11 for 11

Today Luke turns 11.  In his honor-11 cool things about Luke:

1-He is the fastest kid in the school.  (See this post.)

2-He can snowboard.

3-He has the bluest eyes you've ever seen.

4-He has the honor of being the only one in our family born IN Logandale (actually IN his house, IN the dining room-maybe that should count as 3 items.)  Someday I'll blog his birth-story, but that will require contemplation and time to tell it "just right" cause it WAS one of the coolest experiences of my life. And I'm not in the frame of mind to do that right now....you know...working full time, 3 kids in 3 different basketball leagues, taking graduate classes, laundry, blah, blah, blah.

5-He has a "razor-sharp" memory.  Don't say anything to him that you don't want remembered or repeated.

6-He also has the honor of being the biggest Barlow baby at birth (how's that for alliteration?)  9 pounds even.

7-He can whistle.  (This impresses me because I can't.)

8-He's the youngest in our family (by a "ways" - all the other kids are about 2 years apart in age, but there are 3 1/2 years between Trent and Luke.  Consequently, Luke is continually being made to do things that the rest of us all want to do, but maybe are a little outside his comfort zone for his current age.  We may have scarred him for life when we made him ride the Tower of Terror at age 3, but hey, he WAS tall enough, and none of us wanted to forgo the ride to sit with Luke. Usually, he handles "grown-up" things quite well.  He's actually pretty mature for his age.)

9-He didn't have a name for the first 4 days of his life.  (But Kay managed to help him dodge the "Huey" bullet.  How could anyone (read "Luke's Dad") possibly think "Huey" is a cool name?!  My apologies to any Huey-named readers.)

10-He is smart.  He reads several grades above grade-level, gets A's and scores high on math aptitude tests.

11-He is my baby!  He will still hug and kiss me, although sometimes I have to bribe him:  Luke: "Mom can I _________ (fill in the blank.)?"  Me:  "If you give me a hug."  But at least this still works :)

Finishers!

We did it!  Lynae and I ran the St. George half-marathon.  It was a beautiful sunny day (much better than last year in the rain.)  We ran the entire 13.1 miles only stopping at one aid-station.  At mile 9, I sent Lynae on her way.  (Yes, she runs faster than me-but then I am almost 30 years older than her.)  She finished a few minutes ahead of me, but we both forgot to look at the clock when we came in and have yet to look up our times on-line because we are not that kind of runners.  We figure we finished in around 2:10-2:20.  And if anyone asks if we had a good "time," we answer, "Yes, we did.  We had a GREAT TIME running this race together!"

*PS When did Lynae get taller than ME!?

Lynae

Baby Lynae 1996

17 years ago today, our family was blessed with daughter #3.  Kent was expecting a boy.  (He correctly predicted the sex of each of our 6 children EXCEPT for Lynae.  We didn't ever have an ultra-sound, so there was no possible way for us to know in advance anyway.)  However, we were BOTH most excited when Lynae joined our family.  Lynae was and is perfect: big beautiful blue eyes, a contagious smile, and a sweet, easy-going personality.  Since I didn't blog when Lynae was a baby (I don't think blogs had been invented), but now often read blogs of mothers of babies who list month-by-month "accomplishments" of their babies, I thought I would make a list of things that my "baby girl" learned how to do during the last year :)

1-Slalom ski (Water-ski on one ski)

2-Drive a stick-shift.  (Be impressed; she drives a 5-speed 1995 GT Mustang with a 302 V-8 engine.  I doubt any blog-readers are "car guys" (the two are kinda mutually exclusive), but if you are, you will know that this is way cool. (Not because I know, but because I have been told many times by "car guys.")  However, most of its coolness is lost on Lynae, who is much more excited over the bejeweled seat covers for the Mustang that she recieved for Christmas than she is over the Mustang's engine.)

3-Do pre-calculus and physics problems.

4-Act as a "back" in cheer-stunts.  (She has spent the last 4 years as a "flyer," but grew several inches in the last year, and now is one of the tallest, if the not the tallest, member of her cheer squad which requires her to "back"-  a "tall person job.")

5-Independently play the organ for sacrament meeting.  (She used to "share" her organ-playing calling with Kaylee. On "their week" one of them would play the prelude and opening hymn and the other the sacrament and closing hymns and the postlude.  Since Kaylee left for college, Lynae plays ALL the songs on her week.)

6-Be a Varsity Cheer co-captain.

7- Date.  (She has done a LOT of this.  Kudos to the teen-aged boys her age who ask out lots of different girls a LOT.   She has had dates between school and ball games, two on the same day, and even had to turn down dates because of conflicting dates.  These are all with different boys.)

