Takin' It One Day at a Time

New Additions to the Family

2009-08-01T14:29:00.001-07:00

We added some new artwork to the house!

We added Tigress about two weeks ago:

And on the same day a couple of weeks ago, we added Oreo!

We also added a few pair of goggles to our house-hold and the kids LOVE them! Will wears his pretty much everywhere!

4th of July and Other Fun Times

2009-07-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

So, mid-June Abby was in a play -- Pinocchio-- thru Missoula Childrens Theatre. She was a ballerina toy. She got to sing and do ballet moves on stage with a cast of about 50. She looked so tiny and cute up on that huge stage, dancing around the bad guy. She still sings the songs throughout her day, and the week following the play, she woke up crying. She was sad because she really wanted to go back to play practice. I think it was the best week of her life, and even today she mentioned that she can't wait for the next play in January. Here she is with her hair in a bun... on our way up to the play! I didn't get any pictures of her on stage in her costume because all of the paperwork we got from the theatre said not to bring cameras. So I obeyed. I am dumb sometimes. People were taking pictures left and right... and then cast pictures after. And I missed it ALL!

We have been going to a park at least once per week this summer. Will has discovered the joys of swings, as well as the pain they can cause... when you hang over the swing and let it soothe you nearly to sleep, you can fall onto the ground and scrape the nose...On July 3, we went to a park about 8pm to watch the City of Gendale fireworks show. There weren't to many people there when we first got there, so we got a pretty cool spot. While we waited the kids played in the sand and on slides, etc. As it got dark, we hurried and got seated. In time to realize during the first firework that we were facing southeast and the fireworks were being shot from northwest behind a line of beautiful trees!! Aaah! So we grabbed our chairs and ran across the park to a better spot. We enjoyed an amazing show.

I should insert right here that I am very proud to be a citizen of the United States of America. I am truly grateful for the men and women who have served and are currently serving our country in the military. I know that because of them, I am able to live in a safe country where I can go to any church I choose. My husband can legally own every gun we own. We can all speak our minds, even though the ones who speak the loudest totally do not appreciate that freedom! I am thankful for our Heavenly inspired laws of our land, and pray that we can keep them! In uncertain times, I truly appreciate this day to celebrate our independence... I know that people have lost their lives and give up a big chunk of their life to defend what we have. I AM PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!!!!

The kids had an absolute blast pillow fighting while waiting for friends -n- fireworks on the fourth. Will is quite dramatic. Whenever he got near swingin' pillows, he would fall flat on his back and lay there for a few minutes, shouting "whoa! whoa! whoa!" It was hilarious. The girls really had a blast chasing each other around the yard, giggling all the while.We had some very good friends come over for dinner and "fireworks." Robbie bought the little kits that are legal in Colorado. They included some whistling low fireworks, smoke-bombs and sparklers! The kids truly enjoyed the sparklers!

There were upwards of 150 sparklers poked into the ground here the next morning.We brought out blankets and just hung out and snacked, talked, enjoyed the weather. Our neighbors also came over to visit when they heard our fireworks. That was fun! I wanted to get to know them better so it worked out nicely!

It was a loooooong day. As our friends were leaving, I put Will on the couch with a cartoon. I checked on him ten minutes later and this is how I found him. Fun Day!

Happy Birthday Abby!

2009-06-21T09:16:00.000-07:00

Abby is six now! It's hard to believe how quickly kids grow! She is a beautiful little girl with a beautiful big soul. She loves playing with her brother and sister. She loves to sing -- in Sacrament Meeting she sits quietly, writing her own music. She loves to dance. And quite recently she has discovered that she loves theatre! Saturday she performed in "Pinocchio" as a toy ballerina. She loved going to practice, she loved performing, and she really enjoyed going out after the show to Applebee's with some of the cast. Abby was starstruck! She was so overjoyed to be eating dinner with the actor who played Pinnochio.

Last Saturday we celebrated her birthday at our new house is Denver :-) I am so thankful for good friends who brought their cute little girls with very little notice! We had a princess party. Abby instructed me that we needed everything pink... streamers, balloons, presents, etc. So... We went nuts with the streamers :-) It was fun!

They got to make their own candy bracelets. They were very careful about the patterns they produced!Will didn't want to wait for cupcakes... so to keep him quiet (I know... bad mom!) I gave him his cupcake early. He liked the frosting!

Makenzie volunteered to be in charge of "pin the tail on the donkey". She is a great helper!

Good sports! We love you Robert!

We did cupcakes so each child could blow out a candle. They were funny. It was breezy and hard to light the candles... so we sang quickly, then they just stood there. Not blowing out candles. I had to tell them to blow them out.

And last, but not least, we got a cute little Tinkerbell pinata. Thank goodness a friend from our new ward hung out while Robbie was hanging it in the tree. We were fully prepared to beat the thing till candy spilled out. Apparently we got the "girly" pinata. You take turn pulling streamers, till someone pulls the magic streamer and it pours out!I LOVE the look on her face as she watched the candy pour out! So much excitement for cheap bubblegum!
Abby was thrilled with all of her gifts, but more thrilled just to play with her friends.

Catching Up!

2009-06-03T21:20:00.000-07:00

Well, we have had a very busy last few months! We have spent time in Texas, Wyoming, Arizona, Colorado (and a brief drive through Oklahoma.) We enjoyed an extended vacation visiting Robbie's family in Texas! It was also great to spend time in Wyoming with my family. We spent time driving through Arizona and trying out our RV in various campgrounds. And now, we have been back at home in Colorado for about a month now. Let me just say, it's great to be home! I love our mountains, the climate here, and probably mostly, the familiarity of it all!

Since we got back, Robbie has been staying home with the kids and I went back to work! I have mixed feelings on this... I really miss spending more time with the kiddos. But it's fun to see Robbie learn the joys of being with the kids all day... home-schooling, changing loads (hee hee) of diapers, doing the dishes, etc. He better appreciates what I have done for the last eight years! I really enjoy the work that I do. The hours are picked by me! And oddly, we are much more organized this way... We are better with bedtime, which makes everything else better! So, for the time being, this scenario is working like a charm for our family!

I was also very excited to find a great deal on ebay a few weeks ago! I searched for trampolines in the metro area and found 1 used trampoline with a safety net for $1. Sadly, I missed the auction, so I emailed the guy. He ended up giving it to us for free! We just had to pick it up and break it down. It's in good shape! So now the kids can burn up tons of energy in our ginormous backyard! (We also have a cute little bunny that hangs out in the yard. He's not afraid of the kids, and he nibbles on the grass all day!)

Check out Abby's crazy hair from jumping on the trampoline!

We are also enjoying our new little house in a cute little neighborhood. When I say little... I am NOT kidding! It's 2 bedrooms. 1 bathroom! And they are small rooms! Like... our dresser is in the entry by the front door because it doesn't fit in our room. I'm not complaining though. I actually LOVE it! It's way easier to keep clean! We also have a basement with 2 tiny rooms and 1 even more tiny room. One room is the playroom. The other will be my craft room, and then food storage for the other! The really great thing is that the garage is probably bigger than the house. And the yard... It's big! And well fenced... we still need a gate in one area... but the fence is great!

