Sunday 28 April 2013

Moore Hiking (and Other Fun Movements :)


Hi! :D 

I can't believe it's already been a week since I last scrambled to get to the computer to meet my self imposed weekly deadline here on the "Moore Memoir"! :o

So, what is there to tell about? Well.... after church today I wanted to check on a friend whose phone is out of commission. To save time ( ;) - he he) I just put my roller blades on (rather than my shoes, or purse and car keys - OK CONFESSION HERE - The car died at EVERY stop on the way to church and back; we're out of gas. :o Good thing we live close to the church! So... I "HAD" to roller blade. ;) :o ~ Anyhow... Miles noticed that I didn't change out of my dress first - so he asked where the camera was and insisted "I have to get photos of this!"...


So there you have it! (I know, I AM uniquely CRAZY! :o)
Honestly though, I just don't get what all the fuss was about... ;o

(FYI - in case this looks a little "funny," I'll just let you know I was rollerblading BACKWARDS...There. Now that you know, this photo looks rather awesome (instead of funny) doesn't it? ;)
OK. Moving on to more important things... There really isn't too much to tell right now. Except that Devry and Levi both got new haircuts (and styles, similar to each others but they both do it their own way). Also, I finally started planting a few seeds indoors and am thrilled to soon be gardening again. I'll also let you know we're all VERY HAPPY to see spring! :D 

Today... I'll just share a few photos taken from a hike the kids and I went on and call it good...


(The other photos aren't edited, but Devry had some fun on this one... :)




 






We hope you never tire of seeing photos from Tubs Hill... (We obviously don't! LOL) I could pack up my things and  live there if it were at all practical (or legal). :o If you and your family are ever in need of hiking companions - you know how to get in touch with us! :)

Until next week...

Corine and family :D

Sunday 21 April 2013

Weekend of Fun.. :)

It's Sunday night again, already? This week has just blown by. So much has gone on I can barely breath (let alone write about it). Life is busy and it can be really challenging to make time to blog, but I am really trying to be committed here :), so I'll write this post even if it is at bedtime on Sunday night! :o 

The highlight of the week for the girls was spending Friday and Saturday with Mindy. Miles spent time with the boys while we girls were away. Levi spent time with a friend on Friday night, then on Saturday Miles and the boys all had fun at the theatre and out to lunch. Way cool!

This was - A Well Deserved weekend of fun over here for the whole family! :D

This post is mostly about Time Out For Womenit was fabulous! :)


 I got to join the Staff on Friday with scanning tickets and ushering in happy women. :) The presentations were wonderful (as always). I feel so incredibly blessed that Mindy and I both got to go!!!!

 The view from where we sat - including the view of my shoes (Mindy's actually - but they were on my feet. ;)...



The TOFW theme this year is "Higher" and this is the scripture which accompanies it...

"So are my ways HIGHER than Your ways." Isaiah 55:9

The entire weekend was great - not just during the presentations, but also during lunch break! :D I know... who would have thought that even the lunch break would be great? We helped out with a service project (in which over 400 backpacks were filled with food for kids in need), then we goofed off. If you don't believe me about the "goofing off" just check the photos below. ;) (Sorry, I didn't think to take photos of the service project.)

INTRODUCING - MINDY... 



INTRODUCING - ME! :)




INTRODUCING THE BOTH OF US...
As if we aren't goofy enough on our own ~
We're somehow even "Goofier" Ahem - I mean "Classier" TOGETHER than apart! ;)
I had so much fun taking photos that SEVERAL people behind us asked me to take photos for them as well. One person even thought it was part of my "job duties." :) LOL I love it! :D

The drive home was also AMAZING! Mindy surprised me by purchasing a CD for me, which we listened to on the way home and which really contributed to making the drive home a beautiful extension of the spiritual feast we had been enjoying together. Before the conference started I assumed the greatest spiritual moments would occur there during the conference, but I was wrong... Being there was wonderful, but it simply set the stage for something better - spiritual moments with my daughter as we discussed the principles that made the biggest impact on us both. I was floored as the feelings and teachings just continued to GROW after we left the conference... We were most definitely inspired to "Think Higher, Believe Higher, and Live Higher!" What an inspirational theme! :D

