Glass Family

2011-06-12T21:03:00.002-04:00

I wish I could capture in a picture some of the faces that E makes. He is so animated and is constantly making me laugh. Earlier today he was getting in his car seat and I went to help him buckle. He started to get upset because he wanted to be able to do the top buckle. He started to get angry and yell at me, "YOU are the Mother. You are the MOTHER." Of course, I couldn't help but laugh at his crazy thinking and even crazier expression. Funny kid!

Spring Break!

2011-04-26T19:57:00.003-04:00

Last week was Spring Break for the kids. SInce Jody and Golden have made the trip from New York down here twice since they moved there, I thought it was our turn to make the road trip up to their house. Drew had to get some work done, so it was just me and the 4 kids for another road trip.

Surprisingly, the kids did rather well on the drive up there. Though, I was beginning to question my choice when I got to Ithaca and the temperature was 35 degrees colder than it was in VA. What was I thinking going some place colder for Spring Break? Needless to say, it snowed a few times in the 3 and a half days we were there.

Our first day there we decided to go to Rochester. In downtown, there is a children's museum called The National Museum of Play. It was THE COOLEST museum we have ever been to. We spent three hours there and didn't see half of it. There was a real life Sesame Street, a train and a carousel, in the museum, crafts, crafts and more crafts everywhere you turn, a Storybook village where C and Reese enjoyed going on an adventure, giant tinkertoys, video games of all kinds and ages, an arcade, a real life grocery store with working registers, and on and on and on.... It is one that I will put on my list to be going to again. In fact, the kids were asking, as we were walking out of the museum (and only because it was closing) when was the next time we were coming back.

E riding the carousel with the magic wand he made.

The boys mesmerized by video games.

Ryan and K riding the carousel.

Riding the train with Aunt Jody.

Reese, Ryan and C inside the Wegmans shopping.

And what trip to 'the big city' would be complete without a meal at The Cheesecake Factory. Yes, Jody and I are crazy. We took 7 kids, age 7 and under to The Cheesecake Factory for a meal. But, Jody loves the restaurant, and she doesnt get to go whenever she wants, so we went. And, the cheesecake was SO worth it.

Our next day, we decided to take it easy. We hung out at the house, played Wii, went to Wegmans for lunch, and had some much needed rest for the kids. This was the only day it was somewhat nice outside, so we sent the kids to play outside. Later that night, we were second guessing our decision, as we found a tick on Kallie. I guess thats what you get when you live in a place where deer frequent your yard. (I think we saw 4 or 5 while we were there.) That night, Jody and I stayed up super late to go to Target and shop, sans kids, and then color our hair. What more girly fun can you ask for with your sister?

On our last full day in NY, we went to the local wards playgroup. They were having an Easter Egg hunt. After they found their 10 eggs, we let the kids eat all of the candy (if they wanted to). Of course, K and E ate every last bit of it and C held off on his because he was "trying to be healthy." Later that night, Jody and I went to a Relief Society meeting about preparedness and safety. It was a really informative, really nice evening with some sisters.

The trip home was not as enjoyable as the trip up. It took us about 3 hours longer to get home. The rain/snow mix all the way through PA was miserable, and by the time we hit MD, it was straight rain, and it was rush hour. Not smart planning on my part, but ok. The kids were ready to get out of the car, I was ready to get out of the car, I don't think we could have lasted a minute longer.

It was a wonderful week with my sister and her family. I would love to go back, maybe when its not so cold there.

2 Months!

2011-04-06T20:36:00.004-04:00

I can't believe the littlest Glass is already two months old. We went to the clinic today for a well baby visit. She is doing really well. She weighs 10 lbs 10 oz and is 23 1/4 inches long. So shes gained over 4 pounds and 2 inches in length. No wonder her clothes are starting to seem awfully snug. She has started to smile at you and will make random cooing sounds. She loves to sit and look at whats around her and just take it all in. She still wakes up at all hours of the night to eat, but I try to remember that she is supposed to do that, she is still a baby. She still looks like her older brothers and I think she just may keep those blue eyes. They seem lighter and lighter each day. We are love having her happy smile in our home. The older three kids can't get enough of her. They are always wanting to be helpful and play with her and put her 'plug' in her mouth. What a joy!

In other news...our lives are pretty mundane right now. We do school, work, homework, and chores. We are anxiously awaiting the return of spring for good. Maybe in the next few weeks we will be able to put away the winter coats and officially call winter gone. We still have two weeks until spring break and I think the kids are getting anxious. We have some fun things planned for that week so that should help with the boredom.

Piano

2011-04-02T19:25:00.003-04:00

C has been taking piano lessons since last fall. He is doing really well and loves every minute of it. Most days I have to tell him to get off the piano to do other things. This week his piano teacher's family was sick. So she cancelled lessons, but asked for the parents to sit down with their kids and pass off their songs and assign new ones to them. C and I sat down and had his piano lesson this morning. I really enjoyed the time that I was able to spend with just him. With 4 kids its hard to spend one on one time with each of them, but this gave me an opportunity to spend time with him doing something that he loves to do. He was so excited that he was able to pass off all of his songs and move on to a few more. And I was thrilled to be able to see his achievements first hand and how hard he really works. I am so proud of him for working hard each day and practicing each day to be able to play the piano. I can only hope his love for music continues into adulthood.

No More Excuses!

2011-04-02T19:03:00.003-04:00

After having a computer that runs so slow, I finally have something a little faster. We went last night to Best Buy to look. I promise, it was just to look. But, while we were there, they had exactly what I wanted on clearance for $200 cheaper than what I had been anticipating paying. So, I got myself a new laptop. Maybe that will help with my posting on the blog a little more. My old computer would take 30 minutes just to start up. No Joke! And then the kids would get onto it and mess it up and I would have to restart it and I just didn't have the time to sit and wait all day to get online. So, I didn't get online unless I could do it on my phone, and very rarely on Drew's computer. I am so excited to have something that works and works well. So, no more excuses for not posting...

In a Nutshell...

2011-01-05T16:09:00.003-05:00

Literally. 2010 was a super busy year for us. Here are a few of the highlights.
- found out in January we were to be moving in April
- move was pushed back to June
- tried to sell our house
- ended up renting it out
- Jana went to TX for Jaime's wedding
- we moved to Northern VA
- Jana and kids drove to Texas for 2 weeks
- went to the beach for a week with the Glass family
- C started 2nd grade
- K started all day kindergarten
- had family in town for Thanksgiving
- tried to enjoy a peaceful Christmas
- visited family in Richmond after Christmas

In between all of the traveling and business we found out that baby #4 is coming in a few weeks. So, we have been busy, busy, busy trying to prepare for that. As crazy as it sounds, I feel like things are starting to get back to normal around here and I can actually sit for a few minutes at the computer. Hopefully this will lead to more blogging in the future.

Way Too Long

2010-12-22T21:39:00.003-05:00

It's been way too long. I promise we are still alive. We will try to catch up soon.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Welcome Back and Thank You

2009-12-13T16:58:00.002-05:00

We have a friend who returned last night from a 6-month deployment to Afghanistan. It was wonderful to see him at church this morning. I have been able to work closely with his son throughout my time in the Young Mens program and now as the seminary teacher, and have seen him grow tremendously while his dad was away. I know that his family missed him tremendously and even struggled in his absence, but I admire the strength of his wife and kids. They persevered through his time away and continued to be a strength to others in need. The whole family sat together at church today and could not wipe the smiles off their faces. It was exciting to me to see how happy they all were to be together as a family again. It gave me a glimpse of what it may be like when we are all united again as eternal families. Being a member of the military, I know how hard it is to be away from family for long periods of time, and I especially admire the strength displayed by the families of the deployed troops. I would like to extend my gratitude to these families and let them all know that they are in mine and many others thoughts and prayers.

Halloween

2009-11-14T20:19:00.000-05:00

The kids were so excited for Halloween this year. C really wanted to be a vampire. Not sure where he came up with the idea, but he had a very specific image in his mind of what he needed to look like. He needed to have a cape, white shirt, black pants, white face, fangs and black hair. Not too hard really. K really wanted to be Sleeping Beauty. This has never been her favorite princess, so I was a little surprised that she never changed her mind. I made her dress. It was nothing fancy, but it looked like Sleeping Beauty and it kept her warmer than anything I could have bought. The kids were going to meet some friends of ours at their house. They live about a 5 minute walk from ours. When they got there, and had been there for about 10 minutes, before they even started Trick or Treating, I got a call from Drew. I stayed home with E to hand out candy. Somehow, K had walked out of the house without shoes on. Since her dress was so long, no one really noticed until a while later. She was halfway across the neighborhood by then. Later in the evening, C came rushing into the front door. He apparently lost Drew and everyone else, and decided to come home. Again, about 10 minutes away, and he ran the whole way home. I called Drew on the cell, and he was frantic "I lost C" Don't worry, he's here with me. ABout 20 minutes later he was able to swing back by and pick him up. Needless to say, I am very proud of C for being aware enough that 1) he was lost and 2) to come to a safe place and 3) to be aware of hes surroundings to know where home is. You can't always be sure when they are so young, so I am grateful that he was safe that evening.

5K

2009-11-13T20:16:00.000-05:00

I ran my very first race! I have never been fond of running. In fact, I have pretty much hated it my whole life. But, I thought I could do it. So, I started working toward being able to run a 5K. Several of the ladies from church were going to run the Ghost and Goblin 5K through downtown on the Tuesday night before Halloween. So, I started working about 5 weeks before hand, and worked my way up to the 3 miles.

I have to admit. It wasn't as bad as I thought. And, running is a whole lot different when you have a goal that you are working toward. I am proud of myself for setting the goal and going through with it to the end. I am proud of myself for running in the rain. I am proud of myself for running a 10 minute mile (I know, its not fast, but for me, it is). And, I am proud of my family for coming out in the dark and rain to cheer me on. Thanks guys.

Who knows, maybe I'll run another race sometime. We'll have to see.

Trunk or Treat

2009-11-10T20:10:00.003-05:00

I know, I am still a little behind, but here's to catching up.

Every year our ward (church congregation) hosts a Trunk or Treat. It is really ideal for both parents and kids. The kids don't have to walk as far, as it is from car trunk to car trunk, and the parents get to sit at the back of their cars, close to other adults conversing and enjoying themselves. This year was no different. Other than E feeling a little under the weather, the night was fabulous. It was warmer than usual for this time of year, so no coats were necessary. The kids got to get dressed up in their costumes and had a wonderful time. Not to mention, they got to get and then eat a lot of candy.

(That's E dressed up as Superman - this is the only time he dressed up for Halloween)

Earlier in the day, K had her Halloween party for school. All of the kids dressed up for the day and they got to visit the Trick or Treat house. They had a great time. One funny thing from that morning. K, after putting on her dress said to me, "Mom, do you think that Princesses have breakfast?"

