Childhood Chalk

Spring, Spring, Please Come! (I took these pictures off the driveway before a round of rain, firece wind and dust storm, and snow that fell yesterday afternoon and today).

Monster Concert

Orchestra Festival Monster Concert:

Sixth graders played Theme From Sonata in G Major and Blue Jeans Blues. Mom and Dad are so proud!

Crafty Children

I regret writing that my Valentines intentions were better than my follow through. With two printers and a computer on the fritz--I never finished the gift jar that I wrote about for Joe. (Still carry guilt around for that one.) He did read about it on the blog and I think he understands because Valentines turned out to be a "cope through this nauseating illness starting with me and going through the family the following week." Rebekah, made the above jar (for no special occasion or reason) and presented it to Joe at the computer calling it "The Parent's Reward Jar." Inside are hand written notes on small pieces of paper, like:

• 1 breakfast in bed
• Free babysit
• 1 car wash
• Kids make lunch
• Your choice
• Kids make breakfast
• Clean 1 room
• vacuum 1 room
• 1 backrub
• kids make dinner

These little notes are written in red Sharpie on pink, blue, and green scraps of paper. How sweet and fun! (I'll have to remember to follow through and use them). Just wanted to jot down some memories quick each day. I went into Hannah' s room and the bag (pictured above) was hanging from her bedstead. "Hannah, where did this come from?" "Oh, I made it from one of Aunt Lavon Alises' old jackets last Saturday night, when I was bored." There you have it. I think it is quite clever. Of course, cleaning up after crafts is not their strong suit. Mom and Rebekah cleaned out her bed (under that lumpy comforter) and took care of scissors, paper, scraps of felt, ribbons, and misc. craft bits and bobs (books, stuffed animals, and an apple) that have been "sleeping" in there with her for quite awhile last week end.

Family Fun Night

This morning I am very grateful for the blessings in my life. Last night, I took Hannah shopping to get black dress pants for a multi-school cello concert tonight. Rebekah called my cell and asked if she could trade me Family Home Evening assignments and give the lesson. I gratefully accepted as shopping went longer than expected. When we came home, Rebekah and Jonathan led us out to the backyard where they had a surprise Easter Egg hunt hidden. There were eighteen eggs hidden. Each person could collect three. Inside six of the eggs were messages about Christ's final week and Easter. The idea was to find them, open them , and put them in order, and read them aloud (in her words).

1. The Last Supper
2. Servant Betrays Jesus
3. Jesus is Crucified
4. Jesus is Buried
5. Angel Scares Guards Away
6. Jesus is Resurrected

Then we read The Easter Story, Hannah shared a verse from The Book of Mormon where the people in America go and feel Christ's wounds and we sang, "He is Risen" in closing. Orange Creamcicles made the night especially sweet as we spoke of why we celebrate Easter.

A Celebrated Sabbath

This morning, Joe and the children let me sleep in. (I have been up late nights and early mornings with Susie who has been sick and getting worse). At breakfast, Susie and I ate while the rest of the children informed me that they were fasting. Even little Jonathan (6 years old) decided to go without food for two meals and pray for me and the baby. Rebekah, Hannah, and I spoke about the blessings gained spiritually through sacrifice and the difference between starving (going without food) and fasting (praying and involving the Lord) for spiritual growth. Hannah mentioned she too was "fasting for the baby." In the afternoon, Joe and the children headed off to church. After church, we held our family fast and testimony meeting. Rebekah had a question at the end of her testimony, "When a prophet dies, are they still a prophet?" In wiggly Jonathan's testimony he said, "I know my mother loves me. I know sister Rebekah loves me. I know Jesus loves me." My testimony was a rather emotional one as I was so grateful to be a mother (and temporary caregiver) to such wonderful children. Also, to be married to an incredible man and experience joy and happiness in this life, we are indeed blessed. Joe gave me a priesthood blessing that all would go well in labor and with the baby coming. At Clayton Family dinner, Matt and Melissa did a great job celebrating little Sam's third birthday at the Arapahoe House today. They had streamers and balloons hung up, a Pin the Tail on the Cat Game, Hide and Seek the Musical Cat Game, and a Fishing Pond (with airplane, parachute guys, punching balloons, and fancy small notebooks as prizes), and Cat Cake.