Oh! Also, Robbie wanted me to add this picture. See all of those items on the floor in front of the kids? Everyone of those things were pulled out of our subwoofer... thank you, Will. We thought it sounded funny whenever there was a loud bass sound. Weird vibration sounds. So Robbie took the back off and discovered why! The front of the speaker has a Will-hand sized circle hole that must have been really fun for him! A wash-cloth? Really?!! Crazy kid!

Oh! And another thing! In our new ward, we had some guys come visit tonight... TO INVITE ROBBIE TO ATTEND HIGH PRIEST GROUP! Am I married to an old man, or what! ;-)

Fun With Uncle Zak!

2009-04-26T18:15:00.000-07:00

Will has discovered the thrill of the open road. He loves riding his "motor-cycle" down the driveway as fast as he can. He realized that he actually has control over the direction he can travel, and enjoys going back and forth as he quickly coasts down hill! Imagine the excitement when he realized that the big thing he climbs in Uncle Zak's garage actually moves!Zak gave the kids rides on his four wheeler this afternoon. Will was such a patient little guy. He was so excited to have lots of turns, but he eagerly waited in line for each of his turns.

Makenzie was a bit more cautious than her siblings, she only took two rides and that was enough for her. At one point, Zak let Abby hit the gas, nearly flipping them over (not really, but it sure felt that way at the moment!) At that point, Makenzie said "That's where I would have said, thanks, this is my stop."

Abby had fun riding, and after the little scare, she just let Uncle Zak do the driving!

Willie is 2!

2009-03-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that just 2 short years ago I was pacing the living room in the middle of the night trying to decide how long to wait before heading to the hospital to have Will! I think I did pretty good since I had him within one hour of arriving at the hospital! And a few months before that, finding out thru ultrasound that we were going to have a boy (and Robbie arguing with the tech saying it wasn't possible!) Boy, has he changed our life! He is independent and brave, busy and sturdy, and gives the best little boy hugs on the planet. I remember thinking that the girls were so fragile at this age. Not so with Will. He likes to wrestle and jump off of high places. He likes to make gun noises, although I have no idea where he has actually heard a gun to know what it does... he loves cars and motorcycles, pretty much anything that requires keys. Along with all of that boy craziness, he has been known to apply blue eyeshadow now and then when he sneaks into the girls makeup and he enjoys a good manicure when I am doing the girls nails... (I really don't like to hear him scream when I say no to the nails... it comes off when he plays in the dirt!)

In honor of the birthday boy, here are some pictures of the fun we had here in Texas with Grandpa Bill, Grandma Lori and Aunt Andi!

Keep your hands on your head! Don't touch anything!Thank you, Gramma and Poppa for the cool trucks, stickers and crayons, and the awesome box! We are shipping it back to you with something different inside!

Me!

Sleepless in Seattle or Wherever I Lay My Head

2009-02-22T16:45:00.001-08:00

For those of you who know the saga of our sleep life, yes... I mean sleeping, I thought I would share a tiny happy glimmer in my embarrassing parental skills! Will is nearly two and HAD yet to sleep through the night. This came as no surprise to me since the girls were the same. Even though it's not a surprise, it's utterly exhausting. It has been over 8 years since I have slept through the night, since I was pregnant with Makenzie and had to wake up 5 times a night to go to the bathroom.

Anyway, this weekend, we stayed the night at Robbie's brothers house. I layed Will down around 10pm on the guest bed. (It was nice and cushy!) He slept until 5am! I snuggled him for a few minutes and he went back to sleep until 7. I hoped that it was not a fluke, that perhaps a rock hard crib mattress might be what keeps him up all night. I bought a foam pad and fancy new "Cars" crib sheets to fancy up his bed. After talking to all of the cars on his sheets, and watching his one Blue's Clues episode for the night, he curled up and went to sleep around 10pm.... and slept until 5am again!!! I snuggled with him for a few minutes and he went back to sleep until 7! 2 days in a row! Dare I hope for more nights? Please tell me to get my head out of the clouds and back to my sleep deprived reality!

I shouldn't even be putting this in writing or I will jinx it, but the girls are sleeping pretty good. It's hard to get Abby to sleep, but once she actually passes out, she is down for the night!

No Creative Name For This Post

2009-02-12T12:06:00.000-08:00

As promised (Although it's almost 2 months later) is a picture of an ear! With a hole in it! Today was our first time to change Makenzie's earrings, so you don't get to see the birthstone piercing earring, you get to see her FAVORITE pair! I was a little nervous about stabbing her while changing them out, but we did quite well!Here she is smiling for the camera and showing off the frogs!Will decided to help dad with another project today. He studiously watched Robbie use the drill for several minutes. When he had an understanding of the project ahead of them, he got the screws, one at a time to hand to dad when he needed them.

This one makes me think of those "Scandal sheets" where they snap pictures of movie stars doing "normal things." Abby is out walking Lucy.

I went for a run this morning and saw these turtles sunning themselves. I ran back to the house to get the kids so they could see too. I don't know who said that turtles are slow... these suckers are FAST when they hear danger approaching. They slid back into that water so fast when we tried to get closer. If you look close, you can see all sorts of turtles under water! We had to cut the trip short when Abby stood in a pile of ants that started biting her feet. Poor girl!

Galveston in January

2009-01-26T16:35:00.001-08:00

Will's first day at the beach!!! Getting ready to take off shoes and socks so that he can feel the sand between his toes. He loved the feeling of the water and sand running under his feet. He also enjoyed chasing seagulls and picking up seashells. He ran and yelled and waved his arms.

Abby instantly started her searh for seashells. She wanted to build a sandcastle and embellish with the shells. She got sidetracked from that project when she saw how much fun the other 2 were having in the water!

This was from before we all decided to shed our socks n shoes and roll up our pants!

This is the best picture to capture the pure joy Makenzie felt upon arrival at a beach. She has such a wonderful trip awhile back when she and Robbie went to CA. They stopped at a beach and played. Since then, she talks about it all the time. This was a fun way for her to share with her siblings how wonderful a beach can be.

Robbie snapped this as we were getting ready to leave the beach. I think it's a really cool shot!

Robbie found some chips in the car and brought them back to feed the seagulls. They swarmed like crazy. They were inches from our heads, hovering and waiting for a bite to eat. I love all the different poses from the different birds!

After the beach, we drove around looking at the island. We saw lots of damage from the hurricane. Our battery was nearly dead, so I was able to get only one more picture.

Would This Be Considered Bragging?

2009-01-23T13:20:00.000-08:00

Temperatures here in Katy, Texas were mid 70's today! We packed up the kids and headed over to an amazing park for a picnic and day of fun! We walked around a beautiful fishing pond. There were cranes, loons and some freaky looking duck/buzzards. We enjoyed watching the cranes take off and land in the water.We were able to enjoy FREE miniature golf at this county park! Free fishing? Free mini golf? I think the swimming is free too! What an awesome place! I think Makenzie thought that we were playing marathon golf. We couldn't keep up with her! She had a great time, though.

We also discovered that Makenzie is taller than some palm trees! Very exciting news to be in a climate WITH palm trees, and to find out that you can be taller than one is even more exciting!

Abby stayed closer to Robbie while playing her round of golf. She picked up a few pointers from him and didn't lose any balls in the water :-)

Anything you can hit with a club is right up Will's alley... if only for a few minutes, until a squirrel comes along that needs a good chasing!

