Snowy Fun

As with most of Utah we have had quite a bit of snow as of late. The kids put it to use today and with the help of dad built a snowman.

Christmas at our house

Thought I should post since it's been awhile. I ended up not having to work on Christmas Eve, which was great! The kids enjoyed their Christmas, it was after 7 before they all got up. I think I was up before any of the kids! Joseph always laughs at me because I don't ever sleep well, and tend to be a little kid myself.

doctor visit

Yesterday I had an appointment with the neuro-opthamologist again. My vision and nerves are stable. It still shocks me at how different their office is than when I first remember it. It is also really neat to be able to see the 3D stuff too. Up until about two visits ago it was all just flat. I'm still having a few headaches, but can control them pretty well, so we are just leaving my regimen for now and keep an eye on any signs of increasing pressure. She says she is always amazed that I can see as well as I do when my nerves look so bad. I don't need to go back for a year - the longest span yet.

"I've never felt so clean"

Andrew's baptism was this past Saturday. Everything went well. Andrew asked his Gma B and BJ to give the talks, and he asked me to sing a musical number. I made Alex sing with me. I'm not sure how well we did, but Andrew said he liked it so I guess that's all that really matters. Andrew was really excited and very anxious for the baptism. We kept him pretty busy up until it was time to go, so he didn't have too much time to think about it. He told his Aunt as we were leaving that he never felt so clean before - hence the title. I seem to remember that same feeling. Thanks to everyone who helped with the program, it is greatly appreciated!

Joseph

1. Where did you meet? I was roommates with his sister and he came to the apartment to get a hat before a football game.

2. How long did you date before you got married? he started hanging around our apartment a lot after we first met, a month later my date for preference fell through so I asked him, 2 months later we were engaged and 6 months later we were married. I don't recommend the long engagement.

3. How long have you been married? 10 1/2 years

4. What is your favorite feature of his? His chest - it feels like the safest place in the world to me.

5. What is your favorite quality of his? Love - his absolute ability to love others and be able to show it.

6. Does he have a nickname for you? honey, hon

7. What is his favorite color?Blue

8. What is his favorite food? roast beef and m&m's

9. What is his favorite sport? to play - basketball/ to watch -football

10. When and where was your first kiss? it was Dec 1996 in the kitchen of my BYU apartment

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? We don't have much couple time but I really miss taking long walks with him like we did when we were dating/newlyweds

12. Do you have any kids? 5

13. Does he have a hidden talent? He can cook, I always knew he could a little, but a few months ago I found out that he had considered becoming a chef, he says he doesn't cook though because he likes how I cook.

14. How old is he? 35

15. Who said "I love you" first? I believe he did, though I don't remember much about it now.

16. What is his favorite type of music? I guess I'd say rock, in most of it variations, old, 70's, alternative etc. He's not a fan of hard rock though. He also has a thing for reggae, at least he used to.

17. What do you admire most about him? This is a really hard question for me as it's hard to pin point. I guess I'd say his ability to prioritize. He puts what matters most first. His family, the gospel, etc. He's not afraid to stand up for what's right and for what he believes in. I NEVER doubt that he will ALWAYS be there for me and our kids.

Bobcat

Andrew received his bobcat award at pack meeting last night. He earned it in about a day - the product of having den leaders for parents for the last two years. The exciting thing to me was that all of our newly acquired cub scouts received their bobcat awards yesterday. What a difference to have active supporting parents! It was a really fun pack meeting, the cubmaster made marshmallow shooter kits for all the boys to put together and then had a turkey shoot. BJ placed 2nd and Andrew placed 4th after a shoot-off.

It's great to be eight

Andrew's birthday was Friday. He really enjoyed being the center of attention. He got a lot of things he really liked and was excited about his cake. It was fun decorating it and he enjoyed watching me do it. He decided to have breakfast burritos for his special dinner. He will be having a friend party this Saturday. On December 6th he will get baptized. It's makes for lots of busy weeks for mom, but he really does appreciate it all which make it all worth it!

