Welcome Home, Brodie

We drove 24 hours in 48. We drove over several mountain passes in the middle of winter.
We stopped every few hours for a potty break. This is particularly unheard of in Jensen travel. If you don't potty when we gas up, you're toast.

So worth it.

Valentines Are For the Dogs

Or Puppies!
Valentine's Day Checklist:

Read this book.
Check.

Watch this video.
Check.

Take notes.
Check.
Summarize notes and make study guides for each family member.
Check.

Crate.
Check.

Play mat.
Check.

Toys and treats.
Check.

Game Cards.
Check.

Post Schedules.
Check.









Wash floors, clean house, PUT SHOES AWAY.
Kind of. Boys.
Child gate out of storage.
Check.
Brandon getting excited.
Check.
Maren jumping up and down repeating "Brodie Brodie Brodie."
Check.

You thinking I have control issues.
Check.

Me thinking this may be the best Valentine's Day present ever.
Check.

People Can Be So Cold

I sang to the radio with James Taylor. "Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall... All you have to do is call. And I'll be there, yeahhhh... You've got a friend."
From the backseat I hear the 7 year old. "Mom, I don't really like this song."
"What?? How can you not like this song?"
"I said I didn't really like it, not that I don't like it."
"But... You just call out my name, and you know wherever I am... I'll come running, oh yes I will, to see you again... This was one of my favorite songs when I was your age."
I continue to sing.
She pipes up again. "Is this an old-fashioned song?"
Hm. "I guess it's a little old-fashioned." I hum some more.
She isn't done. "Because if it was your favorite song when you were my age... it is really old-fashioned."

Ain't it good to know...

Sometimes, the Past Comes Back to Haunt You

For MORP, Chelsea and her friends decided to dress up in their moms' old prom dresses. Chelsea rocks the high do... kind of fun aiming the dryer and letting the hairspray go. DO YOU REMEMBER?

As her hair reached incredible heights, she asked, awed at my technique, "Mom, I feel so tall. Is THAT why you guys did your hair like this?"

Chelsea and Justin

Later, after she was dressed to peachy-pink perfection, she commented, "I feel poofy."

Yeah, that's about right.

Too cool.

P.E., Cody Style!

Sleeping Giant was a defunct, small ski resort, closed before we moved to this area (click SG vintage photo for link). Some great people swooped in and rebuilt, built up, and now it is a super, family oriented ski resort just minutes from our town and the west gate of Yellowstone. So, for Jacob's P.E. unit this semester, they are downhill skiing.
Can you say, "AWESOME?"
It was his first time, and my friend called me up and said, "Let's go surprise the boys!" So, we did.
A beautiful day up Northfork.

From the National Association of Secondary School Principals...

My B, my firewalker, my rock.

My 2010 Wyoming State Assistant Principal of the Year.

Congratulations, Sweetie! You may be surprised, but I'm not.

What Matters

December was weird. Things happened and amazing, incredible events were overshadowed, and I found myself dog-paddling to keep my smile on, to keep my chin up. These things were outside influences, choices of others that I won't get into, but we reeled a bit.
And we made cookies.

Helped with Nutcracker.

 Opened Presents.

Played some Rockband.

Had the missionaries over for Christmas dinner. And tiny RCs.

 And then we went to my sister's.

And then my brother's.

And then, we went ice skating.

And everyone was there and they smiled and hugged and lifted us and we knew.

I hope your new year is filled with things that matter.