Ity Bity Preschool Pics

Luke's preschool teacher asked me to come take pictures of her kids last month. I loved it! It is so warm and colorful there, and the kids are just darling! It was fun to watch Luke in his "big boy" school doing his "big boy" school stuff!

Sadly, yesterday was the very last day of Miss Karley's preschool. Luke loved every day of it, and will really miss all 6 of his "very best friends."

What a magical age, and what a wonderful group of little people! They just don't stay little like this long enough. I'm so glad I got to capture just a bit of this time with these pictures.

Thank you, Miss Karley (or Teacher-Mom, as all the kids call her.)

Famous Maker Birthday Suit!

Night before last at some point my 3 year old Luke climbed in to bed with us and for reasons I am not clear about, he was completely naked (which makes sense why he'd want to climb in a big warm bed with two big warm bodies.)

Anyway, in the morning he wakes up and discovers his nakedness, stands right up in the middle of the bed, and in the most accusatory tone hollers out, "Hey! Who dressed me in this?!?!?" pointing to his naked body. The look of shock and horror mixed with scowl on his face was priceless!

There was only one answer of course. "The Lord did."

The only response was another scowl and a grunt before he buried himself under the covers again.

That kid cracks me up every stinkin' day!

(By the way, this whole incident served to clear up for my 12 year old the fact that the term is "buck naked" not "butt naked", though I could see how the latter is perfectly descriptive in itself.)

Take a Look at the New Look!

My good husband worked hard to transform the red neck, stuff-piled-in-the-yard, lights-half-hung, look that we were portraying so well these past two weeks into this glorious masterpiece of light! Now we look like a classy operation, and (I am sure the homeowners association appreciates it.) My hero!!!

By the way, can I just say that I LOVE Christmas lights, and I LOVE the idea of Christmas lights and the symbol that they are as they represent the Light of the World. I love that we enrobe our homes in light to celebrate him who brings the light into our lives into our homes. Our homes represent all that we love, and his blessed atonement makes our being together with our families possible! So why shouldn't we light up our homes as the perfect symbol of the light that He distills upon our homes and families? Perfect!

Hurray for lights! Hurray for Christmas! Hurray for Dennis!

Now that my lights are up, all is right with the world. (I really don't ask much, do I?)

The Look

This is the new "look" we are going for this year as far as our Christmas decor outside goes. This is how it looked way back on November 28th, when Dennis started hanging the lights, and stopped halfway through.

Unfortunately, I just took this picture today. Yep, those ladders and the half-hung unlit lights have become our Christmas display these last TWO whole weeks.

Yes, it is a non-traditional look, but it really makes a statement, don't you think? like "we don't have time for Christmas," or maybe, "I wear the pants in this family and I'll hang the lights when I darn well please."

Actually, I think to get the full effect we need to leave it up like that until March... or June... or November. I mean, hey, they are half up already, why bother taking them down after Christmas just to put them half way back up again. Clever, I know.

So shall we all sing my new favorite Christmas carol together? "Oh the decor outside is frightful, but inside its so delightful!"

To be fair, Dennis is now up on that ladder this very minute finishing the job because I threatened to write this post if he didn't. (But then I decided to post it anyway.)

Merry Christmas!

Rick & Company

When my baby, and only, brother, Rick, and his gorgeous wife Elizabeth, came down for Thanksgiving, I offered to take his family pictures for them. Oh my! What a HUGE challenge! They are beautiful children, but that two year old, Jon, is the busiest kid I ever saw, and is always making the funniest faces. Trying to keep those little guys happy was not easy! At one point, I just told Rick and Elizabeth to cry right along with them (bottom left above). Of course, the baby stopped crying to watch her parents making funny faces! Elizabeth and I ran ourselves ragged chasing Jon down to get a picture of him. Such a funny kid. I was exhausted and frustrated when we were done, because I really thought after all that work, I didn't get any good pictures. I was pleasantly surprised with what came out after editing. I just love those guys and I am so glad I was able to capture their darling family in a way that was pleasing to them.

Which are your favorites?

I love the bottom right one, with her feet and the dandylion, and the one above it where she is proudly displaying her tooth! She is such a sweetie pie that she make my teeth ache! I want one!

I love the color with Jon by the orange tree, and the one where he is picking lettuce out of grandpa's garden.

The upside-down, right-side-up shot was kind of fun.

Love the piggies!

My very favorite is the kissing one bottom right above! Just get a load of those kissable cheeks!

Right Where They Should Be

Today is Sunday, and all of my children are home, getting ready for church, right where they should be, and I am so grateful and proud.

Let me explain.

My two favorite 10 year olds are both heavily involved in their Lego Robotics team at their school. Since way back last spring they have been spending several days a weeks after school learning about robotics, and as a team, building and programing one to perform certain tasks at a big competition at Legoland. They absolutely LOVE robotics. It is literally all the ever talk about. I love listening to the two of them jabber on and on about it on the drive home from robotics each time. I have NO IDEA what they are talking about (I'm SO very not mechanically or technologically minded), but they are sure excited about it!

