Recital Night

We had to divide & conquer tonight. Alexander had his orchestra concert and Courtney had her dance recital. {You can pause the music on my flash player so you can hear the videos}

I'm impressed-- this is coming from Elementary School students! Alexander is the only cellist, and he totally rocks! Just think what he could do if he practiced more than once a week:) He had to show me "concert position."

Courtney's turn: {Sorry about the grainy video--our computer isn't smart enough to process it in high quality}

Courtney's recital was JAM packed. The guy in front of me kept putting up his program, right in front of my camcorder lens, so she did a 2nd performance at home. She's not with her class, but you get the gist.

She is getting so graceful & dances throughout each day. She loved putting on makeup & sparkles, but wasn't thrilled that Momma used up half a tube of sleek-n-shine on her hair.

Their costumes were so darling, complete with sparkly tiaras.

Dang It, Darren!

Have any of you noticed any uncharacteristic "additions" to my blog posts? It is my husband, not me! A few years ago, he filled out one of those forwarded "Getting to Know You" emails and furnished his own answers, claiming it came from me. He insisted that I wanted people to refer to me as "Princess Natalie." Ugh. He's at it again...

I think I'm going to change my password. Then again, I don't know what I would do without him. He is so wonderful, strong, and brave. When he does push ups, he isn't lifting himself up, he's pushing the Earth down.

Science Fair

It's that time of year--big school projects, recitals, reports, finals-- it's a bit hectic around our house these days. I'm sure you can relate:)It was Alexander's 1st year doing his own Science Fair Project. He wanted to know why wiffle balls don't travel very far when they are hit. The boys made a catapult, tested, measured & recorded the distance of different kinds of balls. Xander Man worked hard, and was chosen as one of 3 students from his class to move on to the overall (4-6 Grade) Science Fair. Way to go!

He received a medal for having the best board design! The color scheme, the fonts, and the holes cut out of the word "Wiffle Ball" were all his idea. We let the Silhouette do the cutting.
I joked with my friends that he wouldn't let me add felt or rhinestones to his project. I'm glad! He did a great job, had fantastic ideas, and worked hard to make this all come together.
Little Miss Courtney's class did a Science Fair project about ice cream and won for the Kindergarten grade level! Her class & teachers are so cute. Here she is with one of her teachers, Mrs. Voyles. Great job, class!

Finally Finished!

We have this great big window in our bedroom that looks out to a fantastic view. We never ordered blinds for it, for fear that it would ruin the picturesque scenery. Not wanting to have the neighborhood watch us while we sleep, however, I came up with this idea.

I like cornice boards, but didn't want one with a fabric cover. I explained my idea of creating a decorative wooden one to Darren, and he thought I was nuts. He begrudgingly acquiesced. These are just a couple of baseboards from home depot. I did my own version of faux wood painting--tricky, eh?
The cornice board hides the rod and drapery rings, so we can close our curtains.....baum chicka wha wha! ;-)
Darren got a little ambitious at the end, and fastened some rope lighting behind the cornice for ambiance. It's nice to have it finished!

La Jolla Beach

We found the most perfect little alcove along the seaside. The kids explored...Created...
Celebrated...
Dashed away from crashing waves...

All while Mom & Dad relaxed, inhaled the salt air, and relished every moment.

San Diego Temple

We'd never been to this temple before, so we thought it would be a great opportunity to stop here on our road trip.

It is truly breathtaking!
Angel Moroni, on the perfect summer day.
It was so tough getting good pics of the kids this trip-- Dramamine does wonders for car sickness, but kinda ruins any photo ops. They were pretty drowsy.

Our eternal family.

A New Library...

...in Yuma, AZ. {Darn, we wish it was here!} Darren's friend, Erik was the project manager on this amazing structure, and he invited us to the Grand Opening.

It is incredible! We've never seen a modern library with this many features. They gave the kiddos free books for coming. Poor X-Man has been fighting a cold, but he was a great sport.After being amazed at the new library, we went and ate delicious yumminess @ Cold Stone Creamery. We finished off our perfect evening with a moonlight swim back at the hotel.

Uh...

What the heck is this? We found it in our garden...