"Yes, K, I think they do."

"Well, which ones?"

"Does this princess want breakfast?"

"Yes. Do you think princesses have Pop Tarts?"

"Is that what you want?"

"uh-huh"

"Then that is what this Princess will get for Breakfast this morning."

I love the fact that she really thought when she put that dress on that she was a real princess.

Half Marathon

2009-11-01T14:38:00.002-05:00

playing catch up from September 2009
One of Drew's goals has always been to run a half marathon. So, knowing that this would probably be the last September we are here, he decided to run the Air Force Half Marathon. He convinced me to run it with him (which was a feat in and of itself) Back in June, while running, my foot started hurting. After a trip to the Dr. and Physical Therapist, I found out I had tendonitis in 3 tendons in my ankle. So, no more running for me.

But, Drew kept at it. He kept training and running, and running and training. And, in the middle of September, on a chilly Saturday morning, he was standing at the starting line.

He ran the half marathon. 13.1 miles. It took him all over the base and halfway around the city.

We are so proud of him. He worked really hard for this goal and reached, even beating his best time by about 20 minutes!

After the race, waiting for a friend, who ran the full marathon.

K cheering on her daddy! She was doing so good cheering for everyone that was running.

Finally finished!

Daddy with his biggest supporters!

Congratulations Drew!

Random Pics of the Kids

2009-10-31T14:32:00.000-04:00

Kids were being really quiet one day... Walked into the other room and found this...
sitting in the dog crate enjoying reading a few books, the dogs sitting on the outside of the crate watching. CLASSIC!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-30T14:17:00.000-04:00

I think we picked the coldest day of the month to go to the Pumpkin Patch this year. It was the only day we could do it, so we bundled up and headed out. The temperature was highs in the 40s, and the wind was blowing so hard. But, was had a fabulous time.

The kids love to play on the wooden train in front of the barn.

Out in the patch, most of the pumpkins were still on the vine. The ones we picked, I had to tear off the vine. A pocket knife would have come in handy.

C's favorite thing is the straw maze. Its small and dark, and located in a greenhouse, so typically warmer than anything else. He kept begging to go.

K loved the animals. No feeding them this year, but she was not afraid to talk to , pet, or touch all of them.
E hung out in the backpack with Dad the whole time. He was a real trooper and only got upset on the hayride. I think it was because the wind was blowing in his face (Dad had been blocking it for him before that).

I love this picture. Its on the hay ride back after getting our pumpkins. The kids were ecstatic to be able to pick some really great ones this year.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

2009-10-29T14:08:00.003-04:00

I still have more catching up to do, and even more things have happened since then, but I wanted to write these few things down before I forgot.

This morning, before putting C on the bus, we were talking about some of the things he is doing at school. He told me they were working on their letters, and they should be doing their last one today. He asked me what I thought would be on the Z paper (there is usually some sort of dot to dot or picture for them to draw on each letter paper). I thought about it for a second and said "zoo, or maybe zebra, or even zipper" His response, "What about Zepplin?" I asked him what it was, and he proceeded to tell me that it was the thing that flies of the football games with GoodYear on the side. I told him that was a blimp. Then we looked up Zepplin. (the whole time I was thinking of the band, Led Zepplin, as was Drew. That was his response when asked what Zepplin was) Sure enough, my 5 year old was right. Zepplin is kind of like a blimp. It's official, my 5 year old is smarter than me. There is no way I could homeschool this kid.

Yesterday was the day they celebrated Halloween at K's school. She was able to wear her costume (which this year happens to be Sleeping Beauty) and they did some fun activities (more on that later.)
When she woke up and got dressed, she came and asked me:
"Mommy, do Princesses eat breakfast?"
Me: "Yes, K, they do."
K:"Which pincesses eat breakfast?"
Me:"I'm pretty sure they all eat breakfast."
K: "What do they eat for breakfast?"
Me: "What does this princess want for breakfast?"
K : "A Poptart, I am hungry."
So, the Princess got a Poptart for Breakfast before heading to school for the Halloween Festivities.

Birthday Party

2009-10-09T09:40:00.000-04:00

Playing Catch up from September 2009
Every other year, we let the kids have a birthday party. This was the year for both C and K to have theirs. So, when I asked K what type of party she wanted, she instantly said that she wanted a Princess Party. OK, no problem. Who would you like to invite? Carter, Tyler, Avery, Nathan...all boys. Not so sure that a Princess Party would go over so well. So, I tried to make it a Prince and Princess party. Still not sure, since there were only 2 girls she wanted to invite. So, we went a different route. We went with a garden theme. We had flowers and butterfly and ladybugs for the girls, and caterpillars and worms and frogs for the boys. It was a beautiful day so we ended up doing most of the games and activities outside. We painted flower pots and planted flowers in them, played "pin the petal on the flower", decorated goody bags with lots of flowers and bugs, went on a bug hunt, ate dirt cake with worms, and overall had a wonderful time. We are so blessed to have so many friends that were willing and wanting to come and celebrate K's birthday with us. The kids had a wonderful time, and because it was mostly outside, it wasn't too difficult to put together.

The kids painting their flower pots
K and Emma laughing at the results from Pin the Petal on the flower.

Singing Happy Birthday with dirt cake.

Eating dirt cake outside. Good thing, someone sat in it, and it ended up being way messier than I had anticipated.

Of course, everyone had to help open the gifts!

K's Birthday

2009-10-08T21:32:00.004-04:00

Playing Catch up from September 2009
K turned 4 at the beginning of September. On her actual birthday, she wanted to go to Chick-Fil-A for dinner. What better place to have chicken nuggets (her favorite) and a place to play? But, we had to make sure we had enough time to play. So, we got there early so she and C could play before dinner. After dinner there was ice cream and the we headed home for presents. Since she was having a party over the weekend, we let her open all of her presents from family on her birthday. She was thrilled with each one. It still amazes me how excited she can get over the smallest things.

K with all of her presents before she started to open.
I think this one was by far a favorite. A jewelry box with jewelry inside!

C helps K look at some of her new toys.

All in all, it was a wonderful day. We are so grateful for K and the light she brings to our home. We love her dearly. Happy Birthday Sweet Pea!

Reds Game

2009-10-07T09:39:00.002-04:00

Playing catch up from August 2009
We had a chance to go down to Cincinnati for a Reds game. The kids have never been to a major league ball game. In fact, I don't think they have ever been to a minor league game. We learned that baseball is definitely more exciting to adults than to a three and five year old. And, had we had a better view of the scoreboard, there would have been a little more entertainment for them. I think we would do some things differently next time, but it was worth the trip down and the memories that we made. I don't think the kids will ever forget it, they still talk about it. And, to top it all off, K almost got hit by a HR ball. She was sitting in the end chair of the row, and the ball hit the pole in the middle of the aisle right next to her and bounced off. Lucky girl that it didn't hit her.

Me, Drew and E at the game. C lent E his hat. Notice the other two in the background, not watching the game, having more fun with each other!
Drew, C and K

Trip to Texas

2009-10-06T08:25:00.002-04:00

Playing catch up from August 2009
As mentioned earlier, we were able to take a trip to Texas during the month of August. The kids and I left a few days early and drove down to the Lone Star State so we could spend a few extra days with family. The kids LOVE spending time with Grandma and Grandpa and their cousins. And Jody is so gracious enough to let us crash at her place when we come. We had a wonderful time our entire visit. After two days in the car, and more fast food than we could handle, we arrived in Frisco to stay with Aunt Jody, Uncle Golden and Reese and Ryan. We were able to go to IKEA for a little bit of shopping, eat out again, go swimming at the neighborhood pool, go swimming at Grandma and Grandpas house, celebrate Ryan’s birthday, go to church, and have a huge dinner with all of the extended family. Grandma and Grandpa’s house seems awfully small with 14 adults and 11 kids all trying to find a place to sit and eat, especially because its too hot to eat outside. On Monday we went to pick up Drew from the airport and were able to spend a few days together as a family. Drew went golfing with Golden, Jeff, and John (the groom at the wedding). We spent time swimming some more, at the mall, and then swimming some more. (It was about 100 degrees outside, way hotter than we are used to.) We even had a chance to go to a great little place called Jump Town. It wore the kids out faster than anything I've seen.

C getting off one of the slides at JumpTown

E, Reese, K, Ryan, C watching TV one morning

E playing at the playland at the mall

Aunt Jaime swimming with Brynna and K in the background

E helping Grandma in the cupboard

We had a great time and can't wait until the next time we get to go back!

Jenn's Wedding

2009-10-05T20:10:00.004-04:00

Playing Catch up from August 2009
In August we had a chance to go to Texas to see my wonderful little sister get married. We had a fabulous time (more on that to come later) but the highlight of the trip was definitely being able to see my sister sitting in the temple with her sweetheart. She was a beautiful bride. I know that Jennifer and Jon will be so happy together. We are so excited to have Jon as part of the family (even though he took Jenn so far away). Hey, I can't really complain, I don't live all that close myself. Here are just a few of the pictures from the wedding.

Jon and Jenn at the Dallas, TX Temple

Reese, C and K enjoying the lake before the reception.

Me, Jody (my sister), Johanna (my sister-in-law) and the kids enjoying a bite to eat. Hey, what happened to the guys?

Jennifer, Dad and Me

Grandpa and K dancing

Another Project...

2009-09-30T15:04:00.005-04:00

...or two. I loved the last bag I made, but it wasn't quite big enough for my use. So, I found another pattern, and gave it a try. This is what I came up with.

I loved this pattern, but it wasn't quite deep enough. So, after a few adjustments, I made yet another one. As you can tell from these pictures, this one fits all of my junk and I love it.

It's whats for dinner.

2009-09-15T20:22:00.002-04:00

Before dinner conversation:

K: Mom, what are we having for dinner?

Me: Chicken.

K: What kind of chicken?

Me: Chicken.

K: Oh, must be roast beef chicken.

Seriously, I don't make this stuff up.

What I did today

2009-09-14T18:56:00.003-04:00

I have a hundred other things to post, but I am so excited about this, I wanted you to see. This is what I did today....

I found a great pattern online last week and decided that I wanted to give it a try. I think it turned out pretty good.

Four.

2009-09-11T20:30:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it. My little girl turned 4 yesterday. She is a constant bundle of energy, from the time she wakes up to the time her head hits the pillow. She loves her little brother and cannot get enough of entertaining him. She is finally starting to think things for herself (as opposed to following big brothers lead). She loves to play with her dolls and doll house. She can easily entertain herself for hours at a time. Recently she has started to love to look at books. She is starting to pick out letters and even ask what words spell. She loves to listen to music and is always asking to have the radio turned up. She still loves pink and purple and the Disney Princesses, but has a few new favorites too. She loves to read Fancy Nancy, and will sing along with anything by Taylor Swift. Her constant grin is a source of true joy for me and everyone around her. She is easy to cry if she has been hurt, but mostly emotional hurt. She is as tough as nails when it comes to physical activity. She loves to be outside and is working on crossing the monkey bars in the backyard.

