Life as Usual

This month has been life at full speed, breaks off, plummeting down the ever thrilling track of life! Kristine's roller hockey coach this season has been excellent and she has enjoyed it more than ever.

Isabella and Ramsey both keep getting taller - and more active (amazing)! They both love to play and enjoy school... and each other.

Kristine got to join Rainbow this month, with another young lady. She was so excited for her initiation, and Mom and Rebekah were both there. It was a great experience for her and she's excited to be involved.

And Mom's at the gym everyday! -Not much has changed there ;)

We work hard and we play hard. It is what makes life so joyful for us... and the fact that we have each other! I am teaching both classes at De Anza still as well as Spanish at the private school... and engaged in life. It's brilliant. Who knew that so much joy was so easily sustained? This journey has been miraculously beautiful and to God, I express my deepest gratitude.

For we are truly blessed...

...and in the same day!

After Kristine's field trip, I went straight over to the Country School and took my Spanish students on their field trip!

Kristine's Field Trip

I got to go with Kristine's class on a field trip to the city's main police station which is joined to juvenile hall. It was informative and fun - especially when the kids got to play in the parked police cars!

WICKED

Wickedly genius... the three of us in the brisk night air, heels clicking on pavement and dodging cars so we could grab that last Starbucks before curtain call. What a magically energized evening we had in San Francisco. The show was breath taking and powerful - and the girls got to have their programs signed by three of the cast members, including Teal Wick who played the lead of Elphaba. It was perfect.

(Girls and Nessa)

(Girls and the Wizard)

(Girls and Elphaba!)

(Wicked, wicked woman! ;)

Here's the thing about Elphaba: I identify with her... from the first time a listened to the rhythms of the sound track and took the words to Defying Gravity deep into my soul.

It spoke to my heart and as I was able to piece together her story I found more of myself there - and now more of my own children. Humanity. Those disappointments, those losses that nothing makes up for but we endure anyway - those deep sorrows or regrets or betrayals that seem insurmountable but we navigate the peak and enter the valley anyway... The great majesty of the human spirit - the will to survive when ceasing might be easier. And I love that.

I love knowing how to Live. I love the power to choose Joy. I love Faith over fear.

And I found this in Elphaba. Her character in the musical is so stridently her own person and yet as we all are, so profoundly in need of being loved and understood and accepted without reservation... the power is knowing that if she never has these things, she will still be. She will be Herself. Nothing changes that, nothing diminishes her strength and need for freedom - nothing will 'pull her down.' It is in the character, Elphaba that I see my own ability to do more than just survive, but to 'fly.' Indeed in some miraculous twist of fate, the experience of something painful leads to that which will allow Elphaba to achieve her potential - a potential without limits.

This speaks to me.

Of all the beautifully crafted songs, Defying Gravity is my favorite and in that one composition, the line that strikes my heart most deeply is:

And if I'm flying solo,

At least I'm flying free.

To those who'd ground me,

Take a message back from me:

Tell them how I am

Defying gravity!

And an important side note regarding Elphaba: in a happenstance sort of way, she is rewarded by the one thing she does crave, would dare to hope for if she could - but cannot afford to wish for - love.

Brilliant.

Excited to see WICKED on Friday

Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules
Of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes: and leap! ...

I'm through accepting limits'
Cuz someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I'll never know!
Too long I've been afraid of
Losing love I guess I've lost
Well, if that's love
It comes at much too high a cost!
I'd sooner buy
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I'm defying gravity
And you can't pull me down ...

And if I'm flying solo
At least I'm flying free
To those who'd ground me
Take a message back from me
Tell them how I am
Defying gravity
I'm flying high
Defying gravity
And soon I'll match them in renown
And nobody in all of Oz
No Wizard that there is or was
Is ever gonna bring me down!

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! We had a lovely time - the children spent time with friends, went on a lunch date with their ever-so-ready-to-be-festive mother and ate lots of fabulous chocolate. They enjoyed their gifts and dressed up for the occasion. As always, we were blessed with lots of laughter and joy.

And Mom had a lovely Valentine's Day too...

Dancing in the Driveway

This was just last week... once again dancing in the driveway, car doors left agape, music pulsating through the speaker system, laughter and mirth filling our lives. We live. We do life. What exuberant joy comes from this.

