365 days of Gratitude: March

365 days of gratitude: March

March 1- 

What a good busy day! Despite E not feeling well & not going to art lessons, it was a good day. I was able to attend the baptism of Holden Chandler & Camden Trudo. They are our new Wolf Scouts. I remember Holden from when I served in nursery, before we moved to Cinci. And now he's 8! It was a really nice baptism. Holden was baptized on his bday. That's cool! It was also Doris' Mathews bday. Clara & I gave her a little bouquet of flowers. She said she was having a good day. Finally, I was able to get my hair trimmed and thinned. It was so overdue! I'm REALLY looking forward to having it donated in June. Short hair is easier to maintain. Sat night we had a cookout with the girls & later Curtis & I watched Captain Phillips. It was based on a true story of this man who was taken hostage by Somali pirates. 

Mar 2- 

Sleet storm! Church was cancelled AGAIN! This is the 3rd fast Sunday in a row that this has happened! Crazy! Spring can't come soon enough. Next Sunday will be Nancy's first official drop off in nursery. Yay! They just divided the nurseries. We have a Jr & Sr nursery again. We all stayed in and did very little. E & M helped me with some sock monkeys. Curtis made cinnamon rolls. I rented 'Austenland' from Redbox on Sat. I watched it Sun night. It was a cute show. It had been a while since I read the book. Btw, I'm grateful for the warmth & protection our home provides. 

Mar 3- 

Nancy is officially 18 mos! School is cancelled, of course. Curtis worked from home. The schools had recently planned for the past make-up snow days. Now there are at least 2 more to add. E is calendared to go to school on Sat!  I'm not sure we'll take her. My concern is, will the kids actually be doing school work, or will they be there just playing? Mer so far has part of Spring break gone due to snow make up days. Gratitude! I'm grateful we could have FHE. It was given by E. We talked some about missionary opportunities & how to make it a part of natural conversation. :)  

Mar 4- 

   Mer made & brought me breakfast in bed. :) Aw! Sweet girl! 

Today feels like a productive day. I made a 'to do' list, & I'm getting stuff done! Of course, school was cancelled again. Schools really should be open the rest of the week. 

     I got to Skype with mom & dad. :) it was good to chat with them & catch up on life. 

The Cub Scout Blue & Gold event for our ward is this Fri. Sadly I'll miss it bc I'll be in FS for my MSF class! 

    Thoughts about scouting- originally I had NO idea as to why I was called in to scouts. Slowly but surely, I'm learning. Once a week, for an hour or so, I get to be with these energetic 8 yo boys. They are different & fun creatures! God chose to bless us with daughters. Once a week, I get to spend time with my 'adoptive' sons. :) It's fun, enlightening, & quite a learning experience. This calling is growing on me. 

      Thoughts about Elders Reed, Powers, & Anderson- If I could, I'd adopt them as little brothers. They are so great! They are on fire! (With the Spirit of God) 

I'm going to make & give them sock monkeys! :) 

Mar 5- 

   I am grateful that kids were back in school today! Yay! Today, I spent quite a bit of time prepping for the MSF class. I am also grateful for the time I get to be with the scouts. :) 

Mar 6- 

    Gratitude for today includes the opportunity to get 2 new tires for the Durango. Clara got to go to 'pretty school' and that night was our wards RS bday celebration. It was really fun. Plus, Nancy Davis asked several sisters to share their testimonies about VT-ing. I got to be one of those sisters. :) It was nice!

Mar 7- 

     Hooray for Fri morning yoga! After class, I took the time to get some things together to go to the MSF class in Ft. Smith. :) The class experience will be a blog post on its own. Before I left, Aj agreed to watch the girls until Curtis got home from work. I took C &N to Aj's around 1. E & M went there after school. Princess was being an escapee! What a fiasco! M & C were so upset. Fortunately, the same neighbor who found her the other day, found her AGAIN. Thank you neighborhood FB page! (Sincerely) Curtis wants to replace our fence. Additionally, I took the shock collar to Battery Outfitters to get a new battery for the collar. Hopefully that will help. -I made a new friend in class. She (Brit) lives in Springdale and she was going to drive back that night. I invited her to stay with me at Bonnie's. Thank heavens for the kindness and hospitality of the saintly Bonnie Cook! Brit stayed with me that weekend. I think we had a good time. 

