Logan's class had a 50's themed "sock hop" to celebrate the 50th day of school. It was so cute to see all of these little kindergarteners in their poodle skirts and white shirts and jeans. The party was complete with root beer floats, a conga line and a super cute class picture by the super cute car! Families were invited to celebrate and it was actually fun!
Now, can you imagine this boy being naughty?! Well, after the party we had parent teacher conferences. When I walked in and sat down his teacher said with a smile, "Well, Logan. He's a little bit naughty!" I think the look on my face made her quick on her feet because she quickly said, "I mean, he's a really good boy but he just likes to tease." I busted up laughing and said, "Well, he comes by it naturally. He comes from a family of teasers and our friends in dental school (I was really thinking Matt Petersen and Colton Flake) liked to tease him." So, now we are working on when its okay and when it isn't to tease. Not what my first experience at a parent-teacher conference would be but makes me smile none the less. I love this boy! I love that he does tease and enjoys life. He brings smiles and fun to our house and can come up with some pretty funny things! He is always wanting to be a helper and brings a smile to my face and fills my heart!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Naughty or Nice?
Monday, October 17, 2011
101 Update
This has been so much fun to do! I'm doing some of it without even knowing it! What a journey! 21 down!
1. Have a weekend get-away with Seth
2. Share the gospel with 1 person (not just casually but really share it)
3. Make a dress for Chloe
4. Host a holiday party
5. Try a new recipe twice a month for 4 months
6. Have one Shelf-Reliance party once a week for 2 months (Feb & March 2011)
7. Attend General Conference
8. Call all siblings once a month for 3 months, then continue
9. Make breakfast every work morning for Seth for 1 month, then continue (July, Aug, etc)
10. Finish Vital Records binder (sweet, just did this last week 10/2011)
11. Visit a temple I have never been to (Gila Valley in Jan 2011)
12. Post to family blog once a week for 6 months
13. Take an institute class
14. Go to a professional play
15. Read standard works: Old, New, BOM, D&C, PGP
16. Go on an overnight backpacking trip with Seth
17. Plan 5 romantic surprise dates
18. Cook dinner every night for 30 days
19. Run half marathon
20. Do a random “special party” day for kids just because I love them (coming soon!)
21. Join a team (city league volleyball March 2011)
22. Go to education week or women's conference
23. Weekly outing with kids for 2 months, then continue
24. Memorize The Family Proclamation
25. Memorize The Living Christ
26. Hold Family Home Evening for 2 consecutive months (with lesson and all, not just family activity)
27. Kiss Seth every day for 15 seconds for 1 month whenever he comes home and leaves
28. Read 5 classics
29. Plan and carry out a FAMILY service project
30. Take a concealed weapons course
31. Read entire conference issue for November and May
32. One night a week no TV from 6pm to bed 2 months
33. Morning scripture study before kids get up for 2 months
34. Write in my journal weekly for 3 months
35. Acknowledge and celebrate every holiday with kids (not in a consecutive year)
36. Invite a new family for dinner every other week for 2 months
37. Pitch a tent in the backyard and sleep in it as a family
38. Have family scripture study daily, 1 month then continue
39. Go camping as a family 5 times
40. Host a game night
41. Get involved in a community event (PTO Aug 2011)
42. No eating out for a month
43. Watch a sunrise and sunset in the same day with Seth
44. Learn to play 10 primary songs
45. Encourage someone else to start a 101 list (Thank you Rachel Scott)
46. Do the 12 days of Christmas as a family
47. Start and finish P90X
48. Go to Shelf Reliance convention
49. Finish Colorado blog book
50. Friday night date night for 2 months
51. Kiss in the rain
53. Go golfing with Seth
54. Organize food storage and inventory
55. Use kids job charts for 1 month, then continue (July 2011 - ...)
56. Take Logan on a 'date'
57. Catch a fish
58. Go snow skiing without crying ;)
59. Try yoga (Oct 2011 - I still don't like it)
