Landon Receives "Duty to God" Award

Landon received his "Duty to God" award at a court of honor this week. It is the culmination of many years of dedicated church service and diligence in being an honorable young man. Congratulations to Landon for this recognition.

Alex is 15

On March 31st Alex hit 15. He is very excited to be closer to the legal driving age.

The Flesh Is Weak!

Ok, I caved! I was doing so well and I blew it! When Inside Edition called I freaked, I needed something to soothe my frazzled nerves and curb my taste for chocolate. I needed a DC in the worst way and so I am back on the wagon, chugging my 2nd one for the day. I am weak. I am human. I am addicted. I need help. I need another one. By the way, taping for Inside Edition was awesome. I will post about that tonight when I am drinking a DC with lime from a frozen cold glass......

Sick Leave

As if there was such a thing...I wish! We have been away on sick leave for the past month. I have had a nasty infection that I've been battling now for 2 months. Now on top of that a lovely bladder infection. I AM NOT EVEN DRINKING DIET COKE!!! I have no idea how that came about. I drink more water than my whole family combined. Maybe I should drink diet coke again.....

Patrick, Alex and Madison all have sinus infections (which is what I started out with early in the year) and are miserable. Landon has bronchitis and has been so, so sick. I haven't seen the boy voluntarily nap for 17 years. He even stayed home again today from school. Can you spell LOTS OF HOMEWORK?

Ethan, wants to be sick so he can stay home from school. Every morning he wakes up and has a sore leg, or sore tummy, or headache. I gave in last week and said, "okay then, stay home!" so he had a fun day calling me every 10 minutes at work asking me a question. Oh the joys.

Here's a warning. Stay away. Even though we are medicated, we are a mess. I am grumpy. The laundry is needing to be done, menus are neglected and bathrooms are gross. I am going to find out if there is a magic pill to make it all better. I will let you know if it can be purchased legally.

Alex Eagle Project

Alex chose to perform a service project on behalf of the Ronald McDonald House of Kansas City. He organized a project to tie 12 quilts for sick children and then deliver them with a spaghetti dinner to the families in residence at the house. It took a lot of people to pull this off in the three weeks that he had to get it done. He learned a lot and did a great job. The staff at the house were so impressed with the project and the children love the quilts.

We are proud of Alex and his accomplishment. Great Job.

It was a labor of love.

Scout spaghetti. Yum.

Landon might get a job at a soup kitchen.

Ethan was a hard worker.

Grandma JoAnn helped a ton with sewing and teaching.

Scout quilters.

Family Home Evening at the quilt rack.

Christmas Eve Jammies

Landon could not resist that siren call of the batman jammies from 2nd grade. They still fit mom. Nice mask from the ninja turtles collection. Donatello, where is the pizza, dude..

We wish that Ethan would get a personality. He is so quiet and shy. Not......Nice batman top from 2nd grade.

Christmas Day Photos

Wake up and get ready for the big day. We stayed home this year and had a nice holiday celebration together.

Envelopes can be fun!

More XBox games. Niiiice.

I like to film random stuff?

I like my Nintendo DS.

This is one long crossword puzzle about the Simpsons. Thank goodness I know every episode.

Money and a Crickut. How very nice. Just what I always wanted.

Cash. Me likey.

Hands free communication. Perfect choice.

Evans Kids for Christmas

OK. We know we have beautiful children. This is the first picture ever taken with all of them smiling nicely. A real stroke of genius.

See how happy!!! Even the dog and the cat were cooperating.

Landon - Leadership Presentation

Landon is enrolled in Leadership Studies at his High School and will receive an endorsement with distinction when he graduates for his 4 year participation in this course of study and service.

This is a photo taken after he made his presentation of his Senior Leadership project in the school theater. He did a project of organizing and coaching a girls goalkeeping clinic all fall at a soccer club. He prepared weekly practice agendas, took surveys from the girls, prepared them, and taught them. He received significant praise and Kudos from the soccer club director, coaching staff, and parents for his motivational approach and success in teaching the girls.

He has a real future in coaching.

Landon - Barton College

Landon was invited to a recruiting weekend for Barton College in central Kansas in early December. He has dreamed about playing college soccer forever. We went out on a Friday and he did a goalkeeping tryout that evening for the coach. After 45 minutes of play he was invited to consider a position on the team.

By the end of Saturdays full field scrimmage with the team the coach made an offer to Landon to play. He was very excited and thought that he would take the offer.

Since that time Landon has had time to reflect on what he really wants and needs to do. He has made the decision to attend BYU this summer instead and then turn in papers to go on a church mission this fall when he turns 19. The soccer dream was awesome, but he felt that the mission was more important for now.

A NEW ADVENTURE---SHOP SMART!

As if I wasn't busy enough...but with a New Year ahead of me I've embarked on a NEW adventure. I have shared with many of you that our family has been working towards becoming completely debt free. We have been able to cut a lot of things out, but found that a large portion of our monthly budget was still going towards food, household supplies and personal care items.

In my efforts to save money and live more frugally, I found www.BeCentsable.net and it has made all the difference. Go to the website and check us out!

BeCentsable offers workshops that teach money and time saving strategies. In our workshop you will learn how to cut all of your food, personal care items, household supplies, baby supplies, and pet care expenses! This workshop teaches you all the details of shopping frugally - things you thought you knew and things you’ve never even considered! I think what I love about it most is that we are not asking you to buy things but we teach you to SAVE MONEY! ...what is that ancient chinese proverb? "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

The great thing about it is that even if you don't live in the KC area, you too, can learn these strategies by taking a workshop online...or you can book a workshop and I will come and teach it for you and your friends.

DC FREE, 8 days and counting.,,,

I have been DC and DDP free for 8 days and counting now! Yay!! I can hardly believe how easy it has been for me to give it up. I must admit that I have had some help in accomplishing my goal. What is amazing is thatI haven't had a caffeine headache yet...knock on wood. Now I can't tell a lie, I still have a craving for that taste and familiar burn, however I have found that Diet 7-up does it for me! It is mmm...so good and refreshing. What I find interesting is that I only have a soda maybe once a day now where I was having upwards of 3 DC's to get through. I am as a result of drinking tons of water each day spending more time in the ladies room.

Who knew that lemon-lime could be so satisfying?