Moments in Time

This Old House

2011-02-06T15:18:00.000-08:00

Over the past ten to fifteen years since I've gotten into photography and done some traveling...I've become fascinated with different landscapes, textures, and anything else that I think would make for an interesting photograph. Over the years as I've traveled to and from Cascade, Idaho, which is a small town about 1 1/2 hours north of where we live, there's an old house off the highway just south of Cascade. I'm not sure why,butI'vetakenseveral photos of this house and I'm wondering if I have recentlytaken my last shot. This is a very old vacant house out in a field. Ever since I remember seeing the house it has been leaning.We know that someone once lived there because my nephew discovered a stove in the house when posing for a photo. I'm sure there are many stories that exist behind the walls of this old house and I wish I actually knew how old it is. However, with the storms that it has weathered and the winter snow that falls each year it will probably soon give way to mother nature and simply be a part of history that one can only read about in family history. So, I just thought I would share what I have captured over the years. I must admit I will miss looking for this house when it cannot be seen any longer.

McCall Winter Carnival

2011-02-06T15:01:00.000-08:00

Every year in McCall, Idaho they have a winter carnival. They have a parade and lots of activities that go on for a week or two. The main attraction there during this time is the ice sculptures that artists from the Northwest create and maintain during the carnival. I remember seeing this a few times growing up in Idaho and have always wanted to see it again. McCall is a small town so you can just walk the main street and see pretty much all of it. So, after ice fishing was finished Woody and I decided to head up toMcCall to see what we could find. The kids were tired at this point and opted to stay with Grandma and Grandpa. Besides, sledding was more fun than riding in a car to go see ice!Anyway, it was just about dark when we got there so we didn't get to see all of them. And since my camera died after a few shots, we couldn't capture them anyway. So here's a few of the sculptures we saw. Even though it was dark, it was nice to be able to spend a little time with my husband walking around in the snow. I think next time we'll have to plan a trip just for McCall so we can see things in the daylight hours and enjoy the rest of the beauty around the area.

Ice Fishing

2011-02-06T14:04:00.000-08:00

Since our last visit to Cascade a few months ago, Woody has talked about wanting to go ice fishing. He wanted to gothe weekend of his birthday, however the house that my parents ownthere was going to be rented out. So on a whim, my parents saidthey were going to be going up there last Saturday and asked if we wanted to go. So Woody did some research and last Saturday we took off to Cascade to do some ice fishing. It also helps Ethan complete a scouting badge and in McCall every year at this time they have the Winter Carnival. They have lots of different things going on, but the main attraction are the ice sculptures that artists create and maintain during this time. I remember this as a kid and wanted to try and go see them again.

First was ice fishing. The kids were excited to go check this out and I think they thought their odds of catching some fish was pretty good. Well, let's just say they haven't learned enough about fishing yet! They drilled their holes, tied their fishing lines and literally dropped their lines into the hole. Fortunately it was a fairly nice winter day with little wind, but I'd say the kids were done after about 5 minutes and couldn't figure out why they hadn't caught any fish. The bait was probably frozen after they dropped it into the hole. I don't think I'd be eatin' the bait either. For me, it was a little leap of faith to walk out that far on a frozen lake. I've never walked on water before!

Pinewood Derby Time

2011-01-31T13:35:00.000-08:00

For those that are familiar with Scouts, every year the Cub Scouts have a Pinewood Derby. The boys get to make their own car, paint it, add numbers to it, whatever they would like to make it their own. Since this is Ethan's first year of scouts he had that opportunity. With Woody's help, they worked on his car for about three to four weeks trying toget everything just right. They sanded and painted and added weights, spun the wheels in graphite, etc. The car itself could weigh up to 5oz. and I think they had it at 4.9oz. Ethan did a great job and I'm glad Woody got in to help him because I probably would have been fine with a box car and a little paint. Race day arrived and there were 28 boy scouts with cars to race. The event actually went fairly quickly considering each one raced their cars eight times! They even had them connected to a computer which kept track of the times and all. Ethan's car appeared to be racing very well and was taking first in almost all of his races. Well, when all was said and done, Ethan actually came in 5th place out of 28 boys. He was pretty happy about that.However, I was more proud when he told me that he tried to cheer up a boy whose car wasn't doing so well. We had been reminding Ethan the weeks before the race that he may or may not win but to just have fun. I think that he did and Woody did also...he's ready to make his own car next year so he can race one. I'm also grateful that Ethan took the time to think about someone else. I've only got a few shots of the race because a boy kept popping his head up just as I would take the picture. The car was named "The Flamer".

Benjamin Hits 5!

2011-01-31T13:00:00.000-08:00

To start off the year we celebrated Benjamin's 5th birthday. He was so excited! It was hard for me because for a while I've tossed around the idea of having birthday parties with friends every other year instead of every year. Itried to throw that out this year, but I was simply outvoted. So, the Monday prior to his birthday I quickly made up some StarWars invitations for some of his friends from church and drovearound with Ben to deliver them. That was the first hurdle. Then there is the games, party favors, decorations and of course the cake. Thank goodness for Woody's help with the decorations! With the Star Warstheme that Ben picked out he asked for a Clone Trooper for his cake. I think my boys are making this harder every year!I managed to pull it off however and even used marshmallow fondant, which I've only done once or twice. It looked great and everyone was happy.

The party was fun for all. I think we had a total of 7 four and five year old boys running around the house which was a little crazy, but they had a great time. I made some foam light sabers and played games with asteroids (foil balls) and even had glow in the dark straws for the green punch. This was Benjamin's first birthday party with friends over and he had such a great time. We were so happy that he could enjoy a fun day with his friends, especially since it was such short notice. He got some great toys and other fun things to enjoy. Grandma and Grandpa Pariera also came over to enjoy dinner and more cake with the family. We were also able to set up Skype with my brother Thad and his family so they sang to Benjamin which was great. We are so happy to have Benjamin in our home. He is our little love bug. He loves to sit in your lap, give hugs and kisses and just be around you. We love him so much and he's growing up so fast! It's hard to believe it's time for Kindergarten this fall.

Welcome 2011

2011-01-18T12:16:00.000-08:00

Well, it's now 2011 and it's been over a year since I've posted on my blog. Not because I didn't want to, life just seemed to keep on ticking by and updating my blog was not usually in the picture. So, I hope to do better this year so that someday I can look back and have something to help me remember all the many things that are family does, especially the kids. Rather than try to catch up over the last year I'm going to start with some recent stuff and maybe later I'll go back and hit a few highlights of 2010. Hopefully this year will be another good one.

Farmer Woody

2009-10-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

Since moving into our new home, we have about 3-4acres around our house. It was supposed to be alfalfa, but was mostly weeds. We want to try to grow a crop that will help us to make a little money so Woody wanted to plow up the ground this fall in preparation for next spring. So here he is after loading up some pipe and plowing the ground.

This is how we irrigate our field. This is corrugated pipe that

we pulled out in preparation for plowing the ground.

This is not our new SUV! Woody borrowed the tractor

and was quite proud of a field well plowed. Stay tuned

we'll see what comes up next spring.

The Corn Maze

2009-10-25T14:34:00.000-07:00

This year we decided to head out a little early to the corn maze/pumpkin patch. They also have little kid games there, food and other fun stuff to enjoy. We had a nice time as a family and it's always fun to kind of kick off the start of fall and the holiday season.

Instead of a sand box, they made a corn box.

This is like a giant pillow that the kids loved jumping on.

These were some fun pedal carts. Benjamin gave it a try

but his legs weren't quite long enough to get it to go.

Here's our spectators for the pig race starring Kevin Bacon,

Arnold Schwarzen-hog-er and Swine-I-a Twain.

Our cute little scarecrow, Alys.

This was a fun pipe slide they had made. Looked a little bumpy

but the kids went back time after time.

Here's Woody practicing for the 'log' rodeo!

It's the great cow train.

Here's our water boy, Ben, winning at the duck races!

Back to School and soccer

2009-10-25T14:20:00.000-07:00

Well, the kids have gotten back into school and both Ethan and Alys are playing soccer as well. They will both be attending Middleton Heights Elementary with Ethan in second grade and Alys in Kindergarten. Benjamin gets to hang out with mom for another year. Ethan's teacher is Mrs. Woods and Alys has Mr. Bastian. So far they both seem to enjoy school and are doing well.

Soccer also got under way about the same time. Both were fun to watch. It's neat to see how quickly they learn. This is Alys' first year so she is learning the basics. This is Ethan's second so he's getting to be pretty good. Benjamin would love to play but has to wait another year or so. Here are a few of the highlights...

Riding Honeybun

2009-10-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

One of our neighbors had borrowed a mule for a project of his and asked if the kids would like to ride it. Of course they jumped at the chance to do that. The were also able to pet and feed their goats and see some of their sheep. Around February they should have some baby lambs and the kids look forward to seeing those.

This is Alys riding Honeybun with Ethan

and Mr. Riccio leading the mule.

Here's our little brave Benjamin.

Ethan really wanted to ride Honeybun by himself

but settled for riding with Mr. Riccio.

An Idaho Sunrise

2009-10-25T14:04:00.000-07:00

I saw this sunrise one morning after I got home from the gym and thought it was pretty.

The Caldwell Night Rodeo

2009-10-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

This year we had the chance to go to two rodeos. The first one was the Snake River Stampede. That was a treat. Our neighbor was the president of the rodeo this year and his wife choreographed a horse light show for the event. They were kind enough to give us some tickets to go so that was fun. We also went to the Caldwell Night Rodeo, which is an outdoor rodeo. Both of them have been around for years. The pictures are from the Caldwell rodeo. It's amazing what the animals and cowboys/cowgirls can do. It was a lot of fun.

I love this picture. This is actually the middle of

his bronc ride but it looks like the horse it just standing still.

Rare Moments

2009-10-20T13:26:00.000-07:00

This is one of those rare moments that parents, especially moms, love. All the kids are playing TOGETHER and they are HAPPY. If only I knew what they were thinking while sitting in those chairs gazing out at the field....

