I Pledge Allegiance To The Flag

My daughter, Emma, and the rest of the Student Council at Meadowview Elementary, were invited to the School Board meeting last night to lead the group in the pledge of allegiance. Not everyone could make it. They were asked to wear spiritwear or red to represent the school color. Clinton took Emma to the meeting, but didn't take a picture of her actually doing the pledge, because he would have gotten her side or back, plus he probably thought it would be disrespectful to be taking a picture and not participating in the pledge, too.

Emma ran for Student Council previously this year, but she didn't make it. She was in Ms. Wright's class, one of the two third grade classes. The day of my due date, October 20th, I was informed that the third grade classes had enough kids to split and make a third class. Emma was going to be transferred into the new classroom with the new teacher, Ms. Brackett. One of the two Student Council representatives from Emma's class was staying in Ms. Wright's class and one was moving over to Ms. Brackett's class. This gave Emma another chance to run for Student Council. She and Lexi McMillin ran for the position and Emma was elected. She and Rylan Gaspar are the classroom representatives.

Emma loves it. She is social, outgoing, and eager to help. She and the other Student Council representatives helped out during Grandparent's Day at school. For those grandparents that didn't know where to go, she and others would lead them to the correct classroom. She has participated in Candy Cane sales at school, which help raise money for a worthy cause, and she will be participating in Lollipop sales soon, too, for the same cause. I know she's loved all these opportunities and being able to help lead the pledge, too. Emma is greatly looking forward to continuing to help in other ways throughout the year. Way to go, Emma! I'm proud of you!

Cameron Checking Out His New "Crib"

Hooray! Today we put up Cameron's big crib in the girls' bedroom. He has been sleeping in my room the last three months - in fact, Cameron turned 3 months old today. Happy 3 month birthday, Cameron! What an awesome three months it has been with him - he is such a joy to have around.

He has slept through the night a few times, but it hasn't been recent. He will generally wake up one time during the night between 2:00-4:00am. When I lay him in our bed to feed him, he will quite easily fall back to sleep, therefore I leave him in bed. I have him sleep in the middle of the bed, which leaves me sleeping on my right side, the side I don't normally sleep on. Sometimes, during the night I wake up with discomfort and try turning over, but I end up covering Cameron's face with the sheet and comforter on accident. Somehow, I end up with very little room to move, too. I know I should lay him back in his own bed, but I wouldn't want him to possibly wake up. With Cameron being in a different room, I'm hoping to take him back to his own bed, or better yet, have him start sleeping completely through the night.

I strapped a little toy to the side of the crib that plays music and also lights up. He seemed to enjoy it tonight and fell asleep listening to it and watching it light up. (Thank you Jacquie Korella for loaning me your crib bedding and a bouncer and to Diana Bowler for loaning me your swing, bouncer, exersaucer, mobile, musical crib toy, and play toy). I also set up Cameron's baby monitors in his room and mine, so I can hear him better during the night. We'll see how well he sleeps tonight. I'm hoping for a good night's sleep! :)

Homemade Pizza Night @ The James'

Our family LOVES homemade pizza. It is delicious and fun to eat together as a family. Generally we end up having our pizza night on a Friday or a Saturday, but since I had wanted to make pizza this weekend and Clinton and I had a date night last night, that meant pizza was tonight! I cooked up the chicken and sausage the other day, so I only needed to make the dough, chop up some olives and pineapple, and we were ready to go. Clinton said we didn't need to go elaborate this time with the toppings since he is usually the only one who eats it all.

The kids love sausage and pepperoni pizza. There were two sausage and pepperoni pizzas (one part of a pizza also had a few olives on for Anna), half of a honey barbeque chicken with the other half only pepperoni, and one deep dish spinach pizza. The spinach pizza was an experiment that Clinton wanted to try. He wouldn't mind having it again, but he would prefer to investigate and get a good recipe next time.

Normally, Benjamin would eat tons of pizza, but tonight was very different. I had purchased some pork sausage from a different store that ended up tasting different than he was use to. It wasn't flavorful. I thought it was alright and all of the rest of us ate it, but I definitely prefer the sausage that we regularly use. I still have some cooked sausage left. What do I use it for now? Initially I had planned to use it for biscuits and gravy (another family favorite), but I don't think it will go over well with everyone, especially Benjamin. I'm sure I will put it to good use. Hopefully, the next homemade pizza night will be a much greater success.

Dinner at New China Buffet - 晚會在新中國自助餐

It's always nice having a good meal, especially one that you don't have to prepare or clean up afterwards. Clinton and I got the chance to go out to eat at our favorite restaurant, New China Buffet. It is located in Darien, IL and we've gone there for years. I guess it's our favorite because there is enough variety that the kids could eat something. It was tough to go out to eat at restaurants other than fast food places when the kids were younger. We would order something for them that they thought they would like, but then decide not to eat it later. We would end up paying for food that would not get eaten. Buffet places are nice that way - you can get whatever you want and as much as you want.

Just recently, we've begun bringing the kids a little less since some of them have been getting pickier about what they will eat there. It's not worth it to pay for everyone if they don't eat a decent meal. I'm alright with having it be just Clinton and I. A little peace and quiet is nice, plus we save they money. The kids had Ramen at home tonight - a nice cheap meal!

There is Power in Walking, There is Power in Reading, But There is No Power at Home

Justin finished Totschool at 11:20am. Clinton walked over to the school, which he normally wouldn't have done, but we were without power, the car was in the garage without the door being able to open unless you do it manually, and I wasn't home to pick him up with the van. I left the house this morning at 9:00am for a Visiting Teaching appointment. I traveled to the far east side of our ward boundaries to visit a sister, stayed a little long with my companion, and didn't receive Clinton's text about the power being out until I finished. I planned to respond to him, but my cell phone ran out of power and died.