Grateful quiz

Rules for this game. You will be given two choices of things you may or may not be grateful for. Choose the one which you are more grateful. You must choose one, no neither or both answers acceptable. If needed or desired, you may explain your choice.
Enjoy.Which are you more grateful for?

Ghirardelli or Guittard? Guittard. I don't really like either one, I'm more a Hershey's person.
Morning or Evening? Evening. I'm definitely a night person after 4 1/2 years of graveyards!
Bagels or muffins? Muffins - tough one, but I tend to eat muffins more nowadays.
Computers or Cell Phones? Computers. They do so much more.
Cotton or Polyester? Cotton. Nothing beats a t-shirt and jeans!
Tennis or Bowling? Bowling. I've always wanted to learn tennis, but with my vision losses I don't know that it's possible anymore.
TV or Radio? I think I'd have to say radio, I'm addicted to music and can't get much done without it.
Military or Police Force? Military, where would we be without those guys?
Electricity or Plumbing? Plumbing for sure.
Spiders or Snakes? Snakes, I hate spiders.
Elementary teachers or high school teachers? Elementary teachers. I was definitely more attached to my elementary teachers.
Books or Magazines? Definitely books, so much more to learn and be entertained with.
Money or Time? I'd have to say money. I don't have a lot of either right now that isn't spoken for and money seems to be more of an issue.
Pumpkin or Pecan pie? Pecan, although I could leave the nuts and crust and just eat the filling!
Summer or Winter? Summer for sure as long as there is a pool!
Sewing machine or Washing machine? sewing machine, I think it'd be much more tedious to handsew clothes than to handwash them!
Board games or card games? card games I have very fond memories of card games, also it's easier to do card games with large amounts of people.
Mountain or Beach? Beach sun and water, whats not to love?
Spring or Fall? Fall, I think this one is tough, but I do love the fall leaves, and all the harvest goodness!
Christmas or Thanksgiving? Christmas, the lights the music, the decorations.
Blogging or Facebook? Since I don't use facebook, blogging.
Chili's or Applebees? Chili's - don't usually get to go to either but I seem to like more at chili's
Carpet or Hardwood? Hardwood, It's lasting beauty that's easy to clean.
Dishwasher or Microwave? microwave - it's really hard to imagine life without a microwave and I've lived without a dishwasher many times.
Boston or Las Vegas? Boston - I've never been a fan of Las Vegas, and I wouldn't have to worry about what my kids were reading or seeing on billboards or signs in Boston! I'm also fond of history and Boston would be a great place for history.
Ballet or Baseball? Ballet - I've never been to one, but if given the option to go to one or the other I'd pick the ballet.
Mashed potatoes or Candied yams? Mashed Potatoes for sure.
Milk or Juice? Milk
Lincoln or Washington? Washington. This was a really tough one, and I don't know that I could really choose, but I agree with A Barbara, we might not have even had the chance for Lincoln without Washington.
Homemade or Store bought? Homemade, growing up we always wanted store bought, we didn't realize how lucky we were! I think most homemade things are become lost works of art.

for Fun

I'm with you Sandy, I love these things. I'm not such a fan of filling them out, but definitely love reading them, you get to know a lot about people!

You can only type ONE Word! Not as easy as you might think. Change the answers to suit you and pass it on. It's really hard to only use one word answers.
1. Where is your cell phone? pocket
2. Where is your significant other? Florida
3. Your hair? messy
4. Your mother? creative
5. Your father? wise
6. Your favorite thing? music
7. Your dream last night? unknown
8. Your favorite drink? milk
9. Your dream/goal? bakery
10. The room you're in? kitchen
11. Your hobby? crafting
12. Your fear? spiders
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? stable
14. Where were you last night? in-laws
15. What you're not? neat
16. Muffins? yum
17. One of your wish list items? camera
18. Where you grew up? Texas
19. The last thing you did? childcare
20. What are you wearing? pink
21. Your TV? old
22. Your pets? two
23. Your computer? Dell
24. Your life? busy
25. Your mood? overwhelmed
26. Missing someone? definitely
27. Your car? big
28. Something you're not wearing? shoes
29. Favorite store? Wal-Mart
30. Your summer? fast
31. Like someone? Joseph
32. Your favorite color? green
33. When is the last time you laughed? yesterday
34. Who will retake this? debatable

Last but not Least

I apparently maxed my picture space so here's Will on Halloween and his escapades since. That's a W on his forehead in the picture with Alex. And in case you aren't able to tell BJ designed the pumpkin on the left - it's a light saber and Harry Potter's wand.

