New Year Day

Today was a fun day. Mike and I sat the kids down and explained our new chore system and any over our expectations of them. It seemed to go well. We told them that they each have a dish night and a Saturday chore. To expedite some of the organizing and cleaning up that needed to get done outside of those two things Mike pulled out his jar of quarters and put a dollar amount on specific things he wanted done. So cleaning the bathroom was a dollar and vacuuming was .50. The kids loved it! Gavin even cleaned his room better than any of the big kids have ever done! They really seem to appreciate making money. Our next lesson with them will be saving and tithing what they get. I'm really proud of how hard they worked today.

I think it's time to get this thing up and running again!

Look What I'm Going to Try!!!

I've crossed to the dark side of making my own crap...LOL Actually, I've always liked making my own crap but this time I"m trying something new.  I've decided to try making my own fabric softener.  It's very snowy outside today and I am out of fabric softener but have already deemed today a laundry day.  Necessity causes innovation...right?  Well, fortunately for me i don't have to invent anything, someone else did it for me.  After extensive research (about 10 minutes) I've decided on a recipe and I just heard my washer finish so here I go!  I'll let you know how it goes!!!!!

I Love My Boys

This morning Tyler wanted to write a letter so I gave him some paper and he found his crayons and went to work.  The letter is a big secret though.  He won't tell me who it is for.  He did, however, give me some clues. 
1.  She lives in this house.
2.  He asked me how to spell Crystal.
3.  he asked me how to spell Simmons.
4.  He then asked me how to spell Mom.
5.  She is a mom in this house.

I can't wait to find out who the letter is for! ;)

Gavin just came into the kitchen with his diaper off, holding up his shirt and said "pee mom."  I just looked at him for a second before I realized what was going on and then I asked him "where is your diaper?"  His reply?  "I uhknow."  LOL He's so funny.  I asked him if he wanted to go on the potty, so we put him up there and he peed!!!!!  YAY! I'm so proud of him.  I think he'll be potty trained in no time. 

P.S.  I found the missing diaper, it had mysteriously planted itself on the floor next to the spot where Gavin was sitting before the diaper heist of 2011.

WOW!!!

So Santa strikes again!  I just happened to grab Tyler's bookbag out of the van when I got home from the store a little bit ago.  Normally his backpack gets cleaned out before the next day of school because I look at what's inside when I pick him up.  Monday I didn't look in his bag.  I had put his papers in when I arrived at school to drop him off.  I noticed as I was grabbing his bag a red envelope sticking out.  I figured it was a card from one of his friends in class.  I was wrong.  As I closed up the van and walked toward the house I grabbed it out so I could give it to Tyler, but the front said Simmons Family.  I opened the envelope and was completely surprised.  The card is a picture of Snoopy giving a huge hug. 

First of all, I LOVE Snoopy, and he was giving a huge hug on the card, which I really needed today.  It was signed from Santa with a note that read this:


"Dear Simmons Family,
You are so loved and we wanted you to know how much.  Here is a little something for mom and dad to 'take some time.'  Tyler's tuition has also been paid through the end of January 2012.
All my love,
Santa"

Enclosed were some gift cards to Applebee's for Mike and I to go out to dinner on a date.  I am not really sure why Santa thinks that we deserve to be blessed in such a huge way this year, but I am so grateful.  Normally for Christmas I focus on the kids and Mike.  I don't really care if I get a present or not, as long as the kids are happy and have the best Christmas memories ever.  I am usually blessed by my family and I do receive gifts from my siblings, mom and in-laws, but I don't worry about Mike getting anything for me.  This year, the blessings we have received are the best gifts I could ever had.  Thank you so much.  You'll never really know how much all of this means to me and my family. 

PS  I called Mike at work to tell him and he said "you have to stop calling me at work and making me cry" I think that's a thank you from him too! 

I Still Believe in Santa

Today was an incredibly joyous day.  It started off this morning at Walmart when I was purchasing some socks for the kids for Christmas gifts.  I realize that this is not the most exciting gift for kids, but this is a slim year with Mike out of work and the kids really need some socks.  I was putting them up on the belt and one of Santa's elves grabbed them from me and paid for them.  When I said "are you sure?" The elf said yes and Merry Christmas.  I started to cry right there in the store.  It seems like such a small thing, but when you are struggling and have 5 kids to buy socks for, it really adds up.  What a huge blessing.  That made my day.  BUT it only got better from there. 

