NE's Shopping List

Me: I need to go to the store. Do you want to come with me?

NE: What store are we going to? Walmart?

Me: Nope. I just need to run to the grocery store close to our home to get a couple things.

NE: I want to get some things at Walmart.

Me: Well, what do you want to get? Maybe we can get them at the grocery store.

NE: I want sandwiches and ham and hamburgers and butter and turkey and ham and five books. And are there snakes in there?

The Season

The kids participated in Lowe's Build & Grow workshop on Saturday. They built gingerbread houses, and had a ball!


Dad was planning to join us, but I insisted he just stay home (with the baby) and relax. He should have come. It was designed for children in grades 1 through 5, but I figured LL would be fine since she's in K, and I could help NE.

It was a little too advanced for a five year old, and WAY too difficult for a preschooler.

Maybe if we lived on a farm, and the kids were accustomed to building chicken coops and fences and out-houses, then they would have been fine. But, we live a life of luxury with our indoor plumbing and central heating system. Gratefully, some friends of ours were there, too, and they helped us out.

I'm really impressed with Lowe's. The kids each got their own work apron, safety goggles, and hammer, plus a certificate and patch to be sewn on the apron. These workshops are free! I think the kids will participate again--with both parents.


We have one deciduous tree in our yard. It has skinny leaves that sometimes slip right through the tines of the rake and the blades of the lawn mower. It doesn't really bother us, though. Where we get our "fun" is from our neighbor's trees. Last year we filled over 30 garbage bags with their leaves. (We live on just less than one-fifth of an acre, so I think that's pretty significant.) This year, we decided the time had come to purchase a leaf blower. Now, we just blow them back into our neighbor's yard. Just kidding! We really have the best neighbors ever!





We've had a little snow, which is rare for December here, but mostly we've had amazingly mild weather. Today it got up to 66 degrees! It felt like spring. Supposed to be freezing again tomorrow.

50's Day

All the kindergarten classes celebrated the 50th day of school by having 50's day. The children were encouraged to dress up. A friend let us borrow this Halloween outfit. LL had a ball! They had a bubble blowing contest with gum. They learned the twist. She came home wearing a "Rockin'" hat made with a paper record. I had to explain to all the children what an LP is. :-)
I had my doubts about sending our little girl to school this year. After watching her thrive and learn so quickly--and having her teacher literally beg me to let her stay in (she is one of the few well-behaved students)--we decided to let her stay. She is doing very well, and loves every day.

It's not all roses, of course. She is a little more clingy at home, I suppose because she isn't getting the same kind of love and acceptance at school. I'm not so naive to think she would be loved as much as I love her, but I wouldn't mind a little more positive environment for her first school experience. (was that a run-on?)

LL is almost always happy and positive and considerate. She doesn't like it when a sibling snatches her things. And she is all tears when she is tired. But for the most part, she reminds us what we love about life. She has a different viewpoint than most people. It is always interesting to hear her thoughts!

Webelos

ED is now in Webelos! He is 10! He told us that he actually feels different. D said he could expect that every ten years. Pretty significant! The weird part for me is being able to remember when my older brothers were Webelos. And now I have a son that age! He got a lot of awards at Pack Meeting last week. Always more fun when you get recognition.

We are very impressed with how kind and responsible our eldest chooses to be. He is a great big brother, and a good helper. He can clean a room (when he chooses) almost as quickly as his dad. :-)

Double Digits

We had the easiest friends' birthday party ever last Saturday. Eleven boys bowling, playing video games, eating pizza--two hours flew by!! I could hardly believe it was such a great success. Even the very novice bowlers enjoyed themselves. I had to bite my lip a few times, so I didn't full out laugh at some of the "performances".

One boy would grab his ball, run as fast as he could to the lane, then drop the ball straight down. I'm surprised he didn't smash his toes. Another (somewhat large) boy clumsily threw his ball with all he had half-way down the lane. I fully expected it to fall into the next lane over. Another boy refused to tie his bowling shoes.

