Day 152 - Order from William Sonoma

“One thing life has taught me: if you are interested, you never have to look for new interests. They come to you. When you are genuinely interested in one thing, it will always lead to something else.” 
― Eleanor Roosevelt

I have had a gift card in my wallet for about a year when I stumbled upon something I thought would be so fun to purchase.  I'm not going to say what it is yet, because it will be another first when it comes, but I have never ordered anything from William Sonoma, even though just looking at their cooking products makes me want to learn to cook.

I was going to sign up for a class to make this.  But this is even better because I can make it from home and not have to try to schedule around my husbands work schedule or find a sitter.  And I think I will have my boys help me because it's kind of like science!

Stay Posted.

Updated:  The Mailman just delivered this!

Day 151 - Love Languages for Kids

“What could we accomplish if we knew we could not fail?” 
― Eleanor Roosevelt

I find that so far I have written for myself.  The posts are mostly little notes to remind me of what I thought or did.  I need to change that a bit.  I'm not sure how, but I'll figure it out somehow.

My boys took the Love Languages test for kids, that way I can know what their language is so that I make sure I can speak their language at least every once in a while.   Being a mom I feel pulled in so many directions I've got to make a conscious effort to speak their language so they grow up KNOWING that I love them.

One of my boys language is Quality Time.  The other is Receiving Gifts.

Ouch.  I'm not going to lie.  This is going to be tough.  These are both things I struggle with as a mom.  Time, there is never enough time to spend one on one.  Someone always needs something while I'm with one of the boys.  I'm going to have to think about this one and figure out a way.

Gifts.  I am not a big gift person.  I believe Christmas and your Birthday are good days to receive a present.  Maybe my definition is what is wrong about this.   I'm going to have to think about this one a bit too.

Anyway, the test is really easy.  There are only 15 questions and you can sit down and help them with it if they want help.  They get their answer right away.  It's a great way to learn about your kids.

http://www.5lovelanguages.com/profile/children/

Words of Affirmation

People whose love language is words of affirmation like for others to use words to tell them that they are special and that they do a good job.

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Quality Time

People with the love language of quality time like it when others do things with them like play a game, watch television, or go to a ballgame.

Physical Touch

People whose love language is physical touch like to receive hugs, kisses, and high-fives.

Receiving Gifts

People with the love language of gifts feel good when someone gives them a special present or surprise.

Acts of Service

A person whose love language is acts of service likes it when others do nice things for them such as helping with chores, helping with school projects, or driving them places.

Month 5 Recap

NEVER BE AFRAID TO TRY SOMETHING NEW.  BECAUSE LIFE GETS ORING WHEN YOU STAY WITHIN THE LIMITS OF WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW.
-Unknown

I cannot believe it has been 5 months! Last night I watched Call the Midwife, love this show, if you've never seen it watch Season 1.  At the end of the show a lady told Jenny, 'you just keep living till you feel alive.'

That is how I feel now.  Alive.  So alive that I want to help others that are in that dark cloud where you feel like there is no light to be seen, no hope, no dreams.  I do feel alive and it is wonderful.

My favorite firsts this month were Learning to Curl, that was a blast!  Also loved doing the Love Languages quiz with my hubby.  I've got to remember to do that with my boys.   And as always, new places and new food alway make me excited to be alive.  Bryce Canyon and the amazing places we saw in St. George were so fun.  It does make the cold weather a bit harder to bear right now, but Spring is coming and I have so many firsts to try that I'm not as affected by the cold as I normally would be after being in sunshine.

30 more days and I've done a first for 1/2 a year!  THAT is an amazing thought!

Day 150 - Toad in a Hole

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” 
― Mahatma Gandhi

We read the cutest book, Toads on Toast.  The recipe in the back was for Toad in a Hole.  I've never had toad in a hole so I decided it would make a great first.

I'm like the fox and I'm hooked!

Day 149 - Try a Dirty Coke at Maverik

“An intelligent person can rationalize anything, a wise person doesn't try.” 
― Jen Knox

My friend told me you can make your own Dirty Coke at Maverik.  So, since I've been thinking about my Coke from St. George, I went to Maverik to stop my craving.

It tasted like suntan lotion.  I'm glad, because then it will be my little stop in St. George when I go and not something I feel like I want every day.

Day 148 - Learn to Curl

“Personally, I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.” 
― Winston Churchill

Went curling with my hubby today.  SO FUN!!!

We are so going to do this again.  They have Cosmic Curling too.  Another first to try.

Day 147 -- Boil a Black Widow and her Egg Sac

“Why do I hate spiders? …. who doesn't? ” 
― Steven Erikson

I like that spiders help keep bugs under control.  But honestly, they totally freak me out!  I found this one today when I took the top of my sprinkler box off.  A female black widow has a bite more toxic than a rattlesnake.   They can make 4-9 egg sacs each summer and each sac can contain 100-400 eggs.

Can we say….CREEPY!!!!