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-10-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

August brought a few activities before going back to school and my birthday was one of them. Woody took some video but no pictures. Woody and the kids made it a great day. He invited my family members over and made Chicken Alfredo which is one of my favorite dishes. I don't eat it much anymore but it was tasty! We also had some cheesecake which he made and that was great too. The last year has been a pretty good year. I have many blessings to be thankful for. Thanks for the wonderful gifts everyone and thanks to my great family and friends. Life would not be the same without you no matter where you are!

Arbor Day

2009-10-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

Woody had planted some more grass around our driveway and we wanted to add a tree. It took some time and some work but with everyone's help we now have another maple tree to look at. We hope it get's rooted and makes it through the winter. The kids had lots of fun playing in the dirt and catching worms. Alys probably would have brought them in the house if I would have let her.

Welcome Home Elder Mahler

2009-10-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

At the end of July it was finally time for my oldest nephew, Daniel, to return home from his mission. He had been serving in the Pennsylvania, Harrisburg Mission for the past two years. It was a joy to see him again and hear of some of his experiences. As you can see it was an even sweeter moment for his family, especially Mom!

The proud parents, Mike & Tammy

I'm sure a lot of returning missionaries feel like

they're going the wrong way at this point.

Nonetheless, they are on their way out...into the world.

My Three Little Fishes

2009-10-18T15:17:00.000-07:00

At the end of July it was time for swim lessons again and this time I was able to watch all three at the same time. Ethan and Alys were in the same class and Benjamin got his first chance at the toddler class. They had lots of fun in the water and learned a lot too. On one of the last days they had the chance to go off the diving board. They were all a bit scared but they did it. We basically had to drop Benjamin off the end but right after he decided it wasn't so bad and wanted to go again.

It's a Birthday Blastoff!

2009-10-18T14:37:00.000-07:00

Wow! My oldest, Ethan, is 7! This year Ethan wanted a rocket ship for his birthday cake. He also wanted to go to Boondocks for some fun. So we had some fun as a family and then had a small celebration later in the week with relatives. Ethan got his first cowboy hat and was so excited among some of the other things he had wanted for his birthday. Ethan is a great kid and we are so glad to have him in our home. He is very loving and tries to help his younger brother and sister. He is very determined and hardworking. He loves to play soccer, ride his bike, jump on the trampoline, play video games and play with his brother and sister. Happy Birthday Ethan! We love you!

How do I look Taylor?

Giddy up cowboy!

Is this thing really going to launch?

Hi everyone!

What a cute family!

Hey Spiderman! Want to go for a ride?

I think I got 'em!

We're so cool!

I've got to win this race!

Hey buddy, want to race!

Yes, one of my favorite games!

Watch out Steve Young, here I come!

Goodbye Creed, Azlyn and Crew

2009-10-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

Shortly after moving to Middleton it was time for my brother, Thad, and his family to pack up and move to Nebraska. My brother was offered a great opportunity working as an accountant on an LDS Church cattle farm. He described it as Little House on the Prairie meets Dancing with Wolves. They are out in the middle of no where somewhere in the middle of Nebraska. Trina and I tried to get the kids together as often as we could so they could play together before they left. They definitely enjoyed having cousins close by to play with. We will surely miss them and love them. We look forward to their visits and hope to go visit them someday in the near future. Here's a picture of the kids a day or so before they left. I love this picture because it shows how fun these kids are!

Who Says Dogs Can't Waltz?

2009-10-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

The picture says it all. Alys is always trying to teach our dog Sage a new move or two.

Fun at Roaring Springs

2009-10-18T14:06:00.000-07:00

So, a day or two after Ethan got his cast off, what do we do? Head to the water park! We went with my sister, sister-in-law and their kids. I think they all had a great time! My brother Thad and his family, Trina, Creed, Azlyn and Crew were preparing to move to Nebraska we wanted to do something fun together. It was great and these will be some good memories for the kids. Unfortunately I don't have pictures of my sisters kids because they are teenagers and funny thing is they didn't hang out at the kiddie pool! Ethan and Creed were brave and went on a few of the big kids rides but I think we scared the daylights out of Ethan on the first slide! He's not real comfortable with his swimming yet and I think that scared him. I'm sure he'll be begging me to go in a year or so though! Here are some shots of the fun they had in the water.

Raspberries, raspberries, raspberries! Oh yum!

2009-10-18T13:59:00.001-07:00

I was so excited to find out that we had some raspberry bushes were growing on our property. I love raspberries and couldn't help but take a picture when I got my first batch. There were so yummy! We got oodles of them this year too. The sad thing is Alys and I are pretty much the only ones in our family that eat them. The others don't like the seeds. So I made some raspberry jam anyway, froze some for smoothies and shared with my family. It was so exciting though to have some home grown food! We look forward to having a garden next year.

Watch this Trick!

2009-10-18T13:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, it was a little too early for Halloween. It turns out this was not the best trick in the world! We were over visiting family and the kids were jumping on the trampoline with their cousins. Ethan decided he was going to jump off the trampoline or something. He went off backwards and after having a nice hard landing on hi bottom, he also landed hard on his elbow. Now for our family, these accidents always happen after hours or on the weekend! We thought he was going to be okay and maybe sprained a wrist or something from jamming it into the ground. But, we were at the doctor's office, then the lab, then the orthopedic office the next day. Ethan had cracked the bones in his elbow. Fortunately all we needed was a cast. Ironically, we had taken Benjamin in for a cast a year earlier almost to the day. He had a black cast too! Boys, boys, boys!

The Fun Days of Summer

2009-10-18T13:10:00.001-07:00

Well, June and July brought lots of fun. The kids just had a great time playing outside. It's so fun to see them be able to enjoy the outdoors a bit more AND I don't have to worry about any busy streets! They can play in the front, back, wherever. It takes some getting used to, but we're enjoying it.

One of the fun things we did was to enjoy the hometown 4th of July parade. The kids thought it was great. For my big city friends this will give you a sense of where we live. We have local 'hot rods', otherwise known as race cars, and tractors in our parade. :) We even had "Herbie" going through the streets of Middleton. The best part was at the end. You will see (almost see) a firefighter at the top of the ladder on the truck. As the firetrucks go throughout the parade they randomly turn on their fire hose and spray the spectators. This picture is basically at the end of the parade and it became a fun water war between the firefighters driving through the parade and the one on the ladder. Even the person on the ladder was not dry when all was said and

done. It was fun to see a small town having a great time and what's a little water when it's a hot summer day! That evening we had a fun celebration with family and lit off some fireworks out in our field. Last year we had more than sparklers and this year had to be just as good, thanks to my family members. Let's just say we're glad our neighbors still like us after only being here a few months!

Life's a Zoo

2009-08-16T14:54:00.000-07:00

Jeepers! The whole moving thing, getting school finished with the kids and keeping up with family has literally been a zoo this summer. I don't remember the last time I was this busy during the summer. Life has been good and as you can see, I'm still not able to keep up with my blog yet. I hope to get back to that real soon and move on with my photography as well. So, here are some random pics from some summer fun. To be continued...

This is Alys and her best friend Emery. They went to school together and enjoyed playing together too. Emery just moved to California though and Alys is going to miss her a lot.

This is Ethan, Creed and Alys. Creed is their cousin and is Ethan's age. They've been able to play together a lot more since moving to Idaho and now to Middleton, but they are going to miss him and his brother and sister as they have just moved to Nebraska. I love this picture 'cuz it shows the fun that they always had. Benjamin is in the previous picture because he was sitting at the other table. He loves to play with the older kids!

Home Sweet Home!

2009-08-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, May 26, 2009 was a big day for our family. That was the day that Woody and I signed our life away for our new home. We now reside in Middleton, Idaho and hope to reside here for a really, really long time. We are out in the country on 5 acres where people still drive around in covered wagons. Just kidding! The country is what I grew up in so for me it's familiar but I do miss some of the city conveniences. For Woody and the kids it's a little different because the city is really all they know other than visiting grandparents or other relatives. So far we love it though. It's so quiet, we have space to breathe in and even our dog, Sage, thinks it's great. Mind you, it is a lot of work but it makes for good family time. We have some great neighbors too. Right next to us our neighbors have a horse arena where they do steer roping quite often. It's fun to watch and the kids think it is great. Ethan just got his first cowboy hat and Alys is already asking to put it on her list. As for Benjamin, dirt and water are right up his alley! I told Woody we traded the soft sounds of the symphony for brawling cowboys. Gotta love it! We'll keep you posted and try to get some more pictures.

Happy Birthday Alys!

2009-07-12T15:46:00.000-07:00

Our little girl turns 5! It was a festive birthday week for Alys, full of birthday activities and family and friends to enjoy it with. It was crazy for Mom but I think she enjoyed it. Since her dance recital was on Monday we had family over to help celebrate. That made her recital extra special since she got flowers for her recital, rice krispie treats and gifts for her birthday. On Wednesday, the 13th which is actually her birthday she had school. So, we made a krispie treat flower bouquet to enjoy with her classmates. That was a lot of fun.

We also celebrated with her that evening and she got a new bike and helmet. She was so excited and couldn't wait to get on and try it out. The funny thing about her birthday was that I asked her if there were any special meals that she wanted on her birthday and she said pancakes.... Pancakes for breakfast, pancakes for lunch and yes, pancakes for dinner! I think we had pink, blue and green pancakes. Needless to say I don't think we had pancakes for a while after that.On Friday, she wanted to do something fun with a few friends. We went to "Artist for a Day" and they painted some cute little ceramics. They had fun and she got to share her Tinkerbell cake with them. I'm so glad you had a great birthday Alys.

Dancing Around the World

2009-07-12T15:37:00.001-07:00

This is Alys' second dance recital and it was much easier to get her to actually go out on stage. Her group danced to the Mexican Hat Dance song and a chinese song. They're costumes were cute and she did a great job. I think she really enjoys it and it gives her something fun to do. Her teacher Ms. Macie is great too. Thanks for showing us a few moves Alys!

Eggs, eggs, everywhere, but no Alys!