He treed several squirells at the park today. It was hilarious! He ran after them as fast as his stubby little legs would carry him, only to watch them climb up high in the trees. That was fascinating in it's own right since he is learning to climb a little tree at Grandma and Grandpa's house!
Robbie on the mini golf course.

After a nice round of mini golf, we went to the playground at this enormous park. This was a fun picture of the girls swinging. Look at their hair!!!!

Will enjoyed the slides! These tube slides are exciting! Can't see mom till almost down!
Pretty girls admiring the coy pond!

Catching some sun in this gorgeous weather!
All in all, it was a wonderful day. Thank you Makenzie for snapping this fun shot on the way to our car!

Happy Birthday Makenzie

2009-01-14T10:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Makenzie's 8th birthday. It was fun to go in and wake her. I only had to softly ask if there was an 8 year old in the room and she quickly woke up! She was so excited to be turning 8. She can't wait to get baptized now. She is a cutie. When she gets excited, she jumps up and down and sort of waves her hands really fast. I envision a little bird getting ready for take off each time she gets excited!

We had a fun day. Robbie and I took the kids to Build A Bear, something Makenzie has been wanting to do for a verrrrry long time! She instantly spotted a horse that she fell in love with, and got to go thru the bear building process. We ate lunch at Chili's (This went better than most restaurant trips with three kids... only one 15 minute bathroom break for Abby... with Robbie standing outside the girls bathroom the whole time; Will didn't succeed in climbing into any other booths but he was able to make a run for it. Fortunately the server, unbeknownst to her, blocked his path with a serving tray just as he was trying to sneak past her... knocked him in the head. She felt terrible. He didn't even flinch... Makenzie sat happily the whole time enjoying the restaurant experience!)

We came back to Grampa Bill's house and decorated the penguin birthday cupcakes. She was thrilled to have so many people here, and she loved all of her presents. I think the best reaction to opening a gift came when she opened the gift from Gramma and Grampa. She had previously spotted this brilliantly colored, giant stuffed dragon and LOVED it. Gramma remebered and got it for her. I wish I had video taped her reaction. She gasped in excitement and couldn't get the gift open soon enough. Then she just hugged it and giggled!

Here is the cupcake penguin. Makenzie did the feet! Makenzie and Abby also did the "penguin pond" as seen in pictures above! Makenzie added the little goldfish! They did a great job decorating the pond cake!

It's hard to believe we have had this sweet little person with us for 8 years already. The time goes by so quickly. It seems like only yesterday that we welcomed our tiny little girl into our lives. We have watched her learn and grow into a beautiful young lady who is compassionate and bright. She is a kind big sister and friend. I look forward to many more years of watching her continue to learn and grow! I love you Makenzie!

First Bug

2009-01-09T10:25:00.000-08:00

Will has discovered that he loves to eat! He ate a big dinner and seems to be growing again! I noticed after his big dinner last night that Will was scavenging under the kitchen table. I think this was the first time... He would notice bits of food on the floor, pick it up and put it in his mouth. After several good finds, he grabbed something out of his mouth and threw it on the floor. Upon closer inspection, I found a poor roly poly bug trying to close into a little ball (or maybe flip over and run away... but couldn't after being bitten!) So, I am happy to announce that Will won't be a bug eater... or at least a roly poly eater!

Ears

2009-01-02T19:35:00.000-08:00

For a long time now, Makenzie has been begging to have her ears pierced. I wanted her to wait until she was 12, since that it was I did, but after lots of discussing we decided to surprise her this Christmas. We bought and wrapped some super cute post earrings, and told her that it was her special present. The look on her face when she saw what was in the package was priceless! She got a huge grin on her face and couldn't wait to take a trip to Claires the next day! (Going to the mall the day after Christmas will never be on my to-do list again! The place was an absolute zoo!) We had lots of people there to support her and ooh / aah over her pretty earrings. She cried a little because it really does hurt, but she was numb after no time and is perfectly fine now!!! I will post pictures soon!

Time... or No Time...

2008-12-17T19:01:00.000-08:00

I am going to ramble for a minute or two... Time is so weird!

In the very same moments, it can seem that time is dragging on forever, but also zooming past so fast I can't see straight! It seems like we are never going to get down to Texas! Each day seems to drag on endlessly. The packing doesn't ever seem to be finished... The cleaning gets uncleaned minutes after it has been scrubbed shiny. Little things get in the way of me getting all done that I planned.

But at the same time, I can't believe that in just a couple of days, we will be leaving the state we have lived in for over twelve years! In just a few days, we are off on a new and exciting adventure. It's just now hitting me... maybe I should be scared? I don't handle change well. Maybe I handle it better than I thing, and that is why it took so long for me to get nervous? I think the hardest part is the actual leaving. I will really miss my friends here in Colorado! Not that I am very good at getting together with my friends on a regular basis, but I will really miss everyone here! And that is happening way to fast! There isn't enough time to physically say bye to everyone... but please know that I wish there was time!

I am also moving a heck of a lot further away from my family :-( Now we will be on opposite ends of our country! I do prefer the southern half of this country while I sit here pondering the cold weather. 7 below is gettin' a little chilly for me! I am really looking forward to spending time with Robbie's family in Texas! It will be a great time! We get to meet our new little nephew! Get to know his brothers and sisters better! And spend some time with his grandma! Life is good! We are truly blessed to have this opportunity!

Family Pictures!!!

2008-12-02T18:34:00.000-08:00

Recently, we were able to get together with my family in Wyoming. It was somewhat close to Robbie and Jake's December 1 birthday, so we threw a surprise party for them. It was loads of fun getting sparkler candles (which are not supposed to be lit in the house) and having them wear obnoxiously large buttons and bibs.

Here we are! Not sure if any one you have seen the video on Youtube about Mother's Day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHskPpA1DqE but two of my brothers were inspired by that video... as seen in the picture above. I LOVE the video. It's definitely worth your time watching it!!!

Here's all the boy cousins with dads and Poppa. Most boys were crying... Will didn't for awhile, but decided to join in toward the end.

Naturally, the girls did great in the pictures. No fear of cameras here! They had a blast posing!

More pictures of my pretty daughters and neices!

It's a little washed about, but Abby's face is cute!

I think this is all of them hammin' it up here. A few of us parents had to be in the background keeping them in the picture.

It's REALLY hard to get so many kids to look at the camera all at the same time!

This one is pretty cute!

Here we are!

Will trying to climb out of my arms...

I like this one!

A better picture of my family here... no gopher paws happenin' here!

Awwwww. Aren't we a cute couple!

But wait! Wanna see a cuter couple? The best one ever is below!

Here We Are

2008-11-24T19:34:00.000-08:00

Robbie and I went on a really fun date last week! Instead of wandering around Wal-Mart after eating out (since it's free and open late...) we went to the BYU / Air Force Football game. It was a blast! Not only did we enjoy some tasty bar-b-q outside the stadium, but I was able to sneak in my just purchased hot chocolate that I paid $3!!! They were making everyone leave "open containers" at the check in point... but I whined to the guy and he looked the other way. Thank goodness because that hot chocolate kept we warm for the first half of the game!

