Happy Birthday Mackay!

Can you believe this guy is 10. Well it is hard to believe that he is for his parents. We are so proud of him - well most of the time. He is a fun, loving, helpful, makes friends easily, and loves to play. His favorite thing he got for his birthday was a DS. He has wanted one for a long time and we told him if he saved up 90% of the cost he could get it. He got enough money with what he saved and birthday money so we surprised him by getting him the DS and then having him pay us.

Mackay's Birthday

Mackay is finally 10 years old. He is always excited for birthday's and being one year older. He wishes he was already a teenager, but his mom isn't ready for that so we will wait for those fantastic years to come. For Mackay's Birthday he wanted be a Rock Star so we decided to let him invite 5 friends to come over to the house for a party. We decorated tee-shirts, styled and dyed their hair and then they played Lego Rock Band until every ones parents came to pick them up. We also had cake and ice cream. Mackay wanted a guitar cake so I put on my thinking cap and searched the net a little and found an idea for the cake. I used a large cake pan and even made the cake for scratch. We made a vanilla chocolate swirl cake and then cut the guitar shape out of it. I frosted it with butter cream frosting and then covered that in fondant which I was also adventurous and made for the first time. It turned out pretty cute, or I should say really cool.

California Science Museum

I had the opportunity to go on a field trip with Mackay's class to a Science museum down in Los Angeles. It was a long day with a long bus ride. We left the school after 6 am and returned at 6 pm. All I can say is buses are so uncomfortable, but I survived. We watched a 3D IMAX movie called bugs, not my favorite. We then were able to explore the museum. I wish we would have had more time to explore because there was so much to see. We ate lunch, visited the gift shop (the highlight for most of the kids) and we headed back home. All in all it was a fun day for the kids and I am glad they were able to go.

Scout's Blue and Gold Banquet

This years Blue and Gold Banquet was a western theme. They had fun activities for the boys and families and decorated the gym fantastically. It was a fun night. Mackay received his Bear on a paper cowpie and pinned a pin on me. Thankfully I didn't get poked by it. We had chili or soup, cornbread, salad, and cupcakes for dinner.

We are so grateful for the time, talents, and efforts of the great leaders who love my children and take such good care of them. I am grateful for this program that helps my kids to learn so many things. Mackay loves scouts and I am glad he has achieved so much over the last year.

Happiness is?

Happiness is fresh hot chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven...

Time is just truly flying by to me and I have to admit everyday has not been the best. For some reason we can not get in a grove this year. But we are surviving and healthy and just plugging along. I have been thinking a lot about happiness. Boy do I want to be happy every day. In fact, a fairy tale life would be just great by me, but since there is opposition in all things this is not always so. What makes me unhappy? Is it my attitude or is life in general just bogging me down. I really don't have the answer to that, but I sure would like one. So what do I do, I turn to my church leaders and the fantastic talks that they give. Lately I have read a lot because I feel I need inspiration from on high. These are a few I have found peace and inspiration through: Our Search for Happiness by James E. Faust and Gratitude: A Path to Happiness by Bonnie D. Parkin. Through this I know that I just need to be grateful for what I have, be obedient so that I can have the Lord's spirit and blessings in my life, and show love to those around me a whole lot more. If anything I need to find a balance between wife, mother, volunteer, housekeeper, and the list goes on. I know that the Lord loves me and I am trying to keep my chin up and persevere, but if I trip and fall just pick me up and tell me that I will be okay.

Things that do make me HAPPY - My Husband (but when he is down it is so hard for me to feel happy), my boys, my home, being able to be there for those who need me, family, the gospel (that is the only thing that gets me through sometimes), chocolate, anything green (especially beautiful plants and trees), nature, and much, much more. I feel so happy just thinking about these things.

Valentine's

I am usually so on top of things for the Holidays but this year I have just not been with it. I don't know if it is because time goes by so quickly or if I am just so dang tired all of the time. Something. Anyway I usually like to put something cute in some mail boxes that I made last year, just a note or a little treat each day until Valentine's Day. But this year they just got something on Valentine's Day. I sent them on a scavenger hunt in the morning and they found their secret presents. We keep losing our sports balls so Tyler got a soccer ball and Mackay got a basketball. I made a super cute card book for Justin which turned out really nice. I also made a nice dinner of pasta shells, cheesy broccoli, bread sticks, and lemonade with heart shaped ice cubes.
For my present Justin took me out for dinner on the Saturday before Valentine's Day. It was pretty good. We hadn't been to Bernadino's for awhile so we drove out there for our dinner.
I love my family very much so it is so fun for me to do fun creative things for them. I need to get back into a creative funk!

Hike to Indian Joe's Gardens

There is a place just northwest of the city of Trona which we decided to go hiking. It was a nice little hike for our little family. We hadn't been on a hike for sometime and the winter time here is the best time to go hiking because the weather is so great. This particular hike we actually took a couple of weeks ago. There were a lot of rocks to climb, which the kids loved. And it was actually pretty adventurous walking through tall grasses, trees, and rock formations. Unfortunately for me my ankle gave out and I took a tumble landing on both knees and got a good gash on one. Luckily I didn't break any bones and was still able to walk. We found the lower garden, but didn't quite make it to the upper garden because we needed to be back home by a certain time. At the upper garden there is suppose to be a spring called Indian Joe's Springs. It is pretty dry at the gardens but there are a lot of things that are growing. There are quite a few trees and plants which make it pretty in its on desert like way. We had a good time and it was a good family outing for us on this day.