2009-07-05T14:57:00.000-07:00

This year for some Easter fun, we decided to visit the Middleton Easter Egg Scramble. This is where Ethan had been playing soccer and he was to have a game after the hunt so it was quite convenient. Anyway, the kids were to gather at their appropriate age group for the "hunt". Well, as you can see, it was quite the hunt. :) We were all set to go, waiting for the horn to blow, signaling to go get eggs. Everyone was excited or so we thought. Ethan and Benjamin went scrambling for eggs. I was all set to take some photos and I hear Alys crying at the top of her lungs just standing there. Evidently the crowd of kids rushing for eggs scared her and she wasn't about to go get them. So, we have no pictures of the egg hunt! Ethan and Benjamin

thought it was great and even got a few prizes in their eggs. Fortunately, the egg hunt at Aunt Tammy's was a bit more fun for Alys even if it was getting dark. Better luck next year Easter Bunny. I guess they've got to warm up to you.

The Lightning Bolts

2009-07-05T14:35:00.000-07:00

The soccer season finally came to an end after 5 or 6 weeks of practices and games. Fortunately, Ethan was able to play on the same team and have the same coach as he did in the fall. His team did really good and won more games than last time so they were excited. Ethan learned to be more aggressive but really enjoys playing defense. It was always fun to watch him play and see how he's improved as well. Benjamin and Alys also enjoyed the soccer season because that meant playing at the park during practices. The weather was a little crazy and cold at times but we survived. Thanks to those family members who helped support him. Here's a few shots of the games and Ethan receiving a medal from Coach Baird at the end of the season.

MY OH MY! WHERE DID SHE GO?

2009-07-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

Hello, it's me. Yes, I guess I took a little hiatus (is that how you spell that?) from blogging. It's been way too long and way too much has been going on. I've thought about updates several times, but just haven't taken the time to do it. So, before a year has gone by I'm going to try to give an update on the Woodwards. It might be more pictures than anything, but nonetheless here goes....

Woody's Birthday

2009-03-15T17:18:00.000-07:00

Woody's birthday is right after Valentine's Day and the kids were so excited to help celebrate Dad's birthday. Each of them wanted to light the candles so Woody had three tries to blow out all his candles, except for the times that they helped do that too. It was a fun evening and I'm even got a break on decorating a cake. Woody's request was a pie so that made it easy! I hope it was a good day for Woody. We love him so much and he is a great and loving husband and father.

Valentine's Day

2009-03-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

This year our Valentine's day was a little different. We often think about going out to a nice dinner or making a nice dinner and at least going out on a date sometime around there. Well this year since it was on a Saturday we decided to go north and hang out as a family for a few days. Ethan and Woody both had an extra day or two off so we went to Cascade to relax and play in the snow. We didn't do anything fancy that day except decorate sugar cookies! It was nice. We all just relaxed for a few days, played games, played in the snow and enjoyed one another's company. Here are a few pictures from the fun that we had.

Thank you...Ben's nighttime thanks

2009-02-11T19:10:00.001-08:00

Sweet little Ben! Recently, every night when I tuck Benjamin in bed he always tells me something that he is thankful for. The first few times I was surprised and thought maybe he heard somebody else say something, but it became a nightly thing. They were also actual things that happened that day. Anything from having pizza that night to going to the park or going to grandma and grandpa's house. I'm just amazed at what little children know and understand, even at the age of 3. Thanks Benjamin for those sweet little reminders.

Small Miracles

2009-02-08T15:06:00.000-08:00

This last week was a trying week for me for different reasons, so anything positive was a blessing. For a few months we've been trying to potty train Benjamin. Now that Benjamin is 3 we're hoping that it will be easier than with the last two. He's got the peeing down pretty but pooping is another story. I had told him to go to the bathroom the other day as I knew it had been a while since he had gone. I noticed after a few minutes that it was quiet in the bathroom so thought I'd better check. My little boy was actually sitting on the toilet going poop! Now I know this isn't the best of stories, but I know for most moms this is a small miracle! At least it was for me.

Scooter Fun

2009-02-08T15:01:00.001-08:00

Our kids just love to ride their scooters. Ethan and Alys got one for Christmas and Benjamin got one for his birthday. It was hard at the time because we had snow on the ground. Now that we currently don't have any they try to take every opportunity they can to ride them. It doesn't even matter that it's only 32 degrees outside, they'll still ride them.

Bust a Move!

2009-02-08T14:46:00.000-08:00

Sometimes kids are just so entertaining. I love watching and listening to them as they play. The other day I turned on some music in the house and found some kids music that they enjoy. The group is called Imagination Movers, so if you'll just imagine...I caught my children trying to bust a move. It was great for me, but maybe not so much for them in about 10-15 years!

Happy 3rd Birthday Benjamin!

2009-01-21T21:42:00.000-08:00

January 13 was Benjamin's 3rd birthday. I can't believe our baby is 3! He's such a loveable kid. He loves hugs, cars, Rocket (Little Einsteins), going to grandma and grandpa's house and playing with his brother and sister. Here's a few pics from his party. Happy Birthday Benjamin, we love you!

A New Year

2009-01-21T21:23:00.000-08:00

For New Year's Eve we went up to Cascade to celebrate with family. There was plenty of snow to enjoy and lots of good company. We watched movies, built snowmen, sled down the hills and had some good food. It was fun to just relax and get away. It's hard to believe that another year has already gone by! I look forward to a good year in 2009. Here's a few pictures from our adventures for New Years.

The Best Gifts

2009-01-14T16:12:00.000-08:00

As I thought about the year and Christmas I couldn't help but think about the many wonderful things that I have been blessed with over the year. While reflecting on some of what I would consider 'the best gifts' a few came to mind. First and foremost...the gift of family. I am so grateful to be near my family again and be able to spend time with them. Best of all, my own family. While each of my children are unique and at times drive me crazy I love them so much. I enjoy watching them grow and learn and especially the peaceful happy moments when they are happily playing together. I'm thankful for Woody and all that he does for me and our children. Another gift is the gift of good health. We've all been pretty healthy this year and as for myself I was given the gift of a personal trainer for my birthday from my dear husband. I found a great gal from church, who is also a personal trainer. I've been working with her since October and am excited to say that as of the end of year I have lost 22lbs. I have a ways to go to reach my goal, but I'm grateful to have made it this far. I'm doing it the old fashioned way, eating healthy and exercising, but it's worth it. Last, but not least...I'm grateful for my friends. I miss my friends in Texas and wish I could just pop in and say hello. I think of you often. I'm also thankful for those that I have met thus far in Idaho. Also, I could not finish this post without saying how thankful I am for the gospel and knowing that I am a child of God. I hope that you all have had a wonderful year and have received many wonderful gifts.

Merry Christmas!

2009-01-14T10:24:00.000-08:00

Well, as we snuggled into bed by the skin of our teeth before Santa came; he did visit our house! The kids were so excited and fortunately weren't up at the crack of dawn. I'm sure as they get a little older they will. Even little Ben came back upstairs and started removing my bed covers and said, "Come on, Mom." It was so fun to see how excited they were and we just enjoyed a fairly quiet Christmas with the kids enjoying their gifts. What a wonderful time of year to just enjoy family! Here are a few photos from the day and holiday season.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...

2009-01-06T21:22:00.000-08:00

...and off we did go, down the slippery street and through the white snow. It's off to a party this Christmas Eve night, with lots of good food, oh what a delight.

"Around the World" was the theme for that night, so we got our utensils and held on tight! Our first stop on the map was 'ole Mexico, with hot chimichangas and guacamole to go.

Then off on our way and over the seas, a short trip to China where 'qing' means please. With chopsticks in hand to scoop up the rice, add some orange chicken, it's really quite nice.

Now I know what you're thinking...there's no more room in these pants, so just loosen your belt and stand up and dance!

Step left, then right and a one, two three, let's all start Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree.

So you're waiting to find out; what's the next line? I'm so glad you've asked, but I've run out of rhymes.

As we traveled the world we shouted with glee, and decided we'd stop in Rome, Italy. Mmmmm, yummy lasagna with bread on the side; wait, take some pizza along for the ride.

To cross the ocean, we could take a boat, but really at this point; I'm not sure it would float. So you'd better call Noah to bring in the ark, we need something big; we're off to Denmark.

With great frickadellers and aebleskivers, "Do you know what that is?" I don't either!

To the top of the mountains, to ride our new sled; not just yet, can't you smell it...it's Portuguese sweet bread.

Oooo la la, that was tasty, what more can I say; but we'd better head back to the U.S. A.

Have some chocolate or candies or fudge that's just right, I think after that I'm done for the night.

When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a harsh cold wind and snow up to my ears.

It's off to our sleigh, but try it we must, just floor it, we'll make it; it's homeward or bust!

Thank you, Lord; what a beautiful night; Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Okay, now that you've read through my ridiculous poem, I'll make the short version on the evening. It was a wonderful time to spend with family on Christmas Eve. We had lots of good food and good company. The kids acted out the nativity as we read the story of Jesus' birth from Luke. Then we all sang some Christmas carols together. It was quite a surprise when we got ready to go. I opened the door to start loading up the car and it had been snowing pretty good for the last three to four hours. We had some fun getting out of my brother's driveway and actually got a little stuck! We had to resort to the Idaho 4x4s to get us out. It was a little humorous to watch us all try to get out. The wind was blowing pretty good, it's snowing and probably almost 11pm on Christmas Eve. We did make it however and fortunately the roads were not as bad as we thought they might be. We even made it home before Santa arrived!

The Christmas List

2009-01-06T21:13:00.000-08:00

This year, when Woody wanted to get everyone's Christmas list going the kids' list for Santa started out as what appeared to be a simple list. Ethan wanted some crashing cars, socks, maybe a game. Alys had listed a Barbie and Barbie clothes. Benjamin, well he's content with pretty much anything at this age still. I thought Santa would probably fair pretty well this year. Needless to say, it's amazing what a few weeks of school and conversations of wish lists will do. A week or so before Christmas it was made known that we wanted scooters and motorbikes, cell phones, etc. Mind you...our kids our 2, 4, & 6 years old. I'm glad I don't have Santa's job! :)

Church Christmas Party

2009-01-05T13:53:00.003-08:00

It was a busy weekend! The day after Alys' dance recital we had our church Christmas party. It was a dinner and program. We had a nice potluck dinner and the primary kids acted out the nativity. Ethan was an ox and Alys was a sheep. Benjamin is still in nursery so he joined us in the audience. After the program, Santa came for a visit and the kids were able to sit on his lap and tell them what they wanted for Christmas.

