2017 Blue Jeans Week 4

Loving January and the slower pace, but we have lots of basketball going on.  Miss E had 4 games this week. Ugh. She was tired, but they played awesome.  Besides basketball it was homecoming week this week, so that is always a big deal.  It was a good week.  Take a look. . .

Sunday nights we always skype with Miss A.  It is so nice to actually see her.  We talk, laugh, catch up and enjoy visiting for about an hour each Sunday night.  This is the crew tonight as we were talking to her, and Miss O was playing her a new song she learned on her ukulele.  

Basketball game #2 of the week. . . sure love this coach of hers!  He is awesome!!!  So grateful for coaches that care and take the time to teach.  

A picture from Miss A's week---my amazing brother-in-law took her and her roommate night skiing.  Fun stuff!  Wish we could have joined them!

As a fun thing for homecoming the mom's of the freshmen girls' basketball team got some sweet ladies to come in and do some corn row braids in the girls' hair so they all matched for the homecoming game.  Miss E and one of her teammates get their hair done.

And after it was all done--the whole team looked the same!  So cute!  Don't they look excited??? 

And here she is at the game--basketball game #4 of the week and man did they play hard!  So proud of her and her team!  

Saturday night was the homecoming dance....the girls all beautiful and ready to go :)  They didn't stay too long.  School dances are not their favorite things, but they went and then came home and watched a movie with us :)  Perfect Saturday night!

Thanks for visiting!  Hope you had a good week! 

2017 Blue Jeans Week 3

I really like January.  Even though basketball is going on, it seems slow compared to December.  It is nice to have slower weeks!  Take a look at ours. . .

Sunday church was cancelled because of the ice storm, so what do you do on a Sunday stuck at home?  Make cinnamon rolls of course.  We made these overnight cinnamon and sweet rolls and love them!  We were very grateful our power didn't go out so we could bake them :)

I do a good job of taking photos and keeping up on my blog, but the actual paper albums I am far behind on.  My goal was to finish up 2015 and then start 2016.  2015 was basically done, I just needed to journal a few months, but 2016 I have done nothing.  I have all the pictures---see the big pile and album, and page protectors and kit, just haven't done anything with them.  So big project here we go!

My boys were working on the chicken coop this week.  It seems there always needs to be adjustments to that.  Appreciate their hard work as I am sure the chickens do too :)

This cute girl had her first high school forensics meet this week, and she competed in prose and got 2nd place!!!  That qualifies her for the state competition later in the spring.  She did a cute reading of "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" by Jon Scieszka.  A cute picture book you should check out if you haven't read it.

And we got a picture from Miss A and her cute roommate this week.  They went to a basketball game.  So fun!!  Reppin the Y!

Had to get a picture as we watched the inauguration today.  Praying for all our new leaders and that they are led and guided to help our country and do what is best.  

And another cute picture from our college girl.... she had a date tonight and her roommate sent this to me right before she left.  Didn't get a picture of the cute boy, but that is okay.  Fun times!

Thanks for visiting!  Hope you have a great week!!

2017 Blue Jeans Week 2

Kind of a sad week as we said good-bye to Miss A and then had a really slow weekend as they were predicting a huge ice storm so school/games/church were cancelled, but we didn't get it too bad like some.  We are grateful for that!  Take a look at our week. . . 

Sunday we all said good-bye to Miss A as she flew back to school.  Won't see her until end of April, so this will be a long time apart.  Sure love these kids and love seeing them together!

Had a yummy dinner tonight Halal chicken and rice from here.

In preparation for the ice storm we brought in wood to the house just in case the power goes out. . .

And on one of our lazy days this weekend when everything was cancelled--my boys just relaxing and reading. 

A picture from Miss A for the week--she and her roommate went to the Vocal Point concert which is an a cappella group on campus which is awesome!

And the ice storm hit!

This was a cool picture that Mr J took of the top of the chicken coop.  Ice, ice everywhere!  But we were fine--nice and warm at home and no power outages, so all is good!

Hope you had a good week!  Come back soon!

2017 Blue Jeans Week 1

Happy 2017!!!!   This was our first week of the new year.  The kids had off until Wednesday which was nice.   We had some basketball, some cancelled flights back to college which was a pain (but she did get back in time for classes to start today), but we made it through and had some fun family time.  Take a look. . .

Welcome 2017 with our sparking cider!  We are ready for the good things you will bring!!

Mr J was on a kick during the break to see all the different things he could make with Borax.  Slim was his favorite!

Had some basketball games, and Miss O plays in the pep band, but it was fun to see Miss A join her as she was home for the game.  Love those two mellophone players!

Our yearly goals are made!  It is going to be a great year!