Well, all was wonderful, and the kids were really looking forward to finally getting to the big competition at Legoland, until the teacher, Miss Liberty, announced that the competition might, or might not, be on Sunday. Last year the competition was on a weekday, so we were very surprised by this. The competition this year would take place on a Saturday and Sunday. The kids would compete on one of the days, and play at Legoland the other day. She wasn't sure which day they would compete.

Of course we were very sad to hear this news. Why on earth do they have do have stuff like that on Sunday anyway? Why don't the organizers of such events understand?

Anyway, as much as my boys were looking forward to a day playing at Legoland, they were WAY more looking forward to the competition, and if they had their choice, would rather attend the competition than the amusement park. So we decided to make a concerted effort to really fast and pray that their competition would be on Saturday. Since there were quite a few LDS kids on the team, we invited them all to join us. My kids really prayed and fasted, we all did, and they remembered to ask in every prayer.

But in the end, the teacher announced that for our school the competition was to be on Sunday after all. We had over the weekend to decide what we would do, whether or not we would compete with the team on Sunday. How disappointing! My boys and I cried, but mostly me because I know how hard they have worked, and how excited they were. It was so unfair! I did everything I could do to try to fix it, going so far as to contact the person over the entire program, explaining the problem, and that there were so many kids that had the same problem with the religious conflict on the team. She emailed me back that there was nothing they could do, and that considering there were so many kids on the team with this issue, she was surprised that the teacher chose to compete on Sunday. Apparently, the teacher thought their chances were better on Sunday. Lovely! I guess Miss Liberty took the gamble that if she picked Sunday, the LDS kids would come anyway. Turns out she was mostly right. Mostly.

The twins went to Legoland yesterday - Saturday. They played and rode on the rides, and had a great time! Then they came home.

Today is the big competition. We will all be going to church, and I couldn't feel prouder or more blessed!

You see, that weekend that the teacher gave us to decide whether or not we will be competiting was a toughie for us, for all of the families, I'm sure. I wanted SO badly for them to compete! I knew how much they LOVED robotics and how HARD they have worked on it. This wasn't like missing a soccer game because it was on Sunday. This was the one and ONLY competition all year. That's it.

And to make things more complicated, the boys have important roles on their teams. Derek is the head programmer, and Dylan is the head presenter (kind of hard to be a presenter if you are not present, huh?) and the team leader. It is kind of hard to duck out last minute when you have such crucial roles!

Needless to say, my boys' not competiting on Sunday would be not only hard on them, but a hardship on the whole team.

Eventually, I got emails from parents of all of the other LDS kids explaining that because if the circumstances, the crucial roles their children also had, their obligation to to team, and the last minute knowledge that the competition was on Sunday, and other very good reasons, they had decided to let their kids compete. I understood, I really did. It was a very tough situation to be put into.

But in the end, we decided, (it was ultimately the boys decision) that they would not compete. Actually, we never really had to decide. We knew from the moment that we heard that the competition was on Sunday, that they would not be competing. You see, we have taught them from a young age what is and is not appropriate on the Sabbath, and we have always stuck to our guns as much as possible. We teach our children that you make tough decisions before the problem comes up so that you don't have to make them when the heat is on. Well, the heat was REALLY really on this time! But our decision had already been made about what one does and does not do on Sunday, and that made it easier for us.

Our family motto, if you will, is "VanBuskirks always follow the prophet. Always." and we teach them that if there are exceptions to the prophets' words, we aren't it. As much as I wanted them to compete, I could not, in the end, reconcile to two. You either follow the prophet, or you don't. You either keep the Sabbath, or you don't. And as hard as this decision was, we also know that harder decisions will come for them in their teenage and adult years, and that whatever we decided here would set a precedent for them and our other children in the future. This was a major factor in our decision.

Yes, we realize that by not going on Sunday, we put the rest of the team in a hard situation - it is not good to be without you team leader and head programmer at the competition. We feel really bad about having to let the team down like that. I really hope it doesn't hurt their chances (though I think it will). I feel badly for the rest of the team that have also worked so hard, I do! I really did consider them. But in the end, we knew the only one who really mattered was the Lord, and what He expected of us.

Dylan summed it up perfectly on the morning we had to tell the teacher our decision and I asked the boys what they had decided. Dylan said, "I made my baptismal covenants before I joined the robotics team, and that is more important."

Well said!

In the end, all the other LDS kids went to the competition. I love and respect them and their wonderful parents. It was a tough call, really, and everyone had to do what they felt was best. I was, however, still disappointed, of course, as I think it would have been a lot easier on my boys if they weren't the only ones. Plus, I keep thinking what a great example and missionary tool we might have set for the teacher and other students if the LDS kids stood on a united front. Oh well. (I kept hearing "the cheese stands alone" in my head that day.)