I wasn't really sure what to expect since the last football game I attended was in high school more than a decade ago... I understood plays and was even excited about the actual game. The beginning was awesome. The fighter jets did a fly over. AMAZING! They were so close you could see the glowing orange afterburn! The actual formation was named something along the line of Fallen Man Formation because one of the group had passed on serving our country... so I started the game crying.

GREAT DATE! It was nice to remember that we can do something different for our dates!

It's Fall, Right?

2008-11-19T20:25:00.001-08:00

Abby playing outside after the snowfall last week!

Will enjoying the first snow that he sort of comprehends. He did NOT like having snow on his shoes.

Makenzie diligently working to make a snowman.

Twilight

2008-11-12T13:30:00.000-08:00

This is getting ridiculous... I have never been so excited to see a movie in the theatre! I sit and think about it while folding laundry. While I am getting the kids ready for bed, I think about the story. I am reading the book for the third stinking time... because I am preparing myself for the movie! What is my problem?! Why do I love a book written for teenage kids?

I will tell you why.

I love books that are an easy read for starters. I also love a book that has more love than hate. I enjoy a good innocent relationship... which is hard to find in todays society! I also used to have a deathly fear of vampires... I don't think you can comprehend the level of my fear. I literally lost hundreds of hours of sleep over 2 decades because of a stupid movie I saw as a child... I would lie awake most nights terrified that a vampire would try to get me (but luckily, according to the stupid movie, they could only get in my house if they were invited in! But! what if one of my brothers invited them in?!!! Aaaaaah so much stress!)

Anyway... even after 12 years of marriage, I was still having nightmares about vampires... until Twilight. (Should I send Stephenie a thank you email?) Now, when I lie awake at night thinking a vampire is out there, I just think it is someone sweet like Edward! Now, please... nobody remind me about the non-vegetarian vampires in the book! I am finally sort of getting some sleep...

Halloween Pictures

2008-11-06T15:31:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know this first one doesn't look like a Halloween picture... but this is after eating lots of candy and being forced to lay down and relax afterward! Makenzie was a witch! Abby found that cute little tiny broom outside. It's a pine tree branch. Originally it was a much fuller broom, but after lots of use the needles kept falling out!

Abby was a vampire. She went all out on this costume. Every detail was her idea. The cape had to be silky... red on the inside, black on the outside. She had to wear a black shirt with a red bowtie. Pants had to be black and she needed vampire teeth. I am not sure where she got the image of a vampire... but she did great. I made the cape!!!

Will was Frankenstein. I thought about putting the green paint on his face to help make the costume, but I didn't want to risk an allergic reaction to paint.... so, here he is!

We had a fun time at our Ward trunk or treat. The kids got lots of loot, played fun carnival games and visited with friends. They also each won a cupcake from the "cake" walk. (Side note here... I remember when I was younger that when you won in a cake walk that you won a full size rockin' cake... now it's a cupcake!) Halloween day, we spent mostly at the zoo with my parents. It was fun. Nobody was there. I felt like we had reserved the park for just us!!! In the evening Robbie took the girls to a few houses in our neighborhood. Fun night!

I love Uncle Jake!

2008-10-26T15:49:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful visit from my brother and sis-in-law yesterday! We visited for not nearly enough time, had a yummy lunch at Olive Garden, and Will even found time to snooze on his Uncle Jake. He went right to him and snuggled in his arms till he slowly fell asleep! It was a nice visit!

Color Coded Hair Trimmer

2008-10-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

I bought this fancy new color coded hair-cutting kit. Now, color coding seems like an excellent idea, but the primary reason that I bought this particular set was because it was the best price. The fact that it has a neat color coding system to make cutting hair easier was only a plus. So, this morning, I thought I would give shaggy boy a trim :-)See the fancy color code markings? I picked lavendar for a short trim of 3/4". If you click on the picture to see it bigger, please, tell me that the piece I selected matches the lavendar 3/4" setting! As I began running the tool thru his hair, I thought "This seems awful short for 3/4". Maybe I am worse about estimating in my head than I thought!" But, I had already hacked off a huge strip, so I had to finish it. I looked closely at this lavendar piece and saw that is says 1/4"! Now, if you compare the 1/4" on the tool, it is NOT lavendar... it's a pinkish color! Anyway... here are the results of our first "color coded haircut." It's definitely shorter than what I was going for, but... he is a boy and he does look rather handsome here :-)

Special Visit From the Toothfairy!

2008-10-20T21:50:00.001-07:00

We had an exciting night last Sunday! Makenzie had a loose tooth (#7) on top that was driving her nuts, so I helped wiggle it so it was a little more loose. I didn't want to mess with it too much because in the past she has been quite squeemish. It was bugging her enough that she kept wiggling it, and she actually pulled it out herself! She was soooo excited about pulling a tooth for herself! I was proud of her for being so brave! We took lots of pictures and called daddy to tell him the exciting news. We talked about the toothfairy coming and how great that would be. The more we talked about the toothfairy, the more I thought how cool it would be if she could make a trip to pick up two teeth, rather than one. Abby has been walking around with her first very loose tooth on the bottom, so I told her that it would be REALLY special if the tooth-fairy could come get hers and Makenzie's teeth in one night. She is a persistent little girl. She wiggled that tooth for a good hour, insisting that she be the one to get it out. At times, I begged "please let me try! It's your first tooth. I want to do it!" She stayed strong and after many small videos of her wiggling her tooth, I MISSED the actual moment of her popping it out! It was cute. She quietly said "my tooth" in an awed voice. So, we took lots more pictures of Abby missing her tooth, and got some shots of the two gappy girls together!
The toothfairy came that night and left 4 quarters for each girl. So much excitement!

See the tiny teeth in their hands :0) Will was in the middle of it all trying to brush his teeth. He kept hearing the teeth word, and the only thing he knows about teeth is to brush them. He could feel the excitement in the air!

My Soapbox

2008-10-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

Ok. So, I try not to go crazy with sharing my views on politics because once I start, I can't stop. Now, I had heard of this picture of Obama refusing to show respect to the flag of our country... hearing about it made me upset, but not horribly upset. Well, I saw the picture today, and I LOST IT! I actually thought about how angry it made me during my whole shower. It ruined my shower! Look at that smug smirk on his face! Ooh! It infuriates me!

How can anyone in their right mind vote for Obama to be president of our United States of America?! I mean, if he can't even bring himself to respect the very core of our country, then why is he running as president of this country. I will tell you why! It's because of CHANGE. He really does want to change our country... But he wants to change it in ways that none of us can even imagine! He wants to take away our many freedoms. Perhaps change it to be more in line with a belief system that doesn't include... hmmm... freedom of religion, freedom to protect our families, freedom to pick our own healthcare for goodness sakes! Why is it that he won't show respect for the flag of our country, but he will show complete respect for other countries?!

Why doesn't he go run as president for some other country that he has more respect for? Like, maybe Africa?!

Whew. I need to go take deep breaths now!

Fall!

2008-10-15T18:15:00.000-07:00

In Honor of Lindsay (I know your name!)