Father & Son Campout

Six pack of soda, $2.49. Bag of Doritos, $1.99. Can of Pringles, $1.00. Bag of Gummy Lifesavers, $1.50. Hot Dog, 25 cents. Marshmallows, 50 cents. Two helpings of Dutch oven peach cobbler, $2. Having your son throw up all over the tent at 1:00 in the morning: Priceless.

The road was winding, and with that kind of food consumption, what else did you expect? Darren got a few snapshots before the dramatic conclusion to the Father & Son Campout.
Impressive fort built by the boys on beautiful Mt. Lemon.

Spontaneous

There's just something magical about spontaneous dancing. Courtney smiled and started being graceful the minute she heard this music playing.

Peas, Please!

Here's a little update from our garden... I think this is the view of the other families' gardens from our plot. {Not exactly sure-- Darren took these pics}
And peas! Darren wanted lots and lots of peas. We harvested our 1st crop, and they're delicious! We also harvested lettuce last week. I took a bite, and spit it out. It was SO bitter! A guy at Darren's work said that it has to sit for awhile {like a banana} to fully ripen. It worked! Last night we had cobb salad and it tasted great.

BLAH-ging

I decided it was time to quit the blogging world and move on. Since then, Darren {and others} have encouraged me to keep with it. All right, all right, I'll do it. I guess it's catch up time now.

Happy Mother's Day!

A few years ago on Mother's Day, Alexander posed this question. "Mom, why is every day Father's Day, and only one day is Mother's Day?" I asked what he meant, and he told me, "You clean and cook every day... except one. That means the rest of the days it's Father's Day."

That was a big wake-up call! I do love being a Mother & housewife, though. Have to admit it. I take full advantage of my one day, though! This morning I was treated to breakfast-in-bed, wonderful handmade goods from the kids, and a new office chair from Darren.

Here are a few gems from Courtney:

"I love to hear my Mom sing my lullaby. I love my Mom because she makes be laugh by talking like a baby. I know my Mom is smart because she said she is smart. I love my Mom because she works so hard at home."

Thank you family, for making me feel so loved and appreciated!

Mother's Day Mini Album

I've been burning the midnight oil trying to complete this little project. I wanted to make something special for our Mothers this year.The papers are mostly Jenny Bowlin Studio, the folders & embellies cut by the Silhouette. The idea was to create little pockets with love notes from each person in our family, telling why we love our Mother {or Grandmother}. This is my Mom's book, opening with a quote from President Hinckley. {Of course Mom Roos' book has a pic of her with the kids}

Our family. Inside the library pocket is a note from moi.
Alexander's pic & note {I got ambitious and embossed this one.}
Miss Courtney
Her folder opens to reveal her note

Yes, even Darren had to write a note... concealed in the envelope:) It was a fun project to do! Karen came over and zuttered the binding for me. Thanks, girl!

What Do You Do...

When your hero lets you down? It was a sad day @ the Roos house today. Manny Ramirez, Alexander's favorite baseball superstar, tested positive for a banned substance and was subsequently suspended for 50 games.

Darren called me while I was volunteering @ the school and asked that I break the news to Alexander before he heard it somewhere else. I didn't know what to do. I have a lot of respect for Alexander's teacher, and felt that I should ask for her opinion. She was with me when I told him, and was such a support. She reminded him that this was a learning experience--people make choices, and ultimately have to live with their consequences.

It's tough to know what goes through your child's mind as they try to deal with life, the world, and the choices others make around them. I guess as a parent you have faith and hope that they will be able to discern right from wrong & choose the better part.

For now, I just want him to find joy in playing hard & doing his best. {This picture, taken last year, captures that sentiment.}

Jam Session

Gailine came over and made strawberry freezer jam with me. I had no idea how easy {or how yummy} it would be! I'm headed to the store for more containers...

Lunch Date

I love it when Darren works in the office instead of out on the job site. Occasionally we get to have a lunch date up in town.

This week, he took Courtney & I to Firehouse Subs, a restaurant founded by firefighters. I loved the vintage decor, and the food was really tasty!
Awww. We love Daddy!
Turkey sandwiches are so delish!

The Mecca

...and I'm happy.

Sea Breeze

Do any of you remember this? I had a coupon for it the other day and couldn't pass it up. Holy cow! Talk about a flashback. The instant it touched my face, the zing, the smell, the coolness-- transported me back to being a teenager in my parents' home. It's strange how powerful our olfactory senses are and how much they are tied in to our memories.