Sunday Smiles

Breakfast in Bed....BIG SMILES

I smiled all week, in my weakness, when my kids took turns being home sick.

Jeremy Monday through Thursday.
Gavin Wednesday through Friday.
Clarissa .....Friday through today....
and Me...I lost track!


I love snuggling with kids, and I love taking care of them.

I don't like that they are miserable; but I am thankful to be their mom and that they need me, and trust me, and that I can lay with them, rub their foreheads, bring them comfort items, give them good eats in bed, LOVE them.




I smiled when we had an extra day of sunshine. I think we are spoiled in the Fall with beautiful blue skies. I long for the few beautiful days of pure sunshine in the Winter!
It makes me think that when we have so much we really don't appreciate it...until it's gone. I try to remember this and hope to be better at appreciating what I have when I have it.


I even smiled when it began to snow,....again!

I smiled this week when I got two letters in the mail.
People don't write letters much these days. With email, texting, blogs....handwritten letters have gone by the wayside.

With the greatest anticipation I gently opened the envelopes.

On Thursday it was a letter from my Visiting Teacher Sister Johnson. She is in Norway tending to her mother who is aging and needing to be put in a care center. It was nice to hear from her and I was able to pray that she would have comfort and peace at this time.

Then Saturday this came:

...i LOVE letters from my Grandfather.
Grand words of wisdom and love shared from his heart.
Today I opened the letter and found Sunshine.

BIG SMILES!

I smiled when one morning Jeremy told me my hair was "confused".

Brian interjected and said it was "organized chaos, just like her life".

My hair being the topic of conversation made me smile....Brian comparing my hair to my life made me smile bigger. He defined that to an ordinary person my life may seem chaotic....but he knows I know exactly what, when, who, and how at all times....Just ask him, "she tells me when, where, and how much!"

...Organized Chaos?

[That sounds like a subject that needs
further pondering,
and potentially some rambling.]

I smiled when at the Pinewood Derby Jeremy made a new friend.
There was an altercation of sorts. Something to do with a Basketball and a Boys head. ...

...moments later Jeremy found himself at the fountain, and this boy was behind him. The boy looked really angry.

I asked him: Whats up buddy?
He said: I am MAD.
Me: Why?
the Boy: HIM [and he pointed to Jeremy.]
Me: What happened?
the Boy: HE hit me in the head with the Basketball.

Jeremy: I really didn't mean to hit you. I am sorry.
the Boy: [little tears welling up in his eyes] I FORGIVE YOU.
Jeremy: Want to be my friend.
the Boy: Sure
Jeremy: You can come play at my house anytime


ME...left standing in the hallway, witnessing the truth of Forgiveness right before my eyes.

Smiling....and wondering. What makes it so hard for adults to just Forgive...and forget, and ask if you want to come play sometime....

I smiled when the boys were getting ready for snowboarding lessons. Sam was showing Jeremy how to strap in, and to do turns. Jeremy fell, and Sam promptly helped him up.


I smiled because in that moment I knew that they would both always be okay, because they have each other. When one falls, the other will help him up.


I smiled when I came across the pictures of last weeks adventure with Grandpa and the girls at Clarissa's school.

I plan to post them....it was such a fun memory made.

Such grown up girls, and such a delight to be with Grandpa! ♥
I smiled when I yelled SLUG BUG first....

...then realized that I had been first,
because I was alone in the car!

[A smile that brought more pondering...
what happens when they grow up and move away,
I don't want to think about it...
however,
I plan to relish the time I have now,
with them SLUG BUGGING one another!]

I smiled when before my procedure last Friday

Sam wanted a picture with ME.

I am usually bargaining and begging for a picture with my kid.
They are so busy, and I am just the photographer

[among other roles].

To be asked to be in a picture with him....yeah,

BIG SMILES!!!

I smiled when Gavin made a Trip MEAT Trip CHEESE sandwich. He makes them OFTEN, and I can never figure out where he puts it all....and then I look up to him, and I know!

My baby has grown up.

I smiled when the girls made a couch out of the car seats.

Literally.

We have no couch upstairs at the moment; and with all the Skiing and Snowboarding and driving to Park City we have stuck/stored the Car SEATS in the front room. The girls decided to use them for a couch, for now. I love it!!!

Very creative in our organized CHAOTIC life!!!

...and yes, I am still smiling that we have Christmas all over the place.
I was ready to put it away this week, and we all got sick,
so we eaked out one more week of holiday!!!

I smiled when I got to the school to help the boys get ready for Snowboarding Lessons and found them "ready". They had even put all their belongings into their bag, my kids....picking up after themselves!!! So exciting.

I smiled when I walked out to the bus with them and asked the Bus Driver how many 3rd graders he had going.

He said, "...just three", and then he said, "Are you one of my overprotective moms?...you are welcome to go onto the bus with them! And don't worry...I take really good care of my Bus kids!!!"


I smiled when I watched the bus pull away and had a comforting feeling that all would be well, and they would be returned to me...safe and sound!



I smiled when I drove through a car wash.
Brian gets all the fun of washing the car. MMT has recycled water, so it makes more sense to have him wash it there.

This day I decided that the salt was too damaging from all the canyon driving.
It had to be washed, and looking as sick as I did there was NO WAY I was headed to Brian's work. Sitting in the car wash....watching the machine do the work...
made me think of all the machines in my life that make my life easier...Laundry Machines, dish washing machine....Hair Dryers....microwave...hot water heaters....