Jonathan "pins the tail." Grandpa and his ladies: Sonya, Cora, and Susannah

Dad and Mom Clayton gave Easter Boxes away to each family. Inside the envelope was a printed poem by (deceased) Uncle Keith Clayton, Jr. about the Savior, entitled, "Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani (My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?)" bound for each couple and a folded up version labeled for each grandchild. Inside the box was Easter surprises: paint smocks (from the Medical School going out of business), an egg paint spinner, Easter cookie cutters, Paas Egg Dye Kits, and baking kit for family fun this weekend. With the Campbell family, we celebrated Dad Campbell's eighty-second birthday with a special prime rib dinner. (the meat was a special gift from Sydne and Michael). We feasted on mashed potatoes and gravy, steamed asparagus, glazed carrots, wheat and white rolls, salad: Green, Summer Pasta, Pistachio and fruited Jello. Anne made a Citrus Sponge Cake (per request). The combined present was a Nook reading system which will allow Dad Campbell to download hundreds of books and read (in the car or at home) to his hearts content!

Bath and Leland Howard

Susie, Julie and Joe

Syd, Anne, Mick, and Lee, and Pop Pop

Lavon Alise and Dad

A Good Life!

Nesting With Joe

With all that has been happening around here (wood floors replaced or refinished, contractor's bids to solve our drainage problems by raising our roof line, others contracting for dry wall repairs and painting, as well as, running after three school children and their activities and tests and a preschooler), preparing for baby has been pushed to the back of the agenda. Realizing that Labor Day (literally) will be approaching fast, I enlisted Joe into all that might be done to prepare for another Campbell child. Rebekah was up with her Activity Days Girls touring Temple Square and to lunch. Joe was great to work with. He stripped old (and it turns out in one spot--moldy) carpet from the flooded basement. Joe got new tires for his damaged but newly repaired car (costly--wheel rims are bent and so it must go back to Adams G3 for more repair) and took Jonathan for some "boy time." Took down bunk bed in Susie and Jonathan's bed (mattresses on the floor mean ease bed making and more comfort for "learning to sleep all by myself" little ladies.) Going for a walk and pushing Susie in the bike stroller in the sunshine after a weekend of cold, cloudy, snowy weather). Making a grocery run for casserole supplies. Vacuuming the upstairs and (revacuuming the girls room with cat indoor cats). I did laundry and more laundry and sorting (give away, donate, etc.). Swept the laundry floor (where there is a crusty layer of water hardened detergent). I helped girls sort and clean their room, start laundry in the garage machines, piano practice, and taking down the last remaining snow things from Winter and putting up minimal Easter decor. Vacuuming the downstairs... Joe decided that instead of having a family movie night, we would get a jump start on freezing and baking for the baby. We ended up cooking with Hannah, 10 casseroles:

1. Chicken Alfredo
2. Chicken Alfredo
3. Spaghetti with Meatballs
4. Spaghetti with Cheese
5. Chicken with Broccoli
6. Chicken with Broccoli
7. Russian Chicken
8. Russian Chicken
9. Tater Tot Casserole
10. Tater Tot Casserole

Also, we finished a Summer Pasta Salad and Pistachio Salad for Family dinners today. At 5:00 we go to Clayton's for Sam's third birthday and at 6:00 we go to Eggertsen's to celebrate Dad Campbell's Eighty-second birthday--whew! The only hitch came with a charlie horse cramp that set in my left instep. It turns out that ignoring it, lead to three hours of cramping and so I was up reading and trying to alleviate it when all others were fast asleep. It was great to "nest" with Joseph!

A Sad Day

Tonight we got a call from Aunt Beth. She has been watching our little guinea pigs while we are having some wood flooring done and refinished. One of the little ones passed away tonight. It made for a very tearful Family Home Evening. There was a somber mood, except for Susie who chatted endlessly on about "the binney bigs." "Let's learn about the binney bigs. One was sick and the other was running all around looking for food. Then he ate a doughnut and cheese! Just like the binney big in Wonder Pets...Wonder Pets, Wonder Pets, We're on our way...(continue theme song). Jonathan's curious little pig named Bandit appears to be the one who succumbed. We sang "Be Still My Soul" and Joe and the children have a burial in the rainy backyard planned for tonight after getting him from Beth's home. We will miss you little Bandito!

A Happy St. Patrick's Day

Yesterday, Jonathan worked with Bekah converting a #10 can into a "Leprechaun Trap." This trap looked like a green bowler hat with a small tin foil ramp and on top of the hat was a small "pot of gold" (tinfoil nest of small silver nuggets). The "trap" part was the top covered with paper and tape was supposed to fall in and catch the leprechaun so he would be forced to leave some of his gold. Hannah got into the action before bed and scrap-booked a sheet she left next to the trap on green paper that said, "We would love some of your treasure! --The Campbell Children." The leprechaun left them some coins ($1.43 each) and a note, "Ach-ye wee bairns...divvy it up fairly or a curse be on ye...An' don't forget wee Suzie with her curls..." and his signature shamrock mark. I teach LLL tonight and plan on bringing a green veggie tray (sugar snap peas, celery, cucumbers, etc.) and dip. I have made light green pistachio salad and we will have green sauced enchiladas with roman lettuce and green beans for dinner. Rebekah made darling shamrock sugar cookies with green frosting and green sugar topping yesterday for dinner and lunches today. Luck of the Irish be with ye!