The birthday boy got two strikes! I didn't catch either one on video, but here is a sampling of his "style".



For his class on Friday, I made camouflage cupcakes. Then for his family party, he picked out a Boston Creme cake. And for the friends' party he requested an ice cream cake. Talk about a sugar rush!! Birthdays are a big deal around here, and I'm pretty sure we overdid it. But ED was grateful. And they don't get friends' parties every year.

Catching Up

I've been neglecting the blog world lately due to an extra busy schedule, but I think I might just be back...

A couple weeks ago, I got to go to my family's Annual Girls Weekend. It was a blast! So great to get acquainted with our new sister-in-law, and reacquainted with the others. I didn't realize just how much I'd missed them until I was there. The last time I was able to attend was when ED was a baby. He will turn "the big one-oh" (as he calls it) on Saturday.

I remember my dad making a big deal of my 10th birthday. Double digits! I felt so important, and quite grown up. So, I've wanted to pass that along. We don't do friends parties every year, but turning double digits deserves a little more recognition. ED decided on a bowling party. It's going to be more expensive than other options, but it won't be at our house, and that fact alone makes it worth the extra expense! (And actually, it's quite a bit less expensive than other "fun" places.) The boys will eat pizza, play arcade games, and bowl, of course. All we have to do is show up with the cake and pay our money; the bowling alley will set up & clean up! ED's excited (and so am I, obviously)!

So, we made it through Halloween, but just barely. It's not the favorite holiday of the adults in our household. But, alas, we choose to go through pain for our children. For a couple years, I've wanted all the kids to dress up as bugs. This year the girls obliged. ED chose to be an exterminator. We modified the astronaut outfit to make him into Killer Small. All the girls had spots and antennae and wings. They were very cute! Unfortunately, you'll have to use your imagination because we didn't get any pictures.

This year, we painted our pumpkins.

















Even AE got into it. She was very intent. Of course, she tasted the paint, and ended up looking like a she got a really bad makeover with extra red lipstick!
In just a few minutes, the activity turned from meticulous painting to smothering the pumpkins in paint with both hands.

The Evolution of the Healing Thumb

A couple weeks ago, NE slammed her thumb in the back screen door--really hard! She had been crying anyway because I was making her come in, so it took a minute for me to realize that that's a real cry, not just whining!

She is one tough cookie. Of course, she didn't like it when Dad had to squeeze out the infection about a week after the event, but all in all has really been a trooper. There's still a bruise, but she doesn't seem to notice it at all anymore.

I wondered if this might cure her of her thumb-sucking habit, but she had no problem switching thumbs!

Just for you, Janet

Here is the fourth picture from the fourth folder in My Pictures:

From last January, nine month old AE. If I remember correctly, she was bouncing/dancing to some music during her mealtime. This isn't the best picture capturing that effect, but it's the fourth picture in the fourth folder, and those were the stipulations...

Family Hike

There is a park near us that has over 200 acres of mostly forested gorgeousness. We went exploring as a family for a couple hours the other day. It was a lot of fun! The kids all got along really well and went to bed happily exhausted that night. The weather was amazing for mid-October. Nearly all of us had shed our jackets within the first few minutes.

AM decided to wear her camo pants because then she'd blend in. Obviously, her older brother has rubbed off on her.

LL told her dad that if he saw any bugs, he needed to "die" them before they bit her. Then, because she just finished learning about fire safety at school, she told me (secretly in my ear) that she hopes our house doesn't "get fired" while we are gone. There are times I want to give our house the pink slip, but I'm pretty sure that's not what our five year old was talking about...

We came home with one of our backpacks filled with garbage the kids picked up along the way. ED even found a beer can. Oh, goody.

Family outings are great!
Exercise is great!
Autumn time is great!
Being secluded in nature is great!

Happy Fall!

Sacrifice, I Think

Tonight we were discussing the attributes of Christ. Many of the terms required definitions for the younger children.