60. Do an ‘arts and crafts’ day with kids once a week for 2 months
61. Go on a family bike ride (Logan rides now, woohoo! Summer 2011)
62. One week, do not go grocery shopping for food and live off food storage
63. Start riding my bike with kids (Summer 2011)
64. Get at least 2 water barrels for year supply
65. Identify 100 things that make me happy
66. Plan a 6-month dinner calendar
67. Plant a big garden and can it and share it
68. Teach someone how to bottle meats (Thanks Michele - Chicken Sept 2011)
69. Get a couple’s massage
70. Get a pedicure
71. Go on a picnic with my family
72. Do 50 consecutive push-ups (hundredpushups.com)
73. Go on a girl’s weekend trip (TOFW 2010, 2011)
74. Make a theme cake for someone
75. Start a new family tradition
76. Set up a Thrive booth at a county fair (Oct 2011)
77. Do a ‘themed’ dinner night once a month for 5 months
78. Do a 1000 piece puzzle with Seth
79. Try every day for 2 weeks to do 1 thing each day to make me a “holy woman” (this is from a talk at Time Out for Women)
80. Help someone start a meal plan for food storage (Thanks Aunt Vicki! Sept 2011)
81. Gut a fish and cook it
82. Visit 3 National Parks
83. Do the 200 sit-up challenge (twohundredsitups.com)
84. Visit 3 states I’ve never been to before
85. Spend a week total (not consecutive days) with Aunt Joyce and gather genealogy information
86. Go to bed every weeknight at 10 for a month
87. Potty train Mason
88. Do an emergency preparedness show (Mar 2011)
89. Learn the Family History website and how to research and submit names
90. Research and submit at least 3 names for the temple
91. Do all ordinances for those 3 names
92. Go wake boarding and get up
93. Submit a food storage recipe to Thrive
94. Organize closets (Summer 2011)
95. Write 101 love notes for Seth
96. Pay for someone's meal behind me
97. Serve 8 people in a month, random acts of kindness
98. Read 15 minutes with kids daily, 1 month then continue
99. Do “Oh Remember, Remember” challenge from stake for 1 year (just completed Oct 2011-amazing)
100. Move back to Arizona! (this is more of a dream than a wish and won't happen for a few years but it sounded good) ;) January 2011
Holy Blogging SLACKER Batman!
Good grief, I sure wish whoever was supposed to keep up this blog would do it! If I want anything done around this place I have to do it myself! What a summer and fall it has been! Busy busy busy and still livin' and lovin' it! We have done so many cool/fun things but in no particular order (does this sound familiar?) here are a few pictures now that I have a place to put pictures on my computer again!
Summer time with new friends! These people have a huge blow up water slide! It was such a blast to play on! We loved it! The friends are awesome as well! ;) By the way, isn't he so dang cute?!
Labor Day weekend on Mt. Graham. We hiked with all of these kids (don't worry, their parents were there too) up Soldier Rock. What a blast. It made me a little nervous to have my kids climbing on this HUGE rock but we all made it down slowly and safely! We also have picture somewhere of President Kimball's tree! For those of you that don't know, President Spencer W. Kimball grew up in this little valley and carved his name in a tree. Its about a 2 mile straight up hike! No kidding but the kids made it and it was a blast! You can totally still make out his name. Rumor has it Seth's great grandpa's name is in there too!
This boy and Q tips! He loves them. No, really. Love is not too strong of a word here. If I ever can't find him, he is more than likely in my bathroom doing this. I have never gone through so many Q tips! Phone home? ;)
Scary moment here. Chloe was playing at Grandma's one Sunday evening and was stung by a scorpion. She couldn't walk, was salivating like crazy, hot and then cold, eyes darting back and forth and was totally restless. We finally called my EMT brother and he said get her to the ER quick (this was after about 5 hours or 1 am). We hesistated because we 1) didn't know about a trial anti-venom that our hospital happened to have and 2) we are self pay (ER's aren't cheap to be told there was nothing they could do and to let it run its course). She didn't even cry when they put in the IV. She was such a trooper! After 2 doses she was sound asleep and the next morning, NOTHING! What a blessing!
