the5thoms

Little messy buns on the side of her head.

2012-02-15T15:43:00.000-08:00

My love for blogging is severely lacking as of late. Bummer.

However, that is soooooo not the case with this gal.

Putting up her hair in little messy buns is almost magical to me. I adore them so much that even her whiiiiiiney moments aren't as bad as they could be with say.....a half up do ponytail with 2nd day curls.

And that ladies and gentlemen, is my contribution for today.

Thomas Holiday Montage...Christmas Eve

2012-01-09T22:12:00.000-08:00

Looking back the holidays were quite wonderful. Nothing over the top fantastic to report, just a lot of simple good 'ole family time together. I decided to step up my game a bit and really put some effort into making it a pleasant, delicious, and enjoyable for all ....holiday! I gotta admit, Kyle and I were high 'fivin all night long over the Christmas Eve meal we produced. Eveything from roasted turkey breast to homemade rolls and cranberry sauce, it turned out so good. I made myself close my eyes and bask in the current beauty of my life on Christmas Eve. All the kids were outside playing and I was alone in my sun filled kitchen all afternoon listening to every Christmas song ever made and cooking up a storm. It truly, was heavenly.

We got pretty serious about fun around our house. The Wii came downstairs for the big show!

I couldn't resist. I saw this idea on a blog and had to do it. Who doesn't love snow globes? I mean come on... especially ones with your kids in puffy coats and jingle bells?

BIG

HIT!

Jack left a note for Santa asking him to "sign at the bottom....anything you'd like, just so I can prove to my friends that you really ARE real."

Love the kids, the magic, the treats, the smiles, the fun.....

Tis the Season...

2011-12-21T21:55:00.000-08:00

Just a few reasons why this season is looking pretty fantastic: the boys are f-i-n-a-l-l-y out of school for winter break, my missing cell phone was miraculously found and returned before I begrudgingly went to purchase a new one, days ago..in the middle of "my cell phone is missing" angst, I went on a present wrapping tirade and got the job done, Kate's catching on to new words everyday and it's a complete hoot, my current favorite: fish/peesh ... AND I bit the bullet and bought an entire 1/2 gallon of heavy cream so I could make a bazillion recipes taste even better.....we are officially ready for the big day!

Merry Christmas!

Brody's big #5

2011-12-07T22:52:00.000-08:00

We've been counting down for weeks and it finally happened.....

His Birthday arrived....right on time.

"Mom, what's with the stripes?" ...snide comment from a very astute birthday boy whose mother was both well intentioned and ill prepared in the decorating department.

We did however come through on the GLOW golfing adventure...big hit. FYI: Tuesday evenings are a fantastic time to take a family of six who don't always remember to follow the rules of mini golf etiquette. Birthday Boy even made a 100% real hole in one and scored himself a free pass for a future outing....how 'bout that!

Well intentioned but ill prepared mom did come through on the cake this year. Birthday boy wanted the little Cars cake from the bakery...I didn't particularly feel like making one...it was a win win.

I absolutely and positively adore this boy. At times he has been my most difficult child to parent, stubborn and fiesty as can be with a mind all his own. However, that mind has come up with some of the funniest, craziest, kindest, and most clever moments that I'll treasure forever. Happy 5th birthday darling Brody..You Are Loved!

Thanksgiving in pictures....

2011-12-02T15:00:00.000-08:00

See-ins that I already kick boxed this morning when I didn't really feel like it AND cleaned out my dirty oven, I thought I'd complete my Tri-Fecta of Awesomeness and actually write a blog post.

Thanksgiving 2011

Cute cousins playing loud games....

My 3 handsome, hilarious, and talented brothers...

Lots of inside cousin jokes...

My baby holding a baby...

Gramma Jan getting the gravy going....

We had a cousin talent show complete with violin, viola, and piano pieces, song numbers, and lots and lots of dancing...

My little brother Allen, THEE most talented pianist I've ever known!

Cousin dance party..

Cousin Ben..hitting the high note!

I love this picture....Can you match which cousin goes with what parent?

My handsome Jack...

Fun day, yummy food, good times!
Now if only my favorite sister and her darling family could join us one of these years!

Ma Lady......

2011-11-15T22:35:00.000-08:00

Words cannot express how much I adore this little girl! She's literally the girl of my dreams. I always had envisioned a brown eyed brown haired doll baby with personality and spunk in our family and here she is.

She's totally hilarious and she totally knows it. She loves "cheets/treats" at all hours and will whip right back into shape at the simple threat of naptime. She loves having hands and toes painted and prefers "peek/pink" for any color option available.

Her hair is fabulously curly and crazy and finally pony/piggie/bun do able and I couldn't be more THA-RILLED! Now THAT is what I have been waiting for. Years and years of buzz cuts leave much to be desired.

We sing together a lot these days and hold deep conversations...we're besties. Last week, I even took her with me to get my hair color fixed. It took an hour and she was a total champion. So we went out to lunch and enjoyed turkey sandwiches and french fries. We stopped by my favorite antique store afterwards.....SANS stroller mind you..and once again, total champ.

I can't believe how lucky I am to be the mother of this little angel girl. Lucky, Lucky, Lucky!

Scenes from Halloween...

2011-11-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

First of all, there are 14 pictures in this post. That's a lot but I love all of them. Most of all I adore this preschooler with a tiny head and giant mask. I actually sorta forced this mask on him at Target cause I loved it so. I'm glad he obliged. I think it is fantastic!

Preschool parties are tons of fun. Especially when you can totally write your own name on a rubbery pumpkin.....emphasis on the O...

And you can bring your sassy little Minnie Moused sister along and lick a lot of frosting while decorating cookies....

And then you can pose with all your cute little buddies...espcially Ariel...cause your mom thought she was darling in her bright red wig...

We had our annual Trunk or Treat....NO RAIN...it was GLORIOUS!

We actually carved pumpkins this year. Our parenting skills get totally high marks this month..... EFFORT CITY!

Big fellas were pumped to strut their stuff at school. I love schools that let kids dress up and enjoy the silliness of the holiday.

Trick or Treating in Gramma Jan's neighborhood with cousins has become a favorite tradition.

Minnie Mouse deep in thought!

Gramma Jan's neighborhood = lots of king size calories!

The dark knight's after school photo session....

There's that mask again...I seriously will let him wear this everyday!

Perfecting the leap...

And that's a wrap....a fantastically fun time had by all!

My deep thoughts on school pictures....

2011-10-25T23:16:00.000-07:00

When I was in the first grade we lived with my grandparents in Utah for a few months while my dad solidified his new job up in Washington. It was such a fun adventure to literally be with my grandparents everyday, eat grandma's heavenly food, and the best part....we walked across the street to both church and school. Only in Utah. I have one specific memory of those first few months of first grade that came to mind today as Cole brought home his school pictures.

School picture day circa 1982..I was rockin' my favorite lavender fancy shirt with a semi forgiving elastic waist and a pair of jeans. I had my hair sponge curled to perfection and my most unfortunate crooked toothed smile was ready for the camera. The pose was: country background / I was standing in back of a giant wagon wheel with hands crossed a top said wheel. Easy enough. Pictures came back and upon first glance I was pleased...o.k., things were looking good. However, upon closer inspection something instantly caught my eye. A certain fancy lavender shirt with a semi forgiving elastic waist somehow had crept a little too high and had exposed my, oh I cringe.....belly button. So there I am, arms obediently and neatly folded over the wagon wheel and my gut is hanging out. Didn't anyone see that coming....couldn't someone have stepped in and stopped that? Where were the teachers? Or how about the photographer? The lady collecting envelopes with cash or check.....somebody!

Years ago I was a 4th grade teacher before I had my kids. I loved almost every minute of it, including school picture day. I remember getting disposable combs from the photographer as we stood in line with our students waiting for our turn. I walked the line helping to quaff each child's hair. I sent those that needed a little freshening up to the restroom and straightened the collars of others. It was a big deal and I wanted their pictures to turn out as best as possible. If they were my kid I would want their teacher to make an effort to clean them up if need be. Heaven forbid their shirt goes crooked and exposes a belly button or something.

So as you can see...I'm not a real fan of school pictures. In fact, it pains and annoys me to purchase even the cheapest "package." However, every year I give in and buy silly package Q which consists of 2 -5x7s because I guess I'm kind of nostalgic...it's the school lover in me.

Cole brought home his school pictures today. I so wish I knew how to scan so I could share the results.

I'll just say that 2 things INSTANTLY caught my eye but somehow didn't even phase the photographer or any other adult in the room.

1. He obviously had a peanut butter and JELLY sandwich for lunch.
2. He shouldn't have worn a collared shirt...at least the ones where both collars point down..not UP.

So retakes it is.

Good thing my favorite friend Angie snapped some shots of my darling last month. Fresh faced and collar in place, the way it should be!

My 'must do' list in paradise....

2011-10-19T23:27:00.000-07:00

Oh to still be on the lovely island of Maui. Hands down best vacation (sans children) ever. I think life in general with this guy just gets better as the years go by. We had a few 'must do-s' on our list but other than that it was just play it day by day. I'm telling ya, it's the way to go.

Must do #1- Visit Lanai:

A few years back we went to Maui and I had a pedicure. The tiny little gal that worked her magic on my feet lived on the island of Lanai and took the ferry over to Maui to work everyday. I was fascinated with this idea...a ferry to work everyday, I had no idea. *Sidenote- She also worked at the 4 Seasons resort there on Lanai and had pedicured Oprah's feet as well. How 'bout them apples?!

Anyhoo, I knew then and there that if we ever went back to Maui I wanted to take the infamous ferry over to Lanai and check it out. Come on, Oprah does it.

