1-29-2011

Tickle those ivories, Mary!

After months of hearing her practice

Canon in D by Pachelbel-

Mary was able to perform it at

her recital today!

She was cool as a cucumber

and she looked really cute, too!

1-28-2011

It's Friday night--

and we are all feeling like we

deserve shakes after surviving

another week in January!

1-27-2011

My starving college student is

coming home tomorrow!

I made sure we have plenty of milk-

(that will last until Monday!)

At as his request,

smothered burrito's are on the

menu for friday night dinner!

1-26-2011

A BYU basketball win like this--

eases my longing for some BYU
football!

San Diego State

you just got "Jimmered!"

1-25-2011

Well, it's not fun or glamorous

but paying the bills has to be done!

I have to admit it is more fun with my laptop!

1-24-2011

Sew Busy!!

Remember all that material I cut a couple

of weeks ago?

Look how cute it looks now!

Let's just say if you work at

Leaning Dynamics you are in for a treat!

1-23-2011

It's Perfection!

(I'm talking about the cake, not Connor!)

Connor has taken over the honors of making

pumpkin cake! I honestly do not

know how he does it, but it is a

heavenly treat for a Sunday evening!

1-22-2011

So here is the project that kept me in my pj's

until 12:30 on a Saturday afternoon!

Well, truth be told, Pride and Prejudice

kept me in my pj's until 10:30, and then the bookcase

project filled the rest of the time!!

I am so pleased with the "after"picture.

(see before picture on 1-20-2011).

As you can see the bookshelves are a lot less cluttered

and the look is more peaceful and intentional

looking!

First thing we did (Darren helped, of course!) was to

remove all the book jackets from the books!

This gives the books a far more clean and

simple appearance!

We put a lot of the paperback books in the

cupboards underneath.

I also like the look of the brown baskets being

divided up (they hold our DVD collection).

This helps with the balance of the overall look!

I did break a design rule, and

put framed pictures back in the bookcase, but I

like what I like--no matter what the rule!

Someday when we are feeling really

ambitious I would love to line the back

of the bookcases with a patterned fabric--

that would be Fabulous!

But for now, I am pleased with our

simple make-over, that did not cost a dime--

just a little time!

1-21-2011

For our "date" night we made a trip to the

beautiful Mt. Timpanogos Temple.

Darren snapped this picture as me and our

friends were walking out.

When you leave the temple you invariably take part of

it with you--the peace, the sense of priority,

the reminder of your personal divine nature,

and of course the power to keep trying

to do your best!

For more about LDS temples go here!

Temples

1-20-2011

So, this is a "before" picture! Actually this is an

"as is" picture! This is what my built in bookcases

look like down in my family room!

I have been doing some design research

about how to design your bookcases,

and I am going to make some changes!

Call it cabin fever, but spending so much time

inside my house, forces me to look around

my house at areas that need some attention!

These bookcases are gonna get a little facelift-and when

I'm done, I'll post the "after" picture! Feel

free to give me any ideas you might have!

1-19-2011

Spreading a little love around

the house, as I decorate

for Valentine's Day!

1-18-2011

Uh-oh, what have I done?

The kids talked me into downloading

this fun new game--I can see hours

being wasted throwing angry birds at

grunting pigs!!

1-17-2011

We're gonna bowl tonight!

For human rights day we exercised our

right to officially "stink" at bowling!

But we all sure had fun!

1-16-2011

The infamous mission papers!

That's right! Alex is starting his papers for

his mission!

Where do ya think he will end up?

Samoa or Boise??

1-15-2011

My darling niece Miss Addison Louise is seven

years old!

To celebrate, Addie wanted a cheer party!

Lucky for her, we have a really cute

cheerleader in the family!

Cassidy and her friend, Maddie, went to

Addie's party and taught the girls some

moves!

I hope Corb and Alisha( Addie's parents)

know what they are in for!

1-14-2011

Friday night, we attended a wedding reception

for the son of our wonderful neighbors

Carl and Lori Johnson!

