Spring Break 2011

I didn't think we would end up in Disney World for spring break.  I really wanted to go but thought it wouldn't happen because next to Christmas the next highest price to go to Disney is during Easter (which is usually the Sunday right before or after our spring break).  Four days before we left for Disney I went to my favorite Orlando villas rental spot to see just how much the rental houses were going for.  I was shocked to see how low the prices were for this time of year.  I know it was last minute but didn't think it would be in the price range I had in my mind.  The reason our rental price was cheap for this time is because Easter is at the end of April.  So the end of April the rental prices were much higher.  So since we found a house in the price range we could afford (including hot tub and pool heat) we decided to pack up and go.  I love going to Disney during the flower and garden expo at Epcot.  They do an awesome job at turning plants into any Dinsey Character you can think of.    They also have a butterfly garden set up with lot and lots of butterflies.  The weather was real nice.  It only rained on us once.   

Kennedy with Minnie



Hayden, Payton, and Kennedy



Hayden going down a slide

Kennedy going down a slide

We ran into Talmage's friend Trey and his family.
Trey is in Talmage's class in school.

Fantasmic night show Hollywood Studios

Mickey at Fantasmic Hollywood Studios

Talmage, Brenton, Connor, Kennedy, Hayden, and payton
Donald Duck plant at Epcot

Hayden and Brenton

Talmage Epcot aquarium

eel

Hayden Epcot Club Cool

Caterpillar Epcot butterfly garden

Butterfly garden Epcot

Butterfly garden Epcot

Kennedy and Hayden with the Bambi characters

Mickey flag made of flowers

Hayden with Lightning McQueen  Epcot 

Hayden, Brenton, and Talmage with the Bucked tooth Dufus man
Norway Epcot

Connor and Talmage
Norway Epcot

Connor, Talmage, and Hayden

Payton, Hayden, and Kennedy
Panda bear plants  China Epcot

Kennedy banging on a drum

Talmage and Hayden

Kennedy with Timon plant Epcot

Kennedy with Pumba Epcot

Kennedy and Payton with Snow White and the dwarfs
Germany Epcot

Kennedy with Lady and the Tramp plants
Italy  Epcot

Hayden and Kennedy with Mickey and Minnie
America  Epcot



Kennedy and Hayden with Goofy, Donald, Pluto
America Epcot



Kennedy and Brenton  Daisy Epcot

Kennedy with Daisy Epcot

Toy Story Characters entrance to Epcot

Animal Kingdom Safari Ride

Animal Kingdom Safari Ride

Since it was raining we decided to take the wheel chair in with us to the Festival of the Lion King show in Animal Kingdom.  We got really good seats thanks to the wheel chair and since we were up so close they asked Talmage to participate.

Festival of the Lion King show
Animal Kingdom

Payton and Kennedy buzz lightyear ride
Magic Kingdom

Connor and Hayden Buzz Lightyear ride

Talmage at Down Town Disney

Kennedy, Hayden, and Talmage outside of Test Trac

Kennedy, Talmage, and Hayden

10 little ducks outside of Canada at Epcot

Ducks outside of Canada Epcot

Peter Pan characters Kennedy
Epcot

Payton and Kennedy with Cinderella Epcot

Kennedy and Hayden with the Croc from Peter Pan

Payton and Kennedy  Sleeping Beauty

Japan Epcot

This lady makes amazing animals out of candy
Japan Epcot

Beauty and the Beast
France Epcot

Beauty and the Beast
Epcot France

Winnie the Pooh
Epcot

Bird plants
Mexico Epcot

Epcot at night

Epcot night show

Epcot night show

The fam but Connor and I on Splash Mountain

Splash Mountain

Connor on the Boat ride around Tom Sawyers Island
Magic Kingdom

Zurg Hayden, Talmage, and Kennedy

We also did lots of swimming.  It was a great fun trip and was so happy we could go.  Not sure we will be able to go after school gets out before our passes expire since we went this time but I hope things will work out that we will beable to.

March 2011

March was a busy month of our usual activities.  Only a couple of things out of the ordinary worth blogging about for this month.

On Friday, March 11 Connor's school had a breakfast and awards for the special needs classes.  Connor got 2 certificates, one for being on the honor roll (for doing so well with his IEP goals), and one for the best smile (which he doesn't not display in the following pictures). 

From March 23-26, Brenton went with his 8th grade class to Washington D.C.  The left on a Wednesday morning and rode a charter bus all day.  Then the next 2 days they did lots and lots of sight seeing and on Friday night they rode the bus all night long and arrived home Saturday morning.  