Mar 8- 

     Day 2 of the MSF class. Day started out chilly. Sun came out for a bit. Then the rain faked us out and we ended class early on Sat. We had lunch at Fuji's. (I think) Its been a while since I've had sushi. It was yummy too! Brit & I got a nap, then did some mall walking. I found a great pair of skinny jeans for a good price too. :) For dinner, we ate at Marketplace Grill. She manages the one in Springdale, so Brit was able to get our meal for 50%.  The food was yummy! We stopped at WM to get 'thank you' cards for Bonnie. While there, I saw Rachel Martin with her little sister. We had a brief visit. She's such a good big sister. I also bought a pair of socks. Somehow, I packed an extra pj shirt, but not extra socks. Weird! 

Mar 9- 

     Time change! Spring forward! We lost an hour & class started early. We had to make up for lost time from Saturday. It was good. I passed the driving test! (Details in a blog post) 

      Right after class, I went back to Bville. Bville 1st ward was having RS, so I attended that. What a good & busy weekend! I know God blessed me with safety & all other good things. 

Mar 10-

     What a day. It was my turn to get E & M ready for school. It was not a busy day, but I did accomplish a few things. My body still needed to recoup from the lack of sleep over the weekend. In the afternoon, Wendy previously agreed to watch the littles for me so I could go take the written test for the motorcycle license. First, I'm a nervous test taker. Second, I was thrown off bc I didn't know my birth certificate or a passport was required. I went back home, found my passport & came back to take the test. The testing place is in Springdale, it's about 20 min away. Between the extra driving & not knowing about the passport, I was a little flustered. I didn't pass the test. Aside from those factors that I mentioned, ultimately I blame myself bc I forgot to pray. Well, all good things...right? I can take it again next week. I'll be more prepared then. After I got the littles from Wendy, we came home & I took a much needed nap. The Sr crew (E&M) are helpful with the Jr crew (C&N). Curtis had FHE with the girls bc I woke up rather late. Overall, it was a good day & I'm grateful I could be a part of it. 

Mar 11- 

     Tues was a busy day. I took Clara to pretty school at 'Hangry's' house. (That's how Clara says Henry) I had an appt in Fayetteville at noon for a part time job opportunity. It didn't take very long. Afterwards, I met Curtis in Fayetteville at Shogun. He shared a bit of his lunch with me. Sushi! It was yummy. :) Then I took N with me & got Clara from the Johnston's home. Later, Kaylee Irlenborn babysat our girls so Curtis & I could go see 'Chicago' at the WAC. It's such a bad-good/good-bad show. Guilty pleasure. Kaylee was great. She did well with our girls.  

Mar 12-

     Have I mentioned enough yet how grateful I am for Roxanne Dragovich? She is such a great support as my Cub Scout assistant. We were supposed to have a planning meeting, but we had to reschedule bc Parker had an asthma attack. We met for a bit after scouts.  It's good to finally have some set plans for a few months, instead of winging it from week to week. 

      Tabitha Koster came over to play with Clara. They are funny together. 

Later, by phone, Roxanne & I were able to put together a plan for Scouts that night. We now have 5 scouts. Peyton will move to Bear Scouts in April. We'll be gaining a few more scouts after that. Aw...sweet scouts! 

Mar 13- 

     Stake fill the temple day! The Hornicks let me ride with them to the temple. Curtis babysat Caylene for them. I decided to fast part of the temple trip. I had something to eat after the 1:30 session. It has been TOO long since I've been to the temple. One, my dress is a bit too big. That was a pleasant surprise. :) Two, I kept forgetting which way the robes go & I was forgetting words at the veil. Well, hopefully I'll make an effort to go more regularly. 

March 14-

     Happy Pi day! Today was a good day. :) Here's why. Curtis went to the temple today. :) I got E & M up for school. While I was taking M to school, C & N woke up & they were crying when I got back. :( Fortunately, they let me get some sleep. Then we went to the store & bought pies for Pi day & to have an informal bday party for Clara. Nancy fell & busted her mouth & nose@ the park. Poor girl. It was a little bloody mess. Her nose got all scratched. After some fussing and trying to clean it up, she was fine.  The informal birthday/Pi party turned out great! Today was sunny, a little too windy, but really lovely otherwise. C & N took really good naps after playgroup. Curtis got home before 5. It was good to spend some time together. We've been really busy this past week. But, a good busy. Jackie invited me over to watch 'Frozen' @ her place. Finally! I must be close to the last person to see this movie. It's a good show. Almost like an animated Broadway show. 

March 15-

     Happy 4th birthday to Clara!

