Snow Day!!!

When the school district declared a "snow day" we started to make plans. We settled on sledding at the new park in Meridian. Jason closed the carwash and came home from work early to play with the kids, but not before he created some cool carwash sign sleds. :)

It was a really cold and blustery day...winds whipping snow in your face kind of blustery. As I was dropping Jason and the kids off (I was content doing errands while they played) he told me to not go far, thinking Abree or himself might not last that long. :)

Rylee

Abree-Treyson-Taylee

Surprisingly, they ALL stuck it out like troopers and had lots of FUN...in an exhausting kind of way. 

General Conference

General Conference... two of our favorite times of the year!

I often make up activity packets for my kids to do while they are watching. Usually a note-taking type for the older girls and puzzle and games for the younger 2. This year, I decided they were all old enough to take notes..and have less other type activities. They each received the same packet that had a picture of the apostle/prophet and space to take notes. We also had pictures on the wall. As each person spoke, they took turns placing their picture with their name and then writing down a few things from each talk.

Our Direct TV contract had ended this very week (maybe not the most convenient or best timing) AND the color wheel of our projector t.v. upstairs had broken.... sooooo we had to get a little creative in watching conference.

Plan A- was to watch it on the t.v. in our bedroom, BUT local channels weren't working right yet.

Plan B-watch on my laptop from lds.org.

Not ideal viewing, but really not all that bad either. So grateful for technology.

Later when Jason was home, he figured out how to connect the laptop to the t.v. so we could watch it on a bigger screen. And for the last session, he had finally figured out how to get the local t.v. station working.

Each kiddo made a "spot" (sometimes they have so many pillows and blankets it looks like a nest) for themselves.

Guess who. :)

I have to admit there was a little candy bribery that went on too. After the first congregational hymn, Treyson was the only one to receive candy (the only one beside myself who sang). Next several songs, Abree wanted to receive candy for singing, but I had to inform her she would only get credit for the congregational hymns, not the choir numbers. :) Candy was also distributed to those who participated in writing notes on the posted pictures.

I'm so glad to have this tradition of watching General Conference together as a family. I cherish the time spent together, as well as the guidance/direction we receive from our prophet, apostles and other leaders.

Happy Valentine's Day!

As Valentine's Day approached, I asked my kids if they wanted to make or buy valentines for their classmates/friends. They said they wanted to make them.

I pinned my heart out on Pinterest and found several I thought would be fun. But of course we didn't actually sit down to make them until.... the night before!

"I'm WILD about you Valentine!"

The original idea used little plastic animals, but I couldn't find any at the Dollar Store, so we went with iced animal cookies instead.

"STUCK on you Valentine!"

What kid doesn't like Band-aids? We bought some super hero band-aids for the boys and rainbow colored ones for the girls.

"Valentine you are the BOMB!"

I didn't think this one through, unit AFTER I had sent them to school. I wondered if I would be receiving a phone call from the principal letting me know that our valentines were inappropriate because of the NO tolerance (of weapons) policy at school. --Oops. No phone calls. Whew.

The kids picked what kind they wanted to give to each one of their classmates/friends. Rylee and Taylee even joined us and gave some to their friends too.

I wanted to do something special for Jason, so I came up with the idea to make his Valentine's gift last ALL DAY long. On the hour, he got to open a bag. In the bag were treats and a quality/thing I love about him.

Our kids are quite independent when it comes to getting ready for school and making their own lunches, but I wanted to do something special for them for Valentine's Day. So I made each one of them a lunch, including a treat and note from me wishing them a Happy Valentine's Day.

PS- Abree and Treyson reported that the Band-aid valentines were possibly confusing to their classmates.

Treyson reported that one of the kids said, "Seriously...a Band-aid???"

Abree reported that a girl in her class, wrote in her daily journal, that the worst valentine she got was a Band-aid.

Abree said, "Don't you get it? It says 'I'm STUCK on you Valentine'."

"Ohhhh, I see."

Then the girl quickly took it out of the package and put in on...even though she wasn't hurt.

See? She really did love it... she just didn't know it.

And we're off..

Cousin Martha (& boys) were coming from Ohio to Utah, to visit family. I thought that required another cousin gathering. Emails were sent. A date, time and place were decided on for another ISON CHICK CHAT (thanks Rachel and Todd!). We (Mom, Aunt Jana, Arielle and I) planned on going and decided to drive down to Utah together.

Jason would be working all day Saturday, so I (again) planned some things for my kids to do while I was gone... hoping that it might distract from boredom and quarreling... hoping.

If you're children are fighting and you're out-of-town and can't hear it... are they really fighting??? :) You know, the forest and the falling tree theory.

I wrote out a brief schedule of meal ideas and events, including packages to be opened after certain tasks were completed.