8-Run a half-marathon.  (She ran her first a few days after her 16th birthday and now has her sights set on a full marathon for this year.)

9-Be the "only" sister at home.  (Since Kaylee left, Lynae is "out-numbered."  Lynae handles it well, and mom is just grateful to still have a daughter home since she has determined that boys may be genetically incapable of cleaning a bathroom to her satisfaction.)

10-Play the piano for jazzband.  (This has been a bit stressful for her, since she is not into "improv."  But she was recruited by the jazz band teacher, and she is doing well.)

I'm sure my "baby girl" has learned and accomplished many more things during her 17th year, but 10 will have to do for now.  Happy Birthday baby girl!  We love you

Lynae- 2013

Mom Radar

I have a sign posted on my fridge that reads,

"Nothing is ever really lost until your mom can't find it."
 
Since becoming a mother, I've noted this truth.  Moms seem to just "know" where things are, and can somehow "find" things that NO ONE else can, even if they are told EXACTLY where to look.  I don't know how many times, I have said something like, "It's on the bottom shelf; on the right-hand side behind the box of batteries," only to be told, "Mom, it is NOT there!" At which point I stop what I am doing, walk over and find the sought-after item right where I said it was.  I used to tell my kids (after telling them where to look and them insisting that the sought-for item was definitely NOT there) that if I found the item, I was going to be REALLY mad.  However, after a time, they realized that Mom's anger was of no real consequence, and even began to tease me that my anger was not that big of a threat.  (I guess I should take that as a compliment-I'm not a "mean angry mom.") 

But today, took the cake, when my 20-year-old daughter texted me from college 300 miles away, and asked me if she had left her i-clicker* at home.  I texted back and told her to look in the driver's side door side "pocket" of her car, and lo and behold-it was there!  I found it for her remotely from 300 miles away.  I didn't know my mom-radar had that kind of range, but apparently it does, and I rock!

*An i-clicker is a small tool that looks like a remote control that some college professors use in their classes.  They can project a quiz onto a screen, and students can "choose" their own answers with their i-clickers which they register to align with their specific classes, and the quiz results are recorded for the professors on an individual basis.  This small tool is almost as amazing as mom-radar :)

Tradition...TRADITION! (Post 3)

Another holiday tradition that is pretty cool:  The Hardy/Leavitt/Reese family New Year's Eve party. 2012-13 was our 35th year!!  This tradition started when I was ten.  My mom and some of her friends got tired of trying to figure out how to celebrate New Year's Eve every year.  (Do you go out?  If so, who babysits?  Do you stay in? If so, how do you celebrate?  How do you include the kids?  Do you? etc. etc.)  And thus the family party tradition was "born."  Originally, the party was held at a home.  (We alternated between the Hardy/Leavitt/ and Reese homes.)  However, once the "kids" started having kids, the party got big enough that it was moved to the church cultural hall, and the "running" of the party now alternates among the grown kids of the Hardy/Leavitt/ and Reese families.  (Kent and I were in charge last year.)  Although some aspects of the party have changed over the years, some things have NOT changed:

*We always eat dinner and have LOTs of snacks.
*We always play the "present-opening" game.  (Die and a pie-plate are passed around the circle, and party guests who roll a 7 or 11 get to don a hat, scarf, and gloves, and try to open a multiple-layer wrapped gift with a knife and fork before another 7 or 11 is rolled.  The person who finally gets the gift open, gets to keep it.  Things get pret-ty wild.  74 year old Grannie Annie still participates.)
*We always do predictions.  We go around the room and let everyone make predictions for the coming year.  Then we read the predictions the next year before making new ones.  (Kent's standard prediction for about the last 10 years has been a "4-lane highway through Logandale."  I think it's more wishful thinking than anything.  He HATES getting behind someone and/or being tailgated when driving through the valley.)
*We always ALL stay up clear till midnight.  None of this "pretending" several hours earlier for the little kids.  Yes, they do on occasion fall asleep, but most the time, the party is so "happening" that there is too much excitement for sleep.
*We always have a "count down."  (This year sadly without Dick Clark.)
*We always wear hats, throw serpentine, and shake, rattle, and roll noise-makers for a good 15 minutes at midnight.  (My 19-year-old daughter told me this year that "nobody celebrates midnight as good as we do.")
*We always eat banana splits at midnight.  (I remember going to our family party as a teenager-leaving the party to go to the church dance- and then coming BACK to the party AFTER the church dance for banana splits.  Yep, our family party out-lasted the teenagers.)