As I reached Lori in the reception line she gave me

a warm embrace and whispered in my ear--

"It's all worth it! All the tears, and

sleepless nights, and worries. It's all

worth it!"

And someday when I am sitting in the

celestial room, with all my children around

me, I know I will have the same feelings.

It will all be worth it!

1-13-2011

I spent the afternoon cutting fabric for

some Valentines projects!

Thank-you, Heavenly Father, for giving

me the ability to create!

1-12-2011

You can never have to many cute bowls!

These were our anniversary present!

Call me crazy, but it puts me in a better mood to

eat cereal out of a colorful bowl!

1-11-11

It's been 19 years since I married my

favorite blessing! We celebrated by going to

Texas Roadhouse-- after we took Mary to dance, picked Dustin

up from the bus stop, took care of business

at the bank, picked Mary up from Dance,

got Cass to cheer-

well I guess in the past 19 years we

have created a lot of "life" to keep

us busy and happy!

We are still smiling through it all

Side by Side!

1-10-2011

The National Championship Game!

Someday I will be watching my BYU Cougars

playing in this game!

1-09-2011

Oh, there's Sunshine, blessed Sunshine!

After a week with an awful inversion filling our

beautiful valley, I awoke to a sunny,

sabbath morning! My week was pretty

stressful as well, so not only did the sunny morning

brighten my spirit, it also made all my troubles seem

a little lighter. I took this picture from my back door--

how lucky am I to be able to look out my windows

and see my favorite mountains? These mountains

are "home" to me, and when the sun shines on

them I can't help but feel grateful!

1-08-2011

A dinner out with our wonderful friends-

Jason and Mandy-

ended up being a fun and relaxing

way to end a very hectic and stressful week!

1-07-2011

My wonderful sis gave me this awesome picture

for Christmas! I finally found a frame for

it and got in hung up in

me and the Mr.'s room!

1-06-2011

Mary is getting some good use out of our new chair!

It has become the coveted place to read or work on

your laptap or take a nap!!

1-05-2011

Talk about out with the old and in with the new!

My morning started with my hair dryer spewing sparks

at me and then pretty much blowing up!!

A quick trip to Wal-Mart and I

had an exact replica of my old hair dryer--

minus the sparks and smoke!

1-04-2011

My New Chair!!

After months of agonizing over fabric samples-

then waiting forever for the fabric to arrive-

finally my old chair is new again!!

Can you say gorgeous?

1-03-2011

Can you rise from the depths of scumville to become

President?!!

After a wonderful discussion about the importance of every young

man being worthy to serve a mission, we decided

to lighten things up by having the Gibby's

over for some rousing rounds of SCUM!

I love Family Home Evening!

1-02-2011

There is nothing like a bunch of

cute boys cleaning up

Sunday Dinner!

Welcome 2011!

Happy New Year!

I am proud to be posting on the first day of a new year, mostly because

I did not post once in 2010!

2010 did give me a new way to document my family's

comings and goings, our highs and lows, our joys and sorrows!

The new way was (is) called Project Life!( http://www.beckyhiggins.com/)

This entailed taking a picture for every day of

the year, and then journaling about that picture. I am proud to say I took

a picture every day in 2010!

Well, let me rephrase that--I took a picture FOR every day in 2010!

There were a few days I realized after climbing into bed--that

I did not have my picture of the day yet! I would think about what

I wanted my picture to be and then take the picture the next day!

Call it cheating if you will, but I have to be honest!

There were also days I had help from those closest to me! Like

the time Darren and I came home from a date and Zachie asked me

if I had my picture of the day yet. When I said no-

he smiled real big, and said "good, I have one!"

He showed me the picture he had taken of the first quesadilla

he had made all my himself. He has also set the table for him and his twin sister

to eat their gourmet dinner, and he was so proud he had taken a picture

of it! That was the day I knew this project was changing my family!

There was also the day my neighbor took a picture of my family

taking a springtime nap on a blanket in our backyard. When we woke up

our neighbor called out his window "I have your

picture of the day!"(I still need to get that picture!)

