The Christensen Family

20-Yr Reunion

2009-10-12T20:14:00.002-06:00

So we hopped in the car at the last minute to drive up to Lewiston for my 20-yr high school reunion. I hadn't been to one yet but had a good time. After it was over though I decided things really hadn't changed. Everyone still looked pretty much like themselves, the same people still hung out together and I don't look a day over 26!

I'm A Hacker!!

2009-07-22T11:05:00.012-06:00

This is Audrey and I hac.... I mean got on my mom's account. I know that she hasn't posted lately so I'm doing it for her! This is me, Audrey, and my friend, Liz, and we got on her webcam and went crazy! It's really cool, you pick something whether it be a special effect to make it look like you're drowning, or make yourself have Elvis glasses, then it senses that part of you and automatically places or attracts itself to you or a certain body part such as eyes, nose, hand, etc. Here are some pics of us! ~Audrey

Liz in schweet shades!

Liz in Elvis mode!

Liz, "OH MY GOSH!!"

Liz- my cute lil' pet bunny!

Liz, "MEOW!"

Liz and moi- "We're going down!"

Liz and I- "Someone ripped open our sandbags...:("

Me-"Can u see the inside of my nose?"

Liz-"Check out my forehead!"

Us-"We're being sucked into another dimension!"

Us-"LoZeR! Ha ha!"

We traveled back to the early 1900's.

Me-"Put the money in the bag!"

Me-"Hey there kiddie!" Liz-"Ma it's gonna eat me!"

Me-'Ding!' Liz-"*sniff sniff* Mommy it's scaring me!"

Us- "Duuuuuuuude."

Us-"MeOW!"

Us-"ARgh!"

Me-"The power of the invisible flame!"

Me-"Hmmm, verrry interresssstiiing"

Me-"Vait, I all most got it! Almost zere! Ah, Vonderful!"

Sweet hat, huh?

~Rose Pose

PHASE II

2009-03-31T19:43:00.003-06:00

Can you tell a difference from the last picture? He added drawers in on the left and right, put the 'backboard' behind the TV and the cubbies above the TV.

We will be putting doors on the cubbies above the TV and on most of the bottom pieces. I just hope it doesn't go as one of those "unfinished" projects.

I can't stand looking at that big ole' speaker box! It's looking good!

Goodbye Primary - Hello Cub Scouts

2009-03-31T19:33:00.003-06:00

Yep - new callings. Was released as Primary President and Ryan was released as 1st counselor in Elder's Quorum. Now we are scouts together. I am in with the Wolf Den (8-9 yr olds) and Ryan has the big boys (12-14 yr old). Gotta love the shirts people!

Happy 7th Birthday Tread!

2009-03-31T18:46:00.003-06:00

Tread wanted to go bowling (again) this year for his birthday and out to lunch. He also went to the Monster Trucks with his Dad and brother. He is going to play soccer again this spring, is great student in school and continues to make us all laugh.

Seven years old! When did that happen?

We love you Tread!

Where did I put those scissors?

2009-03-28T19:37:00.003-06:00

Ryan is constantly reminding me how bad the economy is and to be careful. Yada yada yada...so I decided to put him to the test and offered him my services for a haircut. I have used the clippers on the boys in the past and did OK. So after completing the mission with the clippers I had only the scissor cut to go! Where are the scissors? Couldn't find them anywhere so out came the magic Crayola scissors from the kitchen drawer. Tada! The finished product!

Not too shabby for a first time cut - eh?

Ryan's 38th Birthday!

2009-03-25T18:33:00.003-06:00

Funny story. I was in the kitchen chopping veggies when I decided to stop paying attention and chop the pad off my middle figure! Ouch. It also happened to be the same day of Ryan's birthday. So after meeting Dr. Breath (seriously - he had no personal space) and a few stitches later...I had this lovely finger that automatically flipped everyone off! Two wonderful friends came to my rescue. One took me for stitches and the other baked Ryan's beautiful birthday cake!

The lovely fingernail design and smiley face were compliments of my boss and a Sharpie marker which attracted even more attention. (And you thought he was working...)

Happy Birthday Honey!

Pinewood Derby Time

2009-03-25T18:29:00.002-06:00

Here's the latest Pinewood Derby masterpiece. It flew so fast it jumped the track on the second run, ruined a wheel and didn't place. But its time was smokin'!