There are other activities which are usually, but not always, included. Some of which include: An outside game of "luminator" football, various "game shows" (This year we played the Price is Right), Tearing off calendar pages from the past year and burning or shredding them, basketball (hey the cultural hall has a court), and lots of board games and Rook games.  (Come to think of it, Rook should have maybe been included in the "always" section.  The 6 original Hardy/Leavitt/Reese parents are die-hard Rook players.  They get together often (and have done so for years) to play Rook-in fact maybe it was at one of these late-night Rook games where the idea for this party was born.)

Anywho....Happy 2013!!!  (Although the number 13 has me a little worried.  I'm a tad bit superstitious. I just keep telling myself it will be a GREAT year!  It will-right?)

Grannie Annie (my mom)- present-opening game

Luke-Price is Right golf game

Trent-Price is Right cup game

Trent and Luke show their "bids"  (They BOTH made it to the "Showcase Showdown"-How cool is that!?  However, I think much of the "coolness" of the game was lost on them, since I'm not sure either has ever seen the Price-is-Right.  One of the first down-sides I've noted after 17+ years of no TV)

Kay and Kent bring in 2013.  (Two seconds after this photo was taken we were "doused" in serpentine by a slew of pre-teen girls!)

12 in 12

I have been very hesitant to compose this post, and had basically decided against it because my "12 in 12" challenge was a private goal, and one that I didn't really share with many people.  However, today on our Relief Society program there was this quote by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Lord entrusts a testimony of the truth to those who will share it with others."  Because my "12 in 12" goal involves my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and particularly of the Book of Mormon, (and since my only reader is my mother who already knows about this goal) I decided that I would share my experience here.  Maybe someday someone will be inspired by it.

In 2012, I decided to give myself a personal challenge to read the Book of Mormon 12 times in “12.”  In order to do this, I needed to read the Book of Mormon once a month which required 18 pages of reading per day.  I bought an inexpensive paperback copy of the Book of Mormon and a pack of 12 different colored pens and decided to mark my book with a different color each time I read in 2012 depending on what “struck” me as important during that reading.  It turned out to be an amazing experience. 

After reading the Book of Mormon 12 times in 2012, I noticed several things.  1- I am sad to have 2012 come to an end.  I have LOVED being IMMERSED in the Book of Mormon.  Because of the rigor of the required daily reading schedule, I have had little time for other reading, and have spent time listening to the Book of Mormon on tape as well.  Lynae has done this challenge with me, and I often see her reading and hear the words of the Book of Mormon coming from her I-pod in the mornings while she gets ready for school.  2-This “immersion” has had several very positive effects:  There is a greater peace in my home and in my life.  President Benson said of reading the Book of Mormon,  “There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called “the words of life” (D&C 84:85), and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance.” (General Conference October 1986)  President Hinckley said, “Without reservation I promise you that if each of you will observe this simple program,(of reading the Book of Mormon) regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.” (August 2005 Ensign-1st  Presidency Message)  I testify that these promises are true!  There has been added peace and power in my life, and not JUST in the spiritual aspects of my life (Although as the Lord himself states, “ALL things are spiritual” D&C 29: 34: “Verily I say unto you, that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal.”).  My testimony is, if you want to be a better student, read the Book of Mormon; if you want to be a better basketball player, read the Book of Mormon; if you want to be a better fireman or CPA or engineer or mother or teacher or doctor or dentist or lawyer or whatever, read the Book of Mormon.  Power WILL come into ALL aspects of your life when you undertake to read and study the Book of Mormon.  In addition to this added power and peace, I have come to know and love the people of the Book of Mormon in a way I never have before.  They are my “friends,” and I can’t wait to meet them.  I “miss” them, and am sad when I get to the end of any section of writing.  And furthermore, at ANY given time when a story or doctrine of the Book of Mormon is mentioned, I think, “Oh yeah, I JUST read that.” Because reading the Book of Mormon monthly, I DID “just read that”. 3- As stated in the subtitle of the Book of Mormon, I have found the Book of Mormon to be a testament of the Savior.  I think that herein lies the key to its power:  The Book of Mormon testifies of the Savior, and thus brings the spirit into one’s life.  When the spirit is in one’s life, EVERYTHING is BETTER!

The Book of Mormon is TRUE.  Read it. Live it. Love it.  Your life will be forever blessed by it.

