The Backpack

I went to pick the girls up from the bus stop yesterday and I see Leah lugging off this big brown backpack. "What in the world?" I'm thinking. So she drags it over to the van, gets in and I ask her whose bag that is and why does she have it?

"Mr. Martinez (her teacher at school) said our family could have it. It's full of food!"

I feel the heat come to my face. "Leah Noelle, what did you say to him that made him give you this back pack?"

She looks at me knowing full well that she is in big trouble. "Well, you didn't give us snack after school yesterday and I told Mr. Martinez and asked him if he had any food."

ARE YOU KIDDING ME????? Of course I rush home, look all over the house for his phone number, call him up and explain to him that there is in fact PLENTY of food in the Fine household and thank you anyways, but we really don't need this bag full of non-perishable food items and it should go to another family who needs it. Of course he doesn't believe me and insists that we keep the food.

Leah was happy as could be that we had a backpack full of snacks. I made chocolate chip cookies for after-school-snack today. I will never let this girl miss another snack again!

A neighborly surprise

So my neighbor called this morning and told me to meet her at the fence (she's a 70-something-year-old lady who lives next door). Well, I go to the fence and she comes out of her house with her hands behind her back and a funny look on her face. "Don't get mad," she says, "but Roman brought me a present yesterday." She then brings her hand forward and opens it up revealing five of my tampons! All I can do is stare at them and laugh as I feel my face turning red. She goes on, "He had them in his pocket and came over yesterday telling me had a surprise for me. He pulled them out one by one and told me they were for me. Don't be mad at him. He doesn't know what they are." I laughed and laughed which she seemed to think was a strange reaction. But at that point, what else could I do? Oh boy oh boy oh boy....I just LOVE my son!

Lucky...Hunter...Felix...BANDIT!

Jimmy brought home a surprise last night for Melody. Meet Bandit, the new family addition. He's gone through several names, but it seems like Bandit has stuck. He's a cutie but I can't wait until it's warmer outside so he doesn't have to stay in the house anymore. You know me...it's a hair thing.

Spa Day!

I've been promising the girls a 'spa day' for several weeks and finally made good on it today. They invited a cousin and friend over so there was five in all. We created four stations...a warm foot jacuzzi followed by a massage by Mom, a hand bath and fingernail painting, cucumbers and a facial mask, then fruit smoothies. The girls had a good time gIgGlInG and feeling pampered. They didn't quite get the hand of the 'relax and be quiet' part, but I loved watching them interact with eachother. My only question when it was all over...When is it Mom's turn?

Mother-Daughter Christmas Baking

All the sisters got together with their girls on Saturday for a Mother-Daughter Christmas goodie-making day. We had such a good time laughing, joking, visiting, working, singing. We hope to make it a new annual tradition.

The girls had fun assembling their Rudolph cookies, dipping Oreos and pretzels in chocolate, making popcorn balls, Magic cookie bars, Cheese balls, and chips and salsa.

Heidee and Mykaela

Mandee and Isabella

Trish and Hali, Melody, and Leah (Teagan stayed home with Jimmy)

Aunt Leslie and her nieces (no girls for her...just three boys!)

Papa and his girls! He snuck by to steal a fresh popcorn ball.

Some pics of our goodies!

Warmth...

I caught Leah sitting in front of the fire this afternoon with the new Book of Mormon her primary teacher gave her for Christmas. It was one of those moments in time you wish you could capture forever and I'm glad I was able to. It warmed my heart to see her sitting so innocently, seeking comfort and warmth in front of the fire. Hopefully she'll grow up and come to really understand that the greatest comfort and warmth she'll ever find will come from the book she held in her hands.

"Having children is a lot of work.
And we have to not be afraid of that, because it's that very element of working hard and being willing to do whatever it takes that makes us who we are. It's the sacrifice that makes us who we are. I want to bear my testimony of the joy that comes from having families, from having children, because there's not only the commandment of the Lord to do it, but there are great promised blessings."

Cheryl C. Lant, General Primary
President

An aFOURdable Good Time

.Roman turned four on Saturday! We had all the cousins come over for games, pizza, and goodies. It's fun to watch them all interact with eachother. I think everyone had a good time winning prizes, playing 'dog catcher' and hanging out together. This is the gang...