Dancing with the Reindeer

2009-01-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

December came quickly and we hit the ground running! Alys has been going to a dance class for about 6 months and had her first recital. She did two cute little dances...one was ballet to Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and the other was tap, to the song Gonna' eat for Christmas. She did a great job after I finally convinced/bribed her to get out there. Alys tends to get scared when it comes to doing things in front of people. Once she got her costume on and got on stage though she had fun. I was so proud of her, because I knew it was hard for her. It's always great to watch your kids do something that they enjoy.

Thanksgiving

2009-01-04T16:54:00.000-08:00

What a great day and so much to be thankful for. This year we were able to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with most of my family. We went up to Cascade, ID and spent it by the lake. (Not swimming!) It was an enjoyable time by all. Plenty of food and lots of good company. Of course the kids always enjoy spending time with their cousins too. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures because my camera battery was dead by the time I remembered to take pictures. I guess maybe that's a good thing. Heaven knows after eating turkey and so much pie you can't remember all the different kinds you ate, who would want to see those plump bellies! I hope everyone else was able to eat, drink (eggnog) and be merry!

Finally, A New Family Picture

2009-01-04T16:36:00.000-08:00

Well, in the course of taking family pictures for everyone, we managed a few shots of our family as well. It was much needed as well...it has been almost 3 years since we've had one. I'm not sure why, but as a photographer it always seems harder to get your own family together to sit still and smile. Anyway, here are a few shots.

Curt's Wedding

2009-01-04T14:48:00.000-08:00

On November, 14, 2008, my older brother got remarried to Ralynne. It was a nice little ceremony with family and friends. I have not known Ralynne long but she seems like a wonderful person. They appear to be very happy and I wish them all the best.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

2009-01-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

Well, I know I'm way behind. I guess I've been too busy or we've been having too much fun for me to keep up with the blog. Anyway, just before Thanksgiving I was real busy taking family/individual pictures for everyone. That's always fun, but it also keeps me real busy afterwards. In addition, my older brother got married around there so that added to the busy time. So we'll see if we can recap and remember all the festivities.

School Days

2008-11-16T15:07:00.001-08:00

Wow! The first quarter of the year is already over for school. Ethan is a 1st grader this year and Alys is in pre-school. We just had our parent-teacher conference with Ethan's teacher, Ms. Kistler. He is doing really well. His teacher had nothing but good to say about him and I know he enjoys school. I have the opportunity to go help out once a month for a few hours in his class. It's fun to see what he does at school, see him interact with the other kids and also the fact that I can tell he's excited when Mom is there. We're proud of his hard work and know he will continue to do well and make many friends.

Alys is also doing very well. She is learning to read and very fast. She is very eager to learn and her teacher, Ms. Katie, says there are days where Alys keeps her very busy. She goes twice a week for 3 hrs. She also loves school and is always asking me what day it is and if it's a school day. We're proud of her as well and enjoy watching her grow.

Benjamin, well he's in Mom school. He's my little tag-a-long. I enjoy being able to spend time with him and hear him play and learn new things as well. His big brother and sister are a great help with that. He likes to sing the ABC song and counts pretty well. Soon he'll be entering Potty Training?! He's fun to have in our home as well.

Recently, I had the chance to take some updated pictures of them, so here's our little clan. They're growing like weeds!

Pure Joy!

2008-11-16T14:21:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, our Primary children had their Sacrament Meeting program, titled "I am a Child of God." They sing, give talks and the different class recite a sentence or two. Ethan and Alys are both now old enough to participate. Benjamin still has a year or two to go. Anyway, for me it is always pure joy to sit and listen to the children, especially when they sing. This year, Ethan also gave a talk and was able to read it all by himself. I was so proud of him. I have to admit that they brought me to tears. Two songs in particular got to me, "I am a Child of God" and "Called to Serve". Hearing about 100 or more children singing those songs was touching, not to mention the fact that during the chorus of "Called to Serve" Ethan couldn't help but yell "Forward, pressing forward". I love our little children and am thankful for the things that they have learned and continue to learn. I am grateful for their primary teachers that love them and teach them each week and for all the time that it put into the program so that we are able to enjoy it every year. I can't wait for Benjamin to join them.

Fun Times with Dad

2008-11-16T14:14:00.000-08:00

The kids love to rough house with Dad! One day I caught them as they were all trying to get a horse ride...all at the same time. I think even the horse was tired! I'm so grateful my kids have a dad that will do those things and enjoy it even when it hurts!

Halloween and the Corn Maze

2008-11-16T13:24:00.000-08:00

This year the kids were definitely looking forward to Halloween. Ethan definitely knew he wanted to be a policeman. Alys started off by wanting to be a princess and use her dress up clothes. However, that changed from a princess to a fairy with wings and ended up being a ladybug. Benjamin, well he was going to be a fireman, but we ran into a little resistance when it came time to wear his costume. So, I think he got away with a fire hat. I'm glad it was a combination of small items and not a fancy costume!

It had also been a long day. We decided to visit a place called Linder Farms and do some fun activities there. We got there shortly after it opened and it was great. Because it was Halloween day, it was not very busy so it was nice and relaxing. They had bounce houses, a cow train ride, straw maze, corn maze, food, etc. The kids had a lot of fun as did we.

After a little fun at the farm, we rushed home to have a snack and head off to church for our chili cook-off/trunk-or-treat. Unfortunately, by the time we got there we were about 45minutes late and they were almost done! So we rushed the kids around.

Since we missed most of it, Woody took Ethan and Alys around the neighborhood a little once we got home. Benjamin and I handed out candy since he was still being a pickle and very tired! I had also made some chili for the cook-off the night before and that didn't make it either. Woody was great and said it was fabulous though. After a long day the kids were still excited and probably would've eaten at least half of their candy if we would've let them. I think they had a great day!

Jack-O-Lantern Delight

2008-11-16T13:05:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm a little behind, but here are some more blurbs on some of our Halloween festivities. About a week before Halloween we helped the kids carve their pumpkins for FHE. They had a great time and I must say were very creative. Alys and Ethan actually did most of the work themselves. They were all so excited to put them outside and light them up. We tried to remember to light them each night until Halloween and that was fun too.

Halloween Tradition

2008-11-09T13:11:00.000-08:00

When we lived in Texas, we would always try to get together with family for a little Halloween party. My sister-in-law, Amy, was always great at planning fun things for us to do and made sure their were fun prizes for the different games. Everyone usually brought some great food, we played games, bobbed for apples and most of us dressed up, or at least tried. Anyway, it was always fun. So, this year, Woody and I decide we'd try to keep that tradition going, even though we're now near my family. The week before Halloween was our big shin dig. We held it in my brother's garage, threw down some straw, decorated it and had some fun. The kids had fun dressing up and they were cute! Some of the adults dressed up, so we'll have to work on that for next year, hint, hint! Every family had a game to play and all in all I believe it was a SPOOKTACULAR evening! Here are some photos from the event.

Here we have my sister, Tammy, as Raggedy Ann, eating some of Mom's great chili.

As for these boys...I'm not sure who had the bigger muscles, but we'll just say with The Incredible Hulk and Idaho's best policeman, we had our super heros covered. Even Whitney was checkin' out the boys. :)

Here we have "Lady Vikequeen" and as for Thad, well, I'm not sure, but he was a big lady in a Tutu and he even showed us some moves!

Here's Count Woody Dracula with our cute little ladybug checking out the "treats". I think the table was full of ghosts and gremlins, ghoul punch, and lots of other good stuff.

Crew was a cute little giraffe and I know you can't tell here, but I do think he really had a good time.

Oh, little miss Azlyn. She was the cutest, Hollywood duck I've ever seen...

Here's Woody and Josh, trying to keep the kids entertained while building pumpkins from Lowe's.

See what I mean...hello Miss Hollywood Duck...here Grandpa, you wear the hat I've got a camera to pose for!

Here's a great game that Trina had; hilarious too! We had a kids round and adult round. They're trying to eat a donut off a string, while it's moving.

Finding the best Halloween costume of the season...$59. Watching The Hulk, a policeman, a cowboy and a cute girl eat a donut off a string...PRICELESS!

Vanessa, the maid, was throwing darts at some balloons that had candy in them.

This was a fun game from Tammy and Mike. We made a large spider web by throwing a ball of yarn back and forth. It was pretty cool.

Another great game from Curt and Raelynn. They're trying to drop candy corn from the bottom of their nose into a bottle. We had a few winners, but not an easy task!

Here's Benjamin trying to sneak some leftover candy corn that missed the bottle. He was supposed to be our fireman but had no desire to wear his costume. He had fun though!

Grandma and Grandpa were in charge of pin the nose on the pumpkin. Another game the kids enjoyed.

This is the tangled web that you can get yourself into if you don't participate...just kidding. The little ones thought it was so funny to wrap Taylor up after making our spider web.

This was our game...bobbing for apples. We didn't get as many takers as we wanted, but it was still fun. This is Taylor going deep.

It's Josh...he scored and barely got wet.

This is Jordan. She did great...it took us a little bit to convince her to do it, but she got it!

Okay, I don't know if the apple was bad or he just didn't get wet enough.

Even our super heros gave it a whirl. It was a bit of a challenge though as they have both lost their front teeth.

Way to go Mike...dive for that apple!

Go for it Raggedy Ann! Oops..we're running into a little trouble....

she had to lose the hair! We could not get the hair wet!

Fish out of water!

2008-10-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

Benjamin is definitely our little fish! I don't know what happened in the womb but if there's water around he'll find it! We wanted to get him into swim lessons, but didn't make it during the summer months. Fortunately, my health club offered them indoors so we signed him up for a Mom and child class. He absolutely loved it! If I wasn't careful, he would try to jump in before I did, which was kind of scary. It was fun to see how much he enjoyed it and great for me as well. With Alys at this age it was more of a nightmare. I hope he continues to enjoy it and who knows, maybe someday we'll have a swimmer on our hands.

