and we came to the line..."when such a friend from us departs, we hold forever in our hearts"...i missed my friend that left this morning, but i am so happy that kent and i have forever to be together-i am so blessed to have him in my life!

JACI LOVES KENT FOREVER!

february in review

calendar quotes:
"becoming holy" by Sister Wendy Watson Nelson
...i believe that what was enough last year won't be enough for this year. i believe that if we are really going to do what we came her to do, and that the Lord is counting on us to do, that we need to seek in every way we can to be more holy, to invite more holiness into our lives so that we can, as the forces around us are increasing in intensity, have an equal and opposite reaction to those forces!

"there are too many of us who put question marks instead of periods after what the Lord says. just trust in the Lord...we shouldn't try to spend time explaining what the Lord didn't see fit to explain. -Harold B. Lee
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i can't believe february is over, i was having a meeting the other day and someone said let's have our next meeting on march 18th, i said that's kind of far away and they looked at me funny and said it's only in two weeks-yikes! brooke started out our month with a fun cheerleading clinic...she absolutely loved it-and so did her mom. i was telling someone how much she was enjoying cheerleading and she piped up "but i still love gymnastics more!" it's so much fun to see what my kids get excited about.
we were also able to go for a weekend to burley for my grandmas 83rd birthday and see lots of my family-which is always fantastic!
my kids were so happy to be able to swim, this picture just crack me up-you might wonder what is getting all the attention of so many...a baby-my sister christy's little boy, tyden...he was everyone's favorite! we just all couldn't get enough of him.
kelsi had finished her ski school the day before we went to burley but she had been asking if she could go again, so we called on the prices...$50 for a half day! kent and i talked and decided that she could go for getting straight A's- so she called one of her friends and i took her up after school at 2:30...they stayed until after 9:00-it was so fun to watch her, she's quite good and so stinkin' cute, huh!
i did tell her that i didn't know if she could go to public schools anymore after sitting in a ski lodge with 4 other high schools-and listening to their language. :(
we had some way beautiful days this month-cold but lots of sunshine...we took advantage of one and went ice skating, once is plenty for us.
i also went cross country skiing for the first time-i was horrible of course, i even crash on small hills but it was such a nice day and i love spending time outside.
kaden has been wanting to see percy jackson for a long time and since he got straight A's too- i told him i would take him after i finished the books, i have to admit i was not impressed with the movie at all but the books are okay...i have a few issues with them, they definately are a "kid read" but kaden loved them and i love to talk to him about them...
kaden asked who my favorite god was and i told him Hestia, goddess of hearth and home. she's only a minor goddess but i love what role she plays in the last book...she tells percy "not all powers are spectacular. sometimes the hardest power to master is the power of yielding-----i keep the peace. i yield when necessary." i loved that- i told kaden it reminded me of the scripture: "blessed are all the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God" -3 Nephi 12:9

stranger

i had came upstairs from our storage room and i told the kids "there's a strange boy in kelsi's bathroom!" and everyone says "no way" i said "come and see" everyone came with me, even brooke who was a little hesitant...she's not a fan of strange boys. i said "see..."
brooke rolled her eyes at me and said "mom that is not a strange boy-that's justin bieber and kelsi loves him!" i don't think i like finding strange boys in my bathrooms! :)

silly koy

koy is such a silly boy especially when he gets around his friends...he loves to make people laugh and i think that is such a good quality but he also has a hard time knowing when the appropriate times to be silly are-like not in church!
last week the neighbor boy-justin (above in the picture) came over and asked if he could play and koy told him "no, i'm grounded" and justin asked "why are you grounded?" and koy responded "i was bad-like my mom!"

this made me laugh we had a family home evening lesson on reverence (again!) and we talked about putting off the "natural man" and yielding to the enticings of the Holy Spirit...so i told koy that i was like him that even as a grown up (and i should know better) i have a hard time being reverent -i told him a few of the many times when i was not reverent : in college i got the giggles in our dorm prayer and i made my roommate cry because i was so silly, and i told him that in relief society i have been shushed before, and in my aerobics class i've been asked to quit talking...i said when i get around my friends i get silly too when it's not appropriate and forget to be reverent and respectful. putting off the "natural man" is hard, so i hope he got more than he was just bad like his mom!

january in review

calendar quotes:

"i urge you to examine your life. determine where you are and what you need to be the kind of person you want to be. create inspiring, noble, and righteous goals that fire the imagination and create excitement in your heart. and then keep your eye on them. work consistently towards achieving them!" -Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

considering the incomprehensible cost of the crucifixion, Christ is not going to turn his back on us now. -april ensign 1998
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i still can't believe january is over, but it is! we have found plenty to keep us busy (even with our limited finances from christmas) brooke gave a talk in primary and did a very good job...she told me that now that she can read her own talks you don't need to come in anymore-i told her i would always come in and see her! she also finished her first semester in first grade and did very well: all A's and B's and one F on a spelling test, she liked to tell everyone i got an F-i think she thought it was good :)

kelsi kept busy with ski school every friday, she did the snowboarding...i haven't seen her but i am sure she is awesome and she had a blast! kelsi got straight A's in all her classes...her teachers all commented on how organized and on task she is-i love that kelsi tries so hard to excel in all her classes.

