sometimes it's messy: 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011

it's 12 o'clock somewhere

We at apple bratwurst with lentils, mushrooms & spinach. Drank sparkling cider.

Wrote down our new years resolutions.

Then when Dad's phone told us it was New Years we shot blanks from the black powder rifle, popped poppers and lit sparklers.

And they were still in bed with lights out at 7:30...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Eating:

Want a super awesome easy way to make your dinner fancy when it's not?

Cookie Cutter Biscuits

Simple take your favorite cut out biscuit recipe and pick a shape.

We are big fans of star biscuits at our house.

Seriously, biscuits take 20 minutes start to finish... maybe 25.

Mom's Potato Soup, Dad's Mixed Berry Jam and some hot Star Biscuits.

Yummy Yummy.

In other news, Gid had his first taste of chalk tonight.

So wish I could show you a picture of his sputtering face covered in blue drool...

Apparently it really does look better than it tastes.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Dolophant

This is a Dolophant.

That is all I have to say, I just want to remember when Lilly is 50 that when she was 3 and a half she called dolphins Dolophants, because that is funny.

She also has a yellow Hippo Balloon (made from whatever those sticky hands you get at the dentist are made of) that she calls a Buffalo and sleeps with every night.

Except for emotional upheaval- 3 and a half is such a lovely fun age.

I hope that proves true for 13 as well.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Happy Thoughts for Finals Week

Love Havah, Lilly

and Gid

5 years old- first friends party

Our Havah turned 5 on Sunday.

Saturday was her (our) first "friends" birthday party.

She invited her primary class.

We played pin the tail on the donkey, made personal pizzas, ate cake with 'sunshine frosting' (white mountain sticky frosting colored yellow), opened a lot of presents and decapitated a cute little white unicorn pinata.

We had such a great day!

Yesterday at church when their teacher asked, "who's birthday do we celebrate at Christmas time?" Her whole class yelled, "HAVAH'S!"

I guess that means they had a good time too.

Happy Birthday Havah J!

Thanks for being our first baby.

Remains of a Gingerbread Palace

Nana & Papa sponsored the first annual Alcorn Gingerbread house decorating contest this year.... Our lovely kit had a little bit of a battle to get from Silverton to Kuna... those UPS men can be dangerous!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Political Awareness in our Country

I don't know much about this, it sounds good to me, but that is not the point. the point is

WHY AREN'T WE TALKING ABOUT THIS??

Someone has brought forth a proposed constitutional ammendment and it's not even on msn.com... instead we're talking about Barry Bonds possibly going to jail, the X factor and a little boy who likes heavy metal.

We are a government by and for the people- so maybe the people should pay a little attention.

Myself included.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Something Great: the 2nd

ALSO- our insurance company gave us $1100 and waved our deductible.

(as compensation for the recent thieving)

I highly recommend Liberty Mutual Insurance.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Want to hear something great? of course you do!

4 more classes.

Yes, that is right. Cori only has 4 more classes and then we replace school with some other kind of stress. Isn't that lovely? LOVELY!!! 2 Religion, 1 Physical Science and a Public Speaking class (isn't it funny you can take a public speaking class by correspondence?) and WE ARE DONE! Thank you BYU Independent Study and Goodbye!

For Joy!

I guess I can't say goodbye yet... but in the Spring, watch for it... big party right here! Maybe I'll even give something way...(hahaha Aunt Sue, I still have a package for you, maybe I'll get it sent this week... since Gid is almost a year old now, a definitely a boy).

Why Books?

So the purpose of this new page is to keep track of the books we read/listen too (we do a lot of audible.com time at our house).

I'm not exactly sure how we'll keep track, but I want to have a record of what we've read, and what the girls think about it. If you enjoy them, that's nice, but I really just want them here so that someday I can go back and read their thoughts about the stories we read together every day.

Picture Books

The orange crayon is Lilly's art about Frowning and
being naughty. Havah's center face is saying "Ah-oh!"

I met a little girl recently at an art activity, the children were supposed to draw something that they remembered from a story. She told me, "I can't do that. I can only draw pictures of what my mom tells me, I don't have good ideas." I am sure that there was a good healthy dose of "4 year old" in that comment and that her mother doesn't sit with her and tell her every little things she is supposed to draw, but it also redoubled my appreciation for Havah & Lilly's good imaginations.
I have a whole stack of notebooks full of drawings. Some stand alone, some stories that are pages and pages long.