We are really spoiled!

I smiled when Jeremy told me he loved my buttons. Jer collects buttons. He asked me if he could have these when I grow out of my sweater....[I truly HOPE I don't GROW out of it, but when it wears out, the buttons are his.]


I smiled watching Jer get ready for church this morning.
He had his Snow Goggles on....with his sleep hair

... Sometimes it is the simplest things that make me SMILE!

I smiled when I came into the kitchen this morning and found this. My handsome boy eating his winnings from Pinewood Derby!
I smiled because Jeremy came home yesterday with a Boys Cut.
He has refused to cut his hair for so long....that his hair was SOOOO LONG!

I love boy cuts!!!

I smiled when there was TOO much snow this morning to drive to church,

or so Sam said...,

after some snuggling the dog, they headed out.

So many memories,
so many smiles,
when you start to count them you realize.


...so little to complain about, really.

Sunday SMILES! - Pinewood Derby Edition

Brian smiled with Jeremy on our way to impound the car. It has been a lot of work, a lot of Father and Son time together, and the big day is almost here.

Jeremy smiles as his car weighs "just right."

Pinewood Derby
Salt Lake Central Stake

Samuel smiled with bleary eyes. He had gone to the Jazz Game with his Junior Jazz team Friday night, and then for Pizza afterwards at the Gateway. It was a MIDNIGHT night for him.

7 am comes really early....

The boys smiled while they ate their camp-like breakfast.

...Gavin brilliantly came up with eating his food in alphabetical order from now on.
He ate the waffle first...then the Fruit and then the Ham....wait...

ME: WAFFLE starts with a W...
GAVIN: It's not a waffle, it is an EGO!

HELLO!!!


We smiled as we checked out the competition.....




...intense moments are for smiling on the inside...
Clarissa and Colleen smiled so I could document their early morning beauty.
If only we all could be so lucky...

Smiling...

Sam is smiling as he and Jeremy watch for their face-off.

...Does Sam know something Jeremy doesn't???

Jeremy's car wizzes by!!!

Jeremy's car didn't even make it down the track the first few times.
It took a LOT of pit crew work to get it going....LONG STORY there...
However, it did finally make it, and even though it lost to Sam's car
it made it through the gate!

I sighed....and SMILED!!!

It's time for Grudge Matches....Is Lady going to bring it this year?

...or will it be my newest competitor...
"Ducty" [sounds like ducky!]

Ducty was supposed to be a beautifully
carved American Flag...

The Flag was not working out.
At Midnight when the boys came home
the night before Pinewood Derby
while I was lovingly putting on the
finishing touches---
it failed....miserably.

So what does a woman do
when something is not working out,

FIX IT!!!

With Duct Tape...

...and a little bling!

Jeremy smiled when he challenged Ducty to a race against "Art", lovingly known as CTR.

Art was another of my cars from when I was Primary President.

Brian generally had too much time into the boys cars, so mine were typically blocks of wood, painted with a sharpie marker.

ie, The cheese car..."Say CHEESE!"

I smiled when Art got stuck right in front of me....

Ducty won, hands down...

Art has obviously had better years!

I smiled when Sam challenged ol' Lady to a race against Slitherin GT. His car from last year. Ducty had already kicked Slitherin's butt....so knowing Lady's reputation was on the line he challenged her for the title!

Sam smiled because Slitherin WON!
Looks like Lady has had her reign
and there is a new Sheriff in town!!!

To make this official he RE - challenged Ducty. She gave him a run for his money....and in the final leg lost by about an inch!

Looks like Slitherin GT is the car to beat next year...
back to the drawing board for me!

[btw, my car may not have won
but my Bling sure looks good!]

We all smiled when Jeremy's car "UNO"

WON the competition for being

The Most Pimped OUT Car! Way to go Jeremy and Dad.

You couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

Cookie Crisp was his TROPHY!
I smiled because someday he will feed his kids this cereal
and he will tell them about his FIRST Pinewood Derby!!!

Sam smiled because his brother won,

and that was good enough for him.

...besides, he kicked both his mom's cars butts....who wouldn't smile about that!



...and later:


Brian took Jeremy out for a day of errands.
They talked about Brians first Pinewood Derby car.

He was 8 or 9 and built his car by himself.
He walked to the Stake Center for the race.
His car didn't make it down the track.
It got stuck, just like Jeremy's.
Brian didn't have anyone there to help him out,
so he just got his car, and walked back home.

B felt so bad that Jeremy's car had gotten stuck.
Something about trying something new this year with the wheels and axils, and then the metal track with the gaps didn't go well together.

Jeremy told Brian, "It's okay Dad that it wasn't fast, we didn't care about that, we just wanted it to be the BEST looking, and it was. It WON the Best Pimped Car!"

After some big hugs Jeremy went and got the extra Pinewood Derby box so that he could help his daddy make a car for next year. Taking after his mom he used Sharpie Markers and a Fingernail file for sanding...!!!

"This will be Dads car next year,
and it will be the fastest Mom."

With a child's faith it probably will...

Jeremy smiled all afternoon while he worked on his car "smilie".

He named his car Happy!

...and who wouldn't be with a heart like that.