Disney on Ice

A huge THANK YOU goes to Randy's boss for getting us tickets to the show. The kids had a blast and despite the obnoxious children sitting behind us, even us "adults" enjoyed it. : )

A work in progress...

My life is filled with millions of projects all in various stages of completion.

Some are physical; the craft projects, the bunk bed quilts, a handful of layouts that are waiting for time and inspiration, the picture frames waiting to be hung, the holiday decorations still sitting in their boxes (yes, I realize Halloween is this Saturday!), the flooring that needs to be decided on and other various piles scattered about.

Others are more mental projects; how to be a better more giving person, designing Night of Excellence invites, how to fulfill my calling, how to best serve the Young Women, trying to lose 10 pounds, coming to terms with my body, building my testimony, finding creative solutions to the many problem areas in my life, and realizing that no matter how hard I try I will always make mistakes.

Like it or not,
I AM A WORK IN PROGRESS
Always learning, changing, and growing.

The Pumpkin Patch

It's that time of year again and so far we've been to the pumpkin patch twice. Yep, that's right, once with The Daughter's class and then with my siblings. The kids can't get enough of it this year and I have to admit I'm in love with searching for tiny pumpkins. We might just have to take another trip out to the farm... :)

Cutting back on the...TV

Yes...you read right, with the lack of time and the pressures that it creates, I'm cutting out the endless list of shows that I once watched religiously. Let's face it, I'm a TV junkie. No longer will I spend every free moment playing catch up to only find the DVR overflowing the next day.
Here's to hoping that: 1) I'll stick with it, 2) that I'll get more done when I'm actually home, and 3) that this will be a good move for all of us (I've put Randy on a bit of a cut back also.)

Here's the big shocker: We're even considering shutting off the Satellite service.........WHAT?!

Conference Traditions

The first weekend of October & April we get the opportunity to hear from the General authorities and Leaders of our church (learn about the church here) which is broadcast on TV. These weekends have become a weekend of special activities, Delicious food, and a much needed break from all the craziness that our weekends have become.

Here are some of the fun Traditions that we have established in our home:

Kids activity basket - filled with snacks, drinks, books & magazines, conference coloring books (found online) and coloring supplies.
Reverence Tent - Saturday night, Randy and I set up a Tent for the kids to play in with the rule that they must be reverent so that everyone can hear and feel the messages.
Listening activity - Every session we pick a word that they have to keep an ear out for while they are relaxing. When they hear the word, they make a signal, and get a treat. This year we listened for President Monson's name. When they waved like a queen, I would then handed out 3 Chocolate Chips (Milk or White their pick). The little man didn't get it (he's still a little young) but it helped keep The Daughter's listening ears on while she was busy coloring and playing games.
Wearing our cozy PJs and cuddling - it's a must!
Chili & Cinnamon Rolls - from scratch (sorry no picture...to busy enjoying!)

Just as fast as these conference weekends sneak up on us they are over with, leaving us uplifted and spiritually feed. I am so thankful for the opportunity to listen to our prophet and leaders and for the wonderful spirit that they bring into our homes. I hope that we will be able to retain their messages in our hearts and that we will strive to be kinder to others and serve all those around us.

Right Now I AM...

I am BUSIER then ever before...callings, family, children, life in general...overload!

I am STRUGGLING to feel at home in our new location despite knowing so many people.

I am WORKING on lots of projects with great desires to finish them but lacking the time to do so.

I am ATTEMPTING to workout daily...found a workout partner to keep me motivated.

I am BUILDING new friendship slowly but surely.

I am LEARNING constantly...always looking for ways to expand my knowledge.

I am CAPTURING the little moments in my children's lives and wishing they would stop growing quite so fast.

I am DOCUMENTING the passing year by taking a picture a day...falling behind on the book/journaling but still snapping away.

I am RELISHING each moment I get to spend with my husband...my love for him growing with each passing day.

I am EXPERIENCING new things.

I am STRIVING to be better at all that I do!

Introducing...

STELLA

Yes, that's right she's already been named.

After 6 years of Randy driving junk so that his wife could have reliable transportation, he finally got something he is proud to drive. He is head over heals in love with her! Do you see his giant grin? As for me, I'm warming up to her...

A Kindergarter's first day

After months of dreaming and days of watching the "big" kids walking to school, the day had finally come!

Dressed and ready to go hours ahead of time
Ready to walk to school
Waiting to go inside and totally embarrassed that I was taking a picture
With her class, ready to learn
Working on her first school project
Hooray for Kindergarten and a great teacher!