E had to attend school on a Saturday  for a snow makeup day. Clara opened her gifts while E was at school. She was elated with all of her bday presents! I did take a few pics. I'm so glad she's happy with celebrating her birthday in a simple way with family. :) Saturday was busy too. Curtis had some meetings to go to. Then that evening, Curtis & I went to the adult session of Stake Conf. It was really good! I did take some notes. Being a part of The Hastening & inviting friends & neighbors to church is exciting! Mer tagged along with us & afterwards we all went to Kikiberry. Mmm! I had a yummy shake. :) 

March 16- 

     Stake Conference Sunday. It's harder to take notes on Sunday bc of children. Poor Clara was having a meltdown. It started snowing during conference. I'm grateful it didn't stick on the roads! 

March 17- 

     The girls didn't have to miss anymore school. I was able to go grocery shopping. :) Later we were able to have FHE. I'm so grateful for the way The Lord is blessing me & my family. It's really amazing!

 March 18- 

     Yesterday Clara went to 'pretty' school at Lilly's. While she was there, I had lunch with Mer at school. We had scheduled it a few weeks ago, but it snowed. Finally I got to have lunch with Mer. Bless her heart. She tries. (My patience!) I know she has good intentions, but it comes out wrong. Fortunately, the weather was nice. Mer got to play with Nancy for a little bit during recess. Nancy fell twice. The bump on her head is getting worse. It's tough learning how to walk. After we left Mer, we (Nancy & I) went to get Clara from preschool. A new family moved into the ward and they have a few kids. They have a daughter about Clara's age & her name is Camilla. :) 

     Curtis went to his usual Tues night Bishopric mtg & I got the kids in bed. After they were in bed, I was up late making bread. While waiting for it to rise, I took some time to study for the motorcycle test. I really hope & pray to be more prepared & pass this time. :) I was still up when Curtis got home from his meeting. Oh well. Here's to late nights & early mornings. I'm grateful for my family! 

March 19- 

     Today I got to go visit Joane & Amanda. It was good to visit with them. They are both my friends. While watching original Sesame Street with Clara, Beth called. :) It was good to talk to her. It'll be fun to see her & Ben this summer. 

     (Today is March 27. I'm writing now in hopes to catch up) Roxanne and I had a good field trip with our wolf pack. We took the boys bowling at Bentonville Bowl, so they could earn their bowling beltloop. They had good time and it as fun cheering for them. Later that night, Roxanne & I had a planning meeting at her house. It was good to finally make and have plans for our group. These are all things I'm grateful for. :)

March 20-

    Clara had pretty school at Lily's. They are learning about the letter X. It's so fun to see Clara's enthusiasm about...everything, pretty much. While Clara was at preschool, Saeng watched Nancy for me so I could go retest for the motorcycle license. I didn't pass. :( The test is SO hard! Ed, the MSF rider coach, said that it as 35% pass rate for those who take it the first time. Well, despite not passing, I did not let that ruin the rest of my day. :)

After E & M were home from school, I went and had a parent teacher conf with Mrs. O'Neal, E's homeroom teacher. I really like her, E does too. Overall, E does really well in school. It's good to talk to teachers and learn more about my children and what they are like at school. E is somewhat of a ringleader. :) Good for her!

March 21- 

    Wow! Friday was a great and busy day! It started off with morning yoga. :) Wendy cut more sock monkeys for me while I was gone. (she came to my house with Tabs) When I got back from yoga, Wendy went for a run. Then, when she got back, she left, and I packed up Tabs, Clara, and Nancy, and we all went to playgroup at the park on Horsebarn road. It was windy, but overall a good day to be out. Plenty of sisters came out to play. :) It was fun! I left the park with C & N and we got home about an hour before E & M get off the bus. Eventually, I had a shower. Curtis and I made plans to go see the new Muppett movie after the girls were all in bed. Jill was hosting an "unfinished projects night" at her place. Mer came with me. We only went for the first hour, b/c after that, Curtis and were going out. Muppets Most Wanted was so completely muppett funny! We liked it!! We were the only ones in the theater too. We went to the Sugar Creek theater b/c it's less $$. It was a good date night. What a happy, busy day.

March 22-

     E had art lessons at Hobby Lobby. After taking her there, Mer & I went to Ashley Stewarts baptism. It was so sweet to see her get baptized. I remember when she was in Senior nursery. Aw! The Stewarts are a great family. I'm glad Jared is still our HT. :)

March 23-

     This is what I get for not reporting my gratitude immediately. There is nothing in my calendar for Sunday. It seems, we went to church. Doris hasn't been attending with us lately bc she's been going to church with her sister in Springdale. I've been helping Emily in nursery this past month. This whole month has been a little off for church attendance. Between church being cancelled bc of snow, stake conf, helping in nursery, etc, its been an off month. But, that doesn't make me any less grateful. I'm still grateful that we can attend church. Our new building is supposed to be ready in a few months. We might start having church at 9, instead of noon. 

