A First Place Photo!!

I joined a camera club last summer. It has been great to see so many fun photographs and hear what people like/dislike. They offer help and advise, and I like the constructive criticism of my photos. Well, March is the Annual Print Show. Members can submit four photos in four categories: Open, Flowers, Landscapes or Portraits. Then they are judged by a college art teacher. Well, I wasn't really sure what to submit, but this is one of them.

Banana Spider Awaits

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Imagine my surprise when I go to the Art Stroll where the photos are all on display, and see a

FIRST PLACE RIBBON on MY photo for the Open category!

Woo Hoo! I'm still not sure how that happened!

There were some great photos.

I decided that my photography expertise is like golf. I take a million shots, and every once in a while I get that "Sweet Shot" that just feels good and goes like it's supposed to. It makes it all the more fun. I'm hoping that I continue to improve my game so I get more and more sweet shots!

Growing Old Is Mandatory...

But Growing UP is Optional.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TIM!!!

Tim's sister, Rebecca sent him a card with the "growing up is optional" message, and I thought it was just perfect! We tried out iFly for his birthday. I was just planning on Tim & me going, but Alec started begging. "Please. PLEASE! J.J. gets to do it..." J.J. is a friend that is a little younger, but about half his size. I looked on iFly's rules, and it said ages 3 and up. Ages 3?? Why would you put your baby in the tunnel with wind speed of up to 160 miles per hour!! That's crazy! But I figured that if they thought 3 year olds could handle it, so could my 90 lb. son. I told Alec that if he paid for half of it with his allowance I would let him. "Yahoo!!"

Alec did great! He was worried about how you were going to breathe in there at first, but it all worked out fine. :)

Tim also did very well. Woo Hoo!

Not to brag, or anything, but Tim said I did the best out of our group! It was so much fun!! I guess it was going pretty well, so the instructor let go of me, but I didn't realize it, and all of the sudden I was going up high. WAAAHH!! I want to go again!

We also went out and had SUPER delicious fettuccine alfredo and spinach calzones (thanks Maurizio!), and cheesecake. Did I mention Boot Camp is over?? Oh, it tasted so so so good!

I LOVE YOU, TIM!!

You are what puts a spring in my step.

I love to be with you!

Alec Is Growing Up

Alec was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on February 6. Tim baptized him. I am so thankful for a husband who honors his priesthood and blesses our family in so many ways. Alec has a wonderful example of how a father should be.

Lily and Megan couldn't stop talking about the baptism. They were so excited for Alec!

I remember when I was baptized. How did I become my parents age already? That is so strange to me! I thought my parents knew everything. Boy, now I know that they must have been figuring it out as they went along, because I sure don't feel like I know everything!!

Alec with his grandparents. We love having them in our lives!

We have such wonderful families.

Alec started Cub Scouts now that he's eight. He loves it!

Alec decorated his own Snake Cake for the Blue & Gold Banquet.

It was pretty rockin'!

He also got his Bobcat Badge at the banquet. Way to go!

The Dresses Are Sew Cute!

My mom: "YOU made that??"

Me: "Thanks, Mom."

My mom: "I thought you took the material to Wendy (Tim's mom) and asked her to sew them..."

Ha ha! Well, she ought to know, since she was the one who taught me to make hair scrunchies in Junior High. Then she helped me make a green polka dot knit dress with a matching big green knit belt (thanks to the "Units" clothing era). There also may have been a boxer short making stint.

Well, on to bigger and better, and more girlie foo foo projects!!

When I first had Lily try on the dress earlier on in the sewing process, she made me laugh.

Lily: "I thought it was going to look kindof funny, but it's not!

It's really cute!"

*sigh* Many of little faith.

Megan: "Like it, dress!"

It is a good twirlie dress. What's not to like!

It actually wasn't too bad. I just may venture out again.

Maybe next year.

Hi. My name is Celeste.

So. Not much going on here. I feel like I've been taking a bit of a break from my computer, blogging, pictures, etc. etc. and it's actually been really nice! But I feel a little disconnected from all my friends and family in Blogland (thanks Danielle!).

So yes, I'm still here! And yes, I'm now down 13 lbs! (Every little bit helps, right?) Woo Hoo!

And yes, I just remembered I need to blog about Alec's Baptism. Hmm. Get to that later...

