Really though, Merry Christmas

It looks like my LDS journal has very little LDS in it. I am grateful the Savior was born and completed an earthly ministry. One of the best things to come out of that is the revelation that Christ, our brother and our Savior, has experienced all the trials, pains, and heartache that come along with living in a body in this world. It is of great comfort to realize that He knows what we are going through. I know that He lives and that His infinite atonement made it possible for "God and sinners (to be) reconciled."

I am grateful for my family and the joy they bring to my life. I love the Lord, desire to do His will, and I know that I have far to go in that process.

I have enjoyed learning some Christmas songs from the Primary Children's song book to sing with the kids. One that was new to me was "Samuel Tells of Baby Jesus" and in it these lines especially touched me, "Hosanna, hosanna, O Let us gladly sing, how blessed that our Lord was born, let Earth receive her King." Merry Christmas one and all, and let us all let our small hearts grow three sizes this day!

Merry Flippin' Christmas!

To our cyber-friends, the Muir Family would like to present you with a very unique version of a Christmas BIRD! I mailed out "nice" Christmas cards today. We found that even while I had my computer version open, the kids were looking at the screen, repeating the saying, and not quite understanding why it's funny, so we thought we'd better not put it in print. In case you missed it on Facebook, here it is again. We killed ourselves laughing.

It's the holiday season Ha ha

Lucky us, we got snow. Unfortunately, we also got some cold temperatures. My body is still in shock. The snow makes it easier to get in the mood for Christmas though. During the season, I've got a few goals. I'm trying to get my children to learn that it is more blessed to give than receive. They seem to already have a handle on this concept because they give me a headache on a daily basis. Especially this morning. Quinton thought he needed to be the school stink job. Hygiene and nine year old boys don't mix necessarily. He couldn't understand why he needed to wear socks under his snow boots. He had gone the day before without socks just fine. I can't imagine the odor that must have been emitting all day. It must have sent the Barnett air pollutants seriously up. He also couldn't see the need for taking off his snow pants during class. If I could have put him in the shower before the bus came, I would have because I was just picturing all that boy sweat multiplying underneath those air-tight snow pants. Gross! Poor teachers. They must build up quite an odor tolerance.

Whilst this argument was taking place, Jacey informed me she needed to go poo poo. I pulled down her (sleeping time) diaper only to realize that she was a little slow on the informing part and had already started going. I stuck her on the toilet to finish her job and took to debating more hygienic policies with Quinton when Jacey hopped off the john and sat right on the bath mat to inspect the inner workings of an Ariel Barbie. At that point, I had the urge to just stick everyone in the shower indefinitely and call a house-cleaning service. I settled for putting Jacey and the bath mats in the bath (the bath mats actually went in the washing machine) and sending Quinton to school with socks under his snow boots. That's good mom stuff right there.

The kids have also given me gray hairs. That wasn't for Christmas, though, it was more for Hannakah. Now, if I can just get them to give me a break, I'll be on a roll. Ha ha, of course I wouldn't trade my kids for anything.

Halloween darlings

Little Bo Peep and her 'found' sheep. I made the sheep costume years ago for Kira to be a Care Bear, and I just modified it. Kira's I bought from a catalog/internet company called Sensational Beginnings. Good find, good quality, good price.

My own Mountie! I made his costume head to toe.

Redemption

Dear PTA, Walgreens, and reflections contest blue-personalitied committee members; you are hereby redeemed of all the crap you made me go through to submit my kids' entries. Almost. Quinton 1st place: literature, Kira 1st place: photography -- trophies make everything better. Not really.

Reflections of what?

Warning: the following is a satirical piece I have written. I may have "blown up" or "exaggerated" a few details to make them seem more funny.

I think PTA sucks. I might go all postal on cute little moms who inspire their childrens' creativity to dream, to draw, to paint. I am not one of those moms. The only thing I really want to inspire my children to do is read their books and go to bed. I know a lot of you are those moms; I know you love the PTA and show up to meetings -- on time even -- good on ya mates. But I am not one of those moms.