It took about 45 minutes from Lahaina harbor to get to the island. These were the first up close views as we neared the harbor. Kyle said it looked a lot like Alaska. Not so tropical huh..no palm trees in sight.

Tiny island with one tiny grocery store. I had to take a price comparison tour. I found it much more enjoyable than Kyle..."No way, a cake mix is $3.59..can you believe it...no way, a box of cereal is $6.29, no way...." We did not purchase anything.

We rented a jeep and toured the island for the day. One half looked like a tropical yet rocky jungle.

The other half...the moon.This was the only swim-able beach with the only palm trees on the island. It's literally a dry/mountainy/not so pretty place that once was a complete Dole pineapple plantation...the entire island. This beach was fabulous and fit the bill for our snorkeling needs. We saw schools of fish, sat and talked, and counted 37 too many inappropriate and unfortunate bathing suits. I had the best Pina Colada (my personal fun drink of choice) at the 4 Seasons (where one Ms.Winfrey had her own personal pedicure years ago).

We swore we saw a dolphin out in the harbor as we ate....had to have been. Would I go again...probably not, no need. It was a fabulous 1 day adventure that I have officially checked off my list.

Must do #2: Eat a lot of fresh fish

I think I ordered fish every time we went out to dinner...except for my eggplant night...can't pass up eggplant. This night however was my favorite. Such a fun experience. We joined forces with Mark (Kyle's brother) and Lorri (hilarious sis-in-law) and created our very own last minute bbq at a random beach park along the highway. How's that for spontaneity?!

We found a fresh fish market and made our selection. We got some marinade to go with it and then headed to the grocery store for charcoal and all the other "stuff." Sidenote: there's a lot of "stuff" you forget you need when you're not in the courtesy of your own home. Rule of the night...make due!

The camera ready wives patiently waiting.

Our improvising skills were crazy good and the fish was delicious. We ate on the paper bags from the store and I grabbed forks, salt n pepper packets, and napkins from the deli- after I made a legitimate side salad purchase. Add some guava juice and a bag of chips and you've got a serious BBQ..Thomas style!

Just a fun evening that I'll always remember!

Must do #3: Play me some Tennis

I love this guy...his name....Good Sport.

I played tennis in High School and then fun/casual co-ed stuff in college. NOTHING major...however, I really love playing...really...really...love it! I hadn't played in years and Kyle hadn't played since 9th grade PE so it was about time for some serious court action. Hilarity (mixed with some great volleys) ensued and after 2 hours we called it a morning. Kyle's direct quote as he dripped in sweat, "That was really fun, we should do that again." No sarcasm what so ever. Such Good Stuff!

Must Do #4: Enjoy everyday even with nothing planned

We had a few days where we literally had nothing planned and I absolutely loved it. We went running, read books by the pool, swam, shopped at the same store 3 times on 3 different days, counted people's hideous tattoos, read the local newspaper, talked about everything, ate great food, and just enjoyed being together.

I of course missed my darlings (who were so well taken care of by my one-in-a-million in laws) and by Saturday, was ready to see them again. I made them home made cinnamon rolls...I had to.

So there it is, I'm a list maker. It's so gratifying to check things off, have fun, and be productive....especially on Maui!

Our Day....

2011-10-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

Words cannot express how much I adore this guy! He's simply the best man for me and has made my life so happy. Marriage is such a blessing and I'm so thankful that 11 years ago today I made the easiest and best decision EVER!

Pumpkins and Hornets.....

2011-10-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

October around these parts means: pumpkins (and I guess zucchini) on the front porch. I'm pretty proud that our inaugural garden produced these 6 little lovelies...one for every member of the family.....

More Hornet Football every Saturday morning.....

Little Lady content the entire game with her ring pop. Best invention ever.....

Mr. 4 year almost 5 pleased as punch with his choice from the concession stand...hostess powdered donettes..complete with chin eveidence....

And then this poor kid....the one who also wanted a pack of donettes and instead got stung by a hornet while waiting in line. He received an open tab at the concession stand for all his troubles....once the Benadryl kicked in and the swelling went down!:

Halftime report...

2011-09-21T15:20:00.000-07:00

We're almost half way through our eternal ..did I say eternal..I meant exceptional football season. As the endless..did I say endless...I meant exciting weeks go by, things are actually looking pretty good! Jack is finally figuring out this crazy game and I'm proud to say earned a spot on the starting line up. Last week's game was "away" and who knew we'd be playing at Hogwarts?!

Stadium High School, right by the water ..isn't it gorgeous? My high school looked nothing like this. The literal stadium consisted of solid concrete bleachers with zero handrails and steep stairs of death. One way in, one way out. The stairs up to the parking garage went on for miles. What was totally awesome was that it started raining a tad bit before halftime and then dumped the entire rest of the game. And the fact that my umbrella was warm and dry sitting in the car 4, 357 stairs straight up was equally awesome.
I had to retrieve the umbrella.
My top half stayed dry, the bottom half was soaked, that's right, solid concrete bleachers.

The tough guy shot.

Jack made 4 tackles and his confidence is growing with each game. I'm proud of my boy for keeping a good attitude, trying something new, working hard, and earning a starting position. I'm just proud I went and got my umbrella.

Another year begins....

2011-09-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

Well..the first week of school is done...in the bag. It really was a fabulous start. No whining, just happy attitudes and cute faces. The weather was even lovely...who knew? Jack is officially a 4th grader which blows my mind. I remember teaching 4th grade when I was pregnant with him. I love the 9-10 year old age group. They're still young enough to love you (and shower you with gifts such as stolen jewelry from their older sister's jewelry box) and want to help in any way possible. Yet they're old enough to get and give sarcastic banter, learn fractions and state capitals, and write incredibly detailed stories. So I'm thrilled for my very own 4th grader....this will be a fun year.

My Cole is in 2nd grade and he's.... pumped!! I think if I write that he's pumped maybe my enthusiasm will ooze into his casual little being and spark some Emotion!! He loves school in a calm, cool, and collected kind of way. He's a smarty pants and has already "become a friend with the new kid!" -That's my boy.

Brody Brod has FINALLY entered preschool and all is FINALLY right with the world. I gotta admit, I love the kid and his sassafrass attitude and I was kind of bummed that he was making the move to preschool. However, those 3 hours- twice a week are turning out to be quite enjoyable for both of us. It's a win win.

So that leaves me with my darling buddy Kate all day long. I'm so glad I have her...she's a gem.

She wasn't too thrilled to see the fellas leave, especially Brody which I found odd since she's usually in a Brody induced head lock 1/2 the day. -Whatever. We're really good at running errands, making/eating smoothies, and painting our nails. It's gonna be a good year....I can feel it!

Little lady...

2011-08-31T16:20:00.000-07:00

Words cannot express....

how much I adore this little girl.....

she really is the star of the show around these parts.....

especially when she pulls this face.....

and doesn't mind her crooked piggy tails.....

Camp Awesome...

2011-08-28T22:56:00.000-07:00

I have creative and kind children. I really adore and enjoy them, they are just great kids! For the most part they play really well together, are kind to each other, and are genuine friends. That's priority around here. They're hilarious and silly and can come up with the most clever ideas when faced with tough assignments like- "It's a lovely day, go outside and play." Case in point: Camp Awesome.
The only requirements to join: You must be in the backyard and you must be awesome. We're an equal opportunity family.

They made a flag with all member's names included, held baseball bats as they walked (?), pulled Kate in the wagon, jumped on the trampoline for a solid 18 minutes, played wall ball, borrowed my radio for the porch and rocked out to some groovin tunes and topped it all off by eating popsicles. Now that's good stuff.

The "Camp Awesome" crew...just taking a few laps around the backyard with their fearless and obviously safety conscience leader. Mom: "Jack, why the helmet?" Jack: "I don't know, just being a dork!" And that about sums it up.

So when Kyle came home from a semi frustrating night at Jack's (FIRST year 3rd week) of football practice and said..." I just wish he'd hit HARDER!" ........

I reminded him that the season was still young and that prayers for our child to want to POUND his opponent were probably a tad bit inappropriate...not completely though. I also reminded him that his son was the regional director/co creator of "Camp Awesome" and the fact that he could juggle 2 grueling and polar opposite careers during these hot summer months was pretty fantastic in itself....pretty AWESOME!

Mr. Fancy football pants.
Do you think having a mother who refers to you as "Mr. fancy football pants has anything to do with your lack of desire to POUND your opponent? Kyle does. I just can't help it.

Kate's attitude at Jack's football games.....not so awesome!

Blogworthy: Hannah Montana

2011-08-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

Howdy.....been meanin' ta post about our trip waaaaay back in July to grandma and grandpa's ranch but I just never got around to it. Seeins' that it's almost September, the time has come. This is what we done did in Montana:

The puppy was played with....Kate learned to be in the same room as Haddie..as long as she could jump into grandpa's pocket if need be...

4 wheelers were driven everywhere...not by these 2.....but they sure make a cute photo op....if only Brody were actually smiling and waving at me and not the invisible photographer to my left....

Naps were taken....

A giant front tooth was lost.....

Many a ground squirrel and a few rattle snakes were..well, shot. Look at tough cousin Coty taking charge of all things wild and grody....

The bow and arrow was surprisingly mastered by a certain sometimes frail and timid seven year old....good stuff..

Chubby and delicious 2 year old toes were painted....

All the ladies had a pedicure by aunt Cori....

Hilarity ensued with Aunt Lorri and Courtney...

The tire swing swayed back and forth for days.....

Cousins giggled....for hours.....

Jack aka "Dusty Bottoms"..rode Durango along side the other adult amigos for an afternoon of cow herding. He came back as "Sore Bottoms."

Kate captured the "Classy Cowgirl" award...

A rousing game of "Spin the baby" was played hours on end...