About a princess and prince

Havah especially right now, draws lots of stories. Children have a great capacity to understand what is going on around them when the adults in their lives talk with them honestly (and age appropriately). She loves to draw stories about Nephi, and princes and princesses. Soldiers. Before Melissa got married she spent a lot of time drawing brides and flowers. It is such a wonderful way for me to be able to see what she is thinking about.

This is about a little girl shooting a deer to feed her family.

I love that through her art, I am able to really see how she is feeling, what she is thinking about/struggling with, and what brings her joy and excitement.

Monday, November 28, 2011

To the computer theif:

Dear Petty Theif/Probable Drug Addict,

I am feeling a little sad tonight. I am hoping for a miracle. I am hoping that you will have spent the money, and the decide that you don't need that computer. I am hoping that you will take it back to my Aunt and Uncle's house and abandon it in one piece on the front porch. I am hoping because on that computer are the last 2 years of my family's life in pictures. My babies entire life... all his pictures... they are all there. That was my Christmas project, to print off pictures, to hang them in my house and send them to grandparents.

Petty Theif/Probable Drug Addict, could you please return my memories? I'm not angry, I just wish I had them back. My daughter's first steps. My baby's first crawling. Family vacations and playing in the back yard. May I please have them back?

You've probably already pawned that computer. I know I'll probably never see it again, but maybe not. And if not, could you please please please bring it back?

Thanks,

Kari

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Thanksgiving- 6 years soul mates

Six years ago tonight I was stressed out of my brains on the edge of tears...

I was getting married in the morning.

I didn't have a whole lot of things I needed done, it wasn't extravagant by any means, I just wanted everyone to be rested, happy and in the Temple. I wanted to be able to enjoy spending time with people, and for them to enjoy that time as well. We were all so tired, but it was perfect. I married a man who was everything I had always wanted.

On Saturday, Melissa and Chris are getting married.

I'd be lying if I said that tonight I don't feel about that way I did six years ago...

There is so much to get ready, and we're doing it out of a hotel room...

I want all of those same things for Melissa and Chris this weekend, that I wanted for Cori & myself six years ago.

I want to be in the Temple together as a family and feel the peace and joy there that is so abundant, when you are prepared. I want to know that those first few hours of Melissa and Chris's marriage, are full of happy memories of their family celebrating this best of days with them.

I want to feel the joy of eternal promises being made.

I want to sit with my family in the Temple and feel the Love of God, our Father.

Because, that is really what makes it all work in the end.

Faith in each other.

Hope for the future.

and the beginnings of Charity, that pure Godly Love, toward each other.

We go to the Temple to learn to be those things.

To learn to be like our Father.

On this Thanksgiving night, I am grateful that Cori is the man I get to learn to be like Him with.

He is the man that I measured everyone else against, and found them lacking.

He is the man that I am always amazed by.

He is the man I cannot imagine living without.

He is not perfect, but he knows it, I am grateful we get to learn to be better together.

He is my soul mate, because we want the same things, and are working to get to the same place.

What better match could I ask for than that?

What more could anyone ask for?

Monday, November 14, 2011

First house

Look at these two handsome men... they have nothing to do with this picture... their parents just happen to live kitty corner to the first house my parents ever built from the ground up... so look past the men and to the house.

I have a lot of happen memories of building that house and the short time we lived there. Fun to run into a little bit of your past on someone blog. Thanks to the York's for that. :)

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Walk About

Cori took them on a "Walk About" yesterday.

Down a game trail along the creek, then they climbed down into the creek bed.

Lilly fell into a gorse bush and they saw fish in pools in the creek.

Home made pizza, bread sticks and donuts when they got home.

What a lovely lovely day.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Halloween? go here

If you want to see our Halloween pictures (cutest ponies every) Go here

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Large and small

Sometimes there are big miracles in our lives...well I guess, miracles that seem like a big deal to lots of people. But I think the best ones are the little things that seem impossible to bring together and then just when you feel like there is no way, they fall into place with little to no effort on your part. I think that they happen most when we are trying to live good productive lives, to do what is right and good. I know God makes a way for us when we are living like that.