UPDATE - Ryan's Project

2009-02-10T19:26:00.002-07:00

Ryan started this project last month. It is still a work in progress but is looking good! I was afraid it would make the room look smaller but it actually appears to be bigger. Eventually he will make doors to cover most of the bottom and there will be a few doors/cubbies above the television as well. I have been waiting for almost 15 years to cover that STUPID huge speaker box you see on the bottom. I hated the way it looked but it is killer when you're playing RockBand! It's lookin' good honey!

REWIND - Merry Christmas 2008

2009-02-10T19:20:00.001-07:00

Have you ever seen anything sweeter?

Boy does she have you fooled!

REWIND - Gracie Lou Who?

2009-02-10T19:13:00.001-07:00

So our ward Christmas party was based on Dr. Seuss characters. We fixed Audrey and Grace's hair like a WHO from Whoville. They looked cute!

REWIND - Christmas Cookies

2009-02-10T19:08:00.000-07:00

Bring back any memories?

REWIND - Playdough

2009-02-10T19:05:00.001-07:00

The boys were so fond of their playdough garages they made me take pictures. I remember making little toilets and filling them with water.

REWIND - Seriously?

2009-02-10T19:02:00.001-07:00

So I had washed my car inside and out and it looked beautiful. I decided to offer to vacuum Ryan's work truck out while I was in the driveway. This is what I found. Underneath of that wasn't any better! Seriously?

REWIND - Happy Fall Y'all

2009-02-10T18:57:00.001-07:00

I think this was the first year our trees were big enough to produce enough leaves for Grace to jump in. She had fun!

REWIND - Pheasant Hunting

2009-02-10T18:53:00.000-07:00

REWIND - Dad's Baptism

2009-02-09T20:34:00.000-07:00

REWIND - Halloween

2009-02-09T09:36:00.002-07:00

I know! I know! I am trying to do better. Here is a little rewind for you since I last posted!

Garage Band

2008-09-30T21:46:00.006-06:00

So we have been doing so well at RockBand that we have started a garage band.

Just kidding. Grandpa Rick found us a used drum set and Audrey is doing really well on it. She isn't allowed to play in the "jazz" band until 8th grade but she is doing percussions now in 6th grade and will be more than ready by the time 8th grade rolls around. P.S. We can't WAIT for Rockband 2 to come out for PS3! Merry Christmas to us....

The Big Surprise

2008-09-30T20:20:00.005-06:00

This is video when Audrey opened her last present - a new cell phone. I know, I know. She's only twelve but honestly...it has been so nice to know where she is and when she'll be home etc. With her at work and now going to mutual and riding her bike to friends, it is nice to know she is safe and needless to say...she was thrilled! I think we even had a few tears. She wasn't expecting it at all.

Happy Birthday Audrey Rose!

2008-09-30T20:10:00.002-06:00

12 years old. No really. Can you believe it? She went to mutual this week! I can see my wrinkles and gray hair rapidly approaching. Her party theme was her initial. Grandma Nona painted them up so cute. Happy Birthday Audrey! We love you!

More Birthday Fun!

2008-09-30T19:39:00.004-06:00

Aunt Kathy rounded up each of the girls initial to paint at the party. It was a big hit and I think they all did a creative job well done!

Apparently, the girls are still talking about the whip cream game from last year's party. So here it is again. Audrey's aim was a little closer this year...

She was also able to narrow her birthday invite list to 25 girls!

All Grown Up and No Place To Go

2008-09-21T22:02:00.002-06:00

Yep. That's her. All decked out for the first day of preschool. We got to the school only to find out...it wasn't the first day! I must have forgotten to read the fine print. She hasn't wanted to go back since!

Shoshone Falls

2008-09-21T21:54:00.001-06:00

Stopped during our travels to take the kids to Shoshone Falls. It was pretty windy during our visit, but who can resist a beautiful waterfall?

A Hiking We Will Go

2008-09-21T21:34:00.004-06:00

Took a trip to Idaho Falls and did a little hike during our stay. There were some pretty spots and only Grace slowed down enough to let us take her picture!

These were some friends we met along the way...YIKES!