I didn't want to smash the egg sac because I didn't want 400 baby black widows crawling around.  A friend suggested boiling hot water.  It totally worked, but I'm still keeping an eye on the egg sac because I want to make sure those babies are dead!

This photo is unedited in any way.  This baby was HUGE!  With legs uncurled it was as big as a quarter.  The egg sac as big around as my thumb…

By far the creepiest first for me.

Day 146 - New Phone

“Look at the world and think about a catastrophic disaster where the cell phone towers went dead. How would you ever be able to 'TEXT" your next door neighbor to see if they were okay” ― Stanley Victor Paskavich

This quote makes me laugh, partly because it's a bit true.  I think as a society we are less inclined to help a stranger because we assume everyone has a cell phone and they have called for help.  Honestly, would you stop to help someone on the side of the road anymore?

I liked my old phone.  My dinosaur phone.  But it was horrible with texting and it took horrible little pictures.  Finally broke down and got a new phone.  Love it!

Day 145 - Be a 'Maven'

I read a book once that talked about the three types of people in the world.  A 'maven' was someone who shared information.  Today I tried being a maven and told some friends about something I thought they would all like if they didn't already know about it.

Fun!

The other two personalities are Connector and Salesperson.

Day 144 - Patch a Pillow

A stitch in time saves nine.
-unknown

The stuffing was coming out of my pillow, through a seam that came unstitched.  So I patched it.  I've never needed to patch a pillow before.

Day 143 - Talk to a Stranger & Make a New Friend

“Friendship is born at that moment when one man says to another: "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . ."” 
― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

Made a new friend today.  We were waiting in line at Old Navy…for a long time.  Ran into her and her family later at the park and we got talking more.

Day 142 - Make something Beautiful in a public place for others to enjoy

“There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is society, where none intrudes,
I love not man the less, but Nature more” 
― George Gordon Byron

Day 141 - Mt. Bike in St. George

Youngest didn't want anything to do with it since he couldn't ride.

Day 140 - Rootbeer floats in the Park

So fun!

Day 139 - Children's discovery Museum

Youngest loved it.

Day 138 - Cupcakes on Main

blah.

Day 137 - See a Road Runner!

So cool looking!

Day 136 - Red Cliffs Hike

My Favorite to date!

Day 135 - See Petrogylphys

Meet an archeologist/Indian Tribe gov. liason at the Petrogylphs.  He told us all about what we were looking at.   So interesting.

Bear Tribe praying for rain to make the Sego Lilies Bloom and help their corn to grow

The Creator, part of the Bear Tribe, the swirl represents him coming to earth

the snake on his head represents the Creator, as do the square arms

the feet are 'bear' clan feet

The life of a person.  Spirit.  Born.  Life.  Death (which is not on here)

Day 134 - Snow Canyon

Cool Park.  Loved the Pioneer names trail.  So much to see.

 

Day 133 - Try a Coconut Lime Coke aka Dirty Coke

EPIC!

Day 132 - Explored new Parks in St. George

Went to two parks I heard about in St. George.  The spin park was a blast!

Day 131 - Attended Astronomy Program & Saw the Stars (kind of) in Bryce Canyon

So wanted to see the stars in Bryce Canyon.  It was a bit overcast so we didn't get to see much.  The astronomy program was interesting.

Day 130 - Hike the Hoodoos

We hiked the Hoodoos in Bryce Canyon.  Saw Bryce Canyon for the first time.  EPIC!

Day 129 - Sleep in a Hotel

I have not slept in a hotel for years.  This was a first for my boys.

Day 128 - Make Glutten Free (Blah) Brownies

I did not like this first.  They were really weird.

Day 127 - Ski

We got a free pass to ski at Snowbird today, couldn't pass up the opportunity to go, so off we headed.  My son has done the school ski program there so it was nice he could show me where to go and -follow me closely here - teach me how to ski.

He took me on Chickadee a couple run then we headed off.  It wasn't long before we were in a white out.  But there was something surreal about being in the quiet of a chairlift with the snow coming down heavy and seeing the trees and hearing the squirrels chattering and just being with my son.  He is the easiest child to be with.  Not whinny, not needy, so easy going.

It was really fun.  My hubby is a little jealous so we've decided that next January he and I will take Learn to Ski lessons so we can go with the boys.

Day 126 - My First National….Day

“If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane.” 
― Robert Frost

Today is National Walk around Things Day.  If I was to take pictures you would see me walking around a train track, a blanket left on the floor, my dog, a toy car left in the hall, rocks along the roadway, the list goes on.  I feel like I walk around things all the time, so it was great I could join in on my first National Day.

Day 125 - Watch Bald Eagles Live

“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” 
― John Muir

My son came home and told me they've been watching a Bald Eagle's nest in class and that a baby eaglets just hatched.  To see these huge birds up close is amazing!  Just look at their legs, how powerful and huge and they look!  This pair has been together since the winter of 2007-2008 and are using their first nest.