kaden also got straight A's and continues to love to learn...he read "the rangers apprentice" series(5 books) in december and "the hobbit" in january and is currently on the second percy jackson book "the sea of monsters"and can't wait for "percy jackson and the olympians, the lightening thief" to come to movie theatre's on february 15-i had to read the book too so i can take him to see the movie.
most of our january has been spent playing in the snow and my kids have been so happy to have enough to play in...
brooke wanted an ice cave "like aunt christy made" i still need a little work-we fit 4 kids in aunt christy's! a silly story: i was shoveling snow one afternoon and it was very heavy so i checked to see if you could roll a snowman and sure enough-so i thought i will build a snowman for my kids to see as they get off the bus...well i start building and as i'm building here comes the bus down the road...i forgot it was early out! well i looked around and felt a little silly building a snowman all by myself-so the bus driver opened the door and i said "oh good, you brought me some play mates!" she laughed and the kids hurried inside and all came out to help with the snowman and it turned into a whole family of snowmen: koy, kaden (harry potter), mom, kelsi (cool in her shades), dad and brooke (upside down-my favorite!)...
kent was out of town so when he got home from work they greeted him-he called the newspaper and they came out and put them in the paper, the kids were all excited except kelsi who couldn't believe that i put her name in the newspaper-how embarrassing!
we went to the snowfest and had absolutely beautiful weather, kaden really wanted to do the polar bear swim but i didn't bring any towels or swimsuits, i teased him he could jump in his undies...he said okay! i didn't let him...
i love that my kids love to be outside even in the cold-they don't get that from me...i am trying to be better.
i took brooke to the beauty school for a much needed haircut- we requested a girl and as we were sitting brooke noticed some boys working there and said "mom, do boys cut hair?" i said "yes" she said "i don't want a boy to cut my hair"-i hope she is always afraid of boys :)
after that a very nice boy named chad came over and said "hi, i'm going to be cutting your hair today" she looked terrified but still let him do it-a big step for boo...oh, the shampoo station-heaven!
this is exactly how brooke looked the whole time-she was so bored and was quickly losing all patience for holding still...*brooke says "remember aunt kara, you owe me a present"
but it turned out so cute! yay! she won't wear it with her bangs to the side like this-but they did cover up her "own hair cut" and it's so easy in the morning.
oh what january fun!

brooke's sign

i love the stage when my kids learn to write on their own and they are just so excited to write: little signs and notes pop up everywhere...
i love that you have to try to decipher the whole thing, it's so cute...i kind of wish we didn't have to teach them the "right" way-this is alot more fun!

december in review

calendar quotes:

"if we are on the Lord's errand...we are entitled to the Lord's help"

-President Monson

"do you want a spirit of love to grow in the world? then begin within the walls of your own home. behold your little ones, and see within them the wonders on God, from whose presence they have recently come."

-President Gordon B. Hinckley

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i started the month out with a fun birthday party for my friend, kris-she turned 40 and seriously looks fabulous...we had such a fun time and i am so thankful that i have such good friends:

a friend is a person willing to take me the way i am but who is willing and able to leave me better than she found me!

then diane got together a gingerbread house decorating day, it was alot of fun...my kids just did them all by themselves-look at koys concentration;
this is all the silly kids and their beautiful houses, i love how they are all so different and they were all pleased with them!
we also of course got to see santa-this was the first year brooke has ever asked for anything-she wanted some make-up.
kaden asked for the fossil fighters game for his DS and some ranger's apprentice books. before he sat on santa's lap he said to me "don't you think i'm a little too old for this mom?" =( never!
koy asked for mario and sonic at the winter games for his DS.
the kids were super excited to get some snow, no they are not worshipping it...they are white washing themselves-so silly!

kelsi had a birthday party with 6 of her school friends- they went to "new moon" and ate at craigo's and squealed all night long...she is now a teenager (13) i hope she stays as sweet as she is now-kelsi really is fantastic, i couldn't ask for a better girl! i love you kelsi cute!

i just loved this picture that kent took of brooke and koy-both in their christmas spirit!

kent was scheduled to work christmas in pinedale, so we decided to go there with him for a little bit. my kids were super excited-it still took way to long to get there for them (3 hours) but they had a blast. we were able to stay with Aunt Christy over night, my kids love their Aunt Christy so that is party enough for them but pinedale also has an amazing aquatic center that we were able to go to for 2 days. these pictures make me so happy-every community should have such a fun (affordable $17 a day for our family) place to go!

they had a big water slide and lazy river and fun toys to play on and then they had a completely separate lap pool which they had a big blow up water toy on, my kids thought it was very fun-you had to swim 25 yards to be able to go in the diving end and brooke, kelsi and kaden of course past but koy touched the side 2 times so they wouldn't let him the first day. then the next day he went to do his swim test and that little stinker-jumped right in the middle and he made it-all the life guards were way impressed but no one was as happy as koy...he still talks about passing the swim test.

they had all kinds of other activities you could do there too-they let the kids go on all the equipment which my kids love running on the treadmills and olipticals, a running lap track inside, playing raquetball, ping-pong, a whole game room and gym but there second favorite thing to do besides swim was the rock wall and it was a serious rock wall...we definetly kept the belayers busy. i even climbed-alot harder than it looks as i tell my kids which grips to grab-and i was totally sweating by the top. brooke climbed the most which is so surprising to me because she is my most cautious child-but they all were great climbers!

then kent was able to come home for christmas eve so we came back to rexburg and had christmas-it was nice to be at home! everyone must have been good because they got what they wanted =) kent opened this gift and brooke asked "what is it?" and i said "wingers sauce" and koy said "weiner sauce?" we all got a good laugh!

here's the end product-everyone happy and a house full of joy!

so Merry Christmas to all and to all a GOOD NIGHT!