Coeur D'Alene Trip

2008-09-21T21:07:00.002-06:00

We took a trip to visit cousins and had a great weekend of water fun! Too many photos to show you all but I took some of the highlights! Enjoy!

More Coeur d'Alene Photos

2008-09-21T20:54:00.002-06:00

The kids played in the lake...

By the Lake...and in the Lake. They were like little fish all weekend!

Brett showed off his wakeboarding skills...

and how he kept the lake water from affecting his allergies!

Apparantly during our stay we were also visited by Jack Nicholson!

Not just "Treadin' water!

2008-09-21T20:51:00.001-06:00

CHECK IT OUT! Tread was begging to try the wakeboard so Ryan got in the water with him, helped him position and he was up and going on his first try! He has been out more during the summer and does VERY well! Way to go Tread!

"WAKE" UP!

2008-09-21T20:41:00.002-06:00

The weather was perfect and so was the water! We would go out at 8:00 a.m. for a run, then back out in the afternoon and once more before bedtime. It was probably one of the hottest weekends C'DA has seen this summer so we managed to get our fill of the "wake"!

S'More Fun!

2008-09-21T20:31:00.001-06:00

Cousin Fun

2008-09-21T20:05:00.002-06:00

Impressive!

2008-09-09T21:31:00.005-06:00

OK, so we have an entire summer of these kinds of pictures and you haven't seen the last of them yet. Ryan attempted the 360 this summer while I attempted to catch some air on this sweet new wakeboard Ryan bought for me on our anniversary. He put it on the boat in our driveway and then took a picture of it and sent it to my phone. Needless to say, we were on the lake within the next hour!

Next time, I won't post my picture next to his because when you have something to compare with it doesn't seem quite as impressive! But I sure felt like I got his air! It take so much strength and stamina I really need to workout. I spent half the summer limping because of sore muscles!

Not sure what I was doing in this picture but I have a feeling it didn't end well...

The Fountain

2008-08-29T07:17:00.003-06:00

We had gone to the library and this fountain is downtown as well so we let the kids get suited up to get wet. It was so hot this day but the water is so cold! I'll stay behind the camera.

IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE...

2008-08-29T07:08:00.005-06:00

NO WAIT! IT'S DAVID HASSELHOFF!
Sorry, I just couldn't help it after I saw the way this picture turned out.

Ready, Set, DIVE!

2008-08-29T06:52:00.003-06:00

So many picture to catch up on! These are from the kids swimming lessons. It is amazing how the little ones won't even put their face in the water and after a couple of weeks are diving off the board! Grace had this "butterfly" position everytime she went into the water.

Any Bed Will Do

2008-08-25T07:12:00.002-06:00

Grace still does not manage to stay in her bed the entire night. Audrey didn't seem to notice that she ended up BEING Grace's bed!

Junior Volunteer Extraordinaire

2008-08-19T17:48:00.005-06:00

Follow the link below to view the news clip of Audrey's nomination as a "Seven's Hero" for the volunteer work she does at the retirement home. We are proud of your compassionate service Audrey! http://www.ktvb.com/video/sevensheroes-index.html?nvid=273846&shu=1

Grace's 4th Birthday

2008-06-30T21:04:00.004-06:00

Yes, it's true. My baby is 4 years old. It makes me sad. She is the funniest, cutest, naughtiest, strong-willed girl but we love her just the way she is! I made several of these flowers out of balloons for her decorations.

She wanted a "purple" birthday. I found a Tinkerbell theme and she was thrilled.
My wonderful neighbor, Pam, decorated these beautiful cupcakes for Grace's party and YES they are all edible!

We set up the waterslide and had cake out on the patio. All the kids were wet and all the neighbors and family attended. What fun!

Happy Birthday Grace Marie! We love you so much!

Summer 2008

2008-06-30T20:09:00.002-06:00

We traveled to Bozeman, MT to attend the McKay/Turner family reunion and took our time coming home. We stopped in West Yellowstone and took the kids to the Bear and Wolf Exhibit, then onto Rexburg where we said "Hi" to Kaitlin and walked the new Rexburg temple grounds, then we stopped in Idaho Falls to visit Ryan's family and ended our trip with a visit to "Bear World". It was nice to be able to take our time and do whatever we wanted. Enjoy the pics!

