A Whole Lot of Monkey Business

Love is in the air

2012-02-15T05:04:00.000-08:00

I went in to help with the Valentine's day party for Max's class. It was the last one I had to plan, thank goodness. There were only about 5 Mom's willing to help or send anything in, so I had to keep reusing the same ones over and over. They all said, no worries, but still!

One of the biggest hits was the candy necklace making. They loved that!

They also made cute little bookmarks that had a love bug at the end (think pom-pom with googlie eyes), had treats, passed out valentines- these are the ones we made to give away,

colored, and played a minute-to-win-it game that I made up. I made this "Cupid tree"

that they chose a heart from. On the heart were challenges like put together a heart puzzle, name 10 things they loved, stand on one foot for 20 seconds, do the chicken dance, find all the matching hearts, pick up and transfer candy hearts with just a straw, etc.

They had lots of fun and of course everyone won! I had to hide the timer a couple of times, because they liked to look at it and a couple people didn't quite make the one minute mark.

I used the Cupid tree as our table decoration for dinner and then threw a bunch of candy on the table with it and a red table cloth. We had steak and potatoes and I even made apple crisp for dessert, but we were all full by then, so we'll have dessert today. We have never been into Valentine's day that much, but I have decided it is more of a family thing, now. We enjoy the love of each other. So to all my family, I love you. Thank you for being there for me.

An Educational Day

2012-02-10T04:59:00.000-08:00

Today I learned how to make fortune cookies. I decided a week ago that they would be the perfect Valentine's day offering, yet I had no knowledge of how to make them. I guess I was convinced it couldn't be that hard. Well, lucky for me, it wasn't.

I watched a video on Youtube of how to do it and copied the recipe. It is an easy recipe, just time consuming. I only made 12 in about 45 minutes. Most of those are now eaten.

At least they tasted good! It's a good thing I don't work this week. What with about 3 hours ahead of me to make enough fortune cookies and a Kindergarten party to plan!
While I was waiting between batches of cookies, (you only do 2-4 cookies at a time!) I took a German test to see what level of german instruction I should start on at Deutsche Welle. I got a 72% on my first level, which is enough to pass you off, but not enough for them to say you can take the next level test. I don't think that was too bad considering I haven't spoken any German in 20 years and was never that fluent to begin with! So I get to start on level A2.
I also looked around the web to see if I could find any blogs to help us on our move. I know- I am a little early. We still have 1 1/2 years before we move, but it's always good to get as much information as possible when you are moving to foreign country, right? Can you tell I'm excited! Rob is very nervous about it. Being responsible for a family this time around, is freaking him out a little. So the more I learn, the better he feels.
After the cookies and German test, I ran to the school to help out with their 100 days celebration. They did stickers and filled in number charts

and made 100's out of cheese and crackers

and put together a 100 piece puzzle and decided what they would buy with $100. Max said he was going to buy a blacksmith with his. I decided not to tell him that you can't buy people anymore! (especially since I knew he meant a blacksmith shop.) This year we got 100 smiley faces for our poster.

I try to come up with something different every year. We have done 100 pictures of Sam, 100 things that Joseph will eat (and if you know Joseph, your next question is, "did you actually find 100 things he would eat?" and the answer would be with a lot of thinking!), 100 fingerprints (we took it to church with us! Makes getting 100 fingerprints a lot easier!), and Hello, my name is Joseph in 100 different fonts. I took the poster to Young Women's with me and they went crazy on it. We ended up having to take off and cover up some of the smiley faces to make 100.
At the end of the day, to round out my educational day, we went to Joseph's play. He was one of the few people that had a solo part. We practiced talking slow and enunciating. He did really well! The play was all about graphs and how they help us with all the data that is out there. The kids helped their teachers make it up.

There was a part about cafeteria offerings like road kill casserole and eyeball soup, there was a Justin Bieber and how many records he sold part. Joseph's part was how many different kinds of things were sold at a store for Valentine's day.

His were friendship cards and they were hot! After he says that he is suppose to touch his bum and go ssssss. At first he was really upset about this. He came home and complained that all the kids laughed at him. It took me awhile to convince him that they were laughing at the part, because he had the funniest part. The night that we went, the director asked what parts everyone liked and one of them (not us) said that they liked the hot part and so Joseph got to get up and do an encore performance! It was a fun day!

Exercise is better with Friends

2012-02-08T08:20:00.000-08:00

Running a marathon is definitely better with friends. In fact, I don't think I would have finished training for a marathon without friends- it's just so far to run with nothing but some music! But every day exercise is much easier to get through with friends, too (especially if you find the right kind of friends.) What are the right kind of friends? They are the consistent ones, the ones who make you work harder, the ones that don't slow you down, the ones that are willing to try new things, the ones that are fun and outgoing! I am not that outgoing, especially at a gym. Rob, however, talks to all kinds of people. He's not a chatty Cathy or anything and he has a strict rule about not interrupting people when they are exercising. He'll talk to someone that helps spot him for a minute or he'll talk to someone while running on the treadmill next to them. That is how I met at least one friend at the gym- he talked to her. We saw her all the time, running her little heart out, but I never talked to her, just put in my headphones and started running. Once Rob talked to her a couple times, though, she had to talk with me. She actually is very outgoing. She seems to know everyone at the gym and everyone knows her. Since getting to know her, she has encouraged me to run longer and faster! She cheers for me when I get my times down!
I started being more consistent with my weight training, because her and another friend I met there (she knew about soccer clubs in the area and when I was talking about it to someone, she piped up and offered me some info.) started weight training as well. Now I make sure and get it in with them.
I started making sure I was cross training with the bike and I talked to them about it. They decided we all needed to try out the spinning class. I have yet to try a spinning class- they look so intimidating. I finally went with them, Tuesday. It was a great work out and not too hard. You control your own resistance. There was one lady there who has dying every time we would get up and pedal. She would plop back down within seconds and look like she was dying. I couldn't understand that, because sitting was much harder on me. When you are standing, your whole body weight is pushing down on those pedals- so, so much easier to pedal!
Today I went in late to the gym. My two friends were just finishing up. I sat down and talked to them for a minute and one of them told me that the spinning lady had told her that she didn't like people talking during her class. She said, "didn't you see the looks she was throwing us?" Personally, I think she's crazy. I wasn't talking like crazy, because it was a hard workout, but there was some times when it wasn't that bad and I wanted to talk. Doesn't she know that working out is easier with friends?

Showing the Love

2012-02-06T03:36:00.000-08:00

Generally Valentine's day is not a big thing at our house, but this year I read something about a guy sending his wife pictures of hearts, etc every day and I thought that would be a good idea, especially since my guy has been sick for a couple of weeks. We don't always do the best when the other is sick, especially if it's for more than a day or two. We realize this about ourselves and we are trying to get better! So in the spirit of trying to be better I have made an effort to text Rob a heart every day. These are some of the ones I have sent so far:

I try to always send a quick message along with it, but I am not very creative. I will have to do some more reading and come up with some good quotes or something!

An Inconvenient Truth

2012-01-27T03:23:00.000-08:00

Last night, Emma learned an inconvenient truth. One of my friends saw Samuel with us and said, "oh, I have a huge compliment for you." Then she proceeded to tell us how she had her visiting teachers over and how they ended up mentioning Sam. They all agreed that if they had been 12 year old girls they would have had a huge crush on him.

Emma was not impressed. "That is so wrong! Take that back! He can not be handsome. He's my brother." Sorry sweetie, I'm afraid you do have a handsome brother! --even with the scar

This year it's all about me!

2012-01-24T05:05:00.000-08:00

Update: I can't believe that I forgot that on my actual birthday, my wonderful friends took me out and we did pedicures and lunch and dessert! I love my wonderful friends- Kim, Lynette and Jaci! They are the bomb!

Yes, I got to be selfish this year- but not for the whole year, I promise. But for the first time since my beautiful daughter was born, I took back my birthday- just for the year. I love, love, love having my only daughter born on my birthday and I have no problems giving it up to her, except for this year. This year is mine. I told her point blank that she wasn't getting a birthday this year, because this year it was all about me. Now, next year- that is going to be a fiesta of Emma! On our birthday, I did run a bunch of roses over to the high school for her. The lady in the office said that it was the second delivery to her that day. Really? Who else brought my daughter in something. It turns out two friends brought her in big balloons. One had it delivered and the other one just gave it to her. The one friend had a birthday on the same day, so Emma (feeling bad that her friend hadn't been given anything) gave it back to her with a happy birthday to you! She also taped a bunch of balloons to her locker for her. When I told Rob that I was going to bring in flowers to the school he said, "Are you sure? I wouldn't like having to carry around a bunch of flowers all day!" I reminded him that was because he wasn't a girl! Girl's actually like you to make a big deal about their birthday and what is a better way than carrying around balloons and flowers so everyone knows it's your birthday!?

Robert- with much instruction, planned the party for my birthday. He said, "basically you want a nine year old boys party?" Now he had it! Ha! So yes, we went to laser quest.

Then we went out to Cho's Asian restaurant.

Then we came back for cake and ice cream.

The boys played with my new bike trainer and attached the odometer while the girls played Oodles. It was a good night!

Our birthday's pretty much took over the entire week. Rob put a new chocolate something on my pillow every morning. Every morning I forgot- seriously, you would think I would get it after a while, but when you are up at 5:30 am making lunches and breakfasts and getting everyone out the door at different times, your brain doesn't always remember incidentals! So every morning I had a surprise!

On our actual birthday we did have cake that Rob made with Max's help.

And balloons.

And presents!

Rob got me one of those bracelets that have beads for special things. I have ones for all the kids birthdays, Rob birthday, our anniversary year, and beads that have to do with me, like proud army wife and a running shoe and a scrapbooking one. He also got both Emma and I Kindle Fire's. I don't know if I will get into mine, because I am way too cheap to buy any more books. We have so many books!! Trying to check them out from the library is impossible, though. On one list I am number 667 on the wait list. Yep, I am never going to see that book before I move!

Friday Emma had some friends over to watch a movie and eat pizza's that they made themselves.

Rob asked on Sunday, "Are we finally done with your birthday's?" I told him yes, but then Emma quickly put in that she hadn't had her Chinese that she had wanted and couldn't we go to Chinese on Monday? Ah, let's just extend this birthday out a little more- you are only 415 once!

Formally Yours

2012-01-16T05:32:00.000-08:00

They decided to have a winter ball for the youth. Everyone dressed up- all right, all the girls dressed up. The boys were in their usual- because let's face it, most girls can find someone to borrow a formal/semi-formal from, but the boys usually rent a tux. And nobody was renting anything for a church dance!
Emma borrowed mine. I have used it so many times, lately! (Sarcasm) They did have a Christmas ball, here, like they are suppose to in every unit, but we didn't go. Rob says it's because I didn't tell him that I wanted to go, but I only said it like 5 times. In D.C. they had them also, but they were close to a $100 a piece to go. I wonder how many people showed up to those!! So I haven't worn the dress since we lived in Texas.

Anyway, Emma wore mine, but even though she has more to fit inside a bra than I do, her 5'4 frame is just smaller all the way around than my 5'8 frame, so the sweetheart neck kept falling. I overlapped the zipper and pinned it and then I pinned both her bra straps to the gown. Still, I told her, "No bending over!" I suppose, since she is turning 15 here in a couple days, we better invest in a modest one for her. I can't believe she will be able to date in just 1 year!!

I drove the girls up. I gave out bandaids to pretreat all the heel blisters. Still a couple of them developed some nasty ones. One had just gotten a pair of really cute nude heels that were way to high. She told us the story of her mother telling her that they were too high, but getting them for her anyway. While walking into the church, Emma says to her friend, "Tiffany, walk normal." To which Tiffany replied, "I can't." I replied, "She can't walk normally Emma, her heels are too high!" LOL Tiffany yelled, "No their not Sister K!"
After I dropped them off, I picked up snacks and came home to a house full of guest to watch a football game. We had a fun, relaxing night. The girls came home around 10:30 pm and got into pajamas, immediately. Then they told us all about who said what and who smelled the best and who twirled them on the dance floor. I have a feeling I better enjoy all that talk, because I have three boys coming up after Emma. Boys don't talk very well. When Rob talks to his mother or sister or someone on the phone. I'll ask him what they said, when he hangs up and he'll say, "nothing." Really, they just sat their on the other end of the line for 20 minutes not saying a word? Curious! Any advice on how to make a guy talk?

Other Miscellaneous Holiday Fun

2012-01-13T04:19:00.000-08:00

Watching a Clamation Christmas- Rob's favorite.

Being, once again, Party Mom for Kindergarten.

This holiday we made graham cracker structures and decorated them, painted green and red pencils with white stripes- they turned out so cute!

And had a cake walk.

Made Mom lots of cards to go along with her birthday calendar.

That took some time! She's got lots of people to send birthday wishes to!!

Making holiday Candy Apples- that's right, Candy Apples ain't just for Halloween, anymore!

The Young Women loved, loved them! I made traditional caramels for all my adult friends. One of them ate the entire thing in Sunday School!!

And last, but certainly not least, going and shooting our new guns!

Fun, fun, fun! I don't know why I didn't realize how loud they were and that they shoot fire out of the end of them. I must have jumped out of my skin half the time we were there.

I did shoot, though

and by the end of the clip, I felt a lot better about it and wasn't shutting my eyes every time I squeezed the trigger. Rob kept trying to show me how to work the gun before, in case of intruder while he was away, but I never felt comfortable. I feel a lot better about it now, especially since I hit close to where I was suppose to every time, except once!

Promoting New Years

2012-01-09T04:45:00.000-08:00

Rob's number for promotion just missed December. His Mom really wanted to see a promotion, but since we aren't with a regular unit, nothing was really planned. That meant we got to do it all! Lucky us! Rob took care of the ceremony

and Carolyn and I took care of the reception and the New Year's party afterwards. You can't ask people to give up their New Year's without holding a party. Luckily, again, most of them had plans and we only ended up with three families at our house- Perfect!!

Everyone just orders a cake. They have the new ones now where they can spray paint anything on them. But since I did that cake for his change of command, I have made it sort of my tradition.