She grows up more and more everyday, especially now that she is home with me and E most days. She has taken on new responsibilities around the house and I couldn't be more proud of the person she is becoming. Happy birthday K! We are love you so much and are so glad that you are a part of our family.

Ten!

2009-09-02T16:01:00.004-04:00

1 pet

2 career changes

3 adorable, lovable kids

4 AF assignments in 4 states

5 vehicles

6 different beds

7 refrigerators

8 million hugs and kisses

9 anniversaries

10 wonderful years!

I can't wait for the next 10 and what they bring. I love you Babe!

Let's find C

2009-09-02T15:15:00.002-04:00

As mentioned earlier, C started riding the bus to and from school last week. He is loving it every time he gets to get on. His bus stop was originally at the other end of the street. (Some of you may or may not know, we live on the corner of our street.) Our street is about 1/4 mile long. So, after the first day, I asked the bus driver if they could put a stop at the other end of the street for C. She had no problem with this, and the next day he started getting off at the corner where our house it. Yay! Easier for me because I typically have 2 other kids napping at drop off time. Last week, I think on Thursday, I was sitting on the porch waiting for the bus. The bus came down the street, and proceeded to yield at the sign, and turn and keep going. No stopping to let a Kindergartner off. Luckily, our neighbor was right behind the bus, and he followed the bus until he could let the bus driver know. Drew had also come home early that day, do he jumped in the car and tried to figure out which way the bis went. Craig (our neighbor) caught her first, and let her know that C was still there. She turned around and brought him back to drop him off. She apologized profusely about forgetting that stop. Since its new, she isn't used to it yet. Not a big deal right?
Well, it gets better. Yesterday, Tuesday, it happened again. Except this time, I was home alone (with 2 sleeping kids) and Craig wasn't behind the bus. So, I called Drew at work, wondering if C was smart enough to say something. We figured he was, and I would wait for the bus to turn around and bring him back. Ten minutes later, still no C. So I had Drew call the transportation office and let them know. They radioed to the bus driver and she told them that she would be bringing him back in a few minutes. 40 minutes after his scheduled drop-off time, C was finally the last one off the bus for the day. The driver once again apologized and let me know that she has been doing the same exact route for 6 years and has never had a stop at that corner, so she is still getting used to it. I can understand that.
And, apparently, C did say something, but, even sitting in the seat behind the driver, is still not loud enough to be heard.
He was thrilled to get to ride the bus longer than normal. Let hope that me flagging her down from the corner helps and we don't have to play the game of "Lets find C" again.

Early

2009-08-24T20:20:00.002-04:00

This morning, at 6:45 when I went to wake C up for the day, this is what I heard. Mind you, this was before I could open my mouth to say a word to him.

"Does it have to be this early?"

Yes, it has to be this early, and especially if you want to ride the bus. He did realize that there were other busses that were coming by our house before he could even get dressed, and he was grateful he didn't have to ride one of those busses.

He made it to the second day, and the enthusiasm is starting to drift a little. Of course, right after this comment he was up and out of bed because he got to ride the bus today. He was more than thrilled to sit on the bus for all of the stops it had to make (he thinks there were at least 30)

First Day of School for C

2009-08-20T21:05:00.004-04:00

Today was C's first day of Kindergarten. He is going to an all day kindergarten, which suits him really well. He had a few hesitations last night before going to bed. Of course, he was concerned about what would happen to recess if it was raining, and what day they were going to get to go to the library. But, I guess that's my son for you. He was so excited this morning he literally jumped out of bed. Let's just hope his enthusiasm continues into the winter when 6:45 is awfully dark and awfully cold.

I can't believe how much these two look alike. And its pictures like this that remind me.

Drew took him into the class today while I sat in the van with the other two kiddos. That's what C wanted, so that's what we did. Drew said he had no problems walking right in, finding his desk and cubby and sitting down. He was right at home. Strangely, he has looked forward to this day since the last day of school in the spring.

C had a wonderful day. He loved going to art and getting to color. He loved listening to stories and taking a tour of the school. He loved eating his very own lunch packed in his very own bag. He loved having recess, even though it was inside because of bad weather. I guess the list could go on and on. Basically, he can't wait to go back on Monday. Yes, that's right, Monday. For some odd reason, they only started half of the kindergartners today. The other half have their first day tomorrow. Then they all come together on Monday.

I'm going to be honest. I missed having him home. I did enjoy the lack of screaming, arguing, picking, etc that has happened in this house over the last few months though. It seems that K and C have had a hard time this summer. I didn't realize how bad it was until I saw K playing with E and by herself and then saw how she and C interacted after he got home. Don't get me wrong, its not always fighting, but there is definitely some sibling rivalry there.

I also think I am going to have a hard time getting used to the new schedule. I am no morning person. And with Drew teaching seminary this next year, we are all going to have to be up earlier than we have been in the past. Things are going to be different from now on...

Now if I could just get my kids to go to sleep earlier so they weren't so cranky come 4 o'clock.

I'll work on that.

T-Ball

2009-07-29T21:05:00.003-04:00

Because he had a broken arm and couldn't play spring soccer, we signed C up for T-Ball. He has loved every minute of it. He is not the most athletically inclined kid, but with T-ball, unlike soccer, he is really trying. He is running faster than he ever has, he is hitting the ball. In general, he is improving with every practice and every game. They haven't had too many games because of rain cancellations, but the few they have had, he has loved. These are pictures from his first game. It was about 60 degrees out and windy, so everyone is wearing long sleeves and pants. Yes, it was July, but that is the kind of weather we have been having lately.

Nice stop. Now, if we could get him to throw the ball harder, he might have a future in baseball...and being left-handed and all, it might just help out in the retirement area...We'll keep working on that one.

Summer Fun

2009-07-28T21:19:00.003-04:00

This summer we have been trying to have as much fun as possible. C is going to start kindergarten in the fall and it will be all day. This really is his last chance to be home for most of the day every day. So we are trying to make it fun and memorable. We have been bowling a few times. The kids aren't great at it. They are still trying to learn how to hold the ball and that you have to throw it forward and not just down. But, they get better each time we go, and they love to do it, so we will keep trying.

We have had a lot of friends over to play : old and new. Our date night group gets together just about every week and the kids all get to play. There are 10 soon to be 11 kids in the group and all of them look forward to playing, eating, and having a good time together. Some of our friends had family in town and they needed someone to watch their kids for the evening, so we took in a few new friends one night. Its so neat to see your kids make friends with new kids and really have a good time in such a short amount of time. Thanks Jen for the fun night!

C, Sterling, Maley, K and Garrett watching a movie.

We have been trying to make it to the pool on a regular basis too. The pool on base is free to get in this summer, so we have been taking full advantage. K is a little timid in the water and E has his good days and bad days, but C is like a fish. I think he would live in the pool if we let him.

Speaking of the pool, the kids have been taking swimming lessons this summer and are really improving. K will actually let go of the teacher and try to swim on her own. A huge improvement from just a few months ago. C has been learning the proper technique for the strokes and even learning to dive. He told me this morning that he wants to be a professional swimmer when he gets older, just like Meredith! We still have a long ways to go, but he has talked about it all day, so we will see how long his enthusiasm lasts.

Its hard to tell, but this is C, underwater swimming.

K on the first day she let go of Miss Taylor. Yes, shes wearing a life jacket, but for her, this was success. The next day she was able to do it without the life jacket, so even more success. I am so proud of her and how hard she is working and trying at everything in the pool.

Drew's Birthday

2009-07-28T21:10:00.003-04:00

At the beginning of July, Drew had a birthday. It was not a 'big' number or even a significant one, other than we get to celebrate him being around for another year. He didn't even want anything for his birthday except for a windshield for his motorcycle (which he just has to pick out and get...since Christmas) So, we decided to keep it rather low key. He wanted a peanut butter banana type cake. I found a recipe for a peanut butter cheesecake with Peanut butter oreos for the crust and made it. It was really rich, but really good. We went to Smoky Bones for dinner. And of course we got him a gift. But just one, since he said he really didn't want anything...
Yes, we got him a new TV for his birthday. It's something that he has wanted and will never buy for himself, so I thought what better time than a birthday. Needless to say, he spends Sunday afternoons LOVING the races now. What a difference a little bit bigger TV can make.

Happy Birthday Honey! We love you. Can't wait to celebrate with you again next year.

Personalities

2009-07-28T11:58:00.003-04:00

I give you a break from my catching up, to tell you something that has happened twice in the last two days. I set up the inflatable pool in the back yard so the kids could enjoy a little bit of the sunshine we have been getting. K has wanted to play and swim. She has run from one side of hte yard, back to the pool, just to make a bigger splash. She has entertained herself for hours in the water. C, on the other hand, has wanted to sit outside with us, with a book. And not just any book, but the Childrens Illustrated Atlas. You know, so he can learn all about the people of the Cold regions wearing layers of clothes because its cold and the people in the Amazon wearing nothing because its so hot. I guess it just goes to show the difference in their personalities.

Fourth of July

2009-07-27T21:44:00.002-04:00

We got up early on the fourth of July and headed over to Fairborn for their parade. The kids love parades and what a perfect opportunity to see bands, watch little and big cars, and have a great time.

My 3 happy kids ready to celebrate our country's birthday!

After the parade we went home for a quick rest and then headed to our ward's picnic. It was drizzly and rainy the entire time, but we were still able to enjoy the time and good food with our ward.

Late in the evening, we drove down to Kettering to watch the fireworks. Both K and C love to see the fireworks. It was a debate due to the rain, but we decided to do it anyway. It was a wonderful show and the rain didn't downpour until later in the night.

I personally could have done without the fireworks going off down the street all night long, but all in all it was a fabulous holiday.

Zoo

2009-07-27T21:29:00.003-04:00

We went to the zoo finally! I have never taken my kids to the zoo. Now, don't get me wrong, if you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you will know that they are not deprived of fun and wonderful experiences (Busch Gardens, Disney World, the beach, etc.). But, we had never been to the zoo. Friday before the 4th of July, we went to the Columbus zoo. I was really looking forward to seeing the animals, as were the kids. I was a little disappointed that a lot of the animals were more on the exotic side than the normal side. There were no hippos or giraffes, but we did get to see bats, and lots of snakes. C said his favorite thing at the zoo was the petting zoo. (they had goats that you could pet, feed, comb their hair, walk around with, etc) K's favorite thing was the monkeys. That is her favorite animal and there were a lot of different types of them there. Drew enjoyed the monkeys with the painted faces as well as the tiger. I liked the baby elephant and the bats (I have never seen a bat in real life) They were asleep and really looked almost fake. Kinda cool.
K petting the goat at the Petting zoo.

Both kids insisted on a picture with the orangutan statue.

