Ferndaliens are not from Outerspace

Halloween 2011

2011-11-06T10:46:00.001-08:00

It seemed like Halloween lasted a week this year. We started with a trunk-or-treat/carnival at the church on the Tuesday the week before. On the Saturday preceding the day, we walked into a Halloween activity at the grocery store when we went to buy our pumpkins. They had booths and games set up through the store, and didn't mind that our kids were the only ones not in costume.

We carved pumpkins on Sunday. I only carved two pumpkins, the rest were pretty much done when I got home from home teaching. JT was quite pleased with his "Phineas." AJ carved the warrior with a scar on his left cheek. A's pumpkin has cheeks and B's pumpkin is a little nervous about angry birds in the area. I worked with D and we carved the one with the buck teeth for him. I also carved "Go Diego Go" for Darren, but he didn't know about it until after he got up the next morning.

When Monday finally rolled around we had already been working on the candy we had picked up earlier in the week. I guess you could say we were preconditioning ourselves for the upcoming sugar rush. JT went off to a costume party with friends. We didn't get any pictures of him. B went trick-or-treating with friends as a bumblebee, however she went to school as a blue crayola crayon.

AJ was a pirate. Candace made special pants for him and he was excited about the new sword that he got to stick in the sash around his waistband.
A. was a Western girl, not a cowgirl. I think she finally settled on the fact that she was the mayor's wife in a western town that definitely did not own or work with cows, but was still rich. It was too complicated for me to understand fully.

D. was a doctor complete with a medical kit. Candace made the scrubs and it took us a while to convince him that he shouldn't wear the witch dress for Halloween.

I took the younger three out into our new neighborhood to trick-or-treat. We were the only ones out on the street for quite a while. As a result the kids would get handfuls of candy from people who had overprepared for trick-or-treaters. They also got a number of full and even king size candy bars. D got picked up after about an hour. He was happy and got enough candy.

AJ and A stayed out for more than 2 hours and came home with about 5 lbs of candy each and most of it was chocolate! They had school the next day so they didn't get to sit and trade for very long. What a day! Now onto Thanksgiving.

Our Busy Intro to Autumn

2011-11-06T08:58:00.000-08:00

(As if any part of our current life couldn't be described as busy) I am ignoring the fact that we haven't posted anything since March. Sorry. Anyway since I found myself with an extra hour this morning, I have some time to update the blog!

We started school this year with two kids in Junior High, two kids at Elementary School, and two kids at home. Everybody has settled in and I haven't heard any complaints about teachers or classes. Justin started early morning seminary (which starts at 6:00am) this year which starts 18 uninterrupted years of at least one of our kids in seminary! (I think I just sprouted a few gray hairs thinking about it.)

Alex and Justin both joined the cross-country team for their respective schools. Justin ran with the Varsity squad and did pretty well. Alex progressed through the year and his best finish was 4th place.

Rumor has it that we had a baby!

2011-03-26T12:00:00.001-07:00

Well that rumor is true and after a few weeks, we figure it is time to update the blog. This is going to be a photo heavy post, because you already know the details.

Here is our son, CB, in the first few hours of his life. And below is proof of his birth weight.

Mom got a few hours of quiet time, before the invasion by the rest of the family began.

Conner discovers that he is the youngest of 6 kids and they all want a chance to hold him. So he got passed around a bit, with some supervision from dad.

We had a very patient nurse who completed a check-up while all the kids were there and gave all a chance to listen to his heart, lungs, and stomach.

Everybody was excited to bring him home, but that is the subject of another posting.

Thanksgiving wrap up

2010-12-05T22:53:00.000-08:00

This year we headed over to the Tri Cities to enjoy Thanksgiving with the McCain's. We had a good group and decent travel weather.

Good food, good company and a good time.

Thanks Grandma for hosting our brood. We love visiting Grandma's and love to see Great Grandpa, Great Grandma and other family when we are there. (Aaron's Aunt and cousin joined in the festivities as well).

Yummy pies with as much whip cream as we wanted. Perhaps in some cases, more than we wanted!

Mother Nature provided the snow so Aaron and the boys spent an afternoon creating an awesome snow family.

I know they are slowly melting, but at least G-pa and G-ma had something to greet them after we left.

My kids were amazed at all the icicles in Kennewick. Aaron and I decided that the houses there don' t have rain gutters so they are more easily formed there. But, hands down, G-pa and G-ma's house had the BEST and BIGGEST icicle we saw. This picture is after it melted a bit, too. So impressive!

And last but not least, G-ma got the hot tub ready so everyone had to take a dip. Nothing like hot tubbing in the snow, right? That is the best weather to go out in! The kids did their own polar dip to make it even more fun!

We have so many things to be so thankful for, starting with family. Thank you Mom and Dad for housing us. We are grateful for safe travel in spite of frozen wiper fluid and icy spots. We are grateful to our Savior also and as we transition into this Christmas season, we are focusing more on family and friends and showing love for each other. We may be slow at posting but are enjoying life and the adventures that are coming our way.

Fall Dance Performance - Thriller

2010-11-15T16:22:00.000-08:00

The girls had an opportunity to participate in the high school talent show with their dance group. Brit did "Thriller" and Manda did a cute duck song. I figure everyone will want to watch them as much as I do, right?

Brit is the one that looks like a zombie newsie. She is hard to see for alot of it just because of where we were in the auditorium. Sorry for the darkness, but it is Thriller...

Be Like a Duck

2010-11-15T13:49:00.001-08:00

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T21:13:00.000-07:00

Since Halloween is typically more my thing than Candace's, I guess it is my turn to post the blog. Our activities started on Friday night with pumpkin carving and a movie with the older kids. Everybody did a pretty good job with their pumpkins. I helped Alex, Darren, and Candace and Candace helped Amanda. My special pumpkin this year is Perry the Platypus from my current favorite cartoon, Phineas and Ferb. We are all pretty pleased with the results. After we got the younger kids down, we watched Gremlins. It wasn't nearly as scary as I remember and the puppets are a far cry from today's CG technology. Still fun though.

Saturday was a Tri-Ward trunk or treat so the kids and I all dressed up (Candace did throw on a pumpkin hat (which received many compliments)) and headed up to the Stake Center. The cars almost circled the church building, the weather held, and the kids just kept walking around until everybody was out of candy. We decorated the back of our van and Justin handed out the goodies. Afterwards, the kids traded and swapped with Amanda getting rid of all the milk chocolate in exchange for more allergy friendly goodies. Justin had a bunch of friends over and they played games and acted like teenagers into the evening. It was a fun day.

With the actual Day falling on a Sunday, we decided that we would stay indoors tonight and have a fun candlelight dinner with dry ice smoke. I made a sausage and squash dish while the kids answered the door for the trick-or-treaters. We had a fun weekend. This week at work really set the tone for me. We had a spirit week and each day we were encouraged to dress the theme. So we had GeoEngineers Brand Day, Hawaiian Day, Crazy Hat Day, Sports Team Day, and Costume Day. I jumped in with both feet and here are my entries:

We find out tomorrow if our office won. My fingers are crossed.

Fun Stuff

2010-10-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

This month has been flying by but wanted to get another post in before Halloween! Darren was invited to his nursery leaders' house to pick pumpkins and ride on Pepper.
He wasn't overly fond of Pepper but I thought Pepper was so cute! The kids got to feed the goats, eat a snack, pick apples and choose a pumpkin!

Ahh, the chosen one.

Thanks Kay for the invite! We had so much f un!

Things that come out at night...

The other night the kids hollered that there racoons outside the back door looking in. Out back door doesn't have blinds or drapes the close currently and they were checking Brittany out while she was sweeping the floor. The most we saw was 4. They were so cute behind the glass! Brit wanted to open the door but I voted NO for that one.

By the time I had figured out the settings on the camera to work so that the glass didn't reflect so much they had gone out to the compost pile. But, they were pretty content to watch us for a bit.

This is a quick video, and hopefully is appropriate for all ages

Go Eaglettes!

2010-10-28T21:41:00.000-07:00

Tonight Amanda was able to perform at the high school football game half time show. She has been practicing all week at an Eaglette cheer camp put on by the high school cheer leaders. It was so cute and fun to watch her. This video is for everyone, but especially for Devin. Why? Because I can't watch my daughter cheer without thinking of you!

"You're so awesome..."

2010-10-17T22:11:00.000-07:00

We can hardly believe that Justin is now an official teenager! He has been acting like one for awhile though so I guess it is good that he can hold the title.

Justin really wanted Thai food for his birthday dinner. I figured it would be fun to take the kids to our favorite Thai restaurant for this special occasion (they have had thai but only take out).
Everyone was adventurous and pretty enjoyed their dinner. Some ate slowly with chopsticks and it was fun to watch them figure it out. Aaron is a good teacher!

And, a dinner wouldn't be complete without chicken nuggets from home stabbed with a chopstick utensil.
Darren is so funny lately...in alot of ways...but for some reason doesn't want me to take his picture!
OK, back to the b-day boy.
I was SO sad that I didn't get to make a Miami Beach cake but the request this year was a pineapple upside down cake. Not to shabby for my first one ever. What can I say, I aim to please.
Some presents...
homework, phone calls and bed. He was so tired and didn't get to try out his fun stuff. It was a busy day and he partied later in the week.

I had hollered at him to turn his lights out and when he didn't, this is what I found. My poor little boy, all tuckered out. To cute not to photo document.

For your viewing pleasure:

OTHER BIG NEWS...
We had our ultrasound this week and...it's a boy! We are all excited for this new arrival!

First Day of School

2010-09-14T21:59:00.001-07:00

Summer is finally over and the kids started school today. (They have 4 days they have to make up...bummer). The day started earlier than we have been getting up but the kids were up and ready with plenty of time!

Not the greatest pics as I had camera issues this morning. oh well.

Justin had a good day at school but couldn't believe that he had homework today. Nothing too serious but still, it was homework. He is looking so grown up!

And, in no particular order:

Darren wanted so badly to be in all the pictures. He was ready right along with the big kids. A few more years kiddo! You can't leave me too yet. I am not ready for that.

And, the REAL reason for the excitement of going to school? New shoes. I told the kids they couldn't wear them until the first day of school and the extra days they had to wait were torture! I am such a mean mom!

And, we're off!

I LOVED the walk up to school today. I missed that this summer. I really enjoy walking and talking with my kids. I LOVED the 1 on 1 time with my little guy. We had a good day today and he even got a nap! I LOVED the kids coming home from school and telling me about their day. It is going to be a good year.

End of Summer? NO! Strike, Strike, Strike!

