Cocoa and Karaoke

We had our first...hopefully not our last.....Cole Family Cocoa and Karaoke night to celebrate January birthdays.  We have many January birthdays; Garret Brown, Ryan Call,Wayne, Truman, Laila and Christine Cole.

I set up a cocoa bar with many types of Cocoa to choose from, whip cream a variety of Marshmallows, candy bars and cinnamon mix ins.   Everyone concocted their own nummy treat.

Laila and Ryan opened presents first.  Laila's birthday just keeps going and going.  She loves her 'U" hat, fingernail polish, jewelry, drawing poster and cupcake maker!

Then the singing began!!! Landon and Megan started us off with a highschool musical rendition....

Preston was totally into it.   He helped  me out with  "Love Shack'

Jenna kept us entertained with the latest hits including....Lady Marmalade.

Pretty soon we dumped the microphones and just all sat around singing our guts out.  Big Girls Don't Cry, Sweet Caroline, Can't Take My Eyes off of You......... I'm sure it all would have sounded better if our audience was drunk......

Phantom of the Opera,  Abba, some country and of course Broadway show tunes!

It was so much fun for everyone...singers and listeners.  It was a Rockin  and Dancin' good time!!!

Lessons Learned

Five lessons learned this week.

1.   If you want to succeed in the school spelling bee…you have to practice.  Laila got out in round 2 with the word “obsequious.”

2.   If you want Monson to call from the airport…send clear instructions so he knows how the phone is to be used.    Monson headed to Michigan on Wednesday.  Wayne sent him a pre-paid go phone so he could call us as soon as his bags were checked in  and he wouldn’t have to be at a pay phone.  Well our plans weren’t Monson’s plans.  I was in St. George and Wayne was home.  At 5:30 am I set my alarm to wake up and wait for the phone call.  I couldn’t wait to ask him questions about the MTC and people there and what he’d learned and his feelings about the gospel…..all good “mom” stuff.  At 6:30 I was still waiting.  I finally called Wayne and he gave me the go phone number to call… I called it, no answer.  At 6:45 Monson called me…. And said all is great but he only has 5 minutes cuz they have got to board the plane ….What?!?  I couldn’t believe it.   I asked him if he had talked to Dad and Laila…he said no… So I quickly told him to be good, and that I loved him… Grandma Sheri was with me in St. George, so she said the same things to him. Then we hung up so he could have a few minutes with Wayne, Laila and Landon.  It was a 3 MINUTE phone call…no lie.  When Wayne talked to Monson, he found out that Monson had given his phone to all of his district missionaries to use to call home…and he had just a few minutes left when it got to him.  I couldn’t believe it.  Wayne just thought it was so nice of Monson.  I think it’s nice , but I want him to call his mother first…then share.  I brought him into this world, and I changed his diapers, and I am the Mother…..you get my drift.  It was disappointing at best… but he did sound happy and ready to take on the Michigan natives.    I asked Laila what she thought of the phone call, she said, “Monson sounded the same, just sweeter.”

3.   Good work leads to promotions and raises.    Landon is moving onward and upward at Legacy Prep.  He is now the behavior specialist at the elementary and secondary schools.

4.     The Teachers I work with like me much better as a yellow personality than a red.  When I am red they don’t think I’m all business…they just think I’m all mad.

5.   If a Celebration is going to happen.... I have to be the instigator.  We have a Cocoa and Karaoke party tonight!!!  

I love this quote --

I don’t want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.

I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.
I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor’s children.
I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone’s garden.
I want to be there with children’s sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.
I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.”
― Marjorie Pay Hinckley

But.....true confession......that's not me........I want the good hair and clothes, no scouts, yes helping others, but not getting messy, yes children's kisses and a shoulder to cry on, but not yard work.....and I want to sing in shows and do art and create beautiful spaces and have a faithful heart and family togetherness and I want to learn the scriptures and then the Lord will know I was really here and that I really lived.

What's New?

We have been working on transforming Laila's room....but we have had other "new" things happening around our home as well.   It's fun for me to re arrange and change things up.

I put my "Old King Cole" shelf in my walkway where the green bench used to live.  I love the cubbies and the music notes  on the side.

And when you see it on the front,  there's a pic of my dad....Old King Cole...  across the bottom I have the words to the nursery rhyme.  I made this years ago thinking I would put it up in the garage, but then it ended up in Monson's closet storing his jerseys and undies.   This new home suits King Cole far better.  It's filled already, so my dad's face isn't really noticeable, but I know he's there and it makes me smile.

We have taken the old big Map down and placed it up on the blue wall of  Monson's old room.  It looks fabulous there, and the new WAVE canvas  really brightens up the space.

We have been Valentine Decorating.  This is my entry table...............

Laila and I created this canvas for her room.  We mod podged on old book print, then painted up a heart in her room's colors.

I haven't had any time for knitting lately, but my sister-friend Laura has... I have three new scarves that are just gorgeous, and fun to wear.

My Sweetie brought me home beautiful roses to lift my day and brighten my dining room table.  I love this kind of NEW!!!

Laila's Conversation

My Friend Kathleen Newman sent this to me...
Walking down the hallway leaving church yesterday, who do I spot but your sweet Laila.  She was so beautiful and had her hair so cute!  Here's the conversation.
"Laila, I hear your mom's gone for the week"
"Yep"
"Well, if you need anything, please call.  I'd do anything for you."
"Well , I'm 10 now, so there's not anything that I can't handle."
"Well, I've been 46 for a long long time and I still need help sometimes."
"Hmmmm, well I only have been 10 for 8 hours...if anything comes up, I'll let you know."

What a kid.

Birthday Weekend

Happy Birthday to my Truman.... he is 21 on Jan 21st.  This is his Golden Birthday.   I won't get to see what a 21 year old Truman looks like until the end of March when we go and pick him up from his mission in England.  I can't wait.  We sent him some "foot"  type things for his birthday--  all with a "Lengthen your stride,"  "Put your best foot forward" type of theme.

 Maybe Tru looks something like this.....................?

Laila turns 10, Jan 22nd.  I get to see what a 10 year old Laila looks like.... She is  petite, spunky, moody, funny, kind, loving and beautiful. We celebrated all weekend.

5 Things Laila liked about her birthday:

1.  Getting her Bedroom Makeover

2.  Having a cousin sleep over to watch movies with and play Just Dance 3

3.  Getting even more presents, even though I told her the Room re do was IT.

4.  Going to the Jazz game for the first time with her dad....and out to Arctic Circle before the game.

5.  Starting to do her own laundry.  10 is the magic age in our home where this responsibility kicks in.  She is excited and hoping she is tall enough to reach everything.  That's where stools, and her monkey-like abilities will come in handy.

Laila's new room

For Laila's Birthday we re-did her room.  She has had a purple and green room with butterfies since she was 5.  It was time for something new.

Becca, Laila and Landon all help Paint.

 I made a pink and Brown quilt, we painted the top half of the room light pink and the bottom half dark pink...then added brown accents to make it not so sweet.   Grandma and Grandpa Cole gave her two pink lamps.

We rearranged the furniture...put the bed on risers, added curtains, a heart canvas that we made and a paper banner border....

It looks Great.... Laila Loves it.

Let's hope that she can stand all of the pink for 5 more years.    Happy Birthday!