This, That & the Other Thing

Sleepy heads!

Well, we had a great visit with my parents {whom we don't see very often, they are workampers and travel in their RV to different parks and campgrounds to work. They are currently working in the Grand Canyon. My dad is a shuttle bus driver and my mom has been working in retail, but she might drive too.} They got here Sunday afternoon and left this morning around 7. The kids were SO excited to have them for that many days. Grumpa, read books, did word searches & played video games with them. Grammie did crossword puzzles with Cody. They attended the Goodies with Grandparents morning with Savanna & Robby yesterday and the Christmas Concert for grades 1-4 for the WHOLE town {It's not a very big place, but the high school auditorium was packed to standing room only! Sorry, no pictures from the concert, I forgot my camera! :( They did songs from around the world. One song, Children, Go Where I Send Thee, the kids were all dancing, as much as on can while standing on risers, and it was So funny! Robby was is touch with his roots, he was so entertaining! Robby was really singing and dancing! One little 1st grade girl was really 'cutting a rug' , the crowd was laughing their heads off!}. Shantel convinced grammie & Grumpa to come have pictures taken at the church on Wednesday {the Young Women set up the gym with 3 different backdrops for family Christmas photos and the Young Women's president took the pictures. We ordered a family 8x10 for $2.99 and a kids only for $.89! the price was right up my alley! :) I had her take a few with my camera and I took some too.} We played card games and Boggle and watched some Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel. All in all a great visit was had by everyone.

Grumpa with the twins.Robby challenges Grumpa to a race!The kids: Shantel, Scott, Savanna, Robby, EmmaLece & Cody. All smiles, yeah!The cuties! Eventually Scott got tired of all this posing, but he looks pretty cute right here! EmmaLece loved all the pictures, she'd such a GIRL!Another shot of the kids looking happy still.Here we are with Grammie and Grumpa. Cody had left for Young Men's by this time.I tried to get my parents to just do one of the 2 of them, but my mom said I should be in it, so here it is.Good night hugs from the girls!Grumpa and Savanna listen to Robby read.

Grammie and Robby listen to Savanna read.

Cody and Grumpa get in one more game before they head out.

A bunch of pix of this and that from when we were with out a computer.

First a few haircuts.... Robby had his cut because Dad requested it be a bit shorter.Before shots....After shot ... Looking sharp, Rob!Now EmmaLece got her cut because .... well, she and a friend had a haircutting party. Em's hair wasn't cut nearly as bad as the other girl's ... Guess Em has watched a few more haircuts. She cut hair all around her head! And gave the poor girl the super short bangs! It was really funny and I would have been laughing my head off, but her parents were ever SO upset! It's been weeks and they are still not well pleased ... they have a chat with her every time we get together {which is weekly} about not touching scissors! After shots. It didn't turn out too bad and looked better after a shower and all.Climbing monkeys! I turned around and this is what I saw!What happens when a set of twins meet one of these gazelle's?{they play on this at grandma's and have such a good time, but this day Scott sat down and Em gave him a push and well he got caught! } He was a pretty sad little guy!The turkeys they made at the library. Shantel had to make a ziggurat for history for extra credit ... So we all got in on the act!.... love salt dough! :)Our finished products!Cody gets his first deer! Troy let him skip school since it was an early out and the day before Thanksgiving. They headed out in the country to some friend's ranch, where Troy and his Dad got their deer this year. Cody doesn't have his own gun, so he used Troy's ... it is a little big for him, but he has shot at the range with it and done well. He shot 7 times at 7 different deer, poor kid missed 6 times! I was told that some were pretty close too. Well he sights in on this little guy and drops him with one shot! {good job!} The deer is over 200 yards away! {and he missed the 50 and 75 yarders!} Cody and our friend trudged over to gut and retrieve it. The friend told Cody that since he had to hit one at this distance he was glad he'd got the smallest one in the herd! Troy said he was SO excited for Cody! :)
See it's a buck! {it is very hard to see, but there are tiny nubs!}
When they took the deer to the meat shop {I prefer to pay and have someone who knows what their doing cut it up.... Troy's a city boy!} They gave Cody a hard time about shooting Bambi! I'm just glad he had a good time hunting with his dad {and that he got one, he got skunked last year}

I might away for a few days as my parents are coming to visit....