Maybe my PTA miserhood began when I taught at a high school. Teacher appreciation? No. There was no love for the high school teachers on teacher appreciation. I never even knew that such an event existed until I had kids in elementary school. Now, while I am grinchishly humming, I take salads, desserts, and well-thought out gifts to the school in honor of teacher appreciation as a room mother. Maybe the parents of high schoolers got burnt out on PTA during the elementary years, or it could be perhaps that the parents of high schoolers did not want to even think about their "lovely teenagers" during school hours. Whatever the reason the heart or the shoes, woops that's the wrong story.

So, the PTA, in all their glory, with all their structured, perfectly blue-personalitied mother volunteers, hosts this reflections contest. My kids sort of wanted to enter but didn't want to do any of the work. That might be a reflection on what a bad mom I am. We, as parents, are not supposed to alter the outcome of the drawing or painting or photograph or story. How is that possible? Our kids are not creative (maybe yours are) they don't know the first thing about what beauty is... I wanted their work to be great. I wanted them to practice, think, and spend time on the piece. That's not the way my kids envisioned it.

So, we went to the canyon to take photos. We point out interesting bits of fall beauty, and the kids snap it. We're done right? OH, so not right. We put the photos on the computer, we look for the best ones, I taught Quinton to make a collage on photoshop, we get the prints printed. We're done right?

No. We have to look for a mat, look up the guidelines on the website, print off the entry forms, have the kids fill out their own entry forms (way more painful than doing it myself), look up the guidelines again for the fortieth time because we forgot how to submit the stuff, run to Walgreens to get a manila file folder and masking tape and sheet protectors so we can submit their entries correctly, run to Rite Aid to buy a manila file folder because Walgreens only sells them in packs of 48 for $7 (when I only need 1)! Run to the school, assemble the correct forms in the correct page protectors, attach them with said masking tape, and turn them into the secretary. After all that, we should be done right? NO, the school calls, and some PTA cutesy volunteer tells me I didn't sign the entry forms. AAHHH! I signed the media release waivers, but not the actual entry forms.
So, I have determined, this contest is actually a reflection on how crazy I am to enter it! Correction: "help" my kids enter it. Now my kids' pieces will be judged along with the other parents who "helped" their kids enter. Don't worry PTA: I hear science fairs are even worse.

Cheesy cliche fall stuff

Trip to St. George! We just got back from our fall break trip to St. George! It was so fun. Awesome weather. We got hot, really hot, on this hike in Snow Canyon. Quinton especially likes to climb on rocks and stuff, but the girls are good too. We also had a great time swimming on our trip. Our hotel's pool was heated just perfectly, and it was really fun to swim and play.

Trip to the pumpkin patch! What Utah county blog would be complete without some decent pumpkin patch pictures in October? We did a very cliche LDS thing and took kids to the pumpkin patch on Monday night for FHE.

Q and his posse.

brown tights and white shoes are still in style and cute if you're 2.

He's not wimpy -- it's just a big pumpkin. Okay, maybe his arm strength is lacking slightly. They charge by the pound now too. Turned out more expensive than last year -- maybe we should have put Q on the scale instead of the pumpkin -- or at least Jacey; she would have been cheap!

Kira and Keanna. They had to sit apart from the group on the tractor-driven wagon ride. They wanted to be up front. On the way back, they even sat separately from each other to get their prime seats. Too funny.

Kira lost a tooth! She wasn't too much of a lady about it. I had to sort of force my way into the mouth to yank it out, but she was happy I did!

What's it called?

What's it called when a certain blogger hasn't updated her blog in a long time? Would it be blogger's block or picture-slinging slacking? Maybe Lacking Lori's stories, or Couch Slouch with no blogs in the Pouch? Not sure. I actually have been digitally scrapbooking the year of 08; I'm up to May -- is that good? Not really. So, I wanted to share a classic 08 picture that captures the essence of Jacey. Comet. Comet on the floor -- and I have to say it wasn't too difficult to figure out who the culprit was -- we just simply collected some forensic evidence and sent it to the lab and in the mean time interrogated the children with a harsh lamp shining in their eyes. Looking back on the pictures, I suppose we could have dusted for footprints and had all the childrens toe prints analyzed. We got it all straightened out -- and we couldn't even punish the perpetrator; she's too young for time out to work. She doesn't even care!

