STICK 'EM UP!!

Hosted by Supah over here.
Thanks for the fun idea!!!
To make your own STICKY NOTES GO HERE

Well here I go again, making a bold move, and doing Super Sticky Tuesday. It's so much easier to do a post like this. Kind of addicting and fun, and I like real life post it notes as well!!!

REVAMPED SLIGHTLY:

Monday Mingle

Today I've decided to join in with Eighty MPH MOM and do Monday Mingle with her, and all the other lovely participants!! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, and now bring on Christmas!!!



Stay tuned next week, as I answer more questions and allow you to get to know me better.

Suggestions, and comments are always WELCOMED!!!

Mission: T.U.R.K.E.Y D.A.Y

Thanksgiving was pretty low key this year. We decided to have my husband's sister and her family over for Thanksgiving at the last minute, like the day before, but had such a fun time hanging out with them!! We had lots of food, followed by LOTS of pie!!!

My brother in law happens to own a bakery in Springville, near THE WALMART (said like Jeff Foxworthy). And so they brought over some pies that weren't picked up by someone that had ordered them, and hadn't paid either. So we had lots of PIE and TONS of rolls. Because not only did I make my own rolls they brought two dozen rolls from the bakery!!

They left all the pies with us, which are tasty and great to eat, and very unexpected. Thanks you two!!!

But I also had my children help with the meal this year, and really put a lot less stress on me, with my husband helping out too!! Yes, he's good in the kitchen. Especially chopping or cutting things.

Nice tasty Pig that some refer to as a HAM, and some type of bird that I'm told is a turkey. We had some pot's of the smashed kind with some liquidy mess to pour over the top. Add to that some parts from a chicken that have been deviled. Forgot to have any vegitables, but claim that our cooked on the stove goop used to stuff a bird, had celery and onions ... so we called it good. Although we don't stuff the bird, because he really can't eat cause he's already dead. So we thought we might like it more eating it ourselves. We also had some fizzy type of cold liquid colored with berries of the straw kind and chunks of ice plus the cream. The kids like that seeing how they gobbled it up with a few trips to the dipping pool. We followed the scrumptious meal that was fixed by some mouth watering (but not literally) PIE. Why on earth is it called pie though?? I'm not quite sure of that. But needless to say we had several cream varieties... banana, lemon, coconut, and triple berry (although my gang thinks that not very tasty), and Pumpkin, and Apple....served with some ice cold creamy concoction called Homemade Vanilla that isn't actually homemade. All in all we had a great time. The conversating was happening with ease, and seemed to meander through all subject matters. And the cleaning of the mess, well it didn't take long to clean her up.

Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving... and next time... I'll talk about my experiences with Black Friday this year... because I don't normally participate, but I did this year... and now to tell you what my regrets are, and if it was really worth it. (Well that may never be known, but the rest I can relay another time..)

This day was really low key only because my family isn't close by, and the few we invited couldn't afford the gas to drive down here, and we had a HUGE early Thanksgiving dinner with my husband's side a few weeks ago, and that side wasn't doing a huge get together on Thanksgiving day. But it's always nice to have someone over even if it is something thought of last minute.

PS... the HAM was a HIT!!! So now I think we'll do a Ham for Christmas too!!!

On This our Day of Thanksgiving, give I this thanks...

Okay so technically it's now Thursday November 26th, 2009!!! I'm writing this a little too late at night, or way TOO early in the morning. Take your pick. Needless to say, I've had a bout of back pain, and a headache, that make it a little difficult to get to sleep. So I thought I'd take the chance now, and update my blog, seeing how on Thanksgiving Day I will be a busy MAMA!!

This year I might seem to be getting a little sentimental, but these are my thoughts, and feelings, and I want them down for my posterity. And for the rest of my family too!!

A lot has gone on this year, but at the same time, I've managed to recognize a lot of blessings that have come into my life that I'm incredibly grateful for.

In the last few years I've done an ABC Thanksgiving list type of thing but this year there are a few events that I want to express that make me very Thankful. It might seem weird the way in which I recognize the blessings, but I have been on a journey lately where finding the little blessings in every situation really helps keep me focused when BIG and TRAUMATIC events take place and I feel like I'm at the end of my rope. (If you don't want to read on, I don't blame you, but then again, you might be blessed in a way you never thought possible if you read on!!)