Goal!

2008-10-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

Ethan has been enjoying soccer all month. He has been playing with the Golden Eagles. This has been his first run at actually playing on a team. He has participated in clinics before but no actual games. He's probably one of the youngest on his team but has enjoyed it and fit right in. He's learned a lot and has scored a goal or two during the season. I think his favorite position to play though is goalie. Whenever his coach asks him to cover the goal he tends to not want to move down the field, as they don't usually play with a goalie. Even though we've had a few cold, windy games and practices it's been fun to watch him play. We look forward to the spring season!

Our Little Ballerina

2008-10-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

About a month or two ago we signed Alys up for a dance class. When I first talked to her about it she was adamant that she was not going to go! I went and watched the first day and her teacher, Mrs. Macie was great. She had fun things to play with while they were waiting to get started and she helped her find the right size ballet and tap shoes. Now she loves it and she loves to wear her ballerina outfit. She is learning ballet, tap and tumbling. She will have a little recital coming up in December and we're excited to see what she's learned as she twirls in her cute little costume.

Canning, what's that?

2008-10-09T14:26:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been about a month since I've talked about anything and my list is piling high so I thought I'd start with some canning. When I was a kid I remember every year at the end of summer it was the dreaded time for canning! That meant peeling pears, apples, peaches, making tomato sauce, shucking corn and cutting it off the cob and whatever else you could think of. Some items always seemed to take forever! Since I moved away, stopped in Arizona for a couple of years, stayed in Texas too long, got married and had kids; I kind of forgot how to do some of it. So this year I thought I would take a stab at it just so I knew how to do it and there also seems to be a great abundance of fresh produce in the area. Plus, we were also fortunate enough to share a garden with my brother and his family and my parents. That was wonderful! Here's some highlights of us working in the garden and the beautiful and tasty peaches that I canned. They are a "Summer Lady" peach and very tasty. I even grilled some of them and that was fabulous!! Sorry, forgot to take pictures of that but definitely will next time.

A Family Camp out

2008-09-09T13:31:00.000-07:00

For Labor Day weekend we went on our first family camping trip. The kids have wanted to go for a long time, so with an extra day for the weekend we decided to take the plunge. We went to a place called Mann's Creek. They have a reservoir there and a few campgrounds. We got in Saturday afternoon and got our tent set up under some nice shade trees. That evening we just relaxed, played some crochet, baseball, etc. We had some hot dogs and hamburgers for dinner which were yummy. Then as were starting to slow down for the evening, the fun began! The winds started picking up because a cold front was to be coming through. We thought after a while that the winds would die down. Nope, not the case. So as I lay there on the luxuriously soft ground, listening to the wind blow, I just kept wondering when I was going to have to crawl out of my tent to set it back up! A couple of hours later, when it's dark and most of the other campers have settled in for the night we got some new neighbors. While it was kind of funny watching them try set up their tents in 30mph wind gusts, it was not so funny when they were laughing and joking until about 2am. Fortunately, the kids slept like logs. Not to mention the zipper on the door of the tent we had did not work. Needles to say, even though the first night went off with a bang, the rest was pretty good.

The next day we went for a walk to the reservoir, played some more games and had some additional family members join us. My parents and some of the kids cousins came up for a night which the kids loved. We had a great enchilada dinner made in the dutch oven by Woody followed by some peach cobbler. I think sometimes we eat better when we do activities than we do at home! All in all it was a good time and something the family will look forward to again. Maybe we'll try an ice cave this winter...just kidding!

One night Benjamin was so tired he decided he'd just lay on the ground for a rest! Poor kid, camping was just too much fun.

Back to School!

2008-08-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again already! Where does the time go? Ethan and Alys both started school on Monday. They were both excited about and I have to admit, Mom was a little excited too. Because it was a hectic morning, we took after school pictures. Ethan is now in 1st grade while Alys is in pre-school 2 days a week. Benjamin is my little trooper and gets to spend some more time with Mom. I know they will have lots of fun and make lots of new friends. The only complaint thus far is that they don't like walking Ethan to school. As you can tell, Alys is a bit red in the face after walking home on a hot day. Wait 'til the snow comes....

Oh Sooo Cute!

2008-08-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

Aren't these the cutest little things? My parents have two Sheltie dogs and the female recently had 5 puppies. In these pictures, they're not quite a week old and still have their eyes closed. The kids were sooooo excited to go see them! If we would have let them they probably would've stayed with them all day. They were very cute and cuddly. When we got our dog, Sage, she was about six weeks old so it was a treat to see new puppies. It makes you want one all over again...for about a minute! Anyway, it will be fun to see them grow.

I was so glad to capture this while we were visiting my brothers house, where the puppies were. This is my cute nephew and niece Crew and Azlyn. It was nice to know that Benjamin is not the only one that has tried this!

A Great Birthday!

2008-08-22T18:34:00.001-07:00

On August 12th I turned...well, let's say 30 something. Ethan said 29 so he rocks! Anyway, it was a wonderful day and week. It started off with "Happy Birthday"s from Woody and the kids and that always gives you warm fuzzies to know that they thought of you. Everyone in my family also called to give their wishes. My Mom took me out to lunch and my sister and sister-in-law joined us as well. It was wonderful! We ate at a place called Costa Vida, which is basically mexican food with a tropical flare. Yum! Yum! After the kids' swim lessons I was treated to a massage. I realized I need to do that more often...I don't remember the last time I felt that relaxed. That evening, the kids stayed with grandma and grandpa and Woody took me to dinner and a movie. I haven't done that in a while either! We went to a place called Epi's. It's a Basque restaurant. It was something we've never had before, but very good! And it's just another one of those cute hole in the wall places. We went and saw Indiana Jones which was pretty good. Of course we had popcorn and a drink even though we were stuffed. To finish off the week, Woody and the kids made an Italian Cream cake for me with homemade ice cream. It was good! They each gave me the perfect card with the perfect gifts. While the gifts were all wonderful it was just so great to be able to spend time with so many people that I love and just knowing that they thought of me on this day. This is definitely one I will remember. Many thanks to everyone!

Laughing Cows?

2008-08-13T07:38:00.000-07:00

Haven't you ever heard cows laughing? Some years ago in my days of travel, I experienced Laughing Cow cheese. I was probably on a flight to Europe and sitting in first class, and dreaming. This was at a time when I could afford first class because I worked for American Airlines/Sabre. Anyway, I remember getting this little wedge of cheese and thinking, "What the heck is this?" I don't eat too many funky cheeses, but tried this one and it is really good. If you've never had it is a creamy Swiss, but not as strong a taste as regular Swiss cheese. You can find it in the grocery stores where they have the special cheeses and it comes in a small circular box. I thought of it the other day and wanted to try it again, so I got some. As I took it out to slather on a cracker, my kids asked about it. So, me and my practical jokes on my kids, explained that it was 'Laughing Cow Cheese' and when you eat it, it makes you laugh. They thought I was crazy, for a moment. They wanted to try it, so we did a taste test. They were already starting to laugh because they thought I was just being silly. As they took a bite they started to grin and chuckle and then I started to laugh. They also began to laugh and wanted more. At this point, I'm laughing just because they believed me. Woody was sitting nearby and we both started cracking up. Needless to say, we were all laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. So, the next time you want a good laugh, try some 'Laughing Cow Cheese'. You just might crack up! And kids, I love you so much! Thanks for believing in my laughing cows and when you're old enough to read this or realize that mom was just kidding you can beat me up then.

Swim Lessons

2008-08-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

Ethan and Alys have been taking swim lessons for the last couple of weeks and are having lots of fun. I'm really proud of them, they just jump right in listen to their instructors. Alys enjoys going under water to get dive rings, while learning to float and kick. Ethan loves going under water and learning new things. He had a different instructor one day and at the end of the class I thought they were going to go down the slide. The next thing I know there's Ethan standing on the low dive! I was amazed that he was ready to do that. He thought it was great and went two or three times. Now he's wondering when he gets to try the high dive! Benjamin is a trooper and goes to watch with me. Hopefully we'll have him in lessons this fall while the others are in school.

Cascade Getaway

2008-08-12T06:51:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had the opportunity to go to Cascade and relax by the lake with my family. It was lots of fun. We usually try to do this once a year. My mom and dad have a house next to the lake so it makes it easy to go have some fun. This year things ended up a little different but it was all good. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of anyone, except my niece, Whitney. So I'll include one of here and maybe find an old photo. I know...a photographer without pictures. Anyway, my weekend started by taking some senior pictures of Whitney. It was fun and she did great! Friday evening, we relaxed, played games, watched movies, etc. The ladies played a round of ping pong and what a riot! I must say, I saw a side of my Mom and sister that I have never seen before! We got to a point that we were all laughing so hard we were crying. Surprisingly, we didn't wake everyone up considering it was about 1230am when we were playing. It was great! Saturday morning the guys and some of the kids went out fishing and caught a few fish. I think they all had a good time and Ethan and Alys were able to use their fishing poles for the first time. By the time they got home and we all had lunch the weather took a weird turn. The wind was blowing and it became cloudy. This was supposed to be our day at the lake, but the weather changed that for us. Instead, the community has a nice little park area called Fischer Pond that we all went to. We played some sand volleyball (loved that!), horseshoes and did some more fishing. That was quite a hit as they caught about 15 trout. This is a little pond that they stock mainly for the kids to go fishing. So even though we weren't able to enjoy the lake we still had a good time and did some things we don't usually do. It's always nice to get away and it's nice to spend time with family as well.

I Love to See the Temple

2008-07-30T12:22:00.000-07:00

The Twin Falls, ID temple has recently been completed and they have been hosting an open house. This gives anyone the opportunity to walk through the temple and see it. This is wonderful for children or those who are not members of the LDS church. Some of my family members were already planning on attending and we ended up making it a family affair. I was excited to be able to take my kids to see the temple. This doesn't happen very often and I didn't want to miss the chance to go. Twin Falls is about 2 1/2 hours away so it wasn't bad. I think the kids enjoyed it, once Alys was done screaming! She found out that she had to wear paper slippers over her shoes while walking through the temple and literally was screaming bloody murder because she didn't want to. Imagine that...the temple is usually a quiet, peaceful place and instead we are being serenaded by the lungs of Alys screaming. Needless to say, it was still beautiful as they all are.