Labor Day on the mountain again. Ahh, we loved this weekend! 5 days of no phones, TV, movies, hardly electricity (except at night to play games or put kids to bed with the generator). Pure dirty mountain bliss! The bike belongs to Seth's uncle and they brought it up to our cabin so we could take the kiddos for a ride. A blast!
Climbing Soldier Rock. He is getting so dang big!
Mud holes with cousins. Isn't this the cutest picture? And no, the shirt was not originally white! Whew! :0)
Dance Class!! I've waited 3 LONG years ;) for this day! She REALLY does LOVE it! She didn't want to text this picture to dad but isn't she cute!? You should see these 7 little girls that are 3 and 4! Monday's are one of my favorite days now!
Ahhh, the BIG finish to the BIG HUGE race! I trained for and did my first (yes there will be more) triathlon! Can I just tell you this was the hardest yet one of the most amazing things I have ever done in my life?! I learned how to swim strokes just this summer and did awesome on my swim time. Complete the entire race in 1 hour 57 minutes and my goal was under 2! It was a 625 meter swim (25 laps) 15.5 mile bike and 3 mile run. The run stunk. It was brutally hot! Like late August in Arizona hot! I was totally beat. I felt drained and amazing at the same time! Gave me the courage to train for my half marathon in January. I've discovered a whole new world of athletes and I love it! One word... amazing!
I went with Seth's mom and sisters and all of the nieces to see Cinderella at a dinner theatre. The dinner was gross but the play was a blast!
Skinner family reunion 2011. It has been more than 6 years since this bunch was ALL together. Probably closer to 9 when we got married. It was so much fun to be with everyone. The company, activities and of course the food was awesome!
Ha! Love this picture! T-ball in June (again, AZ heat...ahhh)! He was so nervous but had super awesome coaches and LOVED it after the first at-bat! We got one of these after every inning!
Another one of the hardest things I've ever done. I know, you are probably totally laughing right now and I am sitting here with tears in my eyes! This day was one that I totally looked forward to but dreaded at the same time. He walked on in and didn't look back. He runs off the bus and then slows it down to a cool guy walk. We were totally bored the first two weeks without him. Would sit by the window for 10 minutes waiting for the bus to drop him off. The other kids would beg for him to come home. We are mostly adjusted now and he is learning and growing so much. He's lost that little boy charm and has gained a "kid" adventurers outlook on life. He is so much fun and it is a blast to see how much he is changing. I still yearn for my baby boy, the one we like to watch in family videos sometimes. But, he still comes and cuddles me and now reads to me before I read to him.
Seth is enjoying work and life back "home". He always has tons of little projects going on and takes the time to take kids with him and teach them. I fall in love with him all over again when I see him on a horse and back to his old tricks and his old self that I remember from when we dated in high school.
I keep busy with the usual house and home and projects and training. We are enjoying being by family and loving the life we are making here.
Ahh, that feels good! Maybe I will stay a little more caught up now on blogging. No promises though! Love to you all!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The NEW House!
So I'm finally getting around to blogging about this (or blogging anything for that matter). I've tried so hard to get the pictures in order and with only a little frustration, I did it! So here is your tour!
My first pantry! I've always had cabinet space for a pantry and now that I have one I don't think I'll ever go back! I am in love with this little room! My cansolidators just came in so I am currently working on making it functional and cute of course!
The office. This is right off of the dining room table. This door is closed for a reason. It has been since we put all of those boxes in there. Seth wanted to do this room. This door might remain closed for a while.
Seth's other room (not the laundry, are you kidding?)! The laundry is mine, unfortunately and the garage belongs to Seth. There are lots of cabinets and a counter top behind the laundry room door that is great storage as well. That basket, has been there for a while. I'll have you know I did fold it before blogging this post.
