Straight Fancy

University of Kentucky Basketball

2012-01-31T10:50:00.000-05:00

For Christmas last year Wade and Josh scored some basketball tickets to watch South Carolina and Kentucky. It was a great game. Of course Kentucky won, that always make it so much more fun!

Snow Days

2012-01-23T10:56:00.000-05:00

This year it's only snowed once and school hasn't been cancelled at all. In the past 4 years we've already had 5 or 6 cancelled days of school. My kids are praying it snows more! Here are the pictures from the one day it did snow. I'm loving this warm winter.

Why can't my children just smail for a picture. Always with the crazy faces.

Meeting Our Yearly Deductible.

2012-01-08T08:44:00.001-05:00

Josh helped us out in meeting our yearly medical deductible by braking his arm on Friday. He was playing kick ball at school and landed wrong. Now he can enjoy 6 weeks of an itchy smelly cast. He's pretty pumped!

Introducing "Cornerstone Innovations"

2012-01-03T15:48:00.000-05:00

Wade and his business partner are releasing their first product. You will love this if you're a runner. They would appreciate your comments and feedback.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccjz5332oVo

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 2012

2012-01-01T00:18:00.001-05:00

After Christmas fun

2011-12-30T09:37:00.000-05:00

The week after Christmas is always interesting. This is when I wish we had family around. Wade and the kids have been busy making this catapult my parents sent.

Hours of fun shooting mini bean bags at each other.

Madi has had a few parties this week to. We love the YW in our area! Sweet girls.

4 more days until school starts....

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T21:16:00.000-05:00

Christmas day has finally arrived. Boy, does it take a lot of work to get to this point. It has been a very long month at the Powell home. Lots of hard days but I'm happy to report Christmas Day was quite wonderful. We had such a great day together, truly a tender mercy from the Lord.
We woke at 6:30am and the kids got to see the one gift from Santa (that was not wrapped) and also open their stockings. We ate a nice breakfast and went to church. After Church we returned home to unwrap the rest of the gifts. Magically everyone was happy and grateful. Amazing!
Here are the highlights...
Picture above (Star), Wade finished yesterday. I needed a star so he hand carved one for me. Amazing, he has skills!
Madi (below) enjoying her electric keyboard.

Joshua's new punching bag for his room. You have no idea how helpful this will be!

Ike scored a batman cave but he likes to call it his museum.

Ella with her ipod shuffle, now she can leave mine alone!

On the stairs ready to see what Santa brought.

Wade, making me a star. :)

Hope you all had a wonderful day.

Left-Over Pie Night

2011-11-28T09:01:00.000-05:00

On Saturday after Thanksgiving we had a left-over pie night. So fun to get together with lots of friends and try their great Thanksgiving treats! Thankfully it was warm outside (sort-of) so we hung Christmas lights and the kids played outside. Crowded, crazy night but so fun!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

This year we were lucky to have a visit from the Higginbotham family for Thanksgiving. Nicole and I went to high school together. She is one of those life long friends. Doesn't matter the time or distance...we will forever be friends. This was our first real chance to really get to know her sweet family.

Ike's Thanksgiving Preschool Program

2011-11-20T08:40:00.000-05:00

Breaking Dawn - Part One

2011-11-18T09:31:00.001-05:00

Oh yes I did. I took Madi and a friend to the midnight showing. Why do I try to be a fun mom?? We had a great time. The movie...just okay. Madi was not happy to get up at 5am for Seminary. :)
I'm really excited about the Hunger Games movie coming in March. It looks amazing!

Fall Pictures

2011-11-17T10:08:00.000-05:00

School Projects

2011-11-16T08:17:00.001-05:00

At Veterans Park ~~University~~ Elementary where my children attend it is project time. I HATE projects. HATE! Our wonderful elementary is famous for lots of homework and lots of projects. That becomes a problem for me. It becomes my homework and my project. HATE! But now that science fair and history fair are over I realize it wasn't too horrible. We actually had some fun dong their projects. It's just the time needed. Who has extra time these days?? Not me.

Ella, Melting ice experiment.

Josh, Underground Railroad.

Recital Time...For the grandparents

2011-11-14T18:58:00.000-05:00

Ella at her recital. I have been tring to upload Madi playing her piano piece too but I think her song was too long. It won't load. Boo.

I'm so smart!

2011-11-11T07:12:00.000-05:00

Ella : "Mom can you help me with this?" (Computer puzzle)
Me : "sure" I say and I help her figure it out.
Ella looks up at me with wonder in her eyes and says... "Wow, how'd you do that? You're smarter than average!"

Halloween Fun!

2011-10-31T06:59:00.001-04:00

Better late than never

2011-10-20T08:24:00.000-04:00

Remember how Ella's bithday was on October 1st. Well, being the awesome mom I am I finally made her a cake. (on the 20th of October) It was worth the wait though. Chocolate Ice Cream Cake. YUM!

Building Character

2011-10-15T08:13:00.000-04:00

Cinncinati

2011-10-13T08:12:00.000-04:00

The kids had a 4 day weekend so we decided to head to Cinncinati for a couple days of fun. The Carlson Family joined us which made it extra fun for the kiddos. We stayed downtown in a highrise and had a great view of the city.

The next morning we headed to the Zoo. Cinncinati has a beautiful zoo and the weather was PERFECT!

Such a fun few days. Nice to get out of the house.

It's my Birthday!!

2011-10-11T12:04:00.000-04:00

Yep 36! Almost 40...can't wait.
I had a great day. lots of love shown from family and friends. Wade started the day off right by doing my early morning seminary drop off.
The highlight of my day was speaking to my mom on the phone. It's really a blessing to get to know your parents as people and not just parents. Love you mom.