2010-09-10T15:05:00.000-07:00

Almost a month has gone by. I am not even going to catch up (I am a rebel). We have seemed to be fairly busy but really enjoyed our more relaxing August. Now it is September and school started on Wednesday...wait, no it didn't. It was suppose to start on Wed. but our summer vacation keeps going and going. It is all fun and games til the end of school when we will get out much much much later than everyone else!

Our teachers are on strike and we just found out that school is cancelled on Monday also. Argh. Maybe Tuesday they will get to go. Backpacks are filled and ready!

Meanwhile, we enjoyed what we thought was the last week of summer vacation. We swam at the lake and jumped off a bridge (well, Justin jumped).

We enjoyed the BYU vs Husky football game on Saturday with friends. So much fun was had by all except the Husky fans. (and us Ferndalians were disappointed in Jake Locker's performance.)

Aaron built me some shelves in my kitchen/utility closet that we just couldn't keep neat and organzied. But now, I LOVE it. It is very usable and my kids even actually put the vacuum away after using it now! Here is before:

As you can see, there is not a good system here. And this is after:

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. I struggle with chaos in a room/closet, etc. It is OK only for so long and the 9 months we have lived here is long enough! Nice progress and proof that a little bit goes a long way!

Darren can't go anywhere lately without his flip flops. He wears them from the time he gets up to when he goes to bed. He would sleep in them if I let him.

And Finally, the kids have been spending so much time outside catching frogs! Darren is very good at catching them. (poor frogs)

They hop out from under our feet as we are walking on the lawn (especially after it rains). They are so much fun and Darren adores them. He had one in his had while we walked up to the school on Tuesday to check class schedules. It had been at least 30 minutes and he still had it in his hand! I coerced him to let it go and hoped it was still alive.

Here is a little frog video for your viewing pleasure.

Big News Up Here

2010-08-11T12:54:00.000-07:00

While Aaron and Justin were at Scout camp, Amanda FINALLY lost her first tooth! I say finally because she went through kindergarten feeling pretty sorry for herself because everyone else had lost a tooth and not her. It didn't help that she was in a k/1 split. But, happily she was able to pull her first tooth out and now she looks a little holy!

It keeps happening...my kids keep growing up!

Saturday Projects

2010-08-08T21:30:00.000-07:00

Every once and a while I figure that I (Aaron) need to provide a post that summons a few Tim Allen ape-like grunts. Last year I inherited my grandfather's Craftsman tablesaw. He took great care and it was in good shape. Since we moved into our new home and I have captured the third bay of the garage as my workshop, I have had the opportunity to do a few upgrades to the saw. I picked up and installed a new fence (that's the part that slides back and forth on top of the saw and helps make nice straight cuts) that extends about 3 feet right of the blade. I also built an extension table with a formica covering that sits between the rails for the fence. I initially planned to just put two legs, but the plans changed and the two legs morphed to four and I ended up with a cabinet for my router. I still need to cut a hole in the table top for the router, but that is a job for a different day.

(Do you like the pink legs on the cabinet? Leftovers from a girl's bunk bed)

This transformation has taken a few months and my wife informed me that I need to get some other things built. So this last Saturday I was in hog heaven working in my shop while it rained outside. I built two projects to help organize the garage: a bike rack for 6 bikes and a sports ball holder. They were pretty simple and used up a lot of my scrap wood. I had to buy 8 2x4's, a box of screws, and surgical tubing. Candace is happy.

The bike rack I built from plans I found on the internet and tweaked to fit most of the bikes in our garage. There is even a spot for scooters in the middle!

The ball rack is something that Candace had seen in a store and we just made it up as we went along. It started a lot bigger, but ended up being about 18 inches wide and 12 inches deep. I added some dowels on the side to hold some of the raquets that we have. Below you can see both of the projects in use and how neat and tidy this corner of the garage is for the moment.

Whistler and Scooters. (Justin)

2010-08-03T20:01:00.000-07:00

This is Justin
After getting home from Utah. We left for Grandma's camp at Whistler!
Grandma came to our house Thursday night and we left Friday.

After we got there on Friday afternoon we went to our room, unpacked, and then went swimming. Yay. I really can't believe that this is the second time that I have been to Whistler, and I haven't gone either mountain biking, or done any snow sports. The main extent of my Whistler vacations have been hanging out at the resort, shopping at Whistler village, watching movies, and lots, and lots of swimming.
This year wasn't any different. Except we did Cricut, and a cricut play.

Sorry about the lack of pictures from Whistler, we never really took out the camera.

Scootering...

Darren loves riding his scooter. He always sneaks out to ride it and just goes up and down the sidewalk.

July, in a nutshell

2010-07-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

Some might think we are lazy to not update our blog when we have done so much, but that is just it, we are too busy! Our summer started off with cub scout day camp (which I was program director for). It was crazy and insane leading up to it but really fun once it started. (sorry, no pics). Then we left for a trip to Utah to see family and go to the Stadium of Fire fireworks show. That was awesome.

Aaron and Carl had a tank battle during our own driveway fireworks show. I think Aaron won this one.

I didn't have the camera with me always but we hiked at Sundance, dipped our feet in Bridal Viel Falls, checkout out gravesites of ancestors and hiked the "Y"!

At the top

We met a rattlesnake on the way to the top too. He seemed pretty interested in finding some shade. That would have been a really nice thing to find. Can you see him?

Alex at the top of the Y

After our hike and lunch at Training Table, we headed to Provo Veterans Pool for an afternoon of swimming and sliding. No cameras were allowed but the pool was perfect for our family. We headed back to Carl and Devin's and then up the canyon for a BBQ evening. The weather was perfect and the company was even better.

Cousins

Again, not great with the camera this summer but the next day we hooked up with Annette and Bary and thier family for the afternoon. After a picnic lunch, we headed to Hollywood Connection, an indoor park that was perfect for the kids.
We didn't get too many pictures but the kids golfed, played laser tag, rode roller coasters, bumper cars, carousel, roller skate and just had fun. Our last day we stopped at temple square to go to the visitors center and walked into the tabernacle. We didn't have enough time there but were grateful for the quick tour of the conference center. We even got to walk all the day down to the bottom. That was pretty cool.

FAMILY PICTURES

While in Utah, Aaron's sister, Heather was gracious enough to take our family pictures. She is a very talented photographer in Arizona and was able to capture each of my kids personalities. Check out her website. She is amazing and we are so thrilled with the pictures. So as not to overwhelm you with all of them, I have put together a slideshow of some of our favorite pics. Thanks Heather. You are awesome and we LOVE them.

TYC

2010-06-20T16:42:00.000-07:00

Temple Youth Celebration...
WOW...
Holy Kershnolies
Oh My Word
Wonderful

This is Justin.
I LOVE TYC!!

If you haven't heard, there was a new Vancouver Temple and Bellingham Stake is the only stake in the U.S. that is in the new temple district. Instead of a 2 hour drive, the time has been reduced to 45 minutes, depending on the border wait. All the youth (12-18) in the district got to participate in the Temple Youth Celebration. (TYC) It. was. amazing. The celebration was a great big show that the prophet would attend the day before the dedication.

TYC was a three day youth conference with practice sessions. We started practicing in February and only got together 5 or 6 times. We performed May 1st.
We were divided up into groups according to what acts we were in.

There was a childrens choir for a few of the baptized children that weren't old enough to participate in the actual thing. Brittany and Alex were chosen to participate. WOW.

The absolute most awesomest girl that I have ever met, (my new canadian best friend) was my best friend at TYC. Her name is Maggie. we have this never ending argument over which country was better. Canada, or America. Her main argument: Canada has cooler looking money, ketchup chips, and America is fat. My main argument: You guys say eh, washroom, and our flag and national anthem is much cooler. She is great.

For more pics and some video of kids, go to http://vancouvertemplecelebration.blogspot.com/
It was an awesome spiritual experience. Right before the performance, President Monson came out and I got to sit twenty feet away from him. ... I know he is a man of god. I was twenty feet away from the prophet of the lord, and Elder Utchdorf. At the beginning of the third day we had a morning side in front of the temple. The person that is in charge of every single temple in the world spoke to us, with the temple in the background. My testimony of the temple is so strong.
Thursday was a get to know you day.
Friday was a small practice day with lots of fun youth activities and playing with our counselors.
Saturday was our spiritual day, with more practice, and the real thing.
Sunday (TYC is over now) was the temple dedication.

We got to Canada by 7:00 every morning and left at 10:00 every night. Everybody got to go to the last song of the 14 and up dance. It was amazing.

TYC was such an amazing experience and I will never forget it as long as I live.

I don't know how to describe it , it was just, amazing. Amazing isn't doing it just. The prophet, the youth, the fun, the spirituality, being with 1200 other lds youth. AMAZING.

These pictures are from Sarah Weaver at Church News

My stake scene

Me escourting a real Vancouver Temple District Pioneer in my special scene!

The finale. Alex and Brittany are up front. I am in the third ring by the bottom left-hand corner. This is all 1200 youth singing the finale song around a big plastic temple. WOW.

President Monson and his Canadian pin that flashed red, white, and blue.

Amazing...

Why not much gets done somedays...

2010-06-18T09:17:00.000-07:00

When my morning starts like this...

3 kids watching TV. (without permission to turn it on...a common occurrence here lately)

1 child being 2.

Note: I am NOT complaining. I LOVE staying at home with my kids. Sometimes I just don't get anything done!

You've Got to Admit It's Getting Better

2010-06-13T10:28:00.000-07:00

After listening to concerts and recitals for about 7 years now, I have to admit that the quality of the performance is definitely improving. The week before Memorial Day, Justin and the combined Vista and Horizon Middle School marching bands played/competed in the Junior Ski to Sea Parade in Bellingham, Washington. They took first place in their division and yes, there was more than one middle school marching band in the parade. It was fun and we were happy that the sun made an appearance!

Here comes the band!

Yeah for Justin. I don't know anything about marching, but he was the center of the line and marched down the centerline of the road.

He had a good time in the Parade and stopped long enough for me to take a picture of him with another boy in his Deacon's Quorum.

Look, the rest of the kids are even good sports and heckled, I mean, cheered their brother on.

Darren's big day

2010-05-04T15:36:00.000-07:00

My little baby is 2 years old! So hard to believe. He was so much fun on his birthday. Here is a glimpse of the festivities. Hope you enjoy!

A word about Barney...Aaron says he has no shoes because they are cement shoes and Barney is about to sink to his death in the lake. Graphic and cruel, yes. But my children introduced him to Barney (on demand) and he has really loved him. I can't get Darren to sing "I am a Child of God" which I sing to him daily but he will sing "I love you" after watching Barney a few times.

Pinewood Derby

2010-05-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

I know that you are all on pins and needles awaiting the result of Alex's first pinewood derby so I won't delay any longer. We've known that this is coming for about 2 months and had time to actually build two cars. The first car was ready for the ward derby that was held about a month ago. At that time we discovered that the first car wasn't very fast, so we started over and developed the "Black Widow". Alex developed the design and color scheme and Aaron helped him cut it out and paint it. They both worked on the axles and wheels together.

(graphiting the wheels to make it as fast as possible)

Alex's car did pretty well. There were a total of 20 cars between three wards. He had seven 3-car races and took 1st four times and 2nd three times. That was well enough to qualify for the top 8 and the single elimination tourney to determine the final champion.

(Listen for Alex's "YES" after the race is over)

(The top 8 cars)

Well he was matched up against one of the cars that beat him in the opening rounds. He won the first race, but it is a best 2 out of 3, and the other car came back to beat him. We had fun. Aaron was in charge of the races and we enjoyed watching Alex do a little fist pump every time his car came in first. One year we might actually place in the top three, but not this year.

Alex's Big Month

2010-04-27T23:15:00.001-07:00

April has been a ~~big~~ huge month for Alex. Alex has always been interested in sports. He loves to shoot hoops, play catch, swing bats, and run. However he has always preferred to do these activities in the comfort of his own backyard. We have tried to sign him up for teams before, but he has always said he wasn’t interested. Well, after much waffling he finally decided to play on a little league baseball team with a few of his friends. To nobody’s surprise he absolutely loves the practices and the games. He likes to be 10 to 15 minutes early to each game and usually puts on his gear as soon as he gets home from school. The league is machine-pitch and everybody bats each inning, so we haven’t seen more than two innings yet. But it is a lot of fun and Alex is thoroughly enjoying it.

He also turned 8 years old this month which in our house means that you get to start going on birthday hikes with Dad. We chose to do a 2.2 mile loop in the area east of Lake Padden in Whatcom County. We had a fun morning finding the first wildflowers that had started to bloom, searching for a geocache or two, and taking lots of pictures. He tried out his new backpack and we were happy that the rain stayed away until later in the afternoon.

Turning 8 also means that he has the opportunity to be baptized. So the Saturday following the hike, Alex was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints by his dad. Grandma and Grandpa McCain and Williams both came for the event as well as Uncle Scott, Heidi, and Nicole. Aaron’s Uncle Marv and Aunt Janie were also in town and came to participate. It was a pretty special day and Alex was excited. There was a sweet spirit as he and another little girl both made these important covenants with Heavenly Father.

He has also become a cub scout and his first event is the pinewood derby. The car is almost ready and the race is Wednesday night. (We'll keep you posted.)

To close out the month Alex, Brittany, and Justin all get to participate in the Temple Youth Celebration associated with the dedication of the new Vancouver Temple. Alex and Brittany were selected to sing in a primary choir while Justin is in some of the theatrical numbers that will be performed the night before the dedication for President Monson. The practices, open house and upcoming dedication (all with the accompanying trip to Canada) has been pretty big news in our neck of the woods and we are excited about having the new temple.

We like Alex and have really enjoyed celebrating life with him this month.

Spring Break

2010-04-11T16:26:00.000-07:00

This is Justin again. When I started this post about a week ago, Mom (Candace) was up in Canada with our new Nexus passes :-) taking the kids to a temple chior practice. First Order of busimess...Spring Break.

On Saturday night we died eggs.Darren kept wanting to stick his hand into the cup. We had to help him do it the right way.

That's better. Also, lately, whenever he sees the camera he runs up and says "Cheeese" with a huge smile on his face.

After Darrens turn was over, and pretty much whenever he saw an egg, he would grab it out of the box and throw it. We had quite a few eggs reserved for our special Easter dinner, Eggs al a golden rod.

On our Easter egg hunt he continued to find eggs and throw them, much to Amanda's dismay.
The hunt went well, and after wards, Amanda came up to Aaron and said "Dad, can I go get an egg from inside for you to hide so that I can find it." She was in the Easter spirit, and dad reminded her what Easter was about.

Easter pictures.

On Wednesday we went to Tulip Town at the Skagit county Tulip Festival.

Lots of pictures of tulips and people in front of tulips were taken. I got picture happy and took some really cool pictures, which we will show first.

It was soooo windy. Darren kept saying 'so winy" over and over, but we all adjusted and had a great time.

Alex's birthday was on Sunday, and he got lots of fun presents.
He also had vanilla, oreo, fudge, whipped cream ice cream cake. mmmmmm.

Last, and definitely not the least, Darren is the RED NINJA...

Day at the Olympics!

2010-02-21T21:11:00.000-08:00

Saturday we took the three older kids and headed up to Canada to spend the day and watch our much anticipated Olympic event of Curling. We caught the skytrain, which was pretty slick, and no one threw up! Not being there before it took us a bit to figure it out but decided we would head over to the Ontario pavilion. Each territory of Canada had an area in which they showcased the culture of their territory. It was really neat. We decided that it was worth it to wait in line to watch a 4D film about Ontario. It was a 2 hour wait! But, I will say the movie (6 minutes) was pretty impressive.

While I held the place in line, Justin and Alex both participated in a hockey shoot out. If they made a goal they won a tuque. They both won! Alex also won a Canada Roots bag playing a Plinko type game.
Brittany supports from the sidelines
Everywhere we looked there was a mass of people. Being a Saturday, it was extra busy but so much fun. Oh, and the weather was gorgeous.

We grabbed lunch at a local pita place and then headed to our venue for our big event.

Alex and his tuque. That is Canadian for ski hat.

Walking to the event we saw some out of towners...well more out of town than we were.
Finally we made it! We were a bit early as we over estimated the amount of time it would take to get there. We had to hang out for a bit but finally were able to enter the stadium.

The kids, killing time.

Practicing their curling skills

I had to add this one. It isn't a picture of me, but Mr. Combover. It was (as my sister in law Heather would say,) Amazeballs.

Curling is actually pretty awesome in person. I am sure it helped that the crowd was crazy, and really helped that Canada was playing...right in front of us...in Canada. They are one of the top teams in the world. I came away with a belief that curling is a game of precision, strategy and tons of skill. And, as Aaron would say, a game where it didn't matter what country you were from, you still yelled the same things at the sweepers.

After the game we headed to the Official Olympic Superstore, picked up some more souvenirs and then to the Olympic cauldron. So glad we saw it and it was really neat at night, too.

Such an awesome adventure. Our friends even saw us on TV twice in the stands during the game. We decided it was time to leave when we couldn't walk without being offered drugs, smelling pot, hearing incredibly bad language and seeing tons of drunk people. After all, we did have our kids with us! And it was late. Back to the car and home by 1am. Thanks Mom for watching the other kids. We had a great time!

To finish it off, here is a quick video of our day highlights:

Christmas, by Justin

2010-01-03T13:43:00.000-08:00

December flew by and since we are already into January, Justin is going to update for me. This was the end of our 2009.

Justin: Thanks Mom. Here's the scoop.

Christmas Eve we continued a fun tradition and let everybody open up a present that mom and dad chose. Once again, we got pajamas. Mom had some leftover fabric from dads blanket and shaped up some PJ pants.

After many arguments about who got to write the note to Santa Claus we made the decision to let everybody write their own.
Leaving Santa and the reindeer with a plethora of treats we all went to bed to let visions of sugarplums dance in our heads.
If you can't see I asked for a cell phone and a mini fridge for my room. Brit asked for a bed set. Alex asked for a surprise gift and Amanda asked for a real magic wand that really works.

Waiting for dad to turn on the music.

Amanda's art set and comic book.

Alex's Millennium Falcon Lego set and comic book.

Brittany's bed set and comic book.

My Dutch Oven and comic book

Dad also made Amanda and cousin Nicole a giraffe bank.

Amanda also had one other wish. Bendaroos, as seen on T.V. ( Way too many times in my book.)
Upon receiving them she burst out and in her excitement repeated the whole commercial. This was not even planned this is what she calls them.

The rest of our day...

Haircut...

2009-12-11T09:45:00.000-08:00

While swimming after Thanksgiving I realized how long my boys hair really was. I figured if I could put his hair in a pony tail, it was time for a cut. As much as it pained me to get rid of his curls, here is my boy post haircut. Perhaps not the best picture to show but I cut off between 1 and 2 inches! My little boy is growing up!

Thanksgiving...a bit late

2009-12-08T14:29:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving saw us in Oregon to visit family. It was my brothers 40th birthday so we had to help celebrate! The kids had a great time playing with cousins, got hardly little sleep (are still trying to catch up) but hung in there.

Mark was showing me the cool stuff a Droid does.
A little after dinner add perusing was a challenge with little ones around but we got it done.
Funny thing about this picture is that it is suppose to be of the the pies but really like Brit's expression to her brother.

We went swimming and played at a indoor "pump it up" bouncy house facility. It was really fun and my kids schooled me in teh obstacle course.

My brother and I walked away with burns on our elbows and Aaron had a sore shoulder. Ahh, the joys of aging.

Christmas Wonderland,

With December comes concerts and performances and parties. This year Brit and Manda are in dance and had their performances this last weekend. They were so incredibly cute (if I do say so myself). Have a watch and enjoy a little Christmas cheer.

We are officially pending

2009-11-22T09:23:00.000-08:00

Things happened quickly this week. We received an offer on our home after being on the market for about two months. We countered and they accepted and now we are officially pending on the sale of our home. It has been a great home for the last seven years, we are just starting to burst at the seems and need a bit more room.

With our home officially pending, we turned around and made an offer on another home in Ferndale. The sellers countered our offer and we accepted Saturday afternoon and we are officially pending on that house too! Now we just have to wait for inspections and hope that both homes close on the same day. The move will be quick and chaotic, but we are excited! The house is less than a mile away and we are not changing schools or wards. We narrowed our choice down to two houses, and decided on the house that has more outdoor options. It is located on a dead-end street leading to a cul-de-sac and backs to a maintained green space that includes a 1/4-mile walking trail around a small pond. The house has about 700 square feet more than we have currently and has (or will have after we convert an office) 5 bedrooms. I (Aaron) am most excited about the bigger garage. I no longer have to back the car out of my workshop to start a project! If you are interested in seeing the listing give us a call!

A Solemn Occasion

2009-11-17T21:45:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday, Nov 12th, my kids and I were able to participate in a solemn but awesome experience in town. Nov. 5th the first county resident was killed in Afghanistan. He was a 2006 graduate from the high school. Maybe it's a small town thing but thousands of people lined overpasses and main street as the motorcade carried his body to the Mortuary. As the motorcade approached there was silence and reverence. What an amazing experience. Maybe it was even more meaningful because it was the day after Veterans Day, or maybe because there was such community support. My heart goes out to the family. I love my country. I am grateful for my freedoms and for those fighting in America's name. I was sad to not have my camera but quickly realized all the people perched on rooftops and knew I could never match theirs. Flags everywhere. Love of country everywhere. It was awesome. Here is a link if you are interested.

All Hallow's Eve

2009-10-31T21:12:00.000-07:00

It is that fantastic time of year where we decapitate gourds, scoops out their guts, and free the images that are trying to get out. This year we had to contend with Darren who had no problem sticking his hands in the guts and smearing it all around the table top. We gave up trying to keep the kid off the table top and just accepted that it was easier to control him if he had his hands wrist deep in the goo.

Here are the final products of the evening. I love digital photography that allows me to take 30 shots in the dark until I find a picture that I like. From left to right: Darren's, Alex's, Amanda's (up), Aaron's, Justin's, and Brittany's.

This year Justin went to a party instead of trick-or-treating and Darren stayed home. So here are the costumes minutes before we walked out the door. The weather was supposed to be rainy and windy, but we had a moderate evening with a clear sky. What a blessing! No extra fat coats stuffed beneath costumes were required! We walked until our legs were tired and came home for an evening of swapping chocolate. Let the sugar rush begin!

Life Happens

2009-10-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

OK, I decided that since I really enjoy looking at my friends and families blogs I should update mine just in case they like to look at mine! We have had so much going on lately. Hopefully all the staying busy will keep us out of trouble!

Activities:

The beginning of Oct. Justin and Dad took a quick road trip to Utah and attended General Conference. They had tickets to the Sat. morning and Priesthood sessions. They were excited to have the opportunity to go to a BYU football game on Friday night too! Go Cougars!

They stayed at Carl and Devin's (thanks guys!) and even got to meet up with my bro. and nephew Ken and Brenden. The days were filled with activities and I had two tired boys when they got home.

Thanks Carl and Devin for the b-day cake and present!

Justin and Brenden in front of Pres. Hinckley's grave.

We celebrated Justin's birthday too this month! Yeah, he turned 12 and was ordained a Deacon. Thanks Moms and Dads for making the quick trip to participate in that. We love you!

The kids decorated Justin's room for him. Everyone was a little goofy and kept asking Justin, "Can I have your old one?" When he got a new wallet and ihome clock radio.

Darren loves to climb on the table. Apparently this day he was feeling a little bit fruity too!

This other picture? Oh he ate 2 markers. I was glad they were washable...and he only got one spot on the carpet! It is SO hard to keep my carpet clean/unspotted when trying to sell! Today I am cleaning it again! I will be so happy when this is over!

OK, enough of my lame picture formatting. This is what happens when I try to do a blog update with 2 toddlers at my feet.

Moving backwards and in no particular order, we had the 1st day of school. The house is quieter but I get to have Amanda home a few days a week because she is on an alternating schedule.

I love this pic because of Alex's face. He really wasn't happy to be starting school. He likes it now.

We went to Birch Bay and had a Bonfire...without Daddy. Beautiful evening and lots of fun.

AJ constantly shows us how cool he is

And he is a good brother during soccer games to take care of his little brother so we can watch his sisters.

Haven't got a good pic of Brit yet so here is Manda.
Darren learned how to swing all by himself! No he waits for no one and loves to be outside.

We also picked apples as a family at a nearby orchard. Had tons of fun and ended up driving to another farm and picked hazelnuts!

you could eat as many apples as you wanted in the orchard. We all ate at least one!
They even gave us carts to carry them back to the car. The kids took turns riding in and pushing. Twas a great day!

One Last Thing

Justin started cross country this year in middle school. He is doing great and I love to watch him run. His last meet he took more than a minute off his time! Great job Justin! His last meet is tomorrow.

Life is great. We have been pretty healthy so hope to avoid the big flus and colds that are quickly spreading. Make it a great day!

We have hardly done anything lately

2009-09-24T14:52:00.000-07:00

Since Candace's last post on August 12 we have:

Gone camping, fishing, swimming near Leavenworth on Aug 13-15 with our friends the Pringles.
Gone to the NW Washington State Fair and got our yearly allotment of wonderfully greasy food.
I took the boy scouts camping hiking up near Mt. Baker on August 21st.
Went tubing with friends on Lake Samish
Canned 30+ quarts of tomatoes from our garden
Canned 28 pints of salsa from our garden.
Started soccer practice and I am coaching Brittany's team this year.
Attended a great party to wrap up the Trek experience at a gorgeous home in Skagit County. (I was the trailboss this time)
Started both elementary and middle school, but no preschool!
Got our house ready and put it on the market.
Kept our house clean and ready to show at a moments notice
Attended open houses and curriculum nights for 4 different students.
Built and launched rockets at the high school.
I took the boy scouts camping on Sucia Island on Sept 18-19. My last scout campout without my son in attendance! While I was camping, Candace took the kids to Birch Bay and had a big bonfire on the beach.
Watched as our preferred home went off the market before we were ready to make an offer.

That doesn't mention the regular things that we do around the house too. Last week I commented that the week seemed pretty calm and then proceeded to list something that was happening every night of the week. So if you wonder why we haven't posted anything, now you know.

Thanks G-ma!

2009-08-12T22:05:00.000-07:00

Brit spent a week with Grandpa and Grandma. The rest of us headed over the mountains to pick her up and some treasures. Lots of dress up sent home with us. My boys want to thank Grandma for the clothes. They fit perfectly!

aren't they lovely?

A Day in our Life

2009-08-04T13:47:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we participated in the Old Settler's Parade and activities here in town. Aaron, Amanda, Darren and Brit did the 2k walk. The boys and I did the 5K run. AJ ran with me and was insistent on doing it. He loves to go fast and I tried to talk to him about pacing himself but that is hard to do! He did great. We walked for a bit after halfway and then as we were coming down the final stretch we ran down main street and there were tons of people there waiting for the parade to start. He saw a few people from school who cheered him on and then ran so fast I had a hard time keeping up with him!
He was so tired but did great. We finished just under 34 minutes. Justin came in 3rd for his age group and did great too.
There was a raffle after and Amanda won a $25 gift card to Haggen (local grocery store), Brit won some cotton candy and carmel corn and AJ a free pizza! It was great.

Then we hit the parade and had a great time enjoying the community.

My Littlest Guy

School starts in a month. I am excited...but also dreading it. I don't know what I will do without my two oldest helpers all day. Wait, yes I do. I will be spending my day keeping Darren off the table, out of the bread drawer, out of the toilet, away from the street, etc. He is getting into everything and I sometimes am pulling my gray hairs out before noon! Thank goodness for my older children to take him outside to play while I make a meal or take care of something.

We can't keep this kid out of the garden. He picked at least 4 green tomatoes last night while we were working/weeding for FHE activity!
Each night I put Darren down for bed, cover him with a blanket (I know it is hot but I don't want to mess with the routine) give him a kiss and walk out the room. This is what he does after I close the door.

Lately Darren has figured how to climb on things. For a day if I pushed in the chairs and turned the ones on the end around then I could keep him off the table. It took him one day to figure out how to use the chair as a ladder. I guess I will actually have to move the chairs out of the kitchen area. (note: the hissing noise in the background of the 2nd half of video is the pressure canner. 10 quarts of beans from the first picking. not bad.)

Summer Fun

2009-07-25T22:57:00.000-07:00

This week flew by as we managed to stay busy. We picked raspberries...

19 lbs! Justin and I had a contest to see who could fill the bucket first. We finished at the same time so weighed it to find the winner. The stakes? Loser cleans the boys bedroom. Well, Justin's weighed in at 5.75lbs. Mine? 5.5 lbs. Yes, I lost...but did I really? Yes, his room will be clean--and have A LOT less stuff in it when I am done!

The kids participated in the craft fair at the library. Brit made some jewelry and sold some plays she had written. Justin made cookies, punch and bean bag balls. Amanda helped sell the punch and Alex tye-dyed shoelaces to sell. It was a success and they had a great time.

Since Brit is my main raspberry jam consumer, she got to learn to make it! We had fun making 5 batches of jam. That should hold us over for a bit. Next up is blueberries. I love this time of year!

Manda was stung by a wasp while swinging. Ouch! We have had 3 bee stings this month. JT, Amanda and a friend. glad no one is allergic.

And what would a post be without my happy boy? He definatly knows how to put a smile on your face. He has so many friends and loves to give hugs.

The weather has been incredibly nice lately and so we have spent so much time outside. We went to the park, lake and have played for hours in the sandbox.

Justin has been wanting to jump off the bridge for a few years. I finally let him.

$10 day ice cream trip. Brit got a super size. It was HUGE. I don't think she will order that size again.

We also got to spend a weekend in Portland visiting family and getting teeth fixed (thanks dr. greg). We got to be present for Julia's blessing and see my brother finish the Seattle to Portland bike ride in 1 day.

205 miles. AMAZING! Way to go Scott.

Day 2 - The Yellowstone Canyon

2009-07-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

We couldn't drive all the way to Yellowstone and only visit the park once. So after conferring with my brother and sister after day 1, we decided to spend day 2 along the south rim of the "Grand Canyon" of Yellowstone. My brother, Carl, had found an internet article claiming that the south rim of the canyon had the best hike in all the park. Additionally our oldest son, Justin needed to complete a 5-mile hike using a map and compass. So why not knock off that requirement in the exact same location that his old man fulfilled the same requirement 24 years ago? It actually turned out to be pretty neat. Candace convinced me that we should stay as a family, so Darren went in the backpack and everybody headed out onto the trail.

The first stop was the Upper Yellowstone Falls. They were neat, but not a show stopper. We parked only near the overlook and where at the viewpoint minutes into our hike. Here is a shot of Alex and his hat at the Upper Falls.We continued east along the rim and soon we started to get peek-a-boo looks at the Lower Yellowstone Falls and we could tell that this was going to be the star of the hike. We were happy to catch up to my sister and her family along the hike at the first overlook for the lower falls. We enjoyed the walk with them all the way to Artist Point. When we arrived the view was breath taking. It was almost comical to watch and listen to everybody walk to the viewpoint, stop, and say, "Oh, wow!" You couldn't help yourself. The view was magnificent.
As we continued passed Artist Point, the views of the canyon continued to be drop dead gorgeous. At one point we stopped and listed the colors we could see: yellow, many shades of red, pink, orange, tan, brown, white, shades of green in the tree and water, and blue skies. It is hard to describe the beauty and the pictures of the canyon don't do the colors justice, but I'll try.We eventually had to turn away from the canyon and hike through he back country. We saw the aptly named Lily Pad Lake, swatted some mosquitoes, walked through another stinky geothermal area with mud pots (Amanda actually held her nose the entire time as shown in the picture below), passed Clear Lake and then out into an open meadow. We were rained on while hiking and saw some thunder, but nothing too serious. The rain actually kept the bugs at bay. It was a spectacular hike and everybody made it the 4.2 miles back to the car. Including Amanda who walked every step of the way! Justin and I went and walked a loop up above the upper falls to complete his 5 miles and then we all went for ice cream and souvineirs. It was another great day!

Yellowstone National Park

2009-07-08T20:14:00.001-07:00

Over the Independence Day weekend we traveled to Island Park for a fantastic family reunion with the McCain Family. We rented a large five bedroom home about 20 minutes from the West Entrance into Yellowstone and we spent two fantastic days exploring the Park.

We spent the first day at Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin. That is a weird place with geysers and colorful pools scattered all around. It didn't take us long to remember the odor associated with all the geothermal activities. We hung around the main area with the family until Old Faithful put on a show and then we headed out onto the boardwalks. Aaron's brother and family joined us as we ended up going on a 3.5 mile hike with only one water bottle (oops). Most of the geysers were just steaming, but we did see a few spout. It was a neat day.

Day 2 in Yellowstone was in the canyon area of the park and I will save that for another post.

When I am an Adult

2009-06-20T21:40:00.000-07:00

While going through Alex's end of school stacks of paper, I came across this story. Why the picture of his Dad has a beard I do not know--perhaps he wrote it when Aaron wasn't shaving due to scraped lips. I am keeping the spelling the same. And, let me just say that I am thrilled that his future plans include working now. Up until now, he has told me that he wants to stay at home and get money from his wife after he does things she wants.

by AJM

When I am an adult I want to be a Geo engineer. I want to be just like my dad and disighn houses. You don't usually disighn stuff but you usually sit down at the computer and answer emails all day. On saturdays my dad gets a day off and we get on the computer and disighn houses! Monday through Friday my dad gets to work on time, and I bet I will to!

Happy Birthday Amanda!

2009-05-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

Amanda spent all week last week giving me the countdown to her birthday (which she is now doing for me til mine). It was a great day and she was very patient to wait until 2:00 to open presents! We had to participate in a service project in the morning and then had to wait for the boys to get home from Fathers and Sons.

Alex was right there the whole time she opened presents. She has been waiting for her turn since his birthday last month, and had to wait through Brittany, Darren and Mother's Day! Whew.
I was angry to have to buy a new bike for her but Brit's old one needed new tires and training wheels. By the time I bought those, it was $3 more to buy a brand new one. She was very pleased.

Amanda had an ice cream cake this year. I told her she could even though she is allergic to milk. She has been so good and her skin looks great--the first time in a long time. I figured it was OK.

OTHER HAPPENINGS

Last weekend we had Brit's b-day party with her friends. We had a great time and Brit did a great job planning it. She had an aloha theme and they decorated each other and practiced the hula.

We played a few games, ate dinner, dessert and watched a movie.

I was so grateful for the nice weather so they could be outside. They were loud and crazy but had a great time.

I made some punch to go with dinner and apparently it was really good. Alex was my punch trier to make sure that we could serve it. After trying it, he gave me this.

It is hard to see but really, have any of you ever received a "Best Punch Award"? I thought it was noteworthy and it is hanging on my wall.

ONE LAST THING

Last Friday was bike to work day so my husband dusted his bike off and rode to work with his friend. He called after he arrived to tell me he crashed. His brakes didn't catch when he slowed down and he flew over his handle bars. We are very grateful that he wasn't hurt more seriously-aside from a bit of pride (he crashed in front of a table of people), a beat up face and a pretty sore hand and thumb.

He had to endure millions of questions at the Father's and Son's that night and at church but that is OK. He now sports a beard til his upper lip heals enough to shave comfortably. His lip is swollen in the picture too.

Happy Birthday to my baby!

2009-05-03T22:05:00.000-07:00

Today is Darren's birthday and I can hardly believe it. I know I am way behind on my blog, as well as so many other things but I thought I would post a few pics of the day. He is growing so fast and makes us smile and laugh on a daily basis.

He really didn't need anything and so we got just a few gifts.

The kids were so funny and all wanted to play with his presents. I guess it doesn't matter how old you are...baby toys are cool.

Darren got his own cake. He started by taking the sprinkles off and eating them. Then he had a few good handfuls but I think he gets more messy when he eats tacos and feeds himself.

Happy birthday buddy. He is such a sweetheart. We just really like our kids! (now I am going to get grief from them because Alex and Brit have both had birthdays an no posts from them! In my defense, we were out of town and then have had some pretty significant computer problems while trying to get the kids bathroom put back together which is completely unusable right now. Maybe things will slow down after this week....)

Easter 2009

Better late than never, right? No, I promised my sister I would post a picture of my kids Easter dresses. They looked very cute and it was fun to sew again. It seems like so long since I have. We had fun having Easter at Grandpa and Grandma's. We colored eggs and had a pretty fun hunt.
For me though the best part of Easter wasn't the day but the week leading up to it. We spent every day doing a devotional where we focused on what was happening to Christ at that time. Aaron did a great job tying in the empty egg cartons to the empty tomb. It was the best Easter I can ever remember and I know that it is because the focus was where it should have been. I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ!

What the?!?!?!?

2009-04-18T14:17:00.000-07:00

One of my kids favorite comments to make when something unexpectedly happens is "what the?" and then they have a weird look on their face. For example, on April fools when I sneakily opened bags of chips and fruit roll ups and replaced them with carrots, celery and paper for the roll ups Amanda opened her bag of chips and said, "What the?! That's weird. Their are carrots in my chip bag!" Of course I was giggling and thinking I was so great, wondering how my kids were reacting to their lunches at school. I opened up my blog today to add a post and my comment was, "What the?!" Apparently someone has changed my background. I like it. But, it does surprise me as my husband who is most likely the perpetrator hasn't really taken to blogging. I guess it is nice to know he cares!

Do you know the way to San Jose?

This year we flew down to SJ for spring break. Gramps and Granny (as my kids kept referring to my parents) were very gracious to put up with us even though we were there during the hectic week before tax deadline (thanks Dad!) It was the first time our family has flown anywhere and the kids were oozing with excitement and anticipation.

Aaron helped me get everyone checked in and through security. He was staying-so I guess it wasn't the whole family- and flying down a few days later. We all had our suitcases, snacks and carry-ons.

The officer at security commented (as did the people behind us) at how well the kids were behaved. I really thought I would get some negative comments having all of them with me but I didn't. The plane ride was great and they loved it--except when it was time to descend. Alex and Amanda had a really hard time popping their ears and didn't think that was too fun. Otherwise it was great!

First stop, the temple. I was so glad we were able to go. It was a beautiful day and we walked around the temple grounds and toured the visitor center.

Amanda thought that palm trees were pretty cool and wanted a picture of herself by one. If you look closely, you will see her at the base. By the end of the week she would roll her eyes and say," Uhh, another plam tree!"

Justin really felt a difference being on temple grounds. He really took everything in and had a pretty special experience in the visitors center--the kind every mother wants their kid to have. It was awesome and one of my favorite parts of the trip.

Sat. and Sun we watched conference, played at the playground, swam in the hot tub, and enjoyed the warm 80 degree days.

Darren loved the trampoline and just being outside.

Monday was looking to be really nice and so we decided to head over the mountain to Santa Cruz and hit the beach. It was a gorgeous day. We couldn't have asked for better, really. Darren loved the sand and spent the whole time taking handfuls and letting it run through his fingers. All the kids tried the water but decided to too cold. Amanda was the die hard and played the longest.

Justin hit the water a few times and then would come wrap up and warm up. He fell asleep and we had to cover his ears so they wouldn't get sunburned! There was also a fire close by on a cliff just down the beach. We saw huge flames and watched as 3 fire engines came to put out the fire. It was very exciting.

Grandpa buried Amanda and Justin. They made Amanda a little longer then she normally is. She loved it and thought it so funny.

We had to leave before we were ready so I guess that means it was a success. I have more pics I have tried to upload 3 times and for some reason I can't. I guess this will just have to do.

I picked Aaron up on Wednesday while my mom took the kids over to Dad's office. They got to see where Gramps worked, look at the fish in the pond and then walk across the street to get lunch.

Thursday we headed to the Tech Museum and saw some pretty cool stuff.

The kids got to ride in a bobsled simulator. The video below is Aaron and Brittany with "drunk goggles" on. They put the goggles on and then had to walk on the line. Good stuff. That's it for now, more later.

It goes by so fast

2009-03-24T22:20:00.000-07:00

I would like to report that everyone is finally healthy and all are doing well but not so. This month has been hard on our family health-wise. We have all gotten the flu bug and some more than once. Justin is currently on his 2nd round of something and has missed 2 days of school laying on the coach looking like he doesn't have enough energy to lift his head. He perked up a bit tonight so hopefully tomorrow will be better. We are ready to have some spring weather and be healthy!

Darren has been getting brave this week and has taken a few steps. He still prefers crawling but loves the praise he gets when he takes the steps. He is so fun and keeps us smiling all day. Here are some Darren highlights.

Tag, I'm it

2009-03-01T21:40:00.000-08:00

My wonderful sister tagged me last week so I guess I better get this done! Rules: open the 6th folder in your pictures folder on your computer and post the 6th picture. Here you go!

This was taken in 2003 and was a pretty awesome double rainbow. We could see the whole thing of both of them! I don't think I have seen one this vibrant or complete since.

I got tagged again but will have to do that one another night. For now, here is my goofy son who looks like a dude in his new coat he won't take off. He even wears it with his PJ's
.

One last picture. Justin and Brittany both participated in the county Math Olympiad competition on Saturday. Justin had placed 2nd in District in Individual and his team took 1st. Brittany's team placed 5th in district. For county, although Brittany didn't place at all, Justin's team took 2nd place! He said that he choked on individual but did very well on the team competition. This pic is of his team with each of them sporting their cool trophies. Congrats Justin! That is awesome.

What happens in Vegas

2009-02-25T21:54:00.000-08:00

We spent the weekend in Vegas with Aaron's parents and siblings (all but one) to enjoy upscale living at a really awesome timeshare. It was a whirlwind of a trip but tons of fun. We left the 4 older kids with friends and jumped on the plane.

Highlights of the trip:

leaving from Bellingham Airport, so close to the house was awesome!
Incredibly nice apartment/hotel/room
Family
Hoover Dam
Geocaching
Spending time with Aaron
Sleeping in
Steaks

Darren loved turning the water on and off all weekend.

Lake Mead is in the background. We didn't find one of the caches that brought us to this place but the view made it totally worth it.

Driving to Hoover Dam met us with the view when we turned the corner. I laughed when Aaron and his Dad both reacted with a robust "WOW! Look at that!" This bridge is being built and is pretty incredible to see. The new road will bypass the Dam and allow traffic to move more smoothly.

Inside the Dam. Enough electricity is being made behind us to light 1 million homes (and I am pretty sure that Megatron was being held in the next room).

My Dam boys. Come on, you knew it was coming. The Dam tour was awesome and even the dam tour guide made jokes about the dam elevator, the dam stairs and even the dam camera policy! I could go on and on with a bunch of dam jokes but I don't want to bore you any more.

I would post a picture of the group but you know what they say, "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas". That is the only explanation of my camera not making it back. It is on it's way (thank you Budget and Asian lady and Fed Ex). We had put most of the pics on the laptop before we left and that is why I even have any--in case you were wondering.

Next trip to look forward to is 10 days in SJ! Just over a month away we are pretty excited.

So close I could almost smell it, but then...

2009-02-25T21:40:00.000-08:00

We have had some pretty nice weather lately. I have really been looking forward to spring. Lots of sunshine, hardly any rain and even some warmth! Last week we had days in the 50's and it felt awesome. A few daffodils in my yard have even sprung out of the ground. I'd take a picture but the only thing around tonight is snow. Yup, 5-6 inches of it. It was raining pretty good today and then it started snowing, the temperature dropped and the snow kept falling.

Poor Justin had to deliver papers this afternoon. Luckily he had an early start since the kids got out of school early today. He was cold and tired when he got home but really likes earning the money.

Alex and Amanda spent ALL afternoon outside. I love how they love to play in the snow. Brittany did join them post picture. I am pretty confident that there will be at least a 2 hour delay and probably yet another snow day tomorrow. Oh well, we love going to school til the end of June! (That makes 4 days we have to make up so far- 3 snow and 1 flood). Oh, and the white thing in AJ's mouth? Snow.

10 years in the making...

2009-02-09T16:39:00.000-08:00

I have to confess that the memory card to the camera was found a week ago. I had put it in the Wii so Amanda could choose a picture and doodle. When she asked if she could doodle I realized the card was probalby still there. She ran down to check and came up and confirmed that indeed, the memory card was in the Wii. Her comment, "I didn't know that was one of the fairies hiding spots!" So, here we go again.

10 years ago we bought a card to collect the state coins. When Aaron was in Montana last month he received the last one of the collection. Hard to believe we got it 10 years ago, before we left Utah! Much has happened since then and most of it good.

This will be a short post but wanted to include this pic of Amanda and her friend Jared. They are good buddies and love to play. This particular day they wanted to have a picnic downstairs so I let them set it all up. They brought their lunch downstairs and voila, here you go. Lots of imagination and fun when they get together.

hmmm, fairies

2009-01-26T21:13:00.001-08:00

Some of my children are more mischievous than others but I think Amanda has them all beat. Things have gone missing lately and Amanda seems to always know where they are. Last week the Wii remote was on the desk and later that day it was gone. After looking and looking, I asked if she knew where it was since she had been playing computer. She got a sly smile on her face and "found" it under the desk in the back corner. Hmm. Apparently I am a slow learner because all last week I didn't know where my nintendo DS was. Saturday I pulled the couch out, was cleaning behind it and under cushions all in hopes of finding it. Amanda asked what I was doing and I told her I was cleaning but also looking for my DS. I was a bit frustrated that I couldn't find it. She came running in a moment later with my DS wrapped in a bandana. She told me that the fairies had taken it and she found it. Well, after I finished my last blog post, I had left the memory card in the computer because I hadn't finished transferring pictures. When I sat down later to do it, the card was gone. I couldn't find it in the camera or computer and I NEVER leave it out. Today I asked if anyone had seen the memory card for the camera and again my sly little girl told me that she thought the fairies had taken it. I told her the fairies better get it or they will get a spanking on there behinds. "But the fairies are invisible, Mom, so you can't give them spankings but I will help them find it for you." Great. Only this time, the fairies seem to have misplaced the memory card and it hasn't turned up. SO, to make a long story shorter, if any of you fairies are reading this blog, I NEED MY MEMORY CARD! Please return it as soon as possible so I can finish what I started! I promise not to spank. I just want my card back.....and anything else you may have 'borrowed' from me.

It only takes a moment...

2009-01-21T21:14:00.000-08:00

Today Darren was playing in the cupboards and was happy so I left the kitchen and dried my hair. When I came back, this is what I found. So, although my house may never be clean, at least my kids are fed!

I do have to say that this is right after I finished feeding him his breakfast so it wasn't like he was hungry.
We have discovered that Darren LOVES smoothies. He will attack until he gets to have some. I tried to get a picture of him not looking at me but as soon as he heard the camera on, he wouldn't stop! That is why his eyes are at a funky angle. Darren is also really into avocados lately. When he really likes something he smacks his lips. I love it!

Welcome Home David!

2009-01-07T21:49:00.000-08:00

Aaron's brother David, returned home on New Years Eve at 9:00 pm. We made the trek over the pass on Tuesday so we could be there for the special occasion.

It was great to see David and I am sure he was a bit overwhelmed but we were glad we were there! He came home to 2 new neices and 2 new nephews, and only one niece couldn't be there.

Hayden, Ade and Darren and Uncle David

Back at the house, while we waited for the big 12:00am, we played Bingo with the bingo queen. If you have played bingo and think it is no big deal, you haven't played with my mother-in-law, Carol. She rocks and makes bingo one of the most fun new years traditions.

Uncle Carl's bingo prize

Waiting for midnight.

Darren was the only one who didn't stay up until midnight. Amanda was so excited and I was very glad that everyone slept in the next day!

Doesn't she have tired eyes?

Fun At Grandma and Grandpa's

We brought a few of our Christmas toys to Grandpa's house and had lots of fun with family.

We all took turns and played nicely. Guitar Hero is a blast!

And, hopefully I am not overwhelming anyone with too many pictures, but with cute babies, you have to take pictures of them in the tub! I actually have a pretty cute video of them too but better get dishes done and laundry off my bed so I can crawl into it!
We had a great time seeing family but are happy to be back home and in our normal routine.

Thanks Grandpa and Grandma for putting up with us! (And Uncle Brandon, Aunt Heather, Uncle Carl, Aunt Devin, Ade, Brooks, Hayden and Ella!) We love you all.

OK, OK, I will post Christmas

2009-01-07T21:25:00.001-08:00

With all the projects, freezing cold weather, preparing for Christmas, visiting family for New Years, I have neglected a lot of stuff. I finally took the pictures off the camera and put them on the computer. That is step 1. Aaron and I even started our Christmas letter! We haven't given up yet, just are really really slow.

Before Christmas we had to set up our train. Alex begs for this every year and it is kind of a fun tradition.

We also kind of have created a tradition of having fondue at Christmas time. I have a hard time making it for just ourselves so we have invited our friends, the Pringles, over for the last 2 years. This year was swiss cheese fondue and chocolate. Yummy!

I just like this picture! Darren is such a sweetheart. He is so easy going and smiles at anyone. He loves to laugh and is happy. Our home wouldn't be the same without him!

Last year I let the kids open up a present before bed. I had made them all pajamas and they loved that tradition. I wasn't going to do it this year because I didn't eve dust off my sewing machine but we found a great sale and bought the kids all pajama bottoms. They were so silly and goofy and fun. For me, my kids is what makes Christmas so much more meaningful.

We had Christmas at home and woke up to it snowing...again. It was beautiful and I think that was my first official white Christmas. I loved watching the snow fall as we were opening gifts. The kids were so much fun and Amanda couldn't wait to dive into her pile of presents.

I was a great day. Aaron and I spent the whole day playing with our kids. It was so fun for all of us.

Amanda received a little cooking set with some cookie cutters, a rolling pin, measuring spoons and even a little pan that can actually go in the oven! Of course we had to make cookies! She was so much fun.

Do you love my new sweater my husband gave me? He has such good taste.

They day flew by and no one ever got bored. I love my family and this time of year.

Ghost of Christmas past?

2009-01-06T21:39:00.000-08:00

This Alex during Christmas 2002. I was scanning our Christmas pictures and thought that my little guy looked familiar.

This is Darren this year. What do you think, is there a resemblance? I think it is funny that they both are wearing the same sleeper on Christmas morning, 6 years later!

Brrr, it's cold outside!

2008-12-21T11:22:00.000-08:00

It has been unseasonably cold here for the last two weeks. We haven't been above freezing and in fact, it has been in the low 20's and teens. It is just cold. The river by us, the Nooksack, is frozen! This is the first time I have seen it like this. It was just too cool (no pun intended) to not stop and take a picture. We have been parking our van outside of the garage the last 2 days and last night Amanda couldn't get her cup out of her cup holder (which had a bit of water in it) because it froze solid!

Power Toe

Many babies will crawl and wear out the knees on thier pants. Darren is still sporting the army crawl and he pushes with his left arm and right toe. That is one strong toe. The other day I put this outfit on him--which happens to be my favorite--and he had worn a hole through the toe! Of my 5 children, that is a first.

Crazy Hair Day

2008-12-12T11:39:00.001-08:00

Today is crazy hair day at school. The kids have really been anticipating it and this is what we came up with.

"the phohawk"

The "anit-phohawk"

no name, just fun

crazy hair, crazy kids

sometimes it is interesting how their hair styles fit their personalities!

Fuse Bead Mania!

2008-11-23T22:01:00.000-08:00

The kids have done fuse beads a number of times at friends houses. I had told Amanda I would buy some after she was so brave during her skin test at the allergist. I finally did and holy cow! That bucket of beads provided a weekend of entertainment for the WHOLE family (even Darren who liked to eat the finished products).

Seriously...when I say the WHOLE family, I mean it...including Daddy. My kids just really like to create things.

Here are the finished products. Can you tell which ones are Aaron's?
Bye Bye, EM's

We found out Amanda is allergic to cats, dogs, molds, dust mites, some trees and weeds, oats, barley and milk. Needless to say we have had to make some serious changes over here. She is learning to enjoy tofu soy smoothies and she tried cheese from soy tonight. She is being a great sport and has amazing willpower. We decided it would be best to get rid of our cat so all the kids took a picture with her to remember her always. I am not use to her being gone yet but know she is getting more love and attention with her new family.

Morning at the park

November has flown by and we have been staying pretty busy. Not too much to post but here are some fun highlights. Last weekend we attended a geocaching event at a nearby lake. It was a beautiful day so it was nice to get outside. We forgot the camera in the car but have a few pictures from others.

We were able to get a FTF on one of the new caches. Justin is showing the prize.

I asked the kids if they had a good time. All responded affirmative...except Alex. He said, "It was fun except for the geocaching." Oh well. I think he would rather run around, climb rocks and hills, throw things into the water, feed the ducks and get dirty. He just hasn't made the connection between the two things yet.