There have been friends who have been so thrilled when

I tell them they are my picture of the day! I sort of find it funny

because it is not like the picture will be posted in the New York Times-

I mean, this is just Jamie taking pictures!

I have also had many, many people ask to see my finished product.

It is in an album soon to be put in my family room, after I put

in those last pictures from 2010!

So this year, just to push myself a little (and to

let my friends and family

see all those pictures

they are in!)

I am also going to blog my pictures of the day!

Which means I am going from no blogposts in 2010--to 365 blog

posts in 2011!

The #1 reason I love taking a POTD(Picture Of The Day)

is because it helps me see the little

everyday things in my life that make it

MY LIFE!

I love that I have a picture of unfolded whites

sitting in my laundry room--because I hate folding whites!

I love that I have a picture of the blossoms on my trees

last spring because looking at that picture now

reminds me of good things to come!

I have pictures of all the big things that happened in

2010--Alex graduating from

high school, Darren turning 40, Cassidy going on her

first date, Alex leaving for college, Connor scoring a touchdown!

But almost more importantly

I have pictures of all little things that happened

in 2010, as well--and I am proud of that!

So join me if you would like, on another adventure-just

watch out! You never know who or what might become

my Picture Of The Day!

In Honor Of Rivalry Week!

 

So this is it--the last real exciting week of the college football season, at least for BYU!(no BCS busting bowl for us this year!) I am having mixed emotions this week. I am excited for the game! It should be a good one! BYU and Utah are pretty evenly matched this year. I am hoping for an awesome headline to add to my collage. But after the excitement of cutting out the headline(which I am sure will announce our big win over Utah)and hanging it on my wall--then what? No more fun Saturday afternoons at our neighbors, who have been kind enough to let us invade their home for each game we cannot watch because we don't get the channel! No more cleaning the house while listening to Greg Rubell announce another ten yard gain for Harvey Unga or a 30 yard reception for McKay Jacobson or my favorite three words "Hall to Pitta". (as I write this I am seriously tearing up!) No more waking up on Sunday morning and running out in my bare feet to get the newspaper and see if we were able to guess the newest headline.(sometimes our headlines are better than the newspapers!) No more checking the computer every ten minutes for the latest rankings!!(this is sort of making me sound like a freak!) Life will return to normal. Saturday's will not revolve around what time the Cougars play, and my Sunday mood will not revolve around if the Cougars won! Time will march on and I will just keep watching the newspaper for those much anticipated words of "Cougar Camp in Session!"
P.S. How bad is it that when I test my pre-school classes on their colors, and I hold up blue, they say BYU blue??!!

Good Bye To Some Old Friends!

 

Today, as the snow blew sideways, and the last of my beautiful leaves were ripped from the trees, I decided it was time to say "good bye" to two dear friends of mine!! Their names are Flip and Flop!! They have been the truest of friends, always protecting my feet from scorching hot pavement. Like all good friends, they are protective without being smothering. You see, they still allow the tops of my feet to obtain the cutest little tan lines!! They have been with me through some great memories--Chicago, Nauvoo, San Diego. They are always just waiting for me to slip my polished toes through their little straps and away we go!! So for the next six months they will sit in my closet. About February I will start looking at them, and long for the carefree days of shoes with no laces. But before you start feeling too sorry for me, let me introduce you to my new friends---fuzzy and warm!

 

Senior Night at Westlake High!

Friday night was a "big deal" here in Saratoga Springs!! For our last game of the season we played our rival Lehi High, and it was Senior night!! After a tied score of 0-0 at the half Westlake rallied in the second half ending the game 21-3. Alex was recognized at half time, not only as a senior football player, but also for making academic all-region--which means he has some of the best grades of all Varsity athletes in our region!!! As Darren and I walked off the field hand in hand, I said to him "I don't like having a senior--that means I am old!" He agreed with me--then I said " But if I have to have a senior, I am glad I have a senior like Alex!" He also agreed! Old or not, it makes me feel like I have spent my life doing something right, when I look at Alex. Way to go Westlake!!--I will miss sitting in those bleachers under the Friday night lights!!

Final Score!