Good times in Montana once again. Grandpa and grandma were such wonderful hosts. Thanks again for having our entire crew, we make quite a house full. Until next year!

wants and needs from this week...

2011-08-11T16:01:00.000-07:00

My kids really want a bigger pool. I really need to act on that request one of these days.....

Brody needed just a little help before we left for church...I really wanted to laugh but I needed to hold still so I could take a picture before the adjusting session.....

Kate really needed and I really wanted a better naptime performance as of late.

I really wanted my favorite Emily to stay for weeks on end (instead of a measly overnighter) and just sit and eat and laugh and cook and laugh some more....

Now I really need to start cooking dinner. Oh how I want someone else to do that for me ......with a nice little salad with real bleu cheese crumbles for starters....

Little tip # 412.....

2011-08-04T23:25:00.000-07:00

Don't leave your cell phone on the toilet seat lid. That in and of itself should be a universal no-no. Looking back I guess I was winning all sorts of universal no no awards because said cell phone was placed on said toilet seat while darling 2 year old was taking a bath. I simply was multitasking....went to change the laundry load.... 47 seconds later....came back and there ya have it.

I was officially late to the "put your phone in a bowl of rice for 3 days" party so who knows if she'll work tomorrow. It's D day. I'm so not in the market to purchase a NEW phone, see-ins that I'm in the middle of my contract-Fantastic. I guess I'll enter this century and learn to text. Not cool stupid cell phone.

On a brighter note....I give you: 2 dollheads with their hands behind their heads!

The view from my Saturday

2011-07-25T14:42:00.000-07:00

Shout and sing the sun came out on Saturday morning!

Little lady was rockin' sweet hair and equally sweet morning breath as she made her appearance downstairs. Everyone (except for the Mr., and a tentative Cole) was all smiles for today my friends... was race day. I had been looking forward to this day for months. A family 5k was on tap for the morning. It was time to spend outside together being active and healthy....sounds sublime!

My Morning Kate ready to start the day. I do love a good pair of rain boots. You really can pair them with any outfit....so functional. Especially since it has been raining 85% of these last 2 summer months, but whose counting?!

My thrilled and supportive hero!!

Never mind my mess of hair or the fact that I wore the

"gigantor glasses that take up half your face...." the entire time,

focus on the fact that my darling other half agreed to run our little town's annual 5K with yours truly and our older fellas. This wasn't the funnest thing ever for him but he did it for me simply because he's cool like that. This was big, it was huge...he's not a "public runner." Neither am I for that matter but I've learned to get over it. It helps if you wear gigantor glasses that take up half your face....no one will see you! -Be still my heart.

Then we came home all tired and sweaty. The sun was still shining..this too was a big deal, so I ventured out and picked a bowl full of beautiful from my garden.

Now that was just a plain old fabulous day!

The Juners

2011-07-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

I adore these two right here...my firstborn and ladylove! They go really well together, she finds him simply hilarious and he loves the positive feedback. Jack has always been a tremendous help with Kate which I thoroughly appreciate. He's a trooper when it comes to helping with his sister so it's quite perfect that these two pals share a birthday month...June. In honor of my darling bookends I present....the birthdays!

We're all still questioning the pucker....where did it come from? He claims complete ignorance..never happened!

I love this little girl!

The Birthday Boy!
He was pleased with his loot. Comic books, cook books, drawing books, cool fact books, and of course Butter fingers!

Mickey Waffle breakfast it is!

This kid reaaalllly likes Batman..oh, and he's 9..did you get that?

The Birthday Girl!!!

I love this picture...she was so pleased with the entire process! Her poor cake was another story. I had big plans for a giant CUPCAKE cake. (Wilton cake company-stinky design on the pan-grrr). Needless to say, it did not turn out as I had planned and thus became a giant pink egg with sprinkles!

How is she already 2?

Finally...a barbie doll (ce-EL-LL-LL-LA) has graced our home!

Cole cannot hide his enthusiasm any longer! -Would it be shocking to know that in this home, Cinderella has already lost a leg? Seriously gentlemen...did we have her for 3 weeks?

Oh boy...Strawberry Shortcake!

Nothing more attractive than watching your husband detangle doll hair!

Happy Birthday my darlings...June is a pretty fantastic
month around here thanks to you!

Blogworthy...early June

2011-07-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

I've pretty much lost my blogging mojo for the summer.... it's just not in me. However, one day...... mark my words, I will make a blog book and it will be lovely and packed full of events I want to remember. So I must continue (for the sake of the book I dread making), posting blog worthy tidbits from my life. Let's take baby steps into early June shall we?

Trip to Kennewick for cousin Sam's baptism:

We made a trip over to the east side to attend cute cousin Sam's big day. He looked pretty handsome in his fresh new 8 year old duds. The weather was perfect, the food delicious, and the company was fun and casual. It was short and sweet but worth the trip! Favorite part of this picture: Ms. Kate feeling every part of the gust of wind that just blew past her cute little body!

My handsome and oh so talented younger brother Allen. Not only can he host a great after baptism luncheon wearing a green plaid apron..he can play a mean beat boxing key board while holding a sweaty toddler. We had great food AND great entertainment!

Stake 5k:

Our stake puts on a 5k race each June and it has become our annual running gig to kick off the summer. I love doing it. Mr. Coley pants decided to get in on the fun this year. Since it was his first 5k I deemed him the honorary user of the family Ipod, you know....get some good tunes to keep him moving! Lesson learned: 7 year olds who fight back tears and want to hold your hand while running cause their legs are about to fall off should not attempt to use an Ipod. It will become loose, fall off, get tangled, play continual "weird" songs and otherwise be a complete nuisance for said 7 year old's mother who thus will end up wearing a second Ipod on her arm. Good times none the less.

Moments of genius:

For some special reason Kate allows Brody to brush her teeth and no one else. Whatever!

Becoming the two year old:

Kate has officially had her moment(S) of being a two year old. I absolutely adore her in everyway! Yet as she gets older I'm learning quickly the "ways of her force." She's real good at slobbering and spinning and flopping on the ground for no reason. It doesn't happen that often but when it does...Whoa Nelly!

She's also good at smiling and swinging and being completely fantastic!

Up next....late June...oh the suspense!

the champ....

2011-06-21T22:53:00.000-07:00

When you're an almost 9 year old kid who loves with every fiber of your adolescent being growing out your ultra thick, sweaty, shaggadelic hair, the reality of the haircut that IS about to take place can be quite painful.

It's a good thing his totally awesome and short hair loving parents had already picked up his brand spankin' new football uniform earlier in the evening. Ultra thick, sweaty, and shaggadelic heads were not allowed in brand new beautiful bright goldy yellow helmets. That was the deal. Hands were shaken.

"I don't have shaggy hair...can I try it on?"

He oozes tough.

Pre cut....still smiling.

There's that forehead...I knew he had one!

A beautiful site indeed!

I'm proud to say that Jack handled the haircut like a champ. Kyle is kind of a haircut nazi around these parts. Our gene pool produces some crazy thick hair and thick hair produces a very sweaty big boy. He's been dying to bust out the clippers and give the kid a trim for months. Jack was an obedient little soul whose clean, dry, fuzzy head fit like a glove into his shiny new helmet! It's all good.

What I've got...

2011-06-13T22:59:00.000-07:00

I've got a mole causing all sorts of havoc and mayhem in my front yard. A bunny up to no good circling my beautifully growing garden in my back yard. And an almost 9 year old who #1- desperately needs a haircut and #2- thinks he is absolutely THEE most hysterical thing on planet Earth when he swipes my camera for a private photo session. Dork.

Cousins

2011-06-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

I love that my kids have cousins that live close by. I love that my kids think it's parTAY time whenever our families get together. I love that my kids have a certain cousin that shoots a pink BB gun while wearing a pink cowboy hat. I love that my kids and their gun 'totin cousin take pictures like this when not a single adult is around.

The trip that turned out Mahvelous

2011-06-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

Months ago I decided that our family needed to spend some quality time together.....just us. We WOULD go some where different/interesting/out of the ordinary and WOULD enjoy each other's company. I found suitable accommodations and by golly I booked them, right there on the spot. I talked up the trip months in advance..constantly reminding the crew that a bunch of fun was about to be had.

We packed the car with rubber boots, buckets, and a whole lotta skittles and headed down to Seaside!

Our house was a perfect block away from the beach. We enjoyed a hefty 6 minutes or so of beach fun before the rain began to mist.

Right after the mist turned into a downpour.....

We splurged on doughnuts for the walk home one night after dinner. The boys were absolutely thrilled... no forced sharing was involved.

I had seriously prayed for at least ONE day of sunshine so we could enjoy the beach. Thankfully Saturday of all days was gloriously perfect!

Perfect until Kate and ocean collided.

If you ever get the chance, be a complete tourist and rent one of these silly bike thingys. The kids will love you for it. However- don't wear a tank top under your long sleeved shirt with a fleece on top and wrap your chilly self in a scarf...you'll get real hot and sweaty as you pedal your ramshackle mobile with all your might, and your husband will make fun of you.

"My mom is #1 for making our family go on this awesome weekend trip!"

We explored the fabulous beach and collected pockets full of seashells....not to be confused with sunshine.

A trip to the Oregon coast wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Tillamook Creamery where we learned all about the making and "cutting of the cheese!" -Thank you Jack.

And devoured ice cream cones....

Little Lady was pretty much a travel champ in the car...

Classic..Brody and Kate were hilarious in their front row basket seat. Cole couldn't reach to help peddle at all and Jack kept stopping to "take a quick break." Hence sweaty mom.

2 thumbs up for Po!

And two thumbs WAY up for the fact that I caught all persons OVER the age of 4 sitting and watching Thomas the Train as I came downstairs one morning. I find moments like this very enjoyable. They on the other hand....not so much!