I wasn't quite sure if Clinton had picked up Justin yet, so I stopped by the house first, noticed he was gone, but headed to the school to verify. I found Justin and Clinton walking to the library across the street from the school. Someone at the school mentioned the library was closed until 1:00pm. They decided to check and make sure. Of course, it was closed, so they headed back to Justin's school and stayed in one of the rooms with Clinton's laptop and the portable DVD player until the library was open.

Well, I had another Visiting Teaching appointment at 2:00pm, so I needed them back home to stay with Cameron. I hadn't planned to take Cameron with me because the sister I was visiting had pets and because leaving him would give me dedicated time with her. I headed over at 1:30pm and picked them up from the Woodridge Public Library. We still didn't have power yet, but it fortunately came back on at 2:45pm.

Even though Justin watched a movie today at the library, he does enjoy going there to pick up books, movies, and wii games, as well as, read stories and do puzzles in the children's section. Several months ago, Justin and I had some shopping to do, but I had to return some books to the library, too. I told Justin that I needed to drop some books off at the library before we went shopping. I drove up to the book return box just outside the library and deposited the books inside. After I dropped the books in, Justin asked, "Mom, is that the book garbage?" I couldn't figure out what he was talking about at first, and then it dawned on me, he thought this was a place you threw away books. He had no idea what happened to the books after that.

I began to understand how he could think that way. You can go to McDonald's or other drive-thru places and they have garbage cans outside that you can throw away your garbage from the comfort of your vehicle. This was the same set-up. Why not have this be a "book garbage". Sounds logical to a child! This is just one of the funny things he has said. I liked it so much that I use it as a password for a website that Justin likes to play.

"I Wear My Reading Glasses at Night"

Yes, Clinton is wearing his reading glasses at night, but that's not the only time he wears them. In September of 2011, our whole family went to see the eye doctor. The last time we went was probably June of 2010, and that's when the doctor gave Clinton a prescription for reading glasses. Unfortunately, we left on vacation before getting some. Upon returning home, I did go looking at lenses once with him, but he never did go back out and continue his search.

Clinton has noticed more that he needs glasses for reading and working on the computer. He picked out a pair a few months ago, but rarely thinks about wearing them. I do the same with my glasses, too. A few days ago, I pulled my reading glasses out to see the difference it would make while we read scriptures. Getting mine out helped to remind him of his glasses, so the last few days he has used them. I think he looks great in them.

The prescription that he needed was so minimal that they told him any pair of reading glasses from a store would work. I think he got this pair for $10 or less. Not bad!

For someone who prefers solitary hobbies (like reading) to socializing, he has done more socializing recently. This morning Clinton went out to breakfast with three of his old bus stop buddies, two of which are now retired. Joe Durepos picked him up and they headed to Steven's Restaurant where they met the other two. Clinton ordered the Breakfast Skillet. He said it was delicious.

Clinton does enjoy reading a lot of the same books that Benjamin and Anna read. There are so many young adult fantasy/fiction books being written that are enjoyed by adults, too, especially by mine. He is currently reading a book titled, "Unnatural Issue" by Mercedes Lackey. He has read other books by this author, but it has been quite some time. I'm not sure if this book falls into the young adult age range, but if Clinton enjoys it, I'm sure he will be recommending it to Benjamin. It's fun to hear them discuss books that would be of interest to each other. This is one of a few ways in which Benjamin is going to grow up to be just like his dad. I see reading glasses in the future for him, too!

"Whale" of a Time in the Bathroom

Justin LOVES using his whale faucet cover to brush his teeth, rinse his mouth afterwards, and get drinks. He received this wonderful little item for Christmas this year from Mom and Dad. Our kids get new toothbrushes and toothpaste in their stockings every year. Justin received a little something extra. This is a great enticement for children to brush their teeth. If you don't want the water to squirt out of the whale's spout, you can open up the bottom part of the whale so the water will run down like it normally does from the faucet. I meant to take a picture of Justin using it tonight, but I had a meeting earlier and returned home after the kids were in bed.

Green GUM brand toothbrush: FREE from Grandma and Grandpa Buss
Crest Tartar Protection Whitening Cool Mint Paste (6.4 oz.) toothpaste (2 pk) from Walmart: $3.92
Whale Faucet Cover from Ultra Foods: $1.99
Justin laughing, loving his whale faucet cover, and having hours of fun while brushing his teeth, rinsing his mouth, getting drinks, and having older siblings use it: PRICELESS

"Old MacDonald Had a Band"

Yes, "Old MacDonald Had a Band" and Anna was a part of it. Tonight was Anna's second band concert. This is her first year participating in band and she plays the flute. The concert started off with "When the Saints Go Marching In", followed by "Old MacDonald Had a Band", then "Ode to Joy", and finally, "Jasmine Flower". I knew the first two songs and I love it when some songs are familiar so in my head I can sing along while they play.

I'm impressed that my kids are participating in band and playing instruments. I know I learned the recorder when I was young and both Benjamin and Anna learned how to play it in 4th grade. I believe I learned to play the clarinet for a short period, but I don't rightly recall. I'm hoping Benjamin and Anna stick with it to make a difference in their life. As the other kids get older, I hope they choose to play an instrument, too.