Dance Video

2008-06-10T14:14:00.004-06:00

Shelly, For fear of embarrassament...this one's for you. Video during dress rehearsal. No, I didn't have my feathers attached yet!

Maple Leaf Rag

2008-06-10T13:40:00.005-06:00

Another year - another recital. Audrey is wanting to quit for the summer but I think she better keep on playing! She had two pieces - my favorite, the Maple Leaf Rag. She will play it at home as fast as she can. We clocked it at about 100 mph.

Wilson's Pond

2008-06-08T23:54:00.002-06:00

Free fishing day is an annual trip we like to take. It's close and inexpensive and always fun. The fish this year were not biting but the ducks were! We fed them BBQ potato chips and the kids played hide and seek in the long grass.

Sheila's Advanced (in years) Tap Class

2008-06-08T23:06:00.002-06:00

Flashback to 5th grade: So here I am in makeup and costume and my parents are in the auditorium to watch me tap dance. (I have some video but couldn't get it to upload.) We probably looked ridiculous but the crowd cheered anyway and we had three more women sign up for next year's class. If nothing else, we got a little bit of exercise and a whole lotta laughs!

From left to right: Jackie, Heather, Amy, Christina and me!

Grace and Caden

2008-06-08T23:03:00.002-06:00

The Redd's new addition came in April. Caden Decker was three weeks early and Grace can't leave him alone!

Ward Campout

2008-06-08T22:47:00.002-06:00

The day I got back from McCall, I crashed for a 3-hour nap and then we loaded up and went to the Owyhee Reservoir for our ward campout. The weather had warmed up by then and the campground was nice with lots of grass! The kids got a turn on these little go-carts.

There is this great man-made water slide that the kids played on. We decided the water pressure wasn't enough to make it slick so we added a little dishsoap. Fun and clean at the same time!

This is Rowan and Grace. Best Friends. He insists that he is going to marry Audrey. He is in her Sunbeam class (and his mom is the teacher) and I did a lesson on temples and when I said something about marriage, he blurted out "I'm going to marry Gracie!"

Tread and his friend decided to ride the slide on this body board.

5th Grade McCall Field Trip

2008-06-08T22:33:00.003-06:00

In one word: BRRRRR! Still snow on the ground and I got assigned to teach the compass course?! What the...?! Audrey really wanted me to chaperone this field trip. The 5th graders do fund raisers all year to be able to go to camp IDA-HAVEN in McCall. They had great cabins with hot showers but the schedule is so busy you only see your cabin at night. Great activities and the kids learn lots of different things. A lot like girls camp (but with boys). There were probably a half dozen members just from our ward that went. They feed you well but it was so windy I froze my tail off!

My 1st counselor in Primary was my cabin mate. Here with her daughter, Morgan.

Audrey posing at the bow/arrow target practice like a true...girl!

Some of our cabin girls - that wouldn't sleep!

Before we left on the last day we got a special visitor. I came out from the restroom and there he was...waiting for me to take his picture.

Overachiever

2008-05-04T20:26:00.006-06:00

I was teasing Audrey to quit being such an overachiever because I can't keep up with all her appointments. She was voted by her 5th grade class to represent them and give a speech at an assembly held for 5th graders who will be the first "graduating" class from this particular elementary school. This partial video is shakey (sorry) and it may be a little hard to understand. Her 4th grade teacher also teachers karate and she joked to the school kids that she was going to let them in on a little secret. That Mr. "K" was going to give up karate and take up ballet instead! I didn't video all the speech but she did a great job.

Volunteer Appreciation at SunBridge

2008-04-30T23:34:00.002-06:00

Audrey had a volunteer appreciation luncheon at the retirement home where she has been volunteering once a week for about a year and a half. All the nurses and the administrator had great things to say about her. The activity director is nominating Audrey for a statewide volunteer awards program for being a volunteer. If she gets the award, there will be another awards ceremony. We'll keep you posted! Way to go Audrey!

Oh Tread...