2008-10-11T13:10:00.000-07:00

We bought a new camera earlier this year... I can't remember when (but it was when we went to Texas!) Since that purchase, I let the kids use our old digital camera. I finally decided after who knows how long to load pictures from their camera. I thought I would share a few that I found most intriguing. I assume that it happened while I was lazing about at the computer, ignoring giggles...

I assume these are compliments of Abby, as she is usually quite creative with her photo eye!

One of Those Days

2008-10-06T21:08:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have one of those days? The kind that is too embarrassing to admit, because then everyone will realize that you aren't "the perfect mom?" I felt so lazy today! I dreaded doing the dishes (they are still only half done in the sink.) The kitchen table is covered with various "not dinner table items." I should have vacuumed because Will spilled Apple Jacks on the floor (Robbie vacuumed for me!) I just realized only moments ago that I forgot to change out the laundry, so either Robbie is wearing a towel tomorrow, or I will be up all night finishing the pants load.

I had every intention today of going in the crawl space to get our Halloween fabric. The girls and I are going to sew a table runner and place mats for Halloween. That can be a "tomorrow" project, I guess!

I need to vacuum upstairs, but I hate lugging that thing up the stairs!!! Someday, I WILL change my sheets again... and maybe even change the sheets on the kids beds.

What I DID do today was play the Wii with the kids. For a long time! And we did get all of the schooling done on my checklist... Ooh! I also made dinner! We are going to bed fat and happy tonight! I also read several stories to the kids before bed.

Ya know, on the days that we get all of our schooling done, the housework suffers. On the days that the house looks *fabulous* we don't get all of our schooling done. Hmmmm. I gotta figure this out! Oh! And just so you know... I am going to bed with a dirty kitchen!

Invigorating

2008-10-05T13:01:00.001-07:00

Isn't watching General Conference so invigorating?! The great messages that jump out as you are pondering life's deepest questions. I was so organized this time around. I had a notebook ready WITH a pen beside it. My goal was to write down obvious commandments... a checklist if you will, to see how I am doing so far in the eternal perspective. And to add new to me things I didn't realize I was doing wrong.

So I sit down, have Abby and Will fold their arms for opening prayer (Will is adorable. He sort of folds his chubby little arms and looks around excited because we are all folding our arms, but he only lasts that way for about 7 seconds...) After the song and prayer, I got out the notebook and handy pen to begin my notes.

I was motivated by President Monson to go to the temple.

L. Tom Perry told me to simplify. I loved the way he used words from Henry David Thoreau. "Our simple needs of food, clothing, shelter and fuel." Perry's take on each of those categories were inspirational! All of this note taking is quite exciting. But wait... halfway through simplifying, my notes aren't in pen anymore. They are in pencil. Will took my pen. I wrestled my notebook from him and gave him scratch paper. I let him keep my pen if he would just keep his busy little hands off of my notebook.

Silvia Allred talked about missionary work. You can tell by reading the crayon words in my notebook. That is about all the notes I took... I gave up the writing stick/note book fight about the time the guy from Brazil spoke. I need to re-order my Ensign subscription so I can read the conference edition. I pondered going to the church by myself today so I could actually listen and take notes!

On a more serious note, I truly appreciated the words by the YW President (I think). There really was a moment where I was sort of day dreaming about my place in life and what I should do... and she actually answered my question! Right after I internally pondered it! It's always nice to be reminded that we can do it (whatever it is for each of us.) Promptly following her, the prophet confirmed everything in my mind and gave me ideas of how to do it! Gotta love spiritual counsel that helps to improve ourselves.

Even if it's too hard too take notes!

Canon City

2008-10-04T08:32:00.001-07:00

We recently went to Royal Gorge for a family get-a-way. What an amazing place! God sure has an eye for beauty. We were amazed at how deep this gorge was, and how breath-taking. The suspension bridge was fun... and scary! More scary when cars drove past us, causing the bridge to shake more. It's quite the long walk when getting dizzy going across!
I did get brave enough to look over the edge of the bridge. I think that I would have enjoyed it more if I weren't afraid that Will would try to jump over the edge. On the way across the first time, he stayed in the stroller, but on the way back he wanted out really bad, then ran like crazy all over the swaying bridge. Ack!
On the far side of the bridge, they have a little petting zoo with various types of goats, a yak, some llamas. The kids had fun petting the kids. One fiesty little fella thought it was fun to practice butting Makenzie. He was tiny, so it was more amusing than scary.
They also have burro rides for kids. It was fun watching them ride the trail. So proud and happy! Abby was the lucky first rider!
Willie was next. He was absolutely adorable! (They all were.) He wasn't sure what to think every few minutes and would lean to Robbie like he wanted to get off. But he did enjoy himself.

I think this was probably Makenzie's favorite part of Royal Gorge. She loves riding horses (and now burros.)I think this was Robbie's favorite part of the park. They have trophy elk in there! They were amazing. There was also a white buffalo!The girls were misbehaving, so the park security had to put them in the clinker ;-) They are supposed to have sad faces, but they were having too much fun in this old western town.We asked for a place to sit while waiting to go on the horse drawn carriage ride! This was such a fun trip. The people were all dressed in old west clothes. The guy driving the carriage was about 92 and had some great stories about the area... I think they were great. I couldn't hear the complete stories because the carriage was extremely noisy...They also have a little train to ride, which we took a few times. There is also an incline train that took us to the bottom of the gorge. WOW! Amazing view, fun ride. Abby was absolutely terrified to go on the train. I didn't think we were going to be able to go on it... but at the last minute, she changed her mind... and it is now her favorite thing to do. She wants to go back again to go on the incline!

Will's Words

2008-10-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

I have a friend who had a Dr. appointment last week, so I watched her kids. You know how they make you wait for eeeeevvvvver in the waiting room! So she was reading a parenting magazine article about the fact that the average girl speaks over 100 words by 18 months, and the average boy speaks (I think) 16 words around 18 months.... wow! What does that say about us wordy sisters!!! Anyway, in this spirit, I thought I would post the words that Will can speak at this point... just for posterity :-)
1. Gross
2. ball
3. bubbles
4. ont down (I want down)
5. all done
6. da-deeee (daddy)
7. mama
8. eyes
9. nose
10. no-no
11. ya (hmmm. should I be working on my grammar here?)
12. yes (I guess I am doing fine with grammar!)
13. shyews (shoes)
14. yocks (socks)
15. cokit (chocolate is one of his first three words... what does that say about me?)
16. toes
17. dink (drink)
18. (My personal favorite... not really a word yet...) He came to me making rasberry fart noises yesterday while holding his bum... telling me he needed a diaper change. It was hilarious!

He also attempts to say his sisters names and I am sure I forgot some words...

Can-can fun

2008-09-19T13:18:00.001-07:00

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First Crushes

2008-09-18T15:14:00.000-07:00

I think this is occurring WAAAY to early! We were at a school function yesterday eating lunch with other home schoolers. This cute little boy in Makenzie's class wanted to sit with us, so we made room for him. After a few minutes, I could tell Abby was smitten. She sidled right up to him, on his seat and began singing her favorite song "Hallelujah " from the Shrek soundtrack. It was hilarious while I sat there watching... I think the boy was smitten with Makenzie but it took me several minutes of watching Abby to realize what she was doing. I asked her on our long drive home why she was singing to the boy, if she liked him. Hmmmm. When I got home, I thought more about it and now I am freaking out!