I envy them and their ability to play. If I had the time (or made the time), I would love to learn to play the piano and the guitar. Maybe someday I will make it happen, but for now, I take joy in watching and listening to the talents of my children. Way to go, Anna, you did great!

Like Father, Like Son

For those who Clinton and his LOVE of reading and know Benjamin and his LOVE of reading, you would say "like father, like son". You would never have thought that Benjamin didn't like to read when he was in 3rd grade or even younger. He needed additional help when it came to reading. In 3rd grade, it was a challenge to get him to read and take the required Accelerated Reader (AR) Tests. When Benjamin was in 4th grade, it finally hit. He developed a LOVE for reading.

Over the past few years, he has become much more of an avid reader, a book worm. The thing about Benjamin is that he loves reading books "he" wants to read. It was more of a struggle in 5th and 6th grade when he was on a "Battle of the Books" team. He and three or four friends had agreed to read certain books off of a selection list. They had to know about the stories, the title, and the author when competing. It wasn't his favorite thing to do, but he did it. He said that everyone would want him to be on their team because of his love of reading. I don't think his friends ever saw him without a book in his free time. They got a kick out of his laugh when he would be reading because he would laugh out loud. What he didn't like being on those teams, was having to read required books from the selection list, and not books of his own genre preference.

Now that Benjamin is in 7th grade, he doesn't have to read books and take tests on them, but instead, he has to read a total of 25 books this school year. He has to read books in various categories, which again, makes it less desirable, but it doesn't stop him from reading. The book he is currently reading is "Lord Brocktree" by Brian Jacques. It is a book from the Redwall series. Benjamin loves reading fantasy and fiction books, especially books that are in a series. There are various books that he is waiting to read once they are published. It kills him to wait for books.

I love that boy! I love that he has a passion and love for reading. Hopefully, that passion can carry him far with other studies in school.

Debbie's Callings

Today at church, I was released from my calling in Young Women's. I have been serving in Young Women's for 3 years. I was a Beehive Counselor for almost 2 years and an Assistant Advisor for just over 1 year. It has been exciting, rewarding, challenging, busy, and worth it. The youth of the church are so important. This stage in their life is critical. I hope I was a part of their lives as they have been in mine.

Of course, I will continue to stay busy with my new calling. I was sustained and set apart today as a Compassionate Service Leader in Relief Society. Our ward currently has a Compassionate Service Leader, but a second one is needed. I am excited to be back with my Relief Society sisters and looking forward to getting to know the vast number of sisters that are new this past year. I will get to know them, love them, serve them, and help them to serve other sisters within our ward.

I have had many callings throughout my life, the first one started when I was in a Beehive Class Presidency. Continuing through my teen years, on throughout college, and into my married life, I have been challenged, stretched, and blessed through service in my callings. Though, I have enjoyed them all, the greatest calling I have had or ever will have, is that of a mother. I love my children. I may not love what they do or say always, but I love them. I'm grateful that each one of them have entered my family. With these children, comes a great responsibility to teach, train, model, guide, and love. I pray that I can do my best in this calling, a calling from which I will never be released.

Dashing Through the Snow, My Sister on My Back

After a busy morning of trying to get the kids to clean up their rooms, do some additional chores, and eat lunch, it was off to the Woodridge Park District hill to go sledding. Benjamin had already left the house around 12:00pm to help Brother Deem and some other Young Men shovel over at the church. He ended up being gone for about two hours, but didn't return until after Clinton had left with Anna, Emma, and Justin. Once again, they had a blast.

They went up and down the hill time and time again. Most of the time they slid down the hill by themselves, but on occasion, they slid down with one another or altogether. I don't know why Anna and Emma didn't just ride on the sled one in front of the other. It probably made for a lot more fun riding on top. This is one of those rare occasions where the two of them are having fun together. I love it when they have those moments and wish they would happen more often.

They played for about an hour or hour and a half. I'm sure they would have kept playing longer, but Emma got hurt when she slid into a tree and whacked her knee. It was slightly above the spot on the same knee she hurt last weekend at Grandma and Grandpa Buss' house. Through it all, they were in good spirits.

They continued to go outside later in the afternoon. Unfortunately, Justin came into the house after getting hit in the face with a shovel. Emma was building a fort in the backyard and was digging out a spot when Justin got too close. He has a slight scrape or cut under his nose just above his lip. Right now, Anna and Emma are outside again. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that someone doesn't get hurt this time. :)

There's "Snow" Much Fun To Do in Illinois

Anna, Emma, and Justin were having "snow" much fun outside in the snow. It snowed throughout the day and we were expected to get 4-6 inches. I don't know exactly how much we ended up with, but they were so happy to be out in it. They were asked to play in the backyard so they wouldn't knock the snow back into the driveway that Clinton had shoveled off earlier that day. I guess they played mostly in the backyard.

All of them had wanted to stay out there for hours. They built forts, laid in the snow and covered themselves, and played on the ice between the two fences. Between our fence and the neighbor's fence there is a low area that fills with water when we have a heavy rain. Well, when it gets cold enough to freeze, it makes a nice little area for the kids to step on, slide on, and of course, fall down on. Hopefully, none of them got hurt on it tonight.

Eventually, the kids made it to the front yard to play, and of course, they end up building their fort near the driveway. So, when Clinton arrived home after taking Benjamin to the Naperville Illinois Stake Center for the YM Lock-in, he could easily tell where the kids had played. After we read scriptures and had family prayer, guess who got to go outside and help shovel - the girls. I think Justin was lucky to go off to bed.

As long as the roads are clear, people drive safe, and I don't have to do too much shoveling, I love having the snow available for the kids to play in. I think they should get outside more during the winter and discover the fun they can have without electronics.