Trick or Treat

The kids had a fun time for Halloween. They got way too much candy and we had way too much left over!

50 Odd Things

I was sent this by my sister-in-law and thought maybe more would like to see, it's just kind of fun. Feel free to copy and paste adding your own answers, I look forward to seeing some!

ODD Things about you! FILL IT OUT!Learn things about your friends, and let them learn about you!Make sure you send it back to the person who sent it to you!
1) Do you like blue cheese? yes
2) Have you ever smoked marijuana? No
3) Do you own a gun? No
4) What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? always get a cherry slush
5) Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? a little-I'm always a little worried about if I should really be there.
6) What do you think of hot dogs? only if they're grilled on a fire and then not very often
7) Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night, I remember some guy singing it in church as a kid and loved it, haven't heard a rendition yet that could match up.
8) What do you prefer to drink in the morning? usually milk
9) Can you do push ups? barely
10) Can you do a chin up? never have been able to
11) What's your favorite piece of jewelry? my wedding ring
12) Favorite hobby? What's a hobby? Does that require time?
14) Do you have A.D.D.? nope
15) What's one trait that you hate about yourself? I'm a mild hoarder
16) Middle name? none
17) Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? Need to find costumes for the kids, trying to figure out dinner and wondering what all the kids are doing
18) Name 3 things you bought yesterday: cheese, bananas, diapers
19) Current worry? money
20) Current hate right now? kids not putting things back where they belong or worse, moving things so I don't know where they are!
21) How did you ring in the New Year? At home
22) Where would you like to go back to visit? San Antonio, San Diego, New York to see my sis!23) Name three people who will complete this?
24) Do you own slippers? Yes, pink ones my baby loves to chew on
25) What shirt are you wearing? t-shirt with pink/yellow/orange/white stripes
26) Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Never tried it, but I would think it would be too cold
27) Can you whistle? Yes
28) Favorite color? green
29) Would you be a pirate? nope
30) What songs do you sing in the shower? The shower is my quiet time
31) Favorite girl's name? Madeline
32) Favorite boy's name? Kelley, but Joseph would never go for it
33) What's in your pocket? zilch
34) Last thing that made you laugh? Joseph saying something funny, can't remember what
35) Best bed sheets as a child? couldn't tell ya!
36) Worst injury you've ever had? my most memorable is kneeling on a piece of aluminum as a kid and having to get stitches
37) Do you love where you live? yes and no, I wish I could put all my remodeling plans into action, but alas, no funds
38) How many TVs do you have in your house? 2
39) Who is your loudest friend? Probably Lori :)
40) How many dogs do you have? 1
41) How many cats do you have? 0
42) Does someone have a crush on you? My husband better!
43) What is your favorite book? I'd have to say Breaking Dawn, I've read it numerous times now 44) What is your favorite candy? chocolate covered cherries
45) Favorite Sports Team? don't have one
46) What song do you want played at your funeral? I know that my Redeemer Lives, and I Need Thee Every Hour
47) What were you doing at midnight last night? sleeping
48) First thing you thought about when you woke up? What time is it?
49) Favorite Bath and Body fragrance? It's been a really long time, I don't know
50) Favorite childhood memory? playing card games around the big dining room table

For my Brother and Son

I was talking to Jared on the phone last night, and he got after me for not posting in a while. So here you go Jared. We haven't been doing much lately. School and work that's about it. That would be why I haven't posted in a while. I have been working on getting our house in order. Anyone have suggestions for decluttering for a hoarder? I just can't seem to get rid of most things, I am a very sentimental person.