I'm proud of myself for planning this little adventure. Much to the Mr.'s slight dismay, I made the decision to make the effort to spend quality time together. I had big plans that we would have big fun and that is exactly what we did.

The rundown...

2011-05-30T16:38:00.000-07:00

Family update time:

Jack:
All of Jack's cub scout dreams finally came true when the Pinewood Derby rolled around. Kyle hooked him up with a sweet looking Batmobile and all was right with the world. Unfortunately it wasn't the fastest car on the track but that was all good. We prepped him for possible failure on the car ride over, reminded him of good sportsmanship, and talked up all the dessert possibilities when the whole shin dig was over. Yea for root beer floats!

Mr. Batmobile and his chief engineer

Some top contenders....love the Lego block..it took 3rd!

Cole:
Little Mr. first grade is rockin the violin. He has passed off all 9 songs needed in order to move into the "big kid" (2-5th graders)room. These are all the big kids who know lots of violin stuff and have played for at least an entire year longer than Cole. It's clicking and I LUUUUUUV it!

Mr. Big Kid room

Brody:

The smirk kinda says it all lately.

Quote of the day:
Me: "Brody just eat your breakfast so you won't be hungry in an hour...don't come whining to me about needing a snack cause ya won't be gettin one!"
Brody: "That's o.k. mom, I'll just sneak one when you're not looking!" -said nonchalantly with above smirk. I remind myself that patience is a virtue on a daily basis with this sweet child 'o mine.

Kate:

I adore this girl...this one right here with crazy hair and Mr. Potato head glasses. She's hysterically funny even with her 3 word vocabulary: Mamma-Nya Nya (snack/treat) and Ba-Bo(bubbles). That's it, that's all she's got to go along with her constant gibberish. Oh that and her shrill, high pitched, fake scream of terror she busts out whenever Brody is approaching. She totally works it.

Kyle: I hooked him up with the biggest can of peanuts he's seen to date. It doesn't take a lot. He's a happy happy man.

As for me, I'm really content. Life is good. Bring on June!

The waiting is over....

2011-05-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

The welcome wagon..with an added orange sombrero. I guess anything south of the border must include a sombrero.... and maracas.

2 years is a l-o-n-g time to wait for anything. Last night the waiting was over for my fabulous brother and sister-in-law. Their handsome valiant elder finally arrived from half way around the world...Buenas Aires Argentina!

Waiting out the flight delay with Reese's Pieces and an Ipad.

Now I've been waiting for 2 years as well, for a little something different and waaaaaay less important. It does warrant mentioning however since the time span worked out rather well. See, I've been wanting the little lady to finally fit into the infamous "tulip shirt" I bought her when she was still but a wee thing in my belly. I absolutely adore tulips and then you add red stripes and a navy blue cardigan ......ugh, it was just all too much. Fast forward 2 l-o-n-g and waaaaaay less important (compared to missionary work) years later and what better occasion to take the outfit for a spin than welcoming home cousin Coty!

The somewhat hidden "tulip shirt".....believe you me, they were there in full effect .....and they -were- adorable.

Cute cousin Sidney with Kate.....Reese's pieces in a mini cup and the tulip shirt

The tulip shirt with red mary janes AND pigtails.....finally! Pigtails were the cherry on top to the whole ensemble.
And speaking of finally.........

What a champ.....Elder Thomas is HOME!!! A stellar example for my boys and all around great person!

Brody anxiously explaining his welcome home "Batman and Robin" sign.

All together again!

A fabulous occasion that was well worth the wait!

Some things I've learned about boys and girls......

2011-05-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

It's a universal truth that all kids..boy or girl.... line things up. I've loved watching all my kids over the years display this phenomenon. Case in point:

Kate's handy work as I prepped dinner last night.

Lover of all things Thomas the train- 2 summers ago.

However, I do see a clear distinction when it comes to breakfast companionship. It's doll baby mania with this girl. This is a very new concept around these parts and I'm seriously loving it. Except when My Little Pony's gross pink mane and oatmeal collide....

not cool!

A simply lovely visit...

2011-05-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

Airplane behavioral score...9.93 out of 10..no joke. Miracles do happen.

Oh how I love to experience Utah, especially in the spring. I've returned from my annual favorite sister visit with lovely treasures for my home, a perfect jumbo cupcake cake pan for my little lady love's birthday next month, and minus one library book that's now up for grabs on Southwest flight 646. Dang it.

We shopped for hours all over the valley... it was glorious. One fun stop included: Orson Gygi

Do yourselves a big fat favor and visit Orson Gygi if ever in SLC. It is a food/cooking/baking/eating/entertaining lovers dream. Rows and rows and rows of awesomeness. I could live inside the store.

So my favorite sister Kirsten is UBER (all caps) talented..I'm seriously amazed at the amount of things she can handle and accomplish successfully at one time. She's a mom to 5 and works part time at a funky and fabulous quilt/material shop. She can sew anything and everything and her talent never ceases to amaze me. She's started creating her own patterns a while back and it's so fun to see her vision become reality. It was "Quilt Market" week in SLC. That's where vendors from around the nation come to get a look at what's hot for the upcoming season in the fabric world. The queen of all fabric/pattern designers out there is the amazing Amy Butler . She was in town for Quilt Market and came for a meet and greet at the shop where favorite sister works. It was magical.

Favorite sister Kirsten unfortunately had to pick up Amy and her assistant Mallory at their hotel to bring them to the event. Bummer deal huh? Nothing like sitting next to your idol and talking fabric and colors and cool stuff and patterns and prints and even more cool stuff.

Kirsten and Kendell with the newly detailed suburban. All fruit snack wrappers, apple cores, teddy grahams, orange peels, DS game cartridges....cleaned out. Amy Butler needed a ride.

I'm very pleased to report that she was absolutely lovely in every way. She couldn't have been more kind and gracious (and tall) and her new line is once again to die for! Google her and check out her house and studio....simply spectacular. Look at her scarf..I mean how cool is that?

While I shopped and talked fabric sweet 16 year old nephew Curtis babysat Kate. She finally crashed flat on the floor still carrying a picture that her momma was in. Pretty cute.

3 of my favorite ladies....

It was so fun to watch my sister shine in her element with all talk of fabric and patterns and measurements and such. Her talent is super impressive...maybe she'll need an assistant one day? I can detail a suburban like no other.

Good news!

2011-05-04T17:14:00.000-07:00

Quote of the day:

-From the bathroom I hear "Mom, ....woah....I almost fell into the toilet, but I didn't... and that is good news!"

And isn't he so right about that?!

So what if Easter was 1 week ago.....

2011-05-02T15:13:00.000-07:00

I still enjoyed my obligatory and once again.. much to be desired..after church Easter picture. This photo is so great in so many ways. Someday Kate will smile on command...I can feel it. Jack was all fine and dandy until the camera came out and all of a sudden his tonsils hurt again...bet you couldn't tell. Then there's Cole cheesing it up for the floor and Brody... just ready to have it all over with so he can indulge on the candy filled carrot. Sunday perfection!

Baby Kate and baby bunny...pretty darn cute.

Glorious weather for the easter egg hunt. This guy was pretty pleased with the outcome!

A lovely weekend filled with sunshine and family...now that is something to be happy about!

Kindred spirits, Lovely weather, and Star Wars....

2011-04-28T15:50:00.000-07:00

The 10 charming children...

My favorite kindred spirit Emily and I have been friends since the 2nd grade. Now that...is a long time! I simply adore her and unfortunately do not get to see her nearly enough. Thank heavens for spring breaks, brave mothers, and planets aligning because she made the looooong trip up north and made a pit stop with the Thomas crew. After all these years we finally got our children together.... all in one place......monumental. Destination of choice for young jedis and padowans...the Star Wars exhibit at the science center.

1 die hard fan and 1 land speeder.

Little Jeffrey learning some inside scoop....while sporting delicious cheeks...

Who wouldn't want their picture taken with Darth Vader??

Young Jedi Kate listening...learning...feeling the ways of the force...while keeping an eye on General Greivious

"This is one of the best days EVER!"-Cole

Ever aware of when to insert appropriate movie lines..... "HE'S SO FLUFFFAAAAAAY!"-Brody after watching Despicable Me one too many times.

Fabulous afternoon in the city with the Kerns.

Good times!

Maintaining patience..with my patient

2011-04-24T22:01:00.000-07:00

It's been a long and rough week around these parts. You see this guy right here... he finally had his tonsils and adenoids removed...sliced away...AND had tubes put BACK in his ears, all in one morning. That's right, you heard me..BACK in his ears. I earned some major angelic mothering points for keeping his 85lb. violently flailing body from falling off his hospital bed coming out of anesthesia...holy moly. I had no idea. I didn't know if I should laugh or cry, it was all just so strange seeing him so disoriented... poor guy. After the meds wore off...it just kept getting better and better.

Pre-removal...when all was still right with the world.

The first tastes of Gramma Jan's special orange jello delight...the wall wasn't hit yet.

O.k...here we go...the 3 amigos for the recovery week...everyone is all smiley pillows and rainbows....

Mid week...we're living on Popsicles and horrendous breath around here.....

Pretty rough by mid week. Day 4 was rated by the patient as "worst day..ever." It's a toss up for me. I really have been trying to be as patient and kind as possible with Mr. Sick. He's an emotional kid as it is so throw in some missing tonsils and wooooah Nelly! I'm really proud of him showing as much bravery as he could muster. The week is finally over and he's wanted back at school by his buddies so tomorrow should be a telling day. Fingers crossed that yoplait and applesauce will be sufficient...without tears.

Kate had had enough. I found her just getting some quiet time..helping herself .... listening to an Ipod. I can't blame her. It's been a long long week.

The good run...

2011-04-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

Me and Deb..one of my most favorites...ever!