Benjamin is "In the Mood"

Benjamin performed at the Downers Grove South (DGS) Jazz Café tonight. Downers Grove South High School sponsored the event. There were three different Jazz groups from their school which performed as well as four junior high/middle schools (Lakeview JHS, O'Neill Middle School, Eisenhower JHS, and Jefferson JHS - which is Benjamin's school). I wasn't able to attend due to a Jefferson JHS meeting, but from past performances and concerts that I have attended, I know they did well.

Benjamin started band in 5th grade and plays the trumpet. It is actually Clinton's trumpet that he used in band growing up and played it for 7 years. Now that Benjamin is in junior high, he attends Band daily as a class instead of as an early morning extracurricular event. He does, however, attend Jazz Band Tuesday and Thursday mornings as an extracurricular event. He loves it! Although the Jazz band performs when the normal band performs at concerts, Mr. Carlson provides additional fun opportunities for Jazz band. They have their own special performances like tonight and performing at 8th grade graduation (so I am told), go out for breakfast across the street to McDonald's during their early morning practice occasional, and order pizza and watch a movie after school on a Friday. Although the students have to pay for their own food, I like that they receive more socialization outside of their practices.

Benjamin performed "Caravan" by Duke Ellington, "Blue Trane" by John Coltrane, and "In the Mood" by Joe Garland. Each song was arranged by Michael Sweeney. The song, "In the Mood" is Benjamin's favorite.

Once There Was a Snowman, Snowman, Snowman

Today, the "crafty" ladies in the Woodridge 1st Ward Craft Group got together to make snowman families. I am not generally a crafty person, but over the past few years I've been known to be crafty on occasion. Amy Anderson cut and prepared the wood for our project. I sanded the edges, painted them, and hot glued the front part of the hat onto the snowman. It is not a difficult craft to do, but it does still take time since you are waiting for the paint to dry before moving onto the next part. I'm not quite done. At this point, I sill need to decorate my snowmen with buttons, scarves, and decorations for their hats. Once I am complete with my project, I will have to post the pictures. I enjoy doing crafts and spending time with people in the ward. Luckily, Cameron slept the entire time for me. I could have made a snowman to represent each person in my family, but that would have taken up too much time. I think you get the idea of a snowman family with two adults and a child. If I would have had all the decorating supplies with me, I could have left the church with a completed project. That doesn't always happen, but I love it when it does.

The Sound of Silence

After a long and busy day, it sure is nice to enjoy the sound of silence. I'm not sure which child drifted off to sleep first, but I know it wasn't a boy. Benjamin and I were over at the church for the Young Men/Young Women combined activity tonight. It was a Jeopardy type of game and Stephen McCammon was the host. Let's just say it was an interesting evening. I don't think many of the youth care for this type of activity either. They have done it before and have not enjoyed it. I'm not sure why they repeated it this year.

Once Benjamin returned home, he didn't go to bed right away. I found he and Justin playing Gameboy in bed with the light on. I left their room, after telling them to go to bed a few times, and went downstairs to take care of Cameron. He was happy and loved playing with his dad. Once he was taken care of and laid down, I discovered that once again the boys light was on. It was about 10:30pm and I thought the boys were awake. As I peeked inside, I only saw sleeping boys. Either they were really sleeping or they faked it. Maybe I should have tried to tickle them to see what would happen.

One thing that I noticed after I took some pictures was that Anna's hands were all wrapped up. Her hands get extremely dry and red in the cold winter months. We use to have a large box of medical gloves that were leftover when I was pregnant with Emma and had home healthcare. These gloves came in handy and worked well when taking care of her hands. When the glove box ran empty, we began using plastic wrap to do the trick.

It's been a long and busy day and I need to head off to bed, too. So, now I lay me down to sleep, and pray my children won't make a peep. Ahh, the joy of sleeping kids, the sound of silence, and going to bed myself. It is something to be enjoyed. Sweet Dreams!

"I Choose You, Benjamin"

As Benjamin sits in the rocking chair battling on his Pokémon game, I find it ironic that he is wearing a shirt that says, "Army of Righteous Warriors". This is a shirt that his cousin, Sean Fisher, gave to him once he outgrew it. On the back of the shirt it quotes the scripture Joshua 24:15, "... choose you this day whom ye will serve...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." I can't believe how much Benjamin is growing up, not just in height, but as a young man. He is twelve years old, in the Deacon's Quorum, and has his first calling in the church, 1st Counselor in the Deacon's Quorum. He was set apart on Sunday, December 18, 2011. I think he is excited for this opportunity and it will provide him opportunities to be a righteous warrior. He can set a good example for others along their journey, too. I'm sure these pre-teen years are not easy, but probably easier than the teen years. I'm so proud of Benjamin and the choices he has made in his life, with friends, with church, with scouting, etc. He will really begin to grow over these coming years.

Benjamin has great Young Men leaders at church who encourage, motivate, and work with him on Duty to God and Boy Scouting merit badges, so hopefully one day he can earn his Duty to God and Eagle Scout awards. The great reward comes not in earning the awards, but in the journey one takes in getting there.

As I work with the Young Women at church, I see how important the youth leaders can be on the youth. There comes a time when the encouragement, pushing, or prodding of parents is not as helpful or as motivating as when it comes from their leaders. With good parenting (hopefully) and the help of leaders, teachers, extended family, and friends, Clinton and I can be successful in raising our children to be righteous warriors.