On a happier note, Andrew the other day used some flavored tootsie rolls and made a little creation out of them. He was really excited about it and wanted me to take a picture and blog about it. So here is the picture of Andrew with his little creation. He had just as much fun eating it as he did making it. The best kind of project!

Tag

I don't have an 8th picture in my 10th folder, and you can see my tenth folder below where Will is just starting to walk. So - here is my 8th picture in my 11th folder. It is just after Will got his first haircut. And as for who I'm tagging, if you're reading this and haven't done it consider yourself tagged! (rules are to post the 8th picture in your 10th folder)

Growing Up Too Fast

Saturday was William's first birthday. I have a hard time believing he is one already! He didn't quite get opening presents, but sure loved what was in them. The older kids loved them too, it's amazing how fascinated they are with "baby" toys! I went a bit overboard on the cake - don't know that we can finish it even if we eat it every night for a week! I was yummy though. I don't know what possessed me to make it so big, but it was a good experience and has only fueled my desire to take cake decorating classes. I don't like the idea of my baby growing up! In many ways I wish he would just stay a baby! As president Monson said the one constant is change and I've vowed to enjoy the now more, so I will enjoy his discoveries with him and his triumphs when he walks the whole room without falling, and treasure them and store them up in my memories. Now I'm just getting sappy and teary so I'll stop. Enjoy the pictures!

On the Move

William has started walking! He practices a lot and all the older kids get really excited anytime he walks. He doesn't last long yet, and still prefers to crawl but he is getting there! Sorry I couldn't figure out how to flip it. Also here is a fun pix of Will and his latest escapade.

I Did It

I've been wanting to attempt canning for many years now. Then we moved to Brigham, right next to a bunch of farms and all the fresh produce. This year I finally did it. We went to Perry (the rinky dink town next to our small one. I'll get into that some other time.) and bought a bushel of peaches. That's about 48 pounds to give you a better idea. They sat in the kitchen for the next few days, as Will got sick one of those days. Weds I made freezer jam, and then Thurs I buckled down and with Joseph's help canned the rest. They all appear to be sealed, although it looks like I didn't pack the peaches in quite enough. Not too bad for a first try though! I made 11 pints of freezer jam and 21 quarts of canned peaches. We also enjoyed eating quite a few of the fresh peaches. We only lost approx 10 peaches out of the whole bushel. Not bad. In the future I hope to plant a few peach trees in our backyard, making this process even cheaper! Next year we will also plant lots more tomatoes and make some tomato sauce to can. If you wnat a good website see www.pickyourown.org. They have instructions for canning just about anything you could ever think of and more.

The onion fields should be ready to be gleaned soon, so we should get a bunch of free onions soon. Our contact for cheap potatoes (50 lbs for $10) just got sent to Florida so we'll see if we can time it right to go up the canyon towards Logan and get those. This guy just fills a semi with 50 lb bags and does an honor system thing, you leave your $10 and take your bag. It is nice living in a small town where honor systems still work!

Peach Days

This was our second year here in Brigham where we got to attend at least a portion of peach days. Last year I was so sick and hugely pregnant that I didn't go. This year we had to be in Salt Lake early Sat afternoon so we missed out on everything but half of Saturdays big parade. I have yet to travel down "fruit way" to get a bunch of peaches. Maybe tonight. This year BJ got to participate in both the JR parade Fri night and the big parade Sat morning. He was with the local cub scouts. They carry all 50 state flags in addition to the US, and troop flag. He was carrying New York both times. Andrew got to ride with the elementary school Fri night and Alex with the Future Rockettes. After the parade Friday we went downtown to all the activities. We ate downtown and then just walked around. Next year we'll know how to do some things differently and be able to enjoy more of the activities.

The kids are kind of hard to see. BJ is in the far side of the picture with the white shoes. Andrew is in the middle of the picture with the red helmet. He was having to focus really hard to not hit anyone with his bike because they were moving so slowly.