This is a two fold freak out. Not only are boys starting to be a little interested in Makenzie, but both girls are starting to notice that boys can be cute. AAAAAAAh! Any thoughts, anyone?

The Lord's Bounty

2008-09-09T07:18:00.000-07:00

I have a friend I have known for years, but happens to be in our new ward... who made a comment a few months ago about gardening. She started her first one ever this year... it is small. She calls it her obedience garden. I love the idea of calling it an obedience garden. She is only doing it since she should, although she said she doesn't know what she is doing. Remind anyone of building a giant boat a loooooong time ago?

So, in that spirit, here are some pictures of my obedience garden. Saturday night our dinner consisted of freshly picked beets, corn and carrots. The meat dish was provided by our mighty hunter, Robbie! As we sat as a family eating our dinner, Makenzie reflected on what a good feeling it is to eat something after doing all of the work to put it on the table.

Now, I feel like this obedience garden is truly a blessing from our Heavenly Father. I HATE bugs, so being in the garden is quite disconcerting for me... but I can't teach the girls to be that way, right? So I have to pretend I am fine. If they want to develop a horrific fear of bugs on their own, more power to them! So the fact the garden is thriving so well is exciting! The girls are in charge of "harvesting" the produce. They fill baskets with tiny tomatoes. They pick beets and take them to the neighbors. In fact, they took a basket of tomatoes down the street to a friend the other day, and the lady offered them $1. They were soooooo excited! (Thank you April!) Ready to see it?!

I know... it's tiny... and crammed! But seeing that I can do it, we will make it bigger next year! We have corn in back, then beets that you cannot see... two tomato plants, 2 bell pepper plants and loads of carrots!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-09-04T14:28:00.001-07:00

So, today I am 34! I enjoy getting older! I feel more at ease with myself the older I get. I don't worry so much about what others are thinking... which used to get in the way of trying new things and enjoying life in general!

I love being married. Robbie is a good husband. He has good values and works hard to take care of our family. We have good conversations and enjoy each others company.

I love being a mom. Makenzie is growing so fast. She will be 8 in just over 4 months! She is really in tune with her spiritual side. Abby is 5 and has such a love for life and learning! She is a wanderer/daydreamer... although that scares me at times, it also develops a great imagination and peace in her. Will is such a cute little boy. He is learning new words everyday. He says shoes, trash, mmmmmom, dada (which he growls) owsi (outside). He says owwwwwch, I o know (I don't know) and his new favorite is no-no. He has other words too, but I can't recall them right now :-)

I am grateful to have the gospel in my life for many reasons. Not only does it keep me on the right path, but helps me to find wonderful friends and brings me peace in this hectic world! I thank my Father in Heaven for another year of learning on this beautiful planet! I am so glad that my parents raised me in the gospel!

I love my brothers and sisters (including inlaws of course!) and their sweet little kiddos! So many wonderful people creating a great quilt of life, so thank you friends and family!!!

Field Trip

2008-08-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

COVA scheduled our first field trip of the school year at the Denver Zoo. They even paid for our admission! Robbie took the day off, so we went as a family. The weather was nice, we saw lots of animals, rode the train, had a picnic. We were exhausted at the end after all of that walking. It was so nice having Robbie go with us! Those kids weigh quite a bit when all in the wagon together, and he pulled the wagon the whole day!

Does he know how to hold still?
Seriously! Does he know how to sit down?!

This guy knows how to sit down! He probably eats more though! This is the bear after his dreadlocks were cut off ;-)

Abby takin' a snooze!

First Day of School!!!!

2008-08-23T18:32:00.000-07:00

It's funny this time of year. Everywhere you go, people ask if you are excited for school to start. There is always an implied feeling that I should be excited because the kids will be GOING to school :-) Well, I am excited for school. Abby in kindergarden and Makenzie in second. I was a tad bit nervous about teaching 2 separate grades at the same time... but this week went quite well. Abby is sooooo excited to learn how to read. Each day after we finished her readin' writin' and rithmatic' (hee hee) she would ask if she could pleeeeeease do more lessons?! Makenzie was not quite as excited to do the actual school work at the beginning of the week, but as the days went on, and things went smoothly, she got back into the swing of things. Will was great this week as well. I was worried that since he is such a little cling-on that we wouldn't get any schooling done... but he gave me space enough to get lessons done happily.

We moved to Oregon?

2008-08-23T17:59:00.000-07:00

Last weekends weather here was WONDERFUL! I love cool, drizzly, foggy, rainy weather. 3 days of glorious cool weather!

Will modeling his little hat, then quickly removing it for the rest of the day!

Movie Night!

2008-08-23T17:52:00.000-07:00

We had a sleep over last week with some good friends. After loads of playing together, it was time for movies! Here are the kiddos munching popcorn and watching a fun cartoon!
I had small bowls so each kid could have their own popcorn bowl. Will needed jumbo size!
The girls!
The boys!
The group!

Drum roll Please!

2008-08-18T14:05:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is! The finished clubhouse for the kids! We still need to treat the wood (I'm sure the three days of rain was just fabulous for the wood!)

Fun With Super Macro

2008-08-14T17:27:00.000-07:00

The kids wanted to play out front, and since there is no fence out there, I stay with them while they play. I figured that was a great opportunity to play with our camera... get to know the features better. Anyway, today was "macro" and "super macro" day. I took various pictures of grass, rocks and leaves, but the following were my personal favorites! Abby
Makenzie
Will

What we did in our spare time:

2008-08-11T13:52:00.000-07:00

We spent all last week building a fun clubhouse/playground for the kids! It was fun, really! We did it completely by ourselves all day Saturday, and then every evening after Robbie got home until it was dark out. It is finished, but I haven't taken the pictures off our camera yet. Abby was a great helper, fetching drinks and setting screws for Robbie to drill in. Makenzie kept Will entertained so I could read blueprints and make sure Robbie had the lumber / hardware he needed for each step.
We got this done just in time for school to start next week. Now we have an official playground for the kids to go play during recess ;-)

Parade

2008-08-09T13:21:00.001-07:00

We had a fun morning! We woke up bright and early, packed up the kids to head out to Strasburg to be in a parade! I drove the truck with Will -n- Abby, and Robbie drove the 'vette with the Makenzie. It's always a nice drive on I-70 heading east once you get past the Denver rush! We saw cows and horses and wide open spaces! We were in the parade thanks to our friend, John Hadfield. He is running in District 25 for State Senate. This is the second parade we walked, but I forgot the camera last time :-( Some of you may recognize the guy in front, Bruce Lee. John is the guy with the guitar!

Robbie got to drive the campaign vehicle :-) That was quite fun! All of the teenage boys broke out camera phones as he passed to take pictures and woo over the engine. You would not believe how many people will stop you to talk about a hunk of steel and fiberglass! Boys of all ages came and talked to Robbie and looked under the hood and such :-)

The girls got to ride in the car for the parade. They waved at everyone and Abby tried balancing on the door for a while for "cute posing." I sure wish we had brought candy for them to toss to the crowd! I will remember that for next time! I pushed Will in the stroller and took pictures. It was a fun, hot morning!

