Jelli-Beans

www.Scammy.com

2012-02-17T23:03:00.002-05:00

Guest post by Jess.

You never know what entertainment is just a phone call away. I'm doing the dishes like a good husband this evening (before you think I'm a super hero Kelli was doing the harder job of putting our 5 kiddos to bed) when the phone rang. The caller id said 'private caller'. I usually let these go, but tonight I answered it. I don't know if you know the trick, but robo callers are silent for the first second or two on the phone. This silence is the computer registering that a human answered the number and alerting some poor schmuck in a call center that 'we got a live one on line 11!'. If you suspect a robo-caller and you hear silence for a second or two after you say 'hi' hang up. That is what I always do...except for tonight. Not sure why I stayed on when I knew what was happening, but now I'm glad that I did.

A man with an Indian accent told me that he was with Microsoft Windows support and they had received multiple messages saying that my computer had a serious error that was slowing it down. I asked him where he got my home number and he said that I needed to go to my computer. Red Flag #1. I figured I would play along for awhile and hoped that I was computer savvy enough to know where the danger line was. He walked me through a series of steps where he basically has you go into the windows system where it logs errors on your computer. These are very common and our computer that is only 2 days old already had racked up some errors. I asked him what error I should look for and he said 'any error'. Red Flag #2. He told me that my computer had a problem and was sending out a virus into Microsoft and they needed to walk me through the fix. Red Flag #3 - Little ole' me and my new computer are about to crash Microsoft with all of your computer geeks?! Come on!

Here is the good part. He told me I needed to open up Internet Explorer and go to a certain website. HUGE RED FLAG #4! For those of you wondering this is the danger line I was talking about. I'm about to write the site, but I beg you not to go there unless you want your money taken or a virus loaded on your system. He told me to go to ammyy.com where I would find the fix to my supposed problem. I typed in exactly what he said, but into the Google search bar. If you want the low down search for 'ammy scam' and read all about it. Lots of people hurt by these crooks. Anyway, I need some time to read about the scam while I have this guy on the phone so I play dumb. I ask him to slowly spell the name of the website. After a few 'tries' I gasp in horror and ask him what kind of a guy he thinks I am. Here is the conversation:

Me: "What kind of guy do you think you are talking to?!"
Scammer: "Sir, I know not what you are meaning"
Me: "I typed in the address you gave me and now there are unholy naked women all over my screen"
Scammer: "Oh my! What have you done?"
Me: "I just typed in the address you told me. I'm at a website called 'I want whammy .com'"
Scammer: "No sir, you must leave this site immediately. Please listen. The address is A as in apple, m as in machine, m as in machine, y as in yellow, y as in yellow. You must listen to the directions that I am giving to you for this to work"
Me: "Okay. Let me try again"
Scammer: "Have you gone to the proper website please"
Me: "I think so. I see it very clearly now. I'm at the website www. scammy.com and I see you are a scammer who thinks I'm dumb enough to let you into my computer. How dumb do you think I am?"
Scammer: "Sir, I do not know what you are saying. I am with Microsoft and am only helping you"
Me: "Yes, you are helping me. This conversation has been long enough for the FBI to track your number. Better start running"
Scammer: Click.
Phone call ends.

Let me know if my friend from India calls to help you fix your computer!

Pinewood Derby

2012-02-13T20:05:00.001-05:00

Introducing the icar! T.Jay took 2nd place in the Bear division! The night was full of fast cars, fancy paint and cheering-just as any Derby should be. I can't believe we get to do this so many times! Lucky!

Rockin it!

2012-02-06T19:36:00.001-05:00

Matthew's do for school today! Being 5 rocks!

Hustle and Bustle

2012-02-04T20:19:00.001-05:00

Our weekend so far. Throw in a baby shower, Target and Costco and we're all caught up. Sad news, the new computer that we waited a week for didn't work, so we had to return it. So I guess we will be going another week off line. Whatever did the pioneers do without the web? How's your weekend going?

Sewing frenzy

2012-02-04T02:14:00.001-05:00

I pulled out my sewing machine this week, and have been sewing like crazy! It feels good to create something. It kind of gives me a little break from the hum drum. Here are a few things I have made. The first is a diaper case cover made from fabric I found in my grandma's basement. The next is a set of burp clothes and blanket made for a friend's baby shower. And the last are a few blankets I made for Simon.

Cooking dinner

2012-02-02T20:51:00.001-05:00

While I'm getting dinner ready, here's what the kids are up to.
At least on a good day...
How do you entertain your kids while you are cooking dinner?

Thank you sir! May I have another?

2012-01-30T02:55:00.001-05:00

After I got my new phone, the kids wanted to play on it constantly. I couldn't get a turn on it, because my kids were so busy playing games on it. We decided that we wanted to buy an iPod touch for them to play with, so that in case they broke it, they didn't ruin my expensive phone. Once we had that, they all decided that they each wanted one of their own. Sharing wasn't as much fun as we told them it would be. Jess told them that if they saved up half, he would pay for the other half. This ignited a frenzy. Each of them looking for ways to earn money. I told them that each quarter of a mile that they ran, I would pay them $.10 and if they ran one whole mile they could earn $.50 per mile. Jess, again, took it one step further and told them for every 100 miles cumulatively they ran, he would give them $20. He also told them that for every 3 miles they ran cumulatively, he would do 5 miles, either running or on his bike. Guess who was up at 5:45 this morning, using the Nike gps app on the iPod, touch, running laps around the house? TJ and Summer each ran about 3 miles around our house this morning! Jess wasn't even out of bed yet, and he was down 5 miles! I think this is the beginning of a beautiful thing!

Back in the swing

2012-01-15T22:31:00.006-05:00

It's been a good month since I've dusted off the mouse and navigated my way here! It's been busy, too. We've had our annual cookie decorating party, all of the Christmas festivities, a week and a half in Montana, and the disastrous aftermath as a result. Believe me when I say, it ain't pretty. I have managed to get the outdoor decor down, but we are still full up Feliz Navidad inside! With a little luck, all will return to it's natural order this week. (somewhat order, if I'm being honest!)
I got a new camera for Christmas, so I am taking up photography! I love it. I took over 3000 photos on our trip to Montana, but don't worry, Jess got it down to about 800! Hopefully throughout the next week, I can share a few of my favorites with you as I catch up (oh, the laundry!) in my life. For now, here is my favorite:

Jess, enjoying the view from our ranch.

3 Months

2011-12-13T01:30:00.003-05:00

On November 26th, Simon turned 3 months old! (Thanks for the stickers, Tiff!) Isn't he a little cutie pie! Seriously, I just want to eat him. It's frowned upon, I know. It doesn't change anything!

I guess by now he is 3 and half months. Here's what he is up to. He started laughing about two weeks ago. He's ticklish under his neck and under his arms. I love it when he laughs. Tonight he rolled over from his front to his back twice! Twice! Why won't he stay little? I just don't know. He has moved up to 6-12 month clothing, so he is cruising through the sizes (did I forget to mention that he's only 3 months?! Sheesh!). He is sleeping from about 9:30 or 10 until 6:30. He is also starting to move to a morning and afternoon nap, with fewer cat naps in between. He loves his siblings and spent most of today wanting to be held by someone. Lucky for him, there are 6 of us to choose from. Usually someone will comply! I thought I'd share some of his deliciousness with all of you. :)

Milestones

2011-11-29T06:25:00.005-05:00

Today is my 35th birthday! A milestone, for sure! In honor, here is a list of 10 of my favorite things for this past year:

1. My family. Jess and the kids make my world go round!
2. Food: Crunchy tacos
3. Color: Blue

4. Exercise: Running

5. Accessory: It's a tie between my red necklace set and my new necklace with my babies names on it. (thanks again Brenda!)

6. Favorite shoes: My Brown boots. Oh how I love shoes!

7. Activity: Riding my bike.

8. Pastime: Visiting with my friends.

9. Favorite dessert: Brownies and chocolate chip cookies. A tie, how could I pick just one!
10. Favorite date: going to see the BYU ballroom dance performance. Unbelievable!

Top 10 memories as a 34 year old:

1.We purchased our first home!
2. We finished my dining room table, finally!!
3. San Fransisco with Jess
4. Throwing Summer's Tea party Birthday.
5. Going to Harry Potter world at Island's of Adventure.
6. Taylor Swift concert with my baby girl.
7. Moving to California!
8. Adding Simon to our family!
9. Our trip to Cannon Beach, OR
10. Thanksgiving with all 4 of my brothers, their families and my Mom!

Thankful List for 2011

2011-11-26T14:38:00.004-05:00

I was going to do a photo list for this, but I lack the desire to do it it while on the road, so words it is! I didn't get this out yesterday, because I was busy enjoying my family time. So, a day late, here is a list of the things that I am thankful for this Thanksgiving. This isn't going to be a complete list as I (and you) don't want to be here all day! In no particular order.
1. Heavenly Father. He has made everything in my life possible. The blessings that make my life pleasant and the trials that help me learn, grow and appreciate the good things that I have. I hope that I can always focus on those blessings and appreciate the trials for what they are.
2. Jess. He is a great companion. He is always trying to make me happy and he works so hard for our family. He is nostalgic, and even though I tease him, I love it.
3. T Jay. He is so sweet. When I am upset, he always tries to cheer me up. He is a great big brother. He is also a great helper. I am so glad God sent him to me.
4. Summer. She is the most giving person I know. If someone is sad because they lost something or they don't have it, Summer will give up her own. She is an example to me. I am also enjoying our Mother daughter time together. She is fun to talk to. I look forward to so many more mother/daughter dates with her. I am also grateful that she wants to learn things that I know and be with me.
5. Matthew. He has the greatest zest for life. He is a great reminder to me to enjoy all there is in life. To take time to balance on the curbs, admire any unique thing in my path and enjoy what others have to offer. He is a champion snuggler and I am his favorite snuggling partner. A true gift in my life.
6. Alexis. Alexis is such a sweet little girl. Her voice makes me happy every time she opens her mouth. I just want to record everything she does and says! She is so happy, and it rubs off on us all.
7. Simon. Sweet little Simon. I am in love with this little baby. He was an unexpected blessing that I have enjoyed every moment of so far. He is a great sleeper, which I give thanks for almost every night. I love to hold him and watch him melt off to sleep in my arms. He has wooed us all.
8. Jess' job. I am so grateful that Jess has a good job and that we have what we need to take care of our family.
9. Our home. While it is not our dream house, I am so grateful to have a place to hang our hats, to keep us safe and warm.
10. A car. I am so thankful to have a car that is comfortable and runs well. It takes me any where I want to go. This week it was to CO to be with my brothers, Mom and their families.
11. Friends. They make the journey through life fun and enjoyable. I have met so many wonderful friends. I appreciate everything that I have learned and enjoyed from each one.
12. Church. I am so thankful for my church. I love the meetings, the things I learn from the classes and the support I get when attending each week.
13. Food. I love food. I like how I feel when I eat good, healthy food. My tongue loves how it feels when I eat yummy food!
14. Running. I am so glad I am able to run. I love a good adrenaline rush that comes when I run.
15. Jogging stroller. Thanks Tiffiny! I am so grateful to have an easy rolling way to move my brood around. I pack the younger 3 in it and head out to enjoy a jog. Every time I do, I think of the pioneers who had to use wooden carts with hard wheels. If I had to pick one baby item to have, that would be my choice.
16. Vacuum cleaner. I know, it's kind of odd. I love to vacuum! I love how my floors look when they are freshly vacuumed!
17. Reading. I love a good story. I love to escape into a different world for a little bit, and then return to my own.
18. History. I am thankful for the things we can learn from it.
19. Freedom. I am so glad that I have the freedom to make choices for my own life.
20. TV. I know it's kid of shallow, but I love to watch TV.
21. School and the ability to learn. I am so glad that my kids have access to education and that we can learn anything we want.
22. Warm clothes on a cold day
23. Grandparents. I am grateful for their stories, experiences and love.
24. Parents. A big part of who I am is because of them.
25. In laws. I have the best in-laws, and I know it!
There are a million other things that I am thankful for, but for this year, this is what comes to mind. My favorite quote this Thanksgiving season is, "Gratitude makes what you have enough."

Road Trip!

2011-11-17T19:30:00.006-05:00

We're off! We're on our way! To the best of all Thanksgiving Days!!

We are at it again. Hitting the road. Ready for adventure. Here's our itinerary for our Turkey trot across the desert. First stop, well, the first stop was a bathroom break in the middle of no where, but you know what I mean! The first stop was to Edwards AFB, my birthplace. I have only been there once before, but moved away as a baby, so I know nothing about it. My Mom was right, it is in the middle of nowhere! I can now say that I know where I was born, well at least which exit to take to get there and what the welcome sign looks like! We are staying in Vegas our first night. Now, Vegas isn't that interesting to me as I am not a gambler, drinker, clubber etc. but i think the lights of the strip and the unique hotels will make it a memorable stop for the kiddos, not to mention there aren't a lot of choices for hotels in the desert. Stop number 2 is Kanab, UT to visit my Dad and Grandma Great. It will be a short drive allowing us a nice little visit with Dad. Then it's a very long day to Colorado Springs with a stop at four corners monument for pictures. We will get into Colorado Springs Saturday night, along with two of my brothers. Yes, all five siblings and my Mom are getting together to give thanks! Sunday, Simon is being blessed in my Mom's ward. It will really be something to have Jess and all of my brothers participate in this special event. Other things on the agenda for the week: a lot of visiting, parks, touch football games, a 5k, temple visit, food, fun and family. I am so excited about all of this. Oh yeah, and did I mention that my mother will be hosting 5 of her kids, 13 of her grand kids for this visit. It will be cozy and memorable for sure!