Baptism Day

2011-10-02T09:43:00.000-04:00

A wonderful day!!

Happy Birthday Ella! #8

2011-10-01T22:10:00.000-04:00

This cutie turned 8 today. After opening her presents after breakfast we headed to the mall to pierce Ella's ears. She was a little nervous but really brave.

Hey, that wasn't so bad. She is loving her sparkly earrings.

Tomorrow is her baptism. Looking forward to that...

This totally made my day

2011-09-18T20:30:00.001-04:00

I love me some Chuck Norris!

Ike's First Day of Preschool!

2011-09-13T20:24:00.000-04:00

Ike started preschool. Lucky him, he has Mrs. Linda, the sweetest teacher ever. Looking forward to a great year.

Proud Parent Moment

2011-09-12T07:52:00.002-04:00

Madi received her Patriarchal Blessing last night. It was such a neat experience. She is amazing daughter of God who has much to accomplish. I'm so excited for the wonderful life she can have.

Fashionable??

2011-09-07T08:52:00.000-04:00

Picnic

2011-09-06T08:49:00.000-04:00

The other day we went on a picnic. We found the perfect spot with a perfect tree to climb. It was lovely!

Why do young teenagers feel the need to make weird faces like this everytime you want to take their picture??

Happy Birthday Madi, (#14)

2011-08-26T09:13:00.000-04:00

She can FINALLY go to church dances. She is so happy.
I LOVE having a teenage daughter! (knock on wood) Madi is so much fun. She is loving high school and seminary.
I am soo proud of her and the woman she's becoming!

Jump in a Lake

2011-08-19T20:53:00.000-04:00

Another trip to the lake. I love having friends who are way more fun then us. Having a boat is a ton of work but having friends with a boat...just right!

And....They're off!

2011-08-11T08:39:00.001-04:00

After a long summer an hundreds of dollars in school supplies and fees my oldest three are now in school again.

Ike's preschool doesn't start until mid-September so we are hanging out doing home school....

shopping....

farmers market and whatever else we want to do.

Aren't I a good mom, I didn't even take first day of school pictures of my kids before I kissed them and lovingly sent them to school!

Week Eight and Nine of Summer

2011-08-10T08:21:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow school is back in session. I can't wait!! These last few weeks have been kind of brutal. Tomorrow I will get to piece my house back together and sit in silence for a few moments. (Well, Ike is still here but he's still the beloved, so it's all good.)
One more day....
One more day....
One more day...

Week Seven of Summer

2011-07-24T09:25:00.001-04:00

Someone told me yesterday..."Only 18 days left until school starts."
For the first time in a long time I'm not wishing the days away. I've enjoyed the ease of summer. No schedule, no homework. Sure, my house is trashed but the summer has been pretty nice overall.

This week we just laid low after having house guests here all last week. It's been crazy hot and very humid. I've tried not to leave my house except to go to the pool and even the pool didn't really sound all that enticing.

Week Six of Summer

2011-07-16T08:52:00.000-04:00

This awesome dude just turned 40!!! Crazy right? We had a great evening drinking rootbeer floats and he received a gift that I am coveting!
Also this week we have family in town. Jennifer and her kids have spent the week with us and we have enjoyed every minute of it!!

We LOVE cousins!!

Week Five of Summer

2011-07-09T08:21:00.000-04:00

What fun we had on week five.

We attended a wild 4th of July party. So much fun!!

Also this week we went to the lake with some friends. I tried to water ski for the first time and found out it looks easier than it is.

Week four of Summer

2011-07-02T16:06:00.000-04:00

This week was our family trip for the summer. We decided to stay local this year. We spent two days at the Great Wolf Lodge and then a third day at Kings Island (Amusment park) Both just outside of Cincinnati.

The Great Wolf has an awesome indoor water park. Big rides for big kids, little rides for little kids. Perfect!

Yesterday Ike was very sad because he has a wart on his hand that he LOVES! I bought some special band-aids to remove the wart and he just sat and cryed..."I don't want my wart to die, I love my wart."

Week Three of Summer

2011-06-25T16:05:00.000-04:00

Our third week of summer was electrifying. No, I mean that literally. One of our trees that is connected to the tree house was hit by lightning. We were laying in bed early Monday morning when we heard and felt it. The tree house needs a little work but I think they both made it through pretty well.

This week at scouts they learned about fishing....and they sent a fish home with each boy!!! What? I DON'T do pets! If they can't do chores and flush the toilet they are not welcome. But now Josh has a fish and he's so happy. I don't have the heart to flush it. Dang it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aF0nnmdfTA

2011-06-22T10:08:00.000-04:00

Just a few weeks after Isaac born Wade did the Salt Lake City Marathon. As he approached the finish line he lost all strength in his legs, collapsed and had to crawl across the finish line. We just found this video on YouTube. The memory can live on forever now! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aF0nnmdfTA

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T16:45:00.000-04:00

Happy Father's day to Wade.

Wade is always complaining that we don't have any good snacks. (Which is true. If I buy it, it's gone way to fast, so I don't buy many snacks at all.) So this year we got him a large plastic container that we filled with his favorite treats. He's in heaven!

All the kids made cards for their dad, but we found Ella's quite funny.
In the center it says, "I love you as much as a princess would love herself."
Love that Ella.

Happy Father's Day to my dad and Wade's dad. We love you both so much!!

Week Two of Summer

2011-06-18T23:13:00.001-04:00

Just a few hours ago the sweet man I've been married to for 15 years told me he accidentally deleted my pictures for this weeks blog. So now I'm left with only my wit to make this interesting.