After the parade, we hung out and visited, then headed toward home. We saw a sign on the road with a big truck that said "baby pigs for sale" so we stopped to take a peek. I am still internally wondering if that was a mistake. We walked away from the pigs with three crying kids wishing they could have pigs! And they weren't even the BRAND NEW ITTY BITTY SWEET LITTLE PIGS... they were 3 months old, a little bigger, wiry and well, piggish. Oh well. It was fun anyway! Will is exhausted from the sun and fun, Robbie took the kids to get our lunch. So I actually have a few minutes to myself!

(Side note here: Makenzie rode with me on the way home. That girl does not stop talking! I am not kidding. I don't know how she found time to breathe between run-on sentences. She is turning into a regular chatterbox girl! It was fun talking about all of the topics that interest her at this age (once we got past the pig drama... I was given a choice between getting her a pig or a horse. The decision was left to me...)

I'm gonna go eat a burger!

New Pet

2008-07-31T13:42:00.000-07:00

Makenzie took this picture today. I love the contrast of colors and the perspective here. I guess the kids found the ladybug while playing outside, and decided to take "her" on as a pet. I am happy with this type of pet since I don't have to feed or clean up after it. And it stays outside! I'm not sure, but I think that perhaps having our pet was short-lived... Or she is being camera shy here. Maybe some type of acrobat stunts for the camera? Anyway... great photos Makenzie!

Guanella Pass

2008-07-21T12:55:00.001-07:00

Saturday afternoon, we took a family drive to the mountains. We headed out 285 so we could go to Guanella Pass. It was absolutely beautiful! It always amazes me, though, that you can drive to "the middle of nowhere" in Colorado, and still run into hundreds of people! Definitely not like Wyoming! Seeing these rams on the side of the mountain were a special treat! We always enjoy spotting animals that Robbie may someday put on our wall ;-) This particular group of rams included 4... but this was my favorite picture.
Here we are hiking next to a waterfall. It was about 15 degrees cooler next to the falls! It is a little nerve-wracking hiking near rushing water with little children in tow. Perhaps in the near future, Robbie and I will take a couples only hike so we can only fear for our own lives!
Here is one of Robbie's famous self-portraits :-) (That also includes the rest of us!)
Here is Robbie with Abby, Makenzie and Will. It's interesting the personality traits that come out when hiking (even if it's a super tiny, short hike...) Makenzie was suddenly afraid of bears and wanted to go back to the car. Will has no fear and wanted to climb STRAIGHT up the mountain. Abby wanted to stop frequently to smell flowers and have her picture taken.

This was our first stop. This particular bridge means alot to me. This is where Robbie and I went right after we were married. I have a picture of Robbie on this bridge... back when he had hair! So, it's fun to finally take our kids here!
Here are my most favorite people on the bridge... Of course, Will gets clingy now and then... and he had to be clingy while I was taking this picture... so I am holding Will on my right hip, while taking a picture with my left hand!!!
Robbie took this picture. I love the detail...
Here is some randomness in mountain life... We ran into these chickens as we came off the bridge. We had a good time throwing hamburger buns to them!
One of the few waterfalls we stopped to look at. It was such a nice day! I love Colorado!

We Love the Waterpark

2008-07-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

The kids and I met our friend Leslie and her son Kevin at the waterpark this afternoon (same one from the cute pictures last month!) It was fun, as always. It's nice because the park is sort of bowl shaped, so Leslie and I can sit and visit on the bench while the kids run and play, with no worry of them disappearing!

So we were sitting there visiting when a HUGE gust of wind blew past us. My stroller was picked up and carried a few feet by the wind, tipping over... and my shoes flew a few feet away! Towels, sippys and kids clothing went flying everywhere! It lasted only seconds, they it was calm for the rest of the evening. In the tree right above us, we discovered about 20 feet up a bright pink towel draped evenly over a branch! Crazy wind!

Another surprise showed up a little bit later! Robbie and Leslie's husband Jesse (and his brother Casey) showed up at the park after work! The kids were thrilled, as were we :-) It's fun to watch Robbie see the kids having fun in places like this. Something I guess I take for granted since we do it regularly. He played and splashed with them, followed them around smiling. They helped try to rescue the pink towel from the tree, and were successful!

We headed over to the playground portion of the park where dads followed the kids around, playing and having a good time. As we progressed further across the park, the guys got sillier and sillier. They were having fun playing... it seems the most fun was a spinning toy. They would spin each other to see how long they could spin... then they would stumble around till they fell over on the ground ;-) It was so much fun for the kids seeing dad playing at a playground!

TAG!

2008-07-17T20:32:00.000-07:00

Here's the drill (This one's kind of interesting...)

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

Nice dreads!

2008-07-13T08:39:00.000-07:00

I never sleep for enough hours in a row at night for dreams... so the reason I am sharing this is because I actually had a dream last night that I remember! It was bizarre, really. I have no idea what prompted it!

I was standing in a really long line at Elitches. I looked over and saw a group of three scraggily looking guys. They were wearing t-shirts and being escorted out for each hiding a knife in the small of their back. (Don't ask me how I knew what the problem was... it was in my dream!) As they walked past, I commented out loud how retarded it was to try and smuggle knives into a setting such as this. They glared right back at me, so I turned away.

Flash forward to me and the kids driving on our canoe (I know... come on, right?!) Across a huge lake highway to a camping spot (yes, on water! Inflatable tents?) to meet some friends. Robbie was to meet us later after work. We got to our destination and began setting up. It was a bit tricky doing camp setup on water. We had some kind of cool boat shoes.

While setting up, I noticed two nasty looking guys approach us. They looked none to happy, and I could tell they were sent to "pay me a visit" from the "knife guys at Elitches." They delivered their message... something about watching out... The part I really remember was being so terrified that I felt the need to butter them up. I told the first guy thank you. When I went to tell the second guy thank you I also said that his dreadlocks were supercool and he pulled them off really well. They were dark black, super long and he was wearing a big seventies style colorful hat. Upon closer inspection, I realized this mean looking dude was a talking grizzly bear and I greatly irritated him with the "buttering up."

He attacked me... biting down not letting go. Somehow I squeezed his neck till he passed out... (I know... passed out talking bear with dreadlocks...) Of course, after that, we had to hurry and break camp and I had to begin the process of entering the witness protection program to avoid this talking bear for the rest of my life.

Maybe it's better that I don't sleep enough to dream usually. I woke up terrified and couldn't get back to sleep for awhile!

Happy Independence Day!

2008-07-08T12:14:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone enjoyed July 4th! In honor of our independence, we did our nails. (Here are Makenzie's digits!) Of course, while doing nails, we discussed the importance of this day. In the evening, we had a picnic at the City Center in anticipation of fireworks! We had the same location as last year, which was an amazing view. Oddly, the same people were next to us this year too...

We were able to hang out with a lovely woman and her two sweet little boys while waiting for the fireworks show. While chatting I found out that her husband is in the military and was recently deployed. I am so grateful for her family and all the others who are willing to serve and protect our country!