I'm thankful this year for my husband having been put on reduced hours at the beginning of the year. Not any one's normal thing they are grateful for, because that means a reduction in hours to work which also means less money. All of which we experienced but, one day earlier this year he had one such day off and we decided to stumble into the local D.I. (Deseret Industries) which happens to be a thrift store, and we found our next table!!! We got a very nice looking, real wood table that will seat our whole family of seven and then some!!! It was such a blessing, since we were elbow to elbow on the old one, and have the chance to have our Thanksgiving dinner served on this table that has been a great addition to our home this year.

On the other hand I'm thankful that my husband ended up getting the flu back in October and happened to miss work yet again for a few days because of the sickness. Again we didn't get all of our hours, but he did manage to still get his work done, and used some personal time so we could still get money in our paycheck. But at the same time, within a few weeks or less of this illness, he was talked to by his boss, and given back ALL of his work hours. So now we have a full paycheck, and not a minute to late either!!! Thanks Solution Services!!!

I'm thankful for a ROCK!!! And not just any rock, but the one that caused us to have a flat tire just two feet from the driveway of my Uncle's house. Read that story here.
That rock just may have saved our life, and allowed me to spend my Mother's Day on a beach in California watching the sunset and witnessing the beauty that I don't get to see while living in Utah.

I'm thankful for my friends!!! I have quite a few that are dear and near to me, and set great examples, and really help motivate me to be better, and be the kind of WOMAN that I KNOW I can be. I'm not naming any names, but you ALL know who you are!!! Thanks everyone!!! I consider my friends pretty much my sisters!!! I can talk with them just about anything, and when I need a shoulder to cry on, I have one. If I just need to VENT, I get to. They are great people in my life.

I'm thankful for my family!!! The one that I have right now, and the one that I married into and certainly for the one I grew up with. Being the oldest of 8 kids, I was in my Senior year of high school when my youngest sister started Kindergarten. So I missed a lot of their years going through school, and playing sports, and couldn't be there for them to come and talk to when they may have needed the older sister type of moment. (Although I never had an older sibling period) But as I heard the troubles they went through, and some that are still going on, it breaks my heart, but the most that I can do now is to pray that everything will turn out in the end. We were all in the same place this last May as my grandfather passed away. And it was FUN, to see everyone come together, despite all the CHAOS, and noisy, messy kids everywhere.

My extended family ROCKS!!!! We haven't all been too close in recent years, well at least the communication between me and them was very minimal until just recently. And I'm glad that I have them in my life on a nearly daily basis now. Cousins, aunts, uncles --- EVERYONE!!!
So many different talents are shared in the family it's just great!!

I'm thankful for this computer I'm on, even if it's a dinosaur!! I've become quite fond of this machine, and am every grateful for the minds behind the inventions to come this far in the world.

I'm thankful that I have my sight so that I can see my beautiful children, and their wonderful creative pictures they draw just for ME!!! I'm grateful for my hearing, so that I can hear their giggles, and be able to hear their crazy jokes, and ideas of how things are. I'm grateful that I can READ!!! I love reading, and books are my best friends!!! Well, not really but they are up there high on the list. I'm grateful that I can touch my children, and be able to hold my husbands hand. And that I get to KISS him, and feel the kisses back!!! I love you sweets!!!


I'm thankful for the GOSPEL Of JESUS CHRIST!!!! I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and it's a belief of ours that Families can be together FOREVER. Only through being sealed to our spouse in the Temple of the Lord and only by someone who holds the priesthood authority to perform that special and sacred ordinance!!! I'm glad that I can be with my family if I live a life of keeping the commandments and being the best I can be!!

I'm thankful for modern medicine, and the help I've gotten to heal my children of their illnesses and broken things through out their lives.

And there are lots of other things I'm thankful for, but this is already a novel.. (I wonder what the word count is??? hmmm. Hold on a minute .... 1186 so far)
But the last thing I'm thankful for is CHOCOLATE followed by working out!!! Because as long as I work out after I consume it, then I can certainly indulge in it. Don't you agree!!

Hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!!! Don't forget to count your blessings, and tell your family members that you Love them, because hopefully you do!!!