Darren slept for most of the hike and I was so glad to have the backpack, no wind or rain. Great day with the family.

Some Halloween highlights...

2008-11-06T14:48:00.000-08:00

Better late than never, I always say. Halloween was a blast this year for the kids. The weather wasn't too cold and both Justin and Brittany were able to trick or treat with friends.

Darren didn't dress up this year but got to wear his "trick or treat" outfit. he looked cute and got comments on his festive outfit. Thanks Grandma McCain for the outfit 6 years ago for AJ!

Here are our costumes....Mad Scientist

Pig farmer

Fire fighter

Pumpkin

Justin and his friends. They really loaded up with goodies.

Hey, Swiper no swiping!

Sorting and trading

I am not posting pumpkin pictures but want to note that Alex carved his own pumpking, Amanda designed her own, Justin's was rotten from the inside (gross!) so carved Aaron's this year and so yes, Aaron did not carve a pumpkin! It has been a quick October and I hope that November doesn't go by quite as quickly. It was a great day

Amanda, my big helper

2008-10-28T22:36:00.000-07:00

This video is short but cute. It really isn't about Darren but I couldn't help capturing Amanda while she was feeding him. Sorry for the shakiness but watch Amanda's tongue. All the kids love to feed him and she does a great job. I love how she mimics him with her mouth. Hopefully you will get a chuckle out of it.

P.S. Hayden, Darren loves his applesauce!

In all it's glory

2008-10-23T22:49:00.000-07:00

When the sky is clear and the air is crisp, Mt. Baker really seems to come alive. Aaron and Justin went on a backpack trip a few weeks ago and came home with this shot. We love it and are going to frame it. I never get tired of this view.

Ditsy Mom of the week Award

2008-10-23T22:22:00.000-07:00

I thought I was getting my brain back but yesterday I realized it was still gone. I had been running a few errands and was watching the time so I could pick up the papers for Justin's paper route, and pick up my kids from school. We were cutting it close. I was at the grocery store picking up a prescription and a few groceries. We hustled out to the car and I dutifully buckled my kids in their car seats. We got the papers and made it to the school with a few minutes to spare. While visiting with a friend, it suddenly dawned on me that I never put the prescription or groceries in the car! I gathered the kids and hurried back to the store. The cart was gone and guest services didn't have anything. When I mentioned the prescription, the gal said that someone did bring that in but no groceries were to be found. I told her that was fine, I was more worried about the prescription. She asked what groceries I had bought and then told me that they would replace them! "Really!?" I thought that was so nice especially since it was my own dumb fault! Thank you to Haggen to your great customer service and I gladly accept the ditsy mom award. (Although it doesn't top when I made lemon bars and forgot to put the lemon filling in. They turned out to be scrambled egg bars. Ewwww!)

Pickin' a Pumpkin

2008-10-23T22:17:00.000-07:00

Amanda went to the pumpkin patch with her preschool class yesterday. I did not accompany her but a friend took some pictures. I need to take the kids to get pumpkins still. We usually get them from Grandpa and Grandma McCain but didn't get to see them this month. My kids are trying to convince me to just go there so we can get pumpkins but like I have said before, my favorite word is "No!" Oh well...maybe next year.

How do I fill my days?

2008-10-22T22:17:00.000-07:00

My kids often ask me what Amanda and I do during school. Well, sometimes we go to lunch, and I often find reasons to buy treats. We also play with nature. One may not think that this picture of a snail is a big deal but out here in the pacific northwest, we don't have many snails. Slugs, yes. Snails, no. This is the 2nd snail I have seen since moving here 9 years ago.

Aaron found a little tree frog out at the soccer fields. We decided to take him home, found a few more at church the next day and kept them for pets. They didn't last too long because Alex decided it was time to let them go. But, 'hoppy' had a good home while we had him.

Amanda really loves animals so it was nice to have one she could play with. Emms runs away from her all the time.
More to come. It got late fast tonight and I really need a night in bed before midnight.

"This is the BEST day of my life..."

2008-10-06T22:17:00.000-07:00

For some it may be Christmas, and others perhaps a birthday. Maybe something really cool happened like you won a new car or found a stash of money. Perhaps it is your wedding day or the day your children were born. Or, could it be the day you had homemade caramel apples with chocolate? Ah yes, if you are Alex and your awesome mom branched out of her chocolate chip cookie dessert to make caramel and chocolate apples (well, it wouldn't be dessert without chocolate involved) then yes, it must be the BEST day of your 6 year life.

If only life was always so simple. I will admit that they were pretty dang good apples and I might even have to make them again. Alex is already planning on having them when he is in charge of treats for Family Home Evening in a few weeks. Could life get any better?

Happiness is...

2008-09-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would post a few pictures about things that make me smile. Unfortunately I didn't keep the camera with me much but I do smile a lot with my kids. They are so fun and constantly amaze me.

For the first time ever, Alex has declared, "it is fun to read!" He has been reading since before Kindergarten and hasn't been too interested but is finding joy in reading to his sister. I love it.

Last Sunday, Brittany dumped out all our gems and made creations. It brought hours of entertainment (literally) and for multiple days. This is one of her creations.

Of course, happy babies always make mommies smile...and isn't he such a cutie?

Aaron has been working so hard to finish the shelves in the garage. Every time he was in the garage I was so happy for the potential of getting organized. I even bought a label machine! I will have to post a pic when everything is put away and labeled so nicely.

Side note: My garage is finished and the car even got parked in it last night for the first time since July. I still have some organizing to do but am so happy to have that project completed! We have also been canning and looking forward to finishing that next week.

Side note #2: Aaron wants to add that for him happiness today is the afternoon nap he was able to take. It was long and much needed. We had friends over for ice cream sundaes tonight and had fun with them and their 9 children.

I may be late but....

2008-09-12T22:17:00.000-07:00

I know I slacked on posting the first day of school stuff but it's not like I have been watching soaps and eating bon bons. I have been working in the garden, canning peaches (25 quarts by myself with a 4 month old is no small feat), mowing lawns, paying bills, doing my primary calling, waiting for my garage shelves to be built, going to Bellingham every day (3 times on Thursday), wondering how Laurel can have an empty shelf in her fridge door, and trying to get to bed before midnight with usually only minutes to spare. Life is good and keeps getting better. Here are a few cute pics of my four month old who is at the top of the charts at 17 lbs and 27 inches long. He loves going on walks in the morning and afternoon to walk kids to and from school. This week his morning nap was in the stroller and seems to work out pretty well.

Darren loves to "drink" out of my water bottle. I know this pic isn't that great but whenever I take a drink he reaches for it and gets frustrated if I don't let him have some.

He has started rolling over to get things and only fallen off the couch twice this week! Guess we can't put him on it anymore (once Amanda was right by him and turned away. I was close by but not close enough apparently).

My favorite pic. I love his foot in his hands. He is just trying to show off his flexibility.

First day of school!!!!

2008-09-11T23:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am a week and a half late posting this, but thought I would upload some pics from the first day of school (which was Sept. 3rd).

Alex started 1st grade and is a total dude. Amanda is in preschool this year and is loving it!

Brittany starts 4th grade and got her braces off on the 9th. I will post a pic later. She looks cute and is being good about wearing her retainer. In a few years we will do the braces thing for real but her major problem has been corrected.

Justin started 6th grade and I am really glad that it's not in Jr. High yet. He is loving school so far and seems pretty happy.

Labor Day Traditions....

2008-09-02T22:02:00.000-07:00

Last year we went with our friends (the Pringles) on a few hikes for Labor Day. The weather wasn't great but we had fun. This year we went again with the Pringles on a geocaching adventure for Labor Day. Again, the weather wasn't great (a theme this summer) and had a great time...that is until the bee stings. Alex and Nathan were off the trail cache hunting when he started screaming. We thought he touched some stinging nettle. When he got to me, I realized there were bees on him. They were under his shirt and in his coat. It took a few minutes and he walked away with 4 stings! He was stung on his thumb, which swelled pretty good, his back and twice on his tummy. Nathan ended up with 5 or 6, his Dad got one and so did his mom. I got one on my finger and it hurt! Today it itches like crazy. Needless to say, those boys were ready to call it quits and NEVER return to that park again!

After a bribe of ice cream and watching "Annie" in the car (that is the only video we had with us), all was allright. All in all, it was a fun day and we're glad that no one is allergic to bees!

Here is my handsome 4 month old. It is hard to believe that he is already that old--well tomorrow is the official day. Anyway, he is growing quickly and gets mad at us if we are eating a meal and he doesn't get to partake. Today I offered him some little bites of bananas and he loved it. I guess I should get the high chair out and give him some rice cereal. They grow so quickly.

AJ the photographer

2008-08-21T22:12:00.000-07:00

Alex got a hold of the camera. Thank goodness for digital! When I looked through the pictures I laughed so hard I had to share. What do you think....does he have a future in photography?

OK, I took this picture but the rest are AJ's. Aren't my rhyming guys handsome?

One more thing...On Sunday Amanda's primary teacher let me know my daughter's true feelings about me. She told her that when she grows up she wants to be a "yes" mom because her mom is a "no" mom and she doesn't like that. I like to tell my kids that "No" is my favorite word! Apparently it isn't the most popular. My kids are funny!

Fun in the Sun...or not!

2008-08-21T21:43:00.000-07:00

We waited so long to do Brittany's birthday party that we decided to change it into a celebrate summer party. The plans were made and the invitations were sent. We had plans to do a pinata, slip n slide, make ice cream and possibly even karaoke. However, mother nature doesn't always cooperate (especially in the northwest). I just may give up with summer...that is the 2nd summer party I planned that it rained on.

We played the chocolate candy bar game...

We tye dyed T-shirts. I was so worried about the 10 girls not spilling dye on my floor and walls that I forgot to take pictures of the actual tye dying. This is when we were done and the best part is that we remained stain free.

Brittany and I made this cool sun pinata. Too bad the sun wasn't shining. At least it dried out alittle so we could go outside to do the pinata and didn't have to do it in the garage.

The finished product! It was really fun and from what I could tell, the girls had a great time.

Grandma Camp 2008!

2008-08-11T22:47:00.000-07:00

Instead of the kids going to Grandma's house for camp this year, Grandma took us to Whistler, B.C.! Grandpa couldn't come this time so I went with the kids and had a great time.

This rock face was a good stopping point to stretch our legs. The drive was beautiful but will be more enjoyable when they finish all the construction for the 2010 Olympics.

We got to the resort a bit before our room was ready so we bought groceries and got "the lay of the land". As soon as we got into the room, Amanda was hot to trot to go swimming but it was time to prepare dinner. She and AJ took a dip in the tub while they waited for dinner.