2008-04-30T23:32:00.005-06:00

What more can we say? Tread continues to make us laugh. The kids got themselves ready for their games this morning and Tread was playing soccer when I heard his coach calling my name from the field. "Sheila, did you know Tread had two RIGHT soccer cleats on?" I just started laughing! He said, "I don't know how that happened but they are both right feet." I informed him that we have several pair and Tread found two right feet that were identical cleats but a half size difference. Tread is playing some amazing soccer this year! What a go-getter! He is much more aggressive and you can see that he understands the game and can gauge where he should be. Two right cleats didn't slow him down a bit! Way to go Tread!

Here She Is!

2008-04-30T23:29:00.002-06:00

We had a beautiful day for soccer. Grandma & Grandpa brought pizza to the park and we were able to catch everyone's game. If you have a hard time finding Audrey out on the soccer field, just look for those LONG legs! Ryan is coaching her team this year and the field is so much bigger for the older kids that they do a lot of running! I don't even think she can hear us cheering for her but she's still great at defense!

THE AFTER~

2008-04-25T18:26:00.003-06:00

THIS IS HOW WE WENT IN......

AND HOW IT TURNED OUT.
YOU CAN ALMOST HEAR THE TRUMPETS PLAYING...

The Tenants From HELL!

2008-04-22T19:57:00.005-06:00

I'm sure you were wondering why I had fallen off of the blog wagon for a while and well...enough said? This is why our next tenant has been set up on monthly inspections.

After the tenants moved out, we are guessing their 17-yr old son went in and threw a party. I had three garbage bags of beer cans, every floor was sticky and cigarette butts in the sinks. Oh, and don't forget the giant holes they decided to punch in every room! I vacuumed over two years of cobwebs from the plant shelves and scraped two inches worth of grease from behind the oven. These people lived in their own filth and didn't both to pick up a rag when something spilled or splattered. We couldn't walk into the house without masks and gloves for fear of breathing their repulsive germs. Every cupboard and corner held a disgusting and ghastly site. Everything they left from the broken furniture to the canned food in the pantry was taken to the dump. It doesn't surprise me that these people were selfish and extremely lazy but the lack of respect for our property after Ryan was so good to help them out (consistantly) is the part that bothers us the most. If it broke, he fixed it and/or replaced it. She had a hard life and her children made it harder but she refused to show any backbone to teach them right from wrong.

Ryan took a week off of work and I helped him into the very late evenings. It has taken two complete weeks and our children have been raising themselves but it is finally finished and it looks great! WHEW! I will be posting the "after" pictures soon!

Sheila's ThirtySomething...

2008-04-22T19:44:00.002-06:00

OK, so I'm a goof and most people know it but they love me anyway. Ryan took me to dinner the night before and then threw me a RockBand Birthday at the house the next night. All the neighbors came (Five families and their children) to eat, drink, be merry and Rock Out! I can still "smoke" most of them on the guitar. They even went to the dollar store and got me some "bling" to wear for good luck!

Soccer is Here!

2008-04-22T19:28:00.002-06:00

Tread has become a very fast and aggresive player this year! You can see him here showing off his fancy footwork but the camera missed the "foot" part! He has been so fun to watch!

Grace is a little timid when it comes time for the games (she is so much like Chase it's incredible)! Once she gets into it, she is fine. Here she is receiving some advice from coach!

Audrey is playing again but no pictures of her yet. She will be in middle school next year so this is probably her last season with Nampa KIDS. With Ryan coaching her team I have been taking the other two to their games, so no pictures of her yet. My next post will be one just for her!

The Tooth Fairy Visits

2008-04-01T21:44:00.003-06:00

Tread was laying on the floor as we were all watching a movie and he jumped up yelling, "MY TOOTH IS WIGGLY!" When we got to looking, it was just barely hanging on! He had never mentioned anything about his tooth before then. Ryan went into the bathroom and plucked it out! Wonder what the tooth fairy is paying these days? - Oh yeah, Grace had to have her time in front of the camera as well. She informed us her tooth is wiggly too!

What the..?@!#*&%

2008-04-01T21:42:00.003-06:00

So, Ryan is posting these dog waste signs in our neighborhood. I can't believe the number of people that walk their dogs every morning to leave their piles on the common area property where the kids walk to the bus stop! As he was installing these lovely signs, the boys were next to him and he could smell that something was amiss. He had the boys check their shoes only to learn that he was the victim! He said, "I can't remember the last time I stepped in a pile!" and all while installing the sign himself. C'mon people!

