and not to be overlooked....

My second daughter turns 9 today! I can't believe how fast she is growing up! She is so energetic! I love to se her smile. It lights up any room. She is a leader and helper. She gives me great joy and I love her so much.

And for those of you keeping track, yup, all 4 of my children were born in December. (my husband too, but I didn't post about his birthday....maybe next year.)

A boy

My son is turning 8 today. This is a big day for him. He is a wonderful kid. Full of energy and excitement. He is soooo smart. He remembers almost everything. He wrestles with and bugs his sisters every chance he gets. And I love him lots. Happy birthday.

My first!

12 years ago my life changed forever. I had my first baby. I can't believe she is turning 12. She has become such a great young lady. She is such a helper and sweetheart. She is friendly with everyone and makes great efforts to be a good sister and daughter. I love her tons and think she's the best.

You are my sunshine

My little one is turning 5 today! I can't believe it. She is such a sweetie. I want to write a couple things about her here. I love that her favorite place to eat out is Panda Express. How many 4 and 5 year olds do you know that always ask for orange chicken? I also love how she calls alligators or crocodiles, crocogators.... She always asks to snuggle with me, and she gives the best hugs. On occasion she tells Dad that he is grounded (I have to try real hard not to laugh when she does). She is a bright sunshine in my life and I am so grateful for her!

My garden

here it is as a baby..

getting bigger hail damage, ready to start harvesting

Last summer (2008) I built boxes in my back yard with the good intention of having a garden, however it wasn't until this summer that I actually grew anything. It was a lot of fun, work and zucchini. We had a couple of huge hail storms that flattened a lot of the garden. Everything looked ruined, but it still came back. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from having a garden and I look forward to planting again next year!

Halloween

Halloween was a lot of fun this year! My youngest kept changing her mind on what she wanted to be for the day. She was a cat, then a bee, then a princess, then an M&M. We thought we had it down with the M, so I took the picture, then sprayed her hair green (because she needed green hair for the costume). Shortly after spraying her hair she went and changed back into the cat costume, so she was a cat with green hair.
And yes, that is snow in the background, it snowed for 2 days before Halloween, but we were lucky and had warm temperatures for the actual day. Most of the snow was melted by the end of the day.

missing in action

When summer break started I didn't think I would be gone from blogging for 2 months. We've had a fun full summer. I will start with the not so fun part. 3 of my children all had expensive happenings with their mouth. My son had an abscess and had to have his tooth pulled and then a space maintainer put in, my oldest daughter had a tooth that was chipped last year finally decide it was done and need a root canal and my second daughter had to have a giant cell granuloma removed from her mouth. (she has to have IV sedation for this process). This is the second time having it removed, hopefully this time it won't come back. Anyway I've been to the dentist/oral surgeon pretty much on a weekly basis all summer. My son did t-ball and had a blast and the kids all did swimming lessons. My oldest played flute in the summer band and has had fun participating in several concerts throughout the summer. My cousin T came for a visit and my cousin Kim. My sister was sealed to her husband and had her baby, who I threw a shower for. We went to a water park up in Denver and we went to the mining museum. Last week we went to a BYU-Idaho alumni ambassador conference, stopping on the way in Utah. We stayed with my cousin Kim and enjoyed a great visit. We had a lot of fun visiting with family and friends. We stayed with my good friend Robyn in Rexburg and went to the drive-in movie and the lake and managed to go to a few meetings in between. We finished our trip at Yellowstone. It has been a lot of fun!

Summer break !?!

School is almost out! My children will be out on Friday. I have mixed feelings about this. Getting up at 6:30 to get the kids ready to be on the bus at 7:25 is getting old, and so is making sure that homework is done, papers are finished, projects are done. Vacation and time with family is fun, but I'm dreading the I'M BORED! that starts about a week into summer break. We've planted a garden and I think the kids are excited about it and we've signed up the son to play t-ball. We're not planning any major "trips" this summer. I'll probably put the kids into swimming lessons, but I need more ideas! What do you do with your kids over summer to keep the I'm BORED's to a minimum?

Just a little question

I was at the grocery store on Saturday and while I was checking out the checker commented on my organizational skills regarding the way I put my groceries on the conveyor belt. Now, I've done this for quite some time and this is the first time anyone ever said anything to me about it. You see, I have to put my groceries on the belt a certain way, the freezer stuff needs to be together, the boxes, the produce, the dairy, the cans, and the bread and eggs must go last. Now I am not generally "nuts" about the way things need to be, but really it just makes sense to me. So what I really want to know is if YOU do anything that is just a little shall we say "on the edge of OCD". I'm pretty sure that the way my groceries go on the conveyor is the only one I have.....except maybe my obsession with putting the lid back on the milk (if you aren't pouring it, it needs to have a lid on it).