We will head home on Black Friday, something that we avoid like the plague. Speaking of, isn't there a black plague? If so, it makes sense to name the busiest shopping day of the year after it! (yes, I know the real reason for the name!) Anyway, we are staying in Salt Lake the first night, so we can see the lights at temple square. I am REALLY excited to show the kids this sight. It is unbelievable. Reno is our other stop. Who knows what other gems we will stumble upon in our travels. I guess I'll let you know when I check back in. Until then, Safe travels and Happy Thanksgiving!!

These are a few of my favorite things...

2011-11-15T20:45:00.004-05:00

So, remember how I had big plans of posting thankful bits daily for the family all month? Well, clearly I have failed at that one. Not the Thankful part, just the publicizing my thankfulness part. But don't worry, I have something up my sleeve, that I think will be fun. For now, here are some fun photos of the last week or so. Enjoy!
It has turned Fall in our neck o' the woods. I. Love. Fall. I love the crispness, the foods associated with it, the cozy clothes, colors, smells...my list could go on and on. Fires are at the very top of that list, but add S'mores to the fire and you've nearly won my heart forever! Passing that love on to my kiddos is hugely satisfying!

Cute baby in sunglasses, check!

Cutie Patootie staying up late, eating a snack and watching cartoons, all while feeling very big girlish! I wish I could video tape everything this little lollipop kid does and says. She's unbelievably adorable! If LA wasn't such a drive, I'm sure we could make serious money off her voice!

My sweet sleepy baby boy, sweating out a rather treacherous bout of gasiness.

Trouble with Teeth

2011-11-08T22:02:00.005-05:00

Summer lost a tooth last week! She was so excited, because it fell out on her desk while she was at school! She came out of school dancing with excitement as she told me of her good fortune. It's been a while since she has lost a tooth, so she was seeing $$ signs! Bed time is always a snap when the Tooth fairy needs to pay a visit and this night was no exception.
Fast forward to the next morning. An adorable sad face woke me up. The Tooth Fairy hadn't come. Sighs filled our home. I suggested that she send the Tooth Fairy an e-mail, letting her know that we had moved since her last visit, in case that was the problem. She looked at me and said in amazement, "You can do that?!" I told her "why not?" That was all she needed to get to work. She penned (typed) the lovely letter above and sent it off to: thetoothfairy@toothfairy.com

Dear Tooth Fairy,
Hi!I lost a tooth,but we moved this Summer.Last night I put my tooth under my pillow,and you did not come to pick my tooth up!I am wondering what happened to your appearance for my tooth.I hope you are not having a hard time with getting to all of the houses in one night,and not feeling bad about it at all,when you do not get to all of the childrens houses in time.
LOVE,
Summer
my adress: XXXX XXXXX Circle Califorinia
It worked, because the Tooth Fairy paid a visit the very next night, explaining that she had, in fact, gone to our house in Florida and was confused that she wasn't in "her room" and that she was sorry for the mistake. Luckily Summer was very understanding and patient with our dear friend!

Tom Turkey

2011-11-08T16:07:00.006-05:00

We got to visit the elementary school today to see Mrs. Ballard's 2nd grade class perform Tom Turkey. Summer was a cow. A very adorable cow, I might add! The little ones and I enjoyed watching her.

Mrs. Ballard's 2nd grade class basking in their Tom Turkey 15 minutes of fame.

Here's what we are thankful for today:

Jess: "Walking outside and realizing what a beautiful day it is."
Kelli: Access to a free education for all of my kiddos! I am glad I don't have to do it myself!

T Jay: "Parents"

Summer: "Simon"

Matthew: "You!" (pointing to me.)

Lexi: "You! You make me happy!" It's my lucky day!

Simon: Mommy! I thought I'd make it almost unanimous!

Thankful Posts

2011-11-07T21:10:00.003-05:00

These photos are from Jess' birthday. We were so busy enjoying his day, that I never mentioned anything about it here. For his 39th birthday, he got a monster late sleep in, a breakfast date, a new bike, a scavenger hunt (planned by T Jay) and a birthday party (pirate theme) planned by the kiddos! It was really fun.

Jess is the genius of crazy games to get the kids to do what we want. This is some sort of bedtime train. I asked him to write all of his game ideas down. I'm smelling a book deal? Maybe not, but for posterity's sake!

In other news, I am trying something new this Thanksgiving season. We will still be making our annual Thanksgiving tree while we are in Colorado. In the mean time, I am interviewing each of the members of our family on things they are thankful for, and then I will be posting them here. Some of the days will be combined into one post. Five kids, remember?! Here's what we've got so far:

November 6th:

Jess: The ability to improve

Kelli: bedtime

T Jay: food

Summer: a body

Matthew: (he wouldn't cooperate)

Lexi: baby dolls

Simon: milk

November 7th:

Jess:

Shallow: Upgrades on Delta Airlines.

Deep: A wife who makes my life infinitely better. (I didn't pay him to say that, at least not that I'm admitting!)
Kelli: Washer, dryer and Dishwasher! All three were used profusely today. I couldn't imagine my day with out them!

T.Jay: Clean water

Summer: Mrs. Ballard (her 2nd grade teacher)

Matthew: The bed that I sleep on.

Lexi: Simon

Simon: pacifier

Simply Simon!

2011-11-05T11:56:00.005-04:00

This post is all about our little Simon! He had his two month check up last week. Here are his stats: weight- 13.2 lbs. Length- 24" He is in the 80 something percentile and growing like crazy. He has begun to smile at us and is staying awake for longer periods of time. He started sleeping through the night at six weeks, which has won him extra brownie points with me! All six of us are utterly in love with him!

Handsome after Church.

Simon smile unveiled!

Simon: "I like Mom to try really hard to get me to smile. It's entertaining to watch her make crazy faces." At least that's what I think he'd say!

Ha! Ha! Ha!

Hooray! Mom gives me everything I want!

lovin' the swing!

Bring your family to work day

2011-11-05T11:22:00.003-04:00

Last week, we took the opportunity to go tour one of the wind sites that Jess' company has been working on in our own backyard. We stopped into the local office, picked up hard hats (pink for the girls, of course!), safety vests and a tour guide and set off for the site.
The kids are in front of the old turbines in this photo.

First off, Holy windy, Batman! Duh, right?! It was so windy that we had to hold onto our hats, literally! It seemed like enough wind to power the whole East Bay area without breaking a sweat! (new turbines)

Family photo op (except for Simon, he was snug in the car.)

Operation retrieve Lexi's run away hat.

Matthew's plan for riding out the wind.

The kiddos posing on the platform to the turbine.

Four little angels looking down on us.

Jess' job is actually finding and preparing the sites for construction, not the actual construction. It was fun to see this side of the process. At this site, they were replacing old turbines with larger more efficient turbines. They took down about 25 old ones and replaced them with one new one!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-02T17:03:00.003-04:00

Trick-or-Treating with our neighbors!

Robot, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and our little strawberry Fairy!

Checking the fit! (and added muscle strength)

Me and my little honey bee!

and one more 'cause this little bee is so cute!

Me and my Hubs!

Shining Light

2011-10-26T21:26:00.007-04:00

Matthew's preschool is named Shining Light Preschool. I have it's location saved into my GPS and usually use the navigate function so that I can track the arrival time. You know, am I going to make it on time or not?! As the route guidance comes to an end, the navigator says, "arriving at Shining light on left." Each time this happens, so 3 times per week, Matthew and I have the following conversation: "Mom, it's not shining light, it's shiny light." I tried for the first few weeks to correct him, but it was utterly futile! This week, he expounded on why it is shiny light. I'm sure he was fed up with my ongoing mistake and that darned GPS because in an exasperated voice, he said, "Mom it's shiny light because we keep it shiny and clean." My response was of course, "I guess we should call our house shiny house. Maybe then it will stay shiny and clean?" So far it hasn't caught on, except in my dreams.

Phew!

2011-10-26T17:53:00.003-04:00

We got a little lucky this week. America's paranoia with unclaimed backpacks totally worked in our favor this past weekend! On Friday, We stopped at the playground to play before heading home. We had a great time. Fast forward to Monday morning when I was looking for T Jay's lunchbox. I realized that T Jay had left his backpack at the park. I remember looking at it laying on the ground, surrounded by a bunch of other backpacks and thinking it wasn't a very good place to put it. Then I further realized that not only were his backpack and lunchbox gone, but his jacket and library books were also in there. This was going to be a pricey mistake. Instead of getting mad about the irresponsibility, I just informed T Jay that he would have to help pay to replace everything. He just nodded. As we walked to school, we discussed the possibility that it might still be at the park. Poor T Jay was nervous the whole time, hoping his backpack would turn up. It wasn't at the park. I told him to check the lost and found, but I was not optimistic. If I'm being honest, my guess was that some obnoxious older kids found it, stole what they wanted and then kicked the rest around until it was destroyed. After school, he came racing out with his backpack on and a huge grin. Apparently someone saw a lone backpack sitting at the park and called the police, who determined it was not a bomb and returned it to T Jay's teacher! Yay for cautiousness!

Hungry.

2011-10-25T01:48:00.002-04:00

So, Matthew frequently walks up to me and says, "hungry" when he wants a snack. If I'm busy, I will try to put him off. When I do that, he takes matters into his own hands. Sometimes Lexi goes along for the ride. Who eats a cucumber like a pickle? This is not the first time either. Just thought you might like a peak into the eating habits of this utterly adorable 5 year old and his protege'.

A First

2011-10-21T01:29:00.002-04:00

So apparently I experienced my first earthquake tonight! I was sitting downstairs folding laundry, watching TV and holding Simon, (I know multi tasking much?!) when I felt a huge bump. It seemed like someone upstairs dropped something really heavy causing the house to bounce a little. Strange. I even went to investigate, thinking someone might've fallen out of bed, but all of my sweeties were snug in their beds. I had a 'what if' thought in passing, but then I went back to my laundry folding and TV watching. When Jess got home we were talking about it. Apparently there were two earthquakes today. One around 2:40 and then the one at 8:16. We weren't aware of the first one because we were walking at that time. Someone told Jess that you don't feel them if you are walking. I'm not sure of the science or truth on that one, but we didn't feel the first one, so maybe it's true. I feel like I need to get things a little more prepared around here, and learn a little more about earthquake safety. We do have two cases of bottled water though! That should hold 7 people, what, two days?! OK, yeah, add earthquake prep to my to do list. :)

She's a big girl now!

2011-10-20T14:23:00.002-04:00

As you all know, we have had a lot of things going on here. If not, here's a quick recap: moved across the country, unpacked a monster load of stuff (6 people worth!) into a new house, had a baby and started all new schools. So there are a few things that I have been putting off, with no real date of intent. Potty training Lexi is one of them. The other day, as we were walking the kids to school, I watched Lexi run along with her over loaded diaper sagging and bouncing behind her. Thoughts of how ridiculous she looked rolled around in my mind. That's it, I told myself. Lexi is getting potty trained this week. Done, date set, now to stick to it. Ugh! On Monday, we went to Target and loaded up on yummy drinks and snacks to reward Lexi toward clean and dry pants. She was super excited, I was not. Potty training is my least favorite part about child rearing (so far!). We woke up on Tuesday morning, ready to go. We got the kids off to school, threw her last diaper into the trash and got to work. We went into the bathroom and began to demonstrate and then practice the potty process. Lexi is both independent and strong willed, so she took charge right away. And then we waited. Pretty soon, she announced that she had to go pee! What? I was expecting at least several puddles on the floor before this breakthrough. Thrilled, I followed her into the bathroom to witness her achievement. She didn't disappoint. I checked her pants though out the day, and gave her a reward for keeping them dry. She put two and two together and followed me around for the entire day, asking me to check her pants every five seconds so she could have a treat! I guess we'll play that game for about a week, and then I'll mysteriously run out of treats for her!
Day 2 went well also. I decided to run a couple of errands after we dropped Matthew off at preschool. I was a little nervous, but decided to roll the dice. We were in Target, deciding between Dora or princess pull ups for night time when she told me, "I pee in my underwear" I panicked a little, asked her to wait until we got to the potty and dashed off. It felt a little like I was in a race, and didn't hear the gun go off. Now I had to scramble off the blocks and try to catch up. We made it to the bathrooms, discovered she only peed a tiny bit in her underwear and she was able to finish peeing in the toilet. Sigh of relief! She has told me she has also gone poop in the toilet, but I missed the proof, because she had already flushed. Other than the little Target thing, she has kept her underwear dry. Amazing. Who new she would be a 2 and a half year old potty training prodigy?! Just kidding! I am so grateful that she has decided to make this easy on me. If you need any potty training help, I basically used the Toilet Training in Less Than a Day Book. It's labor intensive, and really isn't fun, but the kids tend to be toileting on their own (with out being reminded) within a day or two, and that makes it all worth it! She is so proud to be wearing underwear. I know what you are thinking. The binkie is next on the list. No date has been set. Any thoughts on how to make that one painless? I'd love some ideas.

Cannon Beach

2011-10-19T16:08:00.006-04:00

We stayed in Portland, so we drove the kids by the Portland temple.

Look at that face. Delicious.

This is the restaurant where we had lunch. I had yummy fish and chips. Fresh caught halibut by a local fisherman. I was in heaven!

Cute, huh?!

We also shared a s'mores crepe. Mmmmm!

Gepetto's toy shop. I love small town America!

Bruce's candy shop, known for their salt water taffy. My favorite flavor was the peanut butter and chocolate.

The balcony.

Haystack rock. Remember, from Goonies? I wish there really were an ancient pirate ship hidden inside to explore!

Lexi on the balcony. That smile is to die for!

Snuggled up reading time. Heaven.

Birthday boy, Matthew. this is on Oct. 3rd, Matthew's 5th birthday! Here are my top 5 favorite things about Matthew:

1. He has the sweetest face on the planet.

2. He is a champion snuggler. I wake up most mornings with him snuggled up close!

3. He is super (SUPER) independent.

4. He is really outgoing. Our first Sunday in our new ward in CA, he slid into the pew next to a woman and said, "Hi, my name is Matthew. I just moved from Florida and it's a long trip." A real charmer.

5. He ends statements with, "was that so sweet of me?" Melts my heart every time.

Oregon coast sunset.

Why are birthday hats and blowers so much fun?

Birthday cake!

After cake and presents, we went out to a bonfire on the beach. We put glow sticks on the kids, gave them flashlights and let them run around. They had a fabulous time.

See?!!

We slept with our windows open, so Simon got to sleep majorly bundled. I think he liked it!

Brunch. More yummy halibut for me, and fried avocado, a first for me.

When we were looking in the gift shops in town, there was a shirt that said, "I went to the Oregon coast and poked dead things with a stick." My kids did just that. Here, they are admiring a headless seal. I am not sure if Jess let them poke it with a stick or not.

Enjoying the coast

Maybe Lexi wasn't all that impressed? More cold than anything.

It's never too cold to strike a pose when you are 7!

I had so much fun in OR! I loved the weather! We also met up with Jess' parents and introduced them to Simon. It was great to see them!

Redwoods!

2011-10-19T15:38:00.004-04:00

Our first CA road trip was actually to Oregon, but on the way, we checked out the great California redwoods! A-mazing! Speaking of amazing, look at Jess' super human strength as he holds up that massive tree!

This is the first of three drive thru trees that we drove through. The girth of these trees is seriously impressive!

Crazy kids on a crazy big log.

This was one of our rest stops. Look how clear the forest floor is. There was another grove that we went in that was really dark as soon as you stepped in. Nighttime would be really frightening in there.

Hikers

Matthew is dwarfed by these monstrous trees.

This little tree house was at the second drive thru tree. The second tree was not quite as impressive. It was leaning over, cracked and held up with cables.

Tree # 3. We were the only ones at this one, so we got our money's worth! We drove through like 4 or 5 times!

We loved this drive! It was breathtaking. We found some really neat places that we'd love to go and camp at and explore. Hopefully we can get back there soon!

As of late...

2011-10-10T17:02:00.002-04:00

I have been totally slacker-ish with my blog lately. Big surprise there, right?! I think I just forget to take the time or forget that there is anything to mention. I have lots of "I should blog about that" moments, but unfortunately, most of them don't make it much further! For now, here are a few funny things I've taken pics of lately.
Summer is a fantastic little mommy! Simon felt right at home as he snoozed, sprawled out on her belly!

Cutest little swimmer ever! Thanks, Grammy!

Matthew arranged this picture for me before he fell asleep! What a little helper. I never know what I am going to find when I check on him each night!

Since I photographed Matthew I figured I should take pics of the rest. Not nearly as funny, but cuties, still. They are usually more entwined!

Mr hot feet, just like his Daddy!

We had fun friends over and were treated to a fashion show!

The options were endless! Look at that cutie pie baker!!

Oh, and guess what, I have a mechanic, now! We've always just gone to the dealer because we didn't know anyone good to go to. No more!! There was a light that came on in my car, so a friend recommended someone. He's awesome, diagnosed the problem on the spot, and didn't even charge me. He earned himself a batch of baked goodies!

More to come later! How much later? Hmmmm...

Out of the Mouths of Babes

2011-09-18T23:11:00.002-04:00

Bedtime, like many houses I'm sure, can be quite the ordeal around here. We were having trouble putting our kids to bed and after an hour or two of struggles we thought we had won. About 2.5 hours later lil miss Summer came down the stairs much to our surprise. Needless to say she was not met with the sweetest of attitudes. We gave her a stern look and asked in our most frazzled voices "Why in the world are you still awake? What have you been doing up there all this time?". Her answer will never be forgotten. She sweetly replied, "I've been reading the Bible". At this point we looked at each other and started laughing nearly uncontrollably because we never expected an actual perfectly acceptable answer! Matthew had received a rather thick children's Bible from his Christian pre-school and Summer had sat down and read it cover to cover over the space of a couple of hours.

It can be tough handling all of our children, especially at the end of a long day when everyone is tired. It's moments like these that continue to make it all worth it!

Newborn pictures

2011-09-11T18:07:00.005-04:00

I had newborn pictures taken of Simon this past week! Behold the cuteness!! I am so in love and thoroughly loving having a baby in the house again. So is the rest of the family.
A few stats about Simon so far:
1. He has pooped on me 3 times already in his short two weeks of being in our family! I made it through 4 kids without being pooped on. He is making up for the rest of them.
2. He had his 2 week check up on Friday. My little (not so little) sweetie is 10lbs!!! (birth weight was 8lbs 14oz.) He also grew an inch and a half in those short two weeks! Up to 21 and a half from 20 in. Busy baby boy!
3. He is a grunter. Grunts all of the time! In fact, he grunts to wake me up to feed at night instead of crying. I mean, he grunts to wake Jess up, and then Jess nudges me to get up and feed him!
4. I am 5 for 5 at creating pukers! I am very skilled at catching spit up! Any of you amateurs who hold him, beware!
5. Seriously so sweet! (of course)
And now on to the main event, naked baby cuteness!

Pre-school...finally!

2011-09-11T17:50:00.003-04:00

Matthew started pre-school last week! He has been so excited about this. Technically, he is eligible for Kindergarten this year, as CA's cut off date for school is in December. I would be insane to consider this, mainly because number 1: he hasn't been to any type of preschool yet and, number 2: have you met Matthew?!! We were holding off for FL's free voluntary pre-K program, but since we've moved to Cali, we get to pay for pre-school instead! Joy! Matthew is so happy and I love hearing about what he is doing at school, so it is totally worth it. He is in Miss Hope's Afternoon class in the zebra room. His class is from 1:15- 3:45 on Monday's, Wednesday's and Fridays. I have him on a waiting list to get into a morning class, as that would make my life infinitely easier because elementary school is out at 2:50. We'll see, but for now, Matthew is loving his time in school. He has asked me a few times to go to a school that does learning. He doesn't seem to understand the learning through play concept. And really, if I'm being honest, the whole reason he is there is to help him with his listening skills and to practice staying with group activities.

I bought this shirt for him, along with another one that says "danger seeker." I'm not sure if I should encourage this, but they are so fitting because let's face it, he's totally a danger seeker and nothing seems to be too extreme for him. I guess I need to embrace it, and keep the ER number on speed dial. Oddly enough, I haven't used it yet!

Labor Day

2011-09-11T17:43:00.003-04:00

Jess took the kids hiking at The Ridges for Labor day. Lexi is all ready to go.

It turned out to be a very hot, dusty hike that they shared with a few hundred of our closest friends here in CA! This hike will be reserved for spring, winter and non holidays in the future. Despite their faces, I still think they had fun. My Mom and I stayed home with baby Simon. I'm so sad I missed this one.

Seriously, so fun!!

About a week...

2011-09-11T17:37:00.003-04:00

So I guess it's true, after so many kids, you kind of forget to keep track of certain things. I'm not sure how old Simon is in these pics, but it's around the one week mark. At least I took them, right?!

Sleepy boy.

Little Tootsies!

After his first sponge bath. He wasn't a fan, but really, who does like to be stripped down, wet and laid on a towel?!

Sibling love.

Simon Andrew

2011-08-29T11:24:00.008-04:00

This photo was taken on Sunday after church. Can you believe the roundness that is my belly?! I still can't get over how round my belly was!

Simon Andrew arrived on August 26th at 4:32 a.m.! Simon decided that he was ready to be born, so he gave me one good kick (or punch) and my water broke. It was 5 days before my due date, so I hadn't packed a bag yet. I tried to think of what I would need, but the panic of what was to come kept getting in the way. We headed off to the hospital around 3 a.m. I was group B strep positive, so I had to get antibiotics through an IV. It was my first IV since Summer was born. I thought that was going to be the worst part of the process. I hate needles and getting poked! I was wrong. I have never felt pain like this delivery before! Matthew and Lexi were both born naturally, so I thought I knew what to expect. I was not prepared. About 20- 30 minutes before delivery, I had the IV drug, staydal. Boy was I glad I did, because Oh my goodness, I can't even imagine that delivery without it. The nurse said it wouldn't help much with delivery pain, but it had to have, right? It was kind of funny, because even after delivering 4 other children, I felt like I didn't know what to do. The delivery was so painful, it was all I could think about after Simon was born. I kept saying over and over, "I can't believe how much that hurt!" I'm sorry for any of you reading who are going to be delivering soon. All I'm talking about is the pain. You may be asking yourselves why I didn't just get an epidural. Well, I don't ever have enough time to get one, the one time (Summer) I tried, it didn't work until after I delivered. The Dr commented that I didn't have a potty mouth afterwards and when I asked her why, she said, you asked if he was out yet and when we said no, you said, 'Seriously?!!'" She thought that was pretty funny.

Get ready for a baby Simon photo fest!!

Here are his stats.

Proud siblings meeting their baby brother for the first time.

So happy to finally hold him. I haven't heard anymore talk about a baby girl since he was born, so I guess she has decided to keep him!

Dutiful big brother.

So many big brothers

Lexi was probably the most excited to meet him. He's "her baby boy."

The crew! You don't know how hard it was to get 5 kids in one area for a picture. We did not succeed in getting eye contact from them. We take what we can get these days!

First family photo.

Our celebration dinner. Since we didn't get a date night in before he arrived, we'll consider this our date night.

Grammy and her latest (and greatest) grand baby!

Taking turns is so hard to do!

Future Dr.

Sad that she can't wear Matthew's flippers. Such a cute sad face, she'll go far in life!

Matthew, being Matthew.

Little Mommy.

Ready to go home. We had to stay the full two days since I didn't get enough of the GBS antibiotic before he was born. We had some great bonding time and rest with our extra day, but we were ready to go home. My back was killing me after sleeping in that hospital bed. My heart goes out to anyone who has to do that for any amount of time.

Ready to go!

Our brood!

Family of seven! Wow!

Look how full the car is with all of my precious cargo!

Lexi could not be happier to be a big sister! The jury is still out on how Simon feels about being the little brother to all of these siblings, but I'm sure he will come to love it!

So, there you have it. We are complete now. Now comes the task of settling into life with a new baby, in a new town, in a new house...Wish us luck, we're gonna need it!!!!

First day of school!

2011-08-29T11:16:00.002-04:00

The kids had their first day of school on Tuesday the 23 of August! They were so excited to meet their teachers and begin making new friends. We weren't sure until the day before, if there was going to be room for T Jay at our neighborhood school or not. Thankfully we got a call the day before that he was admitted! Yay! He was even going to be in the same class as our neighbor's grandson, whom he had already met and liked! Score! The morning of, T Jay was really nervous. He kept saying that he was too nervous to eat breakfast. So sweet. They had a great time and made a few friends. They both have really great teachers and we are excited about the school year.

At Mohr Elementary.

Maternity Photo shoot

2011-08-04T12:41:00.002-04:00

These are from a maternity photo shoot that my dear friend Happy did for me in Downtown Stuart before I left Florida. I was about 33 weeks at that time. She did an amazing job!

Progress Report

2011-07-27T10:30:00.002-04:00

We made it to California! My favorite part of the drive was going through the Donner pass area in the mountains. It was beautiful! We have some history to learn about that area before we return there. California welcomed us with awesome chilly weather! (very pregnant, remember!) We spent one night in a Marriott, and then 5 nights at the Hilton. We looked at 4 houses on Wednesday, and the 4th one was ours! We signed a lease on Saturday and got the keys on Sunday. We slept on air mattresses that night. It wasn't too bad comfort wise, I can sleep anywhere, but we can't seem to keep our kids out of our bed. We woke up with Lexi, Matthew and Summer on the queen air mattress with us. I guess Jess only had his upper half on, but still! Comical!
I headed to L.A. on Tuesday with the kids for my cousin Trisha's wedding so Jess could get caught up with work. When we left, he had over 300 e-mails that needed his attention! Yikes! The drive was only about 6 hours and not bad at all. Although I will say LA traffic is insane! We arrived in time for dinner and visiting with my Mom's southern family. We got to see my Mom's two Sisters, Aunt Susan and her husband James and Aunt Sherry, my Granddad, my cousins Kristi and Katelyn, My cousin Wendy and her family, my cousin Clint and his family, my cousin Julie and her family and got to meet Trisha's Fiancee, Jeremy who seems very nice. While we were there, we went to Trisha's bridal shower brunch, the beach (which is way colder than FL) and several parks. Sadly, I didn't end up going to the wedding because I couldn't get a babysitter for my children. We spent the day at an awesome park. After the wedding, everyone came over for pizza and visiting. We also found out that there was a small carnival that was up and ready right across the street. I don't normally like going to these kinds of things, because, with 4 kids it is really expensive. Every ride is usually $3 each X 4! $9 a ride adds up really fast. When we bought the tickets, they were .50 a piece and the rides were only 1 ticket each! Score! Only $1.50 per ride this time! (Lexi was with Grammy) They got to ride everything they wanted! A great way to end our trip. My Mom made the drive home with us. It was nice to have company in the car. I am sure she was thrilled at the prospect of sleeping on an air mattress in our empty house. Our air mattress comedy was much like the first night! We arrived home on Friday and we were expecting the movers to arrive early Saturday morning. They did not disappoint! They were here at 7:30 with 12 people to unload and haul our things inside. They were great. They had all of our things in the house by noon and were putting the beds and tables together! Awesome! Then the real work began. Unpacking boxes is like the game that never ends. The kids have been building a fort out of all of the boxes, they think it's great! We are making progress, but still have a ton of work to do. It takes forever to wash everything, wipe out everything and then put it away. I think I'll be busy until I deliver!
Speaking of, everything is going OK with me. I feel like I'm 90 years old sometimes trying to walk around, but I'm getting by. My back/tailbone are really sore with this pregnancy also. I enjoyed that discomfort with Lexi's pregnancy as well. I have about 5 weeks to go, which shocks everyone who asks. Apparently (I agree with them) I am quite large. I really feel like I am at max capacity, so we'll see what this 'ole body of mine has left to give in these next 5 weeks! It should be interesting! When we get our computer up and running, our photos uploaded and I run out of boxes (which could mean never!), I will add some photos to all of these wordy posts!

The Last Leg

2011-07-12T18:33:00.004-04:00

Well, I slayed the puzzle, we (they) got the ranch house finished and ready for it's first vacation renters and we survived it all! It looks amazing!
On Saturday night, we stayed with Jess' brother Mike. He was a great host. He cooked us a yummy dinner and the kids had a great time playing in his backyard climbing trees, picking flowers and playing Norwegian golf. We went to Livingston ward one last time and then headed over to Grandma's house to celebrate cousin Danny and Uncle Mike's birthdays with a turkey dinner, games and cake. A family dinner was a great way to wrap up our Montana vacation.
Sunday night, we stayed at a historic hotel called The Murray in downtown Livingston. The only way they could accommodate a family our size was for us to stay in the Peckinpah suite! It was AWESOME! You know how I like things and places with a history and a story, and this place didn't disappoint! The third floor suite has seen visitors like Roy Rogers, the Queen of Denmark, the guy who does the No Reservations show, and for the last few months of his life a director named Sam Peckinpah, whom the suite is now named for.
We got up early on Monday, said our goodbyes to the family and headed out on the open road with Uncle Mike driving Jess' car behind us. The first day of driving was beautiful and uneventful. I love driving through the mountains. We got into our hotel, went swimming (of course) and headed off to bed.
At breakfast the next morning, T Jay was opening his milk carton for his cereal and his hand slipped and he knocked his whole bowl of Frosted Flakes onto the floor! Awesome. We laughed, he got more cereal and I apologized sincerely to the attendant! What else can ya do?! We hit the California state line about noon and it was an amazing site to behold. More awesome mountainous driving! We should arrivve ssoometime around 5:00.
Tomorrow we are looking at three rentals. I hope that one of them works! Keep your fingers crossed and the prayers flowing! I'll let you know how much longer we get to be homeless!

The past couple of days

2011-07-08T10:30:00.002-04:00

The 4th of July hike was a big success! It was two miles, round trip, and I loved every minute of it. I was very tired at the end, though. T Jay and Summer raced up the trail like seasoned pros! At one point they played a game where you had to jump from rock to rock. Matthew hiked the entire way except for a few moments of riding on Daddy's shoulders and a short piggy back ride from me. I talked him into walking back down because my belly was so big I couldn't carry him. He and I hiked down together and it was fabulous one on one time. He asked questions, scrutinized nature, picked flowers and leaves for me and threw rocks at every bend in the creek. He sure has a very tight hold on my heart! Lexi even hiked the equivalent of one way herself. She caught a short nap in Daddy's arms on the way down. The hike earned the entire family a much needed nap! The family picnic was nice and the firework show was entertaining. The lawn caught fire a couple times, but Uncle Mike had the hose at the ready! It's kind of surprising what you can buy as a novice from the firework stand. I'm sure the ER was busy that weekend!
Tuesday I spent over two hours at the Honda dealer in Bozeman getting the appearance of my "check engine" light diagnosed. I had T Jay, Summer and Matthew with me. It could have gone really bad, we were only supposed to be there for a half an hour. The stars must have been aligned in my favor, because they were really good the entire time with not much to do- even Matthew!
Wednesday was pretty lazy. The kids played in the glacially cold water and I finished up my book. That evening Jess and I went to Chico Hot Springs for dinner. It was yummy! We had: Caprese salad (my all time fav right now), bruschetta, fresh from their garden salad, flilet mignon, an interesting (gourmet) and yummy version of a potato casserole, and an ice cream pie for dessert. I love great food! I am having my leftovers today!
Thursday we went into Livingston to Sacajawea park so the kids could play. They had a great time playing and I enjoyed watching them from the shade! We lunched at The Pickle Barrel (I always get the mushroom steak sandwich), got the boys a much needed haircut and then headed to the city pool. They have a diving board, so the kids were ecstatic! Luckily the water wasn't as cold as I had been preparing the kids that it would be. It was really refreshing. For the next two hours, the kids wore a path out from the diving board to the ladder and back around again. T Jay got brave enough to try a flip off and I am so glad I got some photos of the sheer joy on Matthew's face every time he jumped off. Cousins met us there, and Summer left the diving board in the dust for handstands and funny hairstyles with cousin Addie. We had a nice relaxing dinner at the ranch with Uncle Mike and s'mores by the river to cap off the evening. The kids borrowed Uncle Mikes tent and camped out in the basement. I am 85-90% finished with the hardest puzzle ever. I swore it's staying here whether I can finish it or not. Hopefully I will have it finished today, I'm not sure I can handle leaving it unfinished, I've got my pride to consider!
Today will probably be a lazy day and tomorrow will be filled with getting the ranch house cleaned up as we have renters checking in on Saturday afternoon. I hope your day is relaxing and fun. Be back before too long!

Happy 4th!

2011-07-04T08:44:00.002-04:00

Well, we made it to Montana! We are staying at "the ranch house" this time, and it is fabulous! The kids have been running free, like they should be able to, from sun up until bedtime every day with their cousins. The pirate ship tree house and costumes have been well usedand the rach kitty, well bothered! The boys are putting the final touches on our newly remodeled ranch house, which we will be renting out as a vacation rental starting next week. I'll post pictures of how awesome it looks after we clean and "check out" on Saturday.
Since we arrived on Thursday, here's what we have been up to. As we were travelling, Jess and T.Jay both picked up pink eye, so I scheduled an appointment for them to go to as we pulled into town. With eye drops in hand, we headed to the grocery store to pick up some non- fast food sustenance (thank goodness!) and headed out to the ranch. The kids feet hit the ground running, after a very strong lecture to stay away from the very high, very fast moving Yellowstone river. Friday was spent working. Jess, Mark and Rich worked on painting and installing the new deck while Mike continued his amazing rock work around the foundation. He was lucky enough to have a lot of little "helpers" eager to find fillers or run errands for him. I'm not really sure if it was a help or a hindrance, but he was really good about letting them "help" him.
Saturday was a little more deck and rock work, and then into Livingston for the annual fourth of July parade! It didn't disappoint! Lots of candy, vintage cars and plenty of music. And hot, certainly hot! I am now in love with several new vintage cars! There was a convertible Crystler Town and Country that was amazing as well as an old Chevy, a Dodge, a Corvette, Porsche and some amazingly cool old farm and ranch equipment! I need to figure a way to be friends with Jay Leno, it's the only way I can think of to fill my vintage car dreams. There are so many that I love! After the parade, everyone headed back out to the ranch for a family dinner. I stopped at Albertson's to get a few things and some fried chicken from the deli. The case was filled with chicken, so I asked the worker for the bulk chicken prices. He was very leery to sell me too much chicken, "because he needed to save some to feed the other people, but if I wanted to wait 15 minutes, he could whip me up a big batch." Hmmm, aren't I "people,"or at least person with money? And couldn't he whip up more once I was gone and cleaned him out? I guess not. I was able to get 20 pieces of chicken out of him, leaving a heaping mound of chicken in the case for "the other people!" Strange and funny at the same time! After we ate, Grandma had games planned for the kids. They had a three legged race, water balloon toss and a water relay. The kids were in Grandma heaven! They wore themselves out so thoroughly that bedtime was full weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth!
Sunday, we got up and ready for church. We had to head in early so that Jess could borrow a white shirt from Grandpa. Rich, Jess, Mark, Grandpa and a few others participated in the baby blessing of little Niles. After church was a lunch at Rich and Jamie's to celebrate Niles! Food, family and visiting- not a bad way to spend the Sabbath! We capped off the evening with a rain storm (my favorite) and adult visiting on the almost finished deck while watching the Yellowstone and taking in the breathtaking view!
Today's activities include our favorite hike up to Pinecreek Falls, a picnic, followed by another family BBQ, more kids games, s'mores and fireworks! I hope all of the kids can make it through the day, naps may be in order! I hope your 4th of July is enjoyable, leaving you time to ponder the beauty of our freedom! Happy 4th!

One Week on the Road

2011-06-28T21:58:00.002-04:00

So it's been a week since we left home. It's been interesting and monotonous at the same time. On Sunday we stopped in Republic to visit my younger brother Kevin. We had a nice visit. I always enjoy getting to visit with him. The kids enjoyed ransacking his kid's toys! They were in Vegas at their Grandma's house so we weren't able to enjoy a visit with them. We got on the road about 9:30 and headed toward Kansas City. We made a stop in Lexington, MO at Wentworth Military Academy, where Jess attended his first year of college. There was a sweet woman who was a mother figure to all of the boys when Jess was there. She works in the alumni office, and she was still there. When Jess walked in, she jumped up and was so excited to see him. I was a little surprised that she remembered him since it had been 20 years since he was a student there, and it was only for a year. The kids enjoyed looking around the campus and hearing stories about when he was there.
After that, we continued on our way to Kansas City. We drove through Liberty, MO and realized that this was the same Liberty, MO (duh!) where the Liberty jail, an LDS church historic site, was located. We decided that a stop in there was a must. You know how I like old things! It was a great break from travelling. While we waited for our tour, I took the kids outside and they ran up and down this grassy hill for 20 minutes! Anything to burn the energy off when stuck in a car all day is awesome! The tour was great. My favorite part was witnessing Summer put her arm around Matthew and comfort him when he got scared because it was dark. Nothing makes me happier than watching my kids show kindness and compassion toward one another.
Once we arrived in Kansas City, we changed for the pool and headed over. We ordered pizza and spent the rest of the evening swimming and eating. Not the best food, but who wants to go to a sit down restaurant with four kids who have been couped up in a car all day?! Pizza by the pool sounds even better, right?!
Today our plan was to drive from Kansas City to Sioux Falls, SD on I-29 N. This proved more difficult than we anticipated. With all of the flooding that the overextended Missouri River has caused, our route was crazy. Several sections of I-29 were closed, and we had the pleasure of exploring several scenic routes through Missouri and Iowa. I had to work really hard at reminding myself that as annoying as it was to have to detour every 30 miles or so to back roads, it is a whole lot more annoying to have your home and farm flood. Why is it hard to keep perspective sometimes? I felt guilty several times today for being annoyed. That being said, the flooded areas were something to behold. It's kind of crazy how nature can wreak such havoc on mankind. It's totally the boss of us!
We finally made it to the Ramada in Sioux falls. We stayed here last year on our summer road trip. The hotel is nothing to write home about, but they have a great pool with pirate ship children's pool and spiral slide! The kids played as hard as they could for three hours. More sub-par food for us, but convenience won again. Who wants to tear four kids away from the "most fun pool ever" to shower, dress and go sit in a restaurant? Not me! It paid off, because the kids fell into bed, and once again, bed time on the road was a cinch!
Tomorrow, we are crossing South Dakota. We will make a stop at Wall Drug, and maybe something in Rapid City. I am excited for the drive. I will feel a little nostalgic as part of our drive will take us through this canyon that we would drive through when we drove from ND to CO. It's breathtaking! Thursday, we will finally pull into Montana for a great week at the ranch. I can't wait to see all of the progress there, and hopefully get plenty of relaxing in.

End of school

2011-06-13T12:01:00.004-04:00

The end of school awards ceremony. Summer earned the top reader award for the second year and got a shirt.

Cutie!

Perry Pride the panther, Pinewood's school mascot.

T Jay also earned the top reader award for the 3rd year in a row. Between Summer and T Jay, we now have 5 of these shirts!

T Jay also was awarded the reading award for his class.

Matthew with one of his many older friends. The 2nd grade went to the park for the last day of school. Matthew was thrilled to play with all of the big girls!

I gave T Jay my camera and sent him on his way to photograph all of his friends.

T Jay and his teacher, Mrs. Greiner. He loves her!

Mrs. Greiner's second grade class.

Happy summer! Lots of changes are coming our way. We will try and keep up while we are transitioning. The packers are coming to begin packing next Monday. I am leaving with the kids next Tuesday and Jess will finish up with the packers, cleaners and such and then catch up with us in Pensacola! Here's to a new chapter...

PInewood Derby

2011-06-13T11:45:00.004-04:00

Our last Pack meeting in Florida before we got started with the Pinewood Derby. T Jay earned his Wolf badge, as well as a few belt loops. I'm not sure I have ever mentioned it, but I have been the den Mother for the past year. It's been fun

The weigh in table. I mostly added this photo so you could see how round my belly is! Seriously round!

Lexi hiding out behind the table waiting for her daddy to return with the pizza.

Matthew enjoying the games. Every time I ask him why he's getting so big or why he won't stop growing, he tells me, "I just want to be a Cub Scout." It is the most darling thing. He was thrilled to be involved with this event!

He's back! Daddy's girl!

T Jay and Summer posing in the winner's circle with an awesome 4th place finish! Way to go Harry Potter car!

T Jay showing of his Harry Potter car. The pattern on top is Harry's wand creating his patronus.

Taylor Swift Concert

2011-06-13T11:22:00.002-04:00

The girls before the concert began.
One of my friends asked me back in February if I would be interested in taking Summer to a Taylor Swift concert with a group of girls and their Moms. My first thought was, 'Are you crazy, she's way too young to go to a concert!" But as I thought about it, it sounded really fun, if nothing else for me! So we signed on to go! I am so glad we did, it was a great end of school/last hurrah with our friends before we move! I decided to get a hotel room so that I wouldn't have to drive home so late at night. Summer and I left around three and checked into our room so we could paint our nails, fix up our hair and primp before heading over to the concert! Summer was in heaven. I am not sure if she was more excited for the concert, or to stay in a hotel together!

Summer and I. FYI, that's about a 27 week belly shot right there!
Our seats were amazing. They called it the sunset terrace. We were at the very top, so it wasn't too loud. They had a bar like table with bar chairs around it. There were only like 50 people in the section, so I didn't worry about Summer getting lost or taken. They had a buffet table set up for most of the night that had free hamburgers, Chicken fingers, fruit and cheese tray, veggies and a dessert tray. They also had a woman serving drinks all night! It was perfect. You can tell from the pictures that there was enough room between us and the other tables that the girls could get up and play around if they wanted! Such a perfect setup.

Summer, eating and showing off her glow before the concert.

The girls playing a game before the concert started.

Summer was very intently taking in her first concert experience. She was so cute. She also enjoyed dancing and singing along with the show. She was probably most fascinated with all of the costume and set changes.

Me with my girl!

Dancing with her friend, Emilie to one of the songs.

We had a great time at the concert! We got back to our hotel around 11:30 and fell into bed. The next morning, we had breakfast and then went for a dip in the pool before we headed back for the Pinewood Derby. It was a great beginning to many awesome girls nights to come!

1st Grade Luau

2011-06-13T11:12:00.002-04:00

Every year, the first grade holds an end of the year Luau celebration. The children get to dress up, and spend the day rotating around all of the first grade classrooms playing games and doing craft projects. It's a blast.
Summer with her friend Karoline.

The girls of Mrs. Taylor's class: Karoline, Summer, Nicole, Emilie and Lindsay Where's Karoline? She's the only one missing from the group.

Summer and her beloved Mrs. Taylor.

Mrs. Taylor's first grade class with Mrs. Rebbecca, a classroom volunteer and also our next door neighbor.

Another awesome year for the books! Thank you Mrs. Taylor for being the most awesome 1st grade teacher ever! We may just have to return to Florida when Matthew is ready for 1st grade!

YMCA Mini meet

2011-06-13T10:50:00.003-04:00

Memorial day weekend, the three older kids participated in the YMCA's gymnastics meet. They had a ball, and more importantly received trophy's. I don't have any still shots of them actually doing anything, because I was too busy taking video. but here are a few shots of them sitting and with their trophy's. But like I told you, the trophy's are the most important part. Matthew referred to the day as "trophy day!"
Matthew, with his class full of girls!

T Jay, passing time.

Lexi's "spot".

Matthew with Coach Ed. Matthew thinks he is the coolest, Coach Ed is so good with the kids!

Summer, waiting to go on the beam.

Trophy!

Summer with coach Emily

The three trophies!

T Jay with Coach Ernie.

We spent nearly the entire day at the YMCA for three separate sessions! It was also Jess and I's 13th anniversary! Where's our trophy?!

California with the kids

2011-06-04T18:21:00.008-04:00

We decided to take the kids out to visit in California to hopefully get them excited about our upcoming move. We flew on a non-stop flight out of Ft Lauderdale. 6 people = 1 whole row on an airplane! 4 kids + 6 hour flight= a little bit of stress! The older three did pretty good, but Lexi got a little testy around the 4.5 hour mark. We got through it, but it wasn't my favorite hour and a half of life.
Loaded in the elevator in Ft. Lauderdale, and loaded with excitement!

In the terminal.

T Jay and Summer on our side of the aisle. They loved watching the TV screens and plying video games on the seat backs.

Jess' side of the aisle. I think I got the easier seat! Lucky me!

Lexi is ready for take off. She loved being able to buckle her own seat belt. She was also very possessive of her seat. No Chinese fire drills for this girl, she wanted her seat.

We flew into San Fransisco, and were able to meet up with my younger brother, Chris and his family. Lexi was thrilled that they had a little baby for her to plat with. She was thrilled that Brynlee was so cooperative about letting her hold her.

I guess Brynlee was equally as excited to check Lexi out. She was fascinated by her face. It made Lexi shriek with glee. Priceless.

Chris and Caevin, checking out the Sea lions that have taken up residence near Fisherman's Wharf.

Behind Summer and T Jay are the Sea lions laid out for our viewing pleasure, and boy did it bring pleasure to them, especially when they would knock each other off of the dock, or climb over one another.

We went to Rainforest Cafe for dinner with the gang and had no fewer than four spills. 4 kids + 4 spills = business as usual!

We made a stop at the Oakland Temple. The grounds and visitor's center were beautiful!

This is carved on two sides of the temple. I thought it was neat.

I like how Lexi is touching his feet. Kind of makes me think that's what the children in the scriptures looked like, too

The view from the overlook was amazing! You could see all of the way to the Golden Gate bridge as well as the whole city of Oakland and beyond. I can't wait to see it at night.

Lexi was willing to remove her "bink" for the photo, how sweet is she?!

Matthew was not willing to drop the pretzel bag, but he looks mighty cute anyway!

This is right outside of the office building where the new west office is for NextEra. It's a nice little part of downtown. A little walking area with cafes and small shops. The kids were big fans of the fountain. I like how someone puts out mats for people to sit on. I'm sure it encourages people to gather and...

Relax, nap, eat, whatever!

We found this cute little ice cream parlor called "Fenton's" You know how I like old things, and this place didn't disappoint. I loved all of the vintage decor and machinery. They even had a bar that they served ice cream and drinks from the fountain. How cute would it be to have ice cream parlor chairs at the kitchen table. I may have to look into that!

Check out my brownie Sundae! It's enormous!! And Yummy! What's not to love!

The children had a great time and learned that California is mostly like anywhere else they have been. They have the stores that we need and parks and schools, church was the same and even more taxes! Yeah! I think the trip was a success. They still aren't thrilled about leaving their friends and our house, but really, that's the hardest part about moving.

The trip home was a little trickier. After we made our travel plans, we found out that Jess had to stay in CA for a day longer for the office opening. That meant that I had to travel home alone with the four kids. The thought of this brought on borderline panic attacks for me. Jess kept all of the luggage for me, so I wouldn't have to wait for it, nor transport it to the car when we arrived. He was also able to walk us to the gate since he had a ticket. It was good that he was there, because he got to work with the desk person to get our seats together. Could you imagine 5 hours with 4 kids spread out all over a flight? Nightmare! They were able to get T. Jay and Summer together, and Matthew, Lexi and I together. Let me just tell you how many looks of bewilderment, concern, need for being committed, shock and terror I received as I we walked through the airport and then proceeded to board the plane alone with four kids! It's almost comical. I am used to it mostly, because it happens everywhere I go, but this was a little something extra. These people knew they were about to be trapped with us. Thankfully, the children were magnificent. I was really worried about Lexi getting a nap. That was the problem on the first flight. My neighbor let me borrow her portable DVD player and I put Dora the Explorer on a constant loop for her. She wore Jess' noise reduction headphones to listen. As she got tired, she just feel asleep. Since the headphones block out noise, I just unplugged them from the DVD player and she slept for just shy of 2 hours! God's little gift to me! Everything went off with out a hitch and we were home and in the car before we knew it. The hardest part was getting the kids back on East coast time! Now to get ready for the move...

Massive updates

2011-05-15T21:32:00.003-04:00

Due to my extreme laziness/ business, I have grossly neglected my blog. I thought about picking things up and not worrying about what I had missed, but decided that since this is, in a sense, our family journal, I didn't want to miss out on Spring of 2011!

To see all of the posts you will have to continue at the bottom of the page where it says older posts. I was way behind!

Hopefully, I can keep things updated, but life is about to get really crazy for as we prepare for another move, this time to Northern California. Here's to good intentions! Enjoy catching up on what we've been up to the past two months!

Harry Potter obsession

2011-05-15T21:18:00.005-04:00

We have a little Harry Potter obsession going on here in our house! T Jay is reading book three, Summer is reading book two and Matthew has informed me that he is also reading Harry Potter and that he is on book one. I woke up at 6:30 one morning last week to this little reading party. I finally allowed T Jay and Summer to watch the first Harry Potter movie this weekend, since they had both read that book. I think when Summer is finished with book 2, I may let them watch it also. We'll see. Even though it's PG, T Jay got a little scared during a few parts and said 3 prayers that he wouldn't have bad dreams from it. They worked, no bad dreams for T Jay! Such a sweetie.

Proof that they are growing up way too fast!

Another funny story from this weekend: Matthew got a birthday party invite at church 2 weeks ago. He was so excited to tell me about it. he said, "there's going to to be hot dogs, cake and a bounce house!" all as he counted them out for me on his fingers. It was so cute. We went to the birthday party this past Saturday. He had so much fun. When we left, he said, "but Mom, they didn't have cake. They said they were going to have cake." I explained to him that at birthday parties, a lot of times they will do cupcakes in place of cake because it's easier for kids to eat. He thought for a second and said with a chuckle, "oh, they tricked us! They did cupcakes instead!" I loved it!

Summer's 7th birthday tea party

2011-05-15T21:06:00.003-04:00

We had a tea party for Summer's 7th birthday party. We brought home the china set that my Mom bought in Czechoslovakia (when I was 12) this summer with plans for this party. We set a fancy table, got fancy things for the girls to wear and had fancy food. It was a blast!

The girls being fancy with a toast!

The birthday girl!

Oh la la! So fancy!

Silly shot

Summer's cousin Avey got in on the action after her nap.

A very typical Summer face.

Harry Potter with a tea party hat on. Notice Kenny and Jess passed out on the couch!

Painting

2011-05-15T20:55:00.003-04:00

Kenny, Katherine and Avey came to visit us last week to help us paint our house. These two little girls had some much fun playing dress up, bouncing in the bounce house, playing outside and fighting over things. I can't even count how many time I heard, "NO, mine!" I loved listening to their conversations. These girls are going to have so much fun growing up together!

The master roller!

I am so grateful that Ken and Katherine were willing to come and help us. This was a huge job! It took us 5 days of painting and we still have the master and guest bedrooms to finish! Insane! Thanks brother!

Jake thought this would be a good time to hang out in the crib!

The master roller's wife!

I love my painted walls! I can't believe what a difference it makes! Kenny also helped Jess change the outside lights with the new insanely tall ladder they bought. They also changed out the ceiling fan in the TV room. This "hot mama" really appreciates having a place to sit under and cool off after having to go out in the Florida heat! I know, I'm such a baby, but this bun in the oven thing seems to be quite literal!

Mr. Fix-it

2011-05-15T20:50:00.003-04:00

The door to our entertainment cabinet broke off, no doubt to Mr. Fix-it hanging on it. He (I'll give you 3 guesses) decided to go ahead and fix it for me. He was very thorough, the tape goes all of the way around!

Did you guess Matthew? Of course you did!

Easter

2011-05-15T20:43:00.003-04:00

Easter Pictures 2011 turned out just as well as every other year! Someone is always upset about something right about the time that the camera comes out. This time it was Summer! I keep telling her that she's going to feel silly looking back at 60% of the family photos where she is mad or sad and frowning in them!

The Fam!

The kiddos!

The happy ones!

The "switch" was flipped after church, so we were able to get a nice Easter picture of Summer. The boys were already up the stairs and half undressed by the time I got into the house, so it's a solo! Grandma and Grandpa were here to celebrate with us. Yep, they survived a week with our kiddos! Thank you so, so much Grandma and Grandpa! I am not sure why we don't have an Easter picture with them and the kids. Sigh.

San Fransisco

2011-05-15T20:23:00.003-04:00

Jess' Company has been looking at opening an office in Northern California. Since much of Jess' time is spent in this other sunny state, this was of great interest to us. The week before Easter, Jess' parents flew out to take care of the kiddos and we headed as far away as we could. Just kidding, we went to check out the area that we could move to. This was really exciting to me because San Fransisco has always been on my bucket list! We drove across the Golden Gate bridge. I had no idea that San Fransisco was known for it's fogginess and cool weather!

Our first clue that we had arrived in San Fransisco! If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can see the awesome dashboard collection that appears to have started the year the van was made.

Fisherman's wharf. This might also be the first photo of me pregnant with #5 here on the blog. This would be about 22 or 23 weeks along.

I can not wait to go to Alcatraz!!

Sea Lion refuge at Fisherman's Wharf!
We had a yummy dinner at a restaurant called 21 Market street in SF and then headed over to Livermore, where Jess had meetings scheduled during the week. I spent the week, eating out, looking around the town we would prospectively like to live in, reading the newspaper at breakfast every morning, sleeping in, taking walks with Jess and a little shopping. Oh and definitely some romance! It was fun having Jess mostly all to myself. Work got in the way a little, but all in all, it was like the trips we used to take before we had kids. Funny thing is though, I spent at least two weeks prior dreaming about how awesome and amazing it was going to be to have this break. Once I was on it, I missed having a purpose to my day. On the day that Jess had meetings, I checked out the local shopping situation. A very important detail to any potential move! I found myself wandering around, sort of like I was lost. Strange. We had a ton of fun, loved the area and I was really glad to get back home to my babies! I am so glad that I don't have to fly coast to coast as much as Jess has. Oh yeah, if you ever fly on Delta, try the Bentley's Carmel popcorn they sell-YUM!

Weeki Wachee Springs

2011-05-15T20:11:00.004-04:00

After We left the Space center, we drove over to the west coast and went to Weeki Wachee Springs. It's the oldest Theme park in Florida. They have a swimming area with water slides, that is fed by a spring, so the water was nice and refreshing. They also have a boat ride that you can take and a live mermaid show. It was a fun afternoon.

Summer, with one of the mermaids.

Lexi, soaking up whatever rays got through her sunscreen!

The mermaids performing, "The Little Mermaid."

The kids loved watching them swim, sing and dance in the water. The Sea Witch was my favorite. She kept bursting out of places and scaring the audience for her parts.

All tuckered out from a long, eventful weekend.

Kennedy Space Center

2011-05-15T20:00:00.005-04:00

Over spring break, we took a little trip to see Kennedy Space Center. The kids had a blast! It has changed a lot since I was there when I was 14!

The Rocket Garden

Part of the crew

My favorite part was seeing the space equipment and memorabilia from the past...no surprise there!

NASA!

Matthew wants to "be an astronaut and go up into space!" I wonder what the space program will be like when he is old enough.

We got to see the inside of a space shuttle. The kids are in front of the cargo area. It's kind of like a B-52, huge plane, tiny place for the crew, huge area for the stuff they carry.

All I have to say is that guy has got to be on fire in that suit in Florida on a hot day! The kids thought he was so cool!

Grammy

2011-03-29T08:39:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago, Jess had a really long trip that stretched over the weekend. We brought my Mom out to keep the kids and I company. We had a great time, and got a lot of work done, too. Our first stop, was to the zoo. The kids had a great time showing Grammy around.

Some of their favorite photo ops.

Grammy with my babies!

LEXI'S TWO!!!!

2011-03-22T13:03:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet little dolly!

A Little More Than Spilled Milk

2011-03-18T09:09:00.004-04:00

I think I'm going to use Fridays to catch up on the past couple of months. Here's a good one for you. About a month ago, I was working on something and I heard Lexi scream out crying. This is what I found:
This bowl of Lucky Charms was on the counter, waiting for me to do the dishes. Lexi spotted it, wanted it and grabbed it. It was a little more than she bargained for!

At first she was really sad and upset that this happened to her.

But because I was laughing uncontrollably, she decided to join me. The marshmallow stuck to her forehead is hilarious!

Lucky it was so funny, because cleaning up the mess, not so much. Although I've had much practice thanks to another little monkey I know.

He is unsure whether he likes someone treading on his territory or not. He's used to being the only mischief in town.

Leprechaun Shenanigans

2011-03-17T12:55:00.004-04:00

Last night when I went to check on the children at 10:45, T Jay was still wriggling in his bed, filled to the brim with excitement at the thought of another leprechaun encounter this St Patty's day. Well, he got one...
It appears that the little guy swiped some of my yarn and tied it to Summer's Barbie car and drove it all over the house, around furniture, outside, around trees, cars, swing sets and left us a nice St Patrick's day web! He seems to have crashed here and lost hi loot. His loss, our gain.

His escape route

He left us a note telling us that this would clean up his mess. It did not. Silly string makes the problem worse. And it makes little children shriek with joy!

The web out the front

Yep, we were up at 5:30 and ready for school! Thank you, leprechaun.

Matthew, armed with scissors to clear the way. After all of that work, the breakfast of champions.

Wait, he's still here...

Nope, it's just Lexi, enjoying her good fortune on this very lucky day!

Islands of Adventure

2011-03-10T13:09:00.004-05:00

Hogsmeade Village

We decided to surprise the kids and take them to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of adventure. Jess has been working and travelling a lot, so we ended up going literally, on a "random Tuesday." Although it was not quite random enough and we were there with a bazillion other people!
On Monday night, we told the kids that we were going to Orlando to buy Daddy some work clothes. We didn't leave until 6pm, so I thought we might get questioned a little more. About half way there, Summer spoke up and said she thought we ought to get a hotel so we wouldn't have to drive back so late. Jess just told her, "okay, that's a great idea." An idea that was part of the plan all along! The kids asked us the next morning if they were going to miss school. Jess said they did miss their school at home, but that we were going to find a school in Orlando for them to go to. Immediatley, they all got shy and nervous and said they didn't like that idea. Jess just said that we would stop by and check it out and if they didn't like it, we could just go shopping. They all agreed to this and we set out to the park. As we pulled in to the parking area T Jay wondered why you had to pay to park at this school and that their school colors must be blue and yellow, because that's what all of the workers were wearing. Jess and I slyly smiled from the front seat. We finally told them as we were walking to the park that Hogwarts was the school we were taking them to. Cheers, excitement and relief came from Summer and T Jay. The younger two joined in on the celebration because that's what they do!

Wands at the ready as we made our way though Hogwarts.

Waiting for Jess to buy our Butter beers. He stood in line for 20-30 minutes for those drinks. Summer was not impressed with the amount of time that took. It was really good, though. Cream Soda like with some kind of cream on top. Yummy!

We moved on to the Dr. Seuss area which was surpisingly empty compared to Harry Potter. The kids had fun watching these storybook characters.

Matthew thought it was hilarious that Thing 2 was sitting in the stroller with him.

Green eggs and ham anyone?

This was the last ride that Jess took T. Jay and Summer on. Matthew was too short to ride, but he was told that he wasn't allowed to ride because he ran away from Jess. Is it cruel to do that. T Jay kept correcting me, "No Mom, he's just not tall enough." He was not getting my drift! They came off of this ride looking like they fell out at some point!

This was an extremely fun family day. Yesterday Matthew asked me if we could go back again the next day. He could not fathom why I said no.

Things that make you go hmmm...

2011-03-10T12:47:00.004-05:00

Today has been interesting and uneventful all in one. Uneventful, because it's been raining and aside from a trip to the YMCA and the grocery store nothing is going on. Interesting because I have spent the bulk of my day with Matthew and Lexi. While watching Matthew bounce around the gym in his class, I started to feel really bad. I was in mid sentence with someone when I excused myself and practically ran to the bathroom. My mouth was watering so profusely it was hard to keep up. I was holding Lexi and standing in a stall wondering what in the heck was going on. As it got worse, I grabbed my hair. So I'm standing there in a public bathroom holding Lexi in one arm and my hair in the other hoping that the one person in there would leave a little quicker! Sure enough, I was there for a reason. It wasn't as violent as it is when I have a stomach bug, and I will say that of all the things to throw up, apple isn't that bad. Gross, I know, but I didn't know there was a difference. Lexi kept saying, "Momma puke, ha ha Lexi puke. No Momma puke" It was really funny. She acted like we do that all of the time! After a few seconds, the other lady in there asked if I was okay. I have never really been sick with any of my pregnancies, so this is all very foreign to me. I still get caught off guard when I feel sick. This is only like the second or third time, but I think, "Am I really going to throw up right now?" Sure enough.

On the way home from gymnastics, Matthew thanked me for choosing this planet. I'm not sure what you say to that, but I told him "your welcome" anyway. I would love a front row seat to the movie that is his thought process!
So to all of my friends and loved ones, Thanks for choosing this planet!

Explanations

2011-03-07T09:04:00.002-05:00

So clearly the posts have been sparse, if nonexistent as of late. Having now shared the reason, I'll elaborate a bit. So yes, 5 will be our number. Crazy! But we've always been a little crazy around here, so why should this surprise us? Anyway, a bit about how I do pregnant. Usually there's not much to tell, each one being a little more tired, and maybe a short wave of nausea followed by an ever growing basketball belly. Carrying boys seems to make me more tired in the first trimester, and I always want sweets with the girls and salty and sour anything with the boys. This one has definitley kicked things up a notch! We found out about this little surprise act on New Year's Eve day. This news was quickly followed by a family bout with a stomach bug. The symptoms and the utter exhaustion never left me, until just about 2 weeks ago! My house was left to take whatever was dished out, and I just watched the effects from the couch. My kids never seemed to notice my self induced "vacation." Odd, huh? Anyway, so I clearly have had no energy to keep up with my home or my kids, so naturally the blog was at the very bottom of the totem pole that is my life! Well, I'm back and feeling better and playing catch up. Just in case any of you are thinking of taking a vacation from responsibilities any time soon, I am still playing catch up around here and it's been two weeks. I'm not sure I would recommend it.
In other news, I (and Jess) have thought/known I was having a boy from the beginning. I went in last week to have an ultrasound to verify my due date. While she was looking at everything, she asked me if she could see the anatomy, did I want to know what I was having? I felt a little guilty that neither Jess nor the kids were with me, but I told her, "I already think it's a boy, but sure." She smiled and nodded that it was a boy. It was VERY obvious that it was a boy! And at only 14 weeks, too! For those of you who think I'm awful for not waiting for Jess, he didn't care at all. Like I said, we already knew anyway, just nice to have proof. So there you have it. I have several things to post that we have been up to that last few months. Maybe I'll get to it, maybe I won't. Perhaps a weekly retro post will take care of it.
Today's agenda holds cleaning the upstairs and moving small furniture off of the carpet because Wednesday, we are having our carpets cleaned. We are going to Orlando tonight so that we can surprise the kids with a Day at Islands of Adventure to see Harry Potter world tomorrow! I'm looking forward to a family day.

So many Surprises, So early in the year...

2011-02-28T22:23:00.002-05:00

The Valentine's cards we gave to the kids this year...
Here we go again!

Party of 6

2011-02-12T10:05:00.004-05:00

On Wednesday night, Summer and I sat down and watched a little food network before I started making dinner. The Barefoot Contessa was on and she was making some amazing Italian dishes on the grill. Bruschetta, a salad with Fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, cucumbers and grilled veggies. By the time the show was over, we were both salivating over the dishes that she had made. I got up to decide what to make for dinner, and we had no fresh produce, no fresh mozzarella, no thawed meat-nothing. I decided to pack the kids up and take them to an Italian restaurant that wasn't too far away. I figured that Jess could meet us there as it was on his way home. Now, any of you who know me well, know that I don't like to go out to dinner with the kids unless it's for the early bird special. Anything later, and it's like trying to contain 4-6 wild, ravenous beasts (myself included) while we wait for our food (that is usually sub-par). I mostly feel I can make something better, faster, and with out trying to maintain my dignity and sanity in public with 4 hungry kids all while the elderly of the world look on. I was desperate for good Italian food. The place we went was really good. I ordered appetizers before we even sat down to pacify us all while we waited for our meals. The caprese appetizer was by far the highlight of the meal for me. For the kids, it was the battery powered candle on the table. We ordered too much food, and it was all delicious! I took the two little ones home with me, and Jess waited for the bill. When he got home, I asked him what the total was. He told me a number that was higher than I was expecting, so I assumed he was joking. A little later, I picked up the copy of the receipt that was on the counter. As I examined it, trying to decide why it was so much higher, I noticed that they had automatically added a 20% gratuity onto our check, and then Jess, not noticing that it had been added, put a tip on the bill when he signed it. What?! Why would they do that? I decided that I was going to call them the next day and find out if that was their policy. When I called, the owner answered the phone. When I asked him if it was standard to automatically add gratuity onto checks at their restaurant, he told me that on parties of 6 or more, that was standard. That as if 6 entrees are entered into the computer it automatically adds it on. I then asked him, even on families. I explained that I was there the night prior with my 4 kids and husband and gratuity was automatically added to our bill and the waiter was tipped twice. He told me that the server should have told us about that, and to bring our bill in and he would refund the extra money. I was happy with that solution. But seriously? Our family is large enough to fall into that category? Our "party" is so big we are in the "gratuity is automatically added" category? I wonder if it was happened before and we never thought to check for it. Crazy! 6 is all it takes now.

100th Day

2011-02-06T07:54:00.002-05:00

Friday marked the children's 100th day of school this school year. We celebrated by making a poster that had 100 air-filled water balloons taped to it in the shape of 100 for Summer's homework. It got me thinking when and why schools celebrate this. Both of my children were ecstatic to go to school on Friday. They were greeted with cookies, teachers dressed up like they were 100 years old and sharing their posters. T Jay informed me that they now have 80 days left of school. I am already looking forward to the lazy days of summer. I know it's already like summer here, but I mean the days we don't have to interrupt with school attendance and homework. Come on 80 days!

My Kids Favorite Place...

2011-01-31T11:07:00.002-05:00

Nope, it's not Disney! Benihana! We went to celebrate being home owners. Every time I am having trouble thinking of something for dinner and happen to ask the kids their opinion, they cheer out "Benihana!" In reality I was thinking along the lines of frozen pizza or something equally easy. They think we should go every week. :)

Matthew, giddy after our chef flipped a shrimp tail into his hat. I, for one would not enjoy having a shrimp tail flipped onto my head so that I could smell it the rest of the day! Bath time was not far behind.

Finally...

2011-01-19T08:22:00.003-05:00

On January 3rd, we became home owners!! The best part about it, we didn't have to move. We have been renting this home for almost 3 years. The homeowners went into foreclosure and we were able to buy it as a short sale. This was a really long process, but since we were already living here, it didn't really matter. We have a few big plans for the place, the first being to get good, fresh paint up everywhere. If anyone wants to dust off their paint brushes and come on over, you'd be welcome! :) I've also got a couple of new light fixtures going up and a new area rug to choose. Jess also finished staining the new table and chairs for the dining room, so I just need to get the seats recovered. I can't wait to see everything come together! You know what we'll be up to for the next few months!

Zoo

2010-12-31T13:29:00.003-05:00

We took the kids to the zoo this week. It was a huge hit, especially with Lexi. She hasn't ever seen any live animals besides Toro and the various neighborhood dogs. She was wide eyed the whole time. She kept saying, "I more" as in I want to see more animals. I think that she has found her new favorite place!

This was really cool! This peacock opened it's feathers for us twice. I am sure it felt threatened, but it was beautiful.

Lexi Lulu havin' a ball at the zoo!

The kiddos in the Mayan section. Lexi is intrigued with T Jay's hold on Summer

Cleopatra and our little flutist.

Hungry?

We will be back to the zoo many times over the year!

Christmas Morning

2010-12-31T09:51:00.003-05:00

Santa made a little visit to our house on Christmas Eve! T. Jay was so excited that he woke up at 4:20, wanting to go down stairs. He was told to lay down with Jess for a while longer. After flopping around for a while, he was put up to the computer to play it muted so that we could get a few more winks. Matthew joined him at 4:30 and then they woke Summer up at 4:50! They counted down to 5am like the Times Square ball was dropping! Every time the clock would flip over a number they would all cheer, "It's 4:51!" "It's 4:52!" "It's 4:53!" It's 4:54!" and so on. Once Summer even said, "I went to the bathroom and the clock said 4:57 and now it says 4:58!!" The cheers and clapping at the clock striking 5 am could be heard for miles, I am sure. The joys of Christmas Morning!!

Lexi got a new baby doll with a cradle. She is such a little Mommy.

T Jay got a real bow with arrows and a target to shoot at.

Matthew got a Leapster video game system and Summer received her beloved pillow pet and a pretend school set. She is all set to play school for hours and hours.

The destruction! It took 2 days to get everything cleaned up and put away. Although, Summer took all of her things up to her room right after we were finished and arranged them on her dresser. Loved seeing that! It was a great morning, even if it started at 5 am!

Christmas Eve

2010-12-30T09:59:00.003-05:00

We had the Missionaries over for Christmas Eve dinner. We had our traditional Cornish hens with mashed potatoes, veggies and other sides. Since the Elders are so far from home during the holidays, I wanted to bring a little piece of home here. I asked them what dishes they traditionally had at home for Christmas. For one of them, it was a salad that his Mom makes, and the other, it was Christopsomo. (Greek Christmas bread) A little e-mailing with their mothers and I had several recipes that hopefully brought them a little Christmas cheer. For the record, this bread is really yummy and I will definitely be making it again.

Our Manger scene with a run away Mary and Joseph patiently awaiting her return.

The Wiseman and the Angel join the scene. It was fun hearing the children tell the story of Jesus' birth.

The Elders watching the show.

The children always receive new PJ's on Christmas Eve. Since they always know what's coming, we send them on a scavenger hunt to find them. I tried to throw them off a little by putting all of the presents in one big box!

The Christmas Elf stopped by for a visit to "warn them" (Matthew's words) to go to bed. He always brings candy canes. This year the candy canes exploded into our house. Lexi may be scarred for life and I am sure that Matthew has issues with all Elf/Leprechaun people. It was really funny and exciting to the older half of our family, but the little ones had to be comforted a bit! They did race off to bed. It's really too bad that this little Elf couldn't visit every night. Bed time would be a snap.

The kiddos all ready for bed in their new jammies. Ho Ho Ho! Cookies to put out, reindeer to feed and then it's off to bed for these little dreamers...

A Visit to St. Nick

2010-12-30T09:45:00.002-05:00

It's a lot of work getting 4 kids to look at the camera and smile. The best we could do was a serious sweet face on Matthew and a smile for the rest.

All she wants for Christmas is her two front teeth, her two front teeth, see her two front teeth...

See what I mean, impossible to get a photo of everyone smiling!

3 out of 4 isn't bad!

We had a fun Christmas-y morning. The kids were engulfed in the magic of Christmas! I must say, I was too! Christmas is such a wonderful time of the year.

Cookie Decorating

2010-12-29T09:14:00.003-05:00

I need to take a few steps backward and post some of our Christmas break fun. We hosted a cookie decorating party with our friends and neighbors. It was great fun and in danger of becoming an annual thing!
Hard at work creating their masterpieces!

Matthew, wild eyed at all of the sugary options for his cookies. Not one of his little beauties made it two minutes, much less the Santa plate!

Little cookie decorators.

Lexi ate as much frosting with sprinkles as she could, and then decided to pass time playing!

The work station.

Lexi has the sugar sprinkle measles on the bottom of her feet! I'm surprised she tolerated any going to waste!

We did have a ton of fun! Thanks to all our friends who came and made it a fun afternoon. For the record, only Summer's cookies made it to the Santa plate.

Anticipation!!

2010-12-25T00:07:00.000-05:00

I can't wait!!

Thanksgiving

2010-12-19T16:09:00.010-05:00

Warning! Ahead lies a million pictures! If your name isn't Grandma, Grammy or Aunt someone, you might want to skip this entirely! Proceed with caution!
We went to Pensacola to meet up with two of my brothers and my Aunt for Thanksgiving. It's about a 10 hour drive, so we thought we would get a head start and drive half way. This is usually a great idea. This time, not so much. I should have known what kind of night this would be at the hotel by the way we went in swinging from the rafters, but alas, I always was naive!

On Thanksgiving day, we rushed over to Aunt Sweetie Pie's house for an emergency belly examination. T Jay was writhing in pain for some reason that could not be determined by the parents. Luckily for us, our hostess is also a nurse! Said belly problem was cured by a nap, go figure! My kiddos with cousin Katelyn and Scott.

My younger brother Kevin and his wife, who met us here from MO.

Aunt Sweetie Pie gave all of the kids their own stemware! A sensational hit! Does Matthew really look like he can be responsible for a glass? Not to me, but Aunt Sweetie Pie delivered. I can gladly report that no glasses were broken in the making of this Thanksgiving!

Little Lulu's shirt said, "Everyone is thankful for me!" We sure are Dolly!

One of the very few photos with me in it. I am usually the photographer. Matthew is responsible for this rare photo! JK!

After dinner, Aunt Sweetie Pie took the kids outside to pick pecans. They had a great time. When the picking fun was over, we raked leaves and took turns jumping into them. T Jay poised and ready for another jump into the leaves.

We went to the Airplane museum at NAS Pensacola. A very fun place! The kids had a great time running around this play area and you know how I love museums!

Lexi and Avey, little cuties!

Someone should really tell them that they are about to be eaten.

Matthew with a very large piece of gun machinery! Any one else see the problem with that? Let's hope the people who neutered this for the museum knew what they were doing!

My favorite section of the museum! It was set up like a town in WW II! That's one of my favorite time periods!

My Maternal Grandmother "Granny" is buried at FT Barancus cemetery the at the air station. We stopped by for a visit. The conversation that followed was priceless. Questions like, "Why is she dead? and "Why did they put her in the ground? and Will I get buried? and so on and so forth. Matthew being head curious cat, of course!

The Fort! Very interesting structure. The kids loved running all over this! I love visiting a place that is made up completely of stone of some sort! The likelihood of breaking something here was low. I like those odds. The cousins in one of the rooms in the fort. Probably a magazine. All the rooms in forts seem to be magazines!

Cute little girlies with us.

Matthew doing what he does best! (Climbing for those of you less familiar with our monkey.)

Scott and Matthew

Cousins. It was extraordinarily cold for a FL day. I was not prepared. That is so unlike me. I always have jackets in my car, ready to go for the opportunity to get to wear them! Luckily, Kevin had extra jackets in his car.

The lighthouse.

Dad and the kiddos at the top.

I stayed at the bottom with the little girls. I think most people thought they were all mine! I got some priceless looks. Several foreigners gave me some very confused looks!

Uncle Kenny had a real bow and arrow that T Jay took a strong liking to. I bet you'll never guess what's on his Christmas list. Lucky me!

A photo with Kenny in it! Kenny did a fish fry for me to celebrate my 34th birthday. It was so yummy. His wife Katherine made a divine chocolate cake! I'm not sure why I don't have a photo of her with it, but I should. Did anyone else get one?

Kevin and Aunt Sweetie Pie.

Summer and Katelyn. Matthew begs me to take him to Katelyn's house all of the time. Cries for it too, at times. He loves Katelyn

Aunt Sweetie Pie, Kevin and me.

Thanks for an amazing visit, Kenny and Katherine! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

Air Show

2010-12-17T07:55:00.002-05:00

When T.Jay was a baby (2002), Jess and Ryan brought a T-37 "Tweet" to this airshow. This year, Ryan came with someone else, in a T-6 "Texan". I think it killed Jess a little to be a spectator. Maybe one day I'll surprise him and send him flying!

Summer had a little bit of a crush on Ryan. Every five minutes she asked us where he was and when we were going to go and see him.

Trouble makers at it again!

