UUUGGGHHHH!!!!

I guess I should have been more thankful for that ordinary day on Wednesday.  On Thursday morning, I ended up getting a virus on my computer.  The same one I had last Februaryish.  It totally took out my Internet Explorer and my Outlooks.  So Not FUN!!!!

I spent the day backing up all of my files on Thursday.  On Friday Sean installed a new hard drive, and he also got me an early anniversary gift of a new external hard drive.  So, we got all the programs reloaded and then I spent today getting everything transferred back.  At least I have two 1 TB hard drives now, so I should be able to back everything up on the extra one on a regular schedule now so that I don't have to spend a whole day doing it. 

The boys finished the theater room themselves on Thursday.  Thanks boys!!!  They did an awesome job and it looks all spic and span now.

My neighborhood friends have decided to do a salad swap.  We each have 2 salad toppings that we chop up each week and then we get together an exchange our toppings so that we all have salad fixings for the week.  Here is my salad (I added the chicken leftover from the pizza I made the boys)  It was so yummy.  Hopefully we can all stay excited about it so we can eat healthier.  YAY!

Another Ordinary Day

I've heard that those are the best and most missed once the kids all leave.

Sean went to work.  I worked on some template packs to put in the store and entered myself in a Design Competition.  The boys folded socks, watered the garden and watched a movie together.  They also played Crash Team Racing - a family favorite Play Station game that was lost but found again when we cleaned the theater room.  It was fun to listen to them giggling together while they played.  They even talked their old mom into playing with them for a little bit.  This is the only game I will play other than Guitar Hero, which I'm actually pretty good at.

We had breakfast for dinner (omelets) that were awesome, especially because the boys helped me make them.  I had someone to crack eggs, grate cheese, and make toast and juice so I could just cook them all.

Then I watched So You Think You Can Dance and worked on my Design competition entry.  It is called Designer Survivor and the first challenge gets us on the ship and to the island.  There are over 70 participants signed up.  I'm a little concerned because it isn't judged, it is based on votes from other competitors and the general public and then those who don't get immunity get voted off by the other competitors.  I heard that a lot of talented designers got voted off early last year because of some alliances that were formed.  So, I might be illiciting votes from all my blog readers.  The first challenge was a template.  I'll post mine so you can get it if you want it when I get the go ahead!

The Theater Room

My boys have been putting off cleaning this room all summer and for good reason.  It is the biggest room, the most used room, and the most work to clean, although I think the kitchen cupboards won't be fun either.

We first spent 1 1/2 hours going through all the DVDs, videos, and Gamecube, WII, and Playstation games.  We made sure the right thing was in the right case and then alphabetized and put back on the shelves.  We shall see if they stay alphabetized for more than a day.

Then we removed all the cushions from the massive couches and vacuumed under them.  Next we moved all the couches (those of you that have been in our theater room will understand the monumental task this is, they are huge and there are lots of them) and vacuumed under them while Trevin cleaned all the baseboards behind all of them.  By this time we were all sweating up a storm because that room is a little on the warm side anyway and we were working hard!.  We put back the couches and the cushions, folded all of the 100 blankets we have in that room and then we quit.  It had been 2 1/2 hours and we were ready for lunch.  So the room is still in a bit of disarray but we will finish dusting, scrubbing and cleaning it on Thursday.  Oh, we also found about 15 pairs of socks and Trevin declared that now he won't need new socks for school this year, which means all of them were probably his.

Leadership

Sean gave the most awesome Family Home Evening lesson tonight.  His Sunday School lesson on Sunday was about leadership.  He didn't give us the same lesson, but expounded on it a little more.  We read the scripture about how man cannot serve two masters.  Either we are following the right or we are chosing wrong, there is no inbetween.  We talked about the qualities of a good leader and the qualities of a follower.  To drive home the point that we have to make a choice of who we are going to follow, he sent Trevin out of the room.  He assigned Travis and Tyrel to be the leaders, Trevin was the follower.  He didn't tell Trevin who was the good leader or who was the bad leader at the beginning.  Sean then built a simple little thing out of Lego's.  Travis and Tyrel had to give directions to Trevin and he was supposed to build what Sean had built without seeing it.  So, he had to make a choice of who to follow because if he followed both of their instructions, he wouldn't end up with the right thing or the reward in the end.

Well, Trevin got totally confused and frustrated with both of his brothers shouting instructions and was confused.  So, Sean allowed him some further "revelation".  He told him that Tyrel was the good leader and to follow him and block out what Travis had to say.  This was easier said than done.  Travis was still yelling instructions and Trevin was having a hard time deciphering what to do.  So, Sean allowed him a little further "revelation".  Tyrel was able to spend 5 seconds with him to show him how to get started without Travis interrupting.

After that, Trevin was able to "resist" what Travis was saying and was able to complete the building correctly even though Travis was still "tempting" him.  It was awesome and I think it really drove home the point to the boys that we need to be following our Savior and doing what our Heavenly Father wants us to do.  That is the plan.  We will be tempted but we have instructions that are clear and we need to follow the commandments and what we have been taught to do so that we can return to live with Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father.

An Ear for Music and July date with Travis

Travis decided this week that he wanted to learn to play piano.  So, he borrowed a keyboard from his friend Darren and set to work.  He plays beautifully and has been able to figure out quite a few songs playing by ear.  He has no idea how to read piano music.  I am kind of amazed.  After listening to my kids play (or not play) during their two years of piano lab, I am astounded that they have the musical talent they do.  They were horrible in piano lab (although I heard Trevin was quite good)  They definitely got it from Sean, not me!  He is going to borrow some piano books from Traci and learn to read the music and teach himself.

Travis made us treats and we had a Harry Potter marathon this afternoon.  Actually we just watched two of them but they are really long movies.

We went to Grandpa Nielsen's for his birthday celebration tonight.  It was fun to visit with family again.  Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Decorating

My parents came up yesterday and brought me two years worth of Birthday Presents!  I had asked my mom for curtains for my basement game room before they went on their mission, but I never found a style I liked or fabric that I liked.  I finally decided about a month ago when she asked me again now that she is back and I had seen the cute ones Kara made on her blog for her family room, so that is what I got.  For this year, my dad made me a cabinet door and a drawer to replace our trash compactor that has been broken for two years now.  It is nice to have a few things done.  Thanks dad and mom!

This is a layout I did of my dad with a pic I took of him at the Richardson Reunion.

Sean with Hair

Ever wonder?......................