I'm not a runner..nor do I profess to be. I do however, on occasion...enjoy running. Saturday was one of those days. Weather held out, small amount of participants, fabulicious playlist, and just a straight up fun and determined running partner. In fact, said running partner somehow set her Ipod on the trunk of her car before the race..couldn't find it..was literally looking in her car when the 15 second warning bell sounded....started late with only a set of jingling keys to serenade her through the entire 5k. What a champ! It feels so good to accomplish something I really wanted to do. I got my best time in months and now have a goal for my next race. It's kind of addicting. Not like someday I want to run a marathon addicting..or even a 1/2....more like....3.2 is perfect for me. However, a 10k has kinda got me thinking...hmmm.

Word to the wise..r than I...

2011-04-14T14:55:00.000-07:00

Just a little tip to all those out there who love a good clean wall....cooking and talking and Fox news don't mix.

Watch the multi-tasking....I'm just sayin.

This little love head right here..the one with curly cue hair, dainty feet, and almond eyes...she's a pill.

I mistakenly thought I could combine:

- cooking loud and splashy chicken (hence needed the hood vent on)

-giving marital advice over the phone while cooking loud and splashy chicken

-having The O'Reilly factor blaring on the tv from the other room while cooking loud and splashy chicken and giving marital advice over the phone

AND

-watching my little lady

Bad Bad Bad combination.

That's right...black Sharpie Pen on almost every surface possible in my -still new to me- kitchen. Kyle loved coming home to that hullabaloo. Lesson learned..Sharpies be banned. I used that beautiful invention know as the "magic eraser" on the desk and floors..worked like a charm. The walls, staircase and wood trim will have to be sanded out and re-painted. Awesome, we needed another project to do around here.

She's tagged everything. Writing utensils be gone!

Mr. SEVEN

2011-04-06T23:31:00.000-07:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again....I'd have 10 more kidlets if they'd all be like Cole. This guy right here.....the one in desperate need of new seasonally appropriate pjs....the one turning SEVEN tomorrow... is simply the best!!

It's Cole's magic.. 7 on the 7th.. birthday tomorrow so we will be celebrating all...day...long!!! We've got big plans: pancakes with syrup drizzled like a seven on top (nice idea Cole), family jumping at a jumpy place, and dinner at the restaurant with all the animals on the walls.."you know that looks like grandpa's house..." -another fabulous idea birthday boy!

Everyone..and I mean EVERYONE loves Cole. He's kind and smart and quietly hilarious. A perfect combination. How lucky am I to be his mom?!

Happy Happy Birthday my handsome Mr. Seven.....we all simply adore you!

A lovely weekend full of lovely things....

2011-04-04T22:14:00.000-07:00

I really do look forward to General Conference weekend each April. It's simply dreamy having my family all together, my husband actually home on a Sunday...no meetings, no pressure. This weekend we sat quite comfortably together and listened to the wonderful messages of faith, kindness, family, and service from our inspired church leaders. My testimony was strengthened. I am truly thankful for a living prophet on the Earth today. What a blessing in my life.

Other lovely note ables from the weekend:

We have a LOT of art pieces laying around these parts. Brody is on a "Backyardigans" kick. Can you tell? -He thought maybe each character needed a little snack..hence the 2 fishy crackers for each one. Always thinking ahead....

I purchased a "Bountiful Basket" -a produce co-op thingy and my wonderful bro-in-law Mark picked it up AND hand delivered it to my kitchen. How 'bout that for service?! For this lover of ALL things green and leafy....it was seriously like christmas morning, I didn't know what I was getting.... oh the possibilities!!! The portobello mushrooms were promptly grilled with a little olive oil s/p/ and a sprinkle of dill for good measure. The darling little radish bunch made their appearance in a fantastic salad I found on-line and will make many times over...my boys totally dug the radishes-who knew?!The apples sacrificed themselves for a mediocre cobbler. I dredged the broccoli/cauliflower and yellow squash in an egg wash..tossed them with Parmesan cheese (and a tad sprinkle of salt) then lightly sauteed them in olive oil. THEN.....the best part, I mixed a little fresh lemon juice with a little olive oil and drizzled it on top of the hot veggies. Do it.... you'll thank me later. Grapefruits/bananas/lettuce consumed daily and the sweet potatoes will most likely be baked for a little surprise in the tin foil. So my point in sharing all of this is that for me...it was completely worth my $15. The dang yellow squash (hello $2.99 a lb currently) practically paid for themselves. I will totally be in the basket line again.

For brief moments my kids played quietly and angelically!

I made the infamous "Bunny Buns" from the Friend magazine. The boys preferred the dipping glaze method..whatever makes you happy...its conference weekend! -Nice crooked blinds.

And last but certainly not least.....my little lady achieved piggy tail status. It's a big-big day!! I kid you not, I have seriously been dreaming of the day when a little girl in piggy tails would prance around my house with a smile on her face (or her back to me)

and a bunny bun in her mouth. And there she is!!

March..let's just call it a month shall we...

2011-03-28T00:07:00.000-07:00

First of all the tub is complete...I repeat, the-tub-is-complete. It only took a year and a half but by golly, I may just start using the darn thing. I really do enjoy glass tile very much..very, very much. Big kuddos to my oh so attractive live-in handy man who makes it all come together so nicely.

Onto the family review:

We finally gave the much thought about go ahead and let Jack try-out for football this year. I'm dreading the practice schedule and the price and the game schedule and the price and the commitment needed and the price ......but man is he excited!! We've all decided to see how this year goes and really be supportive. We're not a football family but you have to start somewhere. Let's hear it for father and son football throwing time in the backyard...yea! I can cheer for that!

Jack's signature Ralph Lauren pose with my "unknowingly borrowed" camera. Do all brothers do this on a boring Sunday afternoon?

When Kyle is gone...we eat a tad bit differently around these parts. The pressure is usually on to feed the hard working husband each night and I take great pride in doing just that. I honestly do love cooking. However, when that pressure is in Hannah Montana at the ranch....pressure gone. Exhibit A: Star Wars dinner-
Light sabers
Vader taters
Boba Fett baked beans
chewbacca (?) carrots...I know, I know it doesn't rhyme but anything that started with a C and was nutritious made it to the plate
Yoda Soda
Leah Buns (cinnamon rolls) for dessert
BIG BIG HIT!
I had scrambled eggs and toast, see no pressure.

Very spirited for St. Patty's Day.

Kate is daily growing into toddler hood in all it's toddler hood glory. Most days I find her whining at my feet for yet another fruit snack or whining on the floor cause she can't quite fit comfortably into her doll stroller. Life's tough when your almost 2.

Brody is finally mastering the art of cleaning the downstairs bathroom solo, that is without complaining as well. At first I have to silently cringe and let him do his thing. Then I return, re-teach and give the bathroom a little wipe down once over and voila.....he's happily cleaned something!

Cole is reading all the time and EVERYWHERE. I love it except for when I'm calling him for dinner, telling him to brush his teeth, reminding him to pack his snack in his backpack, waiting for him to join us for prayer, or any other time I need his attention.

Boring Sunday pose #2 entitled "Hands on hips"

The usual suspects. "Mom, you are not going to like this. Kate just took out all the Kleenexes..but I saved a few for you."

Another boring Sunday pose. Again...do boys do this?

And with that question I will leave you with a Brody quote of the day:

-While gathering my mass of primary bags and other paraphernalia after church I send Jack out to the car to immediately retrieve Brody who has already made his way to the parking lot, alone...fantastic. When we finally make it out to the car Jack says, "Mom you're not gonna believe what Brody told about 12 adults as they walked to their cars just now?!'

Oh boy, the anticipation is boiling over.

"He said........ (insert official Brody quote here)

"Hey everybody don't step on this (pointing to greeny- slimey- fuzzy- Seattle area moss found all over the ground) it's Jabba the Hut boogers and you DO NOT want to step on those!"

And isn't that the truth?! I wouldn't want to step on Jabba's boogers either. Ya think it was that Star Wars themed dinner I was so crazy about?

A little 'somethin came in the mail today...

2011-03-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love getting mail? It's pretty much a universal truth. Today our black and boring mail box produced a glowing gem of publication, a dream come true for my Lego loving four year old. Weeks ago I signed him up to receive his very own copy of the Lego catalog and simply forgot about that little detail. Today....it came!

Original song overheard from the other room:
"I can't believe it, I totally got one-
I really wanted it, and now I have it-
It's my magazine with Diagon Alley it's so cool, I can't believe it!"

We're all about the lyrics around here.

A real life conversation with Cole...

2011-03-14T22:41:00.000-07:00

*After slaving away once again preparing dinner for my starving off-spring, I tried for the 4th time no less to get some movement out of this kid and help set the table. Our conversation went a little something like this:
"Hey, Mr. Cole....could you please throw your gum wrapper away and pick up your markers and paper off the table?"

-Remember..4th time, no joke.

Finally some response- "What did you say to do mom?"

"I said, spin around 5 times and then do a perfect handstand..with your eyes closed."

Completely serious response: "Why would you say that...it doesn't make any sense?"

And that folks about sums it all up.

Birthday # 35

2011-03-07T13:52:00.000-08:00

I love the month of March for many reasons. One giant reason for my love is the celebration of my blessed birth. My darling mom recites my birth story every year: "I was mopping the floor and suddenly thought..hmmm, that doesn't feel so good. So I called dad and who should arrive at my doorstep before him but my visiting teachers. The contractions were coming on really strong and I needed to go to the hospital but they just wanted to talk about their birth stories. Dad got there, I got in the car and we waved to the chatty ladies on my doorstep as we drove to the hospital."-love that story.

Come on, birthdays are fun.