Justin is a "Hand" Full

Wow, Justin is now a "hand" full. Today was his birthday and he turned 5 years old - a full hand. He sure is a bundle of joy. We went to church this morning with Grandma and Grandpa Buss and the primary children sang the welcome song and the birthday song, too. He also got to choose his birthday meal, which on Monday during FHE, he decided he wanted carrots (raw), broccoli, mashed potatoes, jello, and ice cream along with his chocolate cake. Well, that's exactly what we had for his birthday dinner. Grandma had fixed roast for the main dish and everything else that Justin wanted. The funny thing is that he hardly ate any of it. He ate a few carrots and maybe some broccoli, as well as some olives that were opened up. We later had to get him to eat a little bit more of his food if he wanted the ice cream and cake. Look at that big kid blowing out his candles!

Following the desserts, he opened up his presents. Grandpa Buss gave him the traditional birthday bag of some goodies. I always loved that while growing up. This is a bag of goodies just for Justin, but he can choose to share if he would like. I know when I was growing up, having your own food was very desirable. When you have eight kids in a family you don't always get things you want or you have to share. Justin did say that he would share his jar of pickles with his siblings, though. Sweet boy!

Grandma Buss gave him an envelope with $5.00 in it so he could be treated to a kid's meal, shake, or something special. Mom and Dad gave him some Rescue Heroes that use to be Benjamin's. They have been in storage for a long time, so they would be "new" to him. Benjamin gave Justin his very own Gameboy Advance with a few Gameboy games. He made arrangements to purchase Ethan Smith's old Gameboy Advance and games from him. Ethan no longer wants them or would like to buy other stuff. It benefits Benjamin because they are very cheap.

Overall, I think Justin loved his birthday, his presents, and spending time with everyone. What a great kid he is and what a great help and example he will be to Cameron as he grows up. I don't know what I would do without Justin - he is such a fun and loving kid!

Happy To Have My "Happy Joe's" Taco Pizza

When I was growing up, one of our family's favorite places to go and eat was at Happy Joe's. It is a place that is home of the "Taco Pizza." It is a delicious sausage pizza topped with lettuce, tomatoes, and chips. The real tasty part is the hot sauce that you pour on top. Whenever I go back home, if possible, I love getting the taco pizza at Happy Joe's. With Justin's birthday being tomorrow on a Sunday, I figured a nice meal would be to have pizza since we were visiting Grandma and Papa Buss. I don't know if Grandma and Papa ever get tired of eating it, but other children of theirs come to visit and want to get taco pizza, too. It brings back memories. One nice thing about eating at the restaurant is you get to watch them make the pizzas. They have a large window for kids to peer through and watch the magic happen. They have old fashioned candy available for purchase at the candy counter. You can order up delicious sundaes and ice cream, too. If it is your birthday, you get a free sundae, they sing to you, and at the end of the song, a loud fire truck type siren goes off. I don't know if they will ever go out of business, but if they do, it will be one place I will miss in Dubuque. I was happy to have my Happy Joe's taco pizza.

My Little "Angel"

Wow, we really didn't get large amounts of snow this winter until yesterday. We had 1 or 2 days of snowflakes falling, but melted before or as it hit the ground. The only other day we had snow was the night before our family pictures which we took on December 17, 2011. Yesterday, it started snowing before 9:00am. Clinton went out and shoveled one side of the driveway before heading to storage to get some birthday items for Justin. They are some Rescue Rangers that Benjamin had when he was little and loved them. He wants to give them to Justin. The toys will be "new" to Justin and I know he'll love them. Clinton went back out to shovel the rest of the driveway and sidewalk before leaving to pick up the girls from school. Justin had hoped to get dressed and help his dad shovel, but he couldn't find all of his clothing and get ready in time. He was a little sad, but decided playing outside would be fun, too. One of his favorite things to do was make snow angels. He sure is a cute little angel of mine! He sure loved playing outside. It was so much fun, but he did get cold after a while. It's amazing how cold your hands get when snow goes down your gloves. When he was all done playing, it was time to come inside for some nice hot chocolate. YUM!

My Girls Are Too Young To Be So Into "Studs"

I knew there would come a day when my girls would be into "studs", but I never thought it would be so soon. Today, Anna & Emma got rid of their original "studs" and got some new "studs". Anna is 10 and Emma is only 8, but luckily, it's not boys yet. On July 7, 2011 Anna got her ears re-pierced and Emma got her ears pierced for the first time. I told them when they were young that they didn't have to get their ears pierced, but if they wanted to, they would have to wait until they turned 8. So, on Anna's 8th birthday, she got her ears pierced. As time went on, her ears were not taken care of as well, and so, we couldn't get an earring into one of her ears. She eventually stopped wearing earrings. For Emma, once she turned 8, she wasn't sure if she wanted to have it done or not, so she decided to wait. A few days later, she decided to have it done, but we were either too busy or kept forgetting to get it done. Finally, we did it. Anna decided to get her ears re-pierced when Emma had hers done. They were both so excited to pick out their "studs" for piercing and additional "studs" they could use later. I think they needed to keep their original "studs" in for six weeks and then some sort of "stud" in their ear up to six months, but I figured keeping their original "studs" in that whole time wouldn't hurt, so that's what we did. They knew they could change their "studs" around Justin's birthday and today was the day they decided to do it. They were real excited about choosing other "studs" today and I'm so glad it wasn't boys.