Kids/guest bathroom. LOVE the calming colors in here. We need some calm. Again, lots of cabinet behind the bathroom door that gives tons more storage!
Brother will you...
build forts,
skip rocks,
shoot hoops,
tell me stories,
Always be my best friend?
LOVE IT!
Our room. The project on the driveway will one day makes its appearance in here. Until then...
I am really loving our room. The Forever, Promise saying has some meaning. We always used to write that to each other. Great reminder some days!! Just kidding honey!
We are still unpacking and reorganizing but we are loving it. The back yard is huge and we share a wall with the stake center which makes getting to church on time convenient! More post to come soon about our quick Vegas trip and our night in the ER with Chloe!
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
Homeless No More!
I know pictures are always the best part of a blog but my computer died and I haven't uploaded anything to the laptop. That being said, I will get on with this post.
We have been busy busy here in Arizona. The kids are loving being around all of the family and so are we! Logan just turned 5 on Sunday (that deserves its own post later) and we just signed him up for Kindergarten (sniff, sniff) yesterday. Mason is walking and can open the door to sneak outside! Chloe is as sweet as ever and provides much entertainment for the rest of us! Seth is loving his job. They keep him really busy and he comes home exhausted but only having to work 3 days a week, he can handle that! I'm still selling Shelf Reliance and it is paying for my loans until something opens up. I'm loving teaching and getting our own stuff prepared as well.
Now, on to the BIG news! We have finally found a house! It is smaller than what we wanted but we are really happy with it and we close May 5th! We are so excited! We are looking forward to finally being settled and feeling like we can start life here.
Until next time.... Cheers to you!
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Feelin' the LOVE!
Wow! I can't believe I haven't blogged in so long! I can say to my defense that life has not been exactly normal around here though! As I'm sure most of you know by now, we have moved back to Arizona. Just before Thanksgiving Seth got a call from the office he had been driving the 7 hours from Farmington to work in every three weeks and an offer of a full-time position. We always knew we wanted to come "home" but planned on being in New Mexico for at least 4 or 5 years. I mean come on, we bought a house!!!! But, that is not what was to be for us and we packed up and moved right after Christmas.
Now, some have said that buying our house in New Mexico was a mistake but let me share a miracle with you. When we went to look at the home it felt so good. We knew it was special and as often (which was often) as we tried to talk ourselves out of buying it (even the day before we signed I went and looked at 2 rentals) it just felt so right. So, we did it. Then, when we decided to take the job in Arizona we knew that somehow, it would all work out. We had 2 families in one day come and look at the home but never heard back from them. Kind of scary but we had faith. We didn't want to get a Realtor because of their 7% commission so we gave our key to a neighbor and the office manager at Seth's office there. Through a round about way, a woman tracked down the office manager, went and saw the home, made an offer and we are set to close in two weeks. We haven't lost any money on the home and only about 1/4 of the money we put into the carpet and laminate that we installed. I still cry to think about it.
Now we are in Arizona, staying at my parents until our home in New Mexico is officially sold and we can get into something here. My parents are gems. They are so easy going and it has been nice. Some days are rougher because the kids feel like they are on permanent vacation but we are making it through. Seth loves his new job. We miss New Mexico and the friends we made the short time we were there. The office there was great and we miss them too. But, we know this was the right choice for us and we are so glad to be "home". The Lord has something in store. We are slowly learning not to question why or when but to answer, "I will go, I will do" and then doing it was complete, total faith. For those of you that know me best, not having a plan has been rather challenging but receiving the blessings of being obedient and faithful has been so rewarding.
I've been a slacker at taking pictures of our adventures here but will get better. We've already had a ball with life and I'll try and stay updated a little better. Thanks for helping me to feel the love and telling me we are missed! Love and miss you all as well!
Mason helping with the laminate install in the New Mexico house.
Seth and the kids (yes, the dog is like a kid) taking a break. We really miss this house. We loved it there!