This week Josh went to an evening cub scout camp (Mon.- Fri, 5pm- 9pm) He had a wonderful time shooting guns and bows & arrows. I enjoyed the fact that he was busy with something.

Other than that we hung out, swam, watched movies, did chores. It was a nice week.

Madi and I went to the mall today and we overheard these teenage girls talking. It went something like this (say it in your best valley girl accent)...
"EW, I went to the party and you'll never guess who was there...Like, I wanted to punch myself in the face!" I thought it was so funny.

Tonight Wade and I attended the Stake High Priest Social (ya, it was as fun as it sounds! :)
They had a chili dinner. I made my amazing White Sausage & Mushroom Chili and won first place. Wade isn't a fan of this chili because he doesn't like beans or mushrooms so I only make it when there is someone else to share it with. Otherwise, I WILL eat the whole pan...I'm not afraid! Here's is the recipe if you're interested. Oh, and since I'm totally bragging, this is one of the few recipes that I have actually created. Most recipes I steal from others but this one I came up with myself. I guess that means when you put it in your recipe file you should rename it..."Nancy's White Sausage & Mushroom Chili", (I'm just sayin')

1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
2 c. half and half
1 1/2 t. chili powder
1 t. cumin
1 t. italian seasoning
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. italian sausage
2 c. sliced mushrooms
2 cloves minced garlic
3 cans navy beans (drained)
1 1/2 c. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/4 c. sliced green onions

Melt butter and whisk in flour, over med-high heat. Gradually add chicken broth and half & half. Whisk constantly so it doesn't stick. Simmer until thick. Remove from heat and let sit while you cook sausage and onions. Once the sausage is cooked through add mushrooms and garlic. Let mushrooms cook down until they are pretty soft. Pour half and half mixture over the top and add all the spices and remaining ingredients. Let simmer at least 30 minutes or all day. Enjoy.

Week one of Summer

2011-06-11T13:41:00.000-04:00

The first week of summer started off with a bang!

Ella and some friends went to art camp for the week. Crafts, Singing and Dancing, oh my.

Madi and I got to go to Girls Camp for the week. It was crazy hot and humid, LOTS of bugs, but tons of fun.

1 week down, 8 to go!

Madi graduates from 8th grade!

2011-06-06T13:15:00.000-04:00

Madi is now headed for High School. How did that happen?????

Playing

2011-06-02T12:55:00.001-04:00

FHE one night we learned about Samuel the Lamanite. After the lesson we made marshmallow shooters and went to the backyard to try to shoot "Samuel" out of the treehouse. It was super fun!!

The guns. The great thing about them is that there is no glue so we can take them apart, clean them and build different shaped guns.

As we were outside it started to rain...Ella and Madi thought it necessary to get out the hose.

Another day, more fun in the rain.

Visit from family

2011-05-17T10:25:00.000-04:00

Last week we were blessed to have a visit from family. Wades parents, brother Jon and sister Jennifer drove to Indiana for Logan's (another brother) graduation. After graduation Logan and his wife went on a cruise while the Grandparents watched their kiddos. Jennifer came and spent the week with me in Kentucky. Then on the weekend the Grandparents, Jon and 4 of my nieces and nephews came to visit.

Aren't the beautiful!!

It's always crazy and busy with so many extra bodies in the house but what a blessing!!

I love you gramps.

2011-05-12T14:22:00.000-04:00

My sweet Grandpa (Virgil Lacy) passed away last night, at the age of 93. Though I didn't see him often I adored this man. He is my fathers dad.

He was always my favorite grandparent and made me feel like I was his favorite grandchild.

He was quiet but oh, so funny. He was a happy man who loved to garden and be outside more than anyone else I know. I have fond memories of sitting with him on the tree swing talking and laughing.

Love you so much gramps. Glad you're out of pain and with Grandma again. I'm counting on you to be my personal guardian angel.
OXOXOX

Kentucky Derby - 2011

2011-05-07T17:11:00.001-04:00

It's Derby time. I L.O.V.E. the Kentucky Derby. Granted, I know nothing about any of the horses that are running, but Derby day means a party so I'm all in.

Food, Friends, a little friendly betting....(no, not with money, this is a mormon party after all.)

The ladies and their hats. We're hot right???

My brother in law Cameron picked the winning horse and was pretty happy about it! A horse named "Animal Kingdom" won." The only thing I know about him is that he is part unicorn...That's what I hear anyway.

Can't wait for next years party!!

Father-Son Campout and Girls Night

2011-05-07T16:49:00.002-04:00

The boys went on a camp-out this weekend....

The girls stayed home and ate yummy food, played games and got a little silly! :)

2011-04-28T16:37:00.000-04:00

I just made these cute wreaths. (Thanks Lisa for the idea) I've been wanting some wreaths lately but everything I liked was way out of my price range. Once I saw these I knew I found what I wanted. Two days of cutting burlap and hot glueing my fingers together and Vwa-la. Cute right??

You can find the original tutorial at http://jonesdesigncompany.com/decorate/a-spring-wreath/

Happy Birthday Josh!

2011-04-25T14:01:00.000-04:00

Josh turned 10 on Easter. (It never ceases to amaze me that we all actually made it another year.)
This year he wanted to invite some friends to the pool. Perfect...no kids in my house. I can do that.

The pool was followed by pizza and green lemonade.

He wanted a "pickle" cake. I covered twinkies in green frosting. That works. right??

Love this boy.

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T13:35:00.001-04:00

Oil Slick

2011-04-25T13:30:00.000-04:00

Wade decided the time had come for him to start changing his own oil. Why? I have no idea. I can't possibly be fun! Anyway, after he had finished he started up the truck and heard the sound of spraying, and dripping oil. 4.5 quarts of oil on the garage floor was nice and slick. A lot of kitty litter later and it's all cleaned up...well mostly. This is why we pay someone else to do it.

