Something Worth Sharing

I just got this email from a friend and thought it was very fitting to share.  Most of it's good advice and some of it inspired me to do better.  Enjoy!

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland,Ohio.

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

 1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
 2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
 3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
 4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick.  Your friends     and parents will. Stay in touch.

 5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
 6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
 7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
 8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it. 
 9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years,will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone of everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's,we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come...
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield. 
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses...

This afternoon, when the girls were done playing in the basement, I asked them to pick up the toys.  Even though she had nothing in her hands and was just sitting on the floor, Sadie replied, "Too busy, mommy.  I'm too busy."

Needless to say, the toys got picked up, and not by me.  Apparently, she wasn't too busy.

The High, The Low, and Everything In Between

We spent Thanksgiving weekend in Utah with my parents and sisters and their families.  We had a great trip.

The High (temperature): 38 degrees, on our way home, just outside Grand Junction
The Low (temperature): -16 degrees (yes, you read that correctly), for a potty stop in Vail (great timing, Sadie!)

Now, for the actual trip:

Aren't Colorado mountains beautiful??  Now, if only Denver looked as picturesque as this...

We were up at 4:30 am, on the road by 5:15, and by the time we finished Thanksgiving dinner, dessert, and playing with cousins, it was past 10 o'clock!  Both of the girls were asleep within moments of laying them down!

I found these reindeer antlers at the dollar store and they were too cute to pass up!  I wish I had gotten a picture of all the kids wearing them together!

The entire weekend, these 4 girls played together so well.  We didn't have one issue at all and they spent A LOT of time together! It was so great to see them just enjoying their time together and having a blast!

At Thanksgiving Point, there's a Dinosaur Museum.  There's a sand and water part (I have to admit, I was very skeptical when we entered the room.  I was prepared for a bunch of messy kids!) and the kids just loved it!  Ben walked around collecting all the dinosaurs and lining them up!  He got so upset, though, when the water washed them out of his reach!  Poor guy!

Morgan worked on her Dinosaurs' "home" as she called it, very intently and was proud to show off her work!

After the sand and water part, you go into a room filled with sand and dinosaur bones.  Each of the kids grabbed a paintbrush and started searching for dinosaurs!  Here's Morgan and Afton.

This is a picture of Mei.  I included this one mostly for my sister.  After a long night, she stayed home while my dad, Brian, and I took all the kids to the museum.  Afton and Mei insisted on wearing their skirts, and I wasn't up to fighting them on it.  

On Friday, when we first met Baby Jack at dinner, Sadie was very jealous.  In fact, while I was holding him, she came over to me, started pushing him away and squeezed herself between me and Jack.  Then, she proceeded to push him onto the table, over to anyone else who would hold him.  She wasn't sharing her mom!
Later that night, I asked her if we could take him to our house and she even offered her bed for him to sleep in, but still wouldn't come near him.
This picture is from Sunday afternoon (the next time we saw the Jones').  Sadie walked in the door and said, "I hold "duck" (Jack)!  I hold!"  She screamed when Alex took him away to feed him a bottle!

 Morgan got a chance to hold him, too (barely).

We stopped by the Nordstrom's on Sunday night and Morgan discovered the dress up box!  Here she is in her "wedding" dress!  And, no, she's not kneeling--it's about 2 feet too long!  She was tripping all night!

Here are the girls.  It's amazing how they can have 3 years' age difference, and go over a year without seeing each other and still have a blast playing and enjoying the company!

We had a fabulous vacation!  I just realized I forgot to get a pic of our stop in Grand Junction to see the Deans and the Wrights, but we loved seeing you guys, too!

I figured they were up to something...

Usually, the girls go right to sleep when we put them down.  The deal is, if they go to sleep and we don't have to go in and they don't come out, they earn a "money" for their jar.  

However, the other night, they didn't come out, but they were awfully chatty and giggly.  When I checked on them before I went to bed, here's what I found.  

(sorry it's sideways, I can't get it to flip!)