I wasn't too sure about this trip when I first heard about it, but after going to the first meeting clear back in October all my questions and concerns were answered and I felt like this would be a great opportunity for him.  Most of his 8th grade class went there were 5 buses 3 boy buses and 2 girl buses.  Yeah his class has way more boys than girls.  They also had the boys and girls in different hotels.  The chaperone's were all 8th grade teachers and staff.  They also get to pick their own roommates.  I am so glad he had a great time and was able to go. Here are a few pictures of Brenton on his trip.

Brenton in front of the White house

Air and Space Museum

Lincoln memorial

Brenton with some friends

Disney Withdrawals

I was just thinking 2 days ago (Feb 24) that this is the first month in four months that I have not been to Disney World, and I am having some major withdrawals.  I went in Oct., Nov, Dec, and Jan.  I love annual Disney passes.  I hope I can talk Jon in to going for spring break.  We are already planning on going right when school gets out right before our passes expire.   Better start being on my best behavior.  I need major brownie points to pull it off or a money tree.

I'm a GRAND PRIZE winner

Last week, (Feb. 20) I got a piece of mail from a gym that was scratch and win.  I get these from Kohl's all the time to see if you get an additional 15, 20, or 30% off your purchase.  So I scratched it off and what do you know I was a Grand Prize winner.  So I looked on the postcard to see what I won.  It said I won 2 free years enrollment at that gym.  I didn't think much of it and chucked it in my ever growing pile of papers I don't want to throw away right now but they will all end up in the trash in a few days.  So about 5 days later I'm looking for a specific paper and happen to come across this Grand Prize winner postcard again.  So I give them a call just to see what it's all about.  The guy on the other end of the phone was all excited when he heard I was a Grand Prize winner.  He said they sent out 25,000 postcards and only 25 were Grand Prize winners.  I was of course so excited.  I love running in the park, but wont when it rains or is below 25 degrees outside, and don't like to in the peak of summer when it is just too hot and humid and it is only 7:30 am.  I would mainly use the gym for weight lifting.  So I told Jon all about me being the Grand Prize winner and he immediately said to me there has got to be a catch.  I quickly talked him out of that.  I mean after all I am a Grand Prize winner.  So the next morning, Feb. 25th  I went in to the gym which is probably the closest gym to our house so double bonus for me the Grand Prize winner.
So when I arrive, they immediately get the guy I was talking to on the phone and again he said he couldn't believe I was a Grand Prize winner since they only sent out 25 of those.  Then he gave me a tour of the gym.  The only gym I have set foot in in my entire life is the YMCA when we lived in Michigan and I was in middle school and we would go every morning before school and I only remember swimming, but maybe did something else.  We also had a tour about 2 years ago of the YMCA here but I wasn't  impressed with what they had to offer our family.  To me they focused too much on the extra classes you have to pay an additional price for.  For example, we did go one day as a family as a free trial and the kids were so excited to go swimming since it was the middle of winter.  We go to the pool and half of the pool they were doing private swim lessons.  Yes half the pool for one kid.  Then the remaining half of the pool was split in half for water aerobics.  And we were left we the remaining half.  Which wouldn't be bad at all if this was an Olympic sized pool but no it was probably 1/2 the size of an Olympic pool.  So that was a big flop and I sure as heck wasn't going to travel that far for my workout.
O.K. so back to the tour he first takes me into a big empty room where they do all their classes like Zumba, Pilate's, yoga etc.  I have done Zumba twice and it was really fun.  Then on to the personal training room which I would probably never set foot in again since I wont be paying extra for that.  Then I went to the locker room.  The main room had lots of machines for weight training and cardio workouts.  I was a little intimidated because I have never used any of those machines in my life, except for an exercise bike but now they are all fancy it's not just hop on and start pedaling.  In high school, we went to the weight room once in a while, but now even those machines are as old as the dinosaurs.  The last part of the tour was the cardio theatre.  The play a movie in this big dark theatre room while you are on one of the cardio machines. 
Then he takes me to the front and we sit down so he can sign me up for my 2 free years.  Or so I thought.  He brings this piece of laminated paper and tells me O.K. here are our 2 gym packages.  The first one you pay $259.00 now and just $9.95 a month with no contract.  With this package you only have access to the big weight and cardio room.  Not the exercise classes or cardio cinema room.  Which he tells me they don't keep track of who is going where so basically you can go wherever you want. The second is a 2 year contract for $99 now and $19.95 a month for 2 years.  With this you have access to everything.  So in my mind I am thinking the second one is my Prize since I get in for free for 2 years right.  Wrong, then he tells me since I am the Grand Prize winner I don't have to pay the $99 and I get the first month for free or I can do the month to month option and only pay $75 now and $9.95 a month.  WHAT, don't they know I am the Grand Prize winner I don't have to pay for 2 years.  Then he has the nerve to ask me which one I wanted to sign up for.  UH, NONE LOOSER.  Then I did the old well I have to talk to my husband.  Because I was the Grand Prize winner I was going to sign Jon up so we would pay for him and I would be free and this changed everything.  So needless to say I was a bit disappointed.  The sales man told me I can sign the 2 of you up today and you have 15 days to try it out and you can cancel after that (Yeah right I'm not that dumb).  I told the guy we wouldn't be able to come in to work out until Monday at the earliest which is true I already did my workout today (Friday) and Jon was going on a 5 mile hike with he boy scouts tomorrow and we don't exercise on Sunday to which he said I will have your 15 days start on Monday.  At that point it was all about the sale for him which I really hate and that just makes me not want to be a part of it at all.  I finally told the guy that my husband wants to come in and get a tour  and see what he is paying for and he wants me to bring home the contract so he can read it.  To which he replied we don't have any contracts for you to take home it is all done on the computer.  Yeah whatever, you think we are going to read  the contract off your computer screen and then sign like we do for credit cards at the grocery store, I don't think so.  So it was left that the soonest we could come back is Monday morning but wasn't sure what Jon's work schedule was, but now I know what his work schedule will be.  He will be working and will NEVER have time to come in.  Sorry guy you just lost me, my husband, and any of the people I might have referred to your gym.  So my big Prize was I didn't have to pay the start up fee for the 2 year contract or I got a discount on the month to month start up fee.  Yeah, some great Grand Prize winner I am.
I know I got my hopes up because Grand Prize winner to me is a big deal.  The McDonald's monopoly game grand prize is 1 million, I have seen grand prize trips all inclusive.  Full set of kitchen appliances.  Not oh as the grand prize winner we will pay for the delivery and set up of those kitchen appliances you just have to pay for the appliances.