(Just for the record I have actually changed oil several times and I'm quite certain that never happened to me. I'm just sayin'.)

The beloved turns 4.

2011-04-04T20:20:00.000-04:00

The "Beloved" turns four today. Happy Birthday.

( is it fair that I call him the "Beloved" and not my other children?)

Look how cute he is!

And he doesn't talk back,

or tell me no,

or roll his eyes,

or say things like "it's not fair",

"I never get to do anything", and

" why do I have to do EVERYTHING???"

Is it fair that he is called the "Beloved"...Yes, I think it's fair.

I couldn't summon the energy necessary to give him a proper party with decor and games and party favors. Lucky, he's four and has no idea that all of his friends get a real party when they turn four.
This year he got a cake and two friends came over to help him eat it. Am I feeling at all guilty for being a lame mom??, not guilty at all!!!

Looking forward to watching this boy grow. I have a feeling that he may loose the title of the "Beloved" in another year or so but I hope not!

General Conference

2011-04-03T20:12:00.000-04:00

If you're LDS, (which I think all my readers are) then I'm sure you all had a chance to catch General Conference. What was your favorite talk??
Mine was today in the afternoon session when Lynn G. Robbins of the Seventy spoke. He talked about parenting (surprising I know but yes, I have parenting issues.) He spoke about children who can be difficult to parent. I thought it was GREAT. One question he asked was "What attributes, if understood by the child would correct this behavior?" He spoke of using the spirit to teach and change the nature of the child instead of just punishing behavior.
Anyway, that's what spoke to me...What spoke to you??

You wanna see my scar?

2011-03-30T16:41:00.000-04:00

Last week we put in new carpet. AHHHH! It is so lovely.

Anywho, while Wade and I were moving furniture he suddenly had pain in his back. Serious pain. Stay in bed for 6 days and only shower twice, kind of pain. After a Dr. visit, x-ray, MRI and a consult with a Neurosurgeon it became clear that surgery was going to happen. Today was the day. I took Wade into the O.R. bright and early this morning and they were able to do the work they needed to on his back. We were thinking he might even beable to go back to work next week. No such luck. Guess who will be home with me for the next 4-6 weeks. Lucky Wade!!

My little Leprechauns

2011-03-19T08:55:00.000-04:00

We had a visit from four sweet Leprechauns this past week. My niece and 3 nephews came to stay with us for a few days. My kiddos were so happy to spend time with the cousins.

This little dude was so fun. Almost made me want another baby...ALMOST.

We went to have lunch with Josh and Ella.

Good times. It was a busy few days but SOOO fun. You gotta love family!

Grand Cayman, Cozumel and the sunsets

2011-03-17T10:09:00.000-04:00

Okay Let's wrap this up...Next we went to Grand Cayman. It was a perfect day of snorkeling. We were told Cemetery Beach had the best snorkeling. Why is it called Cemetery Beach? The beach is located next to the cemetery. Of Course.

Our last stop was Cozumel, Mexico. It was overcast and the waves weren't great for snorkeling so we ended up renting a scooter and driving around the island. It was so fun.

the critters we saw...

And with that our trip comes to an end. If we ever move again it better be somewhere tropical!!!

Falmouth, Jamaica

2011-03-16T07:46:00.001-04:00

Our second stop was Falmouth (pronounced Fall-Muth) Jamaica. This was my least favorite stop. Royal Caribbean just built their own port here. It connects to this small poor run down village, Falmouth. There is still a lot of construction happening and they are trying to spruce up the town but it still needs lots of work. The beaches are really rocky and there's not much sand.

The people however were super friendly and it was fun to talk with them. We spent the day walking around the little town, taking in the few sights they had to offer. There were also a lot of really pushy vendors trying to sell you anything they could.

These cute little kiddos were the highlight of the stop. So sweet. The little girl with me asked if we would take a picture of her and bring it back to America and put it in the newspaper. I guess a blog will have to do.

Labadee, Haiti

2011-03-15T11:23:00.000-04:00

Our first stop was my favorite... Labadee, Haiti.

Royal Caribbean has leased a small peninsula of land from Haiti. It's about 15 acres of land I would guess. It is completely private and very few people are allowed to come into the area.

The large mountains are Haiti, the small low lying area in front is Labadee.

I liked this stop so much because it was so easy. No city to figure out. We just got off the boat, hung out on the beach, snorkled, explored, ate, relaxed in a hammoch. It was so fun and it happened to be on the day of our anniversary. Perfect.

Haitian Children doing a musical parade.

Again...PERFECT!!

Goodbye Haiti, I hope I see you again.

15 Anniversary Caribbean Cruise

2011-03-14T16:11:00.000-04:00

This last week Wade and I celebrated our 15th anniversary in the Caribbean. I have to give my sister in law all the credit. She arranged the trip and invited us along and we were so happy we went. It was our first cruise and is was a million times more fun then I thought it would be.

We went on a 7 day cruise with Royal Caribbean. We made four stops along the way.

1st stop - Labadee, Haiti

2nd stop - Falmouth, Jamaica

3rd stop - Grand Cayman

4th stop - Cozumel, Mexico

I'll post those pictures later. Here are the pictures of the fun we had on the ship....

Wade and I , Shane (Wade brother) and his wife JungHee, Cameron (Wade other brother) and his wife Sarah.

The ship..."Freedom of the Seas" the second largest cruise ship in the world.

This is called the Royal Promenade... lots of shopping and restaurants in the center of the ship.