As soon as we got back from TOFW I dropped Mindy off for work (we sat in the parking lot and talked until the time came), then I went to Stake Conference with my husband. Today we went to conference again as a family. I loved it! It was extra special this time because it was a broadcast from Salt Lake, and the talks were fabulous! After church some dear friends stopped by to see us (who stayed for dinner), and we ended the day watching a movie together. Nice weekend! :) I'm a happy camper! :D

Time to close this post and get to bed! I'm tired... 
Have a great week, and see you soon... 

Corine :D

Sunday 14 April 2013

Easter Sunday ~ 2013

Dear Friends and Family,

How great it has been catching up with you, and hearing back from some of you; thank you! :D I am nearing the end of "catch up" so you may not see me again here on this blog until next weekend (Remember to come back weekly on Sundays!). But I do have one more post in this catch-up series of  posts, and that is THIS POST - in which I remember how we spent our wonderful Easter day this year...

The best day of March was definitely Easter Sunday... 

We had a nice breakfast... :)


After using muffin tins I used tiny Bundt cake pans (narrower on the bottom); they worked great! :D
Then we went to church - and loved it! :D 

Of course, it being Easter and all, Miles and I stuffed a few plastic eggs with candy and let the "kids" hunt them down. :D ~ You're never too old to have fun! ;) We also enjoyed a little spiritual time as a family, watching a video about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ... 




In addition, we all went to Tubs Hill to enjoy the beautiful sunshine and spring time together as a family. We had three cameras with us, and had a wonderful and relaxing afternoon just taking photos of each other and the surroundings, and enjoying each others company. IT WAS SO NICE! :D We wished we had cut hair and dressed for photos because these are the only recent photos we have so a few of them are going up on the wall! (I'll show you the wall when I get it done.)




It was so much fun watching them take photos of each other (and themselves and each other). :)


Miles is such a great husband! ~ I REALLY want to take a new photo of the two of us - after hair cuts! :o
Photos of my very handsome twins, taken with a son's camera. Note to self: "Thou shalt not covet." ;0

Miles and I goofing off... :)
Upon arriving home we sat around painting Easter eggs together. I painted my little eggs with little designs on them (very unoriginal and not at all artistic :o); then I looked up and saw the eggs my family were making - and wanted to HIDE. :o ~ Oh well! LOL ~

Look! There I am, in the mirror taking the photo! :D



My eggs are the ones that look like a little kid did them - the ones with squiggly designs in pink and purple... :) LOL
...Wonderful month with a Wonderful family!  I AM BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE! :D

More photos coming in April - stay tuned! :)

Corine :D

Saturday 13 April 2013

Birthdays and Other Such Fun... ;0

Here is the first part of the first blog post I wrote before posting this week, thus the first liner...

Soooo much has happened since I last wrote here... (I KNEW) I should have been here every week!  :o Where do I start? :o

OK. Quick recap of life - in February - ...

*I started running again. I'm incredibly pleased at how quickly my body responded to running this year. It is obvious that I actually created a foundation for running! Yeah! :D Mindy is also running now, and Devry has been running off and on as well. I'm so excited!!!!  :D Now to get the other two running and we can do a family running relay together as a family!!!! :)

*As if Valentines Day wasn't enough to make a month great (I love February! :D)... 
I was celebrated over a birthday. :) 


Ha! :D I look so funny here...
But I love seeing Miles in this photo
'cause he looks so happy to see me happy! :)
My birthday was just so peaceful. I was showered with gifts, hugs, love... and treated like a Queen. Early in the day I was showered with love by Miles and Mindy before they headed off to work. All three of my sons made time to be with me. More than once, I overheard these wonderful teen sons on the phone with friends, "not today. We're celebrating my mom's birthday." They stuck around to spend time with me. Pretty cool!...  :D

I wish my older boys would let me get a photo like this! I cherish my hugs from each one of them!
And there was a little time spent ~ Just chillin' :) Dausen has a great sense of humor! :D I love it when he shows us funny photos and videos from his I-Pod! :D We get stuck on the couch and can't leave - because he always has "another good one" to show us. Devry does the same thing with jokes etc. Man I love these kids! :D





Now, for a Quick recap of life - in March- ...