Signing off....

My very first VLOG!!! Wahoo!!!

Well let's here it for my first VLOG!!! Happy Friday!!!

This was kind of fun to do. Thanks to my friend Alexes over at OneClutteredBrain and decided that if I was going to do this it was NOW or NEVER!! So I guess Now has come and I may NEVER live this one down. Hehe.




PS. I just woke up with my hair looking like that. I didn't even take out my hair clip, and you can still see quite a bit of the curls from yesterday!!! Just a few whispy hairs from the bang area. But WOW, talk about bed head... this is exactly how I'd like to look every morning I wake up!!!

Have a great Day!!

It's been one week now, since my daughter had her tonsils taken out. She's been camped out on the living room couch, seeing how where she sleeps normally is the top bunk in her room, we thought it'd be easier for her to just sleep in here, and if I needed to help her out with something it is completely easier to do from the couch, rather than up on her top bunk.

She still hasn't gone back to school yet, and hopefully tomorrow she will be able to go, and do just fine. I feel bad though, because she has been a participant as a cheerleader with the school, and their last performance is tonight, and she probably won't be able to join in. :( But our other daughter will, and we'll all be there to watch her at least.

Sleeping Beauty has really been living up to her name this last week, because she's been sleeping till 10 or 11 in the AM most days, and I'm not feeling the need to wake her from her slumbering sleep, because I know that is exactly when the body is able to heal itself the most, is during sleep. Plus she looks so darn cute while she's asleep it's hard for me not to just sit and watch her. But don't get me wrong here, this isn't the only thing she's been doing. She's been eating popsicles like they are going out of style and no longer going to be made. And the funny thing is she isn't too LAZY to go and get her own "food" that she eats on, but something tells me there is a problem in her laziness when it comes to taking her "trash" or dishes back to the kitchen. So she has a bowl that has three popsicle's worth of sticks and wrappers, and partially melted liquid from the once frozen treats. And has managed to spill quite a few times on my couch. So tomorrow, when she's done being on my couch, I'm stripping the fabric off and throwing it in the wash .... because I can do that!! Then they will be clean once again!! Yeah.

She's been so quiet and now, we can start to see the "drama queen" coming back to life, because when we mentioned she needed to sleep in her bed, she pushed the "I'm in pain, and start to tear up" button and right on cue... she had tears coming down her face, and holding her throat area or rather pointing to it. She's taken on a time of limited talking and thinks now that she doesn't need to talk at all. WRONG !!! You have to talk, and you can start talking again. Just no yelling.

It is rather fun, to have her company her during the day, and getting such random hugs for no reason at all!! Totally not her. Or at least the old her, who knows, maybe there really is something to the whole growing up and maturing and maybe there really is hope that she'll be a helpful contributing citizen when she is grown.

Last night after dinner she managed to tell me this: " I don't' know what it is, but whenever the TV is on I don't have a headache, but when you and dad are talking I get a headache."

WHAT?? I think it's just her way of saying SHUT UP YOU CRAZY PEOPLE, and let me watch this show.

She's a total TV nut, and I have to admit that I don't quite limit it all that much during the colder months, so she gets like a lot of hours of screen time in, but I have told her to work on her homework now, so that she can try and catch up sooner rather than later, but it might not be till after Thanksgiving before she's all caught up!!

I've been such a terrible night owl this week, but I think it has something to do with a certain book I've been sucked into reading, and totally LOVE IT!!! But I really either A) need to finish the book, and then use tomorrow as my CLEAN THE HOUSE day, since I've basically done NOTHING for the last two because I've been reading this book. I've managed to keep the dishes washed up, and clean up the living room floor, but I have a LOT of LAUNDRY AGAIN, that needs to be folded and put away. AGHH. Or B) Ignore that I have anything to do at all, and just don't care. (But I think that kind of just sounds like option A.) or C) Put the book down and never look at it again. BUT ... I'm not going to do that, so I guess I'll just have to bear with one more day of not getting A LOT done, and then I can take a break from reading for a day, and then start in with the next book I already have, and by the time I finish this one, hopefully a book or two I have on hold at the local library is ready for a round.