Today that happened for Melissa and Chris. A way was opened, and they will have transportation so that Chris will be able to take a job in Idaho Falls when they get to school. He had the job, just no way to get there. They have been praying and trying to figure out what to do for weeks... and today, it all just fell into place. In one hour, a car- totally in there basically not existent budget, that gets good gas mileage and I know has been taken care of.

Melissa and I knelt down with Havah and Lilly after it all came together and talked with them about miracles. About how Heavenly Father can do anything good, and how He wants to help us. We talked to them about how Melissa and Chris want to be able to support themselves through school with out going into debt, how they are trying to make correct choices, and how when we live that way, life can still be hard, but when we need help to do good, Heavenly Father will open doors we didn't even know existed. He will make what seems impossible possible.

I know that is true. Over and over, in my life and the lives of people around me, I see his hand has he opens the windows of heaven and pours down blessings upon his children. Over and over and over. I know it is His delight to bless us like that, to make our difficult roads a little easier, our burdens a little lighter, because He is our loving Father.

Friday, November 4, 2011

You can always come to me.

Tonight on our way home from an awesome ward party, I listened to my girls have the following conversation:

Havah, "Lilly, I was trying to talk to you and you did not reply and then (another girl) said 'go away you're annoying us!' That was so sad to me Lil."

Lilly," I am sorry Havi. I am sorry. If people say mean things, you can still come to me. You can always come to me."

Havah's hurt was so honest and Lilly was so sincere in her apology. So sorry that someone had been mean to her sister, that she hadn't responded... She explained that she hadn't heard Havah talking to her, and then reassured Havah again.

I love these little girls. They teach me every day. It's these times when I am especially grateful that they are as close in age as they are.I am sure when they are 13 and 14 I might not feel this way all the time, but, I hope we can continue to foster their friendship and sisterhood. It is so precious.

Paul & Rachel

Meet Paul and Rachel, our friends from 100 years ago.

We were young and married, they were young and married.

They saved us from being in charge of the ward choir.

(which we had business singing in but not directing).

See that sweet thing on Paul's lap? That's Adelaide.

She is a miracle.

Paul and Rachel are hoping for another miracle.

I can't think of people who deserve one more.

Visit their adoption blog, pass it along to your friends.

Life is full of miracles, I hope we can help this one along :)

Thursday, November 3, 2011

HE IS SO CUTE!

so cute.

Emergency gone wrong...

playing in the fall leaves

My girls are pretending in the playroom right now. They excel at pretending. They wake up pretending and go to bed pretending. Sometimes we have to make rules about 'being ourselves' while we are in stores or having dinner, because mom can't handle trying to remember who they are all the time.

Anyway...

Lilly just said, "Oh no! Our Emergency has gone all wrong!"

That has got to be a bad day, if your emergency goes wrong. Yikes. :)

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Pinkie Pie

Tired tailless My Little Pony, showing off her 'cutie mark'.

We had fun tonight.

Faces

It comes naturally.

Playing in the dark

Grandpa Craig got this glow stick for Gid at the trunk-or-treat.

He had so much fun playing with it in the dark car.
Thanks Grandpa!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Limitations

I am a firm believer in the possibility of things that seem impossible.

HOWEVER
Most of the time, in order for the 'impossible' to become possible there are us steps to take, skills to develop, obstetrical to over come. There is correct path to follow to make 'impossible' reality.
Case in point: My Son.
He does not clap, but if you say 'Gid, can you bounce and bounce and bounce?" he tries his darndest to jump.

Before one learns to JUMP in a stationary standing position, many people find it desirable to be able to STAND unassisted.
Otherwise, very often we find our selves colliding with the object that was originally our aid.
He seems unfazed by his meeting with the corner of the coffee table.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Ooo Lolli Lolli POP! Lollipop!

It's almost Halloween time...
(he snitched this one, so I let him have it, boy is into everything now)

Sunday, October 23, 2011

A post about how we're cooler when we go places for 'cheap'

Melissa lives with us.

This is lovely...
In complete honesty, I have no idea how to have 3 children without her.

Since the beginning of October, she's been working at Farmstead, a local corn maze.

Each employee is allowed to bring their family for free.

Since Lissa lives with us, we are her free family.
This is awesome.

We told the girls we would go to Farmstead if Lissa could get us in for "cheap"....
Can I tell you, when we go places for "cheap" I am so much more fun...
for 17 smackers we got: