TheMorrisonFamilyBlog

   She was my best friend growing up. We did everything together and, as you can see in the picture below, I took good care of her.   For stupid reasons in High School, our relationship developed a rift. By blood we were still cousins, but when it came down to being friends...forget it.   Years later, we reunited. Children of our own.   As we "caught up" on a friendship interupted, a new generation of cousins went off to play. They were quiet and we were deeply engaged in conversation.   How much time passed remains a mystery, but this is what our eyes beheld when "the new cousins" came out of hiding.     That's my proud kiddo on the left and his cousins.   Isn't my son proud! That's him in the diaper. Those are his TWO cousins, whom he decorated with waterproof mascara!   They've all grown since this picture was taken. They are 16 and older. Thankfully, they aren't "scarred" from this reunion!   I, on the other hand, am still laugh...

  A Snowman and Snow Paint...the Perfect Snow Day Yesterday it snowed. I'm tired of the fluffy, white misery and ready for Spring. My children, however, woke up and BEGGED to go outside and play. We bundled up and headed out. It was wet. It was the perfect snow for a.... The kiddos giggled and created a great adventure...even I had a blast out there building him.   Every year we make a snowman and bring him to life through the magic of a photo. We record our day's adventure with our Snowman and keep him in our "Snowy Day" photo album. Here are two of my kiddos with their new friend... With frozen hands, I retreated inside. The children elected to stay and play. WhenLi'l Man came in for a "snack" he said his hands were cold. There was NO chance he was ready to surrender the snow play so I told him I had a surprise for them.... Snow Paint: I filled spray bottles with warm water and added some food coloring... Note: Wilton Cake Coloring Dyes work best as t...

 Noise. It fills my day. The chatter of curious kiddos combined with the "whaaa-cha!" of Xbox 360's Lego Indiana Jones, Jonas Brother's in the other room...ay yi yi! It's madness. Enter Kidz Gear, makers of Kids Headphones and keeper of my sanity! We had the opportunity to try both their Wired and Wireless Headphones, and they brought tranquility to our house. Let's start with the Kidz Gear Wireless Headphones. These were by far the biggest hit with my children. They can sit on the couch, across the room, and watch TV, play video games, or lounge on the floor and listen to their music. They thought this was "awesome."  The wireless headphones are also like a "leash" because they have a short frequency, so if they wander too far, they'll lose the sound and get back in the "invisible fence". I really appreciated this feature!   Another great feature is that the wireless is "100% Guaranteed to work with all built-in car DVD/...

  Truth Be Told   Today was one of those days when I was tested. My core values tried. As the clock announces bedtime is approaching, my stomach is still upset. It's hard to say if I made the popular choice, but my integrity held strong, and I did not compromise.   It started this morning with a phone call. An enthusiastic and kind voice on the other end called me to get information for next year. Truthfully, according to the paperwork, she did have the right person...me. I, however, had to make a choice. That choice was to speak the truth. While I wholeheartedly believe in something and feel I have the vision to do great things with it, my experience has not been a good one. The very thought of participating makes my stomach churn. Once a month, I get angry over this "thing."   After a very pregnant pause, I said, "I know this is not what you called about, but I feel the need to share with you my experience and why I am choosing NOT to participate." I then, ver...

  Frecklebox Lunch Box Review My kiddos are unique. I've raised them to be themselves. The process has had some hilarious moments! ALL of my children have LOVED the Gold Lame sequined "Elvis" Vest my mother made--ironically, it went with EVERYTHING--t-shirts, dress shirts, speedos . HOW they wore it is what made it unique. While I believe in being "original," my children have "common" names....and wouldn't you know that they also sorta look like one another. :) Still, I want them to be their own person, to follow their own map, where, in the end, they are the treasure they seek. This is what I LOVE about Frecklebox! EVERYTHING they have is unique and allows personalization. When we learned, we would get to do a review for Frecklebox, and we were ready to throw a parade! We were so excited. Li'l Man got to pick the item to review. Frecklebox doesn't advertise this, but I'll let you in on a secret...they have an INTERACTIVE website. My Li...