Mighty Hunter

2008-07-03T10:36:00.001-07:00

OH CANADA! Robbie went on his bear hunt/fishing trip at Reindeer Lake last week. Here is a beautiful shot of part of the lake. It's enormous! Hundreds of miles of shore line!
The only way to get to this lodge is by water! Boat, or this handy yellow boat/plane. It's on an indian reservation somewhere in Canada (sort of by Saskatoon?)
Here is a northern pike he caught. Nearly all fish caught in the lake were this size! Can you imagine reeling this baby in! He had such a great time, he really didn't want to leave. Apparently the guy who owns this place is going to sell. He's had it for a couple decades and wants to retire in Nebraska on this farm!
This fish is a rare one I guess. I can't remember the name, but the record is 21" and Robbie's was 18". All at the lodge were impressed!

Here is the bear he killed. Quite the method to entice the bear --> They use rotten beaver, put it in a barrel. There is a hole in the side of the barrel that they wedge a log. When the bear smells the delectable rotting smell, it comes and tries to get the log out of the barrel. That's when you take the shot! We will be turning this bad boy into a lovely floor rug! It will take a few months to process (or whatever that term would be...) I will show pictures of our rug when it's done!

It's a Wednesday

2008-06-25T23:37:00.001-07:00

Hi Uncle Matt!!! We were thinking of you when mom dressed me this morning!!!Here is Will in motion at the park. He is almost always in motion. The kid rarely stops!Unless he decides to kick back in someone else's wagon... He was quite proud of himself for being able to climb in and out of this wagon over and over with no help!

We went with a friend to a city park today. Such a beautiful day and a lovelypark! This is a fun place to play. Here is Makenzie posing in one of the flower beds.

If you look closely, you can see the water droplets raining down around Makenzie! Abby had the most courage out of the three kids. She was not afraid to get completely and utterly soaked... and stay that way for the duration. In this picture she is laying in a "little river" full of water. As you can see by the splashing, she is getting soaked from all angles! She played in the freezing water until her lips were blue and she was shivering. She LOVES this place!

Here is an example of her getting completely soaked and truly enjoying the frigid water Here's a close up. Look at all that dripping wet hair!

So Happy!

2008-06-14T17:40:00.000-07:00

Can I just take a minute to say how blessed we are? I was terrified to move six months ago... a new house, new people at church, new neighbors... This move has been such a blessing. I have learned that I am capable of making new friends... it's not nearly as scary as I thought it would be. Yes, I had to step out of my comfort zone a bit, try to be a bit more outgoing... but it is worth it to know I can!

And our home! It is just peaceful. Quiet. (Day AND night!) The other night, We sat on our deck looking at the lake, watching bugs fry in our handy new bug zapper. And it was fun! Just swinging and visiting... The loudest noise we heard was the sizzling of mosquitos! (and the sound of a coyote?) We saw bats diving for bugs too!

This evening, Robbie took the girls to the Reservoir. He called me when they were at the back of the lake so I could see them from the deck. I ran out with the camera and took pictures. It is just so fun to live here. It's neat to see them enjoying time together so close to home. Life is good!

Surprise Visitor

2008-06-13T14:07:00.000-07:00

So, we were putting on our swimsuits upstairs this morning, after doing some gardening today. When we came downstairs, there was a fluttering sound in the living room. Apparently we had left the screen door open and a robin bird came inside! Porr little critter couldn't figure out what to do! It fluttered (and ... pooped) throughout the living room, then upstairs to the master bedroom. After taking a few pictures, I opened the balcony doors and "shooed" the bird outside. It was quite eager to get out, and smacked into the glass window and bounced out as I was opening the door. Pretty fun!

Happy Birthday Abby!

2008-06-09T21:21:00.000-07:00

Well... it feels very weird thinking that Abby is 5. She has been acting more mature in the last few weeks leading up to her 5th birthday. More obedient, and just older. It's hard to believe that she will start kindergarten in the fall! When she woke up this morning, I asked if she felt older. She said she feels like she is 5 now!

We planned a fun day :-) She got a pretty princess necklace from Robbie and I. We did a little bit of shopping and she got to play at the mall play area. We had the missionaries over for dinner and cake. Abby loves the missionaries. So we had spaghetti with meatballs for dinner, and I made a marble cake with princess pink frosting!

Makenzie was a fun helper. I love how helpful she is! She has always been helpful, but the older she gets, the more she can do! She wrapped Abby's presents while I put Will down for a nap! Fun for her, help for me! She is a sweet big sister.

Will also tried to get in on the action. He loved the sound of tearing paper, and Abby, the sweet girl she is, let Will help unwrap presents. I love our kids. They are great friends to each other.

A Great Day Slideshow

2008-06-07T22:17:00.001-07:00

Fishing Derby

2008-06-07T21:13:00.000-07:00

Aurora Reservoir hosted an annual Kid's Fishing Derby today. Robbie took the girls out on our little boat and spent a few hours fishing. Thanks to Abby, Robbie was able to reel in a shoe... a green Croc, more specifically :-)

Here they are heading out first thing in the morning. Will and I stayed on the beach and visited with all sorts of friends we ran into. Fun times!

No fish were caught today, but the smiles I saw when they came back to shore proved that fishing really doesn't require the actual catching of fish to enjoy the time! The water was very choppy thanks to the wind, but the girls were still brave enough to go on the boat... and they had a wonderful time!

It's a Great Day!

2008-06-04T14:10:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was one of those "perfect days." Since Robbie is home with a broken rib, we were able to have some fun family time. We got up early (thank you Will!) got our little boat ready, packed some snacks and headed to Quincy Reservoir. It was our maiden voyage on the boat and I forgot the camera!!! It was fun puttering around on the water. Will did rather well for the first while. He got tired of being confined, though... so Robbie took us ashore, then took the girls back out.

Will shows me everyday how "boy" he really is. While on the beach, I followed him around as he looked at every rock and pebble, handing me his favorites. It was especially exciting when he discovered moving pebbles. Upon closer inspection, he discovered the new frontier of ants! He chattered non-stop while watching them scurry here and there. Quite exciting!

Dark clouds were fast approaching (as were Robbie, Makenzie and Abby.) We tossed the kids in the car and began loading the boat. I wore crocs, so I went in the water to push it onto the trailer. Robbie was reeling it in. I asked if the rope was sturdy enough the be doing that ... and the rope snapped. He quickly changed out ropes, we got the boat on the trailer, hopped in the car just in time for huge rain drops! It rained and poured for the little drive home.

When we got to the house, some how Abby got her hand shut in the car door. Robbie was sure it was broken and wanted to go to the ER. I was just not up for another ER visit this month... so I suggested we ice it for a little bit. It all ended well... just sore and now a more careful Abby!

I took a two hour nap. It was heaven!

We played croquet (with our own special rules... just don't hit anyone with a mallet) then ran through a sprinkler.

Robbie took Will out for a spin in the corvette... his first ride ever! He loved it! All in all, it was a great day. One of those days when saying a night time prayer that you just smile and thank the Lord for everything.

Ballet Recital

2008-06-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun on Saturday! Abby had her first ballet recital ever, after working hard all year long! It was on a stage at a high school here. In the morning, we went for rehearsal. In the afternoon, we got to watch her dance. Here she is posing for the camera in the auditorium. She was THRILLED to be wearing make-up!

Abby loved ballet class, so much so, that each Sunday night, I was able to say "go to sleep quickly so you can get to ballet class on time."

She wanted to do a dance on this raised concrete bench outside after her morning practice :-)