I like the flag cake and it taste oh, so much yummier than a store bought cake!

I bought all these chocolate Lindt balls with red and gold and blue wrappers- more as decoration, but also so people could enjoy one. I forgot my son would be there. Grandma said he only ended up with about 6 handfuls! Robert confiscated some, I confiscated some and Grandma confiscated some, but Joseph is tricky!

New Year's was a lot of fun.

It was also Kelly's birthday, so we did have birthday cake.

It was picked out by her 7 year old daughter so it was pink with more pink!! We played Oodles, dance partied it up and had lots of food. We shouted out Happy New Year's twice- once at 10:35 pm so the families of small children could go home and put the over tired children to bed

and again at midnight when the ball dropped. Midnight was much more fun, because we broke out the fake champaign and the spray string!

We were so thankful that so many people took time out to come and see Rob. The Dean family came up from Kentucky- just for 6 hours.

Andre promoted Rob and then sic-ed his three oldest boys on him for a good wrestling match.

I only say it was good, because I wasn't there to watch and although Rob came up sweating and with the wind completely knocked out of him, nobody died or got seriously injured!

Mike was the MC

and Tony was the sound master (he didn't want to have to get dressed up in a uniform.) All the families came. Rob's councilor at school came and was impressed at all the guys that were there. Even a few families from the ward which knew nothing about military promotions came out.

We called our friends from Virginia who had moved out here a year before us, the day of the promotion (oops!) and they still came! They and the other Air Force couple we invited both sang the Army song at the end (even though they told me that in good conscious they couldn't sing it!) Wow, we felt really loved! Dianne helped keep the food coming at the reception as well as Carolyn and Gary.

She also took the majority of the pictures for us.

Congratulations Lt. Col. Rob!

Backing up to Christmas

2012-01-06T05:44:00.000-08:00

I know you have been waiting with baited breath (where does that phrase come from?) for this post- all about our December.

Christmas is one of my most favorite times of year.

I love decorating, I love the colors,

I love finding the perfect gift for people, I love the traditions.

On the night of the 5th, as normal, St. Nicholas visited us. This time he brought a note from Santa Claus, saying that he had received the children's notes and was working on getting them the things they wanted. Also he explained that his 10th cousin several times removed aka St. Nicholas was borrowing his sleigh this year in order to make it to all the European families scattered throughout the globe.

Each of the children received some candy, a book and a little toy.

Our Ward Christmas party was fun.

Max is the only one that will go and see Santa Claus now (sad face).

Christmas Eve, I had to work, but Rob's Mom and Step-dad were with us, so they made the traditional clam chowder dinner. After I got home we ate and had our traditional retelling of the birth of Jesus with accompaniment from Emma, Mom and Joseph.

I was the angel this year.

The kids opened their pajamas and left out a plate of cookies that they had finished while I was at work and root beer- Santa is too nice to say he doesn't enjoy warm milk, but we know better. Root beer is always a crowd pleaser!

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

Christmas morning the kids all pile in our bed until we decide to let them out,

but they always have to wait a little longer on the stairs

while Mom gets the camera.

The children have always gotten a quick note from Santa, but this year he wrote them an entire letter.

(Someone has been reading Letter's from Santa Claus by J.R.R. Tolkien!)

It was a good Christmas with lots of good stuff

Joseph found one present tied to Rob's still floating birthday balloon.

Max really, really wanted a nutcracker. I'm not sure why, but he never forgot to mention it when someone asked and he looked at them at every store we went to that had them.

Heaven's help us- now we have all kinds of guns in the house! Sam starts his gun safety class in January.

and way, way too much sugar to consume!

I gained about 4 pounds! Good thing for New Year's resolutions!

Backing up... Beep... Beep...Beep!

2012-01-02T09:37:00.000-08:00

I hate getting behind. I have had the worst backaches though, lately and have tried to stay off the computer for the most part.

We had Thanksgiving with our friends, the Dean family, down in Kentucky.

It was a lot of fun as always.

An impromptu dance party where Max sang "Tonight, Tonight" for the girls!

We also celebrated Dianne's birthday while we were down there.

We sure enjoy our visited with the Deans!

Riding the airwaves

2011-12-15T04:45:00.000-08:00

We have been running around like crazy- making gifts, buying gifts, wrapping gifts, decorating, making and sending cards, planning holiday parties, promotion ceremonies, going to concerts- la la la, Whatever!

But these guys-

they have just been riding the airwaves, thanks to Robert's birthday balloon.

It has survived a surprisingly long time! So far they haven't spotted anything amiss, but they have dropped low on a couple of sleeping faces a few times, just to make sure the area was secure for us!

Rob gets Older

2011-11-29T03:50:00.001-08:00

Rob didn't like the number on his cake this year- half way to 90 is impossibly old!

He's still kicking, though. We made him our 5 layer cake and he was King for the evening.

Sam learned- all on his own- the Happy Birthday song on the flute and played it for him.

He got silly stuff like chocolate and root beer,

because he says he is going to buy himself a big gun to go along with his big age.

Knock Out Weekend

2011-11-22T04:56:00.001-08:00

A couple weekends ago was one for the blog! It started earlier in the week. I had gotten a rash all over my arms that itched like crazy. I transferred it to my neck and ear and feet, so I wasn't surprised when I found a small patch on my low back as well. I was thankful that it didn't itch, because itching that region would have looked a little, shall we say... unpleasant. Thankful by midweek, the rash started going down, but the patch on my back did not. It looked like it was a bunch of welts and then it started to burn. Pretty soon my whole hip hurt and all the lymph nodes in my right hip swelled up. Everyone kept telling me to go to the doctor or at least show one in the ER where I worked frequently that week. But really who wants to say, "come here, Doc. Look at this rash next to my butt."? Friday night I tossed and turned. I couldn't sleep on my front because of the swelling, I couldn't sleep on my right side, because of the pain and I couldn't sleep on my back, because of the pain. I had pretty much decided what it was already and knew I was too late to get medicine for it, but I decided I at least needed something for pain, so that I could sleep. I got up around 6 am and headed to the ER. Sure enough, I was diagnosed with shingles. Rob started calling me grandma. It made me feel really old. Seriously, only 70 year olds get shingles, right? Apparently not!

After I got some medicine for night time, I came home, relaxed in a bath, and decided to go with the kids to see the flag football game that Sam and Rob were playing in with the ward. Just as we were driving out of our subdivision, I got a call from Rob. They were taking Sam to the ER. He had recovered a free ball, but in the process had got a knee to the eye. It cut him open and knocked him clean out. When I got to the ER, he was already in the back. I said "hello, again" to the triage nurse and went back in with him. The doctor had just arrived and had gotten Sam up to examine him. He wasn't actually a doctor. He was a med student. Sam noticed that he had a penchant for attracting med students. Right then he wasn't noticing anything, though. Instead his eyes were rolling in the back of his head. I told the med student to let him go and laid him back down. Sam started moaning and I asked him if he was nauseated, which he was. That's when I told the med student that we wanted a CT scan done.

I am so thankful for the medical insurance we have. Otherwise I would have just watched and waited and not asked for a CT scan. I liked knowing for sure that he did not have any swelling or bleeding in his brain. In the end he got 6 stitches to impress the ladies with. Aw, the pain of being a boy!

My day in Spanish

2011-11-11T05:56:00.001-08:00

Emma had me take pictures of my day for a Spanish 2 project. (Yes, we do realize that she is now taking the exact wrong language, but she will be in Germany for 2 years, but in the United States with tons of Spanish speakers the rest of her life. I think we still helped her choose well.)
My day starts before 5:55 am- I just took those 15 minutes to find the camera.

ella despierta.
Then there is breakfast making- usually different for Emma than for the boys. Emma doesn't eat the homemade pancakes and waffles that the boys will. So I make her quick stuff that she can eat in the car on the way to seminary.

ella come desayuna.
And there is lunch box packing.

ella paquetes de comida.
I check my emails and Facebook and blog the 15 minutes I have after sending her off until I get the next set of children up and start the process over again. And sometimes I finish while I am waiting for the last one to start his day.

ella ver computador.
Then there is no picture of me exercising, but usually this is when I go.
Then there are the invariable errands- shopping and library and whatever.

ella corre como un pollo con su cabeza cortada.
Eating yummy lunches-

Ella come almorzar.
most days with Max who always wants something different than I do.
Mondays I quilt, Thursdays I volunteer in Max's Kindergarten class, Friday I scrapbbook. I didn't get a picture of any of that.
The kids get home and there is the homework help

Ella lee
and the reading

Ella prepara la cena.
and the dinner prep
and the running everyone everywhere time- cub scouts, soccer, football, etc.
Then somedays I get ready for work,

Ella prepara para el trabajo.
including putting on makeup-

Se maquilla.
which I don't do much of, except when I go to work or to church. On Wednesdays it is get ready for Young Women's.
Work- always a different day and a different time. No consistency- but that's how I like it!
Finally, after washing my face

Ella se lava la cara
and brushing my teeth,

Ella se cepilla los dientes.
I fall into bed- this day at midnight- to snuggle with my convict hair-cut husband.

Ella se acuesta.
He says, "why do I look like a convict and not a soldier." Well, maybe he looks like a new recruit, but certainly not a Lt. Col. like he is! And worse yet- he paid for that haircut. He said he even tipped the guy! Ah, the things we do to not make waves!
So that's my day in Spanish minus all the little things like laundry, ironing, cleaning, kisses, hugs, prayers, etc. It's a busy life, but that's the way we like it!

Big Announcement

2011-11-07T09:25:00.000-08:00

So, the big announcement is that we are moving to Stuttgart, Germany in 2013, for anyone who hasn't heard.

We are excited! We are also a little overwhelmed. Although I have lived most of my life in Germany, I never really had to do any of the moving. I just kept out of the way and stayed up way past the time I wanted to go to bed to get myself accustomed to the new time. We are already thinking of what to do with the baby grand piano, the 2 motorcycles, the truck, all the food storage. We have already been told we have to live on the economy, so now Rob is really worried about our language deficit. We were lucky- we had my father who was a fluent German speaker to hash out all the details and work with the Landlords.

So, we're dusting off the old Rosette stone and putting up 3x5 cards all over the house. I figure it will help the little one learn to read better anyway!
Besides this, I have decided I have to get a decent wardrobe before I go over there, because let's face it, German styles aren't really all that and the BX almost always stinks! I was looking on line and some air force wife was going on and on about how bad everything was and then said something like, the Army never puts in the money that the Air Force and the Navy do to their facilities. Well, duh! That's because the Army doesn't get nearly the money the Air Force and Navy do to try and keep their people. We all know that! Although with all the forced draw downs the Air Force has had lately, I'm thinking some of that money should start going to the Army! Anyway, it's shopping time!!!
The two biggest problems I have are,
1. I have to find a way to keep my license without working for three years- or can I possibly get a job in their clinic?
2. Where will we visit first? So many places, so little time!!

Busy Haunting

2011-11-01T05:36:00.000-07:00

My back went out around conference time and was out for almost a month; therefore, sewing and things of that nature were pretty well out. I did however get this Luigi hat made with help from a pattern I found on the web.

I also got the straps made.

By the way, the real trick was the mustache. I used last years furry material that we used to make a How to Train your Dragon costume. Then there was the question of how to attach it. I tried a piece of elastic, tape, put it on a stick (which Max informed me was super lame, mom!) Then I put my nursing skills into use! I sewed a bandaid to it and then just put the bandaid on him and it stayed on all night, no problems!

Everyone else's costumes were reusing other things we had or store bought. Sam didn't come up with what he wanted until Friday, so his was definitely store bought.

Emma's dress would have cost me more in material and time and headache medicine to make than it cost to buy!

Joseph's costume is Link (he's an elf.)

It is a reused costume from last year when Sam was Robin Hood. We just added belts and a sword and a shield, an elf hat (I bought elf ears, too, but Joe refused to wear them), and some leather thongs. I bought material that looked like leather at JoAnne's for 30% off and then cut them into strips. Joe told me that he was impressed how well I tried to make him look like the real Link! So I guess we did OK!

Thursday the two little boys had parties at the same time. I was asked to be in charge of Max's, so I couldn't make it to Joseph's. At Max's we made these cute little pumpkins out of a pattern I found on Family Fun.

It was a little more involved than it should have been for Kindergarteners. I had Max try it out before I did it, to make sure, but I guess everyone has different levels. Also, it was a lot harder to supervise 7 kids instead of just one at a time. In the end, 2 other moms and I cut out the circles and sewed up the pumpkins, then help them stuff it and tie it off.

We also decorated pumpkin cookies

and had fun games. They played pass the pumpkin (hot potato), throw the ping pong eye ball into the witches brew and pumpkin rolling relay races. I think they all had lots of fun.

Saturday we went to Max's end of the year party for soccer. They made it a dress up party. They all look so cute!

Saturday was also our ward trunk-or-treat.

I don't know if there were a huge amount of children this year, or what, but most cars ran out way before the kids thought they were done!

Monday was the official "Beggar's Night" in our town. That's what they call it in Ohio.

We took the kids around the neighborhood and ended up at a little graveyard (like we do every year.)

This year, two of the parents went and hid in it and when we lined everyone up for a picture, came out booing and screeching. Notice that Joseph is the only one running away- the only one with self preservation skills.

All the rest were just trying to see what it was except Max who is oblivious! Ha ha!

Emma stayed home and passed out the individual sized popcorn bags- we didn't buy candy, because I eat too much of it. In the end, I bought one bag, because we went through more at the trunk-or-treat than I thought we would and Sam's club was out of the boxes of popcorn. Most of her friends were off trick-or- treating themselves. I tried to say something about it at the trunk-or treat, but most of the mom's were like- 'it's different now, everyone does it.' Really? Only because their mom lets them! I thought it was super embarrassing for all those teenagers to be going around asking for candy like the 4 year olds, but they weren't in the least embarrassed. Emma passed out the popcorn at our car. Maybe I am being the stick in the mud here- what do you think?