Oh and guess what! It snowed today, a lot. A white Easter is kinda different, not totally unheard of here but a little bit strange. I took a picture, but it's late and I'm not sure I really want to go to the work of showing you.....maybe I"ll add it later. I hope everyone enjoyed their Easter!

SMILE

SMILE!!!

Today while driving home from picking up my van that has been in the shop ALL week, I saw a man on his motercycle smiling at his friend. Maybe about a joke or maybe just because the day was so beautiful, I don't know. But, it got me thinking, I really don't remember what he looked like, just that he had a wonderful smile, and it made me smile too. When I was at Ricks college, everyone went around saying hello to everyone they passed. It was kinda strange at first, but was so friendly and comforting. Anyway, one day I smiled at a complete stranger and watched as she walked by smiling at someone else, who in turn started smiling too....it was strange because from where I was standing, I watched as a smile spread and spread and spread. Sometimes life is hard, sometimes I feel overwhelmed and exhausted, but you know what? I bet I can smile at someone, it really improves my looks and spreads to others too.

I hope these smiles will spread to you too!

I'm getting a reputation, or When did I become such a ditz?

I went to the library today because I had forgotten to unlock the DVD I checked out yesterday. Oops! I had received an email saying that one of the books I had on hold was in, so I decided to grab it while I was there. I looked and looked and couldn't find it, so I asked the librarian for assistance. She went to look in the back and couldn't find it. So, we decide to look in the L section ( because my name starts with L) and it's not there either. The librarian was very nice, she explained that the woman in the back had said that she had seen my name (she even knew my middle name) yesterday. I explained that there had been some books in yesterday because I had been in yesterday. I think I'm starting to get a reputation at the library. It seems the last couple of weeks I've had to ask for help with my holds in one way or the other. Hopefully I won't become the woman whom everyone runs from when they see me coming into the library. (Oh, when I got home I realized that I'd accidentally marked that I would pick up the book at the downtown library. *embarrassed blush* )

This and that

I haven't posted much lately. Here are some bits and pieces of my last couple weeks. Oldest daughter had her science fair project! The first one for our family. I stressed only a little (okay maybe a lot) but it turned out well. I was worried because the first couple of times we tried it, it didn't work. AAAck. We finally got it working and it turned out well.


My son had his cast removed today! They put him into a brace for the next couple of weeks, and he should be back to "normal" before we know it.



My camera is broken. I pulled it out a few days ago to take a picture of the beautiful blue sky here in Colorado and it just wouldn't turn on.( I thought maybe it was the batteries, but nope, that would be too easy). I'm sorry I can't share the beautiful blue sky of Colorado with you! I just purchased it in January and now I have to send it back to the company to have them fix it. I don't know what is wrong with it.



I just finished a book that I liked. It is called Heir Apparent , by Vivian Vande Velde. (I guess I should also let you know that lately I have been reading a lot of books from the children's and teens section of the library, and this book falls into that category). This book is about a teenage girl who gets a gift certificate for her birthday to a virtual gaming place. During the game, protesters attack the place and damage the machine she is on, and she can't get out of the game unless she wins. It was a quick and enjoyable read. There is a little bit of violence in the book, (the game she plays is a game about knights and dragons etc.) so you would probably want to read it before giving it to your younger readers. I just picked it up at the library when I was there with my children. I also just finished City of Ember, by Jeanne Deprau which is a story about a city of people who live underground. The city is starting to run out of electricity and is starting to have blackouts. The hero and heroine find the key to saving the people. I rented the movie and watched it, then thought I would like the book. I'd recommend it.

If you make your family dinner

If you make your family dinner you will go to your fridge and realize you have 5 lbs of hamburger that needs to be split up and put into the freezer.
If you have 5 lbs of hamburger in your fridge that needs to be split up and put in the freezer you will take it out and realize that the juices from the meat have spread all over your shelf in your fridge.
If you realize that the juices are all over you will take the shelf out of the fridge and realize that the box of cookie dough will need to be peeled off the shelf because the cardboard and juices have become a sticky mess. You will also realize you have no space in your sink because no one has done the dishes.
If you start doing the dishes so you can clean the shelf, your children will decide that they need help RIGHT NOW making a valentines box for school.
If you tell them they will have to wait, they will whine at you the whole time you are filling the dishwasher and cleaning the shelf and putting the meat into the freezer.
If you do all this you will then realize that you need to make your family dinner.

Maybe giving cookies is a better idea!

teeth, casts, scorpions, oh my

This is my son, and his arm. Yesterday he fell off of the monkey bars at school. He was crying and in a lot of pain. I took him to the doctor and as the doctor was looking at his arm, moving his hand up, down and then side to side he says "that doesn't hurt." I start thinking " oh great, I've brought him in and nothing is wrong" As we sat outside the x-ray I am thinking how I really must be a horrible mother, because I am "hoping that his arm is really broken and that I didn't spend all this money for nothing" I know there must be something wrong with me. Okay, I really didn't want his arm to be broken, because I certainly don't want him to be hurting. (but if he's making such a fuss over this and it's not....). Well, as you can see, it was really broken, not too bad and should heal well.