Christmas

I'm joining the band wagon of displaying our tree {it's not much, just our poor fake tree we've had for 12 years!:Each of the kids took a turn putting up their ornaments. Here are Scott and EmmaLece. They had such fun doing this. I don't think they remembered helping last year.All done.

Snowmen! {sorry, I took this w/o the flash .. not wanting it to reflect on the mirror... so I's washed out :(} Below we have a santa window and our nativities, as other Christmas decor.

We also decorated some craft trees last night.

Tag I'm it!

Tristi tagged me the other day for 6 things......

*I have to make the bed every night before I get in it. With troy working til 7 am, he sleeps til 2 pm and leaves the bed all un-made and un tucked! I hate that, it has to be all neat and stretched tight! {this is not our bed... but I can dream ,right!}

*That said, once I get all comfy, I can sleep with out hardly disturbing the covers.... that is IF Troy's not in there too, cause he un-tucks everything and complains that he feels trapped!

*When I was younger, I loved snow. I love going out and playing in it ... snowmen, snowball fights, snow forts, snow angels, tubing or sledding {'cept we only had tubes, ya know the black ones that used to be part of the tires :)} down the hill in the dark. It was such fun! Now, I hate to go out in the snow.... it's SO much work getting everybody ready to go play and then have them tell me they want to go home cause they are COLD! I do, however love how pretty it looks as it is snowing and how it is like a blanket on the earth.

*I use to write poetry ages ago {like in high school and the first few years we were married}. I haven't written anything in 10 years! {I posted a poem I wrote in 1991 on my side bar, if you're interested. Scroll down, it's there.}

*When we were newlyweds, we lived in Phoenix in a studio apartment. We didn't have kids yet, so I could sleep in a bit {OK a lot! until I got a job} and I was rudely awaken by the sound of keys opening the door. The problem was that the one opening the door was not my husband, it was the repair guy! He didn't even knock! Just came right in! Scared the bejeebers out of me! Now, the end of the bed came to the door nearly and it was quickly closed in his face, but I was for sure AWAKE after that! We went right out and got a lock that could not be opened from the outside, one of those hinge kind that fold over the door. Don't really know HOW much safer I truly was, but I felt better. Troy also called down to the manager's office and had a few choice words with them abt the repairman!

*I have an unfounded fear of the dark. There is no reason for me to fear the dark, but I always have. I hate to be outside by myself or to be the only adult in the dark with my kids. I'm just sure something or someone will get me! I'm alright if we can be making a lot of noise, but I don't think my neighbors would be too happy with us if we are loud at say 11 pm or 12 midnight {which is a normal time to arrive home on a Friday or Saturday night over playing games with friends.} recently Cody and I had dog duty {Cody dog sits for some people from church}. We have to go in the morning abt 6am to feed, let them out and walk them and then put them in the kennel outside. Then return around 8pm to feed, walk and put them in the garage for the night. I was brave as I could be, but my son is WAY braver! He had to take Shantel with him one of the nights {cause I was out on a date with my hubby} and he complained about how she is scared of the dark and didn't want to walk very far! {I didn't tell him that his mother is a BIG chicken too! Are you kidding?! no way!!}

So there ya have it 6 more tidbits {that you probably didn't want to know, but now do} about me! :)

Things Scott Said....

I just had to write all these things down ......

11-28-07
While eating lunch one day, I heard this exchange between the twins:
E) "I'm sitting next to you, Scotty, because you're my best boy."
S) smiling says "Yep!"