A gift from Arianna... a song that I love

No teacher to follow, no prophet to tell me how,
But I know what I want, I know what I want now.
Like water, it rushes,
it's the last thing you see when you close your eyes,
it's the one place you want to be.
But if it doesn't brush my shoulder,
and it doesn't beat my heart,
that's not what I want,
that's not where I will start.
I never kissed somebody so that they would break my heart,
that's not what I want.
If you don't know what you're missing
cause you don't know where to start,
follow your wishing heart.
I was restless, I was restless, I was restless, I was restless
I just want this to be good, I just want this to be good
But you don't understand,
You don't understand me,
and I want to be understood.
But if it doesn't brush my shoulder,
And it doesn't beat my heart,
That's not what I want - no, that's not where I will start.
I never kissed somebody so that they would break my heart,
That's not what I want.
If we all leap before we crawl, we might fall,
And it's not always candy spun from head to heart,
And it's not always meant to be,
And it's not always up to me.
But if it doesn't brush my shoulders, and it doesn't beat my heart.
That's not what I want, that's not where I will start.
I never kissed somebody so that they would break my heart,
That's not what I want.
If you don't know what you're missing,
'Cause you don't know where to start,
You don't know what you're missing
Follow your wishing heart.

-Lisa Loeb

Friends and Family

We ended January and kicked off February with Kristine's friends having a girl party at our house... hmmm sound familiar? LOL Story of my life ;) And going to a quaint little play with Ramsey's preschool.

And of course Beth's bachelorette party (part 2) took me into San Francisco for another 'dance' class... The shoes say it all ;)

January

So we made it home and hit the ground running... but would anyone expect anything less??? I started teaching both history classes at the college and the Spanish class at the private school. Plus I wrapped up another graduate course I was working on and handled some business with my clients (for LifeStyle). The kids still all had their activities and of course we contend with church and obligatory family events. And well, I like to play... so play we must. In all it made January a good-kind-of-crazy, always-busy-with four-kids, maybe-a-little-stressful and every-and always-joyous four weeks.

Me getting ready for Kristine's party...

Aunt Nell came too!

Jen, Mom, Dad & Isabella

Kenneth, Shirley & Assyia

We did do Kristine's family party once we got home! And everyone came... Happy Birthday Love.

Week After

The week after Christmas, the children piled into the car and we drove all the way to Utah - long drive and in three snow storms... and over a pass they were trying to close. But, alas we made it and got to see our most cherished friends.

In truth it was a painful week... by far the most difficult we have had in the last year or so. But we made it through and we were well loved by friends. -A testament once again to the amazing generosity of Our Heavenly Father.


While there we did have Kristine's birthday celebration; we went to the Indian Oven (of course!), Starbucks and shopping at the mall... Kristine wasn't quite 100% yet but she hung in there and enjoyed her time with her friends.

As the girl's were still recovering from food poisoning and the little ones were with their Dad, we celebrated New Year's with the Robison's - but the girls took it easy. I went to an amazing Aggies games and then came back and we all did fireworks (and enjoyed great friends and food). It was lovely.

We also got to see the Muggelston's and the new baby while up in Utah! We have missed our friends.

These photos are with the Forget's.

And when it was time to return home, it was Wayne who came to our rescue! Grandpa Nysetvold drove all through the night with me so that I wasn't alone on the road again... He is the best!

Christmas

AHHHHHH!!!!! HE CAME - HE CAME. Santa came!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And boy did he bring a lot of presents. Christmas morning was complete with jubilation, laughter and merrymaking - all of the best gifts at Christmas. And of course we had to read from the scriptures (the story of the birth of Our Savior), then do the Advent Wreath and have a scrumptious breakfast (Mom's homemade turnovers). THEN and only then did we get to open presents.

And the wee ones got new Razors. Watch out - here they come.

Santa brought the Mom, Rebekah and Kristine tickets to Wicked!!!! Yeah!!!!!!

We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Grandma's house and opened more presents! This was getting a bit out of hand!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Then we ran home and laid out food and drinks to welcome the family! Another party at our house!!! How we are filled with joy and gratitude to be home and share this wonderful season with our loved ones... (And the kids of course liked the Laser Tag part!)