Take me out to the Ball Game

Thanks to Randy's company sponsoring our local Baseball team's game tonight, we where able to take the kids to one last game at very little cost. It was our last summer outing before school and life gets in full swing. The kids had a blast and I spend more time talking to friends that I ran into and keeping track of the Little Man, that I barely watched the game...which didn't hurt my feelings all that much. Fun was had by all!Twizzlers are the key to keeping this guy entertained at the game. Warning: All things in a 4 ft radius will become sticky. Wipes are essential!

Thank you Elevate for a great night!

Ready, Set...

Let the peach canning begin!

A getaway with the Hubby

In the past almost 6 years of being parents, Randy & I have never gone on an overnight trip TOGETHER without at least one of the rug rats in tow...that was until this weekend!
Thanks to great parents-in-laws who volunteered to watch the kiddos and a Fabulous husband who organized/planned everything on his own, Randy & I celebrated 8 YEARS of MARRIAGE in Portland.
Here are a few pics from our quick, yet relaxing weekend:

Driving through a Forest Fire, no jokeShopping at IKEA
After doing a session at the Portland Temple
Sporting our new fancy shoes, off to do some mall shopping!
Dinner at The Cheesecake Factory

Red Velvet Cake (Love) + White Chocolate Cheesecake (Heaven) = The best dessert EVERY!(photo courtesy of their website)

We had a blast together, talking nonstop, and can't wait to do it again soon.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY RANDY!

A puzzle victory

Victory!! The Daughter completed this puzzle all by herself for the first time. Don't let this puzzle fool you, it's not near as easy it may appear. It's 100 odd shaped all one shade of blue pieces will even slow down most adults.

The FamLee Reunion

The first Annual FamLee reunion was had and hopefully enjoyed by all those who attend this past weekend (correction: it's a been two weeks...I'm blog slacking). The theme: Chinese. Yes, you read right, the Lee's had a Chinese Reunion. We're pretty darn funny, if you ask me!



Despite Randy only being able to come down for a few hours due to work, we really had a good time together. There's something priceless about sitting around a fire, having good conversation, starring at the stars, and witnessing childhood memories being created that makes all the work in preparing for a camping outing totally worth it.

Can I do the dishes?

We have been blessed with a daughter that is so willing to help out around the house. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for being such a great example to your little brother.

A weekend adventure

This past weekend we embarked on an spur of the moment road trip, kids in tow, in an effort to have some fun together and recapture the spontaneous road trips we once did in our early years together. With a very loose plan in place, a suitcase packed, and kids excited for an unknown adventure, we set off!
Our first stop: Silverwood Theme and Water ParkWe spend the majority of our time playing at the water park in the wave pool. The kids LOVED it! Sorry no pictures, way to busy chasing the Little Man to snap any.

After leaving the park we headed through Spokane, at which point we saw a sign for HWY 195 and decided, what the heck, lets take it! We know the road well because it leads to...Randy was out until the early morning hours with his good buddys and had a blast seeing everyone again. The kids I settled into a hotel room, watched Nick @ night together (Home Improvement marathon) and fell fast asleep. Saturday was a good day!

Unfortunately, Randy spent all Saturday not quite feeling right and by Sunday morning he was down right sick. While Randy laid miserable in the hotel room the kids and I went to check out some of our favorite spots.
First stop was Sunnyside park to see the Llamas and pigs, and feed the ducks at the pond, play on the equipment, and talked for quite awhile with some friends and one of the Daughter's old teachers. How crazy that we happen to know people at the park after being gone for a year?!
Then we drove by the "compound" (our endearing name we came up with for the apartment complex we lived in), through campus, past the Daughter's old school, and stop to visit the bears at the WSU Grizzly Bear Research Center. While we had many more people and places that we would have liked to have visited while in town, we decided it would be best to head home. We picked Randy up, grabbed Food from McDonald's (where our old neighbor still happen to work, giving us the opportunity to catch up with him for a few minutes), said good-bye to our Hometown, and drove off through the rolling amber hills of the Palouse...I never thought I would miss the hill ridden train.
Pullman holds a very special spot in our hearts and memories. It gave us the chance to separate from our families (not that there are bad), learn to depend on each other for support, become our own family, have a fresh slate, make new friends, try new things, and reach major milestones. On top of the fact that Pullman is a community filled with heart and hometown pride. In the back of my mind I feared that if we returned to Pullman we would discover that things had changed. Not in the sense that a new building had been put up or a store had closed but that with most of our friends now gone and after our separation it wouldn't be special anymore. But at alas , it's still the same special place, we're everyone knows your name or smiles and wants to get to know you. We love you Pullman!


P.S. I'm plotting a return trip to hang out with my Pals soon!