Top 10 places I want to visit

2010-11-24T10:54:00.004-05:00

Jess and I both love to travel. I have been to a lot of places, 12 countries and 34 of the 50 states. Here is a short list of places I'd still like to hit:
1. New York City
2. Washington D.C. All historic sites and The Smithsonian (yes, all of it!)
3. I want to tour Europe with my Hubby. I lived in Germany when I was12-14, Jess has never been.
4. San Fransisco
5. Chile- This is where Jess served his mission.
6. Machu Pichu- I love ruins. I love imagining what ruins looked like and what life was like before they were ruins.
7. Ireland
8. Egypt- I have a fascination with tombs, mummies and how people lived during any time period!
9. Tuscany- Italian country life intrigues me greatly-ok, all of Italy does!
We have a plan to take a trip around the world when the kids are older. I like to plan what we/I would do at each location. It's fun to dream about. Where is your top destination?

34 things for 34 years...

2010-11-23T19:41:00.003-05:00

You may have noticed that I still haven't written anything about myself, like I promised. To make up for it, I'm going to make a whole list of random likes and dislikes, just for your reading pleasure. I have a lot of time on my hands, as we have started our first leg of our Thanksgiving trip to Pace. If anything surprises you, let me know. I'm always curious about what people don't know or things about me that are surprises. I think I'm a pretty obvious open book, though. Here goes:

1. My favorite color is blue

2. I have more blue clothing than any other. Pink is a close second.

3. Crunchy tacos are my ultimate favorite food. Close behind are fried okra, tortilla soup and pizza.

4. I make a mean chocolate chip cookie. I get mean if you try and take my chocolate chip cookie!

5. Desserts that don't contain chocolate are not worth my time. I am pleasantly surprised by some chocolate deprived dishes.

6. I like to travel.

7. I love history.

8. I love to travel to historic places.

9. I like to read everything at museums.

10. I like to run

11. I like to hike more.

12. Nothing smells better to me than the forest.

13. Fall is my favorite season.

14. I want to learn to snowboard some day.

15. I like things clean and organized.

16. With 4 kids, clean and organized is often just a dream!

17. I love to wear jeans.

18. I love to be outside.

19. I would always rather be cold than hot.

20. I love to play tennis. I am not that good, but I don't care.

21. I like to work.

22. I love to cook and bake.

23. My specialties are triple c! (chocolate chip cookie), whole wheat rolls, pasta e fagioli and cinnamon rolls.

24. I love my family.

25. I love going to the hair salon.

26. I don't like mini vans, but I know better than to say never.

27. I can do almost anything if I have gloves on.

28. I do not like feet. Lucky for me, Jess does not like his feet to be touched. We're a match made in heaven!

29. I love to watch TV.

30. I retired at 25, I just don't have money. That's where Jess comes in!

32. I like having conversations with kids. I love hearing their answers.

33. I love big families, obviously!

34. This is how old I will be next week!

Cost

2010-11-18T08:37:00.003-05:00

The Price of my shower today. Sometimes they are free, and sometimes costly. Today= very costly!

A little explanation: I left Summer and Matthew painting while I took my shower. I passed out the paint, took all of the rest to the bathroom with me and Lexi and left Summer and Matthew with instructions to not make a mess. I guess she forgot, or didn't care because I came down to them making paint soup or something. There were paint spatters and drops on all floor and wall surfaces. They also tore up their cups and added them to the soup. A little too much creativity , I think!

Things that make you go hmmm...

2010-11-11T07:33:00.003-05:00

The other night, I was down stairs working on the dishes, when I heard Jess scream out really loud. The kind of scream that screams injury. I ran up stairs two at a time to find out what had happened. I found Jess on the floor, in the fetal position, moaning. I said, "What in the world happened?" Jess, with out thinking or editing for the kids said heatedly," Matthew just punched me in the nuts." Once he was recovered, and able to speak at a normal decibel, he pulled me aside and told me that right after he said Matthew punched him, Summer leaned over to T. Jay and snickered, "Why would Dad be carrying nuts in his pajamas?" Crazy Dad. Hmmm...

On another note, since November is my birth month, I am going to write some posts about me, mostly for posterity's sake. It could be one, it could be a bunch, we'll see where it takes me. Aren't you so excited that you can't stand it?!

First thing about me, I get really excited over really little things, just wait, you'll see...

More Halloween Fun

2010-11-02T00:58:00.002-04:00

So tough,

So stealthy,

So cute!

Ready to spread some sugary cheer!

She really was happy to be there, unless you asked her, then of course, her answer was no!

My little sugar bomb!

Hey all you mom's out there! Want to know how to win Mother of the year's special Halloween award? Take your kids out and give them the thrill of trick-or-treating. Then come home and tell them to choose some of their favorites because we're adding the rest to the candy to be given out to Trick-or-treaters! Not sure how much longer I will get away with this, but I'm riding it into the ground!

Trunk or Treating

2010-10-31T20:35:00.003-04:00

Strawberry Fairy Lexi, Angel Summer, Batman Matthew and Super Spy T. Jay!

Sleeping Bam-Bam Luke, Teya the Butterfly, Happy the Graduate, Pippi Longstocking Alissa, 50's Kelli and Kim the Russian Ice Dancer

Chantilly Lace!

"Sugar Fiend Fairy"

Big Bro and Lil Sis

An Artist and a Birthday Boy

2010-10-31T20:28:00.003-04:00

Summer wants to be an artist when she grows up! Her first grade class celebrated careers on Thursday! She was so excited about this, she woke up at 5am! Cutie, cutie!

I surprised Jess for his birthday and took him to ride a wave runner. We had a great time. The only repercussion, Scolding from our kids for going without them and some major nappy hair from the wind! Totally worth it anyway!

Happy Birthday, Babe!

Nostalgia

2010-10-27T12:06:00.004-04:00

Last weekend we went to Rockledge for the football game and to see my friend Tiffiny. Lexi was really excited to go! Notice her boots? You'll be seeing a lot of those!

The highlight of the trip! This is the tree out in front of Tiffiny's parents house. It's humongous and has a swing for each of my children- and that's saying something!

Matthew's favorite swing. Jess got him going really high! He has no fear, and cute, did I mention cute?!

Tiffiny, Chloe, and I

The kids at the game. It took me back for sure. I think the football games were one of my favorite parts of HS. I loved everything about them! Notice that Matthew only has one shoe. He dropped it under the bleachers. It was a long way down, too! I had to get a police officer to unlock the gate so we could go and find it!

The kids bombarded the firefighters who were on standby at the game. They were fascinated and the firefighters were really nice and let them climb in, around and explore the whole truck.

On Saturday, we went to Cocoa Village and T Jay wasn't feeling well. Look how sweet he is.

This was the favorite climbing structure. Since they are all in Gymnastics, it let them show off their tricks!

My Handsome Hubby!

Lexi's trick, even with the boots!

Cool T. Jay

Adorable little Chloe and me.

Careers

2010-10-24T15:52:00.002-04:00

Summer's class has been talking about careers all month. Parents have been stopping by to share their jobs throughout the month. I dropped in to talk about being a Mom, and then Jess also stopped in to talk about mostly being a pilot and a little about wind development.

Summer's ready to go!

The kids had a blast with Jess.

Thursday, the kids all get to dress up for the career they want to do when they grow up and present a small report. It will be fun to hear all about them. Summer will be dressed as an artist!

The Keys in Pictures

2010-10-22T08:01:00.008-04:00

Sponge Bob's brother?

Maximum occupancy = Maximum efficiency!

Birthday Boy!

2010-10-03T20:42:00.002-04:00

Today is Matthew's 4th birthday! He came into this world in a hurry, and hasn't slowed down yet! He is a charmer in every way! Any of you who have been under his spell know exactly what I mean! FYI-his shirt says "Too fast 4 you!" It's his favorite!

Happy Fall?

2010-10-01T08:50:00.002-04:00

Happy fall! I pulled out all of our fall/Halloween decorations yesterday so we could get into the fall spirit. I love, love fall. I am trying to get into the mood. Fall decor, fall soups- but Florida is hard to take when fall rolls around. I am pretty sure I shouldn't be sweating so much while foraging around in the garage for my decor. It felt all wrong.
I think Florida is trying to make it up to me, because it was cool out this morning! Maybe we can be friends after all, Florida.

Summer is not so excited about fall. She said it felt like winter out. Would any of you like to set her straight about that. It wasn't that long ago that we left North Dakota! I mean, really. I'm certain shorts are not the attire of someone in the throws of winter. Maybe she's just sad that she is out and fall is in! Auf Wiedersehen!

T Jay's baptism

2010-09-21T08:04:00.002-04:00

After T Jay's party, we shifted gears to prepare for his baptism. We did it on his birthday so he will always remember when he was baptized.
Getting ready. So sweet.
On the Wednesday before his baptism, Jess took him to the church to try on a white jumpsuit. He found the right size and hung it up in the dressing room so it would be ready to go on Friday. On Friday, when they arrived at the church, it was gone! Frantically, Jess called me, which caused me to panic. He called the missionaries to see if they knew where it went. They did. A boy was going to get baptised in Fort Pierce on Sunday, so they picked it up while they were at our building. The missionaries said they could bring it, but they would be late. A little stressful, but it all worked out. It was a wonderful day.

Butterfly kisses

This was T Jay's first grade teacher, Mrs. Taylor. She is now Summer's first grade teacher. Let's just say that she is the best teacher on the planet and leave it at that!

The crew! Jess' parents were able to come from MT, my Mom from CO, Great Granddaddy from AL and Katelyn, Aunt Sherry and Becky from the panhandle! It was fantastic having so much family here to share such a special day with us!

Super Spy

2010-09-20T16:12:00.002-04:00

Since I decided to take the summer off from the blog, I am so very behind in everything. We have some great photos and memories that I want to put on here. I keep putting it off, trying to decide if it's worth the effort or not. I decided that I will post some of my favorite things so they will be included in what has become our family journal.
T Jay's eighth birthday was on August 13. He wanted a spy party. Jess and I planned a huge mission (scavenger hunt) to find and diffuse a bomb. It included walkie talkies, cell phone, binoculars, a BB gun, voice recorder, and plenty of codes and mysteries to figure out.

Here they are pulling their clue out of the lake.

Jess put letters to the clue inside balloons and the kids had to shoot the balloon to get the letters out and then figure out what word it was. It sent them up to my room to use binoculars to look out into the woods and read a sign which sent them to the dryer, where they found...

The bomb! Which they diffused by wacking it! Not normal protocal! They had tons of fun running from clue to clue. His birthday was so much fun.

2000 and 10

2010-09-17T08:02:00.003-04:00

Summer on patriotic day at school

We are in the "club" phase of child rearing. It's fun. Here is the signage on Summer's door as of late. It's very specific and if you don't meet the guidelines, well, that's just to bad for you!

The collage

I'm going to have to look into the "boyfrends" part of this sign. Remember, only pertinent info is on here!

It's a girls club, but...

If you are a boy who is in the girls club, go on in! Anyone else noticing discrepancies in the rules?

There's an exception to every rule, I suppose!

The only thing I don't like about this, is keeping the peace between those who are "in" and those who are "out"!

Hap!!!!!!!!!!!py Friday

2010-09-10T18:02:00.006-04:00

The girls as babies

Our kids are getting way too computer literate. Here is Summer's e-mail to her cousin in Montana today:

Heidi I miss you really much I wish we lived together and I wish I cood just come over and play at your house and have a sleepover it wood be so much fun if we. Lived together I wood be so ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ppy it is so sad That we live so faraway from echther .LOVE SUMMER FOR HEIDI

Deep thoughts from Matthew

2010-09-08T08:50:00.002-04:00

Matthew at the ranch in MT this summer

This morning while we were out jogging, Matthew posed an interesting question to me. "Mom, when poop goes down under ground does it talk?" Me : "um what do you mean?" Matthew: "Does it talk?" Me: "No, it doesn't have a voice or a mouth." Matthew: "Oh, or a penis or a bum?" Me: "Nope, none of those things." silence. Matthew: "I have a great idea. the germs eat it."
Just a little peek people! Love him!

Lost

2010-08-11T08:34:00.003-04:00

Ok friends, I'm back! School starts on the 23rd, so after T. Jay's baptism, birthday party (AUG.13) and school starting, we should be back on a roll of posting. Yay! It's been a long, busy summer and I have a ton of catching up and photo posting to do. I just downloaded all of the photos and I took over 1100 pics! No, I won't torture you with posting most of them, but it's going to take some time to find my favorites. Until then, a funny story:
We arrived home on Sunday evening. After sleeping in 11 different locations during the summer, my own bed was a special treat. I slept like a rock. Night number two was a little different story. Lexi tossed and turned a little and at one point woke up crying. I was still mostly asleep as I went towards her cries. I got out into the hallway and didn't know where I was. I couldn't figure out where her sounds were coming from. I stood there in the hallway trying to figure out how I was going to find her without barging in on whomever my gracious host was in the middle of the night. All of the doors were closed. I paced the hallway at least twice (it's a large hallway) a little worried, when I passed our overflow pantry closet. (yes, it's upstairs. I have more food than linens, I suppose) It took a moment, but it jogged my memory enough to remind me that I was in fact at home and Lexi was not so "snug as a bug in a rug" in her own little bed. It was a funny feeling. I guess it gives me an appreciation to how the kiddos might feel waking up in 11 different locations through out the summer!