At least the slumber "party" was short lived!

Morgan's Cosmo Story

Here's Morgan's recap of meeting Cosmo--for the 3rd time 

Despite my best efforts, she still doesn't put spaces between her words or erase when she goofs.  And, most of her spelling is quite creative (she's 4, what do you expect??).  If you get tired of figuring it out, I've transcribed it below.

Picture (L to R): Daddy (it's a cloud above his head), Cosmo, Morgan, 2 Cheerleaders.

The Third Time I Met Cosmo

When I met Cosmo the third time I liked it.  Daddy was there so I was not scared.  I liked Cosmo.  It was fun.  Daddy's friend David, he came too to the football game.  Do you know three houses away from the game by us was ------- (I can't even decipher that part and she's asleep!)

I was happy that I went to the game.

Hard at Play!

 Watching Sadie play in the basement this morning reminded me of when Morgan played at this age down here 2 years ago!  The only difference is Sadie was so focused on putting a meal together she wouldn't look at the camera.  I tried for almost 10 minutes and she ignored me.  All I could get was, "Where's daddy's spoon?  Can't find Daddy's spoon!"  She found it and went right back to ignoring me!

45 minutes ago...

...this was a tantrum.

Sleep tight, Morgan!

Brian's Birthday WEEKEND

What a spoiled guy!!!  His birthday lasted Saturday, Sunday, and Monday!

Since this could very likely be the LAST time Brian can go to a BYU game in Colorado, he and Morgan went up to Fort Collins on Saturday to watch BYU smoke CSU!!  Go Cougars!

When they got home, I asked Morgan as she walked in the door, "Did you have fun?"  She answered very enthusiastically, "Yeah! And our team winned!!"  She then continued to tell me all about the third time she met Cosmo because "the first time I was just 2, and the second time was when he was in our BYU book.  That's like meeting him, right, mom?"

Think she was happy to see Cosmo and the cheerleaders?  She's now decided that when she grows up she wants to be 3 things.  First, a BYU cheerleader; second, a ballerina, and third, a mommy.

Sadie was quite upset when Daddy and Morgan left without her for the football game.  So, the whole time they were gone, I faked her being there by showing college football on TV.  She was content.  But, when Brian got home, he took Sadie out on a special date and they went for dessert at Chili's.  She was elated to go get ice cream and dip chips in "sauce" (salsa).

Then, after opening presents (Morgan couldn't wait any longer) Sadie combed daddy's hair, "just perfect" before bed Sunday night.

If you know Brian, you know he loves burgers and fries.  Sadie will tell you where we went for his Birthday dinner.

We love you, Daddy!  Happy 29th!

Giving Thanks

 A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine asked me if I had any suggestions about where to find leaves for a "Thankful Tree."  So, I gave her the suggestion of the dollar store, and then sent off to check my own dollar store--to no avail.  (Tiffany, however, found some!)  Determined to still make a thankful tree, the girls and I traced and cut out a bunch of leaves for our trees.  (Thank goodness I thought to cut four layers at a time!  We would have been cutting forever!)  Each night at dinner, we add 4 leaves to our tree.  So, here's our tree...so far.

Sadie always has the same "thankfuls" every night.  1. Jesus 2. Rainbows 3. Kitty cats.  Then, we usually can get her to think of something she hasn't already put on the tree.

I saw this cute craft in a magazine (family fun) and thought I would make it!

Sadie likes sorting the vegetables by color and Morgan and I put them in alphabetical order.  

Randomness

This picture needs no explanation...

...but this one does!  

The girls have very rarely woken up to "monsters" in their room and here's why:

1. Froggy (the humidifier) eats them all gone

2. Monster spray (if you don't have some, you should get it--it's very affordable!) Thanks Grandma Tammy for telling us about it!

3. The Monster key on the door

4. The Monster Tigers and Monster Lions (see below) -- she drew them all by herself and carefully placed them on her dresser.

What will Morgan think up next???