"Oh mom, you're the best"

I feel beyond blessed to be a stay at home mom...today I picked Jacs up from Kindergarten and she's telling me about her day, in a rambling sort of way.  She's telling me about the necklace she got with her book order, her friend Bryn's birthday party, tomorrow is sunglasses day, because it's 'kindness week' you get it...lots of information from this special girl in a matter of seconds as she digs in her backpack reviewing the books she received in her book order today. She making a neat stack in the seat next to her, she stops talking for a minute and the next thing to come out of her mouth was "oh mom...you're the best!" Puzzled, I ask her "why?"And she simply states "because you bought me these books to help me be a better reader."  Oh man, those words made my heart happy.  

Shrek the musical

Emma is in a dance group called Spot On...they were asked to play the parts of rats in the high school play "Shrek the musical".  There were a lot of Saturday and extra practices to get everything perfect & it was.  They performed 6 nights (November 14-22, 2014) and they always got the loudest cheers after their scene.  Thanks to anyone who sat through the play to watch Emma for 5 minutes :)  it was well worth it. 

Vegas baby...NFR

Our first night in Vegas we took the girls to Penn and Teller at the Rio. Jacs wanted to go to a magic show for her birthday...and we aim to please.  My cousin Zoey and her hubby BJ meet us for dinner before the show & joined us....I always enjoy their company and love to see them.  

Sunday night at the Thomas and Mack

Thanks to a kind neighbor/friend we had awesome tickets to 2 nights of the rodeo.

Jacs & Emma ran into Fallon Taylor at the South Point and we had to get a quick picture. 

Fun on the strip.   We ran into quite a few Disney characters.  

At the rodeo, always have a crazy face for the camera :)

Nana's funeral

My nana (Anna Cook) passed away Sunday, December 7, 2014 in Nephi, Utah.  Her funeral was held in Cedar Fort on Thursday, December 11. This is the link to her obituary: 

http://www.wingmortuary.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=2856550&fh_id=10655

 The pallbearers

 My grandpa Bernard at the cemetery.

 Most of my dads kids/grandkids at the burial site.

 My grandpa Cook

 Jacsyn and Emma

Grandma Marlene and Tuf (Cam & Maties's)

Jacsyn's Christmas Kindergarten program and class party

 Jacs is right in the center if the picture.  Her class sang "Rudolph the red nose reindeer"  and they wore reindeer antlers.  She spent all week practicing her songs.  Madi was able to go to the program with me and it made us both smile to watch her.  

 I found "reindeer food" on pinterest, so Jacs and I made it for her class.  She was so excited to take it to school and give it to her friends.  

Mrs. Arko read the polar express to her class 

while they drank hot chocolate in their pajamas.

Kindergarten has been so much fun for Jacs.  She has an amazing teacher (Mrs. Arko) and enjoys school so much.  I had the opportunity to help with her class party on the last day of school before the break.  I took Christmas Bingo for the kids to play and it was a hit...I love how easy 5/6 year olds are to appease.  I also helped with Emma's party to, but was in such a hurry I didn't get any pictures :( but we played Bingo in her class too and they enjoyed it as well.  

Getting together

This moms loves to have get togethers.  I love being able to visit and I love listening to kids play...it does my heart good :)   We had a dinner at our house on December 23 and we had a special visitor.  I made a simple dinner of chicken fettucini, lasagna, breadsticks and we had cheesecake for dessert.  It was a good night with lots of talking, giggling and playing. 

Christmas

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We were blessed with a wonderful Christmas.  Madi made to home on the 14th of December and is home until the middle of January, when she will head back to school at Western Texas in Snyder.
The girls didn't ask for much (or anything)...Emma got a snowboard (Madi has promised to take her) and Isabelle (American girl doll), Madi got a new purse, wallet and a pair of red rain boots and Jacs got a teepee and Kit (American girl doll).  They girls and I surprised Jeremy with a gun safe and the girls and Jeremy bought me a few of my favorite things.  We are also taking a trip in 17 days!  We are going on a short Disney Cruise before Madi heads back to school...the things my family did together as I was growing up are some of my favorite memories, so I want to do the same with my family.

When dads away. . .

Sunday night, the girls and I deceided to go see Gnomeo & Juliet! It was a pretty cute movie, I wasn't real thrilled to go, but I promised Emma I would take her to the movie. Jeremy left on Saturday night to do a job in Jenny Lew, West Virginia for a week or so. We have been so fortunate to have work when a lot of people don't. We are also very fortunate that I can be a stay-at-home mother to our 3 daughters.
I want to remember the things that Jascyn has been telling me since he left:
*Everytime she hears a truck drive past the house she runs to me and says "my dad home!"
*She tells me "my dad at work in Tooele"
*She also says "my dad is workin' at the high school"
When Jeremy calls at night and Emma is talking Jacs can't wait for her turn, but as soon as Emma hands her the phone, she says a mumbles a few things, tells her dad I lub you, here's Madi.

Cowboy Prom

Chad Watterson, Shayla Goode, Madi & Josh Frost

So sweet! Dad is helping Madi put her boots on.

Madi all ready to go

The second weekend of the Dixie 6 rodeos, they held "Cowboy Prom". Cowboy prom is a formal dance for high school rodeo contestants. A boy asks a girl and then after the Friday rodeo the kids gets dressed in there formal attire and attend a dance, but before the dance they go to dinner. Madi got asked to the prom, by Josh Frost a kid from here in the Basin. She was real nervous to go on her first "date" and her dad refused to refer to the event as a "date".
We decided to get a hotel room instead of stay in the horse trailer, so Madi could have a real shower after the rodeo and have room to get ready. We stayed at the Holiday Inn. Madi & Josh doubled with Chad Watterson & Shayla Goode. They went to dinner in St. George at a Brazillian Grill and than back to Hurricane to the dance. Madi's curfew was 11:30 pm, since there was a rodeo at 9:00 the next morning. Josh brought her back on time & she had a GREAT time!

Sweet Emma

Emma just brought me her ipod & with tears in her eyes told me to watch a video of Taylor Swift, who is her favorite. The video is called "the best day" and here is the link http://www.cmt.com/videos/taylor-swift/377565/the-best-day.jhtml because I can't figure out how to post the video. It's quite long. She has such a soft heart and that brings tears to my eyes. Love that girl :)