I'm just kind of frustrated, that I spend lots of time on cleaning up a room, and just within an hour or less looks like I've done nothing all day. I just can't help but wonder, when the kids are all grown, if the house will remain in tact for more than an hour. And really right now, it's only one room that remains in tact, and the others are all drowning in a mess of JUNK. So I can only hope that when the wee ones aren't so wee anymore, that my home will look more inviting to those who don't visit now, so that in the future I'll get more visitors!! Yeah, I pretty much like people stopping in and saying Hi to me, but don't get much of that at ALL!!! It seems as if I have to go other places just to visit, but oh well.

I have good friends, and great family, and enjoy being with all of them. And this year as Thanksgiving approaches, I've been thinking more and more on the whole concept of family and really like how family can pull together when help is needed, or hard times come, and members of such families, often lend shoulders to cry on, or ears for listening, or themselves just as company. The wee ones are full of humor when they aren't full of throwing fits, and getting angry and mad at each other, and the old ones are always fun because there are always interesting conversations had with them. I cherish my family members near and far!! And always pray for their safety and health. And sometimes, even pray for them to have some fortunate times instead of unfortunate times. I love my nieces and nephews, and have enjoyed watching them all grow and get older. Yikes... some are entering their teens now, and others are still awaiting arrival to this earth!!! And family has a way of making you feel loved no matter how much of a dork you can be. (actually replace the you with I/me).

Eviction Notice ....

You are hear by given notice that you are to be EVICTED effective immediately!!
You were given a notice last winter and apparently the notice wasn't heeded.
So just so you know, every time I see one of your relatives come to visit and enter into my
territory, I will not hesitate to remove all life from their bodies.
So now, if you do not vacate my premises you and all family members will suffer a most horrible death. And unfortunate for you the last words you'll ever hear...

"QUICK WHERE IS A SHOE!!!"

and then you or a family member will no longer exist. So if I have to come after you one by one, or just take you out that slowly, trust me I'll do it!!!

I'm not scared of you (mostly), but You and I can no longer live under the same roof!! I've tried in years past, and the thoughts of you renting space in my house is not a good idea. The children are scared of you, and sometimes, you get really close and well

WE DON'T LIKE IT!!!

I know that someone has decided to make a home under the kitchen sink, and every time I wipe the web gone, it's put right back up the next day. NOT FAIR that you can clean your surroundings and put them back in order faster than me, so for that measure, yes I am jealous.

And you are all so darn sneaky that I can't find you to issue out your punishment for being within the walls of my home.

I also don't like the fact that when I'm in the shower one of your friends tries to play "peeping TOM" and then I get scared. And not just a little scared but REALLY SCARED. So scared that I can't really move, because you know why, you've just invaded my personal space, and now I can't move because I'm naked!! And what have I to kill you with in the shower. (oh yeah, maybe I can use a shampoo bottle) But the point is, vacate the premises or expect sudden death!!!

Spread the word, and spread it fast, because I will have no mercy on you pitiful little creatures. Some of you walk across my 12 foot high ceilings and think I can't get you, but don't doubt me. I'll find a way.

It's time to stop making offspring, and really find a new home. Leave mine alone.

I can't take it anymore!!! I've already killed three of you in the last weekend, and really hate to, so the best thing ...really is to either stay out of sight, or just leave, which I can guarantee you will be a lot safer in the end.

And if I were to add up all the rent you owed me for sharing my space... oh well, we don't even want to go there. I'm sick of cleaning up the cobwebs, sick of cleaning up your NASTY GUTS after you've met your final destiny, but luckily I know I have tissue or napkins to do such gross jobs. So if you were smart I'd turn and RUN, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, AND NEVER LOOK BACK!!!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year... mostly.

One reason I really like this time of the year, seems to be that I can focus on writing the family "Christmas Letter". I've done a few variations over the years, and with only having five kids, have stumbled upon my favorite layout yet. Well I've used it for the last two years already, and will probably again use it this year as well.

We've got family pictures scheduled for the first Saturday in December, and this will mean that I'll have to wait till right before Christmas probably to get my cards out this year. But as long as I can do all the ahead of time things first, like address the envelopes (hopefully just printing them onto labels and then having the kids stick them onto the envelopes. I can have stamps ready to go, I can print off the "letter part", but before that compile the list of "funny" things the kids have said, through out the year.