After the temple we had some lunch and headed for Shoshone Falls, which is in Twin Falls. Evidently, there is not always water running over the falls this time of year. I guess it depends on the amount of rain/snow received during the year. So, this was a treat. The falls are beautiful and it really does look like a mini-Niagara Falls. There is a big canyon and just below a small dam the water flows over these beautiful rocks. It is definitely a site to see.

To finish off our trip, what's better than a little ice-blocking? Some of the kids and adults tried it out from some ice blocks that others had left behind. Benjamin tried it, by sitting on the block of ice; probably until he realized how cold it was. The rest of us opted out this time, but I'm sure it will be on our list of things to do.

Birthday #6 for Ethan!

2008-07-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

July 20, 2008 was a day of celebration for Ethan. He turned 6 years old! Wow! I can hardly believe it; my oldest is going to be a first grader. This years celebration included a "Jr." car cake from the movie "Cars". When Ethan told me that he wanted a "Jr." cake I didn't know what he was talking about. He told me it was in the movie and I asked him to describe it. "It's red, " he told me. Since that gave me a lot of information...I ended up having to watch the movie again to find out who it was. Come to find out it's the Dale Earnhardt Jr. car and it only appears maybe twice in the movie! Thus, the Jr. cake. Ethan enjoyed all the celebration and was excited to open his gifts which he loved. He also enjoyed running and playing with his cousins. Happy Birthday Ethan! We hope you have another great year. As your mom, I'm so proud of you in all that you do. I enjoy watching you grow and learn and am so glad your a part of our family.

What's Life without Friends?

2008-07-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to visit with a couple of my friends. We simply met for lunch and just chatted; caught up on life's moments. It was fun to just chat, relax and laugh. These are a couple of great ladies and I could probably chat with them everyday if life allowed it. Life is so busy for all of us and I realized how grateful I am to have such good friends. Friends that you can count on for pretty much anything, even at a whims notice. My life has been blessed by these great friends and I enjoy watching their families grow as well. I look forward to the next time we get together and the moments where we just have time to say "Hello". After all, what's life without friends?

Happy Birthday America!

2008-07-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

It was a great 4th of July this year! It was filled with family, food, fun & fireworks. We all met at my sister Tammy's house, relaxed and had a good time. We dined on BBQ, salads, fruit, flag cake and homemade Root Beer Float and Maple Nut ice cream. I think those were the crowd favorites! Once it finally got dark...around 10pm we started a few small fireworks, only to lead up to some big ones. In a small town, we didn't go anywhere to watch fireworks, we just bought and lit off our own. The small kids enjoyed some sparklers and the ones that jump around on the ground. We had a few fountain fireworks and then launched off some huge bottle rockets, courtesy of my brother, Curt. Needless to say, you can get by with a few extras around here.

Between us and the neighbors I would say we had our own pretty good little fireworks show. All we needed was a big boom box; next year we'll add that to the list. As I was enjoying the festivities I reflected on the joy of being with family and realized that's what the spirit of America/4th of July is all about is families and friends getting together and just having good fun and creating those "moments in time". I look forward to next year!

I Can Sleep Anywhere!

2008-07-15T21:35:00.000-07:00

On a hot summer afternoon, the kids were outside playing. As I was upstairs doing chores, I realized that only Ethan and Alys had come in as I did not hear Benjamin's voice. After a few minutes I asked the kids where he was and they said he was outside playing. I was not surprised as he loves to dump out the dogs water and then sit in it or put her food in the water, etc. You name it, he'll try it. I decided that I'd better go check on him and make sure all was well. Here's what I found...

sweet little Benjamin, sound asleep on the cement patio. I know, poor kid! I guess he was too tired to come inside. We really do have beds for our children, although they do like to crawl into the dog kennel. Hey, maybe I don't really need a house, just a cement slab, some dog kennels and we'd be good to go...for about an hour!

The Alys Comics

2008-07-15T21:11:00.000-07:00

Recently, Alys tends to come up with silly thoughts and/or sayings. I'm not sure where they come from or what she's really thinking but they make us laugh nonetheless. One night we had gone to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. As we were about finished, with chinese food sitting on the table, Alys says, "Next time can we have Chinese food?" Another day I was looking at some photos I had taken of my sister-in-laws family. I had a few poses of couples giving each other a kiss or kiss on the cheek. As she was looking at them she said, "They need to get married in the temple!" Now that's one I think I'll use on her when she starts dating. You're so cute Alys!

A Home Run Season for the Mustangs

2008-07-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

Well, baseball season is over and Ethan did great! He had lots of fun and at the end of the season was learning to hit well and catch the ball pretty well. It was a joy to watch him play and learn new skills. His cousin Creed was also on his team so it was great to be able to watch him as well. Great job 'lil sluggers!

Visit to Grandma Pepperdine

2008-07-15T20:46:00.000-07:00

In the month of June we took a day trip to Grandma Pepperdine's house (Woody's mom). We had not seen her in a while and now that we live a little closer, we wanted to go visit. We left on a Saturday morning and got there in the afternoon. We checked in at our hotel first and then met up with Woody's mom. It was a rather HOT day so we spent some time at their pool. The kids had a lot of fun and Benjamin, our water boy, loved it as well. Alys & Ethan tried the things they had learned at swimming lessons the year before and enjoyed playing with the other kids in the pool. That evening we all went to a place called Archibald's for dinner. It's a cute old fashioned place with an old water wheel outside that still works. There are also little shops that you can walk around and look at. The food was good and it was nice to have dinner with grandma.

The following day was Sunday and it happened to be stake conference for Vickie's ward so we joined her there. It was an unusual conference in that we were sent home after the first hour to continue conference in our homes. The subject was "Our Homes are our Sanctuaries". We were to go home and read the first message in the Ensign, share our testimonies with one another and then talk about how we can be better at making our homes our sanctuaries. Once we finished, Vickie had prepared a nice lunch for us and we took some time to visit. At around 2pm we headed back to Idaho. We were also able to bring some food storage home with us, which Woody's mom and friends graciously gathered for us. We had a good visit and now have a start to our food storage once again.

The Sawtooth Relay

2008-06-28T11:44:00.000-07:00

WOW! I did it! On June 14th, team Sawcar, which consisted of a few of my family members, friends and I, started out at 3am for a 62 mile relay race. It starts in Stanley, Idaho and ends in Ketchum, Idaho which is next to Sun Valley. This is something that I have never done before. Shortly after moving here, my brother Thad and sister-in-law Trina wanted to get a team together to do this. I said I would, but I would be the tortoise of the race as they are all joggers. Because it's a relay, you have six team members and each of them run 2 legs of the race. When they were deciding who would do what legs I said that it didn't really matter to me since I would be walking. Well, they must of thought I was in for a challenge. I was to do the 6th and 12th legs of the race. There's a catch to this race...it follows the beautiful landscape of the Sawtooth Mountains. That's wonderful, but you have to go to the top of the mountain to go down the other side to get to the finish. The sixth leg of the race was 5.35 miles with an elevation gain of 1331 ft. over those 5.35 miles, in other words...all up hill! I knew I would be doing the hill, but had no idea what it would really be like. My leg began around 8am and as I started to go around the corner and view my leisurely stroll my first thoughts were..."You've got to be kidding me!" There were some switchbacks along the way and I though well, maybe there will be a couple of flat spots to gain momentum. NOT! It was all uphill at about a 6% grade. I thought this would take me forever and people were jogging up this hill. Anyway, I did it in 1 1/2 hours, which absolutely surprised me, so that was great. My team supported me up the hill as well as fellow racers which was great. The view was also breathtaking. My sister took some pictures but I haven't gotten them yet, so these are just some general race photos.

My last leg was not too bad at 2.6 miles and pretty much flat. It was the final stretch and a little interesting. As my teammate and I made the handoff, I evidently almost ran into Arnold Schwarzenegger. I remember a man on a bike in a preppy pink shirt, but didn't really see his face. This leg was on a bike/walking path. All I remember thinking is that this person was basically riding down the middle of the bike path. I felt like saying, "Dude, stay on your side of the path, can't you see were in a race here?" I guess it's a good thing it was just a thought. About a half of a mile down the path, I passed two ladies on bikes and the first one had this lovely garden hat on and a huge smile. It was Maria Schriver, Arnold's wife. I also passed another man and his two sons, he looks like Jon Stewart, but I know that's not the right name. So while I brought us to the finish line I had a little piece of Hollywood on the way; not to mention the huge, probably celebrity homes behind the trees on the path. We finished the race at 2pm and 31seconds, which reached my goal. We had averaged everyones times and figured around that time and that was my goal to be there by 2pm and I did it. So race fans, there you have it, the Sawtooth Relay. Would I do it again? Now that it's over and I know I can do it, yes I probably would. Would I take the hill again? I'm crazy enough to say I would probably even do that again. So, thanks to my family for all there support and even though I gave them a hard time about hiking to the top just to see the snow, it was a great challenge and an accomplishment that I will always be proud of. My son, Ethan, once asked me before the race, "Mom, are you going to run in that race?" 'Yes.' "Why, they don't pay you to do that?" I chuckled, I actually paid them to walk up that hill, which monies went to charity. However, sometimes are best accomplishments are those we work hard for just because we want to, not because we receive reward for doing it. So, until next time Stanley...I'll just enjoy the view!

All American Baseball

2008-06-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

We're well into baseball season and having a great time. Ethan is playing T-ball for the Mustangs. He's learning how to catch and stop the ball. He has a pretty mean throw, we just have to work on his aim a little bit. In his last game he got some great hits too. We're so glad he's having fun and best of all he gets to play with his cousin Creed. Well, maybe the best part is stopping for ice-cream after the game! Actually I love to watch them play. They don't keep score, worry about how many outs they have or anything like that...they just have fun.