It's just something you have to do when on a ship this large.

Dining hall...The food was CRAZY!! We ate so much. We had a rule that we could eat whatever we wanted and could only used the stairs, no elevators. On a ship this large there are a lot of stairs. They helped me keep my girly figure while eating WAY too much all week.

The entertainment was great. Funny comedians, Las Vegas style shows, shuffle board, the fun never stops!!

More to come tomorrow.....

New Faves!

2011-03-05T14:51:00.000-05:00

Have you seen these cookies??? Finally someone has copied the Girl Scouts and I can have them year round. Bliss!

L-O-V-E this song. My favorite new running song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wAyHyQeOiI&feature=player_detailpage

Hoopin' it up

2011-03-03T10:06:00.001-05:00

For the past two months Josh has been playing basketball with a local league. It's been an over all good experience for him. This past weekend was the final tournament. Josh's team came in second.

Tooth Fairy

2011-02-20T20:35:00.000-05:00

Tonight as we knelt down for family prayer Ella showed us her tooth that is getting really close to falling out.

Ella: "Look at my tooth, It's so loose."
Mom: "If you pull it out tonight the Tooth Fairy can come."
Ella: "Mom, I know you're the Tooth Fairy!"
A moment of silence passes....
Josh: with a look of shock..."What? (mom) You're the Tooth Fairy?"

I can't believe my almost 10 year old boy had to be told by his 7 yr. old sister that the tooth fairy isn't real. I wonder if he'll figure out Santa and the Easter Bunny on his own.

Bigger is Better

2011-02-16T14:24:00.000-05:00

Josh has been saving his allowance for a while now. He wants purple Vans, (skateboard style shoes). They are about $50 and with his meager allowance it takes awhile to earn enough to make that kind of purchase. Well, last week while Madi and Wade were off somewhere I took the remainder of my offspring and headed to Sam's club. Josh kept finding things he HAD to have.... A giant elephant, a giant block of cheese and a giant jar of pickles. I guess the Vans will have to wait.

My Funny Valentines

2011-02-14T10:56:00.000-05:00

Yesterday...not so boring.

2011-02-04T08:41:00.000-05:00

Anyone who actually reads this blog is probably a good enough friend to know that we medicate Josh. Anyone who (A.) doesn't have a hard kid or ( B.) hasn't seen Josh off his meds probably judges us for it. I could care less. For Josh, he NEEDS modern day meds to survive everyday. He takes Strattera, used for anxiety and ADD. He has a very hard time controlling his mind and body. He is terrified of many things and sleeping at night does not happen without meds.
So knowing all this my goal is to someday have Josh off meds. The one he's on isn't a real heavy med and he doesn't have any bad side affects but still, I'd like him to learn some skills to help him cope without them. Well, last week I forgot to give him his pill before school. The day was actually okay. I didn't even realize that I had forgotten until bedtime and he couldn't sleep and was totally falling apart. So I thought to myself...Maybe if we could get the sleeping under control...maybe we could try going off the meds and see if Josh would be able to handle things.
Yesterday I went to his amazing pediatrician. We discussed and decided we would give it a try. He told me to try melatonin at night to help the sleep. Josh came home from school and the evening was not pretty. Unfortunately we had friends over to witness the mayhem. Night time was horrible. Josh lay in bed crying and screaming that he hated is life and he wanted to die.

Going to the pharmacy to fill his prescription this morning. My poor boy. I breaks my heart that he struggles so much within his own body and mind. I pray that someday he will be able to cope without and not be a criminal but until that day I thank God for modern meds.

Boring

2011-02-02T10:23:00.001-05:00

I'm clicking my heals right now and repeating to myself..."There's nothing wrong with boring. There's nothing wrong with boring."

Things are quiet in the Powell home right now. I keep thinking something "blog worthy" will happen so I can write all about it but alas, nothings happening. No snow days, no big events. We are busy but it's just the everyday busy. Homework, housework, church assignments, basketball practice (Josh), piano (Ella and Madi), everyday stuff. I call my sister most days but I know she hopes I don't. I have nothing new to tell her, I just call hoping something exciting is happening for her. Lately...she's been boring too. Lame! (except her blog is pretty funny this year. http://www.simplylacy.blogspot.com/ .) Last night I lay in bed wishing for some excitement in my life and realized that boring is okay. There are far wost things, right.

Snow Day #7

2011-01-24T07:18:00.001-05:00

No, I'm not making this up!

Snow Day #6

2011-01-21T16:48:00.001-05:00

Big storm last night.
I loved sleeping in.
Had brunch with our neighbors and played games.
I enjoyed this snow day.

Two new favorite snacks

2011-01-19T17:13:00.002-05:00

It's been 23 days without sugar and I've reached a point where I don't want it and I'm not tempted by it. I should have done this a long time ago. (and I'm down 7lb.s, yay me.)

I've found a few new snacks that I'm loving so I thought I'd share...

"Chipin's" popcorn corn chips. AMAZING!! Salty and very addicting.

I LOVE peanut butter. I use to eat it with a banana and maybe a few chocolate chips but I've found a new way to eat it. (Of course I only use all natural PB, no sugar, salt or anything added.)
I take a tablespoon of PB and mix it with about 1/4 t. of Sambal Oelek (Red chili paste, very spicy, find it in the asian section at any grocery store). You could add more or less chili paste, however hot you want it. I don't like it crazy hot, just enough to warm my mouth a little. That's it. Spread the spicy PB in celery, apples (my fave), a banana or a slice of bread. (They say when you eat spicy food you eat less and drink more.Worth a try right??) Let me know if you try it.

