New Year, New Resolve....

I know we are all making New Years resolutions.... well most of us, which is a good thing. It is good to set new goals and evaluate our lives every now and then. It can actually be exciting to think of things in our lives being different no matter how good things might be. It is like having a brand new chance. I have made some realistic resolutions this year and one of them involves my new Breville juicer aka "Juicy Lucy" as I so have affectionately called her. It makes it more exciting for the kids to drink Juicy Lucy's concoctions in the morning because they came from Juicy Lucy and not from dear old Mom.

Anyway, this is my two cents. I have been moving over to a more healthy organic food lifestyle now for 3yrs and have beat myself up numerous times for not being able to do it all at once... ya know all the soaking, etc. But, duh! I have realized that is how life is.... we do things that way... ease into them. So, this year.... add into those resolutions a new resolve to eat better. Feed your body something better. Even pick just one thing you are going to do different. Remember this is how you get there... one step at a time. I'm pointed in the right direction.... have a ways to go, but headed that way anyway. Happy New Year.... to a happy, healthy New Year!

My precious Chloe...

I had these pictures taken recently by a talented Andrea Jones here in Helena. I bet you are jealous I just squished and kissed those cheeks and toes....

Rodeo

This was taken a few months ago.... we went camping and to a rodeo in Lincoln, MT. It was a great time. I got no sleep with the baby but the kids thought it was the greatest thing ever. This picture makes me laugh because Brooke is the life of the party as usual.... Spencer is laughing at Brooke..... Makenzie has been bugged in some way by Brooke... total depiction of the usual. It is great... Rodeo is the right word for what it is like around here sometimes. We had such a great summer and fall this year. I think it is too late to back post on it all so since I am back on the blog wagon I think I'll start right here in the present.

The Faith of Abraham Lincoln

Watch this video.... I love hearing about inspired men! Hope in a vast scope of seeming hopelessness!

Randomly Catching Up....

I found this picture on my camera.... Brooke and Makenzie went around outside snapping random pictures. This warms my heart especially because this looks like two sisters that are loving each other.... which is not always the case :)

Makenzie turned 4....

Chloe is melting all our hearts.... she is pretty much used to always being held and entertained. I think I will be in for a battle when 2 of the entertainers go back to school. Babies are the best and the most hilarious beings on the planet.

Brooke lost 2 teeth... I found this note under her pillow....

Brooke... the last week of school.

This is Chloe's blessing day! She was a doll and we were so lucky to have both of our parents there. Two great couples on either side of us. We have been blessed to have such great parents. Heather is missing from the picture, but she was there with her kids as well. I love our family!

Things on the calendar for the summer.... trip to Lake Blane... camping in Waterton... soaking up the sun at the pool... picnics.... sitting on the front porch watching those amazing Montana sunsets and watching the kids ride motorbikes... Summer 2010 is shaping up to be a good one. Hope you are having a good one too!

Out of options....

(My little "monsters" looking not so monsterish)

Today was one of those days with the kids. I found tons of junk under beds and other missing life essentials in odd places around my house. I found dirty laundry stuffed places so as to not be brought ALL the way up the stairs to the laundry room. Brooke embarrassed me with some classic "girl" behavior and I was just sick and tired of riding everyones tails today to do chores. Nothing I have tried so far works.... so out of options I pulled the Mother of the year card and did something that had them shaking in their little monster outfits.

We had a heart to heart meeting in which I told them I had failed miserably as "Mom". I wasn't teaching them to be kind... or they would be kind. I wasn't teaching them to work.... or they would know how to. I just was failing at teaching them all the life essentials, so there was only one thing for us to do. They all looked at me puzzled and asked me just what that was.

BOARDING SCHOOL..... yep... that was the place they could learn these essentials, because I wasn't doing a very good job. They asked about boarding school and I told them it was the place to go when you couldn't live with Mom and Dad anymore because Mom and Dad weren't teaching you how to be good little girls and boys. (How AWFUL am I?) Kyle even looked up and pretended to call a few places that could take kids on an emergency basis right away. I even looked distraught as I explained how sorry I was I had failed them and there was nothing left we could do. I was out of options. They started to quickly think of other options like never being unkind again and keeping their rooms clean, but I just wasn't convinced.

There were many things explained including the disciplinary procedures at boarding school, the type of food served etc. They were definitely not liking what they heard.

Well... I know I didn't earn any brownie points in heaven and I really do know I'm not earning any Mother of the year awards but my kids are all sleeping in clean bedrooms tonight. I know if they fail at all their promises I'm supposed to follow through, which is obviously not an option, but I guess for tonight I am queen of the house.... and somehow it just feels worth it.

Small Dog Syndrome

Our dog has small dog syndrome... he thinks he can go after anything and that it is scared of him. We have saved him a few times from deer that were not so impressed by his antics. It is pretty funny at first until I see him holding his own against a few deer that are about ready to pounce on him.