On my break from technology, I decided to try out the rusty sewing machine again. (I guess that could still be technology. I didn't hand stitch.) Tim's mom always makes all the granddaughters beautiful dresses, pajamas, princess quilts, doll clothes, and on and on. So, I thought I'd give it a try. I am almost done with Lily's dress, and it's turning out pretty cute! If all continues to go well, I'll get them done for Valentine Sunday, and maybe even post a picture or two! If it doesn't go well, maybe they'll get them for Summer Solstice, or Labor Day. What's the rush?

My new Primary Presidency met with the Stake Primary Presidency this last week. We all just met at my house, because I'm insane. Tim was working until 7 pm, so Alec & Lily were playing downstairs, and Megan was just following me, of course. I had a couple of Megan's favorite books out so she could look at them while we had our meeting. Isn't that a good mom idea? Hmm. I didn't think about Megan asking everyone to read them to her, which they were all so nice to do so. She thought everyone was there just for her! Well, she and the Stake Primary 2nd Counselor were reading "No, David!" which Megan just loves.

Megan loves how naughty David is. She is pretty good at reading the book herself. Then they got to the page of David picking his nose, and Megan says loudly, "Me do that, too!" Isn't that just great?? Everyone laughed, and I had to shake my head. That is my daughter.

As I was looking online for pictures from No, David!, I found this great idea on mygratitudeattitudes.blogspot.com where this mom made her own No, David! book with pictures of her kids doing naughty things. I LOVE THAT! I'm going to have to copy her idea!

Finally Exercising My Butt Off!

I decided that after the Holidays (alright, a New Year's Resolution- again) I was ready to really lose the weight. I signed up for Boot Camp, and decided to do the diet & nutrition class that went with it (for just $25 more...).

Well ladies, I am down 10 pounds!!!

I put on my jeans today and didn't have to do the big lunges to stretch them out a little. They came on fine. Yay!! Doin' the Dance!

So what is the diet class, you may ask? Pretty much what you know it is going to be. Don't eat the zucchini bread and Lindor truffles for dinner, and DO eat more protein and fiber and watch your sugar.

Sounds simple, eh? Oh, ho ho... I have to weigh myself every week in front of the super fit instructor. That's my real motivation! She knows when I've been sleeping (it's pretty obvious is I'm not at boot camp at 6am or not...), she knows when I'm awake, she knows if I've been bad or good, so PUT THAT COOKIE DOWN, NOW!!!

Happy Birthday Alec!

Alec turned 8 years old! He was SOOO excited for his birthday! The night before he came downstairs and aksed if I would sew "Happy BDay Alec" on an old shirt. I said, "How about an iron-on?" He just made me laugh! So here is his birthday shirt.

He got a K'nex rollercoaster set for Christmas, and has loved it! So for his birthday we got him a couple K'nex robots. You can wind them up and they move. It's pretty cool!

So sad he had to go to school. Even Çooper looked sad!

He said he wanted a snowboarding cake.

What better than lego guys to act the part.

Happy Birthday, Alec!

You are the sweet boy that makes our whole family laugh!

We Love You!

Boot Camp AGAIN?? What's wrong with me?? don't answer that...

I obviously had way too good of a Christmas and New Year's. Here I am AGAIN doing boot camp. Why do I do these things to myself??? Was the dinner of zucchini bread, Lindor chocolate truffles, crackers and cream cheese worth it? Ah man.

Today was the test day where you count how many sit-ups, pull-ups & push-ups you can do in a minute, and then do a whole smorgasbord of terrible weight exercises, run four laps, and do it again. Last boot camp, after test day I was so sore I could barely raise my arms high enough to wash my hair. And I cheated. I only did half the reps on the second set. And I couldn't run the four laps.

This time, I only cheated on one exercise. The worst exercise ever invented to torture people. You squat down, and jump your legs out behind you, jump back in, then jump up. Over and over. I only did 10 each time instead of 20. But besides that, I did much better! AND, I can actually jog over a mile. That is HUGE progress for me! I could even wash my hair today without crying. :)

Added bonus, I have been three and a half days without treats. Yes, folks, you read correctly. No treats. My treats are now pears with cottage cheese. Woooo. I already miss my dinner of zucchini bread and chocolate.

"Can you meet with the Bishop on Sunday?"

The call that causes lack of sleep. Maybe it's nothing. Maybe I'm being put back in as Primary Pianist? Maybe I messed up the Relief Society activities enough that they decided I'd done enough as the Enrichment Coordinator. Nursery worker? More my level...

