Elvis Lives!!

I watched him in concert just last night! I even have pictures to prove it!  All these years people thought Elvis was dead.  I knew he wasn't, but I was confused as to who he was.  See, my younger brother Stephen was born on the day Elvis supposedly died.  I assumed that Stephen was Elvis.  He didn't have the same moves as the Elvis everyone knew, but I thought that was just part of his disguise :)  Last night though, I learned differently. 

I was at the Elementary school concert watching my six beautiful children perform when all of a sudden the announcer said that we had a special guest.  The King was going to perform for us! Then, dressed in jumpsuit and cape, Elvis comes running out on stage!

 

Of course there were cheers and clapping.  Who wouldn't cheer and clap for the King?!  Then he started singing with the elementary kids as back up.

 

He was a little shorter than I would have thought and a little more girly than it showed him on TV but there was no denying, the King was in the building!

 





Then I realized that the King looked an awful lot like Maddi :)  Who knew that all these years I was raising Elvis! 

The theme of the concert was Rock and Roll.  They took us through the history of Rock and Roll starting with the cave men.  It was fiun to watch.  The 6th graders got to do the acting and solos while the other grades sang and danced.  Maddi also got to be a nerd during the hippie stage and got to sing a solo.

 

 

All the kids did a great job and it was fun to watch.  And if anyone wants Elvis' autograph, I am selling them for $50 each.  If you want an autographed picture, it will be $100 ;)



April Showers

This winter has seemed to drag on forever!  We had so much snow.  It seemed like there was a new storm every week and every storm left 6 or more inches on the ground for us to shovel away.  The end of March came and things started melting a little.  By the first weekend in April the snow in our yard had finally all melted off.  Spring was on it's way! Then the storms started coming again.

April 9th brought snow and an early dissmissal followed by 2 more snow days and over a foot of snow.

 

We had a break for a couple of days and then on the 14th we were snowed/iced in again.  There was freezing rain and blowing snow.  I couldn't get out of my driveway until Monday evening after the ice had softened and I could finally shovel through it.

 

 

Thursday brought another storm with at least 6 inches of snow and another early out along with more shovelling.

 

 

Today, more of the same.  It is still snowing while I type!  The kids had yet another early out and we have 6 more inches of snow coming today.  This is what it looks like out my front door right now.

 

 

 

Nice, huh?  Now I realize we need moisture and all that stuff but I wish it would come in the form of 60 degree rain instead of 30 degree snow :)  Warmer weather is promised by the weekend.  I am keeping my fingers corssed!!

 







Zane Turns 10!

Last week we celebrated Zane's 10th birthday.  He was so excited for it to come.  I  must say, I felt bad.  We had a huge winter storm come through that week.  It started Tuesday and went through Thursday night.  School was called off and we were all stuck at home for two and a half days.  Friday the kids finally went back to school and I went to the store to get groceries and a few final things for Zane's birthday.  At the store I realized I had forgotten about treats to send to school with him.  I quickly bought some cupcakes to drop off on my way home.  I also forgot to ask him what kind of cake he wanted and what he wanted for his birthday supper.  I just guessed and hoped he wouldn't be dissappointed.  Saturday was his birthday.  Michael had to work in the morning and I had to take Maddi to a youth activity in the afternoon.  I felt like he was kind of pushed off to the side because of all the crazy things that went on that week!

It did all come together though.  Michael got the supper made while I was with Maddi.  Makenna made the cake and I decorated it when I got home. (I had to stop and buy ice cream on the way home because I forgot that too.)  He opened presents through out the day - some with me and some with Michael. 

He liked his supper and he wasn't dissappointed with the cake choice. 

We tried to make up for it by letting him have a friend over after school this week.  The weather even cooperated a little yesterday and he was able to take his new bow out (a week after he got it) and do some target shooting.

We are so thankful for Zane.  He adds so much to our family.  It has been fun to watch him grow and change.  This has been a hard year for him.  He seems to be a little lost, trying to find out where he fits in and exactly who he is and what he wants to do.  He keeps a good attitude though and looks for the fun in things.  He tried all the sports this year and has found a new interest in the bow.  He also joined the newspaper crew at school and seems to enjoy being involved in that.  He loves to learn new things - unless it involves math and he loves to be outside running free! We love Zane very much and can't imagine life without him!

Lion King

After months of waiting the big weekend finally arrived!  The girls and I packed our bags and headed out of town.  We grabbed a couple of friends along the way, loaded up with snacks, games and music and away we went!  We were headed to Omaha to watch the Lion King.  It was a Christmas present from Michael's mom and we were all excited that the day had finally arrived.  We invited the Olsen girls to come along with us and Michael's mom was also flying in for the special occasion.  Friday night it was just me, my girls and the oldest Olsen girls.  We got to the hotel after a little bit of confused driving in downtown Omaha.  Luckily I had several pairs of eyes looking for the hotel and we eventually found it, figured out how to park and successfully checked in and got all our luggage up to our room.  The first thing on the list was swimming.  We changed into our suits and off we went.

