My amazing bookshelf! My amazing hubby!

Several months ago, I told B that I needed (ok, wanted) a bookshelf. He thought about it, and then talked to me about a design he had thought of. It sounded ok, and I wasn't picky, but really I had no idea how good it was going to be. First he made the base when he had a couple hours to spare (the bottom shelf), but then it just sat in the garage for a few weeks. Then, in April, he had a week off. On Monday, he finished the shelves:

He made the shelves so they all stack into eachother, and everything fits into the base. On Tuesday, we painted them:

On Wednesday, we lackered them:

Thursday morning, we put a 2nd coat on, then left to go to Weatherford (for Daisy's birthday). They had a few days to dry, but when we got home, I was anxious to see them up. I can arrange them any way I want. So fun:

...in more ways than I thought...

And here is the end product, after a month's use. I love my bookshelf, but I love my hubby even more! :)

Science Spectrum

We decided to take a family outing to the Science Spectrum today (since our pass expired today). It is a children's museum, that has a lot of fun activities for kids. B has only been a couple of times, but I think it's safe to say that his favorite thing is to strap the kids to this contraption and spin the kids as fast as he can, to watch their eyes jerk side-to-side. Daisy started to get sick on this go of it...

I want one of these in my house. You can't see it very well, but there's just a few motors, and these little colored balls go along their on their different paths. It's fun to watch the different pathways, but hard to explain...

Brian makes a great simulator. I was impressed with his flight vocabulary, and the kids had a blast...

When we got in the car to go home, Faye made this declaration to her sisters, in a somber, serious voice as they were buckling themselves in the car: "Girls, this was the last time we get to come to the Science Spectrum, becuase today our pass exploded." I love it when my kids get their words confused! :)

Ranch Day

Geared up to play at our favorite place in Lubbock: the National Ranching Heritage!

First, we rode carriage rides...

Then we rode horses...

Did ropemaking...

Made corn-husk dolls and wrote with quills and ink...

Washed clothes on a washboard...

And had a great day at the RH, just as we expected to have...

The Big 3 - 0

This year I turned 30 on April 2nd. Of course it was a busy time, but I still got pretty much everything I wanted: time with my family (we went to the ABC Rodeo), General Conference was the two days prior to my birthday, Brian made time for me to go running, I did not have to wash dishes, and there was a cake fight! I leave it up to the reader's discression as to who won/lost the cake fight...

Daisy has a dream: She wants to do Muttin-bustin... really bad. Almost every night, she will ask Brian if she can practice muttin-bustin (B is the muttin). We will see, maybe next year... :)

Here is a video of a little girl who won the muttin-bustin. I can totally see Daisy doing this for some reason. After all, she does have the nick-name "leach." :) This video is pretty funny, especially when the muttin ran into the gate, and then you could hear Faye start to laugh really hard...

Talent Show

There was a talent show for our homeschool group we go to. The girls did a little ballet dance. It was sure fun watching them--first helping them and practicing at home, and then seeing how they actually perform. I was very happy with their performance. Here the girls are waiting for their turn to shine...

Faye's ballet class also did a show: "Little Red Riding Hood." Faye's part was a Woodsman, so she is in her costume for that, since her class was to perform before us. She is a very good actress/dancer:

I look at these pictures and love the confidence I see in their faces. I wish every little girl had confidence!! I know as women, we sometimes like to beat ourselves down, even if it is just in our heads. When this transition takes place, I don't know, but I hope to teach my girls to never doubt who they are, as daughters of a King. Women are remarkable--an Apostle said so (Elder Cooke), and that, to me, is just like the Savior saying so. I wish every girl loves herself the way she loved herself when she was 3!

I'm so sad this video won't work--I will keep trying.

Edible Solar System

My kids are so creative...





Makes me hungry. :)

I can't get videos to load for some reason, but I wanted to point out that Daisy picked the onion to be the sun, because it "burns your eyes when you look at it." Pretty smart girly. :) And they put a grain of rice, as pluto/plutoid, which all the girls thought was "so cute." They made a big deal out of it.