This one is for you Nonnie, yes those are flamingos. Lots of them!

Tattoo

2009-07-27T21:17:00.003-04:00

No, no one in our family got a tattoo, something completely different. Every year, here at the base, they have what is called a military tattoo. Its kind of like an airshow, but different. They usually have fly overs, musical guests, lots of food, fireworks, etc. We went a couple of years ago, and had a chance to go again this year. What a blast. First, I cannot say enough about how much they have improved since the last time we went. The parking was easy in and out, like no traffic at all. The musical entertainment was fabulous. They had Aaron Tippin come and play. The aircraft flyovers were amazing. C and K were so excited to actually see a B2 Bomber. They couldn't stop talking about it all night. And of course, a 30 minute fireworks show that was awesome. The worst part of the evening: I dropped my cell phone in the field that we parked in and had to go back to try to find it in the dark. Luckily we parked in a rather prominent spot, so it was fairly easy to find.

K just waiting for some of the fun to start.

The infamous B2 Bomber flying over the skies of OH.

Waiting for the fireworks.

Busch Gardens

2009-07-22T21:20:00.004-04:00

I promise, this will be my last post from our short trip to Virginia (It was only a week). We seemed to cram a lot into that short week. But I digress, I will move on to other things from this summer.... after Busch Gardens.
Every year for the past several years The Anheuser Busch family of theme parks has done a Salute to Heroes. In order to recognize and thank the servicemen and women of our country, they have allowed each one, along with their dependents into a park for free. We have taken advantage of this several times and have been to Sea World in Orlando, Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay and Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. Since we were going to be close, we decided to stay in Virginia for an extra day and do Busch Gardens again.
It was a wonderful day to spend at a theme park. It was in the 70s and overcast all day. In fact it was too chilly to do the getting wet rides so we saved those for the last thing righ before we left. This year was a lot of fun. The kids were old enough and tall enough to ride several rides. They have added another little kids section with a lot more rides. We had so much fun.
Watching a 4D movie. The kids aren't juge fans of this. We thought we would give it another try. It has been a year since DIsney and thought they could handle it. Maybe we will try again in another year or two.

Riding one of the new rides in the Sesame Street section. K said this one was her favorite.

The kids got to meet Bert and Ernie, as well as a bunch of other characters.

K holding a real Lorakeet. C didn't want to do it, but K begged to be able to and did wonderful.

Drew hanging out with E while he napped. The kids and I were riding some of the kid rides in the Dinosaur kids section.

This is the only ride in the kids section that adults can ride with the kids.

C and Drew riding on the big bumper cars. They both got to ride the smaller ones by themselves. Its a good thing we have a while before they get behind the wheel of a real car.

We had a wonderful time at Busch Gardens and hope to be able to go back another time.

Fishing

2009-07-21T20:52:00.004-04:00

While we were in Virginia for the wedding, we had the chance to do a few other things too. One, that the kids looked forward to as much as the wedding was going down to Grandads place at the river. They love being able to go out on the boat and even fishing from the dock. We didn't get a chance to take the boat out this trip. It was rainy most of the morning, so the older two went with Grandad, Drew and Nonnie down to the dock to fish while E got a much needed, very long nap.

The first trip to the dock. There was a lot of sitting on the dock and waiting. Not a lot of biting from the fish.
K was able to catch some crab from what I hear. She was the lucky one in the morning.
After E woke up, and we had lunch, we went to the Appich's house and to their dock for a little bit more fishing. Grandad and Nonnie had put the crab pots out the night before, so we also went to see if there was anything that we could cook for dinner.

K loved the one on one time with Grandad. She told him all about Lumpy and what he was doing while she was fishing.

C caught his very first fish all by himself. In the past he has had help with either casting or reeling, but this one he did all on his own. It was croaker: nothing fancy, but perfect for him.
K caught one too, with the help of Grandad.

We checked the crab pots, had enough to take home and headed home ourselves. Grandad showed C how to filet his fish. He cooked up the small pieces and C and K had them for dinner in addition to the fresh crab and all the other fixings. It was a wonderful day to just relax and enjoy the company of family. Thanks Grandad and Nonnie for such a fun time!

Reception

2009-07-18T21:19:00.006-04:00

Fair Warning: This post contains a lot of pictures. Don't say I didn't tell you. :)

After the wedding we headed over to Meadowbrook Country Club for the reception. It was amazing. It seemed like the entire town of Chester was there that night. How wonderful it is to know that so many people love and support Dale and Meredith.
The music started and the dancing began shortly after that. Everyone danced all night long. The food was amazing. I heard the shrimp and grits were pretty good (I prefer just the plain shrimp without the grits personally).
The kids had an absolutely wonderful time. From about 6 until 10 they just kept going. It was like the Energizer Bunny. Neither one of them sat long enough to eat a decent meal that night. They were having too much fun dancing and enjoying all of the family and friends.

K, Mere, and C pausing for a moment on the dance floor for a picture.

K, Nonnie and Layne dancing.

We stopped dancing for a few minutes for toasts and cutting the cake.

Lillie and Drew

Drew and K enjoying a bit of father/daughter time.

C bustin' a move.

Even E had a good time.

C, yet again, dancing. This time keeping some of the younger adults entertained.
Drew didn't know I took this picture. He claims he wasn't drinking that night, but every picture I have of him he has a drink in his hand. (Coke of course)

Rachael and K dancing. The little girls had the best time. They danced together all night long.

By the end of the night all of our kids were worn out. C was begging to be held, so Carla held onto him for a few songs.

K was also begging to be held, and as soon as Drew picked her up, she put her head down. It wasn't up the rest of the night. Drew said his arm just about fell off. But, the poor girl had danced so much and had so much fun, she was just plain worn out.

At about 9:00 we brought the stroller in and put E in the back of it with his blanket. Even with all of the noise of about 400 people and the music up extremely loud, he fell asleep and didn't wake up until the next morning.

And now for the highlight of the evening: C is a dancing machine. He was going absolutely crazy. At one point, the entire group of people made a circle around him as he danced. I am not sure where he gets his moves, he just loves to move hs body. He really has no rhythm, but he sure does have a great time.

Wedding

2009-07-15T19:27:00.003-04:00

The wedding was on Saturday. It was a beautiful day. Drew and C left with Grandad early to go meet the rest of the boys in the Bridal party. They were able to get ready at Merediths dad's office, which is almost next door to the church. They then walked over to the church. K, Nonnie, E and I met them at the church.

C looked so handsome in his tux. I can't believe how much he looks like Drew in this picture.

The ceremony was beautiful. It was so wonderful to see the love that Dale and Meredith share. From Meredith walking down the aisle through the entire ceremony, they were both wiping tears.

C and Layne did a wonderful job as the ring bearer and flower girl.

Here is a picture of C and K after the ceremony.

C, Layne, Meredith and Dale after the ceremony posing for pictures.
Here is the whole family.

It was a beautiful ceremony and we were so lucky to be able to witness it.

After the ceremony, and pictures it was time to party. C, because he was part of the bridal party got to ride in the limo with the rest of the bridesmaids and groomsmen. He was thrilled. I wish I had a picture of he and Layne buckled into their seat drinking their bottled water. So cute!

Rehearsal and Dinner

2009-07-14T21:30:00.005-04:00

In June, Drew's brother, Dale married his long-time sweetheart, Meredith. C was asked to be the ring bearer for the wedding. He was more than thrilled with the prospect of getting to be a part of something so big and important. He couldn't wait to get his tux, in fact he was very anxious the day we went to get measured, thinking that he might actually get to bring it home that night and keep it forever. So, we made the trek to Virginia for the wedding. The rehearsal was on Friday night. C and Layne, his cousin, did a wonderful job. It looked like they had been practicing forever and had been thouroughly prepared for the event. I'm sure that Layne knew exactly what was happening, I, on the other hand, hadn't told C much of what was going on. None the less, he took it like a pro.C and Layne at the rehearsal practicing their parts.

After the rehearsal, we headed over to Tracie and Greg's (Drew's aunt and uncle) for a good old-fashioned pig pickin'. There had been a pig smoking all day. It smelled wonderful. There was potatoes, and cucumber salad, and sandwiches, and green beans, and hush puppies, and you get the idea...there was a lot of food. We all had a wonderful time and left late at night with full bellies and wonderful memories of time spent with friends and family.

E trying to stand with Nonnie while Drew and I as well as extended family looks on.

K and cousins, Layne, Rachael and Ella

We had a wonderful time. Thanks to everyone who helped, and especially to Tracie and Greg for their hospitality. And thanks for the pictures Tracie! (I didn't take any at your house that night)

Pictures of the kids

2009-07-12T21:53:00.001-04:00

I have a few pictures of the kids that I wanted to share.

C wanted me to take a picture of him riding Tati like a horse. That poor dog, she puts up with more than any other dog I know. We are glad she is so tolerant.

One day E climbed up into the table and had a hard time getting down. He cried until someone came to get him.

E loves to play with the magnets on the refrigerator. I just love this smile.

This is one of E's favorite games to play. Drew happened to catch it on video one day.

E's Birthday

2009-07-12T21:35:00.004-04:00

Our last adventure of Memorial day weekend was E's birthday. He turned one on Saturday, but we were out of town, so we celebrated on Monday when we got back.
The kids went shopping for a birthday present and even helped to make a cake. They decided on blue and red for the frosting. As is tradition, E got his own cake, and he ate it in just a diaper.

He's not too sure about it and the frosting. It took about 3 minutes before he would really touch it.

He's finally starting to get the hang of it, and actually kind of likes the taste.

By the end, he was looking for just the frosting, just like most kids. The cake was good, but the frosting was better.

After a bath, he opened a few presents. He actually was trying to read the card. Funny!

So thrilled with the tissue paper in the bag from Grandma.

He loved the books and puzzle. Thank you grandma for the gifts!

I can't believe how much has changed over the last year. This little guy looks so much like C, but has such a different personality. He loves to laugh and smile. He seems to not be able to get enough of giggling. He has found that he likes to move. He's not walking yet, but loves to crawl and find any sort of trouble he can. He loves both his brother and sister and his eyes light up when they walk into the room. He can say 'da-da.' No mama, but he is a daddy's boy. He would rather have Daddy holding him than Mommy anyday. He loves his green fleece blanket and can't usually sleep without it. He will curl up with it anywhere, as long as the blanket is there. He has never really taken a pacifier, but loves his two fingers on his right hand. He is still taking two naps a day. He weighs 18 pounds and is growing well. He eats a lot like K in that he likes a lot of carbs, bread, sweets, crackers, etc.

We are sop happy for little E and all of the joy he has brought to our family. Happy first birthday squirt!

Kirtland

2009-07-12T21:20:00.003-04:00

The next stop on our short road trip was Kirtland. We found a great Fairfield Inn just outside of Cleveland that had an indoor pool and water slide. When we got there on Friday night, the first thing the kids wanted to do was swim. The next day we got up and headed over to historic Kirtland. It is a place that I have wanted to see since we moved here.