March was a truly good month in the department of family time. :) So much of the time we have allowed the business of life to keep us from spending good quality time just ENJOYING each other without distractions. But in March Miles and I made a special effort to stop letting things get in the way of family. We had some wonderful family times and made great memories. :)

*To kick start the month, Levi had a birthday. :D In addition to a wonderfully delicious yet strange looking cake with root beer flavored frosting, Levi received for his birthday (mostly from Mindy)... (roll the drums here please ;o)... about 7 bags of Doritos. LOL



*In mid to late March I started biking again! :) It is a slow start on the bike- breaking in my bum as well as my feet. :o But I'm excited about it. Last year I biked for only two months, (the first two months for many years). This year I hope to bike for at least 6 months (end of Mar through September - it is too cold here to bike during the winter months).

*Dausen decided to do a photo project and asked me to to got outside and choose a location with him. :) I loved that. It probably lasted only 15 minutes, but I cherish that time with him. :) This was his experiment photo...

BTW - Dausen is such a WONDERFUL person to be around! I LOVE his soothing disposition and always get excited when he asks me to do things with him. really enjoy our time together :)

*Plugging away at life. I made a collage to remind us all of the house rules, family creed, and habits we desire to establish well. Of course I threw a few photos on just to make it pretty and fun. :)

(photo of wall collage here)

*And Dakota came to visit us!!! :D He and Devry met years ago and Dakota became a friend of the family. He has been very close to us for many years now. A dear friend of the family - or rather, an "adopted" family member. He truly is...

Anyhow.. There was arm wrestling...




...and doge ball (among all the lounging about visiting etc.)...







*Miles and I also got to go see a play that Dakota was in. Dakota was FABULOUS! :D (Yeah, we're so proud of that kid you'd think he was ours. ;)

*The icing on the cake was Easter Day. I'll tell you about that tomorrow... :)

I hope you are having a wonderful week and keeping up with your reading! ;)
Au Revoir for now... ;)

Corine :D

Friday 12 April 2013

Mindy Means Love

Mindy...


Mindy was three days old before Miles and I finally found a name we both agreed with.



The name "Mindy" means "love."

Mindy was the most beautiful baby we had ever seen... And it wasn't just us (her parent) who thought she was beautiful. Everyone commented on her amazing beauty. She had a beautiful face, and darling little body. But more than that she had a strong, beautiful spirit! How do you find a name beautiful enough for a such a beautiful person??? 

This is why her father and I named her "Mindy." Because "Mindy" means "love." And because her dad and I loved her sooooo much! And we knew that by naming her after love and letting her know what an honor it is to be named after such a great virtue... she would be blessed to be inspired to live up to the word, "love." :)

And she has lived up to her beautiful name...

Mindy hid hearts and candies all over my bedroom and belongings in February. :) 
I am incredibly BLESSED to be this wonderful young woman's mother! :D

Mindy is a BEAUTIFUL person, because she is SO LOVING.

I just always want to remember that and honor her for it... :)

I hope you have a wonderful day filled with love and beauty! :D

Corine :D

Thursday 11 April 2013

To Believe...

Hi! :D ~ A few days ago my Uncle Bill sent me a link to a very beautiful and touching song. I was SO touched by it. It had a message which would offer hope and strength to the weary. Thank you SO MUCH, uncle Bill! :D

It is a message of FAITH... Of doing the best we can to BELIEVE... that though there are so many struggles and pains in the world - the lord is aware of each and every one of us.