Fabulous and lengthy..a great combination, dinner out with my beautiful and hysterical friends. I'm seriously blessed with fantastic women in my life who showered me with thoughtful and lovely gifts!

A fantastic husband who loves to work and hates to buy presents... hence my tub is finally getting tiled AND the amount of presents I received once again from my husband/children=ZERO. I adore the guy but this "I stink at buying gifts" excuse is reeeeeally wearing thin. I'm 35 now and we celebrate lots of holidays in our house. You do the present receiving math. "Mom I haven't gotten you anything and dad hasn't said a word." -Jack

I did plan a little family fun lunch so everyone could enjoy the wonder of a birthday! Mediocre spaghetti but excellent conversation and company.

I even got Kate to smile for a picture. She may not be looking at the camera but we're making some strides here.

"When's my birthday again mom?"
"December 6th."
"Again..seriously?"

The evening festivities consisted of grilling some steaks, drinking some Martinellis, devouring a new pound cake/with strawberries and lime zest recipe, and watching Secretariat...the slow moving slightly touching true story of that amazing race horse who crazy enough....won every race. There ya go...happy birthday to ME.

So 35 has arrived and I'm feeling pretty good about it!

It's a toss up...

2011-02-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

I can't decide what little mundane event from my week was more awesome.....

#1-Brody insistent upon pouring out his OWN Ranch dressing at dinner. (I've banned Costco sized Greg's Ranch from any future purchases). Plus, there was no yelling in the clean up process. Just an unwanted camera click and lots of under the breath laughing at my four year olds expense. Poor Batman.

OR:

#2- Spilling my entire 24 oz. package of BLUEBERRIES on the floor in the checkout line at Costco this morning. Those babies rolled on FOR-EV-ER!

Good, good times!

Lovin it...

2011-02-15T22:07:00.000-08:00

I really do enjoy Valentines Day. It's just fun to talk about loving people and doing nice things for eachother and talking with a little more kindness and eating things that are sweet and having my kids wear red.

The fellas..2009 with their giant chocolate milk dud eyes and red shirts.

2010....
Ah, just look at my Katey Kate in her hearty heart dress PERFECT for the big day of L-O-V-E. Please note the red shirt on Jack..red vest on Brody for future reference.

2011....
Look at that... we've gotten another year's worth of wear out of the red shirt and red vest. It's so great having 3 boys. And last but certainly not least...I must admit that all my mothering dreams come true each time Kate wears these tights. Focus on the tights, not the scowl. She really is a very happy and delightful child. I LOVE IT ALL!!

Viva Las Vegas.....

2011-02-12T17:14:00.000-08:00

If you ever find your way down to Vegas say for an awe inspiring sheet metal trade show or something like that...might I suggest you try a few things:

Try opening your curtains every morning and not smiling when this is the site that greets you. Good morning Eiffel Tower and shaded ice pool..isn't it lovely?

Please indulge in the best lemon chicken ever to be consumed. The green beans cooked to perfection were equally incredible.

Go to Bobby Flay's MESA Grill. I am a huge Bobby fan and his sauces did not disappoint. This my friends .....is his signature BBQ sauce. It was simply-spicely-divine. I tried making it at home..obviously not as good as Mr. Flay, but pretty tasty none the less.

Not the most amazing thing I've ever eaten but still very tasty. Can you tell what it is? I had a signature Chile Relleno (?) stuffed with too much cheese and not enough eggplant and coated in a cornmeal crust. Right up my alley in theory but not exactly what I was expecting. The sauces though...man oh man, if I only knew what they were it would be even more of a thrill. Mystery hot pink sauce....ya got me?!

If I were a wafe and could eat anything /anytime I would eat Serendipity's frozen hot cocoa daily...maybe evening hourly. It's that tasty to me. I am far from wafe and I'm still thinking about it.

Because you're a History channel nerd and do enjoy a good "Pawn Stars" episode...Google the location and do a drive by, preferably late at night in the creepy part of town. And when the sign says Open 24 hours in giant red neon lights -don't get too excited to go in and see it for yourself. Read the hand written note on the front door that states the "new" hours and watch the shady workers staring back at you from the inside and just walk away. It's probably for the best.

Take lame picture after lame picture in hopes of getting ONE decent shot of both of you withOUT double chins. Hard to do.

Meet up with -even for 30 minutes in Paris :)- your darling cousin Amy who lives in LV. and you don't see near enough. Laugh about kids, siblings, old times at Utah State and just life in general.

Visit the completely impressive Hoover Dam and learn oodles of interesting facts such as: Workers who weren't issued a hard hat dipped their baseball hats in tar to protect their heads. How 'bout that for safety standards.
And then question the chances of the "favorite shot of the entire trip" being taken at the Hoover Dam with a lovely background of power poles, rock and cement...oh and shade...lots of shade.

Try not to worry that you can't find a good Pillow Pet kiosk. Never fear...they're right next Willy Wonka, Mr. T, Batman and the lady with very-very little clothing on.

So there ya go.....Las Vegas! You were quite fabulous in a let's go shopping, keep your blinders on and just enjoy the food kinda way!

And now...the LEGO post....

2011-02-07T22:20:00.000-08:00

Behold.. an 8 year old Lego lovers dream come true!

In my neck of the woods there lives an A.F.L... "Adult Fan of Legos." This particular "AFL" has an amazingly jaw dropping collection of Legos and just so happens to work for the BSA or Boys Scouts of America. You combine those 2 together and get: The BrickScout Jamboree. Long story short, this cool guy/scout master from another ward invited my little cub pack to attend this fabulous event... a day full of games, building, trivia and competition ALL things LEGO!!

Just a few pictures from the big day.....

One of the many and totally clever games to play around the gym. Mr. Jack actually took 1st place......he was very pumped about that. Good thing Cole came to visit at lunch time and wore his smarty pants...I'm just sayin.

Jack's Harry Potter creation.

The "Whomping Willow" ...or something like that.

Mini figures everywhere....

The Wolf and Hogwarts

Cole and Kyle competing in the "speed build" round. Everyone got a random bag of legos and built something cool in the 5 minute time limit. Judges came around and picked a winner. Skittles just for trying....now isn't everyone a winner with that result?!

A photographer from Boy's Life magazine was there to document the whole event. Word on the street is that sometime in the months to come these Lego lovers will grace the pages of this fine publication.

Pretty cool huh?!

This was such a fun activity that obviously took a ton of planning and effort to pull off. We felt really lucky to get the invite. So there you have it. The ideas are already spinning for next year.

Celebrating 50 years!

2011-01-19T15:20:00.000-08:00

I have often said that I hit the jackpot when it comes to in-laws, I truly adore this couple. These two got married 50 years ago....can you believe that? I guess when you have a lot of love and whole 'lotta faith -getting married at 17 during your senior year in high school is the right thing to do! I know I'm sure glad they tied the knot. In celebration of this monumental occasion we wanted to do something fun and a little out of the ordinary. We chose a weekend in Leavenworth with all the cousins.

The happy/freezing/gracious couple..

Our sweet digs...very Bavarian and very cold.

Grandpa and Grandma with Nate, Sidney, Sophie and Jack having some anniversary dinner!

Except for cute Elder Coty..the grand kid gang was all there! I do believe that Kate was most excited about the entire picture taking experience.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day, totally picturesque. It warmed up to balmy 6 degrees...just in time for our horse drawn sleigh ride.

My thoughts exactly....it was that cold!

Brody...too cold to speak....

I LOVE these pictures..totally in the moment. Aunt Lorri always makes things better....whose up for another song??

Cute Bella and Sophie...no complaints from the front row!

Bob and Wish..our beautiful and fearless leaders/horses.

She literally froze to my shoulder just for a minute...o.k., that's a little extreme but I did wear my scarf around my head like a turban 'cause my ears were burning so badly I truly believed they were turning black or were just gonna fall right off my head. Either one.

Isn't that a lovely sleigh....a two horse open sleigh in fact!

Frozen Brody had HAD it....no more anything!!

It was such a fun weekend to do something different and special. Celebrating 50 years of marriage on a wintry adventure was perfect ..thanks for saying "I Do" grandpa and grandma. You are loved!

The Christmas post of 2010

2011-01-12T16:38:00.000-08:00

I am fully aware that reading about other people's holiday adventures can be a big fat trip to Boringville. However, this was my beautiful Boringville that will someday be transferred into book form. Therefore ...it must be properly documented for my reading pleasure.

THEE Christmas shot for the season. Blast that dang finger!

We had a huge windstorm right before Christmas that left us in the dark and cold. Another reason to appreciate a good lightsaber.

We threw caution to the wind and had grandpa and grandma plus the Mark Thomas' over for a little holiday game playing and eating fest. The two really do go hand in hand quite perfectly. Just fun family times with some good laughs!

I discovered my deep love for eggnog cupcakes.

And hot cocoa at the ready....

Sweaty chasing cousins....

Quirkle...our new favorite game.

By far Jack's favorite moment of the season...scoring a real Red Rider BB gun from grandpa and grandma. He was bummed that his lame-O parents made him read the entire owner's manual out loud before a single shot was fired. Imagine that!

The little lady with her first real doll baby AND polka dotty puppy purse....are you kidding me?! I could seriously watch her push this baby around with her puppy purse slung on her arm for hours. -And come on now.......look at her tongue!

My favorite gift...a new stock pot in a totally fun color.... Kyle chose wisely! You know everything does taste better when it's prepared in a lovely colored pot... just my theory.

Oh and my cutting board...beautiful bamboo....my checklist was complete.

Kate won the "freshest face" straight out of bed award.

Cole won the "happiest kid to play dress up Santa Clause with his reindeer brothers" award.

The stockings were hung! Kate's is my personal favorite.

Jack finally read his owner's manual and passed his oral examine. It's tough to be a Thomas kid sometimes.