2012 Lubbock Preparedness Fair

So... are you? I know I'm not. But I'm trying. I should be. I've started. The Fair will help. As long as I can take time to enjoy it. Y'all are welcome to come--March 3rd. Brian and I are in charge of it. He's the chairman. I'm the co-chair. Is our life crazy right now? Always! Just a little more so currently. :)

ps. I posted this cuz I'm trying to figure out how to post documents (ie. Word & .pdf) files on a blog. Not working so well. If anyone knows, any help would be appreciated.

Poison Pond

For any of you still randomly checking my blog, I apologize. I haven't had a working camera for a while, besides B's ipod, so there hasn't been much motivation to post on here. Plus all the "good stuff" happens when he's at work--with his ipod. :) On a more honest note, it's been a little nice to have a good excuse...

So--without a picture (again)--here's this morning's experience:

Liz and Daisy were in the kitchen "eating breakfast" (it's more like eat a bite, play for 20 minutes, get a reminder from mom to eat, take a bite, play for 20 minutes, etc...). I walked in the kitchen to open the blinds, and they had their blankets, pillows, and toys draped accross chairs, bar stools, and the table (with their food half-eaten). As I'm opening the blinds:

Daisy: "Mom, if you step in the Poison Pond (ie. the floor), you'll die."

Liz: "Yeah, you can't touch da pond."

Mom: "I don't like games where you can die, girls."

Liz: "You'll go back to heaven!"

(I had no comment)

Daisy: "But you can step in the pond on Sundays--it's ok."

(Again I had no comment, so I decided just to leave)

:)

Faye

I had a pretty good quote for Daisy, so here's my Faye conversation today (w/Daisy):

Daisy: "When I scream very loud, it hurts inside my neck...uh, my throat." (she taps her throat)

Faye: "It's called your X-box, Daisy!"

Mom: "Do you mean your 'voice' box?"

Faye: "Oh, ...voice box."

Mom: "What is an X-box, Faye?" (I was curious to see if she knew)

Faye: (shrugs shoulders) "I don't know... I know what a Redbox is!"

Mom: "What?"

Faye: "It's what Grandma Payne has--you can play games on it."


Ha, ha, ha!! I guess I never realized how many "boxes" there are out there. :) I love my kids' comprehension of life! It's so refreshing and honest. I keep absolutely loving the stage of life they are in, and wishing they could just stay where they are, but then it gets better!! So ...when Lizzy can no longer lift her leg because her pants have become too tight, I can celebrate the next stage and enjoy it!! I must say that I am a little concerned about the teenage years... :)

Lubbock Temple

I know this picture isn't very good quality, but here are my little Payne's touching the most beautiful building in Lubbock! I am so grateful to be 8-10 minutes from a Temple. There have been quite a few times where I'm talking to someone or introducing myself, and when the topic of religion comes up, I tell them I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sometimes, they know, but if not I say I'm a mormon. Then it clicks. But then, they say something about the Temple--either that they walked through it when it was first built, or their dad walked through it, or their friend--and whoever it was who walked through this magnifisent building is always impressed. I, too, am impressed with the Lubbock Temple. It is one of the smaller temples that has been built, but definitely a "grand" building.

Something kind of interesting about the Lubbock, Temple (I'm 90% positive it's true :), and this is it: There is more gold in the Lubbock, Texas, Temple than any other temple in the world, with the one exception of the Salt Lake Temple. The reason for this is that when President Hinkley announced the building of small temples, they began, but then they were too small. So he said to build them bigger. The Lubbock Temple was the first of what I call the "bigger of the small ones." They wanted to put everything into it, so that when President Hinkley saw it, he could decide what he did/didn't like about it, then pattern other temples from it. And there is a lot of gold in that building--very beautiful, very bright!

This building is what brought our family to Lubbock. It is a place where I can go, then come out a better person (President Hinkley's words). It has been a place of peace and learning for me.