Five on Friday

1. I love this girl!! She has brought so much love and laughter into our home! When my kids were younger they never played drums on the pots and pans. Well - on Saturday, I came up stairs and found this! She was listening to music and drumming along with it. I laughed so hard and she loved it. I also loved that she knew that in order to be a drummer, you need to wear shades!!
2. For two years, Maya had to watch while Max and Madi played soccer. Well it was finally her turn in January. For someone who never played before she is doing quite well. She loves to run and actually goes after the ball (which is so unlike our other two). She has played in 2 games and it really enjoying it. So much that she told me that she does not want to do dance - she wants to play soccer. I guess there is some Sherwood blood in her! Her favorite position is sweeper.

3. Max decided that he wants to play basketball. He is a head taller than everyone in his class and when the coach saw him, he was glad for a taller player. He is more coordinated than his mom, and has made at least one basket in every game. No pictures of this - but hopefully next week. So now our Saturdays consist of soccer and basketball until March and I would not have it any other way!

4, Madi - she is playing the violin, piano, has activity days girls and just got done doing student council. So, now she is looking at doing a sport during the school year too. I think that she is leaning toward swimming.

5. Bryant - he has a new shift at work. It started right after Christmas. He now works Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Which means he has Fridays off!!!!! We are able to have a date night, he can go to the kids games (if they are before 12) on Saturdays and he is able to spend more time with us!

Next week, I will put pcitures of Christmas (which was a BLAST), december and November!

Ward Goal for 2012

In Church today, our bishop annouced the ward goal for 2012. This is one that I have been thinking a lot about before today. Our ward goal is to recognize and record daily blessings in an effort to increase gratitude and build trust in the Savior.

So I have decided to take the challenge and each day write down at least one thing that I am thankful for.

I am also going to have my kids to it to in order for them to realize how many blessings we truly have.

I have a notebook that I am going to be writing the things and hopefully by the end of the year, it will be full of our blessings of gratitude!!

Merry Christmas Mom and Dad!!!

Merry Christmas Mom and Dad!

Thanks Karen for all of your hard work!



http://youtu.be/7gmvk6y8iT8

Ten Pictures on Tuesday

This week the 10 are related to pictures!
1. The kids at the Sacred Grove. We walked around and talked and enjoyed ourselves! It was nice to basically have the place to ourselves when we were there Oct 9, 2011.

2. This is at the Corning Glass Museum! We went there on Wednesday the 12th and loved it! We watched them make glass things and loved every minute of it!

3. Fishing - we did a lof of fishing in NY. It helps when there is a pond behind the home and you can fish whenever you want to! They caught lots of fishs, probably the same ones over and over!

4. The Apple Farm - in my mind there is only ONE apple farm and that is The Apple Farm in Victor. The kids were amazed at the apples. We picked apples, bought yummy apple farm donuts and fresh apple cider! It is the only way for me to drink the cider!

5. Niagra Falls! How could a trip to NY not include a visit there! There even was a rainbow from the splash on the water. The kids were amazed at how much water there was and how far down it went.

6. Maya and her bear. This is a picture to show you how really huge this bear is! She sleeps with it and it covers most of her bed!! She has named the bear Mr. Fluffypants (from Phinneas and Ferb).

7. Another shot in the Sacred Grove - it took Madi, Max, Maya and Mom to get our arms around this tree! The kids could not believe that a tree could be that big and just maybe it was there when Joseph Smith went into the Grove to pray!

8. Max on his Birthday - 9 years old and a GREAT kid! He loves to play the Wii, basketball, baseball, and anything with a ball. He is a great helper to me and he can't wait until the end of November when he gets his braces off!

9. The kids at the bus stop - Here are the three musketeers! They really do like being together (most of the time) and enjoy playing games together (execpt when they don't) I sure hope that they will be friends for a long long time!

10. Last picture from NY - this one is along the Erie Canal. The leaves were changing and Grandpa Sherwood and Bryant took the kids for a walk along it and Grandma Sherwood and I went to get donuts as a reward for their hard walking!

Monday Video - to make you smile!

This is a video that we took of Maya on her birthday. It is the kind of reaction that as parents, Bryant and I always have wanted. This bear was at Costco and Maya had been saving her money for it. When we noticed that there were not very many left, we bought one for her birthday. She then realized that they were all gone and decided that she would ask Santa for one.

Well - here is what happened when she opened her gift!

All on October

This month has been a crazy month - with trip to NY for fall break, 4 halloween parties, as well as everything else that normally goes on. So having said that - Here are the 10 things that we did in October

10. The kids started Rock Stars - they run every Monday at School and try to run as many miles as they can. They also can keep track of the exercise that they do at home. If they reach a certain number by Mid January - they get a t-shirt. I think they all want that!!