With all that going on, I kept forgetting to get pumpkins to carve, so I ran all over town on Monday, but there wasn't a pumpkin left out there. We ended up using the pumpkins I had bought for Max's party games and just painted them. Emma and Joe abstained.

Sam's is 2 bats flying in the moonlight although I think it really is an alien. Max's is the world and mine just has bling on it.

Now the Holidays have really started and I see no slowing down from here. Not only do we have all the traditional celebrations, but we are putting on a Promotion party as well. Rob's Mom wanted to come see him promoted for once. Unfortunately, with him at school it's not an easy thing to do. He will miss December by 2, so we are thinking of doing it on New year's, but then there is the whole holiday travel and people out of school thing going on and who does he get to do the pinning, etc. One of our friends that is a doctor offered to do it. Tells you how much he knows about the military (even though he is technically in the military and just got home from deployment!) He is only a Captain and Rob will be pinning on Lt. Col. I asked Rob if he thought Jeremy actually knew that he couldn't do it and he just laughed.

The nice thing is that I am excited for this year's celebrations! All except for that big 4-0 thing in January! I started reading Letters from Father Christmas by JRR Tolkien and I love it. Now I want to do that for my children as well! What a fun idea. I wish I could draw!! Oh, and I think I found a great gift for my parents, already! I love when that happens!! The holiday season is so fun!

Yumminess!

2011-10-13T05:31:00.000-07:00

The other day our neighbor brought over these amazing treats!

They are caramel, chocolate, candy bar laden apples. So super yummy! She brought them over because we have been trying to take care of her while her husband is deployed. We have them over for Sunday dinner often, Emma babysits for them whenever she can (she tried to do it for free, but Kelly won't let her. She always slips the money into something she brought with her), we help whenever she needs us. One of the big times we helped out was when her house was hit by lightening. Yep- hit by lightening! Isn't it always the deployed spouses house that gets hit!! It put a huge crack in her walls, blew out a bunch of light sockets, blew off all her fence post caps, rain gutters and split her trees down to the ground. It also made the water main bust. I was the one that discovered that. The water man came out and said, "I have good news and bad news. I found the problem, but it's on your side." Rob talked to him for some time about what that would entail and how to get it fixed. He finally told the guy that he was not the owner of the house, that he was there as a neighbor helping out the wife of a fellow deployed soldier. I guess that softened the guy up quite a bit, because he started telling Rob what needed to be done, let him borrow his tools for the tricky bolts and explained everything step by step as he held Rob upside down in a hole.

Rob was able to fix it! The owners wife came around to look at the damage (Kelly is just renting) and they asked who was helping hold Rob. When they told him it was the water guy, he said, "nope, I'm just a neighbor!" When Rob and Kelly tried to thank him, he just shrugged it off and said thank you to them for keeping our nation safe. If there is one good thing that came out of the Vietnam war, it was a sense of gratitude for the soldiers that put their life on the line and the families that are left at home alone to fend for themselves!
The treats look so good- I figured she bought them. There is a candy store that does the same thing. But come to find out- she made them. She told me how and I tried. I didn't have the right sticks- so that was a lot messier and apparently I don't have her skill either. Rob just said- "maybe you need to go have her show you how!" Uh, yeah, thanks!! So, on my to do list- Learn to make Caramel Apple Yumminess like Kelly!

Max's Behavior Chart for Mean People

2011-10-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

Maxwell decided he needed to make a behavior chart to control the mean people in his life. He made a picture chart- since he can't read. His behaviors were
1. Keep Quiet
2. No stomping on people's foots
3. No punching people in the face

4. No laughing at people when they are crying

5. No punching people while they are sleeping

6. No touching Mom's computer

I especially like that he remembered the ultimate sin- touching Mom's new computer! Unfortunately, Joe already has an x on his name. He stepped on Max's foot. Joseph immediately complained that Max had been punching and kicking him in the weaners and pulling his hair. Max calmly explained, "but, Joe that is not on the behavior chart." Oh my! Boys! They will make you laugh!

Emma (Not) at Homecoming

2011-10-06T04:39:00.000-07:00

Homecoming came and went.

Sam marched in the parade.

Emma did not!

The soccer team had a game rained out on Monday and so they rescheduled it for the day of the parade. Very nice of them, don't you think! I had to work and Rob had to be at the parade with Sam and the little boys who wanted candy!

- so no one went to watch her game, either.

None of us went to the homecoming game. We hear it is their tradition to loose the game. We don't know. Rob decided it would be too nuts at Homecoming and so we all just stayed in and watched a Big Bang. (LOVE)

Emma went to her friend Megan's house on the day of the dance and did her hair for her.

Then a group of them all went out to dinner.

Don't they all look so pretty!

Then Emma came home.

I told her that she could wear the dress I picked up for our cruise last year. It is modest and still totally appropriate for homecoming. I know, right! - How did I ever find that? I did. I found it at Macy's and it was expensive! But now I have one formal and one semi-formal that are both modest! Anyway- she said she really didn't care about the dance, so after dinner, she came home. The girls had fun at the dance, but one of the mom's told us that really the most fun part for them was the dinner. I guess Emma saved some money and enjoyed the fun part!

That kid dances to the music of his own flute!

2011-10-04T04:45:00.000-07:00

Samuel is an interesting kid. Mostly, I think he really doesn't care what you think, but then at times he thinks way too much of what you think.

The kid is what I would call a typical boy growing into his manliness- because I know all about those kind of things! He doesn't care what he looks like- at least he keeps telling me that when I try to comb his hair. He doesn't care what clothes he has on, as long as they are jeans or shorts and the shirt is athletic looking. He's not worried about his nails or anything else metrosexual. I think we have finally got past the take a shower fight each night, though! He likes to go out in the cold and pretend that he is warm without the need of a jacket, like all us other wimps. He fought with his Dad over it at the soccer game the other day when it was 45 degrees. I did however get him to wear a long sleeve shirt under his jersey the other day when we went to his football game at 8 pm, but no gloves or anything. I bought him some under armor the next day and he actually wore it, because all the other boys had it at the game.

He loves football, even though he is the shortest, skinniest kid out there by far-

look at that picture, find the kid on the side by the coach whose arm you can only see. That's Sam. See how short he is compared to everyone else and his team is shorter and scrawnier than most of the teams we have played.

and he gets knocked over more than not.

If he can outrun everyone (which he does) and catch the kid with the ball and bring him down by holding onto his legs till he's been dragged a couple yards and the kid can't stand it anymore, he is in heaven!

Now take that football loving,

non-metrosexual, macho, don't comb my hair boy and add this in...

Yep, that's a flute the kid is playing.

He is in band this year. They tested them at the beginning of the year on all the instruments and gave them a rating from 1-5. Sam got a 4+ on the trumpet, trombone and percussions. He decided he would play the trumpet, but when it came time for him to choose, he said a bunch of other people had already chosen the trumpet, so he chose percussions. After he chose, about 12 other people said they wanted percussions. The band leader then proceeded to explain to them that they couldn't have that many percussions and trumpets and needed to have some more flutes (they are 7 flutes short still.) He begged someone to change and no one would. So finally Sam raised his hand and said he would play the flute. Oh man, my little peacemaker! Why can't you be a peacemaker with your mother and father and wear a jacket every once in a while?!

That's my Sam. Some days I am just not sure what to do with him! Luckily he's a pretty good kid on his own- except when he gets detention. But that's another story!

Ok, Ok, so he got detention from his honors english teacher who gives excessively too much homework- and it's not the kind of stuff you would expect honors english kids to be doing, it is total busy work without a purpose. He was staying up late, getting up at 5:30 in the morning trying to get it all done. He didn't have it all done twice and then went into the wrong group one day at school. He completed that work, but it was the wrong work according to her, so she gave him detention the next day. We have had a talk with her since then! But she doesn't understand how he can't be getting his work done. So she had a talk with him at school. She asked him stuff like did he have difficulty reading. Um, hello, lady- he's in Honors english!! Needless to say, we will probably be talking with her again!

Galactic Acidification

2011-09-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

Last marathon I did a home movie, took lots of pictures, wrote about in glowing prose. This marathon- not so much. We ran the Air Force Marathon September 17th.

One of the many flyovers by various aircraft during the race

We did the training in half the time as the last one. Life kept getting in the way, and we let it. We didn't really have a team until the last 3 or 4 weeks and we didn't do team dinners/breakfasts or shop for matching uniforms or anything. As soon as we started running with a team, though, things seemed to get a lot better. Rob started not being so exhausted on runs. In fact he ran us into the ground on the 20 miler. Runs seemed a lot more fun and not as hard. But then the last week I started feeling really exhausted. I came up with all kinds of excuses from "I'm still recovering from the 20 miler, to I haven't eaten and it's already 10 am and I'm trying to run, to I'm just nervous about the race."

I tried to get into the race spirit a little the day before the race. I made a tutu to wear and put butterflies on clips that I put in my hair. I thought about buying wings, too, but decided against it because of the whole wind drag thing.

One of my butterfly clips had fallen out at mile 3!

The day of the race, we went in early- to the wrong gate and told them we were going into the office- which we were- so they moved barricades for us to pass through. We went into Dwyne's office and hung out for a while, trying to eat the last of our bananas and oatmeal muffins. It was all very surreal to me. We finally headed down to the start point and just barely got there in time for the wheelchairs to start. Two of the guys had to drop bags off at a collection spot, so we missed them. We looked everywhere, but it didn't take long before the gun went off for us to start. We eventually caught up with them. They had lined up with the 4 hour group and we had lined up with the 4:15 group.

Right before you got to the 1mile poster you got to a huge hill that went on for another mile and a half. Really not fun, when you have trained on mostly flat ground. The rest of the course was up and down except two spots- one at miles 9-10 which went off base, so that families could cheer.

That is where the party was.

One of the kids favorites

One of our friends' -who smoked us all- wife watched and carted around our children for us, so we could see them and they could see us. She is such a sweetie!

By this time, I was already done running! I couldn't seem to put one foot in front of the other without a huge effort.

Everyone kept asking if I was Ok. I wasn't. At mile 18 I was really done. I didn't think I could go another step, but we made it to mile 20 where true to form, Rob got a cramp in his hamstrings. It happens every time at mile 20! Before mile 21, though he caught up with us and passed us. He said, it actually felt better if he ran faster. He ended up finishing at 4 hours 14 minutes.

He told one of the guys, Dave (who is in our bishopric) to stay with me and he did, the entire way. Even though I took extra breaks, he stayed with me. The last 1.2 miles is where you can see the finish line, but you have to go in a huge loop and back to it. I couldn't even keep running there. I had to take one quick walk before I could finish the point 2.

As soon as I crossed the finish line a nurse was in my face asking if I was Ok. I wasn't. It was all fuzzy on the sides of my vision and I could feel myself starting to faint. Rob stuck out his hand and I grabbed it and then I knew I would be Ok. I did have to walk a couple yards and then sit down before I did faint, but I knew it would be alright with Rob. I downed an entire bottle of gatorade and inhaled a banana and then I was able to stand. I still didn't have to go to the bathroom until 7 o'clock that night, though!

Dywne still hadn't come in. He was fighting hard with cramps. We weren't sure when he would be there, so we took pictures.

Notice the bumble bee shirts the boys wore to match Rob's black and yellow combo (they are stinging like bees!) Emma is in purple to match my floating like a butterfly outfit! Nobody really got it. They kept calling me tutu girl or I also got fairy and ballerina!

I was really disappointed with my time of 4 hours and 20 minutes. It was almost an entire minute more than last race and I had trained to run it faster. I kept trying to figure out what my problem was. Why I was so exhausted the entire race. The whole last 18 miles was a gut check. It took me until the next day when I finally realized. Only one thing changed from the time I ran the 20 miler (where we all ran strong and where on time for our goal) until I ran the marathon. I had started taking Allegra for allergies! And a couple weeks before the 20 miler, Rob had stopped taking allergy medicine because of nose bleeds! I don't know why I didn't even think about it before I started taking it, but although it is non-drowsy, it still is, obviously exhausting! Rob had been struggling with the runs ever since allergy season had kicked in and I started having trouble when I finally started taking allergy medicine (I usually don't get allergies, so I had just been trying eye drops and stuff before that.) Needless to say, I have not taken allergy medicine since the race! I am biased against them.

One day, I will realize that just completing a marathon on those terms and in not a terrible time, is a good thing, but for now I'm just disappointed. I would like to prove myself, but I am also ready to do some other things. We talked to several people about doing a triathlon and Rob really wants us all to run the Army 10 miler, (which we have already started training for) and I really would like to do a Ragnar race. There are lots of fun things out there to do! Anyone want to come with us to do any of them? We do love a team!!

Dywne, Dave, Shawn, Rob and Deborah

PS the lactic acid from a marathon is always galactic!

The New Normal

2011-09-14T07:44:00.000-07:00

I meant to do a post on the 10th anniversary of 9-11-01, but I didn't. I mean to do a lot of things that I don't. Sometimes I wish I was more type A with a check list that I had to get done each day. I meant to practice my photography after paying for a photography class, but I still haven't. In fact, I have returned to shooting in automatic. I know, I know, but soccer shots are hard to get, anyway, without worrying about my aperture setting! I finally decided that I just had to sit down, though and take a minute and write this post.
At the beginning of school Samuel had to write an introduction piece about himself and one of the things he could write about was an important event in their lives. I thought about it for a minute and then realized something that none of them realize! September 11, 2001 changed all of our lives more than any event in my childrens' lifetime. They can't remember how it was when you didn't have to take your shoes off to get on an airplane, or not being able to go right up to the gate to welcome your party right off the airplane. They don't remember how you used to just go to a museum without having everything go through a metal detector, or before Homeland Security. They really don't even remember what it was like before we were at war- all those years of peace (all be it tense peace with the Soviet Union.) Soviet Union- what's that? Right- they don't know about that either!
September 11, 2001 my husband was still a full-time Seminary teacher. He was in class when it happened. I was in my kitchen and had turned on the news. When the first building collapsed, Tom Browkaw was saying "I'm not sure what just happened" and I was yelling back, "the tower just completely collapsed Tom Browkaw!" At the time we lived in Colorado, far away from the events of the day. It was like a very intense movie I was watching. I called my husband who said that someone had come in and told them about the attacks and that they were watching it now.
When I went to work the next day, the nurses were talking about going to help. One had already contacted some of the hospitals to see what they needed and was arranging her flight. I wanted to go, but I had little ones. By the next day, it was obvious that there would be no need for extra nurses and doctors, though, so nobody went.