The question was posed: "Who knows what 'sacrifice' means?"

LL (our barely five-year-old), who had been uncharacteristically silent thus far, started jumping up and down with her hand raised saying, "Oh! I know! I know what that means!" Of course she was called on. Unfortunately, neither Derrell nor I could hold in the laughter when she answered,

"Sacrifice is when you gather up all the bad guys, and throw them into some lava."

Our Favorite Four-letter Word

PASS

This is the result of Derrell's comprehensive exam.

PASS


PASS


PASS


This word could also be read as
RELIEF
GRATITUDE
SUCCESS
or HAPPINESS!!

Had he failed, his education would have been put back a year. Comprehensive exams are given only once a year, and you have to pass them before submitting the dissertation and completing the residency.

So...
All is well!
All is going according to plan.
This is somewhat of a surprise. Not that Derrell passed, because he worked too hard to fail, but that life is following a plan we made!

Tea Party for the Five Year Old

With her two older siblings, I was able to put off a "friends" party until age seven. Now that we aren't around cousins, though, I decided to give in to LL's pleas for a party. She chose the theme, and helped plan the whole thing. It was actually a great success!

Her checklist:

Wear dress-up dresses.

Eat tiny sandwiches and fruit.


Use tea cups.






Make parasols and top hats. (By this time, LL was partied out. I've now discovered that parties should be held in the morning.)









Open presents.

The "servers". AM invited a friend over to serve the guests. They dressed up, too, and had lots of fun!







A mother of one of the party-goers offered to stay and help. I couldn't have done it without her. In fact, I would have convinced LL to have her party away from the home if it wasn't for my friend "walking" me through the planning and carrying-out. Having a group of kids over for a couple hours shouldn't be that stressful, but it always is for me. I have other strengths, right? Thank you, Marcia!



And, then we had a family party after her requested meal of macaroni and cheese. Gourmet tastes, I know! If you'd like to click on the picture to enlarge it and admire the cake, I wouldn't mind. hee hee

Three Year Old Pictures

I have a hard time saying "no" to such cute pictures! Portrait Innovations is my new favorite place to spend more than I should...

Tropical Storm Hanna

When the storm was heading our way, we were planning for 60 mph winds and power outages for at least 24 hours. Gratefully it stayed east of us, so all we got was a bunch of really warm rain. Not much wind to speak of and no lightning. So, we let the kids play in the downpour. They had a blast!! I hope they made some lasting childhood memories.

Splashing in the "stream". There is only water there when it rains.

Woops! I forgot to flip these last two. Tilt your head. Interestingly, after messing around with his hair in the rain, ED thinks he looks pretty good with a Mohawk. So, he did it on purpose for school yesterday and today. At least it's not a mile high and shaved on the sides. Actually, we think he looks pretty cool, too!

So, I've been tagged

Well, I've seen similar things on other people's blogs, but have always secretly been glad to have escaped being "tagged". My luck ran out. And because I can't think of a good reason to ignore it, I'll participate. Thanks, Janet...

Really, I'm not upset. :-)

Rules: list 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 current goals, 3 current obsessions, and 3 random facts about yourself. Then tag at least 5 people at the end.

**Three Joys**
Being a mother.
Loving my husband.
Attending the temple.

**Three Fears**
Losing a child.
Not being "ready" when I die.
Forgetting something important.

**Three Current Goals**
Study the scriptures daily.
Get up 30 minutes before my children.
Eat healthily & exercise regularly.

**Three Current Obsessions**
Caressing my husband's ears. (not a surprise to some of you)
Rearranging the house.
Keeping the kitchen sink empty.

**Three Random Facts**
I do not like mushrooms.
We moved 18 times in 9 1/2 years.

I will tag Cara, Euroca, Marissa, Kelly and Kelly.
I climbed Mt. Sinai through the night to watch the sunrise from the top.