Overall......a big red puffy coated THUMBS UP to this 2010 holiday season!

Going full circle....

2011-01-07T13:19:00.000-08:00

If you give this gal an Ipod..she will eventually dance.

Dancing will remind her of happier, lazier... more care free evenings that didn't involve providing anything for anyone.

She will even dance and sing along to "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus.

Upon this display of crazy.... two of her sons will stare in stunned disbelief.

Her middle child who has been home sick from school for the previous THREE days will exit the room with disgust.

Dancing mother will continue to clean up mess from delicious dinner she loving prepared.

Dancing mother's cracked winter hands will continue to sting with throbbing pain with every drop of water.

Middle child will begin coughing uncontrollably upstairs.

Upon hearing MORE coughing, dancing mother will stop dancing, roll eyes and pray that it will STOOOOOOOOOOOP! (I apologize after every eye roll...I know he's sick and I am quite compassionate.... however, I'm just a bit done with hearing coughing every BLASTED minute of every BLASTED day).

Coughing upstairs turns to crying and moaning which dancing mother knows means only one thing: Vomit

No more dancing.

Middle child will cough himself into a vomit inducing frenzy which lands him into the bath tub.

Child # 3 and #4 stare in shock and awe at tubside.

Mother is now thrilled with the thoughts of drenching her cracked and stinging hands into bath water as well.

As coughing/vomiting child calms in tub water, sheets are removed and put in the washing machine down stairs.

Back upstairs, child #3 and #4 proceed to make themselves at home in the bath water..fully clothed.

Mother's night keeps getting better and better.

Child #3 gets pjs on...admits his lack of judgement on bathing fully clothed, takes out wet clothes from hamper and hangs them out to dry. Awesome.

Child #4 receives fresh clean bath by herself..minus clothing and prepped with sleeper suit.

Child #4 's hair is an anomaly in itself. Genetics from her father have produced fabulous curly swurly locks that only a little lady could pull off. With a little love and styling from her mother, she can pull off quite a do.

Freshly bathed hair with zero product, bow, or tiny barrette yields quite a different outcome. I give you the Tears for Fears curly mullet:

Tears for Fears...80s classic and personal favorite.

18 month old Kate...also a classic and absolute favorite.

As the little lady sipped her warm milk... getting in the sleeping mood, I thought to myself, man, she's rocking a serious Tears for Fears mullet tonight. I turned back on the Ipod... next song on rotation....

Tears for Fears.....I kid you not.

And this mother began dancing again.

True story.

Magic Strings..........

2011-01-03T22:42:00.000-08:00

I really love that my boys are learning to play the violin....at school in fact, it's the greatest opportunity. I debated all summer on whether or not to transfer them to yet another school this year but the chance to learn violin won out......I had to.

Their first Christmas concert: Cole learned 2 songs- a rousing rendition of Twinkle Twinkle and thee best Jingle Bells I've heard to date.

Always deep in thought holding a perfect waiting position...it's the cutest thing.

Two handsome fellas after the 1st grade performance...

The cousin shot with darling Sidney...who is currently tackling the cello...

I've always had music in my home growing up so it's a big priority to me to keep that going with my own family. My piano skills are limited at best. I stopped playing too soon.....ugh, how I wish I would have just stuck with it as a teen. I'm reeeeally hoping that my boys dig this thing because their mother totally loves every squeaky//off key/sour//complete wrong note that comes out of that tiny little fantastic instrument.

I made the right choice.

Reindeer games....

2010-12-21T15:13:00.000-08:00

I'm so pleased with the fact that my camera is always on the ready when events like this occur. Yes, both his fingers were literally stuck inside some birthday party treat bag contraption while sporting antlers? 'Nothin he could do! Good, good times around here!

I love that.....Disneyland edition:

2010-12-17T20:22:00.000-08:00

I LOVE THAT.........

Cole had his tongue lodged in his cheek with complete concentration the entire drive....

We could share 1 Matterhorn sundae...6 spoons... and it is paLENTy....

Santa brought on more fear in Kate than any resident of Disneyland...

My cute parents surprised us all and made the trip to Anaheim....

Kate's favorite ride hands down was....Tea Cups!.....

I could whip out my camera and these were the poses I got instantly...

Almond Rocha was in rich supply....

My FAVorIte meal at the park was still alive and well...Ratatouille with asparagus and corn cakes...

Mr. Incredible just kept hanging around the Thomas crew...it was our own personal photo session if you will...

The castle looked just so fantastic at Christmas time.....night or day.....

We drove to Newport Beach to finally see the temple and oh was it worth it....

I got sincere, happy and excited smiles from my kids....

Kate was a delicate eater...

Jack finally got "the lightsaber"....

The Goff cousins were THEE most fun to Disneyland with......."stupid stroller food" and all!!!

2 for 2....

2010-12-14T09:19:00.000-08:00

So really, what are the chances that this kid right here loses both his front teeth in a matter of weeks?

Chances are pretty high my friends.

However, what are the chances that this kid right here had the help of both his brothers in the "losing" process?

Tooth #1- Loose level on a 1-10.....6.

Sledding with older brother who is known for going a little too far with things+face hitting the ground= loss of first front tooth. The trauma of losing a tiny white tooth in the sparkly white snow far surpassed the actual loss of tooth. A quick note of explanation to the tooth fairy worked wonders.

Tooth #2 Loose level on a 1-10....8

Apparently younger and meaner brother didn't want to get off Cole's bed so a kick to the mouth was completely warranted?????????????? Who is this demon child?

The bum luck my sweet little middle guy has had with teeth......

On the bright side:

The coveted tooth necklace was finally placed around his neck at school today!

The tooth fairy has been VERY generous!

The Runner....

2010-11-28T23:53:00.000-08:00

Cole is my sweetheart. He's the most obedient, kind, easy going and pleasant kid to be around. Kyle and I agree that if all our kids were like Cole...we'd have 5 more.

Cole fun facts: He's a gamer..... Cole+Wii= LOVE. He prefers the indoors 98.3% of the time. He likes sitting and/or walking. He's lovingly referred to as "molasses" around these parts.

Keeping those facts in mind- might I present to you Cole.."the Runner."

Since school began he has completed 25miles. My little gamer has been running laps at lunch recess....by his own accord!! He qualified to run the final 1.2 miles at the Seattle Children's Marathon and was adamant about doing it so by all means............WE RAN!!

The running club crew at the starting line....

Multi-talented Cole's action shot....he runs AND smiles!

Finish line is in sight........

That's right....this kid who reeeeaaaaaallly enjoys sitting indoors and playing anything and everything electronic just completed his marathon!!! What a fun day to spend with my boys. Jack was an allstar as well but this was Cole's first race so all props to the newbie! I loved every moment running with Cole..his toothless smile oozing with pride. This was a good... good day!!

Looking on the bright side....

2010-11-05T13:58:00.000-07:00

I'm a happy person by nature. I'm definitely a "glass half full" kind of gal. Today however... I'm a bit blue..no, annoyed is a better way to phrase it.

You see, I'm flying solo in the parental department till what seems like forever. I've got 4 solid days down. Many more to go...blasted hunting season. I've done it many times before..it's old hat. But this time it's a little different....looooonger. I like CO-parenting, I'll leave it at that.

Other mentionables that I can complain about .... for just a minute:

#1- My Most favorite hilarious and witty local radio talk show host and CHANNEL that has been my oasis of conservative sanity in my liberal desert of a state for 16+ years is changing its format to ........OLDIES MUSIC! You have GOT to be kidding me. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH say it isn't so.......I'm speechless!

2# I've lost my cooking mojo temporarily--- and I'm still hungry.

#3. I spent a delightful evening having dinner with one of my most favorite friends for her birthday last night. I wanted steak. I wanted steak with polenta. I ordered steak. Steak with pancetta. Polenta and pancetta are two VERY different things. I hate pancetta.

#4- I blame my steak and "P" word confusion on lack of sleep. I do not sleep well without a man in the house.

That's all. My minute is up. Now, onto wonderful mentionables as of late:

Big shoes...who doesn't love little kids in big shoes?!

The fellas were solving mysteries outside. The case at hand: How did the nut get cracked?

Glass half full: I'm kinda 'gettin really good at making bread.
Glass half empty: I'm kinda 'gettin really good at eating bread.

Just a little candy corn toss at pack meeting...

My boy earned his Bobcat and I earned this lovely yellow shirt.

This guy can play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 3 different ways...bet you didn't know that was even possible. Oh but it is!

And my sweet little Cole is rockin the teeny tiny violin as well. He licks his lips in complete concentration and says, "Oh let me thstart again.." over and over...it's a hoot!

There, I feel better already!

"It was the bethst Halloween EVER!" -Cole

2010-11-01T14:40:00.000-07:00

WHY YOU ASK????

We made spoooooky haunted houses...

We got to wear costumes ALL day at school and actually called it Halloween and not a "fall festival". We even had a "Parade of costumes" and ate enormous amounts of candy and treats and junk and we liked it!!

Harry Potter and Luigi were sitting next to each other at the parade...

Costumes + recess = childhood heaven

I wore a sweet beard as Obi Won and Harry Potter is actually my brother....

My whole family was invited to TWO of the most fun parties ever.....

Kate wore polka dotty leggings that made my mom very happy....

We ate lots of doughnuts.....

We felt all sorts of gross mystery stuff.....

Brody knocked down the whole slew 'o cans with a tiny pumpkin....

We made each other into mummies.....

I tried bobbing for apples...Brody thought I was being a little ridiculous..just grab one!

We even decorated HOMEMADE doughnuts with orange frosting!

"Yea, Halloween thith year wasth pretty much AWETHUM!"

Tis the season...