March 24-

     First day of Spring Break. It was my turn to get E up & ready for school.  I did go back to bed after she left. Fortunately, M is a decent babysitter so I could sleep in a little. It must've been a decent day. There aren't any extra notes any where about the day. We most likely had FHE.  I'm thankful that E & M are beginning to be more aware of others needs. They are growing up. Slowly but surely. 

March 25-

     Curtis got E ready for school. M had an upset tummy. :(  I can't remember now, I might have left C & N home with M so I could go retest for my motorcycle license. Finally, I passed! I stopped at home to get C & N. M stayed home bc she still felt sick. I went over to the DMV to get the motorcycle  endorsement for my license. I got a new license too. The Ellingsons were there getting their vehicle registered. They gave me a number so I wouldn't have to wait so long. I gave my number to another couple who had been waiting. Miraculously, my wait wasn't that long, and neither was the couple that I gave the number to.  What a blessing!! :) Because of Spring Break, Curtis didn't have his 8 o'clock bishopric meeting. 

March 26-

     Wednesday- no school for E & no scouts for me. M was still recouping from her tummy bug. I got out tissue paper & showed E & M how to make flowers. They liked it so much, they made flowers for our HT to give to their wives. I'm grateful for our wonderful Home Teachers, Bro Jared Stewart & Bro Todd Sanderson. 

March 27- 

     The girls let me sleep in! It's been a while since I've slept in. It seems lately, if I set the alarm, I wake up before it. (Sigh) oh well. The Beehive Mercantile in Springdale was hosting a kids day since it was Spring Break. We went & E & M learned how to do Mormon origami. It seemed like it went well.  We were home in time for the girls to help clean up the house & prep dinner for the missionaries. 

     After dinner Janet & Emily came over so we could practice our musical number for Broadway night. Janet is so much fun! She's so multi-talented too. Hooray for dinner with missionaries & fun with friends!

March 28-

     This great day started with yoga. Since E & M were on Spring Break, I was able to leave C & N with them at home. Attending yoga once a week is SO great! After yoga, I went home to check on the girls. M, C & N came with me to go look at a motorcycle. It was a nice bike. We came home, had lunch, and got ready to go swim at the Jones Ctr.  Overall, I think they had a good time. C wanted to go down the slide. Just as it was our turn to go, the lifeguards blew whistles for everyone to get out. There was a storm OUTSIDE. And we all got out of the pool that was INSIDE. Safety reasons...oh well. Another time we'll go so C can go down the slide.

     We did something a little different for date night. I rented 2 movies from Redbox and we, as a family ate dinner at Freddy's. It's like Steak n'Shake, but they do concretes instead of shakes. It's been about 7 months since I last had a burger from a restaurant. It was good, but I'm sure I can wait another 7 months before I have another. :) It was a good family date night. 

March 29-

    Wow! What a busy day. Curtis was on call. I took E to her art lessons. We were a little late. Curtis told me later that Mr. Stan must've left before we got there. (oops! my mistake for not calling him) I went to Fayetteville to check out a bike. After a short test ride in the Fiesta Square parking lot, and some negotiating, I came home without a bike. Just before 2, I took M to softball practice. After I dropped her off and came home, Sam (the seller of  Honda VLX) texted me later and decided he'd come down on his price. HOORAY!! We bought the bike for $2400. He brought it here. After payment and signing papers, Curtis gave me some time to test drive it around the neighborhood. It is so much FUN!!! :) Curtis made dinner for us and then I took E & M to the General Women's broadcast at church. M was SO miserable. And she works hard to be that way too. :( E did fairly well. I took them home and did a little shopping at the Stupor Center. The goal was to do less shopping on Monday. :) What a great day!

March 30-

    Today I'm grateful that I could get kids off to church. N has the tummy bug that seems to be going around. I am grateful for the beautiful sunshine. Curtis will be home soon so I can attend RS and then bring kids home. :)

     It was 5th Sunday & so the 3rd hour was combined. After church, I brought the girls home. It was such a nice day! After I laid in the hammock for a bit, I went for a ride on my new bike. :) I drove over to Kensington and chatted with Mardee, then rode over to Jackies house. It was fun to visit with both of them. :)  

March 31- 

     Today is Mom Chandlers bday. Today I was able to go to a chiropractic appt & then go grocery shopping. It was a busy, but good day. We drove to Muldrow for moms bday. It was good to see them. Since they sold their business in Bentonville, they've  moved from Alma, to Muldrow. Their home is a nice, cozy place. :)