Like Father--Like Daughter

So yesterday, after receiving the news of my grandmothers death--I was still processing exactly how I was feeling, when I realized it was time for my wonderful children to come bounding through the door--home from school, and ready for snacks and help with homework and piano and ready to tell me the stories of their day! I just was not quite ready to be "mom"--so as the kids walked in, I walked out and told them I would be in the backyard raking leaves--they could find a treat, and I would be in soon!! I put my I-pod on to some of my favorite Hillary Weeks music, grabbed a rake, and entered my own little world. The music reminded me of my faith, and being outside in the cool fall air renewed my spirit!! I was delighted to be raking up so many leaves--delighted that my trees are getting big enough to shed leaves!!! I thought of my grandma, my grandpa, my grandma Smith, mom and dad Forsyth, my own earthly father, and my Heavenly Father--I shed tears as I raked, but the more I raked the better I felt and for some reason being outside was so delightful to me I stayed even after the raking was done. I felt the wind blow through my hair and watched the pile of leaves I had raked begin to blow away! I pondered the "give" and "take" in life. Now I was ready to go in and be "mom".
Later that night,while making a yummy dinner for my family, I was talking to my mom. I asked her how dad was doing. She proceeded to tell me that not long after grandma died he told mom he needed to go walk in the woods. Mom asked if he was going to go hunting, and he said no, he did not think he would be able to hunt through his tears. I smiled, as I realized I am more like my dad than I know. He was walking and crying. I was raking and crying--but we both were dealing with our sadness, and somehow being outside made it a little easier. I had to have Zach take a picture, mostly because I was so proud of my pile of leaves, and I want to be able to compare it in the future to what is sure to be mountainous piles of leaves--but now I am especially grateful for the picture because it will forever be a reminder to me of how me and my dad dealt with the sadness of this day.

Today my sweet grandma Clark departed this mortal life surrounded by her family. My thoughts and feelings this afternoon have made me smile from recalling the happy memories, and cry from visiting the sweet, tender ones. When I was young we lived right next to my grandparents, and even after we moved to Alaska, my grandparents followed, and lived next to us for a few years, once again! My childhood memories are filled with images of my grandma. As I look at my life now, I can see so vividly her influence. My grandma babysat me for a while when I was young--I remember her listening to country music for hours--is that why I am a Kenny Chesney freak?? My grandma loved to bake. She always had homeade chocolate chip cookies in the freezer!! Is that why I am a chocoholic and love to freeze my homeade chocolate chip cookies?? My grandma loved nature--so much that she would get upset when the grandchildren would shake the cherry blossoms from the cherry tree in the spring!! Is that why I love the trees in my yard so much I get upset when my boys throw footballs at them and break their limbs?? I found myself feeling sorry for myself as I realized I do not have a living grandma anymore--but then the comforting whispers of the Holy Ghost reminded me that yes I do have living grandma's-- they just are not living with me here on earth anymore. I am grateful for my faith, my heritage, for memories, and for being a grand-daughter of Donna May Clark.

Girls Week Away!!

My sister is living outside of Chicago for the summer, so my mom and I decided to fly out and spend some much needed girls time together!! We spent two days in Chicago, two days in Nauvoo, two days in the car listening to the navigation system telling us where to go, and two days in Michigan City, where Jodi is living. I got to add three states to my list of places I have been, and I got to make life long memories with my mom and sis. We shopped and laughed and cried ( because we were laughing so hard)--we ate and walked and talked. We got matching purses to remember our trip--but I won't be needing any momentoes to remember this trip--I have the memories safely recorded in my journal and the smile on my face whenever I think of mom trying to pronounce the name of a paticular town in Iowa!!! Thanks mom and Jodi--lets do it again soon!!!

The view from our hotel room in Chicago!!!

Me and Noah getting ready for some "Chicago Style' pizza!

Dippin' our toes in Lake Michigan!

Me and Jodi doing some shopping on the "magnificent mile!"

Even Noah had fun at the American Girl Store!

Chicago has palm trees!!!

Me and mom on our river tour of Chicago!