Living the "Sweats" Life

Yes, it is true - Clinton is living the "sweats" life now. The only thing he said he really wanted for Christmas this past year was a nice pair of dark sweatpants, the ones that are open at the bottom with no elastic. Benjamin has a nice pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt that we ordered for him through Jefferson Junior High School with their logo on. He loves them and wears them a lot at home. Clinton decided he would like a really nice pair of sweatpants, but I threw in a nice hooded sweatshirt, too. I ordered black sweatpants and a dark heather gray hooded sweatshirt, the same colors that Benjamin already had, except without the logos. Now that he is working from home, he can easily crawl out of bed and put on his sweats for the day to be comfy and cozy. Though he may look like a bum or a couch potato with his sweats and grown-out goatee, he generally works in the downstairs office on a chair, and not on a couch, plus he showers each day. He said he never realized how much he would love wearing sweats.

Have to Have My Harry Potter

Justin desperately wanted to play the Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7 wii game today, but sadly, he had to keep waiting for mom. Benjamin, Anna, and Emma went off to school and Justin wanted to play. He kept begging mom to go downstairs and play with him. I did love playing the Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 wii game, but I hadn't played Years 5-7 yet. I wouldn't mind playing, but sometimes it's not always convenient to play when your kids want you to. He was very willing to get me downstairs quickly by saying, "You better take Cameron downstairs because it's not very safe if I do it." You better believe that I got up from what I was doing on the computer to check and see if he had picked up Cameron. Luckily, he hadn't and I don't think he would, but a concerned mother still better check. He said he would bring down the "Nuks" or pacifiers for Cameron, in fact, he wanted to bring down all four that were on the table. I told him ONE would be fine. Shortly after that, I received a phone call from my neighbor, Deb Smith, and was on the phone a little while when Justin came up and whispered in my ear, "Mom, Mom, remember you're going to come down and play Harry Potter with me." I quickly got off the phone and went downstairs. I figured I better take a picture of him to remember this moment. I'm sure many more hours of entertainment will be had by this game, whether he plays by himself or has to beg his mom (or someone else) to play with him.

Pimples to Dimples, Ain't He Cute

Cameron went through the "pimple" phase of his life. He got the baby acne just like every baby does. He has since outgrown it and moved into more of the "dimple" phase of his life. I love this part! The smiles are so adorable. He is definitely a watcher and a listener. He is so alert, and has been from the day he was born. Cameron will smile back at you and repeat the various sounds that he hears. He does the ooing and cooing like all babies should. The sounds he says a lot of are "ohhhh", "agggg", and one that sounds like "hi" once we've said "hi" to him. He does various happy squeals, giggles, and laughs at times, too. Today, I happened to be playing with him a lot after he woke up from a nap and thought I would catch a wonderful picture of him smiling. He's got dimples in each cheek and in his chin, too. From "Pimples to Dimples, Ain't He Cute?"

M&M's Christmas Gift - Last One Delivered

This past Christmas I shared this cute little M&M's Christmas gift with several friends, family, school teachers & staff, Primary teachers & leaders, YM teachers, neighbors, garbage man, mailman, etc. I received an email from LDS Living on December 8, 2011 which had an article in it about "Easy Neighbor Christmas Gifts". I scanned the article and loved so many of the great cheap, easy, & fun neighbor gift ideas. I decided that I would do that this year. I was hooked on making them. I thought it was a nice way to share a little heartfelt message about the true meaning of Christmas with many people, and inexpensively, too. I bought several 48 count boxes at Sam's Club, paper punched the M&M's and the message card, and then used curling ribbon to tie it together. I heard lots of wonderful comments from the kids' teachers this past week as they returned back to school. Some of them loved it so much that they turned around and did the same thing for their children's teachers, friends, etc. One of Benjamin's YM leaders, Brother Trevor Ricks, had been out of town the last few weeks so we couldn't deliver to him. On Tuesday, his leader was at the church, but I didn't have the M&M's with me. I told him we would get it to him on Sunday. I wanted to take a picture of it before the last one was delivered. I'll have to come up with another great idea next year. Maybe I'll have to look back at that article!

The message that it shared is this:

“As you hold these candies in your hand and turn them you will see,
The M becomes a W, an E, and then a 3.
They tell the Christmas story, it’s the one I’m sure you know.
It took place in a stable a long, long time ago.
The E is for the East, where the star shone so bright.
The M is for the manger where baby Jesus slept that night.
The 3 is for the Wise Men bearing gifts and so they came.
W is for worship—Hallelujah, praise His name.
So as you eat these candies, or share them with a friend,
Remember the meaning of Christmas . . . It’s a story that never ends.”

Cookies, Cookies & More Cookies - The Sale Begins

Here's my Girl Scout Cookie Seller, Anna James. She has been in Girl Scouts since she was in Kindergarten. She is now is 5th grade. She loves her leaders, the girls, the fun things they get to do, and selling Girl Scout cookies (more than selling the Fall Products). Everybody LOVES Girl Scout cookies. You can't eat just one and you can't just buy one box, either. My favorites are definitely the Thin Mints. It is quite easy to eat through one whole column of cookies inside the box, if not more, once they are opened. That's just counting me and not sharing with the family! Today, Anna and I will spend some time contacting friends and family by email, phone, or in person. She can't go door-to-door, but she can go to the people she knows that live in the neighborhood. That's our plan. I sent out a Facebook message yesterday letting people know she is prepared and that the cookie sales will be starting. A few people mentioned that they were interested in ordering. We'll start with them first. Grandma James said that she would like hers "home" delivered. I think we can deliver to her when it is around the James Family reunion, if she doesn't mind waiting.