9. I kept on doing PT for my knee. 3 times a week all month. It is getting a little old BUT yesterday I was able to run 8 times for a minute each! That is huge for me and without any pain. I was not going fast but I have not been able to run since early September. After being able to do that - I am going to keep going to PT until I can run a lot longer!!

8. Max turned 9 - I can't believe that he is that old! His birthday fell on General Conference so it was not too exciting but he had the cousins over and he now gets to go to Bears for cub scouts! He is still the tallest kid in his class and he now is taller than Madi - which he likes to remind her! He loves to play the Wii when I let him, my itouch and the games on it. He also likes to play baseball, kickball and wrestle with Bryant!

7. Maya turned 7 - I can't believe that my baby is 7!!! I am feeling old! Her birthday was a few days after we got back from NY. For the longest time, she wanted one of the huge stuffed bears from costco. She was saving her money, but they were all gone before she had enough saved. But Bryant and I surprised her with one for her birthday. It was the reaction to a gift that all parents (or at least we) hope for. It is taller than her, takes up most of the room in her bead and she has named it Mr. Fluffly pants!!! I will post pictures later.

6. Madi has been doing a great job at the piano! She loves to play and helps Maya when she is having a hard time!

5. I survived the October 15th deadline by going to NY for most of it. It was not nearly as crazy as the April 15th but I am AMAZED at people who bring their tax information in that morning and expect it to be done that day!!! They have had 10 months to get their taxes done.

4. Bryant is still running! He is doing a great job and it is killing me that I can't be out there with him. But he is going strong and starting to enjoy it more now that the weather has finally cooled.

3. Halloween - we celebrated Halloween for what seemed like an eternity. Thursday - fall Festival Halloween party, Friday - Halloween Carnival at our friends and truly amazing - I am still blown away by the party. Saturday night - Rostenbergs annual halloween party. Sunday - acutally a break from parties but we did have the primary program. Monday - Ward Halloween Party with a little (I mean 6 houses) trick or treating afterward.

2. NY Trip - we got back there as the leaves were starting to change and it was an amazing week to be there. It was a typical NY fall. The weather was perfect - only rained one day - when we went to Corning. We went to The Apple Farm, Buffalo Naval Yard and Niagra Falls. The kids rode and rode and rode bikes, scooters at Grandma's and fished and fished in the pond on the property!

1. NY Trip Part 2 - It was so much fun being together as a family when we had no real schedule. We played, watched some movies, were outside a ton and just enjoyed being together!!! I will post the pictures from this past month on the next post!!

Ten on Tuesday

1. This is a picture of my grandparents - Forrest and Mary Jensen. I am so lucky to have them as grandparents and as Grand ma and Grandpa Great for my kids! Granddad, who is 92, had surgery on Thursday. Thanks to kris for letting me steal this next part - "His goal in life right now is to live longer than his wife so he can always take care of her and tha she will not have to live on her own." He is an amazing example of loving and caring for his wife!

2. With his surgery and the outcome, it has given me a chance to reflect on eternal families and how lucky and grateful that we are for this knowledge!

3. I didn't post last week because I was feeling sorry for myself! I have been having some major knee issues and I had gone to the dr on Monday and I told him that I am training for a half marathon in November and he corrected me by saying that I was but not now.

4. More knee stuff - I had an MRI done -pretty cool but very hard to stay still for 20 minutes. I have tendonitis in my knee, hamstring and a really bad IT band - so it is off the PT for me. Kris told me that your PT will be your best friend and worst enemy all at the same time! I totally agree especially when they are doing the astym to my leg - it is covered in brusies but hopefully it will be worth it!

5. Phones - we cancelled our land line with cox one month ago and it has been GREAT!!! It is amazing how many fewer telemarketers we get calling us - even though our number was blocked. I also love giving that much less money to Cox!!

6. Bryant and running - Bryant is continuing to do a great job at running. He likes how he feels after he is done which makes him want to do more!

7. My niece got baptized and which my dad came in town for. It was amazing to see him and spend time together. I love my parents so much!

8. My sisters and I are planning a vacation of a lifetime for us and our spouses - we said 2020 but it may be too far away - I think that we may have to go on a test one sooner!

9. President Utchdorf is amazing. I love how I feel everytime he talks. He is so positive. His talk about the forget me nots is one that I will remember for ever. I am going to the store tomorrow to get a forget me not plant to put in my house to help me remember the 5 things that he talked about!

10. My kids - we had parent teacher conferences last week and each of their teachers said that they wish that they had classes full of kids like ours. Even if they say that to all of the parents - I don't care- my kids are great and they do amazing things for each other, their friends and especially for me and Bryant!