Just some more fun...

Aren't we cute? The high schoolers put this up last week... thought it looked pretty cool. Troy and I got out and they are a shallow hard plastic cup made for snapping into the chain-link. I snuck outside and snapped this.
Cody had an afternoon of tree climbing. He thought he was stuck in the 2nd tree, but finally just let go.
Robby and Savanna CAN play nice! I heard them and looked out our bedroom window and saw this.... ramp and pit building. So I ran downstairs and took these through the window.... they never even knew!

The poor man drum set! {Troy and I both played drums in school ... I played from 5th til 11th grade.... not sure how long Troy played.}

Shantel was boring today only made one trip to the park with Savanna and Robby, then sat watching TV.

I'm sore, we played volleyball tonight. It was SO much fun. Shantel played with us and by the end she was actually going after the ball. Cody played the last game since one couple left early.

I'm SO excited, tomorrow my Mother-in-law and I are going to the all-state choir concert! Yeah us! :-) {My sister told me tonight that My niece had made a northwest states choir and they will perform in Canada in Jan!} Also going to the temple and hopefully meeting my sister there {they have to drive 6 hrs, we only have a 3 hour drive}. Then we are planning to go to Olive Garden for dinner {this is a big deal, we don't really have nice places to eat in this tiny map dot} and finally hit the concert {which I still need to get directions to}. We will be spending the night {the guys don't want us driving home at that late hour} then come home in the morning. My Father-in-law is going to watch the kids since Troy's hours are such that he won't be home at night {fun for him!:-) }

I hope I don't go into withdraw.... missing my blogging buds and I'm gonna be behind! :P Have a great Friday.... I'll try and take a few pix.

Hannah Montana Sightings....

Have you Hannah Montana fans? Well, we do and Shantel wants to be her for Halloween, So Grandpa got her a wig and now we are having sightings......

R you addicted to blogging?

I went here to see if I was addicted and Because I've yet to figure out how to add the neat little thing that tells you (even though I follow the directions and everything), I'll just have to tell ya ... it says I'm 74% addicted! yikes! Thank you all for fueling my addiction! ;-)

Our day (mostly in pictures)

I was beginning to believe that the kids were no longer going to be getting into everything since they have been really well behaved since Troy has been home days. Then Troy left for a couple hours to go clean the church ......I turned around and EmmaLece is standing on the top of the lazyboy just drawing away on the wall!

Next I look in on the boys and see this.....Troy has arrived home by the time I find the crushed-up ground-in Life Cereal. Scott did a good job of getting it all vacuumed. (I swear to you he LIKES to do the vacuuming)

I settle down to reading blogs and hear a scream out of Troy.. I rush upstairs as he says, "I guess I won't be brushing my teeth.....Now, I promised I wouldn't tell how this got in here .... I thought "this has Em or Scott written all over it" but well they were not the guilty parties .... make your guess!

That was all before 10 am! Troy finally brushed his teeth with the new tooth brush I was hiding for me, I mean that I was saving for just such an occasion... when your toothbrush gets a mind of it's own and decides it's time for a swim in the toilet. He shaved and headed to help his dad. Kyle arrived and we got ready for story time at the library. We head home around noon and I get them settled at the table (and high chairs) for lunch. Troy comes home and says, "I have a great picture for ya..."

Yes, that is a motorcycle parked INSIDE my house! He just acquired it today. We have a tiny garage that has a LOT of stuff in it making it impossible for him to put it in there from the outside, so he took the bike through to the garage!After lunch I notice that 2 of our pumpkins are looking, well squishy :-( So I let the twins dig out the seeds and baked the tiny things... didn't even get 2 cups! Here is a little video of them workin'!

Scott wanted to help put them in the oven...Next thing that happens .... Scott says, "get my Papa key". A papa key are keys that Nana gave to the kids and she told them that they were Papa's. Papa dies last Dec. Unfortunately the twins never met Papa, but Scott is attached to his 'Papa key'. These are the rescue shots... (above pictures by Scott and EmmaLece)
The freed Papa key!
And finally we have Cody's clean the front room outfit....

13 yr olds are strange!

Parent Job Description

Fun email that I wanted to share with all of you.

POSITION :Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma, Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop
JOB DESCRIPTION :Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an, often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.
RESPONSIBILITIES :The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.
POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION :None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.
WAGES AND COMPENSATION :Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.
BENEFITS :While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right. No retirement EVER!