The Bishopric Secretary didn't ask Tim to come with me, so it shouldn't be too much, right? Tim is still the 1st counselor to the Bishop, and he hasn't dropped any clues that this was coming. Then I started to worry it was Relief Society President!!

So Sunday comes. The Bishop tells me that they feel it's time that I take more of a leadership role. They call me to serve as the Primary President. Am I silly that I feel very relieved that it's Primary President and not Relief Society President? Primary is much more my level! I love Primary!

So last Sunday I was sustained with my Presidency, and on Saturday we have our first Primary activity of having the children meet their new teachers. Then we have to go through all the manuals and pictures and change them for the new year, and we've lost four teachers from other callings, so we need to find a bunch right away; all the lists need to be updated; I need to do two bulletin boards; prepare Sharing Time... Aye yay yay! No stress! It's a good thing I like Primary!!!

I am excited, strangely enough. I know that I'm not called to this alone. I know that I do not have all the answers, and that is alright. I know that the answers will come when I need them. All I need is a little trust.

Wardrobe Advice From Lily

I don't know what the deal is with Megan lately, (maybe the fact that she's two- plain and simple,) but she cries and cries whenever I put her tights on. "Tights hurt! No tights! No tights!" This morning she wanted to wear a dress, so I told her she had to have tights on. "Tights hurt! No tights!..."

Enter Lily: "Tights don't hurt. You just have to tell them to be nice. If they're mean to you, you be mean back!"

Megan: "Be nice tights!! Be NICE tights!!..." (all the while looking down at her legs very sternly.)

That's the best advice I've ever heard for problems with tights. It worked for Megan, too. Even better.

Happy Birthday Lily!

Lily has had a countdown to her birthday for about 3 months now. When she would try on clothes that were a little too big still, she would say, "It will probably fit when I am five." She is always asking me what she will be able to do when she is five. It was like she expected to wake up on her special day suddenly bigger and smarter. She makes me laugh!. Her birthday FINALLY came. She has wanted a party with her friends forever. So, we did the party thing! A few friends from Primary came, and they got their own tiaras, and ate some cake & ice-cream.

Yes, Alec is the funny big brother! He is so good to let the girls do their girlie thing, but still be part of the chaos.

Lily told me she wanted a cake with hearts and flowers and crowns, so there you go. I think it turned out pretty cute!

Then we were off to see "The Princess & The Frog" at the theater! Cute giggling girls all around me. Love it!

I do feel bad that we forgot to have the cartwheel contest, though. She told EVERYONE we met (neighbors, teachers, random strangers in the checkout lines by us) that she was having a birthday and that she was going to have a cartwheel contest at her party. So, if anyone would like to come over for a makeup date cartwheel contest, just let me know!

Delight in the little things

Lately when I put Megan down for a nap, she gets all snuggled up in her special blankie on her big girl bed, and she starts giggling. As I give her a kiss, she says, "Thank you noodles," or whatever we had for lunch. She says it so cute, I just love it.

Today we follow the normal routine. Blankie. Giggle. Kiss. "Thank you corn dog. Thank you ketchup." Thank you ketchup? That makes me laugh! A whole new meaning to delight in the little things.

Then I go tuck Lily in for her nap. She gives me a big hug and says,

"You're my best mom ever. I love you so, so much that you make me think about you the whole time I'm sleeping."

It's times like this that I know how lucky I am to be able to stay home and share the little things with my children. I love being their mom!

Happy 80th Birthday Grandma D!

I had so much fun with my dad's 60th birthday video that I had to do another one with Tim's family for his grandma's 80th birthday! I think my family was more into the singing portion, while Tim's family, Wow. The dance moves are beyond description. Amy, you are still a cheerleader at heart!

Happy Birthday Grandma! We Love You!

Potty Training x 2

How come I feel like I have two two-year-0lds? Wait- I know the answer to this one! Puppy Cooper is like a two-year-old on a sugar rush. He is a sweet little dog... that has very sharp puppy teeth! He really is pretty good, but between potty training Megan & Cooper, I feel like I have to be constantly vigilant. No rest for the weary... or the wicked, I hear. :) -and I get really excited when either one of them goes potty where they're supposed to! So if you hear a mom in the store bathroom singing the "Pee Pee in the Potty" song, just smile and nod. It works for Megan!