What do you do when it snows in March?

You dress up in your best pioneer dress, put on your dress coat, and Pretend like you are Laura Ingalls in "The Long Winter" of course!

I have been meaning to blog about this for awhile now. It was just too cute to forget. It was late March that we got a bonus snow fall. Everyone was sick of being cooped up in the house, so when Emily came to me all dressed up, and asked for a basket I didn't know quite what she was up to. She has been reading all of the Laura Ingalls books lately and decided to take advantage of the newly fallen snow and pretend she was Laura, trying to survive the long winter. It was fun to watch her scurry around the yard pretending to gather this and that and the other. I just watched out the window, not wanting to disrupt this rare opportunity to watch her lost in her imagination, but she was so animated that it wasn't hard to follow along. Emily is entering into the wonderful "inbetween" stages and is trying to figure out if she is a kid or a "preteen", and it is nice when you get to watch them be that kid you know they still are. Even if it also reminds me of the grown up girl she is becoming at the same time.

You Are A Manwaring If...

The other day I overheard a conversation between Josie and Sam. Sam takes after his father and is often confused about many things including what day of the week it is. So he looks for clues around him to fill in the blanks. Sam asked Josie if it was "Work Day" more commonly know as Saturday to the rest of the world. Which got me remembering my growing up years. So I have come up with the following list to see if you qualify as a true Manwaring:

1) If you walk in to a building and accidentally leave the door open and someone asks if you were raise in a barn. You can reply, why yes I was.
2) For the first 10 years of your life you thought your middle name was "pot licker"
3) Your best fashion statement in high school was your new tennis shoes stained with green from the grass.
4) You had to go through a trap door to get to your bedroom.
5) At the age of 17 you could brag that you had worked at a oil refinery for 4 years.
6) You only could sing the first lines of any folk song and are really worried about being able to wash your neck.
7) The only nose jewelry you were allowed was a grind stone.
8) Your friends could recognize your back pockets and elbows before your face. (because you were bent over working)
9) You know what the phrase " Had the bun" means.
10) Your choices of energy drinks were Barley Green or Molasses mixed with Milk.
Added June 10, 2010
11) If you have had a holy shirt or pants ripped off your body.
12) If your family hugs included the use of duct tape.
13) If in every Family photo instead of hearing "say cheese" you hear "duck, duck, goose". Contributed by BM. You guess which one.


How did you rate? Can you think of any other qualifications?

What I meant to Blog Was....

It's been a while, lets just leave it at that, ok! That way I don't have to give excuses about...

Anyway, here are all the things I have been meaning to post about for a while now an haven't. So here it is: I finally got new curtains in the living room. It took me forever to decide what I wanted, but once I got them up I was so happy with them that I can't believe I left the other ones up as long as I did. (You can't really tell but they are very narrow blue and white stripes)

In an attempt to at least get something close to the cool "Ipod" valentines we did last year we made these fortune cookie valentines. Still not as cool as the ipods, but I thought they were cute.

Emily signed up for the school talent show. She had high hopes of singing a Taylor Swift song, but after the 4th out of tune version of "You Belong to Me" I think she was glad I made her play the piano instead. I think... She did a great job!

Jack had started taking Tae Kwon Do in Michigan, so we signed him up when we got back. He loves it and it is so fun to what him work so hard, and be so focused on something. He gets to test for his low Yellow Belt next Friday. Here are Sam and Jack "sparring" at class. I am thinking of getting these padded helmets for when they go at it at home (which seriously doesn't happen very often).
Of course brothers are required to hug at the end.

So that is what I meant to blog..... More blogs to come!!!!!

Mr. Mom Fails Again

Since returning to our lives in Idaho we have had an interesting jux-a- position in that last few weeks in our family. My evil plan to be released as Elder's Quorum President by leaving the state for a few months was a flying success.

But, upon our return the Bishop was waiting with baited breath, not for me but for Josie. As many of you all ready know Josie was called as the Young Women's President in our Ward. Being the supportive husband that I am I told the Bishop no problem I would love to support her. I was hoping that push Josie out front like a lamb to the wolves in the hope this would buy me some time to lay low and avoid any responsibility. I was sadly mistaken. I found out what goes on Sunday Morning while I was at all those early morning meetings. Here is my track record so far:

Week 1:

I was up stairs ironing everyones clothes when Jack comes up stairs and asks" Daddy is it opposite day or something?" Why are you ironing clothes? That is not the way mommy does it.

Week 2:

I was committed. The kids were going to be dressed. Breakfast dishes taken care of and in our seats 5 minutes early. All was going well, we walked into the chapel at 8:54 one minute to spare. I was just about to pat my self on the back when Joise leans over and kindly asks " Is there a reason why Sam's pants are on backwards? I grabbed him and ran for the bathroom. I though I still have 4 minutes we can make it. In the mad dash he lost his shoe and shed a few tears.

Week 3:

I am a man that tries to learn from his mistakes. After I had ironed the boy's clothes and send them down to get dressed and started back on some other clothes it hit me " backwards pants" I came racing down the stairs to make sure the old backwards pants issues was not my down fall again. I went in to make sure Sam had his pants on correctly. As I was doing this Jack started to tease Sam. Jack saying I can not believe you put your pants on back wards don't you know that the zipper goes in the front like this. As Jack proudly looked down to show him his zipper he only found two back pockets.

Week 4:

Your guess is as good as mine.

Sincerely,

Humble Pie

Josie, We know you will do a great job.

Fall Colors

Some Pictures from the local park that we blogged about before. Showing some of the wonderful fall Michigan Color and some pretty cute kids if I don't say so myself.

Halloween Was When

Sleeping Beauty

Sock Hop Girl

Yoda and the epic battle against the Side. (They are holding imaginary light sabers.)

The crew with their pumpkins. I am always so impressed with Josie and the costumes she is able to come up with and hand make. I am sure that someday when her children look back. They will be very grateful to her as I am.

A Star Is Born

"Emily Michigan" (Instead of Hannah Montana) Has made her Acting Daybue as the "Mother of the final Family". In a small theater just off Broadway by about 400 miles. At the Walker Elementary School. It was an amazing performance. She spoke loud and clear and taught everyone that presents were not the most important part about Christmas, but being together with your family is the true blessing. Then in the final scene. Showing the true act of charity invites everyone in to her home for cookies and hot chocholate. It was an amazing performace and her fans look forward to future work of this talent young star.