Here's a little update on how our selling went. We didn't get out the door until after 3:30pm, since we had been cleaning house and other stuff. A few people were not home, but those neighbors that were there and wanted to buy some, Anna and I ended up chatting, too. We chatted with people at every house that bought from her. Later on, we came home and called various friends and neighbors. Grandma James and my niece, Jawana, even wanted to buy some, too, to help her out. I'm proud of Anna. She could have spoken with more people, but by the end of the night she had 100 boxes of cookies sold. Now she has 100 more boxes to go to meet her goal and 22 more days till the order forms are due. That's a long time to sell, but they are not suppose to sell door-to-door to people they don't know. Basically, she will contact friends, family, and a few teachers at school. Awesome job, Anna! I can't wait to receive my cookies when they arrive on February 11th!

"This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef"

This "Easy Pot Roast With Rich Tomato Gravy" is what we had for dinner last night. This is a NEW family favorite of ours that Clinton makes. Clinton, Anna, Emma, and I were the only ones that use to eat roast when it was slow cooked in the crock pot with nothing extra added. Benjamin stopped eating a lot of meat products when he was around 2 years old. He would only eat breaded chicken products, hot dogs, and sausage. As for the sausage, he would eat only them if they were links or slices chopped off and cooked from the round tubes. He wouldn't eat it if it was ground up like on pizza or in other things. Within the last two years he has begun eating sausage pizza and the sausage gravy that we serve over the James family biscuits (a tradition coming from Papa James). Benjamin has decided he absolutely LOVES the roast his dad makes for Italian beef sandwiches (also a favorite as our family reunion this past summer) and this kind of roast. Justin likes eating it now, too. So ALL the "little piggies had roast beef." It's always nice having a meal the whole family will eat and enjoy. The downside to it though, is that you don't end up with as many leftovers. Oh well, I guess I can live with that.

Sunset - For the Beauty of the Earth

Last night, just before 6pm, I happened to pass by the window in the back of my house and catch a glimpse of the sun going down. I don't know when I last saw a sunset. Too bad I didn't catch it earlier, that may have looked even more beautiful.

I am usually busy helping kids with homework, making dinner, or am downstairs where I can't see this sort of view. I think I need to see more sunrises and sunsets to remember the beauty that there is in the world, the world that God created for us. My patriarchial blessing even talks about "enjoying the beauty of the earth". The times in my life when I was outdoors more, like riding horses in the mountains and taking people on trail rides everyday, was when I truly enjoyed the beauty of the earth more. I shouldn't have to have a job like that to help me remember its beauty.

I joined Facebook on January 1st and have enjoyed reuniting with oldtime friends. One of them is Dennis Manhart, someone from my ward growing up in Dubuque, Iowa. He has taken pictures for years and has his own landscaping photography business. I had just taken the picture of the sunset when I began looking at his website that he sent to me. Gorgeous photos! He has such a variety, but one whole section is of sunrises and sunsets. It is definitely worth checking out. Go to http://dmanhartphoto.com/. His son, Travis, is also a photographer, but he takes photos of people (family, wedding, graduation, etc.). Check out his website, too, by going to http://www.tjmphoto.com/ or by clicking on the links in "What Sites I Like".

This sunset picture reminded me of Hymn #92, "For the Beauty of the Earth". Below are the words to the Hymn:

1. For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,

[Chorus]
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

2. For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flow’r,
Sun and moon, and stars of light,

3. For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild,

Text: Folliott S. Pierpoint, 1835-1917
Music: Conrad Kocher, 1786–1872

Someone's Been Sleeping In MY Bed

Cameron woke up at 4:30am this morning and needed to be fed. I ALWAYS change him first and then feed him. I was so tired this morning from the last few nights of going to bed late and didn't feel like taking the extra time to change him. I thought I would be fine to just nurse him in bed and let him be. He fell asleep pretty quick after eating and so I left him in our bed instead of transferring him to the bassinet in our room. Well, I regret not changing him now, since he leaked in my bed, and on my side, too. Luckily, Clinton and I weren't in the bed when it happened. We had been awake for a while helping Benjamin, Anna, and Emma finish and correct their homework that is due today. For a quick decision in a tired moment, I now have to strip my bed and do laundry. Since I am stripping my bed to wash the sheets, I might as well strip all the other beds, because who knows when I last washed them. :D

And a Pumpkin in a Peach Tree

On the 3rd day of January, a squirrel gave to me, a pumpkin in a peach tree! (Can you imagine someone singing this!) A wonderful local squirrel has been nibbling on one of the kids' pumpkins that was left outside our front door. I noticed a few days ago that chunks were missing from it and it had been moved to our flower garden beneath our peach tree. I find it amazing that a squirrel could transfer this little pumpkin up a tree, but how sad he/she must have been when it got stuck in between the branches. Who knows, maybe that squirrel is pretty smart and planned to trap it there so they won't have to keep going back down to the ground for food or have it covered up by the snow. As least this year, the snow has been very mild. I don't know when we will have snow that lasts long on the ground. But, hey, I'm not complaining. :)

My Child Has Been Shot

Today I took Cameron to the pediatrician for his 2 month visit. It's the visit where he starts getting shots. Not only did he get one shot, two shots, three shots, four shots, five shots, but six shots. I don't recall my other kids getting that many.

Luckily, Cameron only received five shots in his legs and one was actually an oral medicine that was slowly squeezed into his mouth. He kept gagging on it. It's a new experience for him, different than the sucking and swallowing motion that he is use to doing. The pediatrician accidentally scratched Cameron's tummy with one of the needles as she passed it over his body. So he has an additional band-aid and a little more discomfort. Though he does seem to be a bit cranky this afternoon, I can't complain, he really is a good baby. I wish all my kids would have been like him when they were young.