Later (2pm) that same day they are building with blocks and EmmaLece knocks down his castle, he says:
"Emmy, I don't like you and maybe I hate you! I NEVER like you!" Don't worry, they 'kissed and made up'!
Even later (3:52 pm) this same day Scott came running over to me and said:
"Tick tock tick tock, I need to give a hug to you! I need you to take me upstairs and get some clothes for me. I'm in my P-jammies and I need clothes! SO, you need to help me!"
It's now 4:40 pm and we finally went upstairs to get clothes he said this:
"Mom, Scott & Emmy were babies and they were crying, 'Mom, Mom, Mom!' That's true, Grandma told me. That's silly, yeah it is!"
At 8:54 pm he comes up and tells me this little gem:
"I just like all my friends. They're nice and I don't say nasty words. Yeah, I don't."
Another night recently, I was tucking them in and reading a few stories and right in the middle of the story Scott says:
"One time, we went to the store and there were trees on the concrete. We put one in the truck and took it to my house. We put it in the front room, yeah the front room! Yeah, we did!" This was last year ... oh, man now we HAVE to get a tree, cause he remembered it so clearly and I can't break his heart.....
Now, lately all we get out of EmmaLece is her tongue! She sticks it out all the time and at anyone and everyone. I personally have been trying to ignore her, but others are making a big deal out of it and, of course, she is doing it all the more! AARRGGHH!

{side note... I have changed the poems on my side bar, if any are interested...}

Thespians, my Nativity Scene, and black n whites

Thespians! We have spent this past week running to and from play practice! Once a year the Missoula Children's Theater comes to town! Yeah! My kids always try out. {sidenote: I tried out each year as a child and the only time I got a "part" {as an assistant director}, I broke my ankle that same night! long story, I may some day share... So, I didn't even get to go to the performance :( } Well, so far, Cody has gotten a part every year since 2nd grade; Shantel has gotten a part every time she has tried out {she actually prefers the assistant director part}; Savanna has also gotten a part each time; Robby got a part the last 2 years, but was one of 26 kids who were without parts this year. :( {He was at first a bit miffed, but when the older kids started to pay him to do the dishes on their dish days... he was liking not having a part! :)}

This year they did an {interesting} rendition of The Little Mermaid. Cody was comic relief {perfect for him} as one of 12 Sea Scouts {He played a weird fish who ran Urcle style across the stage, was the head of a dragon, the general of the Sinister Soldiers and Charlie Tuna, who danced across the stage.}. Savanna was one of 14 Seasiders. Shantel was the assistant director over the Sea Scouts. After 6 days of intense practices, they gave a great performance! {you can tell the kids that have done it in the past as they are usually loud enough to be heard... unfortunately, there were some very quiet actors tonight ... but all in all it was fun to watch them all perform!}

The whole cast -- mostly!Cody the Sea Scout.Savanna the Seasider! Below we have the Scout, Seasider and the Assistant Director! They had a bag decorating contest {the paper bag to put your costume in and your street clothes when in costume} and I was just informed that Cody won! Sorry no picture, because Cody threw it away! He drew the set complete with dragon and General Cody! Savanna won the Over-do-it contest by being loud and expressive on stage and quiet backstage! Way to go my little Thespians! :)

In case you are unfamiliar with the Missoula Children's Theater, I will add the program notes here: Missoula Children's Theater was co-founded in 1970 by Jim Caron and Don Collins who currently serve as CEO and Senior Development Officer respectively. Jim and Executive Director, Micheal McGill, supervise the intense training period for the "tour teams" and have created the eight original musicals that are currently touring with 33 teams of MCT Tour Actor/Directors -including the ones you are enjoying today.

Your cast auditioned for this show at the beginning of the week and has been rehearsing for just a few short days. We are confident that you will be amazed by what they have accomplished. We are proud to say that more than 65,000 young people will participate as performers in the Missoula Children's Theater International Tour Project this season. More than 1,200 communities in all 50 states, 2 Canadian territories and 4 provinces and 16 countries will be visited - communities from Anacortes, Wa to Anderson, Guam!

Click here for information on the soon-to-be-released documentary film about the Missoula Children's Theater International tour.

Nativity Scene Here is my attempt at tole painting at Souper Saturday, where we also had classes on quilting, goal setting, eating healthy, card making, making gluten, recipe exchange, Internet safety, accessing the stake and ward web sites and the music page on the Church's site.

Black n Whites Please go here for some shots of the kids and I in black n white. There is so much to share with ya that I thought I'd put some on the kids page. {I secretly have a fear that if I post more than once in a day and they are both long, that I'll be the only one reading them.... and I love to get comments so ... I can't do 2 long posts a day.... so humor me and go have a look! :D}