Different but Good

2008-06-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

It has been a little over a month now since we left Texas. We're fairly settled in getting back to somewhat of a schedule. While I was driving around the other day running errands I was thinking about the differences between Texas (big city life) and Idaho (down home country, for the most part). One of the first things that I'm still adjusting to is the fact that everyone I go to church with lives somewhere in my neighborhood. Our church building is about a mile away and there's probably another one a mile in the other direction. Some stores are still convenient to get to, but we do not have the variety and excess of malls every 10 miles or so. We do have restaurants around but "restaurant row" doesn't exist everywhere either. We have a couple of movie theatres in the area, but I think only one has more than 20 theatre rooms. While we live in a nice neighborhood which would appear to be suburbia, less than a mile away there are farms with horses or farmland springing up with crops all over. A few local items around here are alfalfa (hay), sugar beets, mint, corn, wheat, mustard seed, sod, etc. Not everybody drives fancy cars, some are probably older than the person driving it. While we do have a few highways around, they're pretty straight and two-lane roads and you don't have to get on one to get some where. I think my auto insurance is about half of what it was in Texas with more coverage, which I'm really excited about! One of the biggest differences is that within 1 to 2 hrs you are in the mountains, ready to hike, camp, boat, float, relax, ski, just about whatever you'd like to do. There are beautiful rivers, streams, lakes, hot springs, wildlife and so much more. The temperature has been great too. We've only seen a few days thus far around 90 degrees.

So, what's the point of all this you say? While I did grow up around this area, so I may be a little partial, it's amazing how two places can be so totally different. I've been away for about 16-17 years and things have changed since then, but I still find it to be a welcoming, relaxing place to be and raise a family. I'm grateful that I've had the opportunity to experience different parts of the world, both to visit and live in. I admit, there are some conveniences that I miss and friends that I miss too, but I'm glad to be back. I'm grateful that Woody's employer was gracious enough to give us this opportunity and look forward to making this area our home for now (hopefully for a long time). So come visit when you can! We'll have lots of fun!

The Do-Rag

2008-06-06T11:43:00.000-07:00

Alys, we just love her and her style of fashion! She found a handkerchief that I had and it was pink of course. She wanted to know what it was used for, so I showed her how to wear it. Now if it's not called a do-rag you can all tease me..., since I wear them all the time!? NOT! This is not her only fashion statement. One day, we were all going to Lowe's to get some items. Everyone except Benjamin and I were in the car already. As I was putting Bejamin's shoes on I noticed one of Alys' shoes that I thought she was wearing. I didn't grab her shoe because knowing her I'd figured that she had just changed her shoes again. As we're getting out of the car, out steps Alys with two different shoes on. Dad was obviously embarrassed. It still makes me laugh, I wish I had a picture.

Memorial Day

2008-06-03T10:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm a little behind on what we've been up to. For Memorial Day weekend we spent some fun time in the mountains in a small town called Cascade. My parents have a house near the lake where we all hung out and had some fun. The original plan was to go camping, but it was a rainy weekend. Some of my family members and their children were able to come which made for more festivities. We all had a great time. I think we all brought enough food to feed an army. I don't know why but we always seem to overpack! I feel like we're packing the family for a week long vacation in Europe or something when we're actually only about 2hrs from home and only gone for a couple of days. No complaints though, we had fun watching movies, playing games, and even got in a little baseball game with the kids. We enjoy going to the mountains and taking in all the beauty that God has created for us to enjoy. It's even better when you're surrounded by family. We look forward to more adventures in Idaho!

Happy Birthday Alys!

2008-05-19T20:26:00.000-07:00

Wow! Our little girl is 4. We love her to death and she is definitely a girly girl. She had a great time for her birthday. I think she missed some of her friends, but enjoyed having her grandparents and some of her cousins over to celebrate with us. This year her choice of cake was a castle. She loves to dress up like a princess and her favorite right now is Cinderella. Alys loved all of her gifts and wanted to play with/use them right away. I just love to watch how excited the kids get over such small things. To see there face light up is priceless! Thanks for bringing so much love and joy to our home. Happy Birthday Alys!

The Castle

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

2008-05-11T18:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful mothers!

We Have Arrived!

2008-05-11T18:25:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally made it to Idaho! We've been here for almost two weeks and are almost settled in. It was a loooong trip but the kids and the dog were real troopers. Even Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa made it through without too much stress. I think the only things we suffered from were TBS (tired butt syndrome) and movie withdrawals. Thank goodness for those portable DVD players! The drive without them could have been quite crazy. It even took a couple of days before we got our first "Are we in Idaho yet?" Ethan and Alys also had a great time taking turns riding in the rental truck with Dad and Grandpa. Our journey took us through a few states...we left Texas and headed for Oklahoma. The following day we hit Colorado, then Kansas, Wyoming, Utah and on up to Idaho. Anyway, we're glad to be here and everyone's enjoy the much needed space of our new home. The kids want to go see their cousins everyday and are enjoying the weather and playing outside. Woody's trying to get the kinks worked out at the office and I'm trying to get us all back to a routine. We miss our friends and family in Texas and hope ya'll are doing well! Lots of love!

And We're Oughtta Here!

2008-04-25T06:28:00.000-07:00

So long Texas and all of our good friends. We are almost packed and ready to go. We'll be making the big trek on Saturday and hope to arrive at our new home early next week. Until then...bonjour, adios, goodbye, hasta la vista!

The Big Move

2008-04-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

Well, the week of our big move is finally here. I'm excited and not excited at the same time! Excited because I've been trying to get out of Texas since I got here but not excited about packing! I do have some dear friends that I will miss too! I'm thinking that I should have played the lottery to win some money. Then I could be sipping virgin pina coladas while I watch somebody else pack and move my stuff! However, since I don't play the lottery and probably wouldn't even know how I guess it's left up to me. I know it will all be worth it; it's just the getting there that stinks! Meridian Idaho is our destination and soon to be home sweet home.

A Good Example

2008-04-11T20:19:00.000-07:00

The day following our severe thunderstorms as I took Ethan to school we saw the wrath of the storm and what it left behind. We talked about it a little bit and Ethan realized that there was a lot to clean up. He asked if we could help the people clean up their trees that lay in their yards. I didn't realize how serious he was until he asked me again after school. He was ready to put on his goggles and Lowes apron and go help...right now. In his words, " We'll get our goggles and aprons on and we'll help clean up one yard and then we'll go to the next until it's all cleaned up." I'm so proud of him and his desire to help others. Unfortunately, with three small kids it's not that easy to just drop everything and go help. So we've tried to come up with ways that we can help them. Because we don't have the tools or muscle to move these tree limbs out of their yard I've promised Ethan that as soon as we see people out working to remove the trees we will go help unless we come up with a better idea. Thanks Ethan for being such a great example!

Don't Mess with Texas

2008-04-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, in Texas, we are fortunate enough to experience the forces of nature. NOT! It is the season of thunderstorms and tornados and very early Thursday morning was no exception. Now when I first moved to Texas my experience with severe thunderstorms like this and tornados was nil. I remember sitting at work and experiencing my first Tornado Warning. If you can picture a "deer in headlights" saying "What?" "Excuse me!" Fortunately, over the years I have learned more about them and some safety tips. Thursday morning around 330am I was awakened by some rain and very strong winds. The weather man had indicated we had a chance of some severe weather in the middle of the night. I knew when I heard the wind blowing that this was a little different than just a severe thunderstorm. I woke Woody up and we looked outside to see pouring rain, heavy winds and constant lightning. Shortly thereafter we heard the tornado sirens going off, which means take cover. Yippee! So we gathered the kids and went to the bathroom with pillows and a mattress. The power had gone out so we lit a candle and waited it out in the bathroom. Needless to say it was a looooong night! I don't know what time it was when we finally got back to sleep. I am grateful that everything at our house was all right, including our dog Sage who weathered the storm. I know that our Heavenly Father was watching over us. We've seen lots of damage nearby from tree limbs snapped off, trees split in half or uprooted and even parts of buildings torn off or wrapped around other things. Here's a picture of some of our neighbors down the street with large trees branches in their yards. Ya know, they say everything is bigger in Texas. Well Texas, you can have your tornados...I won't miss you when I'm gone!

Construction 101

2008-04-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

Recently I started packing in preparation for our move. Believe it or not I do actually have some boxes packed! We needed to get some paper to wrap the breakables in and Woody brought home this big box that also had some large padded pieces of paper. They are probably used for protecting fancy artwork, which we don't have. :) So, Benjamin found another use for it...building his first home. He had so much fun rolling around in it and hiding underneath it. I couldn't help but to chuckle and think of a homeless person making their home out of paper or boxes. Surely he doesn't think he's homeless at the age of 2 because we're moving!? He's such an explorer.

The Dos and Don'ts of Fashion

2008-04-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

Alys is the only girl in the family and is very much a girly girl. As a Mom, I've always wondered how much of girly girl she would be having two brothers around. She loves to dress up and changes her clothes all time! If this is a sign of what's to come...I'm in trouble since she's not even quite 4 yet. Anyway, I didn't actually realize how fashionable she was until one day when we went to the store. It was Alys, Benjamin and I. After dropping Ethan off at school I stopped at Target to get some items. I had gone to the gym that morning before they got up and had not had the time to shower and change yet. Thus, I was still in my workout attire. As we got out of the car Alys informed me that I could not go into the store looking like I was. My T-shirt was not something to wear into the store. Little did I know that going to the store in my workout clothes was a fashion don't. Now here's how Alys looks when we go to the store.

How the West was Won

2008-03-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took some photos of a friend and her family. I have a box that I put some of my props in and the kids decided to check it out. This is really "How the West was Won." They look like some rough characters, but they're also as sweet as apple pie.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-25T19:03:00.000-07:00

Egg coloring, egg hunting, chocolate bunnies, family dinner and little peeps filled up our week. We all had fun as we prepared for Easter. This was Benjamin's first real chance at coloring eggs and he dove right in. We probably would've had a colored table had we not been watching him at all times. They all put their unique touches on their eggs and couldn't wait to go find them.