We swam for a while and then took a break to eat pizza and check out the fitness room :)  After we had digested we headed back to the pool and swam some more.

 

Then it was back up to the room for a little TV time, lots of giggling and some pretty good storytelling :)  We finally settled down around midnight but were back up and going by 7:15 Saturday morning.  After breakfast we headed back to the pool (that was the favorite place) and swam until lunchtime.  Then we got dressed for the day and headed to the mall while we waited for Pam, Ellie and Joyce to arrive.

 

When they got there we got all ready and headed to the Old World Market to check out the shops and restaurants before the play started.  It was a beautiful evening and everyone was so excited for the play to start.

 

 



 

The big moment finally arrived and we headed to the Theater.  It was beautiful inside and the play was amazing! It lasted almost three hours but it didn't seem like it.  Olivia made it through 3/4ths of it before she dozed off.  The rest of us lasted through the whole thing.

 

 

 

 

We got back to the hotel around 11pm and got ready to go swim (again) but the pool had been taken over by a big, mostly drunk frat party.  We ended up in the lobby eating popcorn and drinking pop.  Then we went back to our rooms and watched TV and played for a while.  We were in bed with lights out by 1am.  Sunday morning it was up and to the pool one last time before checking out.

 





After we left the hotel we went to the zoo for a few hours and had lunch.  The kids enjoyed the train ride around the zoo. 

 

They also had fun seeing the gorillas and the new lion cubs.  It was 70 degrees when we left Omaha and headed home.  By the time we got back to Hendricks it was rainy and 40.  Welcome home :) 

 

It was a great weekend and the kids had so much fun being together and hanging out.  From the sounds of things, Michael and the boys had fun too.  They went to the rodeo and the boys helped Michael at the feedlot.  Two of the boys ended up falling in the nasty mess out there but it didn't slow them down.  They got to stay up late and watch movies and sleep out in the living room. 

 

This morning was tough getting up and moving for everyone!  Just a sign that we all had a good time!

Tender Mercies

This week has been a time for me to focus on the Savior and all He has done for me.  I have felt His presence greatly in my life and have been blessed beyond anything that I have deserved.  Prayers have been answered, fears have been calmed, worries have been erased and confidence has come.  This last week I have been touched by two very big blessings.  I know that not all stories have happy endings, no matter how much faith is involved.  Sometimes hard things happen for a reason and even if we have all the faith in the world, we cannot stop them from happening.  Those experiences teach us things that we might could never learn any other way.  This week I was blessed with happy endings.  I want to share these with you.

The first one happened on Wednesday.  I was subbing at the elementary school.  Over my lunch break I texted Michael to see how his day was.  He texted back and said it was not very good.  He had gotten run over by cows and was pretty sore.  To be honest, I didn't think a whole lot of it except for "Ouch! That must have hurt!"  After all, Michael has been run over by a lot of things over the last almost 13 years - draft horses, quarter horses, races horses, he even got hit and thrown about 20 feet by a 150lb steel ball!  A few cows just added to his list of stories.  However, that evening when I got home he called and told me more about it.  First of all, he was on cement, I thought he was in the squishy pens.  There were about thirty 900lb cows running at him, only about 10 of them ran over him.  He got stepped on and pulled to the ground.  Both legs got stepped on, one of which is very bruised and sore.  He got kicked in the cheek as one cow went over the top of him.  The back of his head got kicked and his left shoulder got stepped on several times resulting in swelling around his shoulder blade and his chest.  As he talked, the realization of what could have happened set in.  He was very lucky to have escaped so easily that day (easily being used very loosely here).  His glasses were bent up, his hat knocked off his head. It really was not a good situation.  That morning, as with all mornings, we had our family prayer.  Zane had said the prayer and asked for Michael to be safe at work.  The Lord heard his prayer and it was answered in a very real way.  The rest of the week I have had these emotions riding around in my heart about what could have happened and how thankful I was that it didn't.  It has been very powerful to me.

The second happened Friday.  My mom called me Friday night to tell me that one of my neices was being life flighted to the Boise hospital in Idaho.  She is 5, just a few months younger than Olivia.  Her dad, grandparents, aunt and uncle had taken her and her sisters and four cousins swimming that afternoon.  At one point, Savannah was found face down in the water.  Her dad grabbed her and her uncle started performing CPR.  She was dead when they found her.  While her uncle was performing the CPR her father gave her a priesthood blessing.  (In our church worthy, righteous men are given the priesthood which the authority to act in God's name.  It is used to lead the church and bless it's members on many different levels.) They loaded her on the ambulance and took her to the helicopter.  After blood work was done they determined that she had been under the water for about 5 minutes.  After two days in the hospital she was able to come home.  She is still weak but she is ok.  Another tender mercy of the Lord.  He heard my brother-in-law's blessing.  He heard my sister's prayers.  He heard the prayers of the rest of the family.  He answered those prayers and my little neice was saved.