This picture was taken after we had done the tour. The kids were hot and hungry. Can you tell?

We went to the Newel K Whitney store. Inside was a store, the Bishops storehouse, the School of the Prophets, and an apartment (with bedrooms and kitchen) that Emma and Joseph Smith used when they first came to Kirtland.
This room is the School of the Prophets. Its not very big, so its hard to imagine that you couldn't see someone on the other side due to all of the tobacco smoke. Just outside this room is where the plans for the Kirtland temple were discussed as well as the bedrooms for the apartment.

Down the street from Historic Kirtland about 2 miles is the Kirtland temple. We were able to go inside and tour the temple. What a beautiful building. Here are the kids standing on the steps to the temple.

All in all, it was a great day. We learned a lot about church history and we all really enjoyed ourselves.

Before heading back to the hotel, we took a little detour and drove through some parts of Amish country. What beautiful farms, homes and lives the Amish lead. Its interesting to think that they are so happy with their lives, and they don't have a lot of the modern technology that we think is necessary. It really made me stop to think about what is important in life. How our faith and our families are the most important things in life.

Then, it was back to the hotel for another evening of swimming with pizza and a move thrown in for good measure.

COSI

2009-07-12T21:06:00.004-04:00

Over Memorial Day weekend, Drew had some time off, so we took advantage and took a short little road trip. Our first stop was in Columbus at Center of Science and Industry (COSI). It was a way cool museum that C still talks about to this day. We had a total blast and were sad when the day ended and we had to leave. C said his favorite part was the TV studio. They had a green screen where the kids could pretend they were in a scene, and someone behind the controls could change the scene and effects. K said her favorite part was the little kids section. There was a section just for little kids that had all sorts of fun stuff to do. In fact E loved that part too because he was actually allowed out of the stroller to crawl around for a bit.

C in front of the green screen.

C and K building something with all of the metal and gears.

Even Drew had some fun while we were there trying to fly a plane.

The kids in a real life submarine that they have partially emerged in water. Very Neat!

K sitting on an astronauts toilet. Notice the seat belt.
As we were leaving, they were doing a liquid nitrogen demonstration, so the kids got to play in the clouds before it all disappeared.

It was a fun day and I would highly recommend COSI to anyone.

Dinner Conversation

2009-07-04T19:57:00.001-04:00

This was the conversation a few nights ago at dinner:

Drew: K, what's wrong?

K: I think my leg went to bed.

Drew: Oh, your leg went to bed? Did it put pajamas on before it went?

K: Yep.

Drew: Did you tell it goodnight?

K: No, it just went without me telling it goodnight.

I think she really meant that her leg fell asleep :)

Dinner Conversation

2009-07-04T19:57:00.000-04:00

This was the conversation a few nights ago at dinner:

Drew: K, what's wrong?

K: I think my leg went to bed.

Drew: Oh, your leg went to bed? Did it put pajamas on before it went?

K: Yep.

Drew: Did you tell it goodnight?

K: No, it just went without me telling it goodnight.

I think she really meant that her leg fell asleep :)

End of Preschool

2009-06-27T21:24:00.005-04:00

C's last day of preschool was the same week as my birthday back in May. He had a closing program on the last day where the class sang some of their favorite songs, and even put on a little play of The Three Little Pigs. C was thrilled to be able to play the Big Bad Wolf. Its funny, I don't really know why, but he seems to be the biggest ham in the class. He loves to sing and knew the words to all of the songs. He has done so well in school the last year. He is really looking forward to starting Kindergarten next year where he will be able to learn even more.

C, K and Ms. Susan

C and Mrs. Schreiber

C being the mean and tough Big Bad Wolf

Here is a video of the kids singing "Z is for Zelda" Its a little long, but well worth a laugh or two.

Birthday

2009-06-25T21:09:00.002-04:00

Also in May, I had a birthday. It was not one that I was particularly looking forward to, as I turned 29 "again." But, Drew and the kids made it extra special for me. I got some really nice gifts, including a Nike Plus Sensor (for your shoes and running) and a bike. I haven't had a bike since I was a teenager. I am really excited to be able to go on bike rides as a family. Now if I could just find a trailer or baby carrier. We went out to eat at one of my new favorite restaurants, Texas Roadhouse. And the we came home for Key Lime Pie, yum!

Father/Son Campout

2009-06-25T21:03:00.003-04:00

Drew and C had the chance to go to the Stake Father/Son Campout back in May. They got to the field about 5:30, set up camp and started cooking. There were about 100 people there. The guy who owns the property had a HUGE bonfire set up and so they lit that. We did the obligatory Smores. At about 10:00, as things were winding down, we learned that there was a tornado warning for our area. We debated about whether to stay or not, but decided to go ahead and tear down camp and come home. C was okay with that since all of the “fun stuff” was done and all that was left was sleeping. It is always a priceless opportunity to spend one-on-one time with the kids and kid to really know -who they are and what they are thinking about.

Spring Soccer

2009-06-25T20:58:00.002-04:00

K played soccer this spring at the YMCA. She had the best time. She loved having Daddy as her coach. And she even kicked the ball several times during each game. This year they decided to have goalies for the 3 and 4 year olds. I think this was one of K's favorite things. She would beg every quarter to play goalie. That, and the snacks. Don't they just play for the snacks at that age anyway?

Catching Up

2009-06-25T20:57:00.001-04:00

I know it has been a really long time since I have done any blogging. So, fair warning: I am going to try to catch up. I have a really long list of things to blog about, and I don't not want to.... so, be prepared for an overload.

Momma/Daughter

2009-05-15T21:43:00.002-04:00

Tonight was the Father/Son Campout for our stake. So, Drew took C camping. K and I stayed home and had a "girlie night." We ate macaroni and cheese (K's favorite) then watched Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses. I pulled out the foot spa and let her use it, we painted nails and stayed up late. I can't tell you how much fun we have had and how much I love that little girl!

Entertaining Each Other

2009-05-15T21:39:00.003-04:00

Tonight as I sat for a few minutes on the couch, I watched in amazement as my 3 year old entertained her almost 1 year old brother. E was sitting in his high chair eating and K kept running up to him from the family room and saying, "I'm gonna get ya, I'm gonna get ya." E would laugh and giggle when she got close. She would back up and he would laugh and giggle before she even started. This process went on and on for about 10 minutes. I am so glad that she truly loves her little brother and he obviously adores her and everything that she does to entertain him. These are the moments I want to remember in 5 years. It makes me proud to be their momma.

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T15:17:00.003-04:00

Sitting here alone on Mother’s Day as the rest of my family slumbers peacefully (or so they are pretending), I think about the women in my life who’ve made a difference in who I have become and yet may not know the influence they have had. It is not easy for me to say those words that adequately express my love and appreciation, but hopefully they know of my love and appreciation.

I heard this song this morning and really actually listened to the words. I know that this is the case with my wife, Jana, and I imagine it is true for many others. We see the screw-ups in ourselves pretty clearly, and we can remember them forever. It’s the everyday, just regular good stuff about ourselves that we don’t recognize.

For all of those “soccer moms” out there, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

Quarter to seven on a Thursday night

She’s running late again

She gets a ticket ‘cause she ran the light

Racing to help a friend

Then she remembers a promise made

A couple of weeks before

She’d bake the brownies for the PTA

But she’s run out of time

So she gets hers from the store

Quarter to seven on a Friday night
She’s running late again
What can she wear that’s gonna look just right
At the party she’s throwing for him?
Living on rice cakes and Diet Coke
She hasn’t lost that much
Her dress is too tight and her hair’s a joke
But the party’s a hit‘Cause it had her magic touch
And she doesn’t know
That she’s an angel in disguise
And she doesn’t know
That we see heaven in her eyes
And she doesn’t know that she’s all right
She might have been blinded by the light
Of all the good that she does
That she doesn’t know

She’s been worried ‘bout the kids next door
Since the breakup last fall
Got them some T-shirts from a Hard Rock store
That they haven’t worn at all
Reading the paper about some plight
Plaguing a distant shore
Pulls out her checkbook and starts to write
And feels guilty she doesn’t send more
She doesn’t focus on the good she does
All she sees is where she’s failed her part
Can’t she see that we think she’s a saint
Because she’s givin’ all she has straight from her heart

Quarter to seven on a Sunday morn
She’s on her knees again
Aching for all who’ve been bruised and torn
She’s pleading for help for them
She has a rather extensive list
Of those she’s been praying for
But then she remembers the ones she missed
How sorry she feels once more

‘Cause she doesn’t know
That she’s an angel in disguise
And she doesn’t know that we see
Heaven in her eyes
And she doesn’t know that she’s all right
She might have been blinded by the light
Of all the good that she does
But she doesn’t see it because
She hits a traffic jam on a carpool morn
And feels guilty what she’s thinkin’
When she honks her horn
She wrote a sympathy note for her dear friend, Grace
But got it lost somewhere in cyberspace
And at the charity auction when she wanted to help
She raised her hands so many times she sort of bid against herself
She got the casserole made for her friend who was sick
But then apologized because the crust was too thick
She’s runnin’ to the soccer and the baseball games
She cheers for the teams but forgets their names
She doesn’t know that she’s a miracle
She doesn’t know her love is lyrical
She doesn’t know this song’s for her to hear
She doesn’t know that we are so sincere
She doesn’t know that she’s the best
She doesn’t know she’s passed the test
She doesn’t know,
she doesn’t know
She doesn’t know

***Words by Michael McLean

Busy Busy Busy

2009-04-27T21:48:00.004-04:00

I know, it seems that everyone has an excuse these days. I have been super busy lately. I have several projects that I am working on right now and several more going on in my head that I can't stop thinking about. But, I wanted to update our blog, for that one faithful reader we have out there. So, here is what has been going on with us up here in the middle of the midwest.