Had to get a picture of my anniversary flowers.  So pretty!

And more basketball....Miss E sinking one at a game they won Friday night.

And Saturday was put away the Christmas stuff day--take down the tree.  By this time I am ready, I want my "normal" house back.  

Thanks for visiting!  Hope you had a great week!

2016 Reading list

I love to read.  Always have.  I am the daughter of a librarian, so it must be in my blood.  It is a love that I have thankfully passed onto my children.  A love of reading is a wonderful gift!  Every year I make the goal to read as many books as I will have candles on my birthday cake.  Some years I go way over, but for the last few years I haven't been able to keep up with those candles :)  I know it is not because I am getting old :)  I am sure that is not the reason!!!  Anyway, this year I didn't make it, and that is okay.  I don't think the point of goals is to kill yourself if you don't achieve them all, but to acknowledge what you did do and be proud of that and move on.  So, I didn't read as many books as I had birthday candles in 2016, but that is okay.  I read a lot of really good books.  This year I am going to try harder and see if I can match those candles...wish me luck!

These are in no particular order, but just when I read them.  I also had the goal to read 10 non-fiction books, and I only read 6, but hey, I did read 6, so that is still good!  A few highlights--I continue to love the Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer.  I have also loved the Proper Romance series that Desert Book has out by various authors--Josi Kilpack, Nancy Allen, Jennifer Moore.  Those are all good so check them out.  I don't think I have a favorite book of the year, but I did like all I read.  I won't finish them if I don't like them :)  Here is to more happy reading in 2017!

1.  Winter by Marissa Meyer, Lunar Chronicles #4
2.  The Boy who Challenged Hitler: Kund Pederson and the Churchill Club by Phillip Hoose, nonfiction
3.  Sarah's Song by Karen Kingsbury
4.  Hannah's Hope by Karen Kingsbury
5.  At Her Majesty's Request:  An African Princess in Victorian England by Walter Dean Myers, nonfiction
6.  Darkness over Denmark by Ellen Levine, nonfiction
7.  Wolves Can't Fly by Dan Meers, nonfiction
8.  The Tournament at Gorlan by John Flanagan, The Ranger's Apprentice The Early Years Book 1
9.  Life in a Jar by Jack Mayer
10.  Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys---not to be confused with that other Gray book, this is about Stalin and WWII and Lithuanians being sent to Siberian Labor Camps.
11.  Calamity by Brandon Sanderson
12.  10,000 Days of Thunder:  Vietnam War by Philip Caputo, nonfiction
13.  Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
14.  Deadly Alliance by A.L. Sowards
15.  Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
16.  Cruel Crown by Victoria Aveyard
17.  Angels Flying out of Hell by Bette Milleson James, about the 7,000 mile journey of the Operation Babylift Orphans
18.  Willowkeep by Julie Daines
19.  Lady Helen Finds her Song by Jennifer Moore
20.  The Storm Descends: Fire and Steel Book 2 by Gerald Lund
21.  Gray Mountain by John Grisham
22.  Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
23.  Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
24.  Specials by Scott Westerfeld
25.  Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen
26.  Stars Above:  A Lunar Chronicles Collection by Marissa Meyer
27.  My Fair Gentleman by Nancy Campbell Allen

2016 Blue Jeans week 52

I know we are already into 2017, but I need to post my last week of 2016.  We had a very nice, relaxing week in between Christmas and New Years.  It was a great way to end a great year!  Take a look at our week. . .

We always go over to our next door neighbors and celebrate Christmas after Christmas day with them.  They are the sweetest people and have no grandchildren of their own, so they have very sweetly adopted mine :)  We love them!

One of my requests for Christmas gifts was I wanted new art for my art wall,  My kids did not disappoint!  Can you see that white tree?  Miss O cut that out.  Miss E did the heart and Mr J did a few pieces to add to it also.  Love it!

Enjoying fun times with friends over the break.  Mr J got a mini pool table and has been having fun with that!

And Miss A got some mega peanut butter cups from Mr J as a present.  She shared a huge one today.  Really big!

Miss O had her cute friends over for an after Christmas party this week. Cute, fun girls!

And to end the week we celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary!!  We headed up to the city for a nice weekend without kids--went to the temple, went to dinner, and went to see the movie LaLa Land.  It was a very nice anniversary!  Sure love this guy and so lucky he is mine!!!

On our anniversary weekend we grabbed lunch at a famous and very yummy BBQ place--Joe's KC BBQ.  If you ever are in the KC area--go there!  Yummy!!! And yes, it is in a gas station :)

So we had a great 2016 and are looking forward to 2017!  Happy New Year!  Thanks for joining us on our journey and we hope you will stay with us in 2017!