Alex pretty much wore these goggles all day. He was so funny about them. By the end of the week he learned how to go under water without plugging his nose. That was his big accomplishment this week.

Speaking of accomplishments, now that Darren is 3 months he has decided that he can:

suck his thumb
not poop every time I change his diaper
coo and talk about 10 times as much as he was before
sleep up to 10 hours in a row (not every night but 4-5 times a week. I can live with that)

Grandma brought her newly purchased Cricut machine for paper doll making. That was a huge hit! Justin and Brittany spent all their free time creating paper dolls and Amanda used the ones that Grandma had precut. I was surprised that Justin stayed with it but we literally had to pull him away. The kid loves to create.

Grandma gave the kids each $5 in Canadian money to spend on souviners. They had fun shopping but as soon as they choose what to get they were ready to get back into the pool for more swimming.

The kids had so much fun doing barrel rolls and flips off the end of the slide. AJ was very proud of himself as he got enough courage to go down himself (as long as I was there to catch him). I had a great time playing with the kids and AJ, Amanda and I loved going down the slide together.

waiting in line
We splurged and I let the kids have fun in the Adventure zone. Alex had no interest in the trampoline but the other three tried it out. It looks easier to flip around than it really is. They all loved it but had a look on their face that said, "this is fun but I'm gonna be sick!" Fun to watch.

They also had a luge slide there that we all tried out. Justin and Brit went by themselves. Grandma went with AJ and then took Darren so I could go with Amanda. We just had so much fun.

Grandma brought owl pellets for the kids to dissect. Brittany thought it was gross and didn't do hers. AJ stuck with it for a bit but got bored and wanted to go swimming. Amanda was surprisingly interested for awhile and Justin got through his and then took it home.

All in all, each of us had a great time. It would have been even better if Grandpa and Daddy could have been there. The weather was great, the resort was beautiful and we were able to get back into the US so it was all good. The kids were tuckered out by the Thursday and slept great that night. Thanks Grandma for a fun week! We can't wait until next year!

Party Planning 101

2008-08-05T16:38:00.000-07:00

What does $10 and creative kids get you? The best pajama party of the year!

This summer we are having $10 days. Once a week I give the kids $10 (total, not each) and they can do whatever they want with it. If they want to buy candy, they can. If they want to get happy meals, they can.... slurpees, ice cream, etc. They can do anything they want...they just have to stay within the $10 budget and they all have to agree. It has been interesting as they have to work together so everyone gets what they want. $10 may not seem like that much for 4 kids, but it is enough and has given me opportunities to teach budgeting and value of money. This week the kids threw a pajama party for their $10 day. They went to the local caramel corn store and spent their money on caramel corn and candy. They set the agenda and planned the day. I let them run with it and holy cow, my kids can throw a party! (I am not joking or being sarcastic)

This is the diagram of the counter--so we knew where each treat would be placed. The party started at noon and went to 6:00. It was suppose to end at 4:30 but they weren't quite done yet so they extended it.
This is the party food spread. They had donuts, candy, punch (with soda in it), cookies, and ice cream. After they got everything out, I added a plate of carrots, celery and cucumbers. They didn't get eaten first, but did get eaten so that pleased me.

Manda's favorite part was being in her pj's all day and getting to go eat food whenever she wanted. The kids were so excited they got up extra early. Needless to say a few of them were falling apart before lunch. I had a talk with them and threatened to make them get dressed if they didn't knock it off. It seemed to do the trick.

Darren was pleased as punch just to be around his crazy siblings. It is hard to believe he is already 2 months!

The kids played musical chairs, twister, wii, gamecube, karaoke, sorry and watched a movie (Nanny McFee). I asked Justin why they needed to have the family room covered in blankets as part of the decoration. He responded, "'cause it's cool, Mom" There is so much I just don't know.

The best part of the whole thing? When it was time to clean up, my kids did it all. They put everything away that they got out. It was so great that I just might let them do it again!

I've been blog tagged!

2008-07-29T10:14:00.000-07:00

Being new to blogging and all, I didn't even know about blog tagging, but it happened to me (thanks Aspen!) I saw I was tagged while at family reunion and when I got home I took my pictures and am finally now getting to post. So, I think I followed the rules - I am just slow to get it done.

The rules are you have to take a picture of the following 10 things. No cleaning, straightening, wiping noses or combing hair. Then you tag 5 others.

1. Fridge (I had just been to Costco so things are pretty full. I feel like I need 2 fridges.)
2. Closet

3. Self Portrait (I had just finished a jog so here you go!)

4. Favorite Room - It's the living room. We just got a new couch and are slowly decorating how we want. It is becoming a very peaceful room.

5. Kitchen Sink

6. Laundry Room

7. Toilet

8. What my kids are doing right now. Well, it was late when I took the pics so they were all sleeping! (Except Darren)

(this isn't posed, Amanda just happened to be hanging off her bed when I checked on her!)

9. My Dream Vacation: Not sure. I would like to go about anywhere with my husband where we can be outdoors, be warm and not have to worry about kids or how much things cost.

10. Favorite shoes. I don't wear them often but these are comfy and I love them!

So there you go. I tag Annette, Marjorie, Melinda, Heather (it will give you something to do while on bedrest) and Devin.

Family Reunions are AWESOME!

2008-07-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday (I know I am slow) we got back from our family reunion vacation which stretched into 10 days with the extra fun we had. We began on the 4th of July heading over to Kennewick to spend the holiday with Grandpa and Grandma McCain. We also got to spend some time with Great Grandpa and Great Grandma Kesler. Like the schmoes we are, we were bad a taking pictures the first part of our trip. We left Sunday the 6th for Othello, WA where we spent the evening with my cousin Theresa and her family. We pulled the camera out just as we were leaving so we could prove we were there!The Proof we were there (that is her house number!)

Next it was on to Kellogg, WA. We first made a stop in Spokane to see some friends from BYU and for Aaron to get some info on good fly fishing spots in Kellogg area. Thanks Brett and Kim for letting is crash your house for a few hours. It was great to see you (again, no pictures! I guess were were just off our game at this point)

We couldn't wait to see eveyone and stay in the 12,000 square foot castle. It was awesome! Of course there are too many fun pictures to post but we will try to highlight the highlights.

Those are crystals oozing from the rock. It was very pretty
Panning for gold after the tour

We found some planted gold and some flakes. It was tons of fun and everyone got to bring home whatever they found.

Bike ride on the Hiawatha (Darren, Amanda and I stayed at the house for this one. ) It was a 15 mile bike ride over 7 high tressels and through 10 tunnels. The longest tunnel was 1.8 miles long and underground. From what I heard, that was one cold tunnel, but totally awesome.

The view
We also went to Silver Mountain resort and rode the longest Gondola in the world! It was 3.1 miles. The day was beautiful and we played at the top, rode chair lifts to Kellogg peak and went on a little nature hike/walk.

I love how Darren is looking at his Dad.

Cousins at the top of the mountain. They also played in some snow!
Not many others on the lifts that day. This picture is everyone from our group.

Wallace, ID was close by so we toured the city, stopped for ice cream and spent a few minutes at the center of the universe--with pictures to prove it!

The "center of the universe" is in the middle of an intersection. When cars come by, the drivers are nice and wait for you to get your pictures. It was a fun little town. We also got ice cream at the ice cream shop that had a friendly old man working there......or not. He was kind of grumpy for running an ice cream shop. Nevertheless, it was a fun time.

Last but not least, we took family photos. 35 people, 5 nights and 6 days, and we're all still talking! We look forward to the next one in 2010 and even more exciting is that we aren't in charge next time!

How much longer?

2008-06-29T21:10:00.001-07:00

Alex has been very timid about going on a ride on our scooter. He loves to wear the helmets and play on it but isn't interested in riding it. This week he summoned up the courage to give it a try. He loves it and asks all day, "How much longer til Dad gets home? I want to go for a ride on the scooter." This is how I found him one afternoon as he was waiting for his Dad. He went on a ride with me to get milk and we had a great time.

Where the Wild things are...

2008-06-29T20:59:00.001-07:00

Tuesday morning the kids came running to tell me that there was a deer in the garden. We have been seeing them around lately but never in the garden. Sure enough, here is the proof. Now we just have to pray that he will leave the plants alone (last year a deer ate my friends tomatoes!) and our plants will be safe while we are on vacation. I sent my kids out screaming to scare him away which proved more difficult than one would expect. Hopefully this will be the only time....

Then there are the crows. I have witnessed them taking peanut butter crackers out of the garage. They will sit on the power lines and wait for me to leave. They do return the wrappers usually though so I can at least throw them away. We try to remember to keep the garage door but don't always remember. This is what I saw this week. The annoying things it that they don't eat the ramen! I guess the noodles are too hard or stuck together.
Crows are very talented at opening packages. It is comical that they even get the food considering how much stuff is in the way of the shelves. I guess they know what they want. At least they have cheap taste.

Shake it!

2008-06-16T22:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, not to overdue it with video, but I couldn't resist. Aaron got a Wii fit for Father's Day and the kids were trying out the hula hoop game.

2008-06-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

Last Monday, Brittany had her spring piano recital. Unfortunately, I recorded over the song she composed (dang it!) but here is another one she performed.

3...2...1...Blastoff!

2008-06-08T22:37:00.000-07:00

After a week of rocket preparation and waiting for the rain to stop, we finally were able to launch our rockets. The kids were giddy with excitement as we walked to the high school after Stake Conference today. The kids wanted Aaron to try his rocket first to make sure it wasn't too windy. We figured it was better to lose his than one of theirs.

Let the countdown begin! 5..4..3..2..1...Blastoff!

The test run went great and so the kids all had their chance. Alex's 2nd attempt led to a fun recovery. We were all looking in the sky and Brittany found the rocket in the ground. The engine blew out the end and therefore the nose cone didn't blow off. The rocket did a nose dive to the ground and was completely stuck in the ground. No harm though and it was good to go for another round.

His face says it all. He keeps asking when we can do it again. Since we didn't even make a dent in the box of engines (thanks Mom!) we can do it soon!

Blessing Day

2008-06-02T22:53:00.000-07:00

Sunday we were blessed to have support from family and friends for little Darren's blessing. Thanks to all for coming and participating!

Amanda's face says it all. She was sooo tired! We all had a great time though and the kids all LOVE Uncle Carl.

Simple pleasures

2008-06-02T22:11:00.000-07:00

After an afternoon of chatting with my boy, I happened to snap a photo while he was smiling! He is starting to smile more often and even talk to us. Times like these make it all worth it.

Let's give it a try

2008-05-31T21:19:00.000-07:00

I have been contemplating the blogging thing ever since my sister-in-laws started. I enjoy checking and reading them daily. I continued to resist though and them my sister started one. I figured that I too would jump on the bandwagon and give this a try.