We have NO time

My girls, as I've mentioned before, are in Girl Scouts and have been since kindergarten (now 6th and 4th graders). They have always been really gung-ho about cookie sales. We have usually sold between 100 and 250 boxes each. These last 2 years (especially this year) we have not had the time to devote to sales. You must sell only during daylight hours and you must have an adult along for safety. This year our schedule doesn't allow any time to get out there and knock doors. With Troy's new work schedule, we have to be all finished with dinner by 6pm. The kids get home from school at 3:45 and Then it homework and chores and I've got be working on dinner and then there is waiting on Riley's parent(s) to come pick him up anywhere between 4:45 and 5:30.. So when do they have to go sell? Well, one would think they could at least have gone out on the 2 Saturdays they have, but nope..... the first Sat. is General Conference and this past Sat. they spent babysitting. I feel bad because in years past we would be out and selling from the time school let out til it was dark..... now that they are older and we have a new schedule, there just is not the time.
A typical day starts at 6 am when Shantel or Savanna comes upstairs and wakes Robby (who usually needs at least one more wake-up call). Cody or Robby is first in the shower (Robby is still young enough that he showers every other week day). The girls take showers the night before, so they are getting dressed. By 6:30 6:45 the piano practice starts. Teeth get brushed and I finally drag myself out of bed. The kids normally eat breakfast at school. If there is something nasty for breakfast they will ask to eat at home and it goes like this morning :
C: "Can I eat here this morning?"
D: "Why, what are they having at school?"
C: "Gross hard boiled eggs, sausage, juice and milk." Keep in mind this is the same child who will eat Easter eggs like thy are going out of style, but if the school makes them, they are inedible! Go figure!
D: "Mom and I'll talk about it. Go take a shower."
After his shower ... C: "So, can I eat here?"
D: "Yes, you may have toast and Total."
After a long pause... C: "Total is disgusting!"
D: "Then I guess you'll be eating hard boiled eggs at school."
Shoes are put on and we gather for family prayer and out the door they head. They catch the bus at 7:15. The grade school starts about 20 mins before the middle and high schools. That means they also get out 20 mins before them too. The buses start at the grade schools and move on to the middle school and finally to the high school for those few high schoolers not cool enough to drive (or too young to drive). In the afternoon, they are coming in the door at 3:45 and it is busy 'round here til about 9:30 (after we have had dinner, clean-up, finish our chores and homework, have family scripture reading, and family prayer) then we finally get them all to bed ... well, all but the twins who don't normally get to sleep til 11:30 or later. We do send them to bed at the same time as the others, they just don't stay! Now, if it is Wednesday, then Robby has cub scouts from 4:30 to 5:30, 2nd and 4th Wednesdays the girls have achievement day girls at church from 4:30 to 6 and Cody has Young Men's from 7 to 8:30pm. Wednesday is by far the most hectic. This Wednesday we are also squeezing in piano lessons right after school because the teacher is going to be busy (doing what I'm not exactly sure) on Thursday and needs the girls to babysit that day. This Thursday and Friday is when the teachers from the whole state have to go to classes, so the kids haven't got school. The girls will be sitting from 8 am until she is finished with whatever and the boys will be earning $ at Grandpa's pulling roots up and whatever other yard work he has. There is just not enough time to do anything!
I'm hoping to go to Billings to listen to the All State High School Choir because my niece is singing with them. That depends on Grandpa's willingness to watch the kids and if there are still tickets. My sister is suppose to be calling to say whether or not we can get tickets and if so all the details (where and when). Keep your fingers crossed ... I could sure use a little break from the kids!

What on earth is that?

We don't use our front door much, but it has a great little entry with a closet and area big enough to store say... the toys and dress-up ... and it has a door, so if you're in a hurry and need to stash it until later, yep, that is where it goes. Well, it was getting to be so "clean" in there that door was having trouble functioning. It seems it is much easier to just shove everything on the floor in and call it good. It was driving me NUTS! So, I tackled it yesterday ... and finally finished it today. In amongst all the toys, dress-up, papers, trash and clothes I found this....
Any guesses? And just HOW long does it take for something that was once food to look like this? I wondered for a bit just what on earth it was. Then, it came to me, it WAS an apple! Yummy, huh? Anyone for apple pie?