And I almost feel like I just want to set up the Christmas tree already seeing how we just celebrated with a Thanksgiving dinner last night with my in laws. The reason being that my husband's Uncle Joe was down visiting from Montana, and is leaving on Tuesday or Wednesday or something like that. So I feel like THanksgiving has come and gone, and now I can really get onto Christmas.

I have projects for Christmas I need to get ready and finished. Some of which are sewing pj's for the kiddos, wrapping some Christmas books as part of a tradition that we want to start this year. My sister in law helped us get started last year, and I've just recently ordered a few more Christmas books through the kid's book order from school, so hopefully those get here before too long, and they can be included.

My sister in law has been doing this for years it seems, and I like the tradition so much that I want to do it also. I tried in the past by just printing off Christmas stories and that worked mostly, but I failed to keep them in a safe place, and have lost a few pages to some stories. Plus you can't really wrap them up like you can a book. So since, the kids like to unwrap presents, I'll set up a system for who can pick out a wrapped book from the basket or container we will have set up by the tree and then read the story to the kids. Some stories are geared more for the little ones, but some of the stories will hopefully appeal to the older kids too.

I also started a project a few years ago, and have every intention of finishing it for a Christmas gift this year. But I can't tell, because a lot of those family members read the blog, and I wouldn't want them to find out what exactly I'm talking about, without having to guess about it.

But I've also been taking care of my daughter who is 10 and half and just had her tonsils taken out on the 12th of November, 2009. She's had some rough moments, but the best part of this seems to be that I'm getting random hugs from her. Which I love!! Seeing how she's growing and changing is just amazing me!!

Time to go spend time with her, and get food ready for the others when they come home from church. Because I'm staying home today because of my daughters request. Make sure to go spend time with someone important to you. And make sure they know they are important to you and that you care. Don't live with any regrets.

I've been pranked again....

Background Info: I am on the "Relief Society Meeting Committee" formerly called the Enrichment Committee. What is this: Well a program for the women of our congregation, where we meet together nearly on a monthly basis and have spiritual thoughts, and lessons on things to help us become better women in today's world.

The Night of the Event: Tuesday Night November 10th, 2009.

The Story: (Sit Back for this one!!)
Okay so we've (the committee) have been working on the current Quarterly Activity, and we were really excited for what was going on. We had a met a few times, and discussed the new "Relief Society University" that we were going to start for the ladies in our congregation. Of course, only if they want to be a part of it. Basically it is just a glorified "Pursuit of Excellence"

"We want to encourage the sisters to pursue excellence in their schooling, in homemaking, in Relief Society, in every worthy endeavor in its proper season.But remember always to set your priorities by inspiration and by hearkening to
the living prophets of the Lord. "

Janath R. Cannon, “Priorities in the Pursuit of Excellence,” Ensign, Apr 1976, 70

“The Pursuit of Excellence is an achievement challenge designed to help a participant develop a Christlike life of love and service. Accomplishing this
objective requires a diligent and serious effort in fundamental aspects of a
truly Christian life—spiritual, intellectual, social, physical, and in service
and character.”

“Pursuit of Excellence: Less a Program Than a Way of Life,” Ensign,
Mar. 1975, 68–70

So we came up with lists of possible goals and or experience that these sisters could choose to work on if they needed to improve on certain aspects of these parts of their lives. But here is not where the problem is. The problem starts when on Sunday, just 2 days before the Activity, that one of the Leaders said she was not able to make it to that activity and from what I've heard was almost mad that she wasn't going to be there. Because she put lots of work and hours into this and not being able to be there, I can understand how she might feel. Okay so this isn't so bad. It's still doable.

UNTIL

I'm nearly done with dinner on Tuesday just waiting to start reading our scriptures, and I get a phone call from the other Leader. I thought she was going to be at the church setting up already, but NO... she was calling to inform me that her little daughter woke from a nap and was running a fever. (I'm thinking uh-oh!!) That her other daughter was still sick, and that her husband was out of town which eliminates him from being able to watch them. So the words ..." I can't go" was all I heard followed by ..." Can you conduct?" AGHHH!!!!

WHAT?? Someone is playing a prank on me AGAIN!!

This isn't happening.