Hayden's Birthday

Hayden's birthday was on Saturday Feb. 19th.  I made some cupcakes inside ice cream cones for him to bring to school on Friday to share with his class.

Outside Hayden's prek school

On Saturday, we ate at McDonald's for dinner (Hayden's choice) and then we had the Hansen's, Tady's and Bugee's over to help us celebrate his birthday. 

Hayden sporting a huge birthday pin

Hayden with some Star Wars Lego's

Hayden with his Lego's

Hayden and his ice cream cone cupcakes

Hayden

Make a wish

I can't believe my baby is 5.  Where has the time gone.  I am so happy he isn't too old to still snuggle up with his mom and sit on my lap in church.  Happy Birthday buddy!!

Valentine's Day

I am such a Scrooge when it comes to Valentine's day.  The only time I have enjoyed this holiday is when I was in elementary school.  I liked making a bag or box in class to put my valentine's in.  I also liked picking out and handing out my valentine's to my classmates.  It was so much simpler then you just pick out valentine's cards of your favorite movie/cartoon.  Now days, there are cards, cards with candy, candy without cards that have to and from on them.  Since 6th grade, I have never really enjoyed this holiday.  I can't stand the fact that roses are 3 times the price during the few days before and on the day of this holiday. 
Jon and I did go out to Outback on the Saturday before Valentine's day.  At least the restaurants don't charge more for you to eat on this day.  In fact, many of them have pretty good specials going on. 
I did buy a box of valentine's candy, but that was a few days after the holiday at more than 1/2 off.  The kids were happy with their stash of cards and candy that we didn't do much for them on this day.

Goals for the New Year 2011

Here are my New Years goals.  I don't like the word resolution because to me that is a goal that you keep for one month and then give up.  I like to really think about the goals I want to make for the new year so I take the whole month of January to really think about what I want goals I want to make habits in my life. 
Since it is June when I am getting around to post this I will also do an update on my goals.  Good thing I wrote these down or else I would have probably forgot some of them before actually putting it on my blog. 
I like to do my goals in a few categories so I will first start with my spiritual goals
1.  Read the scriptures the Sunday School lesson will be on that week. 
     As of June I have read every scripture that goes along with the lesson.  This has been great because when the teacher is giving the lesson everything I have read just comes together and all makes sense.

2.  Read the Relief Society lessons.  This only applies to the 2nd,3rd, and 4th Sunday's.   The first Sunday is the RS presidency picks a topic and the 5th Sunday we are combined with the men and the bishopric picks that topic.
As of June I have also read every 2nd and 3rd Sunday RS lesson and the past couple months have read the 4th Sunday lesson because I just started getting the Conference talk topic from Jon since he is Elders Quorum president he has the lesson to pass on to his teacher.