I employed Taylee to act as Art/Craft Teacher, for the time I was gone.

Late, the night before I headed out-of-town, I taught her a few new techniques and gave suggestions of things to do; raised salt paintings, crazy circles, countdown to the first day of school, tin can decorating, etc. She accepted the position and practiced for a few minutes before going to bed.

Very early the next morning, Jason dropped me off at my mom's house, ready and excited for a girly-weekend adventure....

My Birthday

My birthday celebrating began with this....

Treyson made me a Captain Crunch cereal, toast and milk breakfast-in-bed.

Started my sugar rush early...it was a FREE day!
For lunch, I went to Red Robin with some friends from the ward. I had a yummy burger. I can't remember the name of it, but it had a fried egg in it. I was a little scared to try it, but the waiter said it was good, so I went for it.
It was good.

We were also celebrating Stacey's birthday.

We're Birthday Sistas!!!

Weeks earlier, Stacey had told me she loved skulls. So when I saw this, it had her name written all over it!

She said, "I don't have one THIS big. Thanks."

Good Food + Good Company= Good Lunch!

I received a text from Jason, it said, "I'm getting off at 5. I will pick you up at 5:30 and we are going out!"

When I got home from lunch, I took a little nap. I was feeling a bit under-the-weather and wanted to rest up before the evening events began.

When Jason got home he showered and rushed around. He asked if I would hang out in the room for a while because he and the kids were doing something.

No problem..... I'll just take a little longer nap.

In my sleepiness, I heard scuffles, bumps and glass clinking together. Couldn't figure out what was going on out there, so I didn't try and went back to sleep.

Finally, Jason came in and said that they were ready. He escorted me to this quaint little Italian cafe, "Smullini's".

We were greeted by this lovely hostess...

"Hello. Welcome to Smullini's. How many will be in your party tonight? We have a table over here, next to a window, does that sound good? Great. Right this way. (Lead them to their table.)

I found her script, behind the sign, after dinner. Too cute!

We were seated and noticed the nice view of the broken trampoline, in the back yard. :)

Our waiter then greeted us...

"Hi, my name is Treyson and I will be your waiter for tonight. Can I get you something to drink? We have cherry Kool Aid and water" (said in the cutest, kind of robotic, voice).

He then took our order and poured our drinks. Next, he brought out our Caesar salads.

As he was walking back to the kitchen, he stopped (probably thinking to himself, "I should say something"). He then turned around, nodded his head and said, "Enjoy!".

So funny. We couldn't contain ourselves and started laughing. He was trying so hard to remember everything he was supposed to say and trying to be the best waiter ever.

He WAS very attentive. He kept our water glasses full. He also kept asking, "Does everything taste ok? Can I get you any thing else?"

Rylee the cafe manager.

I later heard her say, "Wow, being a manager, you've got to do a LOT of work (she prepped all the food and kept the kitchen running smoothly)..... I thought that I'd just be sitting back and watching!"

Abree the waitress.

She brought us our garlic bread, hung out in the kitchen and eventually brought me gifts to open.

Smullini's menu

When we were finished with our meal, Treyson said, "I heard it was some body's birthday."

All the kids came over to the table with a chocolate cream pie and candle and sang "Happy Birthday".

Next, it was time for gift opening.

The best gifts EVER!

"This coupon entitles Alisha Smullin to a 'get out of jail free card' from a weeks worth of laundry by your awesome Hubby."

"This coupon entitles Alisha Smullin to one full day (8am to 5pm) of honey do's (arrange with J) for a day."

"This coupon entitles Alisha Smullin to a sink free of dishes for the rest of the month of October. Happy Birthday!"

Can't wait to use my birthday coupons! I always tell Jason he doesn't have to buy anything big or expensive for gifts. All I want is a mile-long list of Honey Do's ....DONE.

He would rather buy the big or expensive thing. :)

Rylee is becoming the rich one in our house. She bought me these cute flats.

Taylee gave me this. She actually made it with a kit and a mold.

She said, "Do you get it?"

Me-"Uhhhh, no."

T-"It's a cricket..... you know a CRICUT."

Me-"Nice!"

Do you get it? "Cricut" is a scrapbooking die-cut paper cutter thingy.

She really knows what I like. :)

Treyson gave me a Bronco sport poster.

Abree have me a colored princess picture, sack puppet and a piece of gum.

She said, "Since I ALWAYS give you a sack puppet, I thought I should give you something else too, so I made you a princess picture."

To end our evening, I was escorted upstairs for a movie..... including a concessions bar; popcorn, cookies and pork rines. We all started watching the movie, but when it got too "kissy" we sent the kids to bed and finished it ourselves. They were not very happy about that.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable day. I felt loved, appreciated and remembered by the phone calls, texts and Facebook messages.

Thanks for making my birthday so nice.