Robert had already turned in his packet to rejoin the Army, but it was all so close that it's inseparably linked. The other thing the kids really can't remember is when their Dad didn't wear a uniform, when we weren't planning our life around moves, when they weren't saying, every time they saw a picture of a house on the computer, "is that our next house?"
Things in our own lives are very different then when those planes hit. Most of the time I just go on with regular life not thinking about it. It has become the new normal. We have deployed soldiers spouses over for dinner, we get excited for our "next" home, I send my husband off for work in a uniform every morning, we don't even think twice about not going to the gate to pick Grandma up. I don't even really remember 10 years ago when my husband went to work in a suit and tie and when I wasn't thinking about the "next place". It's amazing how much things can change in just a short time and then become so "normal" to us. At the very least, I realized I had to stop and comment on this new normal.
I was really glad on Sunday when we sang, "My Country 'tis of Thee." It gave me a minute to pause and reflect and realize how many people's lives have change forever because of that day- many many of which lost their lives. I have to give a shout out to my hero's, especially, just doing their jobs- EMS workers (had to put them first, because they are usually forgotten or just lumped in with the firefighters!), Firefighter, police, and soldiers. Thank you for all you do!

Nesting

2011-09-06T05:16:00.000-07:00

I am not a crazy obsessive compulsive clean freak. I am usually one of those "good enough" people and I can turn my back on clutter for a while. But at certain intervals- and there have been no definitive studies of when or why this happens- my alter-obsessive-clean-freak-ego comes out. Rob calls it my nesting stage and he loves it when I am in a "nesting stage." His obsessive-clean-freak-ego is always either surfaced or just barely submerged! Usually my nesting stage last until the house is cleaned up, the clutter is put away or one closet has been dissected, completely scoured, and rearranged. This time however, it has lasted more than a day. I have done the linen closet, our closet, our drawers, (all the socks are now rolled and in color sections, the clothes are in rainbow order with long sleeves first and then short sleeves next, etc.- compulsion rears it's ugly head!) scoured the fridge, completely redone the study, and started on the laundry room. I bought a sofa table and found a place that will redye my sofa. Unfortunately, I think my mild mannered-turn-my-eyes-the-other-way ego is resurfacing and I really wanted to redo my downstairs and finish that quilt for Sam!

Max goes to School

2011-08-30T04:51:00.000-07:00

Monday morning Max woke up early. He dressed, got his hair combed and ate his breakfast. He brushed his teeth and headed for the car, just like his older brother Joe.
Today Max was going to school for the first time! Once at the school Mom came with Max into his teachers room. They unpacked his bag and hung it up. Max found his name before Mom could.
Max sat big and tall in his chair and was careful to always raise his hand and not shout out.
Max had a little trouble remembering to use the bathroom when he had time, but the teacher taught them the sign that meant- I need to go potty right now!
Max loved all the activities at school, including his favorite- the letter hunt. There were snacks that just appeared at the end of the letter hunt! How did they get there? Mom stayed with Max and helped out his teacher until he went for lunch.
After school Max met a person who shook his hands so they could become friends. This friend helped him get on the right bus to go home.
Max loved his first day of school. The question now is, will he love his second day of school!

Success!

2011-08-24T14:12:00.001-07:00

Craft sticks are the way to go! It took me all of 20 minutes to do them this time where as last time it was closer to an hour and a half and so very messy! These were fabulously yummy, too!

Three down, One to go...

2011-08-24T05:16:00.000-07:00

School started! This year we have 4 different schedule to keep. We did fine yesterday, because we only had to do 2 of the 4, but today with 3 of the 4, I got a little distracted and almost missed one of them. I had to send him out with an egg, cheese and sausage sandwich (homemade) to eat on the way to school. Which means he didn't brush his teeth! Super Yuck! I have to go to school to get Max tested for Kindergarten today, so maybe I will be nice to the teacher and bring Joseph in one of those disposable ones!
Because of our 4 different schedules we have instituted some new rules. We will pack everything in our lunch that we can the night before- not sandwiches, because then you get soggy bread and that's Super Yuck! Also each of the kids got a hanging basket (except Emma who got hangers that have cute duct tape wound around them to make them special) to put their clothes in for the week. On Sunday we go through and fill the baskets up for the next week. I haven't labeled them, because I will let them pick out whichever one they want to wear that day, but at least they have outfits and easy access. This helps with the- "I don't have anything to wear" or "I can't decide what to wear" morning slow down.
Yesterday, being the first day of school of a new month was Cookie Day! The bus goes wild on Cookie day!! This time we did chocolate covered Oreo pops. I learned after many disaster that you really need double stuff to make them work- the Popsicle sticks are just too big for the regular! Do you know how many disasters I had to eat before I learned this? Made me sick! You could also use a craft stick instead of a Popsicle stick and then you wouldn't have to use double stuff. They are real easy-as long as you are using the right stuff, otherwise there is a big chocolate mess over everything. You just put a little melted chocolate on the inside of half of an Oreo, put a stick in it and put the top back on. I learned to put them in the refrigerator after that to let them set faster. Then you dip them. I used Styrofoam balls to stick them in to after dipping to let them set. Later I decorated them with melted candy melts that I put in a baggy and snipped the end off of. Besides the chocolate mess and the thinner cookies still coming apart, it turned out really well. I didn't get a picture of the double stuff ones. Those ones were so much easier and prettier! Here's to another great year of learning!

Moving into all new territory

2011-08-19T06:10:00.000-07:00

Today Emma went to freshman orientation at the High School.
We have officially begun our High school years! We will be in High school for the next 15 years- without breaks. Wow, I can not believe it. It makes me choke up to even think of the short 4 years I have left with my daughter and don't even get me started about the whole learning to drive thing- that sends horrible shivers down me! And dating- forget about it! Let's just focus on our huge step of entering High school. That's enough of a shock for any parent to handle.
Technically, Emma official started into High school when she made the High school Freshman soccer team! I was so nervous for her that I almost threw up as I sat in the car and waited to see her reaction. I almost cried with relief when she came back to the car and said she had made the team. I made her go with me to the door, so I could see it for myself! I know you think I am probably way too wrapped up in this and I probably am. I don't remember ever being that crazy about seeing my own name. The first time I tried out for cheerleading I didn't make the team, but I wasn't that upset and got over it in like 30 minutes! The thing is, though, I just tried out for cheerleading on a whim and Emma has been doing soccer since she was 6. That's a big difference. Also, it was a small school and I could just decide to do something else. I decided to run cross country, instead. There was only 2 days left until their first meet, but if I wanted to run cross country they were all up for it. Here, not so much. All the teams have been training since the spring. Cross country is so big that they have time trials to see who can go on the bus to the meets. Golf has already had a match. The tennis team cut people and made a big distinction from their Varsity and Junior varsity teams. Sports here are a big deal! All the soccer players have played select ball year round since they were like 6! There are 2 people that made the team that didn't play select- Both are LDS. Select (travel league) plays on Sundays, so both LDS girls played only recreation ball. The mother's still can't believe anyone could make the team that has only played rec ball. I get to hear about it from them all the time!! Gets a little annoying! I see it as a little blessing for their sacrifice for keeping the Sabbath day Holy! And I'll tell you something else, those two girls are about the only ones on the team without an injury!
Today, Sam went to Middle school orientation. Man, my kids are growing up fast.
He started football with a league here that will start you when you are in 3rd grade. It's crazy the amount of people that start their kids on something that physical, that young! This is the only year we decided to do it. Joseph wanted to do it also, but Rob said no. I think that was a good call. The first time I saw Sam flying through the air after a tackle, I was a little worried! Unfortunately, Rob has been drowning in a sea of homework and tests and has not had much to do with the football. This leaves Mom (who never had brothers that played football) to go and buy shoes with Sam and to help him decide what position to try out for. I have been learning a lot! I guess the shoes were Ok, but the positions were all wrong! I have gotten a crash course on football positions, plays and tactics these past few weeks! Sam is still our short, skinny guy with lots of heart and fairly good upper body strength for his stature. The kid actually has pecs and some little biceps popping up! But the majority of kids that are going out for the football team are huge fatties with a couple of big athletic kids thrown in. So the big fatties get the line, the bigger athletic kids get everything else and Sam gets ignored! He was finally given a back up corner back position (swapping with the safety every once in a while). I wish the coach would actually watch him. At practice he either sacks the quarterback, or is in on the main tackle every single time! He also caused a fumble and recovered the fumble one time. He is faster than almost everyone else on the team. But the coach is a big beefy ex-lineman who yells and chews tobacco. His son plays center. So Sam is only good for practicing his real athletes against! Hopefully, Sam will get some basic information about the game out of this and he can practice his receiving in the winter and spring with his Dad (because he really wanted to be a receiver) and then he will try out for the Middle school team next year. At least he seems to enjoy it when his coach lets him go out there!
Maxwell is starting Kindergarten this year. All my babies will be gone- at least part of the week. Max is on an every other day schedule (with an every other week Wednesday). Along with football and soccer practices and games, my work schedule and YM/YW and cub scouts and.... etc, etc, it's going to be really hard to keep up with it all and remember what day I'm on! There won't be much time to think about not having anyone at home with me!

BYU-I Education Week

2011-08-03T10:15:00.001-07:00

I flew out last week to go with my mom to BYU-I education week. It was suppose to be a girls weekend, but no one else wanted to go. I definitely think they missed out! It was amazing (to use Emma's favorite word!) The first day we were in a dump of a hotel, but we were able to get a suite at a Marriott for the next 2 nights. It was the funkiest hotel- all in shades of aqua and orange with beads hanging down from the ceiling and lava lamp looking vases. I can't believe I didn't take pictures! The bed was super comfy!
We ate out, watch shows, talked, laughed, went to a farmer's market ate fudge and attended the conference. Our favorite was Victor Ludlow. Mom also loved Max Goldstein who is a Jewish gentleman that converted. There were classes from "don't stress out, no one's perfect" (which we avoided), to deep Hebrew interpretation of parts of the bible, to canning, to saving money shopping, to helping your child achieve scholastically. I've got pages of great notes! I seem to have forgotten to take any picture except for of the garden we kept passing through, though- so enjoy! It was beautiful! BYU-I has definitely changed from it's Rick's college days!
While I was still out in Utah, Cindy and Rick and their children came downBethany setting the table with cut flowers from Mom's backyard and Karl and Terrie and their family came up. We also celebrated Dad's birthday! It was a great mini-family reunion. I hope we can do it again! Nate helping Grandpa practice his piano.

The King

2011-07-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

The title The King or King Joey was given to Joseph by Samuel when he was just a baby. Samuel was playing a knight who was keeping The King (baby Joseph) safe from the yucky bubbles left in the bathtub after a bubble bath. Later when we were in the store and I stuck my head around a display, Samuel came dragging the cart behind him and saying, "don't forget the King, Mom!" He has been King Joey ever since.
King Joey had his birthday the other day and turned another year older. I can't believe how big they are all getting! Everyone was off to scout/YW camp, so it was just the 4 of us. We shared steak and baked potatoes. Steak is Joseph's absolute favorite food! Then I made a 14 layer cake! Ok- I decided to cut it down to 8-10 layers so I upped the amount of yellow cake mix I put in each pan from 2/3 cup to 3/4 cup. In the end it only made 6 layers- but super yum!! My cake pans were all different sizes, so it ended up being the leaning tower of cake, but it was so, so good and Joseph was very happy! (I took his picture with the candles all lit and then found out that night while at photography class that I didn't have the memory card in!)
Joseph is our friendly, girl-loving, embarrassed easily guy. He runs away whenever he gets embarrassed at a movie and the times that make him embarrassed are a mystery. When he was in Kindergarten and brought home books to read, he refused to read one because it had girl words in it. What are girl words, you ask? Well, "go away" was one of them, because a boy would have just said , "go!" - so Joseph tells me. I forget the other ones- pretty or kitty cat or something like that. Anyway, I finally convinced him to read it to me if I read all the "girl words."
He has had his first date already- he asked a Young Women to come to our house for S'mores and she came. He is convinced he is going to marry Eve from Virginia, when they both move out of their houses. He had a conversation with Max the other day when Max said he was going to get his own house but not get married, because Mom was already married. (Apparently there is still no one better than Mom right now for Max!!) Joseph said, "well then you will be alone. You will have to go shopping alone and cook alone and do everything alone!" After this rational Max was convinced that he might have to find someone to marry.
The other day Joseph said to Max, "Max, let me tell you what is against the law. Stealing candy from a store is against the law, Jay walking or in other words Jail walking is against the law- that's when you walk in the street without those lines. Anything a bad guy does is against the law." I see a budding lawyer. Although Joseph doesn't mind reading and reads in the top of his class, he absolutely hates to write. I guess if he does become a lawyer he will have to get himself one heck of a secretary!
He loves to play with his brother's, play water fight, wrestle, play video games, chess and build Legos. He loves chocolate and steak and he hates it when Mom tells embarrassing stories about him. The other day I was telling some friends something shocking he said and after we walked away he said in a very nice way, "Mom, please don't tell everyone about my embarrassing times." I told him I wouldn't, so I won't. We love our little King Joey!

Jungle hot

2011-07-20T18:02:00.001-07:00

Today Joseph got up and asked me how cold it was outside, so that he could dress properly. I told him that stuff on the window wasn't frost, it was the mug from the mugginess- "that's Jungle hot, son!"
"Now go out there and spend an entire day acting like a man in the heat at cub scout camp!" My poor babies- all of them are out in this heat at various camps (except Max!) I spent Monday out at scout camp with Joe and I have never sweated so much in my life for so long! By 2:30 pm I was soooo done! Too bad the camp went until 4:30 pm!
Who came up with this evil plan of heat exhaustion, anyway?