FHE at Krispy Kreme

2011-01-18T14:39:00.002-05:00

Did you know that Krispy Kreme gives kids a free doughnut for each "A" they get on their report card?? It's true. Last night for FHE we went, each kid got 6 doughnuts. While they enjoyed their treat we sat in the resturant and played and game and read scriptures. Good times.

P.S. 22 days without sugar.

The Harlem Globtrotters

2011-01-16T09:56:00.001-05:00

Josh was just invited by some friends to go to a Harelm Globetrotters game. They ended up having an extra ticket and thought Josh would love it...of course he did. When he arrived home he couldn't stop talking about it. Thank you to dear friends who love my children.

Snow Day #5

2011-01-12T08:20:00.000-05:00

No, it didn't snow again.
But it is cold...
about 20 degrees.
I have an idea,
let's cancel school again.

Snow day #4

2011-01-11T09:40:00.001-05:00

It just snowed 2 inches...what does that mean? Another snow day of course. Ugh.

Our first ER visit

2011-01-08T21:13:00.000-05:00

Can you believe that in 13 and a half years of being a mom I have never gone to the ER with my kids...until today.
Today Ike was the lucky one. He woke up yesterday and couldn't walk on his left leg. Something in his knee was hurting. He was perfectly happy and normal as long as he didn't walk. Today after seeing no improvement and consulting a doctor friend and a Dr. brother in law we decided we should take him in to the Er and find out the problem. Four and a half hours later and a few x-rays the doctors best guess was that it was probably a virus that kids can get that affects their joints. Hopefully, it will go away without any further problems. I hope he's right. (I really don't want to pay another $750 to take him in again!! Ouch!)
Ike had a great time and was a perfectly happy angel. The nurses gave him stickers and toys and we watched a few hours of Scooby-Doo while we waited in our room for the Dr.
Tonight Ike keeps asking to go back to the hospital. I hope the next time we go is to visit a friend having a baby.

Sugar Free - Day 9

2011-01-05T19:10:00.000-05:00

My stomach is full but my head wants Peanut M&M's

Sugar Free

2011-01-04T17:09:00.000-05:00

Now this might just cause me to lose a few friends, (You know who you are) but I have fully committed to giving up sugar for a year. Yep, the whole year...even on my birthday. I LOVE sweets and I wish I could master the art of moderation but now that my baby is 3 1/2 and I still need to drop half my baby weight I guess it's time for drastic measures. It's been a little more than a week and it hasn't been too bad. Well, New Years Eve was really hard but other than that it's been okay. I should give up diet coke while I'm at it but that would be going too far.
I have already recruited one friend to join me in this goal...anyone else want in on the fun??

New Years Eve- 2011

2011-01-04T16:31:00.000-05:00

New Years Eve...food, friends, wii tournament, Ryan Seacrest on NBC. Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve and Day 2010

2010-12-26T16:49:00.001-05:00

This Christmas was pretty quiet. We were hoping to have a dear friend of mine and her family to visit for a few days but they weren't able to come so it was just us. :(
Our Christmas Eve traditions are...have a fancy dinner, open new pj's, read the Christmas story in Luke: 2, watch old Christmas cartoons (Rudolf, frosty etc.) Sadly, Ike fell asleep during dinner.

Christmas morning...kids waiting to go into the family room, Ike was still too tired to participate.

Showing off the new toys. This year Santa did stockings and one family game. Wade and I only gave the kids one gift...but the kids weren't complaining. The oldest 3 received an ipod touch. We were parents of the year yesterday for sure. Ike was happy with Toy Story stuff. We spent the day downloading fun apps for their new toy. There are some fun ones. I'm wondering if any of you have recommendations for some great apps I might know about. Especially educational ones. They already have plenty of games. :) Madi is finally feeling like a real teenager because she can text now. (she doesn't have a cell phone.)

While the oldest three were "plugged in" for the day, Ike enjoyed the white Christmas we got.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T16:50:00.001-05:00

Ward Christmas Party 2010

2010-12-20T13:44:00.003-05:00

Nothing like the ward Christmas party when you're looking for holiday fun!!

My new Fave.

2010-12-17T11:54:00.001-05:00

Breakfast is big for me. I love to start my day with some cookies, cold pizza, maybe Christmas treats someone brought over last night but it never fails. If I start my day like that I'm ruined for the rest of the day. I will put anything in my mouth from that point on.

I try to eat healthy for breakfast but I get sick of breakfast food. I never do cereal. I like oatmeal but not everyday. Eggs seem like such a production. Well, this is my new favorite. I have eaten it almost everyday for 2 weeks. Still not sick of it. I can't wait to eat it. I look forward to it. So, I thought I would share. Now, you are just going to have to trust me...it might not sound amazing at first.

Plain yogurt, celery, grapes and flax seed.

No really...it's good. I start with about a cup of grapes. IMPORTANT...you have to cut them in half.This gives you loads of sweet grapes in each bite to sweeten up the plain yogurt. Then cut a stalk or two of celery in small pieces. Top with plain yogurt (about 1/2 cup) and a tablespoon of flax seed. You can't taste the flax seed, so why not?? I guess you could use vanilla yogurt but why add the sugar when you don't need it. The celery gives it loads of fiber so I feel full and it gives a nice crunch.
So have I convinced any of you to try it yet??? Come on, trust me. Try it and let me know if you like it.

How we spent our snow day

2010-12-16T20:57:00.000-05:00

Sugar cookies and hot chocolate.

Guess what?....They have already cancelled school for tomorrow. That means I have 17 more days of kiddos at home. What will we do? We are staying in town and no one is coming to visit. This could get ugly!!

