My first and my exciting post.

What up people? Yah, it's Bella here and we're just as busy as peas in a pod. That's right, we're just HANGING around doing nothing, exept my dad. he's been painting the ceiling and fixing a hole in it. but, on the bright side one of our fish had just had babies! Yah! We now have six small babies floating in a smaller tank or cantaner at the top of our bigger tank. That, and my volley ball team just won for the first time ever, which brings me back to YAH! (by the way, i'm just kiding, we all really are pretty busy.) Well, I guess i'm done. Just always remember, (and this my motto,) look at your life through Heavens eyes.

S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G B-E-E

Yesterday, Isabella won her school spelling bee!

She is still on cloud nine!

This one was for 4th- 8th graders. (She is only in 4th).

She heard about it at school the day they started the practices and just signed herself up and then told me about it later- (So Bella). Although nervous for her, I really thought it would be a good learning opportunity for her, and since she would have to study more spelling words,

(well of course I just hated that)... :) I got on board.

Here is a picture of the 11 participants who started.

Again, grades 4-8.

So for the last couple weeks we have been studying a list they gave us. Some of the harder ones were a bit intimidating for her. Like aggrandizement, latitudinarian and anemone. I think I would miss those myself. So we instead studied all but the very hardest list she had. We talked about if she could make it to a certain point, that would be great and she could set a new goal next year if she wanted.

It seems our slow and steady approach worked because a lot of the kids who

were eliminated said they studied a lot of the harder words and made mistakes

on the "easy ones" they assumed they knew.

The final three went a few rounds together.

Here she is down to the final two. She was SO nervous, you could tell. But she did great!

In the end (26 rounds, an hour and a half, and almost 200 words later...! ) The other girl missed commentary and Bella had to spell one more to win. Her winning word was "significant". All the words Bella spelled were - drum, play, coat, floor, mice, jeans, pair, playground, cartoon, fruit, imagine, terrible, brighten, squeeze, ounce, piano, headache, straightforward, exercise, applause, author, extinct, enormous, calories, chemical and significant. Not bad for a 10 year old!

She said the two hardest for her were imagine and squeeze because she felt like she almost messed up the vowels. Let me just tell you, she did awesome!

Here is everybody at the end.

She won a medal, a certificate, a prize package from Encyclopedia Britannica and the opportunity to represent her school at the state competition!

Gotta just take a minute and tell you about Jonah. He was so great and her biggest fan in the audience! He was so proud of her. Of course my eyes had tears at the end because with every round it's so emotional, but even Jonah teared up a little for her at the end too.

All day, Bella received a ton of calls and texts congratulating her. She felt like queen for a day. Thank you to everybody who contributed to that!
Then we weren't home even 45 minutes from our celebratory lunch and she had a special balloon delivery from our sweet friends the Sobeks. Thank you so much!
It was a great day - and one she will never forget!

Blasts from the Past

So my kids have totally gotten into Tom and Jerry, which is one of the few cartoons I remember as a kid. (The others being Bugs Bunny and the Smurfs). I have not seen these in a good number of years, but I STILL remember some of the episodes! And my kids think they are stinkin hilarious. They laugh and laugh and laugh. It's pretty awesome.

THEN.... this one I'm a bit more embarrassed about, but it is what it is as part of my teenage-hood. Do any of you remember the group L'TRIMM? or "We like the cars, the cars that go BOOM?" Well, that song is on my i-pod and the kids heard it the other day and were like "what-the?" and then started running around saying, "We're Tigra and Bunny and we like the BOOM." I have to admit, it makes me laugh (esp. when Jonah proclaims he's Lady Tigra.)

Oh those awesome 80's/90's songs!

Oldies AND Goodies

One of my absolute favorite things about the church are the people you meet and friendships you make. And not only make, but keep. Tim and I have some of the greatest friends thanks to our many wards (congregations) we have belonged to. Our church determines what building you attend geographically, so when you move, typically you go to a new a building and get to make all new friends. It's pretty cool!

Anyway this group below was formed 15 years ago, as we were all newlyweds and childless.

Since then, we have moved North, South and everywhere in between.

But we are lucky enough to still keep in touch and be

able to get together a couple times a year.

And I love it.

We decided to meet this time for a fun game night! Here is one of our gracious hosts teaching us a new game called "Bang". Anyone else ever played? He was standing so long explaining, I finally just decided to take a picture of him. Ha! It is a cool game though (once you get it :) )

and one we will be adding to our collection!
Here were the last two standing in the game. Shocking, if you know these two at all!
In the end, Tim (Master Renegade) did prevail!

Good games, good food, even better company- Right up our alley!

Even the kids got in on it and all had a ball (11 total between us old married people now)

Looking forward to the next one already!

The Spy Next Door

Loved it - Great family movie!

Stair sliding

Last night while doing dishes, I hear Jonah yell, "You are a GENIUS Bella, that is the BEST idea you've ever had." I must admit, I got a little nervous as I had no idea what to expect and they have come up with some doozies in the past. Have to say though, loved this one. So I present to you my genius daughter's idea. Isn't it great to be a kid?

Happy days are here again.

Friday night, for no good reason, our computer just up and died. After suffering withdrawal symptoms for a full 21 hours, I was quite happy to go to work Saturday afternoon. I never realized how much I use my computer! So today, after a bit of shopping and price comparing, we are up and running again with a lovely new computer. I am in heaven. It runs so fast and nice. It is fabulous! And I have learned something about myself. With the exception of warm, running water (maybe) and heat (possibly) I would rather be without any other modern luxury in my house besides my computer. :)