Our Family

Monday, November 3, 2008

Halloween!

Are there any mothers out there who actually like this holiday? I'm telling you, if attempting to make people happy with their costumes doesn't get you the candy will. . . However, I am a sucker for punishment so here's the picture.

There was sort of a theme to our costumes, we had three zebras (my mom made those costumes about a quarter of a century ago, not too shabby, eh?), an elephant (borrowed from Amanda who made it a couple of years ago), a cheetah - she had a tail sewn on those pj's, a hunter (to go after all the bounteous game in the area), and Super Dad (Ryan went as himself). This picture was taken at the end of the evening, we looked a bit cuter a few hours before this but this was the first opportunity I had to gather everyone together for a picture.

I've hidden all the candy in my closet, they'll never find it :)

Monday, October 20, 2008

Fall Break

We had Fall Break last week and today the kids are back in school :) We had lots of fun on our break, we had adventures at the park and library, there was a corn maze to play in! And the chickens loved the corn cobs we brought home. We went to the zoo (pictured above) and spent about 5 hours wandering around, I think it was our longest zoo trip ever. It was really fun.

We visited my parents who were staying at their timeshare in Scottsdale, there was a splash pad and pool for the kids to play in. I love Arizona in October, it is just perfect. I sat in the shade and it was not too hot and not too cold, it was just right. Aaahhh! Maybe surviving the summer was worth it. . . Hooray for Fall!!

Friday, October 10, 2008

Look what I made!

Last year I stitched and stitched for months and made the four big kids Christmas Stockings (FINALLY!!), I was pregnant with Pete and by the time Mom and I went shopping for fabric to match each kid's snowman or house we knew Pete was a boy but I didn't know his name yet so I left his stocking undone, but I did get the blue fabric and cut it out so it would be easy to throw together once we got our baby here, named, and I got it stitched. So I finished the stitching last week and in a fit of task completion (I'm normally terrible at that), I sewed it together!!! I am so proud of myself! However, my mother deserves lots of props, she was a huge help at the fabric store and at the sewing machine and ironing board. She's the bestest sewer ever (that's "sewer" like a person who sews, not the other kind of "sewer" that is kind of stinky, maybe the word I'm looking for is seamstress?) Nonetheless, she is always a big helper with any project I attempt and I'm thankful for such a wonderful mummy (you know which kind of mummy I mean).

Will they appreciate the hard work I put into them? Probably not, but I'll be happy every December when I unpack them and hang them up on the fireplace . . . and Santa fills them with coal.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Birthday Shout Out

Happy Birthday Jessica Joan
we sure love you a lot.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Bitter - Sweet

Lindsey and David were in an accident tonight, they were turning left onto their street when a truck ran the red light and hit them. The truck’s passengers weren’t wearing seatbelts. Nobody was hurt seriously even though some of the passengers were ejected from the truck and landed on the road and had to go to the hospital with minor injuries and the truck ended up wrapped around a pole. Lindsey and David were/are fine.

The girls and I were headed to Lindsey’s house to pick her and her girls up to go to a “Princess” Party for Lindsey’s Ward Enrichment Night. My little girls and I were all dressed up like princesses. We drove up to the intersection in question and there was no way to get through it to get to their house because of all the emergency vehicles and cops so we called and shortly found out that it was them causing the ruckus.

We stayed a little while and helped put Lindsey’s kids to bed then we went home once everything was a bit calmer. On the way home the girls and I were talking about car safety and the importance of obeying the laws and wearing seatbelts and that sort of thing. I was stressing the importance of knowing how to stay safe and knowing the rules before you begin driving. Here is an excerpt of the conversation that followed:

Tessa: You can teach me to drive with no hands.

(While I was laughing and trying to think of a response because I totally do that sometimes)

Tessa: I know why you do that, it’s so you can use your knees and make peanut butter sandwiches for your kids.

(Now I was laughing a lot harder. Keep in mind, Leah has made it her life’s work to disagree with everything Tessa says.)

Leah: You don’t make peanut butter sandwiches with your knees!!

*Disclaimer: I do not recall ever making peanut butter sandwiches while driving.

Award Winning Ladies & Parent Teacher Conference Reports

Our Darling Tessa won a Perfect Attendance Award. Not too shabby, but I think it should actually have my name on it. . . Tessa's Parent Teacher Conference was very very nice. She is doing great and her teacher LOVES her. Her teachers always love her, she is just a lovable chick.

They just wouldn't quit giving Leah Bug awards. I think whenever they came to a name they couldn't pronounce they just called Leah's. Seriously though, she is an excellent student. Her conference went the way they always go with her teachers, she is wonderful, she is smart, she is helpful, she is a pleasure to have in class. I like those kinds of conferences.

Jeffey's conference was also par, he is very smart and fun to have in class, he gets along with everyone he just needs to pay attention and turn in his assignments and try to spell things correctly. He is a super great kid, as they all are. I blame Ryan.