Some interesting facts:

• A bald eagle is about 3 feet in length!
• Wingspan-7 feet!!!
• The nests can weight up to a ton & usually measure 2 feet deep & 5 feet across, but some have been measured up to 8 feet across!
• Once paired, bald eagles remain with each other until one mate dies, then the surviving bird will find another mate.
• Eggs incubated for 35 days
• Clutch size:  1-3 eggs

Check out how huge the nest is.  Look at the sticks used to build the nest!  They build their nests in to the tops of huge trees, near bodies of water.  And their nests are called eyries.

Bald Eagles are recognized by their white head, brown body, and hooked yellow beak.   The bald eagle has been the national emblem of the United States since 1782.  They can reach speeds up to 100 mph when diving and they use their hooked beaks to pull flesh off before eating it.  (They tear little pieces off when they feed the baby).  They can sour for hours using thermal convention currents and can fly about 40 mph.  Usually they glide, they don't flap very much.

It is not likely that all three babies will survive.  Both parents take turns incubating the eggs.  While one is incubating, the other searches for food or more nesting materials.   When baby eaglets hatch their bodies are covered with light gray feathers.  Around 3 weeks they will start to get brown feathers.  When they are 4-5 they will get their brown and white color pattern.

If you are interested, check out the attached website.  One of the three eggs has hatched and you can watch the parents take care of it.  It's amazing how they re-do the nest when they switch sitting on the clutch and when it is windy look at how much the tree moves.  This is truly amazing!

Decorah Eagles

Day 124 - Tarot Card Reading

“A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on. Ideas have endurance without death.” 
― John F. Kennedy

I'm a bit of a skeptic.  I don't believe that cards or horoscope can tell you very much about your life.  I believe that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us and if we do our best every day and listen to the Holy Ghost then we usually follow the plan He has in mind for us.  That's good enough for me.

But, it's the end of the day and I haven't done a first so I got online and had a Tarot Card Reading.   Here is what I got:

Today, jenn, you have to be daring! Put yourself in the firing line; speak up; push yourself forward. The union of the High Priestess and the World invites you to put action ahead of thought - to initiate rather than respond. The main theme of your day should be communication, in your relationship and your friendships. Show ‘em what you’re made of! In your active life, “Good things come to those who wait,” is your motto for the day. Without making big waves you’ll progress slowly but steadily, with intelligence and discretion, stimulated by the beneficial combination of the Sun and the High Priestess. Your ability for penetrating analysis, your creative vision and your logical approach will impress your partners and your colleagues. Why not be a little more forthcoming and share your ideas more openly?

Hmmm….I guess Tarot cards just aren't for me.

Day 123 - Drive the Speed Limit Everywhere I Go

Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly. 

~Author Unknown

Driving the speed limit was pretty easy BUT people get pretty ticked at you and ride right on your bumper! AND I made sure to leave plenty of time so that I wouldn't feel stressed and hurried to get to my next spot.  

Day 122 - Kung Fu

“Go to the edge of the cliff and jump off. Build your wings on the way down.-
-Ray Bradbury” 

I signed my boys up for some classes today at the local rec. center.  These are classes they have never taken before so it should be pretty fun! 

UPDATE:  Took my son to his first class.  The teacher is AWESOME!!!  I swear I was so impressed with the way he taught the kids my husband probably thought I had a crush on him because I just kept talking about him.  Seriously though, 15 + kids in the class and when he spoke…not a word was spoken by the kids.  Not a movement by the kids.  They listened to him.  They did exactly what he asked them to do and they worked hard.  I will be keeping my son in this class till he graduates from High School!

Day 121 - Love Languages

“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.” 
― Elbert Hubbard

My hubby and I took the Love Languages test. It's kind of interesting.  I think I'll have the boys take it so I can find out what their love languages are.

Month 4 Recap - 1st Quarter

“Adventure is not outside man; it is within.” 
― George Eliot

These are my favorite because when I go back I can see my favorites at a glance.  My favorite 'firsts' this month were:

• Building a Terrarium with my boys
• Taking an Aerial Silks class with my girlfriends
• Hiking Ensign Peak
• Taking Bread to neighbors and Writing Notes of Appreciation

Some of my favorite firsts for the year:

Day 120 - Write a Note of Appreciation

“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” 
― Marcel Proust

I have never written a note of appreciation.  But working on the Good Manners Belt Loop for Scouts, with my boys, shows that I need to be a better example of writing Thank You notes.

Before popping off to the Library for Story Time I wrote a quick note to the librarian we love best.  She makes the Story Time, Book Dudes, and Club Wed. so much fun!  Really, I've tried programs where she is not the one in charge and they are not nearly as engaging and fun for my boys.  We so appreciate this librarian and try to do everything we can when she is involved.

I left the note on the desk in the children's area so it's totally anonymous.  Love this service idea.  I'm going to do this more.