The Wood Family

Three words to describe our week would have to be teething, tantrums and throw-up. We started the week with Jaxon throwing up on Saturday and Sunday. All week I have held my breath waiting for someone else to get sick. Besides Devin spending a day home from school with a stomache ache, I was beginning to think we dodged that bullet. Shame on me for thinking like that because McKenzie starting throwing up last night. So now I am assuming that in a couple days someone else will get it, so I expect to have the flu bug at our house for awhile. Jaxon got rid of the flu fairly quickly but then started into the most cross week of his life. He is cutting all four eye teeth and has not stopped crying for four days straight (1 down, 3 to go). Of course this was a week where I couldn't sit and hold him all day. I am in charge of the Enrichment Focus FHE resource group. Our first meeting was this week so I had to get things ready for that. It was also at my house and needless to say there was some cleaning involved. It has been a fun-filled week so far. I'm hoping the weekend shapes up to be a little better.

P.S. Jaxon is getting his much needed love and attention today. He hasn't gotten off my lap all day, so I guess you can say he "helped" me with this blog.

McKenzie entered the Reflections contest at our school. She won and her entry was selected to move on to district. We were invited to our school assembly and watched her get her ribbon. Well, I then received an email inviting us to a district assembly where they vaguely stated she won. Well, imagine our surprise and elation when we found out that she won the Literature division for her age group in the Orem Council PTA Reflections. This meant she was the grand prize winner for all of Orem in her age group. Her entry will now move on to Region. We were especially proud when they said that literature had the most entries in all of the divisions (photography was second). This is a picture of her receiving her trophy. The theme was, "I can make a difference by...". She wrote a poem about keeping the school clean. Needless to say we are very proud of her.

I just spoke to my Aunt Debbie on the phone. She lives in LaVerne, California. It is on the eastern border of Los Angeles county. Yesterday was supposed to be their stake conference. Instead of a stake conference, they had a regional conference for all of Southern California. They were fortunate to have President Hinckley speak. He spoke on women and our divine worth. He spoke about our husbands and children valuing the work we put in as housewives and mothers. He talked about husbands and children sharing the household responsibilities instead of everything falling to the women. My aunt made the comment that we should be seen as more than barefoot and pregnant with a baby on our hip. The role of wife and mother is sacred but we should also be valued as equals and as women. She said she has never been more impressed by a talk. She felt like President Hinckley was saying the time is now for women to feel valued and know of their divine worth. I felt like sharing this with you because I know that when we are changing diapers, laundry, and dishes, balancing checkbooks, paying bills, dealing with tantrums and all the day to day "trials", it is always nice to hear that we are appreciated. My aunt is going to see if she can find a typed copy of his talk and get it to me. I will pass it on if she can find it.

This is our annual Christmas Sunday photo. Each year we give the kids new Sunday clothes. This is a tradition that my mom started when I was little. Every year we take a picture in front of the tree. Getting four kids to smile can always be an adventure.

McKenzie and Alexa had their Christmas dance recital. They belong to a singing and dancing company called Showcase USA. They love dancing and they did a great job. Considering the fact that Alexa sobbed through her last dance recital, the fact that she smiled, sang her part and did a really cute job was fun to watch!

This is my practice blog. Paula was kind enough to show me how so I can join the Wood clan in blogging!