Dancing

We signed Alex up to be a future Rockette (the Rockettes are the dance team at the high school). We figured it would be a good way to let her try something new without too much expense on our part. She loved it. She was a little nervous about performing, but when it came down to it didn't even think about it and had fun. It was kind of funny to watch as it was a group of 3-5 year olds, so they didn't exactly know what they were doing, but they all had fun. Maybe we'll think about putting her in some sort of dance lessons. Who knows.

My Big Three Year Old

So Fri was Parker's 3rd birthday he had a blast. He wanted a blue cake with white frosting. I can't believe how big he is getting and at the same time I can.

First day of School

I realize I am quite far behind in posting so there will be a couple today. the kids all started school on Monday this week. They were all very excited. Alex is in afternoon kindergarten and asked repeatedly all morning if it was time to go yet. The next day she only asked twice and yesterday she only asked once. The first day, she about leaped out of the car as soon as we got there. She is enjoying school, as I knew she would. The boys are enjoying school as well, BJ has made the transition smoothly, but Andrew is having a more difficult time. He always seems to take awhile to get into things no matter how much he wants to do them. We've already gotten into the same old ruts with trying to hurry the boys in the morning to get ready and out the door on time and convincing them to get lunches. Any great suggestions for getting kids more excited about bringing their own lunch?

The end of Summer

As I get ready to write this I realize I am not a good picture taker. We had a little "vacation" where we stayed home and ignored everything and just went out and had fun. We let each of the kids pick a place to go out to eat and then did little things around town or in Ogden. We started off with family movie night at home. Over the next few days we walked main street, went on the driving historical tour here in town, went to a playground, went to the BC pool with Autumn, met Grandma and Grandpa Bruner and Emily for lunch and played on the playground, did some needed school shopping for the boys, and a few other things I can't think of right now. The kids really enjoyed themselves. The next week was spent getting ready for school, we all had dentist appointments on Wed, and did Alex's shopping on Thurs. That was our exciting end to the summer.

Memory Tag

Here are the rules:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a lot or a little, just any memory you have.
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave memories for you.
If you leave a memory for me I'll assume you are playing and I'll leave a memory for you. If you don't have a blog I will email you.

Busy Times

July seemed to fly by. The older three got to go down to Salt Lake and spend time with their grandparents down there. The little boys and I joined them for one day and visited the state capital. It is a beautiful building. We were also privileged to have a visit with Grammy, Grandpa Lawrence and Janet. They stayed with us a few days and we had fun going to the Zoo and the Brigham City Museum and then the Brigham City Pool. I think that has been one of the kids favorites this summer. Too bad I didn't think to take pictures! Amongst all of this I decided to apply for a job as a school nurse, had an interview and a job offer and decided to decline it. It was a full time position and had many positives, but I just couldn't justify being away from Parker and William that long everyday. I had to work the 24th of July and on our way down (Joseph and the kids were going to play in Salt Lake), our car started overheating. We pulled over and it turns out our serpentine belt broke. Joseph's mom came and picked up me and the kids and then his dad came to help him. They put a new belt on, and figured out the air conditioning compressor was broken when the belt slipped off again. they had a nice construction worker help them put the belt on both times. Since then Joseph has replaced the thermostat and the water pump. We still need to get the air conditioner fixed, but aren't sure where to do that here in our little town without paying a fortune at the dealer.

Joseph and I celebrated our 11th anniversary this past week. We took the whole family and went to a little Mexican restaurant here in town after trying to go to two others that were closed. One out of business and one closed for the day. We then went to Wal-Mart and bought High School Musical 2 and some snacks and went home and enjoyed a quiet evening.

Lagoon

We were able to go to Lagoon with discounts from Joseph's work a few weeks ago. We had a fun time. The kids enjoyed themselves and Joseph and I figured out a few tricks for upcoming years. We lost our camera during the excursion, but thanks to some honest people it was at lost and found. We didn't lose any kids though so we feel we did ok. One of the favorites was the dancing fountain at the front of the park.