Had another great camp-planning meeting today. So excited for girls camp! It is going to be a great experince.!

1/30/2013 Cider and Snow

Bret is such a great helper! He LOVES getting up on the mornings after it has snowed to go with dad to shovel Grandma Chipmans driveway, and them come home and get ours shoveled too. We end it with either hot chocolate or hot apple cider :)

1/29/2013 Afternoon Fun

The kids have so much fun with the young women that come over to play with them in the afternoons. First thing in the morning and late afternoon are my most difficult times with health. It has been so helpful to have them come and play with the younger kids. Reading, and puzzles, games, makeovers, and homemade playdough are some of the fun things they have loved doing! I am grateful that we have such wonderful young women in this ward!! :)

1/28/2013 Catching up... Dinners, Talks, School

I have been quite sick the last while, and I afraid I have gotten behind. I will see if I can catch up with some of the highlights. Samantha spent a day at grandma's making frozen dinners! She had a lot of fun and I appreciate her always being so willing to help! She also continues to get up early each morning to head out for indoor track/conditioning. She heads out in her shorts and t-shirt into the bitter cold... and then takes warm clothes to change into. She has really enjoyed the training though. On Sunday she gave her first talk in Sacrament Meeting. She spoke at a young 19 year old girl's mission farewell, and she really did a great job!! We have been going to Grandmas on Sunday afternoon for dinners, which we have all really enjoyed and appreciated. We have dinner, FHE, dessert, and a game. Last night we had pink cupcakes that the kids LOVED!! We played "Red light/Green light", and "Mother-May-I" Bret brougt me flowers to try to bring a reminder of summer. This morning I woke up to seeing the flowers on the table, against the backdrop of falling snow seen through the window behind. It was really pretty and somehow the flowers made the snow seem more beatufiful. :) I will start back with physical therapy today. I have started a new medication that should start to work in the next 4-12 weeks. I am anxious to be feeling well again. Camp will be here before we know it, and there is much to be done!! :) Tyler is loving having extra play time with some of the young women in the neighborhood who come to help in the afternoons! Today, Ashley is going to help her do a makeover, and I think play dough is planned for tomorrow!! :) Bret and Tanner have both started working towards learning the violin as well. I love to have music in the home. It is one of my favorite things. Bret continues to play his basketball games and is really enjoying that. He got to have a surprise visit from Grandpa Chipman and Grandma Linda at his last game. Grandpa Chipman also brought him a chess-board-computuer, which he has been nearly glued to ever since! :) Tanner, ... he always keeps us laughing! He is really progressing in his reading and at school. He wants to do anything Bret does and loves going to watch Bret play his games! I hope that we are in for warmer temperatures soon. Yesterday it hit close to 40, and we were all in heaven!! :)

1/16/2013 Inspiration

This is Bart Yasso with Lisa Bentley. We had a chance to meet Bart at the St. George Martahon in October 2012. Great runner with a lot of great inspiration.He has dealt with chronic illness over the years, and has run in well over 1100 races. He is pictured here with Lisa Bentley who has run 11 ironmans competitively.... with cystic fibrosis. I love finding strength through seeing others overcome the odds and do what they love regardless of the challenges that seem to be stacked against them. I have not been able to even walk around the block for several weeks... but I know I will be out running again when the time is right.... and I am still hoping one day to qualify for Boston. :)

1/15/2013 Knocking Down the Icicles

After realizing that our beautiful icicles, were also adding a two inch solid layer of ice on the steps and porch beneath, we decided it was time for the icicles to come down. Bret knocked down the large icicles and then I spent an hour pouring bucket after bucket of hot water onto the steps to melt the permanent ice blockade that had formed. :)

1/14/2013 -22 degrees! (yikes)

It defintiely feels like winter out there!! It was -22 with windchill when the kids left for school this morning. I think this is the coldest winter we have had since here yet! Everything does look like a winter fairy land, and it so beautiful and in its own way serene. I am just glad that we have lots of warm blankets and hot chocolate! :)