Sam's birthday at Patoka Lake IN

2011-07-19T09:54:00.000-07:00

Sam's got that lucky birthday where we are almost always traveling! Therefore, his birthday's look something like this:Happy birthday, Buddy! I hope it was a blast!

4th of July

2011-07-19T09:22:00.001-07:00

The local hangout spot came up with a deal on Independence day, so we went and enjoyed it with some friends- After the traditional pancake breakfast at the church, naturally! $5 got you a wrist band for anyone under 12 and they could do unlimited anything! Since it was Sam's 12th birthday week, they gave him one for the $5 price, even though he was technically over 12, now. The kids had such a fun time! They spent most of their time in the batting cages and big slide. Except for Max who didn't like either. He spent his time on the little train for the most part. Even Rob tried his hand at the batting- although he missed every single one the first time! Hee hee! After he got warmed up, he was able to even get a couple in the fastest pitch (70-80 mph)! I guess he hasn't gotten to do a lot of things, lately that he used to do a lot of. I bet he would fall the first time he tried skiing, again, too! After some super yummy ice cream that this dairy makes, we watch our cities fireworks with about 1/2 the ward. The kids favorites were the stars and smiley faces and the shimmery ones! Happy Independence day, America!

Our crazy Summer or I think I need a nap!

2011-07-13T07:24:00.000-07:00

Since before school officially ended, we have been running! Usually summers are nice relaxing times that we fill with some school work in the morning, a little cleaning and then a lot of reading and swimming. Not this year! We haven't been to the pool once. I have been running around with my head cut off most of the season and so have Rob and Emma. The boys are entertaining themselves with Lego's and playing way too many video games.
First we had a fun trip out west to visit family.
We crashed Rob's brother's wife's family reunion. Loved this slide, until it rained and made it slicker than snot with a huge mud bath at the end! They also had an outdoor bowling alley and a climbing wall and volleyball and Frisbee golf and all kinds of fun stuff!

Then we went to Island Park with Rob's Mom and Step dad and siblingsand stayed for the week.At Red Fish Lake- Head waters of the Snake river.

Sam crossing a freezing cold river to get the shiny thing in the water that turned out to be a penny.

We made it over to Yellowstone, Where Joseph said, "Look the rocks are yellow. That's why they call it Yellowstone." Smart boy!

where we got a flat tire, saw a wolf, a bear and her two cubs and Old Faithful. It snowed on us!
The weather was downright frigid the whole week, Father's Day with Rob's two Father's and siblings
so we stayed inside a lot, but ventured out one or two days, so that we could go canoeing Trying to get Sam in a wet suit! He ended up refusing to wear it!

and fish with Grandpa, and the boys could throw everyone in the freezing cold lake! Sam got it a lot, but everyone got thrown in eventually. Not even Grandma got a waiver! Only Grandpa who could probably whoop all those boys and Nyla who runs and hides got out of the water wars!

We had lots of fun playing games inside, although some people couldn't remember that games have rules.

Then we headed down to Utah to see my Mom and Dad's new house in South Weber.Visiting Great Grandma Keck

It is only 10 minutes from Hill AFB and they bought it from Mrs. Cavanaugh of Cavanaugh chocolates. The house came with house warming gifts of chocolate as you would expect!Jumping off the terraced back yard rocks! So fun!

Sparklers- Just for fun- with the Keck Cousins

During this whole time Rob and I ran almost every day even though my lungs wanted to explode from lack of oxygen, yet I still gain 4 pounds and we came back realizing we were way behind on our training for the Marathon which is in September!
Since being back, I have worked, we have gone down to Kentucky to go boating and waterskiing. So fun! I forgot to take any pictures, but Dianne said she would send the ones she got my way- so I will put them in later. I have done mountains and mountains of laundry; Emma has been to Volleyball camp, Soccer practice and now Soccer camp; I started a photography class; Rob has started a new semester at AFIT; and everyone is getting ready for Boy scout, Cup scout, and Girl's camp which is all next week. We also had to get new ID's which took us all day! I forgot that you had to have your sponsor with you or having him sign a form or have a power of attorney. So I came and went 3 times before I had everything I needed. My ID went from looking decent to making me look like I was Hispanic- seriously, even Rob was like, that's so weird! Emma's went from the guard saying- "wow, that's you? I think it's time to get a new ID!" To looking really cute. We are also now, seriously training for the upcoming race. We ran 12 miles last Saturday and then I watch Emma play soccer in a tournament and then worked an 8 hour shift in the ER. This week we are running 14 miles and then I am going on a walking field trip with my Photography class! See- I need a nap!
On top of all this, we have our garden to tend to- which I need to go do- as well as take pictures for my photography class- guess there is no nap in the near future!

Our Garden

2011-06-06T05:18:00.000-07:00

Once again, having a garden has caused a controversy at our home. Robert must have some repressed horrible gardening memories, because he has fought me constantly about having one. In Colorado, I borrowed a rototiller and got a garden spot all ready. I even separated it from the rest of what was going to be our lawn with railroad ties. Robert took those out and put grass on the whole lawn- on purpose! In Texas, we were going to move too soon and have to sell the house and no one liked a house with a garden spot (what??) In Virginia, obviously we had no backyard to speak of. Here, we are only renting the house and no we can't just do a small spot and throw grass seed out when we leave. So I went and rented a spot. He threw a fit about that! But it was only $10 for the year and the water is fairly easy to get up to the spot, so now he can only complain about the drive and how much gas is. He refused to help us at all, so here is Sam, Max and I digging up our spot. They had rototilled it once, but we had waited too long. I don't think the soil is the best, either. So we used a shovel and a bunch of rakes and took 2 hours to get 2/3 of it done. We left the rest, but we don't have our beans and peas and zucchini planted, so if we want those done we will have to go do the rest. It was a lot of work, but Sam really wanted to garden and he helped the whole time. Max wasn't the best helper in the world, but he picked grass out and tried to rake for us. He also was a good carrier and planter. Sam called the planting, "the fun stuff!" I hope we get some produce out of this! We got 9 tomato plants and 1 jalapeno plant free from the University of Ohio extension. We also planted corn and cantaloupe and a watermelon.

Good-bye Soccer- for another season!

2011-06-02T04:54:00.001-07:00

It's sad that we spend all this money on soccer and then are glad when it is done or when the games get canceled- which they were a lot this season. We had such a wet spring that the fields seemed to be always closed! Both Emma and Max got so much better this year. They told Emma that she was one of the two people that pulled their team out of the dumps and helped them start winning! Let's hope that proves true when she tries out for the High school soccer team this fall!It doesn't look very coordinated, but she made a big goal right after this!

Their parties ended up being on the same day. Emma's was a pizza party at 6pm that I was going to have to miss because we had Max's last game, but true to the season, it was canceled due to rain! I set up Max's party, because somehow I became the de facto team mom. So I set it up for 7 pm for ice cream only! Yeah baby- pizza then ice cream!! There are advantages when you take charge! These pictures that I have no idea who took are not one of the advantages, though! I hate how my chin slides into my neck! I have got to work on that posture!Sam and Joseph have been practicing football with Dad. Sam starts football this July! Let's hope this 15% for height and 10% for weight guy doesn't get crushed!!

Emma's Bananarama Do

2011-06-01T05:36:00.001-07:00

Emma and a group of girls got together for music class to be the Bananarama's. They are having performances from other era's all week long. Emma's of course was the 80's! Recognize anything you used to wear? Loving the pegged jeans and the tough girl bandanna. She sprayed her hair out a little more, closer to performance time.

If you give a child a camera...

2011-05-25T05:16:00.000-07:00

If you give a child a camera, because you can't go on his field trip with him, he will discover the video mode and annoy the teacher to no end as he videos the day away. Then he will take at least 80 pictures of his friends looking something like this... and this... He will look at these over and over when he gets home, reminding your other child how much fun the camera is. If your other child remembers how fun the camera is, he will then proceed to take lots of pictures with the camera that look something like this... He may even do your hair for you in the morning to get you ready for your photo shoot where you will look super in your morning do! You will decide that you've had enough pictures for one day, only to be reminded that you have 3 camera's in the house. Once you have successfully hidden all the camera's, the boys will be going on a Father's and Son's outing and you will have to find the camera to take a picture of them and then give it to the Father to take some pictures. Sadly Father's don't seem to take pictures very often- at least not our Father, so he'll have to give the camera to a child

and if you give a camera to a child you get one picture of the outing that looks something like this...

I wish I had a picture

2011-05-23T05:35:00.000-07:00

Sunday I was asked to give the closing prayer in Sacrament meeting. Like I have said before, our ward is large! It's like going to stake conference every week. Of course, we were late this Sunday, so we were all the way in the back of the gym. That was a long way up to the podium. The kids told me that Rob was watching me go up and singing "These shoes were made for walking..." 3 of the Laurels then commented to me (at different times) that "when you walked up to the podium..." one said she didn't want to close her eyes for the prayer, because I was just so pretty, she wanted to look at me some more. Wow! I don't think I have ever gotten that kind of reaction, ever! I wish I had a picture so I could know what it was that worked so well that day! Maybe I can recreate "the look"!! Rob said it was all the walk- not the look. He says I was shaking what my mama gave me! Ha ha. I think that's just my husband speaking, though! What I was really doing was walking carefully, because I don't wear heels often and I was that day. I really, really didn't want to face plant on my long walk up to the podium! I actually had a vision of that in my head, just before I got up to make the walk. I wonder if that's what Kate Middleton was thinking on her long walk in front of millions of viewers! Yes, I just did- I compared myself to Kate Middleton! Hee hee. Well, I won't let it go to my head!

in tha muthahood

2011-05-16T05:32:00.000-07:00

Have you seen this video? Cute!

Last Sunday we got to celebrate being in tha muthahood! It was a really nice day- my family is getting pretty good at this! The boys begged and begged until Rob took them to the store. We went to Pier 1 and they all found me something fun. A back massager from Emma, chairs that I love from Rob, a yummy smelling candle and bath gel and a frog loofah, and a sea sponge from the boys.
They made me a great breakfast- chocolate chip pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream and a smoothie!
and a yummy dinner. Rob brought me some flowers
and Joseph made me some at scouts. You should have heard Joe's description of how they were made. It made me laugh and laugh! It was all with expressions and hand gestures, so I can't replay it for you! He has a very expressive face, though!The boys all made me cards. And my favorite- I didn't have to help clean it all up! Now that's the kind of day I like!! Love being in tha muthahood with such a sweet family!

Robert Beyond- Amazing- Man!

2011-05-04T05:06:00.000-07:00

Let me just start out by saying that crazy people and I don't do well together. I don't know what it is. I don't even have to open my mouth. The minute I show my face to a crazy person, they get all worked up and start going nuts! If I can somehow keep them distracted with all my bustling around, I just have to open my mouth and then it's on! So, I am overly impressed with people that can deal with the crazy! Robert is one of them. I still don't know how Rob gave up teaching so easily (really ran from it.) He is so good at it. Besides being an amazing teacher he is so good at the discipline. Ok, I know, I just compared crazy people to teaching teenagers- but let's face it, it's sort of the same thing! Yesterday, a lady from our ward came up to me and told me that she was sure that people had been talking my ear off about how amazing my husband was, "beyond amazing!" Um, nope, please continue! Then she told me about how he had handled a teenager who really needs medication and counseling bad! There are 5 kids in the recently baptized family and the father just died of a heart attack. They are all adopted after having been foster kids with this family. The mother hasn't the slightest idea how to deal with them and is actually part of the problem. I guess he was going nuts this Sunday (I was at work), hitting his brothers in the face, etc. and finally ran out of the chapel and around the building. Robert went after him and Beyond-Amazing-Man got him from crazy-out-of-control to calmly and humbly bearing his testimony in under a minute. (OK, I may be lying about the time frame.) But that's how he rolls. He can diffuse the craziest of situations. I am so glad to have him in my life to help me with the crazy that comes out! He definitely is Beyond Amazing!

Maxwell

2011-05-02T12:51:00.001-07:00

We read a book the other day about a girl that made paper friends, so of course we had to make a paper friend afterward. Behold Max's paper bird friend, "Menu."

Another day while I was taking a nap (because all these late night 12 hour shifts can kill a person's sleep) Max decided to play in my room as I slept. He built a mouse village, complete with a castle, a blacksmith and bridge for fishing, a cool transportation system and gallows. I wasn't sure whether to be impressed or horrified!

Our kind of Easter

2011-04-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

Ah Easter- the time to color beautiful eggs, get dressed up in your new outfits for church, frolic while hunting carefully hidden eggs, and eat the ears off of unsuspecting chocolate bunnies! Is there anything better- well if only it was a reality!
Our eggs were camouflaged and had pictures of dinosaurs eating Emma or large flowers stepping on Joseph drawn on them. Mine was one of the only normal ones. (I wrapped it in lace before coloring it.)
As for new outfits- I had to shoot just the top halves of them, because they were too silly to stay still and ended up putting grass stains on themselves when they ended up like this! Even Robert ran upstairs and got changed before I could get a picture with him- stinker!
The eggs for the church were not carefully hidden- I know, because I was the supervisor of all those teenagers who were doing the hiding- more like flinging the eggs! And there was very little frolicking, since the eggs were scooped up so fast, there were almost none left, by the time my kids got outside. (despite the fact they were told they could only have 10 a piece!) The kids had fun posing for pictures, anyway! Luckily, we made up for the lack of egg finding, at home. Sunday after a good dinner of ham and potatoes we had a flashlight Easter egg hunt downstairs. It's been raining for days, so outside was a no go. The flashlight egg hunt went over well, though!
Easter morning is always fun when you get to eat straight sugar for breakfast! Rob decided the boys just had to have golf clubs their size so they could hit with him downstairs. They loved that. I also got them Risk, because they had been asking for it. Rob was really happy about that, since he had to spend the morning showing them how to play the game!! Emma got a gift certificate to Claires.
It was a nice Easter, with a great message in the end. We were so busy, with soccer games and my working full-time, that we didn't get much in about Christ. I felt terrible about it. These are the days I am thankful for great teachers at church. Max came home with a drawing of Christ in the sky and told me all about it. Next year we will do better, because although we'll never have the poster Easter experience, I really do want to teach my children what it's really all about!