We had our easter egg hunt Sunday morning before getting ready for church. Ethan and Alys went lickity split before we could get out the door, but they were kind enought to point Benjamin in the right direction and well, sometimes just hand him the egg. They were all excited to find not only candy in their Easter eggs, but quarters as well. That evening Woody's family came over for dinner. It was a fun time and nice to relax and enjoy each other's company. It's probably one of the last times we'll be able to get together before we move. Thanks for a great Easter week everyone!

The Best Moments

2008-03-25T18:48:00.000-07:00

Ya know, on occasion, there are those moments where as a Mom you feel nothing but joy as you watch your children play happily and peacefully together. Sometimes it doesn't feel like it happens often enough but nonetheless they are rewarding moments.

Then, there's those sweet moments, captured on video or camera that say it all....

St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

It's a busy week filled with all kinds of holidays, spring break, and routine activities. So, we've been trying to do some holiday things. Since Monday was St. Patrick's Day there's no better way to start the day than with some green pancakes and green milk. At first I think the kids thought that Mom was crazy, but they were all gone when breakfast was over.

Since it was Monday that also meant it was family home evening night and Mom had the treat. So I had the kids help me and we made some yummy easter egg nest cookies to eat. Ethan and Alys had fun mixing stuff up and plopping their cookies onto the cookie sheet. They each got to choose which color they wanted to make. Little Benjamin was still sleeping at the time so he missed out on helping make them. I guess it didn't matter much because when it came time for treat all he ate was the chocolate egg. Anyway, we had a fun time and have some other activities planned for Easter coming up this weekend. Looks like it will be busy! Hope you all had a great St. Patty's Day!

Home Sweet Home

2008-03-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I flew to Idaho in search of our new home. After weeks of searching Craig's List and looking at several property management companies, I had my stack of homes I was going to go see. I was kid-free, thanks to my sweet husband, which was kind of unusual! I should've scheduled a massage, manicure, shopping, etc. The thought did cross my mind! My mom and I set out Friday in search of our new home. I remember the days when I had no kids, no dog, and no husband; looking for a house then was easy. However, with all of the above it made the trail a little harder. Needless to say, after driving around the Boise valley and listening to the promptings I (and a little bit of Woody) decided this was the house. I'm so excited to have a bit bigger house again. We will all be able to have some space again. It's also comforting to know we have a house to go to when the U-Haul drives into town. There's also enough room to have visitors so if you feel the need to get away and relax come visit us in Meridian after May!

Crrraaaaazy Weather!

2008-03-05T19:10:00.000-08:00

Just another crazy day in Texas! This is one thing I will not miss about Texas is the crazy weather! Early in the week we had some warm temperatures, probably in the 70's. Then I heard on the news there would be heavy rains with a chance of snow by Wednesday night. What?! Are you nuts...it's March. If you live in Texas you know the weather is unpredictable, there's a saying I've heard many times that goes something like this..."If you don't like the weather wait a while, it will change." Sure enough, the weatherman was right. By evening it started to snow. Today, back to 70. Stay tuned...who knows what tomorrow will bring.

Random Thoughts

2008-03-03T21:08:00.000-08:00

Well, it feels like it will be a crazy week. I'm trying to gather information on housing before going to Idaho this weekend to find our new home. Oh, I also have to take care of the household! So, I'm just trying to get organized, somehow. As I think about different things and how to go about it I think my kids have summed it up a few times with their random thoughts. As I was taking Ethan to school last week, we walked out the door and he said, "My brain hurts." I said, "You mean your head hurts?" "No, when I go outside and it's bright my brains hurts" said Ethan. Today, I was talking with Alys and asked her is she was tired (she hadn't had a nap). Alys replied, "No...I'm crazy." Well, you know kids, mom's brain hurts quite often, especially right about now and often feel like I've gone crazy! You just never know what's going on in the mind of a child.

Mischief Anyone?

2008-02-27T19:25:00.000-08:00

Where do I begin.... I believe there is usually one child in the family who is all about mischief and right now in our family, it appears to be our sweet little Benjamin. While he is the most loveable little boy he also likes to "explore" if you will and drive Mom nuts! Today was one of those days. Now I must admit, I wasn't the happiest Mom today (still trying to figure that out) but it was one thing after another. For starters...the kids and I were outside painting and playing. I was playing and they were painting. Just kidding! I was trying to finish some touch-up painting to the house while they were playing. To set the stage...we have a dog, named Sage, and she has a potty spot in the back corner of the yard which has sand and flat bricks around it. Unfortunately, Sage is not the only one attracted to this spot! Yes, you guessed it, while I'm on the step stool painting, Benjamin sneaks off to the potty pit. He likes to play in the sand. So, I go chase him out and try to explain to a two-year-old he can't play there. He then wanders off a little towards brother and sister. He did this a few times and knew he was in trouble when Mom got off the step stool and starts running. As time goes on, Ethan and Alys had been rolling the trash cans around and next thing I know, Benjamin is rolling the empty trash can over to the potty pit. Here we go again...as Benjamin sees Mom coming, the trash can has fallen over so what does he do? He climbs in it to try and hide! I must say, while I'm almost at my wits end, I couldn't help but laugh at the same time. At 3 we had him out of the trash can, in trouble again. Meanwhile, I still can't get my painting done. We do have peace for about 30 minutes or so. I had moved to working on the back door and was just inside the house. I had opened the paint can outside and set the lid upon this mini-fridge we have just outside the door and thought things would be fine. The kids were in and out, but I was right there. I mean c'mon...what could possibly go wrong now? Oh yes, I hear this "Mom, Benjamin's got the paint stick and lid and he's got paint on himself." Aarrrrgggghh! I couldn't believe it. So, we cleaned up and I was ready for bedtime! I'm almost sure he tried a little dirt today too. After all this action, I am happy to report that we all made it through the rest of the evening without killing each other and now I hear those nice, quiet sounds of sleeping children. All this so we can start over and do it all again tomorrow. And just in case you were wondering, and I know you were, our children do have real toys to play with. Who knows, maybe next week we'll try dumpster diving. Just kidding! Ya gotta love it; it's just been one of those days.

Little Known Facts about the Sun

2008-02-26T20:55:00.000-08:00

On Monday for Treyschool/Kinderschool we talked about the sun. I wanted to share some simple facts about the sun with the kids and I decided I would ask them what they thought the answers were. Here's what Alys and Trey had to say during their science lecture about the sun:

Q: What is the sun made of?

Alys - "Orange, blue and yellow."

Trey - "Orange and popcorn.

Q: How big is the sun?

Alys - "This big!"

Trey - "This big!"

Q: How heavy is the sun?

Alys - "Hmmmm?"

Trey - "Cotton ball."

Q: How hot is the sun?

Alys - "Really, really, really, really hot."

Trey - "Ouch hot!"

Q: How old is the sun?

Alys - "10"

Trey - "4"

It's always nice to know that they learn something! Now that we've heard from our experts, I'm sure you know a little more about the sun now than you did before. But did you know the sun is really a star?

The Land of Make Believe?!

2008-02-26T20:29:00.000-08:00

A few days ago things were going well...I was getting some things done and enjoying the fact that my kids were getting along. Benjamin was playing by himself with the trains, which he loves to do. Ethan and Alys were pretending and sounded like they were having a good time. I decided to check in and see what they were really doing. Much to my surprise...today's theme included dress up and there stood Ethan in a purple princess dress! We both thought it was funny for about 10 seconds. However, as a Mom, I couldn't resist a picture which I'm sure will come in handy in about 10-15 years! :)

Happy Birthday Woody!

2008-02-19T14:06:00.000-08:00

Woody's birthday was yesterday and we had a few celebrations to remember it. On Saturday, we had a Wii little tournament with some of Woody's family members. We all had our Miis and had a Wii bit of fun...those of you who have this console understand. We had two tournaments with a single elimination. The winner of our sports tournament was none other than Bryan, winning by a homerun against Claire in a few innings of baseball. In our Brain Academy tournament, Woody beat me by a hare. (I think we had a little bit of an edge because we've played it before.) Ethan was right in there with the pack trying to compete and have fun. The Honorable mention however goes to Amy in a game of bowling. She not only almost scored a strike, but almost struck out the TV! It is true...those Wii controllers do fly! WE LOVE YOU AMY! I hope your leg is okay. The fun also included some yummy brisket, baked beans and lemon cheesecake.

The kids and I had a mini celebration yesterday so that we could give him our gifts. I must say I got lazy for this one and bought a cake, but did make one of his favorite meals; meatloaf and baked potato. The kids enjoyed celebrating Dad's birthday and I think Woody enjoyed it too. It's hard to believe how fast the years go by. You're how old Woody? We love you!

A Day Full of Love

2008-02-15T19:49:00.000-08:00

This year Valentine's Day was a full one, but definitely one full of love. We started our day with some Valentine pancakes and raspberry jam. That was yummy! Then we whisked Ethan off to school. He was excited as his school was having their Valentine's party. Needless to say he returned home with a bag full of sweet cards and candies. Alys & Benjamin also had school that day here at the house with Trey. We had fun making Valentines, eating red Jell-O and talking about the things that we love. While the kids napped I worked on my Valentine projects (why isn't there ever enough time in a day). Once we returned home the kids received their Valentines from Mom & Dad. A few sweets are always a big hit and they also received some coupons that they can turn in for storytime with Mom or Dad, a favorite movie or game, favorite meal, etc. As you can see they enjoyed it and it was great to see the joy on their face and hearing them share words of "Happy Valentine's Day" to each other.

That evening, Wendy came to watch the kids and Woody and I had a few hours to spend together. We went to this little Italian restaurant in Bedford called Cafe Sicilia. We've dined there before and absolutely love it. I would highly recommend it to anyone. The food is wonderful, the people are real nice and it's just a quaint little place. After dinner, we should have gone jogging but we went to the movies. I don't remember the last time we did that (where I didn't fall asleep). We watched National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Woody also gave me some beautiful red roses. As we returned home to our family it was wonderful to reflect on those things that we love about each other and our little ones. I'm grateful for their sweet little spirits and the opportunity I have to watch them grow. I'm also thankful for a loving husband who works hard for me and our family and for the moments we are able to share together. I couldn't have asked for a better Valentine's Day than being surrounded by those that I love. I hope that all of you felt loved on this special day because if you're reading this, then you are.