 

 

Tradition...TRADITION! (Post 2)

Ok, so as stated in "Traditions post 1" some of our family traditions have been around for a LONG time.  Christmas eve at my house (the house I grew up in-now "Grannie Annie's and Grandpa Mike's) falls into this category and consists of a big turkey dinner (My mom didn't/doesn't want to cook on Christmas day so we always had/have the dinner  on Christmas eve, and Christmas day was/is left-overs with "munchies"-chips, dip, and soda. Ruffles potato chips, onion dip, and orange soda with cold stuffing still taste like "Christmas" to me.); the reciting of "The Night Before Christmas;" rousing renditions of several Christmas songs which HAVE to include "Jolly Old St. Nicholas" (complete with actions), "Jingle Bells," (complete with bells jingling-the kiddos LOVE this one), and  "The 12 Days of Christmas" (with each of us singing a different "day"); the reading of the Christmas story from Luke; and the much-anticipated visit from the Christmas Eve elf who is never seen nor caught but sometime during the evening manages to deliver a note with specific instructions for a treasure-hunt of sorts which involves finding gifts for each member of the family (usually PJs).  These Christmas Eve traditions have been around a long time.  When I was a little girl we searched for 8 "elf" gifts-we are now searching for 35!  The Hardy family is growing.  Merry Christmas Eve!


 TRADITION!  (sung in a Tevye-like voice :)

Cole and Lynae find "elf gifts"

Todd surveys some of the "elf gifts" that Cole is lining up.  (Note: the bow-color  on each present was a  "clue" for  opening and finding the correct gift.)

Analise reads the "elf directions"

"Big girls" in new pjs:  Kaylee, Marissa, Analise, Lynae

"Big boys" in pjs" Trent, Luke, Zac, Darren

The Barlows in new pjs: Kay, Kaylee, Lynae, Luke, Analise, Trent, and Dallin.  (Kent was not feeling well and had gone home :(

Tradition...TRADITION! (Post 1)

Note: Post title to be read/sung Tevye-style (you know, "Fiddler on the Roof.")

Our family is FULL of traditions; sometimes I think we have too many-it can get overwhelming to keep up. However, one thing I have learned is that when you do something as a family, even just ONCE, if it is FUN and MEMORABLE, suddenly it is a "tradition." And should you think that maybe the "fun, memorable" activity can just be a one-timer, you just might hear comments like, "But Mom, we ALWAYS do (insert fun, memorable activity) for (insert occasion of your choice.)" Now we have MANY family tradition that have gone on for MANY years (see previous post on the Hardy Party.) But one which fits the description above is gingerbread-house-making. We did it once before, and now this year it was a "required" part of our Christmas celebration. We divided into teams and had a delightful time building houses out of graham crackers. (Nope, we didn't do the real gingerbread-I did that once, and once was enough.)

The fam working on our houses

Team Dallin and Trent

They had a rather difficult time-at one point they had the glue gun and duct tape out.  I am pretty sure that their house was NOT edible by the time they finished.

Team Kaylee and Lynae

They set out to build a cool two-story house.  However,  the canned store-bought frosting made it very UNstable. (I should have made the "real" royal icing for "glue.")  But Lynae felt like she and Kaylee made a great "team" and worked well together (unlike the year she was teamed with Analise who didn't let her do anything and then thought the snowman she made was a penguin.  Analise had instructed Lynae to work on "lawn decor" for their house, and Lynae made a snowman.  Analise commented,  "Oh that's cute, what is it?  A penguin?"  Analise will never live that comment down, and  Lynae will probably never choose Analise as a gingerbread house partner again.)

Kay trying to stabilize Kaylee and Lynae's unstable two-story house.  Kay was SUPPOSED to be teamed with Kent, but felt guilty that she had not made the good, strong "royal" icing for house building and thus spent most of the night trying to help salvage the cool, but unstable house which Kaylee and Lynae built.  (It kept collapsing).  (Can mothers EVER enjoy anything without guilt?  If someone knows how-please let me know.)

Team Analise and Luke.
Luke was fine with being on a team with Analise since he said  he didn't care if he helped build or not; he just wanted to "snitch" the decor candy and frosting.  Analise did assign him to make a doghouse, but I don't think it was ever completed.

Finished product team Kent and Kay
(mostly entirely Kent-although  Kay did  help with the  back side of the roof.)
At least THIS year Kent didn't grind up his extra crackers for a SANDBOX!  Last year he did so,  JUST so Analise and  Lynae could not use them to make their house bigger.  He is such a tease, and a bit competitive as well.  Sometimes it's like having 7 kids.

Finished product team Analise and Luke.
Luke's dog house had to be thrown away before the picture was taken because it was an eye-sore.  But Luke did add a few more peppermints to the path (against Analise's wishes.)

Finished product Team Dallin and Trent
Not sure what the licorice and frosting is to the side of the house.  They did say their house was a "witch tower"-maybe the licorice is some sort of witchcraft sign :)

Finished product team Kaylee and Lynae
Kay is trying to stabilize the house.  It kept crashing down, but it WAS very cool.  Still sorry I didn't make royal icing.  Next year fam, next year.