Ice Storm

2010-12-16T09:29:00.000-05:00

Today was our second snow day of the school year. Monday we received about three inches of snow during the night and last night we received some freezing rain on top of our snow so school is out again. (I wasn't sad to sleep in a little!!) Anyway, this wasn't a huge storm but so beautiful! We seem to get at least one ice storm each year. I love looking at it from the warmth of my home.

I hope we don't run out of hot chocolate or I'll really be in trouble!!

Nice, unexpected visit.

2010-12-13T17:27:00.000-05:00

This weekend Wade's dad made a quick trip to see us and ordain Wade a High Priest. It was so wonderful to see him! Hoping for a longer visit next time.

Yikes

2010-12-10T17:47:00.001-05:00

I'm not a girl who attracts attention from men. Since I've been married (almost 15 years) I've only had one guy ever hit on me. I've never wanted attention from men, I already have the best guy around...who else can compare!!
So, the last two days I have visited Walmart. Seems like almost daily I remember some item I forgot. I go often. Any who...The last two visits I have been in my "comfy cloths" not dressed up and I have been hit on. I guess it could be flattering but I don't seem to get hit on by men that are even remotely normal. The two men where..."I'm 55 yrs. old, I live with my mother, I'm addicted to porn."...kind of guys. Yikes!

Gingerbread houses

2010-12-07T08:37:00.000-05:00

Every year we make gingerbread houses on Thanksgiving night. This year with so many guests I decided to wait until we had an empty house to start this activity. In recent years I have made one big house and we all help decorate it. This year I was feeling selfish...I wanted to decorate the big house all by myself. So I made the kids mini houses out of graham crackers and selfishly kept the big one for myself. I'm so mean!

Ikes house...he said he put horns on it.

If I were picking a favorite...which I would NEVER do...it would be Joshua's house. So creative! A tree, a fire pit, even a door knob. Solid work Josh!!

Here is the whole family village. Except for Wades, he chatted with the neighbor while we ate candy. Bummer for him.
Below is Ella's of course.

And that leaves Madi's house.

Good times!!

Weekend of snow

2010-12-06T08:35:00.000-05:00

Kentucky had it's first real snow this weekend. It was so beautiful. The kiddos played outside for hours!!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-03T13:22:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving 2010 in Kentucky!!

We were greatly blessed this year to have many guests for Thanksgiving this year. Wades bother Logan and his family from Bloomington In., Cameron and his family from South Carolina, and Tiifany and her family from Roosevelt Utah.

Total: 8 adults...14 kids...four wonderful days!

It was a ton of work as far as meal went but sooooo much fun. We are so blessed with amazing family. Fun, wonderful people who are so good to us.

Chuck Norris

2010-11-17T12:13:00.000-05:00

Okay, I think that this is one of those things that is only suppose to be funny if you're 13 but I can't stop laughing.

Here's what you do...
Go to Googles main page.
In the search box type in "Where is Chuck Norris"
Don't press seach, instead press the "I'm feeling lucky " box next to it.
Read the page that comes up.
I love Google!

Half Marathon #3

2010-11-07T20:17:00.000-05:00

Saturday was the morning of my 3rd half marathon. Some of you may think that by me saying it is my third 1/2 it must be getting easier for me. That would be wrong!!!

Julie, Jessie, their spouses, Wade and I went up the Indianapolis for this one. The morning started out at a brisk 26 degrees. Ya, that's cold!! We layered up and were ready to go by 8am. Wade decided to run with us on this one. It was the best. We asked him to get us to the finish line in 2 hours or less. (Which would be a personal best for me by about 15 min.) Lofty goal, but one I really wanted to try for. After all, unlike the way we train this run would be totally flat. No Hills. We've never run on flat ground.

Wade was amazing. He set his garmin watch and ran. We just did our best to keep up. When we train we chat...really that's why I run...talk time with the girls. On this run there would be no talking, not because we didn't want to but because we couldn't. We spent all our energy just staying with Wade. He was awesome. About 3 miles in we stared to warm up and he wore all our jackets around his waist, he carried our extra gloves, hats...whatever. And since our pace was a little slow for him, he also carried the camera the entire way so he could get some action shots.

The entire run was hard. I wanted to quit every minute but I kept telling myself...

"Pain is temporary, bad race times are forever!" :)

I have never worked so hard in my life, okay maybe natural childbirth with Madi was harder but that's it. But it was totally worth it. Although, next race, I think I'll run at a more comfortable pace...maybe!

This is early on in the race...you can tell because we're still smiling.

Okay, now it's starting to suck!!

My official time was 1hour, 57 min., 45 sec. It's different then what the clock says because we started 2 min. after the starting gun. In a crowd of 9000 runner it takes a while before you can even cross the start line to run. 2 minutes is a big deal to slow runners like myself!!

So happy, made our goal and finally no longer running. We're all smiles but really we all want to throw up and drink,eat, poop and shower.

At the starting line...

Thanks Wade for pushing us. We are not being modest when we say we couldn't have done it without you!!

Halloween

2010-11-04T15:13:00.000-04:00

I'm not a huge halloween girl. I particiate but I don't love it. Actually, the only thing I really like is eating my kids candy. This year we didn't hang up spiderwebs with plastic spiders or even carve pumpkins. We did however manage to attend the ward Trunk-or-Treat. Here are some of the highlights from friends who have a lot more Halloween spirit than I do.

This trunk was a big hit. The kids pushed a button and out came a snake hand that grabbed their hand and pulled it inside the hole where they recieved their candy.

No Halloween is complete without Nacho.

How cute is her shirt... yes she is pregnant.

I'm coping this one next year.