Once the decision was made, the boys didn't quit the team. Quite the opposite. They started working EXTRA hard to help the team. They had to work really hard to train the kids who would be doing their parts on the day of the competition. Derek worked on overdrive to get the programing for the robot done, and Dylan stepped it up big time as team leader. The teacher said she has never seen a kid with such leadership skills who know how to get everyone doing what needs to be done. In the past two week the boys worked on Legos before and after school every day!!! They had been working so hard to make sure they sent their team off as prepared as possible.

The funny thing is that as heart-wrenching and tear-filled and hard as that decision was a few weeks ago, we are all totally fine today - the very day of the competition. The boys are not moping around feeling sorry for themselves. They are happy! They feel good about themselves and the decision they made. They are rooting for their teammates (we all are!), but they are happy to be home and heading for church.

And I am filled with joy and satisfaction that my boys are right where they should be... in every sense of the word.

Hurray for Hollywood! Hurray for Alex!

Friday was Alex' birthday, and since he had a pretty lousy birthday last year, we decided to make it extra special this year. We took the gang out of school and headed to Hollywood for a day at Universal Studios! We ended up getting a great deal on year passes, so we will be coming back.

I didn't want to be bothered carrying around my big camera, so all I got were these point-and-shoot pics. Sorry.

It was so funny. Do you see that statue of the movie director behind Caleb's head? Derek swore up and down that it was a real person, and he watched it for the longest time waiting for it to move. I told him it was just a statue, but he would not believe me for anything!

A fun place to visit all of our favorite cartoon characters. Luke, who LOVES Dora, was not in his happy place after a trip through the House of Horrors and wouldn't give Dora the time of day. He said "I don't like your backpack!" Oh my! But now he is happy that he has a picture with his "best friend."

The rides and attractions are fun! My favorite was the Mummy ride!

We went to one sound stage where we got to see how movie magic is done. They selected Caleb to come up and demonstrate a robot suit that he got to put on. His movements were mimicked by the big monster. Very Cool! He was very excited about that. Too bad the pictures were so lousy.

Derek got to help make the sounds of running feet for a movie clip. We also got to see how pyrotechnics are used in the movies. It was HOT and very COOL at the same time!

There were some fun 3D shows, like Shrek.

The Universal back lot tour was fun! We saw the set for lots of familiar movies, as well as getting in the middle of a flash flood, an earthquake, a shark attack, a murder scene, and a gar explosion. Quite the adventure! That was the boys favorite part.

Nathan liked the new Krustyland ride. It was a wild, colorful, explosive, spinning ride, and served to give me a headache for the rest of the afternoon. Oh my!

These boys had WAY to much fun with Jaws! Its a good thing the park was pretty empty that day, because there was no one else waiting to be eaten by a big shark.

I think Dennis and I look pretty good as the Flinstones. Yabba Dabba Do!

Alex had a great time on his birthday! I'm so glad. He is such a great kid and he deserves it. I am in shock that he is 14! When on earth did that happen? I love him so much and am so grateful for the young man that he is.

After Universal we went to our favorite LA cuisine, and the very best tacos on the planet in our estimation - Tito's Tacos. If you've never been you are really missing out! SO delicious!!! Worth the trip to LA just for the salsa.

Before we came home we stopped at the LA Temple to see the amazing Christmas lights! they are fantastic, and the kids really enjoyed wandering through the vast colorful temple grounds.

I was really wishing I had the good camera and the tripod at this point. Oh well.

What a great way to spend the day! Happy Birthday Alex!!!

Shattered Glass! - A Before & After for Your Enjoyment

Don't you just love Before & Afters? I do too! Here is a great one for your enjoyment!

Just yesterday afternoon I finished my Christmas decorating. The last decoration want up and the last ornament was hung on the tree. The last bit of decorating mess had been vacuumed up.

I was so pleased with myself that I took this picture.

And this one of my lovely apothecary jars filled with vintage glass ornaments that I have been collecting for years.

All is calm. All is bright.

So last night I am sitting right there in that chair enjoying the soft glow of the Christmas lights reflected in the warm golden orbs of glass...

Enter a frantic 10 year old being chased by a nearly 14 year old in hot pursuit, bent on killing him, I imagine. The 10 year old comes around the bend and passes safely without incident. But the teenager, not so agile in his growing body doesn't quite make the turn. There is a horrific sound of smashing glass and before my eyes the slow motion vision of glass jars smashing into each other and tumbling to the ground. Tiny sparkly flecks of gold rain down around me.

In a half second my beautiful Christmas wonderland is reduced to this:

And this:
How's that for a Before & After, huh?

Actually, I should have taken the before and after pics of the child before and after I beat him!

(OK, so I didn't beat him... but I wanted to!)

On another note, his birthday is tomorrow, and it just so happens that he really wants three beautiful glass apothecary jars and some vintage gold glass balls for his birthday. (You know how these teenage boys are these days.)

He should just be glad I let him live to see 14.