Drew went to Alabama for 5 weeks for SOS (Squadron Officer School). We are glad that he is
finally home. While he was there, he finished the work for his Masters Degree. We are so proud of all of his hard work and dedication. He is now officially done with school. We are happy to have our husband and daddy back. It’s nice just to be able to sit and talk without the preoccupation of school and other work. He has finished the basement and we love to have the extra room for the kids to play and for me to have some ‘craft’ room. He is looking for new projects to do everywhere and has started a list. Now just to getting to working on it...
Lately, we have had a few days of nice weather and the kids can’t get enough of playing outside. We started off the last month with a visit from family. We loved having everyone come and stay (even with a trip to the ER) and wish they could have stayed longer. As I’m sure you all know, C broke his arm. He fell when climbing into the van, and broke one of the bones in his forearm. He has already had two different casts on it, and they will put a short arm cast (one where he can bend his elbow) on later this week. The Dr. said he couldn’t play soccer this season. He was disappointed at first, but when he found out he could play T-Ball instead, he was thrilled. I guess we will have to see which one he likes better.
K is playing soccer at the YMCA. She has had one practice and one game so far and has probably done more running than C did all last season. She is LOVING it! We went on a field trip for C's school last week to the local farm. C was in heaven with a new adventure. K thought she was part of the class and went along with all of the other kids. She will hopefully do well in preschool next year.
E has finally started gaining some weight. He is 11 months old. It seems like just yesterday he was born. I know, is cliché, but true. He still is not quite sitting on his own and tends to crawl commando style. The Dr. was concerned with his trunk strength and referred him for Physical Therapy. We went for an evaluation and the PTherapist thought he would do really well with PT. So, we go every week to PT and he has been making a lot of progress in the last few weeks. She also has started putting Kenisiatape on his belly. It’s the same stuff that athletes use on injuries. So, he wears the tape from Tuesday to Saturday. It helps to train his trunk muscles to be in the right place. It has helped tremendously. He will now sit in the Bumbo for more than 2 minutes. He doesn’t like the grass too much, but loves the swing(outside). He has started getting really attached lately and really gets upset when Momma leaves the room. He still only has one tooth. Most kids get two at a time, but we are still waiting (going on 6 weeks now) for the second one.
I have been staying really busy too. I have been doing a lot of reading lately. I have gotten our garden started and am excited to see what this summer will bring us. I also have a few projects in the works. I have started in the last few months making all of our bread. I also had my first adventure making jam (and its yummy).
We are looking forward to warmer days and lots more time in the sunshine in the near future.

So, I know its long, and if you are still reading by now, and not asleep, I promise I will try to post some pictures soon.

Visitors (and lots of 'em)

2009-04-12T17:54:00.008-04:00

For about 4 days, we had the opportunity to have Grandma, Aunt Tracie, and 5 additional kids staying with us for their Spring Break. What a blessing it is for us to have family that would take their Spring Break to come to visit us in Dayton, OH (not quite the dream destination). We started their visit off right with a trip to the mall and a 6 hour trip to the ER with a broken arm.

This was followed by a long day at the Air Force Museum. I think we wore the younger kids out, but I think the older kids actually learned a thing or two (despite their best efforts not to "learn" during Spring Break).

And that was followed by a trip to Build-a-Bear, a visit to the Easter Bunny, and some hanging out at home. Overall, the chaos of having 7 kids, 1 teenager, and 4 adults was overcome by the blessing of having family close by and the opportunity to spend quality time together. Thank you for your visit and thank you for loving us the way you do.

Happy boy.

2009-03-23T21:21:00.002-04:00

At least much happier now that a tooth has finally come through. One down, how many more to go?

By the way, this is a typical expression of joy for this kid. I can't get enough of those gums and squinty eyes.

Productive Day.

2009-03-23T21:13:00.002-04:00

Today is what I like to call Productive. This morning, I made Kolaches for breakfast (rare because I don't like to cook first thing in the morning, I'm usually too hungry and too impatient)
Then, Angie came over and she helped me to make some jam. I took C to school and E to the Dr. for an appointment and lab work. Then to pick C up from school and to the grocery store. We ended up at 2 different ones because the first one didn't have what I needed. Then home to make Peanut Butter pie for FHE tonight. Then to finish the jam that was started this morning. We had dinner, cleaned the kitchen, FHE, and treats. Somewhere in there I still managed to do 2 loads of laundry and put the kids to bed by 8:30. And, I have 15 pints of jam for my freezer. I love days like today!

Checking things off of the To Do list...

2009-03-13T23:36:00.003-04:00

C asked me back in November to make him a bag for the scriptures that he received for his birthday. We went and picked out material in late November or early December. It has been sitting since then. I have been putting it off and putting it off. Finally, tonight I decided to finish the project that I hadn't even started yet. Why in the world did I wait so long? It took me about 30 minutes from start to finish to make it. I should have done it a long time ago. Here is a picture of the final product.

Bedtime and Splinters

2009-03-05T20:29:00.002-05:00

About a week and a half ago I started to do something a little bit different at bed time. When I tuck the kids in bed, instead of just tucking them in, I go into their rooms and sit on their beds. I ask them questions about their day, and we just talk. I have loved learning some interesting things about my kids this way. I hope this new tradition continues for year to come. It gives them an opportunity to open up to me, and I get a chance to learn from and teach them. Sometimes, if I'm really lucky, I may even get to hear a joke, kind of like the one I heard tonight from C.

Mom, what do you get when a splinter jumps in your eye?

I don't know what?

You throw up! And then of course, hysterical laughter.

Plugging along

2009-02-26T20:40:00.002-05:00

There hasn't been much going on around here lately. We continue to stay busy and cold. (Does winter ever end?) I just thought I would give a quick update of what we have been up to.

C: Loves school. Talks about school. Wants to know what they are doing the next day at school. He is starting to read. It has just been a natural progression for his curiosity. Lately he has gotten into 'simple machines.' He tries to find them everywhere, and never calls something by its real name anymore, its a 'wheel' or 'inclined plane' or 'lever.'

K: Loves to copy her big brother. Its a constant battle to get her to try to think for herself. She is learning though. Her prayers have become more thoughtful and heartfelt. She loves anything girly and one day wants to be a 'ballallet dancer' I guess we need to think about some dance classes for her.

E: Can get anywhere he wants to go now and rather quickly crawling army style. He refuses to sit, although he knows how. He would rather lay or stand. Is not a huge fan of baby food. (can't say that I blame him for that one) He prefers real food. We have been having to give him a lot of food to get him to gain weight. He is still really small for his age, so we continue to feed him formula (with extra powder for the water amount) cheese, butter, oil. sour cream, etc. He still doesn't have any teeth (been waiting on the bottom two since Thanksgiving and they are stubborn)

D: Has one and a half weeks left of his master program. He has been such a trooper through it all and we couldn't be more proud of him for his dedication. He is currently occupied with SOS. He is a wonderful husband and father.

J: I have been keeping ymself busy with Primary, kids, food storage, finishing up details in the basement. Every once in a while I get to go to the gym, which the kids love and I enjoy the break.

We are so blessed to have all of the things that we do. I know it is hard for a lot of people in todays economy, and we are grateful that we are doing well. We have no health issues, and things are normal around here, and that is a good thing.

Before we move on to another holiday...

2009-02-11T20:13:00.005-05:00

I thought I should post about Christmas. Just in time for everyone to have forgotten about it, but me to remember. This is a blog for me, remember, and I want to remember. :) So, we had a wonderful time in Dallas over Christmas. We don't normally go anywhere for Christmas, but if we had gone when we were originally planning on it, we would have missed half of my family, so we went at Christmas. Thanks to my gracious sister who let us crash at her place for almost two weeks. The kids had a blast. We had a blast. It was a well loved trip.

Our list of adventures includes:
Taking family pictures

Christmas Eve with the family, trying to convince Grandma it was a coincidence we were all dressed in matching colors
Christmas morning at the Rugg house
Christmas day at the Mabray house
Seeing the lights at Frisco square (one of the coolest things ever, I would have gone back for a third or fourth time if I had the time)

Late night Tiger Woods Golf on the Wii

Trips to the store with just me and my sister
A trip to IKEA (of course)

Helping to clean out the garage and finding lots of memories
New Years Eve bowling with sisters
Guitar Hero
Organizing Jess's craft room
New Years Day dinner with the fam (ham and black eyed peas of course)
we can't forget the bout with diarreah that everyone seemed to get
pink eye from K (this included a trip to Urgent Care)
E sleeping in the toy closet (it was the only place he would really sleep the whole time we were there)
Blue Bell Ice Cream
Getting to see Nana

We loved getting to see cousins and sisters and brothers and aunts and uncles and grandma and grandpa. We had a wonderful time and are looking forward to the next time we are able to make the trip down to the Lone Star State!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the trip. Sorry, but they are out of order.

Jess rockin the Guitar Hero.

Bowling on New Years Eve

C and Reese enjoying a movie on a sunny afternoon.

K and Nana reading a book on Christmas morning.

Jody and Reese on Christmas day.

C and Ryan checking out the new wagon on Christmas morning.

K hugging her new dollhouse.

E hanging out with Aunt Jody on Christmas morning.

Christmas Eve with the cousins and matching PJs

Christmas Eve day we had family pictures taken. Here are a few of the kids afterward.

K and C on the trip down. They were tired of being in the car.

Sick Little Boy

2009-02-05T21:10:00.002-05:00

After a bit of a scare and an over night stay at the childrens hospital, we are glad that E is finally feeling better. He had croup and brochiolitis which was causing his oxygen levels to go lower than what the docs wanted. He is finally on the upswing and starting to feel better. This picture is from one of his not so good, cranky moments.

Hims

2009-01-24T20:36:00.001-05:00

Tonight after we were done reading scriptures, the following converstaion took place:

C: Mom, what hymn do you think they sang?

M: I don't know, what do you think?

C: Is Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star a Hymn?

M: No, its not.

C: Oh, I mean, I am like a star shining brightly.

M: No, thats in the Primary book. Hymns are in the green book that we sing out of in Sacrament Meeting.

K: If the hims are in the green book, where are the hers?

Praise To The Man

2009-01-19T14:44:00.001-05:00

This is such a beautiful piece. I can't stop watching it. I just love good music.

I like to Move it, Move it...

2009-01-17T10:01:00.001-05:00

This song has become a favorite at our house since visiting with Cousin Reese and Cousin Ryan and watching Madagascar.

On a related note, E is moving all over now. He doesn't quite crawl yet, but can get anywhere he wants by rolling and doing a little 'army' crawl.

Guess its time to put up the baby gates again.

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas....

2009-01-16T21:30:00.002-05:00

We decorated the house including the tree.

I did some sewing for Christmas gifts. These are towels for Owen and Layne. I didn't get any pictures of the Pajamas I made for the 5 kids for Christmas Eve.

I also did all of our Christmas shopping.

We drove to Texas (a 2 day adventure) with K having a fever and diarrhea the second day (not a good time when you are stuck in a car in the middle of Arkansas.

We planned and had a Primary Activity. It was Christmas related and the kids had a wonderful time.

We had a Teacher Appreciateion breakfast for all of the Primary workers.

I got all of the schedules, classes, etc ready for the new year.

Oh, and somewhere in the mess of all of that, we still managed to have a lot of fun, listening to Christmas music, enjoying the cold weather, and savoring the Spirit of the Christmas season.

In non-vacation related news....

2009-01-16T21:27:00.003-05:00

E started eating real food. He doesn't like it one bit. Its a fight to try to get him to eat much. I think he will definitely be my picky eater.

This is him sitting in his high chair sometime the first week. I think he ate 1/2 a bite this time.