Weekend News

We are in preparing for baby mode--getting an area set up for baby dresser, mobile, bassinet, etc. I got my hair cut short (ten inches in one fell cut). After reading about good donation places, I will forgo Locks of Love and choose Pantene who makes 2,000 wigs a year to give free to woman with cancer. Snow fell on Saturday and Joe and the children went and built a snowman and a snowcat (compliments of Rebekah, who was missing Huckleberry--our male "wandering" cat). Sunday morning the snowman was bending backwards, hatless and looked like a victim of the book by the Beuhlers, What Snowmen Do at Night. Got up early and remembered daylight savings and dismissed it (thinking it changed Sunday at midnight, duh!?) The Stake Presidency's office called. Joe and I were late for an interview. Joe is being released from Elder's Quorum secretary and being made the First Counselor. Church cat. Hannah gave a talk on Prophets Testifying of Christ and Bekah gave the scripture (Luke 1:70), memorized, and the prayer in Senior Primary. Joe and I could hear something making noise outside. "Is that a cat?" Joe asked me. "I think so." Huckleberry climber in the Nursery room window and cozied up to all the little ones. Before Sacrament Meeting, Hannah ran him home. Naughty kitty had stayed away for nine days and caused poor Rebekah a lot of tears and worries. Time to take down the "Lost" posters around the neighborhood. Who knew cats wandered so much? Joe and I bought a much needed new color printer and computer...mine has been in the process of dying for a couple of years. My brother Dave graciously agreed to help transfer data from the old to the new computer and so I can write but not upload photos this week. Hope all goes well for blogging friends and family.

Blessings?!

Yesterday, our nice wood flooring man, Kyle, talked to me about other options for the expensive, ready to give up, home repairs after the second contractor called and said he didn't feel he could help us with our drainage problems and Spa House remodel. We received items we had ordered online: a baby car-seat, bassinet (folding travel bed with a top), and stroller to replace some of the items that were thrown out when the sewers backed up into our storage area in the Spa House. Time seems so precious lately. At 35 weeks and still so far from being ready for this baby. (A big baby, it seems. Our biggest yet. She may top Rebekah's 7/13). Children enjoyed biking and playing outdoors in the sunny but cool springtime-is-coming weather. At dusk, Susie and I headed to Cosco. I have put off prescriptions and groceries for so long we were Mother Hubbard. While almost to the checkout I get a phone call from Joe. "Julie, I'm so glad you answered your phone! I need a ride. I have just been in an accident and my car is being towed." My first response was to ask if he was joking. "Of course not!" was his reply. He was traveling home on 8th North and was driving through an intersection when a man on a revoked license ran the red and smashed into him. The other man was going so fast that his car spun and landed out of the intersection on the opposite side. (Joe was in the middle lane and a big truck on his left obscured his vision). The man was traveling in a car owned by his wife or girlfriends parents, with no license. They had a two year old girl in the back seat. Both cars were towed. Joe was reflecting how it was too bad he bought a new car in December and was not driving his 1997 Honda. I did okay until he told me what the woman in the car said...something to the effect of "tell you wife... we are grateful her husband didn't die!" Joe and I laughed this morning when we were reading a "what to expect in the 35 week of pregnancy" and it was talking about a mom-to-be's wildly changing emotions.

Lemon Asparagus Chicken Recipe

Lemon Chicken with Asparagus (Recipe from Lisa Ashton)

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, defatted

1 cup chicken broth (low sodium)

2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel

4 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons sugar

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons cooking oil

10-ounces asparagus (if frozen, thaw) cut into bite-size pieces

1 small red pepper, cut into squares

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Cut into bite-sized pieces.

In a small bowl, stir together broth, lemon peel, lemon juice, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and black pepper. Set aside.

Preheat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the oil. Stir-fry asparagus and bell pepper in the hot oil for 1 minute. Remove vegetables. Add remaining oil, and chicken. Stir-fry for 3 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and no longer pink.

Stir lemon mixture; add to the center of the wok or skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, about 3 minutes. Cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Return vegetables to the pan, and stir until coated with sauce.