  Cherishing the Moments  a Photo Captures As you know, my grandmother, Charlotte, is among those I include in my "Favorite People" list. In fact, it's safe to say she's right up there near the top! Since her sister died, we've remembered moments that faded into the past. Good time. Sad times. Better times. We rummaged through photos in our conversations, and I found one of my favorite photos. I found this picture of, as my children call her, "Charlotte the Great." It dates WAY back (that's my mom on the right, holding her sisters. The one on her lap passed away 2-years ago.) Just from the picture, you can tell Charlotte the Great was an eye-catching woman. Even though this is a black-and-white photo, you can bet her lips were "painted red." Thankfully, that tube of lipstick has faded into more subtle, natural colors! I didn't know Charlotte the Great when this picture was taken. I wouldn't come along until she was 42. Many memorie...

  "Oh, Say Can You See..."   When my oldest was five, we were in the car, and "The Star Spangled Banner" came on the radio. Jake said matter-of-factly, "When we get home, I'm calling Uncle Jose to tell him I heard them singing about him." I didn't know what he was talking about, but he quickly pointed out that they were singing, "JOSE, can you see."   Yup...quick lesson right there...and a hearing check!   I love my country. I get goosebumps saying the Pledge of Allegiance, and I choke up and usually cry while singing or hearing the National Anthem. I'm proud to be an American.   Today is National Anthem Day.   While it was that fateful night on September 14, 1814 Francis Scott Key saw an American Flag still standing over the bombed Fort McHenry that inspired him to write the "The Star Spangled Banner", it wasn't until March 3, 1931 that Congress made it America's OFFICIAL National Anthem.   Seventy-nine years, we...

  My Name is "Julee" and I'm a Bon Jovi Addict!       I remember it like it was yesterday. It was 1985:   HE looked like this....   I looked like this...   I can admit it, he was MUCH hotter than I, but I'm not a jealous person.   My ritual that summer was waking up, doing my chores and heading to the University of Utah Hospital to spend the afternoon with my best friend, newly paralyzed after a motor-cross accident.   The weekends were time away from my best friend. It made Friday's drive home from the University longer than the other days' drive. It was a drive of reflection over the past week. Monday, however, was always one of anticipation and I delighted in walking through the door and seeing my best friend. His mom and dad had come up to visit him over the weekend. He was in good spirits today. "Come here." he smiles, moving his index finger to guide me to him. "What?" I stand alongside him now, curious as to what he want...

 "What I Love and Why I ShouldWear it EVERYWHERE" Fibers.com T-shirt REVIEW  Today is Jon Bon Jovi's Birthday!  It's one of the BEST days of the calendar! As you know, I Heart Bon Jovi in a really BIG way! The man (and the band) has rocked my world since 1985! There is a reason that album was named 7800 Degrees Fahrenheit, People! The man is HOT! In the 1980s Bon Jovi T-shirts were everywhere. I should have stocked up because as my love affair has carried on for two and a half decades, the shirts have become less common. I know! What is this world coming to with NO Bon Jovi T-shirts!? So when Fibers.com gave me the opportunity to review their shirts...and said I could create my own custom T-shirt.. .I accepted. "It's My Life" as Jon says and Fibers.com gave me the opportunity to make a statement about my life, what I love and why I want to wear it. They have a large selection of unique designs all with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Advanced direct-to-g...

  Review Make no mistake. My kiddos all have an amazing sense of humor. I was excited when I discovered Trendy Tadpole as their shirts have witty sayings to match my kiddos' wit! Li'l Man got to pick the shirt he wanted to review. It took him awhile...Trendy Tadpole has sooooo many fun ones. Finally, he made up his mind, "King of the Playground". It was perfect for him. He may be my youngest, but out on the playground he transforms to the behaviors of an "oldest child" being bossy--trust me, I'm the oldest, I know! Julie, the owner, gave us the heads up that the shirts tend to run small. Normally, Li'l Man wears a 4/5. I took the "good advice" and ordered a 6.     Li'l Man  made sure to tell everyone he was getting a "Trendy Tadpole" shirt and it was going to say, "King of the Playground because I am!" When the shirt arrived, I was in love -just like that-and my love affair with Trendy Tadpole products has officially...