After a few minutes and me reluctantly agreeing to conduct the meeting, I felt confident that everything would be fine, because another member of the committee would stop by this leaders house and grab the printed program that had all of her notes on it and I could just use those notes and expand a little as needed. No problem.

So I finished reading scriptures for that night with my family before I left. And when I arrived at the church the other member DID NOT have the program or the survey we needed to make copies of for the sisters. Okay I'm starting to panic right about NOW!! So I rush back over to the leaders house to see if she forgot to put the stuff in the basket that was now over at the church. Of course, she remembered that she put it in, and said it must have fallen out somewhere. Luckily she printed off another copy of the survey but we didn't have a program at all!!! Now I"m really FREAKING OUT!!!

So I drive back over to the church, and find that they got busy on setting up the floor plan as best as they could remember, (looked really good by the way). And informed them that the program has gotten lost between the leaders house, and the church. Aghh. And they couldn't find the name tags in the closet for our Relief Society, but I went scavenging in the closet and was able to locate those, while a third member of the committee was on the phone with the leader trying to find out what the "agenda" was for the evening.

Needless to say we started like 20 minutes late, and once the night got started everything went really well. But having to conduct and trying to do the speaking parts, that were designated for someone else in the first place can become quite a challenge. Talk about being put on the spot.

Now just between you and me, and the few others I've already mentioned this too.... I'm not liking how the past chain of events are going. Because the last quarterly activity that we did back in August I was asked to be a discussion moderator = lots of speaking and talking, and then with this one, which = lots of speaking and talking... hmm. I'm just saying.

When I started the meeting not one member of the presidency was there, so the three committee members were running this show. That's fine and all but I don't like it put on us at the last minute!!!

But the three of us with help from various other sisters were able to get the night off without too many problems... but wait what more of a problem could there have been?? I don't know and really I'm not going in that direction.

Family Time = Funny Time

We've had a busy few days over the weekend, and wouldn't trade it for anything. To start off we spent Friday afternoon and evening over at Chris's sister's house, and played games, visited and snacked on food!! Playing Scattergories with two of those people, ** and you should know who you are if you are reading this ** can be quite interesting to say the least!!! Major competition going on, and total rationalizing acceptable or unacceptable answers. If I didn't get so annoyed with how far they take it... well I just might sit back and LAUGH, because they can be quite a crack up!! But it was fun to get together with family since we weren't around anyone for what almost seems like years, but was only like a month.

After leaving their home we headed back home, and prepared for the day trip the next day.

***********************************************************************************

The kids went to their Primary Practice in the morning and then came home a half hour early and we loaded the car with the changes of clothes that would be needed later that day, and blankets that they could use if they needed to extra warmth on the way home. My nephew was getting baptized and we headed to Ogden for that occasion. The service went great and we had a nice time visiting with family we haven't really seen in 7 months. So my newest niece and nephew looked so big now compared to their newborn and little infancy looks they had the last time I had seen them.

We managed to get a picture of all the kids together, since we don't have one yet with the two babies. And that one will be old come this next April 2010. At least we have a picture of ALL the GRAND KIDS that my parents have right now, and they can hang it up in all it's crazy splendor and glory.....

TAKE #1.....

Take #2 ....... Take #3...... Now if you ask me... I think this #3 picture turned out the best. But the others still have their humor to be found within. And after we took these pictures, we asked for Grandpa and Grandma to get in the picture with the kids,



And then you can't finish a "photo shoot" and not let them be their natural selves!!! I asked everyone to be silly for this picture!! And the next one!! They all did great, except I think my mom might need some lessons from her grand kids on how to make a silly face. ** love you Mom!! ** (NOTE TO SELF: I see the picture now, and realize that I should have had my parents sitting in the chairs the older girls are in, and then had the girls stand in the back.