When I arrived at preschool to pick up Tyler at 11:30 I noticed a woman standing at the end of the walk that led to the entryway.  She was standing next to a large wrapped gift and I thought "that's such pretty wrapping paper" and kept walking in assuming the gift was for the teachers as it was the last day before Christmas vacation.  When I got inside my friend Rachel said "someone is looking for you."  She was looking right at me but I had no reason to think anyone would be looking for me.  My sister was sitting in the van with Gavin, but I had spent all morning with her already, so I didn't think she needed me.  There was no one else I could think of.  I said "me?"  Rachel responded with "yes, she is looking for Crystal." I asked who and Rachel said "that festive looking lady outside."  As I turned around I could see the huge smile on the woman's face who I had just passed. She had on a Santa hat, was dressed in a festive shirt, and had on a red jacket. I walked back outside before picking up Tyler just in case she needed my help with something and as I got closer to her she said "Crystal?"  I said yes I'm Crystal.  She proceeded to say "This is for you from Santa, Merry Christmas."  I just looked at her with shock on my face.  I didn't really say too much.  She handed me the huge present with the sparkly wrapping paper that I had noticed was pretty minutes earlier.  I could only say "thank you" and take it from her.  I said Merry Christmas as she showed me the card was signed by Santa.  I put the gift in my van and started to cry, again, as I explained to my sister what had just happened.  I turned around to go back into the school to get Tyler and as I did she was just leaving.  She was driving the cutest little red car, it was obviously an elf car.  She was the best elf I had ever seen.

I went inside to pick up Tyler, completely in shock about what had just happened and I could barely tell my friends.  I felt such love in that moment, you would not believe.  Santa really does exist!  He has elves that come to us when we need them the most.  I was in aw.  I ended up crying the whole way home, happy tears.  Tyler asked me why I was crying and i told him I was crying because I was happy.  It was so fun telling Tyler that one of Santa's elves came to visit ME.  He thought about it for a second and said "did you tell her I said hi?" LOL  It was so cute.

Later in the afternoon I received a text from Mike telling me that our furnace application had been approved and we would be getting a new furnace installed, for free.  So tomorrow night we will have a new high efficiency furnace and will have heat in our home once again. 

As I was typing this I actually had to pause so I could go to the front door as we had carolers that were singing to us and brought us some treats.  I have been very blessed today by other's kindness and love to me and my family.  Thank you!

PS.  I waited to open the gift until tonight since Santa made a special effort to get it to me before Christmas I figured I should open it sooner than later.  I also wanted to share this wonderful story with the kids.  It is a 3 crock slow cooker.  This crock pot is something that I have really wanted, especially with Christmas coming.  I love having the people I love over to the house and feeding them and I thought this would be great for that!  Santa was listening and brought me a gift, I still can't believe it!!!!

Advent Day 4 and 5

This is the most I've blogged on here in a while, so I'm forgiving myself for not getting to it every day! LOL (it works in my head as an excuse)

December 4-Luke 2:7 Why did Mary lay baby Jesus in a manger?
We had a major meltdown about who was going to be the one to read the star. It ended up being Tyler even though I told Brooke she could. I don't know for sure what happened there, but it all worked out. We had a great discussion about how Jesus came to earth and was humble. It was good for the kids to hear that he wasn't rich, and he didn't have tons of stuff. As a new baby he was laid on pokie hay and in a place where the animals lived. As a mother I can't imagine having a new born baby in those circumstances.

December 5-Luke 2:8-11 To whom did the angel announce the Savior's birth?
Tyler read the sat and the scripture to us. Mike was reading it and Tyler was repeating what he said. Mike and I were cracking up. Tyler would lean in to Mike to hear what he had to say and then bounce straight up to announce it to the family. It was so cute. It was actually kind of perfect for the scriptures we were reading. We talked about how strange it must have been for people who had no warning or idea of what an angel might be. The kids thought they would be scared like the shepherds were, but then they would be happy when they heard the good news.

The female angel on the left side with the dark hair is Kelly Roper...one of the sister missionaries who taught me the gospel!