2011-04-17T15:09:00.000-07:00

This week was spent on my behind, listening to boring after more boring information! Remember that Supervisor in the ER that didn't even know who I was when I called her back, well they didn't know that I was going to be in orientation either, even though I signed a paper confirming that I was hired and giving me this date as my orientation date. Yah, this employment is starting out really well. Their orientation is 2 weeks long- 2 days of hospital orientation, 4 days of computer training and the rest in nursing orientation to the hospital. Then I go work 4 weeks full-time orienting to the Emergency room. One week down and I am already exhausted! I can not sit for 8 hours for 5 more days. I just can't do it! Rob said to me- "then stand!" Yes, helpful! Every time they give us a break I go speed walk the halls and find an empty staircase and run up and down the stairs. My back is still killing me, though and I have gained 2 pounds. I don't know how anyone sits all day long and doesn't weigh a million pounds! Besides the full time job, spring soccer is in full swing (both Emma and Max have made goals already this season and are doing well!), I have been called to work with the Laurels in the Young Women's and Emma is doing open gym at the High School for Volleyball. We learned she would not get to try out for both volleyball and soccer because tryouts are on the same day and the same time. We told her to continue as far as she could with both before deciding! I can not believe they are in the same season here! What a bummer! Anyway, that leaves Max watched by very generous friends half the day, Rob behind on his homework, the house a mess and the laundry very wrinkly! At least it's warming up and spring is really starting now!
Here are the last two cards I made- one is a little blurry- sorry!

Conversations with a 5 year old

2011-04-08T04:03:00.000-07:00

On Thursday Max was sitting with me when he started this conversation:
"Mom, do you know what's so good about being 5?"
"What?" I asked.
"You don't have to skip?"
"Skip?" I questioned
"Yes, on some Sundays you have to skip eating and I don't. Sometimes you get to eat food, but sometimes you have to skip."
"That's true," I said, wondering where this came from since it was a while since the last Fast Sunday. "What else do you like about being 5?"
"You get to be so cute and you're good at thinking up names."
Being so cute and thinking up names are the bomb, so I totally understand how being 5 is the best! I know I'd rather not skip, as well!!

Conference weekend

2011-04-06T04:52:00.000-07:00

Besides watching conference (which I loved!) we actually accomplished somethings as well this weekend. Rob cut the boys hair, he helped them make their pinewood derby cars- (while sanding he cut his finger pretty good, so this is why Joseph is just a little worried about helping with the sanding!!) and we put up the leaves in the boys jungle inspired room. So cute! They are from Ikea. Rob said he wants one over his bed now! He said they makes him feel restful. The boys are loving them!
I made cinnamon rolls and turned a 1/3 of them into orange rolls. Citrus and I are best friends, so I think I ate almost all of those myself! I am pretty sure the weight would show that, too, but I am refusing to step on the scale for the next week or so! Sunday afternoon we also had friends from Virgina who moved here a year before us, up for a bbq. We had so much we invited our neighbors that are in our ward as well. What a great weekend!

Just Chill

2011-04-01T06:32:00.000-07:00

I gave the kids rewards of Playstation and Chocolate Chip cookies for cleaning all my floorboards, yesterday! I love it when I can have servants! But I think the servants are getting restless. At least I am! It's still fridged here, so not a whole lot of playing outside. I haven't even set up any playdates, or anything. I am such a looser mom. Today I am thinking of taking them bowling, though. The problem is, anything free is outside. In Virginia we could have gone lots of places for free. Here, everything will cost us at least $50. The grass is always greener, right?
Besides, floorboard cleaning and Playstation, Sam made a house of cards, Emma had her last indoor soccer game where she scored a goal (unfortunately it was on herself!), we played a couple games of Bananagram- or whatever it's called (This was Sam's. I thought it had the most interesting word combinations)
and I made some cards. At the RS birthday in March we put in a bucket something we could do for someone else (some service we could give.) I put in that I could make someone 10 homemade cards. I got dinner. We were brought that dinner (from the just released YW President) on Monday. She is moving in about a week. I felt so bad having her bring dinner. She brought the yummiest rolls ever, chicken lasagna, strawberry salad and a blueberry crisp. So yummy! Can I make 10 more cards and get another dinner, please!!

Fridged Springbreak

2011-03-30T04:45:00.000-07:00

Robert had Spring break last week. It consisted of doing taxes, ordering new books for this new semester, and cleaning the garage. He took very little time off to relax (except we took a nap almost every day which was heavenly!) We were going to take the kids out of school and do a couple nights somewhere, but it just didn't happen. This week is the kids' Spring break and Rob is starting a new semester. He is not happy! The weather is still so cold, the kids don't want to play outside, we are out of money for the month, so we can't really do anything, and Rob's in school so we can't take a vacation. That leaves the kids lying around the house making messesand playing World Record holder in Finger Candle Dipping. He comes home to messes, our schedule all out of whack, and no dinner made! We actually have been busy, though. We spring cleaned all three children's rooms. We also got this put up for Sam and figured out a way to organize Emma's hair stuff! We also did a big clean through the toys! Emma got her sports physical for the Fall and we started this 1000 piece puzzle. Ok, I started it. For the most part the kids haven't shown much interest in it. I got the outsides (all except one piece) done, but the middle seems daunting. It is now Wednesday and not much more is done on it. I'm thinking we aren't going to get it done by the end of the week.

I'm just waiting for a break in this weather, so we can at least play outside. I am so tired of being cold! Please weather- won't you cooperate!?

There's a Monster Truck stuck in my Ear!

2011-03-24T05:03:00.000-07:00

We went to the Monster truck Jam this last weekend. We thought it would be as loud as the indoor motorcross we had been. Sadly we were mistaken! I think I figured that out when the people next to us got out their super powered ear protection and put it on themselves as well as their child. Then the roar started and we all had to cover our ears! The people next to us, noticed and were kind enough to give us their ear plugs they, weren't using (he was an auto mechanic). I went and found some more to buy and we were all set to watch the Monster trucks fly!- well, all except Sam, who said his ear plugs didn't work. He stayed like this the whole evening. Eventually with the whole rocking back and forth thing, I took him out. He stayed in the bathroom and I watched from the top of the stands.
All in all, I wouldn't do it again anytime soon, but it was an experience! I think I enjoy demolition derby much better!

The Leprechaun strikes again!

2011-03-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

That tricky Leprechaun that comes to our home and turns our milk green and makes mischief has struck again. I don't know if he comes to make mischief or he makes mischief after almost getting caught by the boys' traps! This year it was quite the intricate trap with strings running every which way in a box and a piece of gold chocolate hanging from a string that when he pulled or when he stepped on one of the other strings it would collapse the box on him. Our Leprechaun was tricky and had a pair of scissors with him and just cut the string with the chocolate.
Besides green milk and glow in the dark bugs all over the house Mom and Max hid golden coins and gold chocolate all over the house for the kids to find. It took until Sunday for the last of the chocolate to be found!

How it looked...

2011-03-16T04:50:00.000-07:00

Pi day ended up looking like this. It was the cherry cobbler from Bob Evans. As Max put it, it was kind of good and kind of bad. He thought the crust was good and the cherries bad (too tart), but if you put a scoop of ice cream on it, the cherries were just right and the crust was kind of bad- I could actually taste the lard! Yuck! I totally wouldn't recommend ordering this at Bob Evans unless you are sharing. It's over 700 calories for a bowl. I ended up eating the inside with ice cream and throwing away most of the crust! Much better!
This is how Samuel looked on Sunday. It was coming on that time to buy Easter clothing and since Samuel will be 12 in less than 4 months and therefore, will be passing the sacrament, I thought it was about time to get him a white shirt and a tie. Rob and I were both busy that morning so Emma tied his tie for him. (The girl has skillz!) He took it off before I could get a picture, so he tied it himself just before I took this picture. So I can get him to wear a tie, but I can't get him to tuck in properly or keep his hair neat. He will let us do his hair in the morning, because otherwise he gets beat (Yeah, right, with a wet noodle), but as soon as he is out the door, I watch him "crazy it up" as we say at our house. And yes, crazy is a verb in our house! Good thing he's such a good big brother!
I got Joseph a matching tie and Max a clip on. Joseph refused to wear his on Sunday and Rob for some reason put Max in an old one that I had for Sam which he refused to wear ever! Max promptly pulled and pulled on it until it was destroy. Rob told him that he obviously wasn't ready to wear a tie. Ah, the challenges of having boys! Of course we are doing a lot better than the days when Samuel used to spit on his own dress shirt and tell me it was now too wet to wear!

Pi day

2011-03-14T12:05:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Pi (3.14 blah blah blah) day. I'm thinking...
YUM! I love Pi!!
I'm wrong! Today is pie day! Happy Pi day everyone. I am thinking Bob Evans for some pie is what our Family Home Evening will consist of!

Spring box

2011-03-14T04:34:00.000-07:00

Here is what I came up with to go into my printers tray for Spring. I didn't steal a single thing from anyone else's blog this time. I think it turned out alright!

Who ordered this recession?

2011-03-11T12:09:00.000-08:00

I have never had so much trouble trying to get a job in my life. I am a nurse, an Emergency Department nurse! They are in short supply- so I've been told! Everywhere I have lived, I have gone to whatever hospital I wanted (which is usually the closest one to me), asked to see the director of the ER, got shown into their office, talked to them briefly and was hired, end of story. Not here! Nope! Not one hospital has even allowed me to see a director of nursing, let alone get hired that way. Everyone says, "you have to go through Human Resources." And Human Resources says, "you have to do everything on-line. If there is not a job opening posted, you can't apply." Since the job position I want (As needed ER nurse) is rarely posted, I haven't had much luck. I have tried to talk reasonably to Human Resources and ask them to please check with the department, but it all ends in nothing. See, ER's generally like a large pool of As Needed nurses to choose from, but they rarely think about posting a job for that position. It is one that most nurses just slide into when they get tired of working full time.
Well a job finally opened up and I hurried and applied. I had to go do a job interview (what, an interview? What is that?) It didn't go fabulously, but I kept calling back and finally got a hold of the director. I think she was too nice to say, never mind, so instead she set me up for a job shadow and another interview. When I got to my interview/job shadow, I was told I would have to job shadow first and then interview. Didn't matter to me which way, except I was told that since I wasn't really hired I really could do nothing. This was just for me to follow the nurse around and watch. I watched for 5 hours before they said I could go home. I was so bored, I thought I would die. And how much time did I get paid for- that's right, the big fat zero! The lady I job shadowed with seemed impressed with me, even though I didn't do anything except watch her run around with her head cut off and ask questions. But she said she would make sure that the director (who had already left) knew that she approved. As for the interview- never happened!
I know I should be grateful for the chance to even interview. There are a lot of people out there that can't get a job at all. I can only assume that a lot of them went back to nursing and took my job away. Or maybe this place is just really slow moving and it generally takes a year to get a job. Who knows! I've decided, either way, to blame it on the recession instead of my lack of interview skills!

Emma Sings

2011-03-10T05:11:00.001-08:00

Emma has decided that she learns best by singing, so she found the Preamble to the Constitution in a song format on the web and sang along with it until she could remember it. She got a 100% on her Preamble!

7-3-11

2011-03-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

What we've been up to lately:

Hanging out, because it's too cold to enjoy outside still!
We had a Foosball tournament. We used Starburst in 3 different colors to pick teams. Emma and Maxwell beat all of us!
We had a Wii tournament with Outdoor adventures. I still want a rematch! I know I can do better- I just kept falling off the spots on the mat that I was suppose to be jumping on!
Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning! Kids are messy little fiends!Sam did a science fair project on Yawning. They only gave him 3 weeks- not enough time to do a proper experiment for anything else, except the yawing one. Like the absent minded professor that he is, though, he never got the packet for the science fair, and so we missed a lot of things they wanted to see, like a notebook log. So, he didn't do so well in the judging.
Blowing up at my class- oh wait, no pictures for that! Really who knew 14-15 year olds could be so crazy- OOOh, oooh, I did, pick me!! I have always said that age group scares the living bejebees out of me! (We had a discussion yesterday about where your bejebees actually reside. No one could come up with a satisfactory answer!) So yes, they were slinging mud at each other during a discussion on how Christ can make our burdens lighter. I tried to inform them nicely that cat calling was not the way it was done, and finally had to yell, "enough! Stop! Stop! Stop! I can not give a lesson about Christ and meekness and love when you are being so mean to each other!" It was not one of my stellar lessons!
I helped with our Relief Society Birthday party. I wrapped some gifts to use as center pieces and made potato soup. They also asked me to do a display for their talent section on running. I made up a flyer on running sites and weight loss sites and asked the ward librarian to copy it for me. I said, "oh, I don't know, maybe..." and I was going to say 15-20 and she said, "75" I was like, "um no, I don't think that many people would be interested in it." But she went ahead and made 75 anyway. I have about 73 still left. Ha ha! There was lots of great talents there that night. We really tried to pick a wide variety of things. We had people displaying things about blogging, video making, photography, woodcrafts, family record keeping, genealogy, reading, painting, sewing, etc. It was really interesting.
Still trying to get a job. My first interview didn't go so well. I called human resources to ask if I should still be looking for a job, and they said that the ER director was just trying to find a time for me to come in and do a job shadow. I waited a few more days and finally called her and she didn't even remember who I was- not a good start. In the end she did set me up for a 4 hour job shadow and a peer interview for this Thursday. I have never gone through this kind of rigmarole to get a job, ever! So everyone cross your fingers and hope for the best on Thursday!
Been doing preschool with Max at home This is not a picture of us doing preschool- I don't use the computer very often. I just need a picture of Max
and today I signed him up for Kindergarten. Thursday we finish the registration and make an appointment for him to be tested. Rob came in and saw me registering him and said, "Finally, you have to sign him up for school. Can't keep your baby at home for 4 or 5 more years? hmm?" Crazy! He is so jealous of that boy! Ha ha!
Been reading and reading. Loved the sequel to Airborn which I actually found out was the 3rd book, but I didn't need to read the second book to understand the last one- Starclimber. I also finished the Forgotten Garden- wonderful book! Loved it!I'm now in the middle of The 13th tale and Unlikely allies. Rob and I finished the Amber room which I don't recommend (too much swearing and sex) and are now reading The first men in the Moon by H.G. Wells. It's so funny to see what they used to think about space! The kids and I finally finished the second book of Inkheart (Inkspell), thank goodness! Man that was a trudge through it book! We decided not to read the last book as a family. Instead we are reading Benjamin Bartholomew Piff, You Wish! It's been great so far.
Emma's team got crushed by a bunch of Neanderthals according to Rob. The only reason they only lost by 7 points is because the other team pulled all their guys to the back of the court. That obviously didn't matter since they had plenty of Neanderthal girls (according to Rob) who at one point did a full on body smash against one of the walls to one of our girls. After that the ref had a talk to the one Neanderthal and explain to her that this was indoor soccer, not hockey!
Sam got his first Merit badge ever- First Aid! And Joseph got awarded his Bobcat!
So what have you been up to, lately?