Cameron was born on October 30th, 2011 (ten days past his due date) and born on his Papa James' birthday and Kristin Billings' birthday. He weighed 8.04 lbs. and was 21 inches long. Though he lost weight in the hospital, which is natural to do, he has continued to grow. When he saw the doctor nine days after he was born, he weighed 8.8 lbs. Today, they said he weighed 12.8 lbs and was 24 inches long. His head circumference is in the 50th percentile, his weight is in the 75th percentile, and his length is in the 90th percentile. Wow, what a mother can do for her child!

Happy New Year!

To all our friends and family,

Wishing everyone a belated Christmas, but an on-time Happy NEW Year! (late in the evening on January 1, 2012 - NEW Year's Day)

A lot happened in 2011. Many of the OLD things from previous years we continued to do, but there were a lot of NEW things in our lives, just like this NEW year that has begun. Here is a little bit of a rundown on the OLD and NEW things for each of us.

Clinton
OLD things: employment at Call One, buses and trains to downtown Chicago, 12+ hours of work each day, stress, Family History Consultant, Family History Center worker, read, cooked, helped to chauffeur 3 kids around during soccer season and attended their games, wii games with kids, etc.

NEW things: took lots of pictures and created memories when he attended Benjamin's week-long scout camp, chaperoned Anna's 5th grade Outdoor Education overnight fieldtrip to White Pines Ranch in Oregon, IL, changed jobs and became self-employed, works his own hours, has different kind of stress starting his own business, is at home more, goes grocery shopping, looks through the paper for grocery sales and bargains, drives the kids to school most of the time, went to Justin's preschool when he was the "Big Cheese" or VIP, texted on new cell phone, released from family history callings at church and called to be a counselor in Elder's Quorum, finally caved in and joined Facebook because of his mom.


Debbie
OLD things: soccer mom to 3 kids that play (soccer mom to 4 kids once Justin is old enough), busy member of the PTO, worked in the Young Women program at church, chauffeured 3 kids around during soccer season, always on the go taking kids places (school, preschool, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Activity Days, Girl Scouts, playdates, etc.), helped with and looks over kids' daily homework, did wood craft projects, did a little sewing, tried to "de-junk" my house (it's a constant battle that I lose), completed the Harry Potter Years 1-4 wii game, became pregnant with #5.

NEW things: Mother to 5 kids (a new little one in the house keeps me busy), changed to a different PTO assignment (I still stay busy though), attended cross country meets, texted on new cell phone, began "Bosch" breadmaking and love it, look forward to playing Harry Potter Years 5-7 wii game we received for Christmas, signed up on Facebook, and began creating a blog for me and my family.


Benjamin (12)
OLD things: soccer, basketball, scouts, wii games, DS games, Pokemon, reading, band (trumpet), loved doing things with family, especially Justin.

NEW things: started Junior High (7th grade), started Young Men's at church, received the priesthood, attended his first week-long scout camp (everyone now knows of his great love for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches), started playing in the Jazz band as well as band, did cross country and toned up his body, grew several inches and has gotten taller than me (the picture doesn't show it because I am wearing boots), and cares about showering regularly and doing his hair.


Anna (10)
OLD things: soccer, Activity Days, Girl Scouts (loves selling Girl Scout cookies, which she gets to start doing January 7th), participates on a "Battle of the Books" team, is in the advanced literacy class & advanced math class, made lots of arts and crafts projects, began biking to school with friends, reading, cooking/baking.

NEW things: started 5th grade, began attending an advanced math class with 6th graders and uses a 7th & 8th grade book, started chorus, started playing the flute in band, received a sewing machine for Christmas and is anxious to start sewing, learned how to change Cameron's diapers.


Emma (8)
OLD things: soccer, social with everyone, attended lots of playdates and birthday parties, smiled all the time, loved playing with little kids and babies, wore jewelry (clip-on earrings), took Accelerated Reader tests at school on books she read, read more books (though she is not a bookworm like Benjamin and Anna)

NEW things: started 3rd grade, is on Student Council, is a second "mom" to her brother Cameron, turned 8 and was baptized, received the gift of the Holy Ghost, had her ears pierced, started Activity Days, learned how to feed Cameron a bottle and change his diapers.


Justin (4 - soon to be 5 on January 15th)
OLD things: attended preschool or "Totschool", played wii games and DS games, played soccer with his siblings, laughed a lot, played a lot with Benjamin (whom he loves and admires so much).

NEW things: is now a "Big Brother", advanced from Nursery to Primary and became a Sunbeam, played games on mom's new cell phone and dad's Nook, walked home from preschool a few times with his dad.


Cameron (2 months)
OLD things: grew, slept, ate (all inside of mom)

NEW things: grew, slept, ate (all outside of mom), looked at everything and everyone, developed baby acne and went bald like all babies do, copied sounds that we make, smiled back at us, laughed, had pacifiers, had bottles and formula, celebrated holidays (Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Years Eve, New Years Day).

Clinton and I celebrated 14 years of marriage on Friday, December 30th. I won't mention how old I am, but after 14 years of marriage and 5 kids later, I am still grateful for Jesus Christ and the spirit of the season that Christmas brings. I'm grateful for the "Out with the OLD and in with the NEW" that each NEW year brings. It's a time to look back and reflect on what we have done, change what needs changing, and improve on what needs improving. Without the Savior, Jesus Christ, I wouldn't be able to make up the difference when I fall short. I couldn't have survived this past year without him and I don't plan to survive this NEW year without him either. Once again, Happy New Year!

Love,

The James Family