So I'm thinking that I might get this one printed up and framed and give them this for a Christmas Present!!! I love it!!! Talk about a picture worth a thousand words, well maybe not that many, but at least a good dinner conversation starter, right?? Because honestly, I'm not sure when the next time will be that we have all the kids in the same place. Most of them are here in Utah, but one of the nephews lives in Cali with his family, and will soon be a big brother.
*******************************************************************************
Well later that evening my Dad treated the WHOLE gang out to dinner, which we gladly accepted... it's not everyday that we get to spend time with them, and even less frequent that he pays for dinner, so of course, we aren't going to turn that down. It was crazy to get everyone accommodated, but luckily they had one of their banquet rooms available and we had the room all to ourselves. The kids had fun, and sat at booths with each other, and then the adults and babies sat at three tables we moved together. It was a lot of fun, the kids were playing hide and go seek under the tables, and running up and down the rows of tables and booths. It was a total kid fantasy come true with all those possible places to run and hide. My nephew, has eyes bigger than his stomach I think because we saw him pile his plate up HIGH, and then get more, and try to get a drink, which I intercepted with my hands as I was out to get my own food, and he filled it to the brim, and he wasn't keeping it straight up, so the icee stuff inside was falling out... crazy 8 year old. He's fun though!! My little guy was standing up on the booth bench and then tried to slide himself down, and OFF came the cushioned bench. Uh OH!!! ** I wish I would have taken a picture of that, but the little guy was starting to FREAK out, so I had to intervene sooner rather than later.

And I was trying not to laugh very hard when one time I came back into the room, and saw a huge rib bone laying on the floor right under my niece's high chair, who is 9 months (almost) old, chair. Apparently my sister who happens to be the mother of this child, cleaned all the meat off and gave it to her to gnaw on, since she's teething right now. It was just a funny sight for me to see. In the midst of eating the dinner, it was kind of unusual and funny to see my dad carrying around a portable "weight" device, to weigh all the food he was eating that night. (yes, I know that some people do weight their food, but to see my dad doing it, just seems so out of place for me. But there is a reason why, he was diagnosed with diabetes back in May, nearly 7 months ago right after his father passed away from diabetes) So he's wiping off the scale side, and then laying his food either straight on it, or in a dish and subtracting the weight of the dish ... just looked like a major red neck type of thing to do... but maybe I'm just thinking it is, because I'm not used to seeing that.

I also wanted to get a picture of me with my parents, because I don't think I have a recent one...

...and probably because this will be the only BIRTHDAY picture I can have of my Dad, since his birthday was really the next day, and I wouldn't see him, because he was going back to California.

Happy 56th Birthday Dad!!!!

Then my husband decided to throw in my sisters that were there and get one with my parents. And the gorgeous niece that I can't stand not to be around ... I sure wish she lived closer so I could help take care of her, and be able to play with her!!!

And of course, right as we're getting ready to leave the restaurant, little guy pipes in with "I'm POOPY!!" .... ack...

I went out to the car, and changed him in the back, so that we wouldn't have to smell him for the hour drive home. Sheesh, that kid sure knows how to stink a place up!!! And while I was doing that, the two older girls showed off their cheers that they were learning for the last few weeks to their Grandma and Grandpa ... in the middle of the parking lot.. that was certainly a sight to see. They totally enjoyed it, and I think the pa's and ma's enjoyed seeing them perform.

Of course, the night wouldn't be complete without the two street racers that came through the parking lot, and sliding and skidding across the way, but sure had their engines revved pretty loud. Scared me a bit, and Chris had fun watching. One of the cars after his second time driving crazily around the building almost took out one of those median things with the trees in them in the middle of the parking lot, and after that near miss... they left the place. Thank heavens!!!

And we ended the night with all the children safely in their beds, and no whining or crying about having to go to bed. It was rather pleasant!!

Halloween Part 1

Last night we went trick or treating because of course, it was HALLOWEEN!!! My kids had lots of fun, getting ready and watching me work on various projects around the house!! Okay, mostly sewing projects, because really nothing else was accomplished during the week. Sad, I know!! But we have this week to make up for last week (and previous weeks lack of cleaning). So there aren't any shed tears happening here!!

But alas... I have fun helping with Halloween costumes and this year wasn't any different. And just because I might not have made all the costumes, some of the costumes I did make brand new a few years back and we're recycling them again. Wahoo to reusing costumes!!!


And here are my little children this year for Halloween:

More pages to come filled with the pumpkin creations my children came up with, and the various activities that we were involved with this Halloween.

And might I just add that I really enjoyed the fact that we didn't use a stroller this year and it was WONDERFUL!!!! Made trick or treating that much more fun, not to mention easier time getting around.