Joe prefers this with double the vegetables and sauce (same amount of chicken). This is a family favorite and the children (minus Susie)

Tea Party Cousins

This morning we had several cousins join us to play. Aunt Lisa wasn't feeling well and so Cami and Andrew joined Lolly who had brought a picnic to share with Susie. They danced to the Princess piano music and sat and ate very civily together muffin slices, cream cheese bagel bites, and chicken Dinosaur Bites. "Tea" was water. After, they watched an animated Disney movie called Enchanted Princess Tales. (Andrew was outvoted. He wanted the Go, Diego, Go movie).

Elmo and Bids

I left Susie watching Elmo and Potty TIme while I met with one house inspecter/contractor, two wood flooring men, and a plumber. I came back later and Susie's pull-up was full. I raised my voice and said, "now we are going to put a diaper on! Didn't Elmo talk about going to the potty?!" She stood her ground and said in a raised voice, "Don't get mad Mom--your ruining me!" Sorry, Susie.

Flattered

Should I feel flattered that the Roto- Rooter Guy (Mark) gave us a frequency discount? Instead of $120 to clean out a backed up main in the laundry room--it was $90. He has been here three separate times in a month. I asked him if he felt like family yet!?

Behind on many posts and photos

It has been one of those kind of Sundays... I will be posting much of our happenings soon. I tried to post pictures and could not figure out why it just showed me words for days (no photos). Joe pointed out in about two seconds that it was because I was in Edit HTML mode and not in compose mode. Duh! Guess who is tired these days! Stayed tuned for more of our happenings. Hope you and yours are well.

Another one of those Sundays

Ahh, another Fast Sunday. I get up early and relish the sunshine and all the possibilities of a new day: a morning walk, journaling, blogging, thanks yous, lesson reading perhaps? No worry about Sunday outfits because Joe and I bought Easter outfits last night and will put children in them to wear a couple of times before Easter. Here's how the day really went, in short form: Girl screams when put on the potty, put back to bed. Second daughter crys about "lost cat." Joe leaves to Elder's Quorum meeting. Mom descales Hannah's hair (psoriasis). Second daughter burns third daughter's nose with fry pan when making eggs. Mom discovers burn when investigating burned egg smell. Bribes to daughter to keep ice cube on her nose. Son asks about baby and feels hiccuping and learns about the head down "little swimmer." We read about the Stripling warriors and their mothers in the Friend magazine. Joe writes out fast offering check and wood flooring deposit checks and leaves them on the refrigerator for the young men. Daughter yells up stairs, "Dad, I gave the boys the checks!" Joe chases young men up street to retrieve deposit check for the wood floor. Hannah frustrated by ear pressure, can't get ready for church. We go on walk, around the block to drop off promised Potty Training info to neighbor. At home, mad dash to dress for church. No nylons, tights, or socks (naturally). Goffy childrens pictures before new clothes are damaged. Late (*sigh*) to church!

A Chocolate Surprise

Joe and I went out tonight to try and replace (or view) baby furniture that was taken by the clean up crew after our storage area was flooded by sewage water. Imagine our surprise when we came home to find a bag of Ghiradelli chocolates and card from Beth (and Mike) awaiting us! Thank you, Beth!

Pirate Island

Argh! Baby Cora is initiated young into the willy life!

Such fun! Can you believe it!? Ahoy there-Matey!

Sam, before the pizza.

(These kids won 600 tickets. It is hard to see the rolls from this angle).

We got a call from Matt and Melissa tonight inviting us to Pirate Island for dinner and activities. This worked out well because Hannah was attending a dinner sleepover party of a close friend and helped the other children feel they got something fun to do as well. Thanks for the invite--Matt and Melissa. This was our first experience with Pirate Island. We were delightfully surprised at it's cleanliness, decor, entertainment factor, and delicious pizza. We ordered a special deal called the Kracken. It came with a two foot wide pizza (1/2 pepperoni, 1/2 Hawaaian), 2 jugs of Rootbeer, water, cups with lide for the children, 10 bread sticks with marinara and Alfredo dipping sauce, and 50 game tokens. The cost was around $55 which we split. The pizza was so much that we ended up dividing it between the two families and taking a large box home which served as lunch the next day. We tried to encourage the children to eat pizza first. This was difficult because of the thunderstorms and pirates voices, and overall excitement of the little ones.

Medieval Feast

Hannah designed her own costume to wear to the Medieval Feast at school today. (Isn't she clever with a glue gun?) She played the Gussli (a Russian version of the audo harp--God Rest Ye Marry Gentleman) for her talent. The children ate chicken and got to throw the bones to the floor, butter sugar cookies, crackers, cheese, and jam, juice, and other cooked dishes. This concluded their unit on the Middle Ages where they have read books like Catherine Called Birdy, The Midwife's Apprentice, learned about Knights and chivalry, the Feudal system, designed their own 3D castles, sewed pin cushions, designed a family crest and coat of arms, described and drew weaponry, etc.