2010-10-24T22:04:00.000-07:00

Every year I have visions of a magical photo shoot at the pumpkin patch. Every one is beyond smiley and cooperative, wearing adorable festive garb, and really excited about posing for countless pictures. Maybe next year!

"Choose ONE pumpkin!"

Hands on knees.....

The $18 dollar pumpkin.....I don't know why I agreed to that other than it's pumpkin perfection.

Love her!

And the good sport award goes to.... Kyle...who arrived straight from work, picked up Kate amongst the pumpkins and was immediately puked upon! Right back to the car they go. Sorry 'bout that.

Our decade of wedded bliss!

2010-10-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: You bet I built my own omelet filled with spinach, asparagus, mushrooms and cheese. And yes, we did need to share a vanilla infused waffle with cinnamon whip cream and berry compote. The beginning of a beautiful day.

Antique gallery downtown: Would you also be searching for 5 more of these giant WOODEN bad boys after seeing the $128 price tag? I kid you not....

We each bought a pair...couldn't resist. I couldn't peg if it was the color, price, or the word "skinny" embroidered inside the waistline that did it for us.

Kyle and I recently celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary! He of course asked what I'd like to do and since Fiji wasn't in the cards this year, I jumped at the chance to have him willingly shop with me....all...day...long! A little antiquing plus a whole lotta mall...It was fantastic! Delicious food consumption mingled with an entire day of shopping= wicked combination!

Shoe shopping.....when do I go shoe shopping......never!

Thee most divine steak and crab leg (singular) I've eaten to date, hands down. Impressive view from the 21st floor to boot!

Unfortunately I've consumed this entire jar of gummy bananas in 5 days. Just another necessary purchase from our day out.

And for the kidlets left at home who happily endured 2 sets of babysitters for the entire day, Star Wars pancakes....I mean come on. Just to show how awesome of a parental duo we are we went for the big guns!

It was just a wonderfully fun day filled with a lot of laughs and great conversation. I adore you Mr. Thomas and am so lucky to call you mine!

#3

2010-10-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

This child of mine is finally asleep. I don't know who slipped him the spastic pills but it has been a day. From biting bums, refusing soup, talking like a goo goo baby-constantly, and don't get me started on brushing teeth....I'm done tonight. Ugh, silence is golden.

The weekend that really worked for me.....

2010-10-11T16:36:00.000-07:00

Super sweaty and super speedy Jack

Favorite running partner and BFF Emily who flew up from CA.. Starting off the weekend with a tricky 5k amongst the forest dodging tree limbs and puddles..good stuff.

Can you spot the Columbia River Temple?

When kindred spirits you've known since the 4th grade are about to give birth for the very first time... the good and right thing to do is to gather together. You gather together and eat one too many divinely inspired strawberry cupcakes, go out to a meal that you didn't have to prepare, buy way too expensive but worth every penny hairspray, stay in a lovely hotel over night, hike a big mtn. in the early morning wind with a fantastic view and spend hours in the car laughing, singing, and contemplating life on your way home. I must admit that I have a great life...case in point!

In need of assistance...

2010-10-08T17:23:00.000-07:00

So hears the deal. I have lots to say and plenty of pictures....(pretty sweet ones if you ask me)....to correspond with my deep thoughts. However, out of NOwhere, my blog(ger) will not by any means, not even remotely, no question about it.....let me download a picture or "insert image." It says something about a problem with "enabling cookies" and then it just makes the most annoying clicking sound, a modern day morris code if you will. Maybe it's telling me how to solve the problem via Morris code... hmmm.

How about that for a detailed description?! How do I solve this dilemma? I am a remedial computer technician, not my forte. It is most maddening! Suggestions please and Kyle was no help.

I've been thinking.....

2010-09-30T15:19:00.000-07:00

It's about time I got this little lady a purse!

On this day back in 1977.....

2010-09-28T13:38:00.000-07:00

....My most favorite guy in THEE entire world was born!
Happy Birthday handsome!!

Awesomeness from Thursday

2010-09-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

I love the fact that fantastic stuff like this just appears on my counter!

-Focus on the highly excited practicing newbie Wolf... not the fridge/microwave that needs a good wipe down.-

I also love the fact that I'll be spending my entire Thursday evening training to be the most fantastic den leader AROUND! That's right, entire evening!! The inevitable has arrived.

Weekend review and such...

2010-09-12T21:38:00.000-07:00

It's hard to type tonight...it smells a little like skunk outside and it's wafting (a word perhaps?) into my nasal passages- inside. Not cool. One of the numerous benefits of country life I suppose. Out of habit it must be said.... P.U.

The fellas have been puttin pencil to paper now for 2 straight weeks. Little man on the left tried to wish his way to school, any school ..but that didn't pan out. -Peace

Mr. First Grade and his lonely little shadow

Cole is in a music program where.....drumroll: he gets to learn the violin at school!!! For his music loving mother it's a dream scenario. Isn't that tiny violin fantastic? I'm sensing some mad violin skills are going to ooze outta this kid?

Mr. Third Grade: Lucky pants Jack is also in the music program, also gets to learn the violin, AND gets to be in thee exact same class as super fun cousin Sidney. Life is good for this kid.

We had a thrilling weekend full of:

Meltdowns over lost remotes. Yes, I the eternal lifesaver of this crew found said remote under the kitchen cabinet next to the oven, on the floor. Of course!

Family Movie Night: I had to take a picture so I could go back later and ask myself....."am I a fuddy duddy?" It kinda looks that way. I mean, what kind of family movie night consists of eating your popcorn and rootbeer at the table? I guess mine.

Movie of choice seen 4 times in 10 days: Diary of a Wimpy Kid.....ZOO WEE MAMA! Funny stuff!

'playin with the powerball cleaning tabs....all 93 of them, every few hours after my mom forgets to put the rubberband back on the door knob for the 37th time!

'Ridin the wonder pony....Kyle was a painting fool this weekend getting all of the fence around our property painted. Chance the wonder pony's shed is almost complete and then mongo barn will come last. The weather was lovely so what's a guy to do but go ride his horse!

And so another week begins!

Picture of the day...

2010-09-08T15:12:00.000-07:00

It rained a lot today. Sometimes it can be a real bummer, kinda puts me in a grumpy-ish mood. Well I came across this little beauty on my SD card and by golly....I am all smiles once again.

Thank you very favorite sister who drove up with her crew this summer to visit yours truly. Thank you for going to the zoo, spying this very- very sleepy miniature boy/man who was literally asleep sitting up....just pooped..... and posing for me! The toe kick was an added bonus!

*other honorable mentions of the day at the zoo.....

Squeaker Foot.....

2010-08-31T13:44:00.000-07:00

Someone has figured out the walking thing.....

And that super cute someone just happens to have a mother who adores shoes with all her heart.

Now that little super cute someone has a mother who canNOT pass up a fantastic pair of RED maryjanes (are you kidding me???) .... especially when they "Squeak" when she walks.

Someone thinks it's pretty funny with every step!

And finally, that someone has a brother who can't quite seem to keep his hands to himself.... but that's beside the point!

So in conclusion, I'm loving my walking little dollhead of a daughter. And, red maryjanes will eternally be on my very favorites list. Especially ones that squeak.

The summer that was 2010

2010-08-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

It's "Meet your Teacher" day today at school. Summer is coming to an end. I am tooooootally o.k. with it!

Just a little Summer 2010 review:

My tomatoes lookED lovely at one point this summer. After spending a week in Montana and hiring a 10 year old neighbor kid to "water" them..uh, hum...they don't look as lovely. They were my first attempt at a green thumb and I have been pleased with their progress. Currently, they are so gigantic they are falling over themselves in their pots. What a mess. Next year, in the ground, in a literal garden!

KATE: She's been working on some great thighs, driving her pink buggy, growing incredible amounts of curly/crazy hair, and making messes. Why do I fold laundry?

JACK: We ran another 5k in July and have one more planned for October. They're fun to do together. This last race, he beat me and that's pretty cool!

He had buddies come play and eat fudgesicles.

And how could I forget..... He LA-HUVED Cub Camp! It's great to be 8!

We went on the Cascade Mountain Scenic Railroad Tour....and scenic it was.

Grandma and Grandpa Madsen were totally fun and took the whole crew out for a day on the train!

Uncle Aaron and cousin Quincy enjoying the view....

Look.....THEE Mt. Rainier, amongst the clouds!

This was the face I saw the entire ride up...."No Cole you may not have another Twinkie!"

Cole: This guy played A LOT of Legos. He is amazingly creative and can come up with the coolest motorcycle/ fighter jet/ turbo space station/ commando/ war transporter that you have ever witnessed.

Brody: He's almost 4 and thinks, acts, talks, sasses, reacts, jokes, and questions like he's 11. Enough said.

*Oh and I wanted to show my favorite sister how my little lady beads turned out for girls camp. I taught an early morning class on the importance of "Being a little more kind.." I found a blog with this great idea to use sour patch kids with the note attached saying, "Keep your words soft and sweet, you may need to eat them!" The bead was a big hit, hopefully the "kind" idea will be a hit as well.

I'm pretty pleased.....

2010-08-19T15:03:00.000-07:00

4 years and 2 kids later I finally got around to planing a family photo shoot. We planned it out so that my entire family would be together for the big event and that in itself is a huge accomplishment. (Thank you cute friend Angie photographer extraordinaire) !

-please do not be concerned....Kyle, Jack, Uncle Allen....everyone's eyes are o.k., just a little case of the bad download.....

Come on....these turned out pretty cute!

I bought some old crusty frames at an antique shop and the Goodwill. They were originally a boring shade of brown (not to be confused with a hazy shade of winter). I wanted to bring out the mustard yellow in Kate's dress and pop against the teal of the background. I gave them a good 'sandin, then applied my stain.

I'm loving them.