Our Presidential Evening

2011-02-22T05:04:00.000-08:00

For some reason the children got two days off for Presidents day. Robert got none- commy school! LOL. Anyway, I decided they needed at least a little brain stimulation for their long weekend, so I put together a Presidential dinner. It was suppose to be steak and potatoes with brownies for dessert, but Rob said he really just wanted waffles. I went through our presidents book and took some fun facts about each president and put them on a silhouette. We read them during dinner. After dinner we played Wits and Wagers with a Presidential twist. I made up the cards that we used. It was fun to learn that Virginia is called the Mother of Presidents because 8 presidents have been born there. Ohio is second with 7. We learned that President Nixon came back from World War 2 with over $10,000 in poker winnings, that there have been 2 father/sons as president and 2 people who have been impeached. Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest President ever at 42, but Kennedy was the youngest elected at 43. Taft was so large they had to put a special tub in the White house for him. He weighed over 300 pounds. James Madison was the shortest president at 5'4 and only 100 pounds. It was a fun, informative evening!

Typical Joe

2011-02-21T05:27:00.000-08:00

Joseph decided to make Rob breakfast in bed the other day- I think he was trying to earn his playstation back by doing something nice. I told him that Dad really doesn't like to eat in bed, because that causes crumbs in your bed. Instead he poured him a nice bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal (it was Saturday after all!) and Mom helped with the milk. When he went up to get Rob, though, Rob said he was just too tired and wanted to go back to sleep. Well, we weren't going to waste all that precious sugar cereal goodness, so Joseph had two bowls- alternating between the two in order to maximize crunchiness!

Update

2011-02-13T06:40:00.000-08:00

Emma went to her first dance on Saturday. I took her and a friend up there and then the friend's sister was suppose to drive them home, but locked her keys in her car. Emma didn't get home until 11 pm when the mother went up to rescue them. She said the dance was just Ok. Her friend ditched her most of the time in favor of a boy, whom she ended up kissing at the end of the dance- Oh the humanity!
Emma did; however, dance with a couple of guys and hung out and danced with some other girls. I think it just takes time to get to know the other people in the wards around the area to feel more comfortable at these dances.
I was lucky with my first dance. My big brother Karl had a friend that he must have convinced to ask me to dance right away. So I got all the nerves out and just ended up having lots of fun. Those dances were the best. In Ramstein (Kaiserslautern second ward!) the dances were relaxed and fun! Everyone got out and danced and was silly!! When we moved they were never the same! I stopped wanting to go, because I didn't know anyone anymore, I was nervous and felt alone. I was really hoping that wouldn't be Emma's first experience. It seemed like it was right in between.
On a more positive note, Emma's indoor soccer team won on Saturday!

We have been doing Valentine's around here. I found these cute valentines on Meck Mommy. Don't you love how Max put his in neat little rows? Joseph's 100 days of school is on Valentine's day also, so he was suppose to bring 100 M & M's. I made him this little topper, because wouldn't you as a teacher want to know this!! (It says, 100 M & M's counted and inspected by Joseph Kress after thoroughly washing his hands.)

Sam Shoots for the Moon

2011-02-10T04:33:00.000-08:00

Here is Sam's latest venture. (He did a really good job on the flyer. Don't you love how he put at the bottom, "Don't Call"!) Last week it was making a blacksmith shop. He found all the things he needed on Ebay and asked if he could bid on them. He also watched videos on Youtube about it. Each time Rob has had to stop him. This time, he asked Rob, "Why do you always squash my dreams?" Rob tried to explain that he wasn't trying to squash his dreams, but that his dreams needed to start a little smaller than the moon!

8-2-11

2011-02-08T13:12:00.000-08:00

My latest creation- Ta-Da! I copied the idea off of Kerri Bradford. She does these every season. I just am too cheap and don't really have the right equipment to buy them from her, so I came up with my own.

Rant 1: I am so done with snow! February should always be the start of spring in my opinion. This also leads us to...
Rant 2: Why, if there is so much snow and moisture in
Ohio is my water bill $400 in the summer and $100 in the winter? Never have I paid this much for water and I have lived in places with drought conditions!
Rant 3: I am starting to really dislike Ohio! I had to do a million and one things to get my nursing license, including having my original transcripts from Nursing school sent here. Then I realize, it is still taking an unusually long time for my nursing license to go through. Guess what- the fingerprints never went through! Now I have to go and do them all over again. Luckily, I used my brain and the computer and the phone to figure that whole mess out or my nursing license would have been pending forever!
Rant 4: Why can't someone come up with a phone that is amazing like the android phones, has a great camera in it and is thin and light so that I can run with it. Is that too much to ask, people!

Ok, so that's done. Now in other news, Emma is going to her first dance on Saturday and signing up for her high school classes. When did all this happen and where was I? Oh my goodness time is flying. The first day she started Mia maids I got a little depressed. I have never been in any classes with her, ever, at church! We actually get along just fine and I don't think she would have any problem with me being there, but in 4 years she'll be gone. How depressing is that! On a positive note, she tried out for the high school choir and made it.
Right now she is doing indoor soccer. It is co-ed. Can you imagine- co-ed at this age. I am sure she will be smashed by one of those big boys soon. I hope it doesn't hurt too bad! She was so close to getting a goal last game, but that darn boy was too tall! If it had been a girl goalie, she would have gotten it for sure!
I just signed Rob and I up for the Air Force Marathon. Crazy? Just might be!

Iced

2011-02-06T15:19:00.000-08:00

This week the kids got a couple snow days, except it wasn't for snow- it was for ice! We had an ice storm that was crazy. It knocked out power to lots of homes, including our own. We were without power for about 8 hours. Luckily it was when we went to bed, so we just piled on the blankets and ended up sleeping pretty well. We woke up to the power coming back on. Thank you Mr. Power Company Man!
This is what the kids do when they have a snow day.
This is what we had to do. It was back breaking work to split up all that ice on our death defying driveway. We are absolutely forbidden to put ice on the driveway, so instead we put the sledge hammer on it over and over and over and over. Do you like Rob's purple gloves? We switched until I got heated up and then I took off my gloves and my coat. Man I was sweating! I totally know what it must have felt like being in prison and splitting rocks! Look how thick that ice was!
It was beautiful looking all over the trees, but we were afraid for our pine tree. Lots of branches broke all around our home, but our trees were saved! They made it through to the defrost a couple days later! So glad we weren't iced out completely!

Poster Child

2011-01-30T08:04:00.000-08:00

Rob's boards are meeting in February, so he has been desperately trying to get his files ready. Being at an Air Force base has made this a little harder than usual. First of all, he had to get new shoulder boards. He told me he was going to go to clothing sales to see if they had any. Yeah, right Rob, they are going to have a plethora of Army boards- for sure with your branch and rank- on an Air Force base. He said, he just had to try. He was back home soon afterward. Needless to say, we had to wait until January. We had New Year's in Ft. Knox with a friend and he was able to pick up his shoulder boards there. When he went in they took the photo and then made him one to keep, calling it his "Angel" profile. A week later, the photo still wasn't on his electronic file. He called and the gentleman said that it kept being sent back to him with error messages. Rob had to figure it out for himself. In short they had the wrong background- it was the darker blue instead of the lighter blue. The guy tried to cut Rob out and put him on the lighter blue background, but this looked too obviously photoshoped. Photoshoping is not allowed. So Rob had to go back and take another day to get another photo. This actually was a good thing, because they found several other problems with his photo- the main one being that they had made him a Military Intelligence officer. Hmmm- sorry buddy- not even close! After they finally looked up all the regulations and got his photo perfect they made a blank template with Rob's photo on it for future weirdo Army officers that want to come to an Air Force base to get their board photo done. I always knew that one day Rob would become the Poster Child for something!

Reflections on our Birthday

2011-01-22T08:27:00.000-08:00

Tuesday when I got home from shopping, Max asked me if I liked pretzels and chocolate. I said, "yes" and then he said that he was going to make me some for my birthday. Sam was over there running around shushing him. I figured out that Sam must have done something like this already and that's how Max came up with the idea. I went along trying to put the groceries away and doing my thing until Rob came in and saw the Max had climbed on the counter and gotten down the pretzels and the butterscotch chips, then he decided to help Max out. They worked together to make me some beautiful chocolate covered pretzels and then put them in Max's room to be presented to me in the morning. In the end I got 2 sets of chocolate covered pretzels- Max had taken the idea completely from Sam. Sam even made a set for Emma. He stole into her room and put them by her bed so that she would wake up with them next to her. He really is a sweet boy.

Robert took me out on Monday for my birthday. We went and did a little shopping and then headed to a movie after a quick stop at Chipotle (because their fabulous!) It was a nice relaxing date.

Friday was Emma's Shop 'til you Drop party. I made a purse cake and finally got my birthday banner fixed! Yeah!! I love my birthday banner!She has invited 3 church friends and 3 school friends over. I took them to the mall and had them play a scavenger hunt. They had to find things like a clown, someone wearing a feather boa, the ugliest dress they had ever seen, a panda, polka dots, a pink mannequin, a deer, etc. and they had an hour to do it in. When they got back I gave them all $5 gift cards to Claire's and we headed over there. While we were there one of the girls got her ears pierced for the first time. Don't worry the mother actually followed us there so that she could be with her when she got it done.

It would have been a really fun party except that in the mall the girls started realizing how different they were. Two of the girls wanted to keep shopping and bought some kind of coffee creation. They also went right into Spencers- a store, I even stay out of. The other girls stayed out of it, except Emma who went in to get them out. Then when we got home and turned on the PG movie, "Confessions of a Shopaholic" each of the three swear words in the movie made the church girls squirm. By then the other two (one of the three school girls was a good catholic girl and was a little closer to our church girls) were really making fun of the other girls until they all decided to go home. Emma was super mad! She couldn't believe I had allowed her to invite one of the girls (who was the worst,) since I told her that I knew exactly what she was going to be like just from her telling me about their every day interactions. I explained that if I had told her "no" to inviting her, she would have just thought I was judging the girl unfairly and being mean. Now she knew exactly what she was like for real and so she could be nice to her, just not go to any of her parties! (which for sure would involve "hot guys", sneaking out the house, and alcohol!) I realized once again how odd we Mormons are. Our children aren't allowed to date until they are 16, we don't watch R rated movies, we don't drink alcohol or coffee or tea or smoke or do drugs (not even as an experiment). We go to church every week and read scriptures at night and do family activities. We dress modestly even at the swimming pool. We really are just weird compared to the rest of the world, but how glad I am to be so weird and know that my children will be protected because of it.
I didn't always have the luxury of church friends. Especially in my last two years of high school there was me, one girl that was older than me (we never really became friends), and a guy my age, which I dated. Then there were my siblings and a couple other kids that were a few years younger than us in our church. So my friends were all non-Mormons. I went to some pretty bad parties. At one of them it was a friend's birthday party and someone had given her a bottle of tequila. She said she was going to drink half of it before she stopped. I didn't really know much about alcohol poisoning at the time, but I still had the feeling that it would be really bad for her to do that, so while I helped her around and kept her from jumping in the lake, I slowly poured out the bottle on the ground. I think in the end she still got about a quarter of it in her, though. There is such a peace of mind that comes from knowing that my daughter won't be out around a bonfire and a lake trying to down a half a bottle of tequila on her birthday!! Once again I am thankful that we are odd!

The Snow ritual

2011-01-20T10:53:00.000-08:00

There are many snow rituals out there- dancing in front of the refrigerator with your pajamas on backwards and inside out is one of my favorites. I keep hoping if I wear my pajamas right side in and dance backwards in front of the refrigerator that it will cause a heat wave, but I haven't tried it yet. But the one that my kids subscribe to is this:

1. Wear your pajamas inside out and backwards.
2. Throw three ice cubes down the toilet.
3. Sleep with a spoon under your pillow.
It's guaranteed by all higher brains to bring snow. It did today, too, unfortunately they were already at school when it started! I guess it wasn't guaranteed to bring snow at a certain time!

The Tooth Fairy visits

2011-01-18T04:50:00.000-08:00

We are in the throws of Tooth Fairy visits! She comes quite regularly to our house, except for Emma, who will sadly never see her again. But just when I was getting a little complacent, I was looking at my baby's mouth while he was talking and noticed something was amiss. I made him stop and looked closer. (He was not very cooperative!) And do you know what I found- a loose tooth! Not only loose, but loose enough to be coming out of it's socket. He did not want it yanked out by the dental floss, but we should have done it. The next day we came home from a date and found a tooth on the counter in a little baggie. What does it say about your life when your baby has lost his first tooth? I guess mostly it says, "you need to stop calling him baby!'' I think of that every time I call him "baby!"