One more thanks

How could I forget to mention:
Thanks to David and Adria for some of the best laughs of the vacation! I'll just leave it at that because much more could be uncomfortable... :-)

Mini Report

Our road trip was a success! Yes, you read that right. Six full days of traveling really wasn't that bad. Tiring, yes, but not horrible. When we've talked about our vacation, we speak of wonderful family and friends and outings. If being stuck in the car for 70+ hours is what it takes to make such great memories, then so be it!

Thanks to Danny & Tammy for their work with the reunion. We had a blast! Wish we could have spent more time at your place. Thanks to my mom for doing loads and loads of laundry, and for lending us the master bedroom, and for making our stay so comfortable, and for loving us until our hearts (and eyes) overflowed. Thanks to Craig & Stacy and Brian & Deborah for adopting our son for a day. He had even more fun this time at Lagoon! Thanks to Marianne & Eric for coming to visit us in Springville so our kids could sleep. It would have been great to see all the changes to your house, but was greater to see you when we couldn't come to you. Thanks to LaDonna and Royce for the best pit stop of the trip; what a marvelous meal and uplifting company! We are sorry we missed the volleyball player!

We are so grateful we were able to see family. We strengthened relationships, and had a down right good time! The kids got reacquainted with their cousins.
It was hard to leave.

We were fortunate to visit with some dear friends.
There are a few friends that we regret we were unable to see.

Unfortunately, my camera batteries were dead for most of the Small gathering. I don't have nearly enough pictures of that side of the family! We are so thankful to Lyle and Sara for hosting us for a bit on our way back home. After the go-go-go in Utah, it was so therapeutic to just "land" for a couple days. The go-go-go is fun, of course, but quite tiring.

Whilst butchering, I mean pruning, their front tree, Lyle and Derrell
came across a huge caterpillar, and called us all out to inspect.

Surprises along the way:

~West Virginia is GORGEOUS! Mountains (the eastern US sort of mtns, which are hills compared to the Rockies) covered with trees. When we weren't near a city--which was most of the time in that state--there was practically no dirt to be seen. Green. Green. Green. Gorgeous. I wish I had a good picture to do it justice, but alas, if you haven't been there, you'll have to use your imagination with this shot.
~Kentucky ain't that bad, either.

~There are tributes to Lincoln in every state we traveled through: counties, roads, schools, etc. Not too surprising, I guess, but interesting, nonetheless.

~Kansas mysteriously gets wider every time Derrell drives through it. I'm sure it is filled with wonderful people and nice things, but we didn't see either. I think West Virginia shipped all their bare dirt to Kansas. Maybe we should live there to learn to appreciate it.

~When you (Derrell) really want to get somewhere, you can travel for 22 hours straight with a car full of people questioning your (Derrell's) sanity.


~Daddy's hat and Mommy's camera make for a highly entertained 3 yr old. I think this activity lasted almost an hour! Pose, peek-a-boo, pose, pretend to sleep, pose, giggle, pose, hide, pose...


~Those big wind turbines are really, really big up close! Especially exciting for ED who did a report on them last year.





~ED's family pie-eating contest (to fulfill a requirement for his Bear in Cub Scouts) was more fun than even he imagined! It has been said that this may just become a regular event at future gatherings. Here's the whole messy group.

~Time went by much too quickly. I don't know why that surprises me. It shouldn't. But there are so many activities that we wanted to do. We wish we could have gotten to Utah sooner to climb to the Y. We wish we could have found the time to take our children to the Mount Timpanogos temple where we were married. We wish we could have seen Glenn's business. We wish we could have had more energy to go to a midnight movie, or something else just as crazy. We wanted to go back up to Danny & Tammy's, but the schedule was all mixed up. We wish we could have traveled just a few more hours to see the O'Rullians and the Marrotts and my grandparents, too. We can't believe we weren't able to connect with Maren. We missed seeing the Neymans and Patrick & Erin and Marissa. It would have been great to see Brian and Deborah's new house. There isn't enough time for all the good things, is there? I think we'll just have to return as soon as possible.