I have to share...

I should say I have to brag for a moment. I've lost 9 pounds in the last two months. It doesn't sound like a lot, but it is to me. Especially when I have been eating a lot of junk food lately. The circus cookies, the cheesecake and birthday cake. I'm keeping up on my exercise, I haven't missed a day yet. I'd like to say thank you to the sweet heart who sent me a letter in the mail. It was so nice, I got a letter telling me how I had inspired them to change and to keep up the good work. Thank you, whoever you are, you totally made my week and have helped me to be more motivated!

New Beginnings

A few weeks ago I got a phone call from my friend Erica. She's one of the counselors in our young women's presidency. She asked if I would be willing to speak at new beginnings.
Me:Sure (thinking they wanted something about camp) What is the topic?
Erica:Using the stars as a guide, comparing the Savior to the North Star, etc.
Me:Okay, how long do you want me to take?
Erica: 15 minutes, you'll be the main speaker.
Me: (silence, crickets, etc.) Are you sure? I'm just the camp director, why do you want me.

She gave me an answer, that was really nice and complimentary, but I was already gone. I was thinking, what have I said yes to. I really liked the topic and I had two weeks to prepare. The only problem is that I get super nervous when speaking to a group. Not to mention a group of not only girls, but parents, stake YW leaders, bishopric members and even a member of the stake presidency. No pressure right?
Last night was the program. I was so nervous, my whole body was shaking. The room was dark and only lit by some fake candle/lanterns. This helped a little, but I was still super scared. I barely had enough light to see my talk, and I left out a lot and added some extra stuff. I added a lot of "ums" too. I say "um" a lot when I get nervous. I'm not sure how long I talked, but I think it may have been a little more than fifteen minutes. I was glad I couldn't see too well to know whether anyone was bored to tears. I was so glad to sit down when it was all over with. Although it was a totally uncomfortable experience, I am grateful for it. I had lots of kind comments when I was done, which were very appreciated. I can't think back on what I said too much or else I over criticize. I am glad it's over, but I am also grateful for the learning experience. I stole a lot of my talk from a book by Laurel Christensen entitled "He loves us and we love him: You've memorized it, now live it." This is such and awesome book. I am not so much a young woman anymore, but it was great for me to read. I needed the message from this book. Today I am tired and worn out, I'm going to reward myself with a haircut for surviving.

Addy Turns 8

The long awaited doll

Temper

Tantrum

The cake

Holy Cow! Where has the time gone? I can't believe that my oldest is 8 years old. It seems like yesterday she was born. Have I really been a mom for eight years now? I'm humming "sunrise, sunset" here. Addy is so happy to be 8. Grandma Yancey and family threw Addy a little party the night before with dinner, cake, and presents. Ben and I were not invited and were forced to go on a date. Addy had her choice of activities on her birthday, she wanted to go out with Ben. Saturday morning Addy and Ben went to breakfast at McDonald's. She and Ben had fun together. Addy asked for an American girl doll for her birthday. A few years ago, she asked for one and I told her she could have one when she turned eight. Well, I couldn't go back on my word, especially because she reminded me of what I had said. Because of the huge price tag, we only gave her the doll. To make it a little more fun, I made a treasure hunt complete with picture clues. We sent her all over the house until she found her doll. She was thrilled with her gift. Maren wanted the doll and had a huge temper tantrum. Thank goodness for naps. We had a last minute cake party with the grandparents and a casual day. It was great! Addy wanted her cake to be a surprise. I had a great idea in my head, but I just couldn't get it onto a cake. I wanted to make the cake look like an open book with a log cabin popping out of the pages. Addy love the Little House on the Prairie books. Well, I couldn't get it to work, so I went with plan B. I made the cake look like the Little House logo. It turned out okay, not what I wanted, but Addy was happy. Addy is so happy to be 8 and can't wait for her baptism this Saturday. I am so happy to have her in our family, I'm glad she was the first. She is such a sweet, beautiful girl. I love watching her learn and grow.

Indian Summer

Ben's artistic photo

Making mud pies

dry onion stalks make good magic wands

Ben told me what to title this post. We had a few days of good weather and ended up playing outside. It was great, I have really missed the sunshine and warmth. I am looking forward to spring. Here are some random pictures from our day.

Tales from Kindergarten

I have the privilege of helping in Sydnee's classroom once a week. Wednesday is my favorite day of the week. The kids in her class are so cute, and it's fun to get to know them. I was helping one little boy with his handwriting and he started talking about brushing his teeth. Then he told me I had stinky breath. Whoa, sorry! I apologized and he looked at me and said, "oh, that's okay, it's not your fault." As I was checking my pockets for a breath mint, he then told me my eye lids were really pretty. I said thank you and he asked me how I got them purple. I told him it was my makeup, he looked puzzled and said,"I thought it was eyeshadow." Evidently his mother has taught him about makeup. The next week I was helping with the 100th day of school party. I had one little girl that just stared at me. I smiled back and she said, "you're pretty." I just wanted to hug her. What a sweet little self-esteem boost! These kids are so great. It's fun to see how Sydnee interacts with her class and to meet her friends.

A Prayer for Presidents Day

Sydnee spent a lot of time at school learning about presidents day. They learned about past presidents and even made a necklace with a penny on it. Sydnee was very excited for the holiday, she even had her clothes picked out she was going to wear, four days early.
3 days before president's day, Sydnee gave the prayer before bed. She said, "please help us to have a good president's day. Thank you for letting me make a necklace with a penny on it. We're thankful for George Washington."
That pretty much sums up her prayer, it was really hard not to laugh. On the actual holiday, Sydnee wore her clothes she picked out and her necklace. We had lunch with my mom and sister. I'm not sure the day lived up to her expectations, but I think she had fun.
My other favorite of the week, in kindergarten they learned about Betsy Ross. They learned that she sewed the first American flag. The kids got to practice "sewing" at school with lacing cards. Sydnee has been drawing flags ever since. She drew a flag the other day and said "I feel just like Betsy Ross when she made the first flag." I love it!