I really needed this reminder. I have felt very overwhelmed this week - feeling like there is SO MUCH that I NEED TO DO, which I don't have the time or means to accomplish...

How great it is to be reminded that the lord is aware of the struggles we go through. That there is a reason for these experiences. We don't need to feel despair!

That is what the message of this song is about ... replacing despair with hope, believing that there is a reason for it all, and that one day these sorrows will pass away. And thanks to the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I believe this is true... :)

I hope you do too...

Tomorrow I will get back to that "catch up" flood I promised, but for tonight, I'm just going to sit back and relax and enjoy this beautiful and rejuvenating message...

Corine :D


Tuesday 9 April 2013

Earthly Father, Heavenly Father

Father: Son, careful where you walk...
Son: Father, you be careful where you walk;
for that is how I know where to step...
Today I'm going way back, but I think it's worthwhile... :) In January I went out of town for a couple of weeks, to the home of my brother, Nate, to help care for his children while his wife was out of town. I wrote about this at the time, but failed to post. Here I am; better late than never! :D I was so blessed to have been able to be with Nate's family again! :) And blessed to watch my brother act as father to his young children. Here are a few notes I made while visiting Nate...

Nate is a WONDERFUL father. :) I watch him leave early each morning while the kids sleep, to learn and work to provide for their needs. At the end of each long day he hugs, cuddles, and plays with his the kids.

Before his tiny young children (5 children ages 7 and under) retire to bed he gathers them round and teaches them from the scriptures. They memorize scriptures and talk about them together with joy and enthusiasm (Nate knows how to make it fun! :).

Then everyone kneels together for family prayer... The children are happy. They love the Lord and know they are loved in return. Each of them excitedly proclaims their desire to be the one to say the prayer. This young father thinks about who said it last, and tells his children whose turn it is. This decision is often met with a few pouts over not being the one who gets to say it... especially from the three year old - who can almost always be counted on to drop his head slowly as he breathes out a big sigh and hangs his arms down and his lower lip out when he is not the one chosen; he is SO CUTE!

The young family pray together, then dad tucks them lovingly into bed; of course I don't let him have all the fun and I have to get my hugs in as well... :)

It all reminds me of this video and of the love our Father in Heaven must have for each of us...



I realize that no father is perfect every moment of every day. But fathers love their kids. They work hard to provide for their family's needs, both spiritually and temporally. They deserve forgiveness for their shortcomings, and gratitude for all that they do...

To all you faithful fathers out there... To my husband, my father and his father, brothers, uncles etc, and especially to our Father in Heaven, who is the perfect example and father to us all... Thank you - for the security and joy you so diligently provide to our families. :)

Corine :D

Monday 8 April 2013

Playing Hooky! :D

Today ends the week of rest from school. The week in which kids no longer have to "play hooky"  to lounge around in their pajamas and sip hot cocoa while drawing rather than schooling...

Yes. Today marks THE END of "Spring Break." That wonderful, monumental week that is valued so greatly - even if it is raining and ones father has to work - so you stay home rather than travel abroad for the adventure of a lifetime (OUCH! Who would have thought that working for someone could be so painful? :o There is much to be said for self employment!)

Spring break isn't the ONLY time my kids have been found to draw or play games on "school" days. A few weeks ago Levi stayed home from school, sick. He really was sick. He slept it off, though, and eventually, he and I, and his brother Dausen chatted over lunch ~ about me :) ~ when I was a Senior in High school, and of how I actually did play hooky from school (Word of advice here... Never tell your kids the things you did when you were their age - that you don't want them to do! ;o).