Snow Days

2011-01-18T04:36:00.000-08:00

The school is being very careful about their snow days. They only gave us 3 this year and we now have none left. The one day that it was snowing like crazy, they went to school and just came home an hour early. Sam said the bus slipped a couple of times. When Emma got home, Joseph said, "here's Emma. She made it home safe!" Next year they are taking all their snow days away. I don't understand it. I would assume that somehow it will save them money. So here we are in the middle of January- every one knows that February is the worst- with no snow days left. I know some schools have already had to make some of their days up- going to school on Martin Luther King Jr. day. What an uproar that caused! I think the media forgot to add that most of those schools are also going on Presidents day (mostly because that would make the news not so "dramatic!")
Anywho... We did have fun sledding at the golf course the one day in January that we got off- at least the kids did. By the time I got all my stuff on and walked over there, they were freezing and ready to come home- especially Max who was being a big baby and getting a sled dog out of their friend Joey.Bummer!

What it's like to be me Jan 2011

2011-01-10T04:41:00.000-08:00

Emma had a project for Spanish class to make a calendar. She kept asking for my help and I kept being busy. Finally it came down to the day before the project was due and I had time to help. We spent a couple hours making this. After making the first two, Emma said, "creativity is only 20 points, Mom!" Ok, but I couldn't do it halfway, right? Rob just shook his head and said, "why couldn't you just make this on Power point? Um, cause I still don't know how to use Power point and neither does Emma. I have used Printshop forever and I am teaching myself to use Photoshop Elements, so learning Power point is out! When I become a power executive, I will learn how to use Power point!
One thing I used to do was put a little note in everyone's lunch boxes. I did it up until about a month or two ago. I didn't know this until the other day, but Emma collected a bunch of hers and put them in the outside cover of her binder. Some of them still make me laugh! I really need to do that again!
We decided to try and motivate the kids to really do their goals this year, so I put up their chore charts (finally) and added the goals to them. At the end of the week, we get to do something as a family, if everyone did their goals that week. This weekend we went to see Megamind for our treat. We had waited long enough that it was on the cheap theater and so we got into a 3D movie with all of us for just $30! Sweet!
Sunday we had the couple over whose dog we babysat and they brought Malo over with them! He was really excited to see us and gave lots of kisses! It was so funny to see Rob baby talk to that thing over and over and give it hugs and love! The kids just ran around him until I think he got a little tired of them!
I am still not used to getting up at 6 am. I know that's not even early. I just hate it in the winter! Who wants to get out of a nice warm bed into the cold and dark beginnings of the day. Winter time was invented to give us extra rest, I swear and modern society is just ruining that for all of us! Luckily, I think there is a storm rolling in today- so maybe we can sleep in tomorrow!
I have gained back almost every pound I lost before the cruise, I still haven't tried out my big Christmas gift, and I just finished getting all the stuff done that I needed to get my Ohio's nurses license (yes I procrastinated big time!) I like being an ER nurse, but it's still a job and sometimes a really stressful and thankless job. I hate going to a new place and having to learn all their stuff. Everyone does it all so different. And when you only work 1 day a week, it gets really difficult to learn fast! And that's what it's like to be me, these days!

A Spelunkin' New Year

2011-01-06T13:09:00.000-08:00

For New Year's we decided to head down south to Kentucky and visit our Friends at Ft. Knox. This is the only picture we could get of the Bullion depository- because generally they frown on anyone taking pictures or thinking they can take a tour!
We did however enjoy ourselves with lots of food, a game of Ultimate Frisbee, Ultimate Football and family style Soccer. It was a really fun day and wore both Joseph's out so that they couldn't make it to the New Year!The next day we headed to one of the many caves in the area and spelunked! Does one spelunk? Well, we went spelunking any way. (I had some pictures of this, but they seem to have disappeared on both my computer and my phone! Hopefully the Dean's will e-mail a copy of theirs to us and then I can insert them later.)
The start of the cave was like mailing yourself in a mail-slot- you had to get nice and flat. It opened up into a nice cavern with a waterfall that Joseph accidentally stood underneath. It then got tighter and tighter and then opened up again and then went tighter and tighter again until you squeezed yourself through a small hole near the top of the cave- ladder and rope included. At the end there was nice size cavern with some stalactites and stalagmites that looked like a crocodile mouth and a dog. Going back through the small hole was one of the scariest parts (besides mailing yourself into the cave!) You had to go backwards and hang over the edge and really commit to going before you found the ladder! 4 of our 9 flashlights went out during our trip with 17 people. It got a little dark!
In the end, one of our best New Year's experiences ever! We love the Dean's! Thank you so much for having us!!

A Keeper

2011-01-03T05:28:00.000-08:00

I had to include these little stories, just because they are "keepers."
One day before Christmas the kids' bus driver called to say that he played Santa and would Joseph and Samuel like to talk with him. I said sure and gave the phone to them. They talked with him and then hung the phone up. Max came blazing around the corner and yelled, "hey, what about me!" Darn, I knew I should have mentioned him and asked for him to speak to him as well! Trying to do a quick smooth over, I started to say that Santa was very busy and so I talked with him real quick at the beginning to confirm what Max wanted. Then Dad jumps in and says, "yeah, we told him you wanted a hippopotamus- that's right, isn't it?" Oh, the horror! The broken dreams! It was too much for our little guy! Now all he was getting for Christmas was a hippopotamus!! He ran away crying. It was so sad, yet so cute! Don't worry dear reader, we did not let the illusion go on for more than a second. We promised him that we really told him that he wanted books and Legos and a bumble bee mask (transformers). Dad did tease him a little after that, though, just to make sure he didn't really want a hippopotamus- because really doesn't every kid "want a hippopotamus for Christmas to play with and enjoy!"
The last Sunday I had my 14-15 year old Sunday school class before they moved up to the next class, we had a party. I brought tons of treats. One young man looked at all the treats and said, "you do know there are only 6 of us, right?" Then we had a closing prayer before we ate them. The young man that gave the prayer blessed the food that it would not make them sick. After saying Amen, I turned to him and said, "thank you, that was perfect!" Really, you couldn't bless all those fattening sugary treats any better than that. Although, I would really like to bless it to pass right on through without stopping at my thighs on the way out, but I think maybe God just wouldn't do that!

A little Magic

2010-12-28T10:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas is always more fun when you add children! Finding that perfect gift that makes them squeal with delight, having them shop for each other when they are thinking of what would make the other person happy, having them beg you to go to bed at 7 pm- that's pure magic!

Christmas eve we did our traditional Christmas play. The kids all shouted out when they could play one of the songs. Even Joseph played a song for us. I only played one or two of the songs. I so love that! Then we sang The Nativity Song with our wooden nativity set and then opened our one present from the family. This year we let them pick. Usually they just all get new PJ's, but no one needed any new ones except Emma. Sam and Joseph were so excited about their present to Max. Santa Claus had to put one present back that he had bought once Max opened it. Sam spent almost all his money on getting that present for Max and had to convince Joseph to give up most of his money as well. It was really sweet of them! Then we read The Night Before Christmas.
The rule was no one up before 7:30 am (we have gotten really lazy over the holidays!) Sam just couldn't wait any longer after 7 am, however. We made them all wait it out, anyway- in our room and then on the stairs. They were going nuts and kept trying to sneak down. It was a magical day. Joseph kept saying, "We hit the Mother Load!"
We have goodies galore and I am at least 2 pounds heavier. Sam lost a tooth in a cinnamon roll and so the magic continued with a visit from the Tooth Fairy.
We have Legos everywhere. We scare the dog with the remote control truck. We have played Wheel of Fortune (which I won!) and Family Feud (which we stunk at!) I gave my final lesson to my 14-15 year old Sunday School class. I get a new one next week. We downloaded lots of new apps for my phone and Emma's new Ipod touch. Right now the kids are playing with their friends while I loose at Scrabble to my phone! Could anything be more magical then this Christmas holiday? Rob enjoying my new slippers.

Christmas Eve Eve

2010-12-23T18:12:00.000-08:00

We did our annual Christmas light viewing tonight. This is the house we picked for our winner this year. They actually live in another subdivision from us, but just through the trees. We can see their blue lighted trees from our house. We picked them because we loved the blue lit trees and because they did all those lights by hand- no blow ups, lighted displays, etc. Coming in a close second was a house that had a manger scene outside with a pole that they stuck a star on with lights streaming down from it. It was really hard to choose. The families are always a little wary of people ringing their doorbell at night, but they always warm right up when we tell them they won our annual prize! As always, the annual prize was chocolate.
Last night we went to a family's home in our ward to see their Christmas village. They do an amazing job! They build the table to suit and change it ever year. They spray paint little rocks and line the streets. They have trees and spotlights and all kind of fun things. They have a bunch of Santas throughout the village and you have to count how many there are. What a fun family!
We wrapped all our presents today and baked up a storm and cleaned the house. Tomorrow I will get Christmas dinner ready and then we are completely ready to relax and enjoy the rest of our Christmas holidays. Time to go read a Christmas story to the children.
PS did I tell you that we are babysitting a dog for Christmas? His name is Malo and he's a toy Schnauzer. He loves Emma best. He chases the boys. He won't bark at Rob and he likes me second best.

Of shoes and ships and sealing wax

2010-12-21T17:17:00.000-08:00

The time has come the Walrus said
To talk of many things,
Of shoes and ships and sealing wax
Of cabbages and kings
And why the sea is boiling hot
And whether pigs have wings.

Lewis Carroll

We just got back from a wonderful vacation to the Caribbean. Rob and I took a Princess cruise for our anniversary. We took our first cruise about 6 years ago. At that time, Joseph was 2 and had just been potty trained. We couldn't get any family to come watch the children and eventually had to pay a young family in our ward to watch them. It was very traumatic to Joseph and I swore we would not leave our children again for a long time until they were all old enough to understand what was going on and that Mom and Dad were coming home. For some reason I fixed that age at 5 in my mind. Last year my husband's mother wanted all her children and their spouses to go to Hawaii for a week. Max wasn't 5 yet, so I said, not unless everyone could come. She agreed. In the end, the other brothers brought their children as well and we had a great family reunion in Hawaii. This year, Max turned 5. We had reached the magic year! So I said, Mom and Dad are going on vacation!! My mother generously agreed to come and watch the kids and even did it on her own dime (although, I promise we tried to pay!) This also happens to be the only real vacation Rob will get in his next 3 years, so I figured I had to grab it while I could.
My Aunt did a fantastic job getting us a cruise at a reasonable price and Capital One rewards paid for the airfare. Princess even gave us a $100 on board credit, because Rob is military.
We went out of Puerto Rico and went to Barbados where we swam with turtles, sting rays and over a ship wreck; St. Lucia where we took a catermeran around the island, walked in a volcano, went to a working plantation, and had a Cajun lunch; Antigua where it rained and we enjoyed food and movies on the boat; Tortola where we enjoyed the beach;
and St. Thomas where we snorkeled and saw Black Beard and Blue Beard's castles.
We were sit at 5:30 in traditional dining. I didn't get it changed in time and was planning to do so the first moment I could, but we really enjoyed our tablemates- Gina and Frank and Deb and Bob. Gina and Frank were loving the ease of remembering everyone's names! The last day we had planned to go to dinner at one of the alternate restaurants for our anniversary, but we enjoyed their company so much that we decided to go to dinner in the main dining room as regular. Our waiters knew it was our anniversary and brought out a cake and had all the waiters sing for us. It was a good evening!
On board we watched tons of shows and movies and even did trivia one day. I loved the movies under the stars. They have a big screen set up on the ship and they have movies 4 times a day on it. It is the ultimate drive in movie experience, except it's swim in or lounge in the lounge chair in. So very cool! We did really bad at the trivia. At one point I couldn't even remember the name of the flap of skin that covers the trachea when you swallow. Don't worry, though, the answer did come to me before we were done! Whew! What I have learned about that, is that I would never make it on Jeopardy with their song ticking away your time in the background!!
It was a nice relaxing time. It was hard to feel in the Christmas spirit, though. I don't think I would ever do it at Christmas time. I was so glad to get back and enjoy the snow and the cold weather and people scurrying around trying to get their last minute shopping done. I will, of course, be so done with the cold right after New Year's!
We came home to happy kids which was the best part! Thank you Grandma for doing a fabulous job and helping us enjoy a great holiday!!

Christmas Advent

2010-12-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

Every year my Mother sends us a chocolate advent calendar. The kids love this tradition! We also own a little wooden tree where we put up a heart with the number of that day on it, until it gets to 25- Christmas! Yeah! The one advent that we have just started since I sent one to Rob in Iraq two years ago is the mitten advent. Inside the mittens are all kinds of things to do as a family. We have gone to the Ward Christmas party, done a service (which was Mom writing and directing the Relief Society Christmas play and Emma being a shepherdess and serving dinner to the ladies), we have decorated for Christmas and yesterday we addressed Christmas cards. I printed out the letter, Emma folded them, Sam stuffed them into the envelopes that Dad was printing out, and Joe and Max fought for who got to stamp them. All the while Christmas music was playing and the kids were playing that game where you try to put the shapes in before the timer goes off and they all pop up. It was just a little crazy! When Joseph decided to tinker on the piano too, that's when I said, "Enough!" One thing had to give and the piano was it last night.
Tonight we were suppose to make a special treat, but none of us are up for a treat, so we are substituting "watch a holiday movie!" Hope you are enjoying the magic of the Christmas season as well!

St. Lewis and the Shiner

2010-12-06T08:12:00.000-08:00

Last night while we were all snug in our beds St. Lewis came and left treats and little gifts in our shoes. Never heard of St. Lewis? How odd! To tell the truth, I had never heard of St. Lewis either, until this year. St. Lewis is the patron saint of Maxwell, apparently, because he is the only one that knows about him. St. Lewis' real name happens to be St. Nicholas. The other children didn't have much time to enjoy their St. Nicholas day offerings, since they had to hurry off to school in the freezing cold, but Max thoroughly enjoyed them. Don't worry though, Joseph was still able to stuff every last peanut butter cup into his mouth before leaving for school.
The other day Max, Joe and I were having a catch me and tickle me fight. Max did the throw your head back thing and caught me right in the eye. I now have a nice Zombie eye. Thanks for the shiner Max!