It's been a big week for him. He also lost one of his front teeth. He also was entered into a local art contest by his art teacher. They only picked a couple kids from each school. They were giving away scholarships. He didn't win, but I thought it was an honor just to be chosen. This is a scorpion. (He is in 1st grade)

the picture really isn't very good.

Chicken or Pancakes?

Tonight I was making dinner. Pan Fried Chicken actually, and I came across this recipe--


That's right "Saucy Chicken Livers". I started thinking of other foods, and tried to give them personality also.....hmmm like, Energetic Eggplant, or Procrastinating pizza, then it hit me, the Chicken livers aren't saucy, they are in sauce......( I think "saucy" probably sounds better, it takes away the shock of chicken liver, ewww)
*Do you ever write a word a few times and then wonder if you are spelling it correctly, like the word Saucy. It starts to look strange after a while.

My husband went on the "Freezeree" with the Scouts this past weekend. It was a warm and toasty 12 degrees here in town, I'm betting the mountains were colder. Anyhow, after he came home on Saturday afternoon, he told me that they had forgotten the bin that held the tents back at the church, oh, and the bin that held most of the food and the cooking utensils. Luckily a couple people brought their own tents so 7 scouts shared one, while some of the leaders shared the other. The young men's leader however got to sleep under a lean-to made from the sleds my husband brought for the following day. My husband slept in the back of the van. They were going to eat spaghetti,( someone did bring the meatballs, and the sauce) but they didn't have pots or pans. I guess they used someones mess kit to cook the meatballs. My favorite part was what they did for breakfast. They mixed the pancake mix in the milk jug, and poured it onto a shovel, which they held over the campfire, and cooked lovely shovel shaped pancakes. And we all know why they bring shovels to campouts right? MMMmmm yummy! (hubby skipped the pancakes).

reverence

I'm sorry this video is sideways, I'm just learning about the camera. This is my youngest. I guess they are teaching her about reverence in primary. She just came up to me and said "Look mom, I'm being reverent." I guess we'll have to keep working on that one. At least she is paying attention.

Trampoline Fairy?

This is the present Santa brought us for Christmas! Isn't it wonderful! Isn't it grand! Hehehe, Well about 2 minutes after I snapped this picture my littlest started crying. She said she hurt her leg. (I checked it out and everything is okay.) Then a minute after that my other dear daughter started crying, I couldn't exactly get out of her what happened, but she said her finger hurt. ( She too is okay). Anyway, if there is some type of trampoline fairy who would please protect my children from any mishaps I would greatly appreciate it! ( And yes, they know they aren't all supposed to be on it at the same time, sigh) * Oh and if you'd like to comment please don't tell me any more horror stories about getting hurt on trampolines, I'm already a nervous nelly about the thing, thanks!

My own little public service announcement, or stop the insanity

I have a bit of a problem! I would like to ask all the hoverers ( you know who you are, the woman who for whatever reason refuses to sit on the toilet) of the world to PLEASE stop. I know, I know ICK, well guess what, it is double ICK for me because I have to come in behind you with my child and clean it up! I know you are worried about the sanitary aspects of public bathroom use, so I have come up with a wonderful solution for you. Buy yourself some of those travel disinfectant wipes, and give your temporary throne a nice little swipe, either before you use it or after, or both if you must ( the germs will not jump up and get you). Then when I bring my 4 yr old into the same public domain, I will not have to cover the whole toilet with paper to save her little behind. Thank You! * oh and would you please stop using your feet to flush the toilet cause the dirt and mud from your shoes on the handle is also very ICK.....oh and please do flush, don't just skip that step because you are afraid of the germs and also I know you're afraid to touch the door handle after you washed your hands, but don't throw your trash on the floor next to the door.* Okay....I'm done.

4 year olds

I don't really have anything wonderful or witty to post today, I wish I did, but I'm suffering from the wonderful after holiday blues. My 4 year old has gone crazy. Or maybe it is just all 4 year olds. She had decided that she can do everything by herself. She just tried to make herself a cup of hot cocoa, and filled her cup half full of the mix, then when I tried to fix it she got angry with me because I was helping. She asked if she could have more soup after lunch, and I said yes, well I went in to help her out and she had filled her bowl, and the table and the floor with soup. The other day she was looking for her pj's ( she took it upon herself to go look for them, I didn't tell her to) and she emptied her whole dresser full of clothes onto the floor, she didn't come ask for help until everything was everywhere. I really want her to go outside and enjoy this unseasonably warm weather (59 degrees, maybe I'll go outside and read in the sun, try to soak up some vitamin D) Her 4 yr old friend came over to play today, but it was kinda nuts. They couldn't agree on what to do, and they had the attention span of, well I guess a 4 year old. She is reminding me of the Tasmanian devil with all her whirling and leaving of messes behind.