This was us this year. Ella...a ballerina, Josh...one of those yellow guys from "Despicable Me", Madi...Taylor Swift outfits from one of her music videos, Ike...buzz lightyear.
I decorated our trunk like Christmas and passed out candy canes.
Now I have a whole year before I have to do this again. Yippy!!

Why do I run??

2010-10-23T20:57:00.002-04:00

Two more weeks until the 1/2 marathon we've been training for. Once again (for the third time) I seem to be injured 3 weeks before race day. I took the week off and finally ran tonight for the first time in a week. Just 3 miles, and guess what...pain free. Three miles is definitely not the 13 I have to run on race day but if I can do 3 pain free, the race will be fine. As I was running tonight I was thinking, "Why do I run?"
This is my third 1/2 marathon and each time I seem to injure something. Most days running is hard. Most runs, something hurt. Some days I'm slower than I want to be, some days I'm faster than I thought I could be. Some runs start out great and end badly. Some runs start all wrong but seem to work themselves out by the end.
I realized that I run for the same reasons I parent. Most days being a mom is hard. Sometimes it hurts. Some days I don't seem to get anything done and some days I feel like I concurred the world. Some days start out great and end badly, some start bad but seem to work themselves out. I'm a mom because even though it's so hard it's always worth it.
I run because even though it's hard...for me...it's worth it.

Kickin' of my birthday with a Bang!

2010-10-13T13:53:00.001-04:00

This year I wanted to kick of my birthday with a BANG, (or bangs I should say). Drastic I know, but hey, it was either botox or bangs.

Wade ... being the awesome guy he is bought me this painting (by Linda Curley) that we have loved ever since we returned from Israel. Not only did he order the painting but he also ordered lumber from Washington State to make this beautiful frame. He cut, hand scraped and stained, and I think it looks amazing. What a handy guy to have around. (I know you're jealous of his skills!)

After 2 years of spending HOURS raking the stupid leaves in my yard, I complained enough for Wade to also buy me a leaf blower. This is the most excited I've been about a gift in a long time. I LOVE it! Who knew?

Thanks to Angela for a nice birthday get together. Love my girls!!

Wade's aunt and 4 cousins came to Cincinnati last week for a girls shopping day and invited me along. So fun to get away. They are some of the most fun ladies I've ever met. Wish they lived closer!!

Wade took the day off work so I could go and he had an amazing day with the kiddos. No really, AMAZING! (Ask me about it sometime)

Thanks to all for the birthday wishes. It was so much fun that I might start celebrating my half birthday! Now back to my regular life.

My favorite new craft

2010-10-06T11:21:00.002-04:00

I found this idea in a blog somewhere. It's making a pillow out of a placemat. Here's my place mat. It has to be double-sided. (Two pieces of fabric sewn together)
Get out your seam ripper and un-stitch a few inches along the edge.

Stuff it until full,

Hand stitch it back up and magic, a new pillow. Easy, cheap, what's not to love.

Family Home Evening

2010-10-05T15:56:00.003-04:00

You just never know how FHE is going to turn out.
Last week we planned on going to a movie for the evening. But by the time we had dinner the kiddos were being so naughty that they lost their movie privilege. We decided to have FHE at home with a lesson on "being kind" to your family. The kids were so mad that we weren't going to the movie and we told them they have to make a skit...TOGETHER...(oh the pain of it all). 30 minutes later they came upstairs all happy again ready to preform. Wade and I witnessed a funny skit involving Santa, a unicorn, a high fashion teen and Ike.
After a crazy evening when everyone was in trouble and being so naughty we ended up having a great evening...who would have thought!

Cincinnati Reds Game

2010-10-02T13:16:00.003-04:00

Last night we drove up to Cincinnati, met up with some wonderful friends and went to a Reds game. Honestly, I hate baseball. It is so boring, but being at a game with friends and two bags of candy...well, that's not so bad.

That's nacho cheese she's licking off that shoe, don't ask.

Happy Birthday Ella!

2010-10-01T14:30:00.002-04:00

It's Ella's 7th Birthday. Hip-hip Hooray! I adore this child. So sweet, with a serious amount of diva.

Exhausted!

2010-09-30T12:23:00.001-04:00

Can't imagine how tired I would have to be to go outside and lay down on the deck and take a nap.

Since you have nothing else to do...

2010-09-16T17:43:00.002-04:00

This is what I look at when I should be folding cloths, doing dishes, dusting, cleaning bathrooms..... you get the picture.

www.restorativeliving.blogspot.com
www.eighteen25.blogspot.com
www.thingsthatinspire.net
www.shelterinteriordesign.blogspot.com
www.suneday.blogspot.com
www.endlesscrafting.blogspot.com
www.absolutelybeautifulthings.blogspot.com
www.vanessachristensen.com
www.ourbestbites.com

Check them out, they won't disappoint.

Ike's First Day of Preschool!

2010-09-14T19:24:00.002-04:00

Bright and early this morning we loaded the car to take Ike and his buddies to their first day of preschool. I was so excited and so was he. I was really surprised that he handled it so well. To me, he's still my baby. Time is starting to fly faster and faster. He only goes one day a week but that's okay by me. I still like having this little dude around.

He's got the two best teachers in the school. Life is good.

Stuff I should have posted a long time ago!

2010-09-13T12:15:00.005-04:00

Labor Day hike at Raven Run. We met up with our friends, the Blakemores, for a hike and picnic.

This is Jeff...Jeff is a great guy and an amazing cook! A few Sundays ago we were lucky enough to have him come over a cook for us. We were not disappointed.

Menu...

chicken stuffed with mozzarella and bacon, rolled in a honey mustard glaze, coated in pecans.

lemon garlic green beans

mashed potatoes

Madi and her friend Aubrey had a combined friend birthday party at pool.