Thanksgiving in the Smokies

2009-01-16T20:46:00.005-05:00

WARNING: This post is for the sole purpose of me being self-indulgent. I will not be offended if you choose not to read, or rather look, because it does contain A LOT of pictures!

Because I am so far behind, I want to start at the beginning. Here are a few pictures from our fabulous trip to Tennessee.

We rented a cabin between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. It was on the side of the mountain. The only complaint was the ride up and down (it could easily make someone car sick).

This was the inside of the cabin. When you first walk in the door, on the first level is the living room, kitchen, dining room, master bedroom and master bedroom.

Downstairs was the basement. There was a deck off of the back of this part. Here was the game room (Foosball, Pool, Air hockey) an entertainment area with couch and mini bar, laundry room and bathroom.

Upstairs was a loft with another bed, TV and bathroom. This is where the kids slept.

We shard our cabin with many woodland creatures. Yes, those are real animals (dead and stuffed) on the rafters of the cabin.

This was the view from the deck off the main level of the house.

There was a hot tub off of the main level on the deck. We couldn't have asked for better weather. Just a bit chilly, enough to really enjoy the hot tub! This picture was taken on Thanksgiving day. It was a wonderful day. We didn't leave the cabin all day. We enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner with all of the fixings. We even had ice cream (Blue Bell) for dessert!

On Friday we went to Gatlinburg. We went to the aquarium. It was one of the best I have been to. The kids loved it. There was even a walk through shark tank!

We also went throught the streets and did a few other fun things.

Here is the mirror maze.

On Saturday morning we got up and went to the National Park to do some hiking. I think it was a little more cold and rainy that day than I would have preferred, but it was still a lot of fun.

K and I had a hard time keeping up with the boys. They were so fast on those steep climbs and she has such short legs.

After hiking, since we were already cold and wet, we decided to play mini golf in the rain. Some people gave up some strange looks but we had a great time.

We ended that night with dinner at IHOP and a movie back at the cabin. C really wanted to see Kung Fu Panda, and it lived up to all of their expectations.

We had a wonderful time in Tennessee and can't wait to go back. Next time, we might remember not to try to drive home on the busiest travel day of the year, and we might make it home in less than twice the time it takes us to get there.

Busy. Busy. Busy.

2009-01-12T22:36:00.005-05:00

Can it be that it has been over a month since I last wrote? I have been extremly busy. We have had Primary Activities (yes, 2 to plan, only one that actually happened due to weather), a last-minute change in plans with our trip to Texas, so we stayed extra long (we were gone for 2 weeks), sickness, moving furniture (Kallie has her own room!), sickness, cleaning up Christmas decorations, and more sickness. And, on top of it all, I just got back from the ER, after spending all day trying to find a doctor who would just see me....I have pink eye. Nice, huh? I promise to catch up on all the details. And Drew reminded me that I didn't post pictures from our trip to Tennessee at Thanksgiving. So, I will try to get all of that done soon. You might be hearing a lot from me in the near future... (You have been warned)

words of wisdom

2008-12-01T20:59:00.001-05:00

from C over the last few days

me: C, these are The Great Smoky Mountains.
C: They're not great, they're boring!

K: C, how do I look?
C: About as good as a chicken can look.

I swear, I don't make this stuff up.

lesson learned

2008-12-01T11:16:00.002-05:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We went to Tennessee, rented a cozy little cabin on the side of a mountain. It was secluded, it was quiet, it was divine. We went to Gatlinburg, we went to the Aquarium (I highly recommend it to anyone), we went hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains, we ate turkey and sweet potatoes (Drew's favorite), we played miniature golf in the rain, we rented a movie, we ate Blue Bell ice cream, we got in the hot tub, we watched the parade and football, we read, we drove a 'roller coaster ride' to and from our cabin, we enjoyed just being with each other. Then, we came home. That was a mistake. My dear husband thought it would be a good idea to come home on Sunday so he could get back to work on Monday, and C could go to school. Big mistake. Our 6 hour trip took 11. After leaving our cozy cabin at 10 am, it took 2 hours to get about 20 miles. The rest of the trip was not much better. At 9 pm last night, we were finally pulling into our driveway, tried, hungry and frustrated. We will never travel on the Sunday after Thanksgiving again. Lesson learned.

and now for your nightly entertainment....

2008-11-25T20:26:00.002-05:00

Some of the funny things that were said or done in my house this evening:

K: "Mom, when I go to time out, I talk to myself" as in I don't talk to anyone else, just me.

K: "Mom, can I have some popcorn?" Me: "sure" so she proceeds to put the toy down her pants so she could have hands to hold the popcorn. I mean, she didn't have pockets and all, so where else would she put it. And of course, the table, counter and floor were all full (yeah, right)

Me: "C, if K told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it?" C: (without even stopping to think about it) "Well, if it was a little bridge, I would, but not if it was a big bridge, cause then I might get hurt" (At least he had some logic to that one)

And now, the entertainment is over.

today. by the numbers.

2008-11-21T17:25:00.002-05:00

2 - kids who took swim lessons this morning
6 - inches to the Subway sandwich for lunch
12 - Ding Dongs purchased (only 2 eaten)
19 - emails received (6 responses sent)
28 - degrees outside at 4:00 pm
155 - pennies to purchase a gallon of gas at the closest gas station
1 million - smiles from 3 happy kids

It all adds up to 1 happy mama!

snow

2008-11-18T14:33:00.005-05:00

For those of you in warmer climates (and you know who you are) I would like to share with you a video that was taken last night before dinner.

I realize that we live in the north, and it is November, but let me just say...last week it was 70 degrees and we were wearing shorts and flip flops. This is the second time it has snowed in the last 3 days. Its gonna be a long winter...

C's Birthday

2008-11-18T14:33:00.000-05:00

I wanted to post a few pictures from C's Birthday. We started the day with donuts for breakfast. Some of his friends came to play in the morning. That afternoon we all took naps because we needed to rest for Chuck E Cheese. Yes, we went to Chuch E. Cheese and ate pizza and played games until it was past bedtime. Then, we came home for cupcakes and presents. C got lots of Transformers for his birthday, which he was thrilled about. He is stil working on figuring out how to Transform them all, but it will come with more practice. The day before his birthday they celebrated it at school. He had cupcakes and got to be the Leader for the day. He wore a crown all day and even got presents from his teachers. He was thrilled that they were able to celebrate with all of his school friends. It was a fun day for all of us.

sleepy.

2008-11-12T23:05:00.000-05:00

We have been so busy the last week or so that E hasn't really had a chance to take good naps in his bed. So, I have found him in these two different places snoozing away.

And yes, he likes his first two fingers in his mouth. No pacifier, just fingers. And, he asleep standing. Poor kid was worn out!

Birthday Boy!

2008-11-12T22:46:00.002-05:00

Last week was C's birthday. He turned five! I can't believe that five years ago, our first child was born. What an amazing time we have had since then. He has taught us so much about ourselves, about him, about our Heavenly Father and about life in general. He is one of the most caring individuals. He loves to sit and snuggle with you and would rather be in the same room as you than alone. He is so smart. He loves to sit and read, and ask questions. His mind is constantly turning, wanting to know more and more. He loves to talk, in fact rarely is it quiet with him around. He can be so profound. He remembers the small things you teach him and then applies them to other aspects of his life. We love you, buddy! I am so glad that you are my son. I am glad for everything that you have taught me. I hope you had a wonderful day!

Run, Forest, Run

2008-11-06T21:58:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning after Halloween a friend of ours had a Halloween Fun Run for the kids. At first C didn't want to run, but after he saw everyone else running, decided that it would be fun. So, he ran the second time with the rest of the kids. It was a ton of fun for the kids. (Thanks Military Mama!)

stretching before the first race

I love this picture of K finishing the race

C running the race with his buddy Logan

C and Logan showing off their medals

before we forget about halloween.

2008-11-05T22:05:00.006-05:00

I thought I would post a few pictures. (Okay, so maybe a lot, but its my blog, so I can do that) The ward had a 'trunk or treat' and costume parade. Even E dressed up for that one. Then we had 'Beggars Night' which isn't actually Halloween. C dressed up as the white power ranger and K as Ariel. They got WAY more candy than they needed, but I guess thats part of the fun. On Halloween we had some friends over for cookies (pumpkins of course) and Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin. And now for the pictures...

Trunk or Treat Costume Parade

Beggars Night

Beggars Night

Charlie Brown

cookie decorating

For the Grandmas....

2008-10-30T20:17:00.000-04:00

Thought you might enjoy this.

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-29T13:19:00.003-04:00

We carved pumpkins last night and had a wonderful time. C decided that he wanted Frankenstein on his and K decided she wanted a kitty cat on hers. Drew decided to go with a more 'spirited' design.

More Fall Fun

2008-10-22T12:15:00.000-04:00

On Monday, for Family Home Evening, we thought it would be fun to make caramel apples. The kids have never made or had caramel apples, and they are still talking about how yummy they were.

Fulton Farms

2008-10-21T13:30:00.002-04:00

We went to Fulton Farms on Saturday to go to their Pumpkin Patch and hay ride. It is something that the kids love to do every fall. Drew carried E in a backpack and he couldn't have been happier. It was a chilly day, compared to what it has been, but a lot nicer weather than it was when we went last year. We picked 4 really great carving pumpkins, played in the straw maze, rode down the slides, talked to the llamas and turkeys, went on the hay ride, and went through the corn maze. We even brought home a pumpkin for pie and some locally made apple cider. Yum!

The kids sitting on the pumpkins they picked.

Progress...

2008-10-20T13:45:00.003-04:00

I still have a few things I want to post about our trip to New york, but for those that are anxiously awaiting...you will have to wait until another day. Last week, we made significant progress toward finishing the basement. It is almost done. Just a few little things left, like the toilet in the bathroom and touching up the paint on the doors and trim. Drew worked so hard to finish it, and although it took a lot longer than he wanted it to, I couldn't be more proud of his efforts. He put a lot of time into learning how to do things before he did them, and learned a lot. Its now actually a livable space that doesn't require shoes to walk through. It looks awesome and I can't wait to move stuff in!

New York Part 3: Hill Cumorah

2008-10-18T14:52:00.000-04:00

We were able to go the Hill Cumorah and see where they put on the pageant every year. I drove to the top with the little ones while Jody walked to the top with the older ones. As I was driving I realized that this hill, when Joseph was told to go, was covered in trees and brush and leaves, etc. just like the back side of it still is. There really is no way he would have known where to go to find the plates without some help. In addition, something that I didn't realize, the Hill Cumorah is actually about 5 miles from where his house was, so it wasn't like he was just out one day and stumbled upon the plates. He was led to a specific spot where he would find the plates to translate.

There is a monument to the Angel Moroni at the top of the Hill.

C standing on the hill, in the front where they hold the pageant every year.