We went up the canyon here in Payson and let the kids take pictures for their Reflections contest. These are the ones Kira ended up with. Hopefully, the publishing of these photos does not rule them out for an amateur contest.

First day of school. It was only 2 months ago!

Hiking in the good weather -- after school in Payson canyon. Sticks very important.

We had a great time in Canada! Beautiful!

GAYWEE!! (Jacey's pronunciation of Gary, Jeff's cousin with whom Jacey bonded immediately!

Quinton's Halloween costume for this year -- a mountee! We watched the Cardston parade with Jeff's cousins Gary and Michelle and their family, and they knew everyone! What does that mean? Extra candy extra yummy!

The gorgeous Flathead lake -- on the way to Glacier.

On the way to Canada, we went through Glacier National Park -- got to be the most beautiful place in the world! We loved showing our kids the fun sights and little hikes. We could have spent more time there, but we needed to get to Canada eh?

We saw a lot of wildlife on Logan's Pass (it's a really steep mountain road)

I love this place!

This little hike is still in Glacier, and it looks like the Ewok forest. It's so cool.

Jacey's best friend, and my salvation, Eric Higbee. He played with her and got her to eat using imaginative trains and airplanes and snakes. He is married to Julie's oldest daughter, Diana! Love you guys! Jacey has a thing for guys -- already! Yikes. She just bonds with males extremely quickly -- I don't know why!

Jacey matched the wild flowers at Lake Cameron in Waterton Ntl. Park


The falls in red rock canyon -- beautiful!

I desperately wanted to ski on this water, but I had two problems: no boat, and no dry suit (the water isn't too much above freezing!)

Bike carts rented and rode around the town in Waterton!

Top of 'Bear's Hump' in Waterton Ntl. Park

Cutie pie in front of Waterton Lake

Throwing rocks and sticks into Waterton Lake

Q in front of the falls in Waterton


Highlights from the trip I don't have pictures of: watersliding at the Ramada hotel's indoor water park (Kira just went and went and went -- she loved it!) in Lethbridge; eating putein at the Costco in Lethbridge (it's french fries with gravy and these wonderful white cheese curd thingys melted into it -- oh my!); playing softball with Jeff's cousins at the family games in Cardston (we won the consolation bracket with a hit by Jeff to score the runner -- me!!! We're still profesh at softball oh yeah); hanging out with Jeff's cousins; and driving home in one day (not!)

Family reunion Dry Fork Bikeride!

Family Reunion Bike Ride! This one is titled: "Stand around and watch as Grandpa loads all the bikes on the trailer, so your bike can be driven to the top of the mountain -- do as little work as possible!" This is in my back yard growing up.

This one is called, "Get ready to get some dust up your nose as you bike 16 miles down hill." Q and his cousin get ready.

This one is called, "Don't stand next to Uncle Kent or you'll get yourself in a headlock for the picture."

Cooling off after the bike ride: this one is a little game called, "How many cousins can you put on a tramp before one falls off because a spring pops off right next to you?" Turns out, you can only fit 24 cousins on a tramp before a spring right next to Quinton popped and he fell off. A little hurt + a lot scared and shaken up=a lot of crying.

Embarrassment!

We're not always the perfect family I know you think we are! Future bribery methods right here. Quinton took this picture of his sister being mad that she couldn't have the camera anymore! On our way home from the family reunion.

Jacey fell asleep in her little basket bed she made for herself!

Classic embarrassing photos. Jacey livin it up!

She's gettin pretty good at the potty thing.

This one might not be too embarrassing, but one day, he might not want a picture with his sister.