Chronicles of Schofield

Saturday, December 31, 2011

after returning home from the salon and before running off on a hot date with my honey, the kids sang happy birthday to me with the delish chocolate cake my sweet sister rachel and dear daughter addy made.

i don't feel a day over 72!!

birthday with my bro

jairus got a sudden opening at the salon

on the afternoon of my birthday

what luck!!

so i ski-daddled myself on over to jackson

where he treated me like the queen of sheba

complete with fab hair session,

music and yummy candles burning,

teton thai and diet coke for lunch,

and gorgeous flowers by genius ian.

dang i'm spoiled.

i love ya jair,

you're the best!!

my faves

these are just a couple of my favorite pictures captured on christmas day.

***

i love this one because one, my house is clean, and two, because i can soooo remember that feeling of getting the green light from my parents on christmas morning that we could go see what santa left us... and it's so fun to watch that magic unfold in our own children.

i love this one because oliver is just finding his pile of loot and tade is still looking for his...

bingo!

this is a typical scene of my family...

all chilling on the floor,

perusing ipads, talking, cuddling,

i especially love how hailey is being so gentle towards grandpa:)

God bless us every one. tender.

watch out...

christmas eve got a little crazy

with the pj's up in this thang.

***

me... so excited and exhausted and nauseous after delivering turkeys in the vanderville rv with thirty other people, and excited for santa to come, and excited to get this show on the road.

charlie... not quite sure why his mom is bouncing off the walls.

landon... mid-smile.

tade... consumed by a sucker, don't even think about asking him to put it down.

oliver... sullen and looking like he's thoughtfully plotting a rebellion.

addy... super excited about her high-water cupcake pj pants.

chris... trying to act cool with his hand in his pocket like he didn't just set up the camera and run back over before it took the picture.

***

the season to give

as if all the gifts thoughtfully picked out

and showered on the kids wasn't enough,

nana and pa had one more special thing planned.

each child was given a budget of $50,

and with this generous amount

they were able to pick out items at the store

to give to the food bank for those in need.

addy, landon, oliver, and cousin gabi

armed with shopping carts,

lists of needed food items,

and calculators,

went up and down every aisle

scooping up and adding up food,

all beaming with the gesture of charity.

the kids had so much fun!

this was the perfect activity to get them in the spirit of giving.

we will remember this for a long time.

thanks pa & nana!!

party people

we snuck in a super quick trip to utah to celebrate christmas with chris' family. i think we were there a total of 24 hours, but we sure made every minute count. we had a delicious dinner at shelly and nates beautiful house which we didn't contribute to, but sure enjoyed;) after sharing gifts, the kids did a candybar exchange... they couldn't have been more delighted. following a restful night spent at nana and pa's house, we enjoyed a relaxing day of kicking back and some special service to get in the spirit of giving. every time i get together with these amazing people, i realize how much i miss them and love them. this past year has made me hold close moments like this and really take it all in. it's hard not to get overly sentimental, but looking at our loved ones faces and thinking of what genuinely fantastic people they are brings me so much joy!

sara . jeanne . shelly . leslie

nate . conrad . chris . jon

my baby

BBall

Ollie played Basketball with his buddies and really improved on his "baller skillz."

When I looked at these pictures I kind of freaked out because he looked so tall and grown up. Oliver has always been ahead of his time, but for some reason I've really noticed him turning into a young man lately. This next year will be a special one for him since he's turning eight. I think eight year olds are the tops... still young enough to cuddle, but old enough to read chapter books and do their own hair:)

Thursday, December 15, 2011

mindy gledhill concert

i've had this mother daughter surprise planned for weeks
and could hardly keep it in.
as soon as addy got home from school today
i told her i needed her to help me finish christmas shopping.
she protested.
then i said, "actually, i'm kidnapping you."
she protested.
then i said, "you don't say no, when someone's trying to kidnap you."
then we both laughed
because that just sounds ridiculous.
finally she relunctantly got in the car and we were off.
first we went to dinner and got way too full on pasta and breadsticks.
then we hit the freeway.
i handed her a special stocking and inside to her surprise
was a candy bar, and tickets to the mindy gledhill "winter moon" concert.
she died.
we had such an amazing time together.
i don't know what came over me while mindy sang...
maybe it was the beautiful strings of the teton chamber orchestra,
maybe it was the lights and snowflakes hung above our heads,
maybe it was the sweet fluffy red dress and her flawless heartfelt voice,
or maybe it was my own angel sitting next to me holding my hand.
i was a cry baby through the whole concert.
the last song i took that moment with my daughter and gently tucked it in my
"freeze this magic forever" file.
it was such a special night that we will both treasure.
i love my addy,
and i love surprise mother daughter dates.

box dinner

the kids had a neat activity tuesday night.

the boys were told to bring a boxed dinner

of their choosing

and share it with the girls.

they were judged on their meals

and etiquette.

guess who got a prize for being a gentleman?

that's right,

my boy.

...and he made every one of these sandwiches,

AND he washed his hands first.

Monday, December 12, 2011

buds

tucker

i can't help myself from quoting the bachelor...

but tucker,

"guards and protects my heart."

free grub

what do you do when there's no food in the house?

you let them eat snow.

Donut Date

Landons Egypt presentation

EGYPT

A few years ago Chris and I were lucky enough to travel to Africa for a week (which I still need post about), and on our way home we stayed in Egypt for a night and spent a day visiting the museum and taking in some of the famous landmarks... we also ate some amazing egyptian food. Since then, Addy and Landon have both done reports on Egypt in school, and our trip has benefitted our family more than we thought it ever would. I love to travel, in fact I ache to travel. I learn so much when I submerse myself in a new culture, and it reminds me of how many diverse lifestyles there are out there. If I could, I would take my children all over the world to share these experiences with them so we could all learn and grow together... someday I hope we'll be able to do things like that. Landon did a great job of describing the food and culture, and I like the added touch of my scarf as a turban on his head:)

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Winter Dance Recital

Friday December 9th

Infinity Dance Studio Winter Recital

Addy- Technologic

Oliver- Hard Knock Life

***

You kiddos did awesome!!

I love our dance studio... the teachers are top notch, they set a high standard and bring a great spirit to every performance. The costumes are very modest (as modest as dance costumes can be) and the dance moves are not hoochie-like and suggestive. I always come away feeling uplifted and really feel the joy in the dancing... in fact many times I'm brought to tears because of the beauty in the movement. It is such a neat thing to watch your children blossom and grow when they dedicate themselves to something. They know they have to eventually perform in front of hundreds of people so they try their hardest and overcome insecurities, which I think only helps them become strong confident people... I'm so proud of them!