New York Part 2: Pennsylvania

2008-10-17T20:43:00.000-04:00

One of the reasons I wanted to go to New York was to see all of the church historical sights. Jody is moving from there, and I thought it was a good opportunity to have a place to say and my own personal tour guide. Drew couldn't go with us because of work, and we missed him, but we had a good time. One morning, while Reese was in school we went down to Pennsylvania and the Susquehana river to see where the Aaronic Priesthood was restored. It was about 20 or 30 minutes drive from where Jody lives. In that spot there is a monument. Also, you can see the cornerstones to the house that Joseph and Emma lived in when Joseph and Oliver Cowdry did a lot of the translation of the Book of Mormon. Within walking distance of the house is a cemetery where Emmas parents and Joseph and Emmas first child were buried. What a neat experience to stand in ths same place as a Prophet and to understand the sincerity and everlasting impact he has had on our world today, and me personally.

New York Part 1: Apple Picking

2008-10-16T08:56:00.000-04:00

It has been about 3, maybe 4 weeks since we were able to drive up to New York to visit my sister. The 3 kids and I piled into the van and drove all day to visit our cousins. We had a wonderful time. We were able to eat ice cream and play with cousins, and Jody and I stayed up way too late most nights talking or watching movies and eating brownies. One evening, we went to an apple orchard. New York is famous for their apples, and I can see why. The kids had a wonderful time. They got to ride on the tractor and pick as many apples as they wanted. C and K both ate about 2 apples, whole, core and all, in the hour and a half that we were there. They had toys for the kids to play with and we came home with yummy apples (I think I have a new favorite - HoneyCrisp) some apple cider, and even some apple butter to bring home to Drew. While there, and eating apples, Reese ended up with a loose tooth. She was so proud, and even lost it a few days later.

Here are the kids pausing for a moment from eating apples to take a picture. They were so sticky and dirty by the end. Thank goodness for wipes. And whats up with that smile on C?
Reese and C standing in the middle of one of the apple rows. The trees were short enough for the kids to pick their own and we didn't have to help at all.

What a fun afternoon.

Soccer

2008-10-15T09:03:00.002-04:00

C played outdoor soccer this fall at the YMCA. I don't know if he liked the actual soccer or the talking to friends more, but I think he had a good time. I finally took some pictures of his last game. I think there was more big finding, rock collecting, grass picking and hugging going on most games than actual soccer being played. But, I guess you can't expect much from 3 and 4 year olds who have never played before.

Yes, that is my son with his shirt over his head standing in the middle of the field while the other kids, watch and then run after the ball. Gotta love it!

Drew wanted to help coach, so now we have 2 fabulous purple shirts with their names on the backs of them!

Here he is in all his Purple glory! Actually running after the ball and playing the game. YAY!

On picture day, K wore her purple shirt that morning thinking that she was having her picture taken. She was so disappointed that she didn't get her picture taken too. So, luckily I had my camera, and our little cheerleader was able to have her picture taken just like the bigger kids.

Pictures

2008-10-14T21:23:00.002-04:00

Because I haven't posted and pictures of E lately, here are a few for those who want to see them.

Sorry, just face shots, but thats what I like. The top one is from K's birthday and the bottom was from this past weekend. I can't believe how much he looks like C!

Marinara Sauce

2008-10-14T20:35:00.003-04:00

As requested, here is the recipe for Marinara Sauce. It is originally from Michael Chiarello on Food Network (one of my favorite places to look for new recipes). I picked this one because it was super easy, and I have all of the ingredients on hand, and don't have to go to the store. I did tweek it a little to suit my needs, though, so here is my version.

2T oil
3/4 C minced onion (just one medium onion)
1T chopped Parsley
1 large clove garlic, minced
4 C fresh tomato puree
1-2T basil
1t salt

heat the oil in a large pot over moderate heat. Add onions. Cook until translucent. Add parsley and garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, basil and salt. Simmer until a sauce like consistency. This usually takes awhile, but you can walk away from it and let it simmer. Stir occasionally so it doesn't stick. Try it. If it needs to be sweeter add some sugar.

I have just pureed the tomatoes in the blender. It takes about 20 Romas to make 8 Cups of puree. I don't blanche or peel them, just throw them in the blender. I tried another recipe that called for celery. It was yummy too. My suggestion, start with the basics, and add what you like to make it your own. If you like onion, add more onion. (We like onion) If you like garlic, add more. If you like it sweeter, add sugar. You get the idea... Also, I would recommend the Romas. They are meatier and not so juicy, so the sauce doesn't turn out real runny. Good luck to everyone!

Garden

2008-10-02T12:42:00.000-04:00

I was not able to plant a garden this summer because we were in Virginia during the time we should have planted. My wonderful neighbor Dawn planted 8 tomato plants in our garden while we were gone and said that she had them extra and we could have them. So, I didn't really do anything with them and just let them grow. This is what I ended up with.

Eight Roma tomato plants that produced a ton of fruit!

So, I made this:

I have had enough tomatoes to make 2 double batches of marinara sauce. I pulled some more tomatoes yesterday and have enough to make one more double batch. If the weather stays warm enough for another week or so, I will have enough to make yet another batch. Needless to say, I think we have enough sauce to last awhile. C even calls it 'Mommys Famous Yummy Sauce' Not, famous or yummy, but both. I guess he really likes it homemade. And so do I, its so much better tasting than the store bought stuff.

Once again...

2008-10-01T21:30:00.002-04:00

For the third time since we moved to OH, C has cut his head open and needed a trip to the ER. This time he was running at school during their outside time. He tripped and fell onto the blacktop. It apparently didn't phase him because he didn't know anything was wrong until another kid told him he 'had blood' So, the teacher cleaned him up, called me, and we made a trip to the ER. Luckily this time, they said he wouldn't need stitches, just some glue. He was really grateful for that. So am I. I don't think I could have handled his bloody murder screaming like the last time they put stitches in his forehead. He walked away with a purple spot on his forehead, a few stickers, and a new love for Transformers (thanks to the med tech helping out). Maybe we need to move from this place before he becomes one big walking scar...

Birthday Pictures

2008-10-01T13:37:00.003-04:00

I know I am a little late getting these posted. These pictures were from K's birthday.

She had a new shirt from Grandma to wear that said 'Birthday Girl' on it.

Checking out the new Ariel movie - Thanks Tracie!
A new chair to go with new bed sheets for a big girl bed!

She wanted pink cake with pink frosting and pink ice cream. And, she loved every bite of it!

September 11, 2001

2008-09-13T14:58:00.002-04:00

I still remember lying in bed in Bountiful, Utah, and getting a phone call from a family member asking if I had the TV on. Being a BRAND NEW officer in the United States Air Force, I had no clue the impact that this day would have not only on my career in the military, but on the United States as a whole. I know that I, along with many of my other brothers and sisters in arms, have more than a paycheck keeping us in the military at this time. Our deployment tempo has more than doubled. Our military personnel are more tasked than any time in our lifespan. We are changing the way we train our troops. The entire focus of and the way the military operates has shifted. In a matter of a few short hours, we were put on the defense. We had not had an attack on our homeland since Pearl Harbor. I ask that you do all that you can to support our troops as we go forward defending our freedoms our liberties and fighting to bring safety to our nation and our families. It is what we do, that allows you to do what you do.

Happy Birthday!

2008-09-10T23:16:00.002-04:00

I can't believe my seet little girl turned 3 today!

It seems like just yesterday that we were bringing home a tiny 5 pound baby. You have been a blessing to our family and I can't imagine life without you. You are so independent and have such a love of life. You are very strong willed and won't let anyone push you around. I love the way you talk and your sweet kisses. I love that you try so hard to do things and you are always trying to please others. I love how you treat your little brother with such love and understanding. You are gentle and kind and have such a love and passion for life and all that it has to offer. I love how you laugh at your own jokes, and then tell them again to laugh again.

We celebrated today by having and doing all of your favorite things. We ate donuts for breakfast and played all morning at the YMCA. Then we had Princess Spaghettios for lunch and you INSISTED on chicken nuggets and french fries from Wendy's for dinner. You only wanted a pink cake with pink frosting on it, and pink ice cream to go with it. So, I indulged you and we had a thoroughly pink Princess day. I'm sorry that you didn't get the pink doors you asked for, but mommy and daddy just don't like pink as much as you do. I'm so glad that you had such a good birthday. You are truly a Princess!

Some of your favorites are:

food: Macaroni and Cheese and Popcorn

Song: I Am A Child of God

Movie: Anything Barbie or Princess

Princess: Ariel and Jasmine

Color: Pink

Thing to say: Anything with 'donut'

Loves to play outside

Loves to dress up

Loves to make believe and pretend with dolls, little people

I love you Sweet Pea, Happy Birthday!

K on her first birthday.
K on her second birthday.

(Pictures from today will follow on a later post)

Preschool

2008-09-08T21:26:00.003-04:00

C started preschool last week. His birthday doesn't come until November, so he will have to wait another year before Kindergarten. Needless to say, he and I were both ready for it. And, he LOVES it! He loves the teachers, the other kids, and I think he likes to get out of the house on his own for a little bit. It's going to be a good year.

He insisted on standing in front of the front door before his first day of school.

Carousel Poles

2008-09-07T22:02:00.002-04:00

Tonight, as we were talking at dinner, this was the conversation:

Me: K, what do you want to have for your birthday?

K: Pink cake. With pink frosting. and those things that go up and down on the merry-go-round.

Me: What?

K: Cake. with those things that go up and down on the merry go round.

Me: Oh, the horses?

K: No, the things that go up and down on the merry go round?

(At this point, she is getting frustrated because I don't understand her)

Me: The things the horses are attached to?

K: yes. they go up and down.

Me: Oh, the poles. You want the poles from a merry-go-round on your cake?

C: Yea, mom, don't you know, the poles that are with the horses on the merry-go-round.

K: And it needs to be pink, with Princesses too.

Me: Um, Okay, I'll see what I can do.

It took me about 2 or 3 hours to figure out she wants candles on her pink cake with her Princesses. Smart girl. She didn't know what they were called, but she knew what to compare them to. Especially the ones with the stripes running diagonally down the pole - looks just like candles.

Grandma and Grandpa

2008-09-02T13:57:00.002-04:00

We had such a fun visit with Grandma and Grandpa Mabray this past weekend. We were able to go to the Air Force Museum so they could see the Presidential planes, we ate - A LOT-, we visitied, we went to church, we ate some more, and overall we had a really good time. C has a new Oreo eating buddy and K loved to have someone else to play Princesses with. C insists that we move to Texas to be closer and and K thinks that 'Grandpa and Grandpa' are the best thing since Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for coming and visiting. We can't wait until the next time we get to see you!

E's Blessing

2008-09-02T13:51:00.002-04:00

One of the things that our church does for infants is give them a blessing. We have waited to do this with E because we weren't home. And then, we wanted Grandma and Grandpa to be able to make it. It is one of my favorite times. We were able to take some pictures from that day. Here are some of my favorites.