Today as I sat in church and listened to the testimonies and the hymns my heart was full.  I looked at my six children, all healthy and well. I looked at my husband and though he still limps when he walks and groans when he moves his left side, he is here and with me.  I looked at the picture of my little neice smiling as she wore her caped and walked the halls of the hospital - what a beautiful little girl.

We talk about the Atonement of Christ.  We talk about how it gives us the opportunity to repent and be forgiven.  It allows us to return to our Heavenly Father and live with Him and our families forever.  It is more than that though.  Because of the Atonement, Christ has felt our sorrows and pain.  He knows our joys and triumphs.  He can be with us as we wade through trials and afflictions and give us comfort while we wait for the skies to clear.  He can then envelope us in peace and joy as we celebrate the breaking of the sun through the clouds.  He lifts us up when we need it, He gives us strength when we are weak, He listens when no one else is around and He loves when no one else does.  Because of the Atonement, we are never alone.  There is always some one who knows what we are going through, always some one who has felt the same pain.  He has felt OUR pain and He knows how to comfort and strengthen us perfectly.

I know Christ lives.  I know that through Him we will live again.  One the third day He rose and we will too.  Our spirits and our bodies will be reunited in perfect form.  I will see my oldest sister in a healthy body.  I will see my dad without his handicap.  I will see my grandma with a healthy mind. Through His Atonement we can become perfected and live with Him and our Father in Heaven again.  What a wonderful blessing.  What an amazing gift.  What a beautiful reason to celebrate.

Work and Then Play

Last Friday Michael's boss gave him a $100 handshake with instructions to take me out to dinner.  Instead we decided to let the kids earn a fun night out.  We took them to the feedlot Saturday morning and let htem help out with some chores.  Maddi and Makenna helped  me scrub down the walls in the office so they could be painted.  They were quite nasty but we worked hard and got them done.

 

The boys and Olivia went out to the shop and stomped pop cans.  I think they got the best end of the deal :)

 

Olivia the photo bomber :)

 

 

 

After chores were done at the feedlot we went home, cleaned up, did our house chores and headed to town.  We took the kids to Buffalo Wild Wings for supper.  They all seemed to enjoy that.  Then, with our gift certificate we got for Christmas, we went to the movie.  We went to see The Croods.  The kids loved it!  They also loved getting their own popcorn, pop and candy.  It was so fun to be able to take them out for such a treat after working together all morning.  They have been talking about it all week.  It was nice to see them pull together to get the work done and then have fun together after it was finished.

 



 

A Day With My Youngest Princess

Earlier this week I got to spend the day with Princess Olivia.  Over the weekend she had seemed quite frustrated with life.  She was grumpy and spent a lot of time picking at the other kids and fighting.  Tuesday morning when Michael got up for work she came and climbed in bed with me to snuggle.  She begged and begged to stay with me for the day.  I could tell that she needed some one on one time and maybe a little break from every day life.  I texted Michael to see what he thought of me letting her stay with me for the day.  He said it was fine. 

The other kids had a late start so we dropped them off at school, took a treat to Michael and the two of us headed to Watertown for a day of shopping and fun!  We were on a mission to find the perfect Hello Kitty swimsuit for our upcoming trip to Omaha.  We started at Target.  No luck there but we did fid some Hello Kitty lipgloss in the $1 bin.  A good start to the day.  After that we headed to Shopko.  No luck there either.  There just happened to be a McDonalds near Shopko so we took a lunch break.  She even ended up getting a free hot fudge sundae because she was so cute!  After lunch we headed to the mall.  Still no Hello Kitty swimsuit but we found some great sunglasses and a cool Hello Kitty pen with 8 different colors of ink. 

After the mall we went to Menards to get some stuff for the bathroom and then ended our shopping day at Walmart.  There we hit the jackpot!  Not only did we find the perfect Hello Kitty swimsuit, but we also found Hello Kitty pajamas!  She was one happy girl.  She bought them with her own money and couldn't wait to get home and try things on!

That night she sat with me on the couch snuggling and telling me over and over how much she loved me.  I could see the change in her and was so glad that we were able to take a break from life  and spend the day together.  I think sometimes we all need that!  The rest of the week she has been a different person then the little girl I dealt with over weekend.  It's amazing what a little special attention can do for a person!

Leprechaun Fun

Every year for St. Patrick's Day we do a treasure hunt.  The kids call the leprechauns to come then they have to go hide in a room in the house.  While they are hiding, the leprechauns come leave clues for the kids to find treats.  Each year it is a little different.  This year they had to find the colors of the rainbow.  When all the colors of the rainbow were found, they had to go outside and run around the house once.  When they got back there was a pot of gold at the end of their rainbow of treats.  It is simple but the kids look forward to it every year. 

 

We ended our festivities by eating a green supper.  Lately our traditional Sunday supper has been sourdough hotcakes.  We make a double batch which makes over forty and they all get eaten every time!  Tonight we colored them green :)  They looked quite disgusting but they tasted great and as usual, there were none left over.

 

 



That was our fun for the day!  Farewell Leprechauns - until next year!