3.  Read the Ensign cover to cover each month. 
     This one I started when school started so in August.  As of June, I have read all the Ensign's cover to cover every month.  This has been easy for me this year because I would just go to Hayden school a little early to pick him up and read while I am in the car pool line.  The summer shouldn't be too hard either.  I will just take the Ensign with me to the pool and read for a bit while the kids are swimming.

4.  Attend the temple once a week during school and during the summer at least once a month.  Now that all my kids are in school there should be no reason why I can't do this with no problem.  The only problem is the temple will be closed until May. 
   Update as of June I am happy to report that I have been to the temple once a week with my mom since the temple has been open in May. So 4 times.  Now that school is out, my goal for June is to go during the 2nd full week in June since we will be in Disney the first 1 1/2 weeks and Jon and Brenton (my babysitter) will be gone to Philmont Scout Camp the  last  1 1/2 weeks of June. 

Now on to my Physical goals

1.  Increase my running to 3 miles on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday's and on Tuesday and Thursday's work up to 5 miles.  I started out the year with running 2 1/2 miles everyday as of June I am doing my 3 miles three days a week and am at 4 1/2 miles on the other 2 days so I still have 1/2 miles to go on those 2 days. 

2.  Get back into weight lifting Mon, Wed, and Friday's. 
Update as of June I have been back and forth on this one.  I did so well when I was going to my parents house and doing it there, but since my sister and her family moved in almost 1 1/2 years ago things were too crowded so I haven't really gone there to work out in a year.  They are supposed to be moving out sometime this month so hopefully in July I will be able to go over there again. 

3.  Lose some weight.  We got rid of our rusty ugly scale a long while back.  Jon just purchased a scale 1 1/2 months ago and I was shocked that I had gained 15 lbs the last 4 years.  It doesn't seem so bad when you look at it as just under 4 lbs a year for the last 4 years.  Well since 4 years ago I still wanted to lose 5 lbs I want to lose 20 lbs. 
Update  I didn't really get serious about this one until  after spring break 1 1/2 months ago.  It is always easier to lose weight and eat healthier when someone else it doing it with you.  Since Jon is going to Philmont the end of June, we both decided to eat better after spring break.  Yes we have had a couple days that haven't been so healthy (my birthday, mother's day, Jon's birthday) but over all we have both been doing awesome.  As of a week ago I have lost 10 lbs.  So 5 more to go to where I was 4 years ago and another 5 to be where I want to be at.  I feel great and my pants and shorts are not tight anymore in fact most of them are loose.   

Personal goals
1.  Organize my recipes
My recipes that I get from church activities, my family, magazines, print out from the computer are all in one big pile that when I want to find a recipe I have to search through this big pile of recipes.  I want to put them in a 3 ring binder with tabs
Update as of June all I have done is sort out the recipes that I have tried before and the ones I have never tried before. 

2.  Update 3 month supply of food.  2 years ago I completed my 3 month supply of food.  I have tried hard to keep it fully stocked and rotated.  I have the rotating thing down but don't always write what I take out of there to buy  so I need to go through it all and make a list of things that I still need.
Update  I have been good at re buying the items I now take out of the 3 month supply closet but still have to go through and buy the missing items that I never wrote down to replace.  I don't believe it will be that much.

3.  Done with my long term 1 year food/toiletries.  I would say I have all the basic survival food for 1 year.  The wheat, rice, oats, etc but I don't want just the basics.  So I have been buying pasta sauce and noodles, tuna, canning my own meat, canned fruit and veggies, powdered eggs, canning chocolate chips to make cookies, peanut butter, jelly, syrup, spices.  I don't want just blah food I want food with some taste. 
Update I'm not sure how many months worth of food I have.  I still need more toilet paper but the rest of the bathroom items are done.  We have a list of everything for our long term supply I just need to go through it and calculate what we still need.  As of now I am buying things that I know we still need every week to add to our year supply.

4.  Stand for Truth and Right
This one is probably going to be my hardest goal to do.  So many times I have just kept my mouth shut and hope things would just go away when I know I should speak up and not let someone talk about something that is not true or just plain wrong. 
Update as of June I have sadly had to remove myself and my family from some other members of my family. Even though I am very sadden and broken hearted by this decision,  my family and I are much happier and I know with all my heart that this was the right thing for us.  Hopefully in the future, we can be part of their family again and they apart of ours but now know.  I am thankful for the Holy Ghost that will let me know when and if that time ever comes. 

Hopefully by Dec 31, 2011 these will all be habits and then I can focus on a whole other group of things.