FYI - My friend's name was Lisa. Lisa Minich. Lisa was the master mind and I was her accomplice. Together she and I left the school grounds by foot and walked over to a restaurant that one of her graduated friends worked at. Her friend served us Teriyaki chicken. YUM! :D

But the hooky didn't stop there. No... I also played hooky, one class at a time, whenever my friends had seriously challenging problems and needed someone to talk to. (Detention was a familiar thing and just gave me more time to socialize! :)) I was a natural counselor! ;) (I really would have loved a counseling occupation.) Come to think of it - all my kids are like that! Cool! I raised a brood of little counselors! :D But that's another story. Moving on... :)

Anyhow, shortly after our lunch conversation (the one in which my kids and I discussed me playing hooky from school when I was a teenager), I found my sick but recovering son - playing video games with his older brother, Dausen, who was supposed to be busy with homeschooling...

Naturally, I stuck my head in the room and protested with the same tone of voice and posture you might expect to see from Angie Lopez on the George Lopez show (We love that show. Angie reminds the family of me - some of the time :o)...


DAUSEN...


ME:
"Hey! You guys aren't supposed to be gaming! Levi is supposed to be resting and Dausen is supposed to be getting his schooling done!"

Dausen is ever so witty... :) He came through as he always does - very mater of factually and with a slight smile showing in the right hand corner of his lips (actually, it was his left, which looked to be on my right looking straight on ;0)...

DAUSEN: "Mom... We're playing hooky!"

ME: "What? You're NOT playing hooky! I didn't give you the day off!"

Dausen Looks at me with a little chuckle and a look in his eyes that says, "You've got to be kidding!" Then he opens his lips, and they give me a message as well!

DAUSEN: "Mom... How many people do you know (pause here...) who "ask for permission" - to play hooky?" ;)

...Dausen gave me the STARE DOWN HERE...

Forward to the future - IE. right now, and all I can say is this...
  • I'm really glad that I was a REALLY GOOD KID and didn't do much more than "play hooky!" ;)
OH, AND...
  • I stand corrected! :) Dausen REALLY DID PLAY HOOKY! :o ~ lol
As of today, however - Spring break is OVER! It's time again, for school! :D
Happy return to school days everyone!


***PS. Speaking of education, I think part of what makes the world go round is the diversity of knowledge and the talents which stem from knowledge. Part of what makes a person so valuable, is having something to offer that no one else has to offer. This happens as we each pursue education and excellence in our own unique way. If everyone were the same, no one would be special in any way.

No one can be everything. But if we all be the best that we are at being ourselves and really truly excell in the talents God gives to us as individuals... just think at how amazing this world can be?

Having a variety of people who each have different strengths and knowledge to offer - well it makes the world go round! Take that away, and you have a stagnant, unproductive, uninteresting, sad world.

With that in mind, I just read an article from the Washington Post titled "Eight Problems with Common Core Standards."

What do you think of the push for global "Common Core Standards" as opposed to "State Standards?" (Even though these standards are NOT actually internationally benched, or state led) I would LOVE to know what you think...

Happy Schooling!
Corine :D

UPDATE: There is a lot of controversy over the Common Core Standards. 

I just found a Video showing original sources, so you need not worry about opinions that may not be accurate. Look over the facts and use your own common sense to come to your own conclusions...





Sunday 7 April 2013

Catch-up Week - Get Ready for a Flood!

Hi friends and family (both in the flesh and in the blogging world)! :D  


I hope you are all having a great Spring break and an awesome weekend! My family and I have enjoyed a quiet week and are watching General Conference this weekend - Wonderful! :D (Click here for a playlist of talks) I like to read and/or listen to the talks another time or two (or three) before the next conference, so I've been busy reading again this week. YES! I love them THAT MUCH! :)

Now, as for this family blog... :) I know I haven't been posting here lately. :o I HAVE been writing a little though. Just not finishing and publishing (not adding that photo I wanted to add before publishing etc.) Sorry... :o Because of this, I am considering bringing to you a flood of posts here on this blog this week for the sake of "catching up" a bit. After that I will go back to my usual schedule of weekly Sunday posts. Please don't be a stranger! Come on by and make your presence known as much as you would like to; we'd love to hear from you! :D

Lots of love...
Corine and family :D