Road Rash and Repentance

2008-03-25T17:20:00.002-06:00

I found a story I wanted to use for sharing time in Primary and found some inexpensive actors and made my first low-budget film. The kids were SO quiet and loved it. I numbered the pictures so you can read the story in order. Enjoy!

My mom rocks!

2008-03-25T08:22:00.003-06:00

I found this shirt on clearance and HAD to buy it for Chase. Doesn't it resemble me playing Rock Band? I thought he might not like it but he loved it!
Remember the punch balls? We loved these.
We went to Meridian for an Easter egg hunt with the cousins. I think there was well over 100 eggs!
Audrey and Emma striking an Easter pose.
We all had a great time!

HAPPY EASTER!

2008-03-25T08:05:00.005-06:00

Treed

2008-03-17T21:10:00.002-06:00

Picture this: Grandma Nona's birthday, Tread is signing her card (at the bottom) and forgot to put the "a" in his name. I looked at it and then showed the card to him and said "Tread, what is wrong with your name." After looking at it he realized he forgot the "a" and so I said, "That's OK, give it to Grace to she can sign it." Tread immediately starting crying big crocodile tears. After asking him what was wrong he replied, "I don't want Grandma to call me "TREED!" So he signed it again (above) so that she would pronounce his name correctly. What a funny kid!

A Sugar "Hi"

2008-03-17T20:10:00.003-06:00

This is what I made for Easter handouts in Primary. Aren't they cute?

Peeps with drizzled chocolate.

x 150... Whew! I love Easter.

Stubborn

2008-03-17T20:03:00.002-06:00

I can't even remember what this fit was about but I think she is cute even when she is mad. I didn't talk to her...I just kept snapping away and eventually she got mad at me for captivating her "naughty" moment. Gracie, we love you no matter!

Tread Bear

2008-03-17T19:22:00.003-06:00

Tread turned 6 years old. He woke up in the morning and our conversation went like this:

Mom: Good morning birthday boy!
Tread: Today's my birthday?
Mom: Yep. Today's the day!
Tread: I'm six today?
Mom: Yes you are!
Tread: Am I bigger?
Mom: I think your bigger than when you turned five!
Tread: Can you measure me?

Ryan made him his birthday breakfast and our next conversation went like this:

Tread: Mom, is my name still Tread? (I guess he thought maybe that should change on his birthday as well?)
Mom: Yes, did you want a different name?
Tread: Yes, I want to be named "Jack." (The name of his webkinz.)
Dad: Ok, Jack. Your breakfast is ready Jack.
Dad: Jack, don't forget to wash your hands.
Dad: Jack are you ready to go bowling?
Dad: Jack, you better go get dressed.

After about 30 minutes of being called "Jack" Tread finally said:

"DAD, I WAS JUST KIDDING!"

He wanted a "Transformers" birthday but picked out a cupcake teddy bear since that is what his nickname is... He wanted to go bowling again this year and out to lunch so that is what we did. Happy Birthday Tread. You are a sweet boy and we love you!

In Loving Memory

2008-03-06T08:41:00.004-07:00

I'm sure most of you have heard we lost Mandy yesterday at 5:30 p.m. The doctors had finally diagnosed her with cystic fibrosis. We were present when she passed and there is already a void without her. Private services will be held Friday, March 7, 2008 at 2:00 p.m.

Her obituary will read as follows:

Cotton Louise Kersey

Born February 5, 1975
Known as "Mandy" by those who loved and
cared for her. Mandy passed away at home
March 5, 2008
from cystic fibrosis.
Mandy was raised by the same family,
her thirty-three years, through the foster care program.
She attended schools in Lewiston and Nampa, Idaho.
It was heart-warming to see any progress she achieved.
Private services with family will be held.
Our sweet baby ~ We miss her already.

DragonFire

2008-02-28T21:10:00.001-07:00

Another pinewood derby complete! Chase took 3rd place again this year with his new car and once again (thanks Dad) the best paint job! He was excited. I think his speed was just under 62. Way to go Chase!

Aquatic Biome

2008-02-25T20:41:00.002-07:00

Aquatic what? This was the question I had to ask on Audrey's latest project. " A BIOME"!, she replied. I know I would never make it past the first round of "Are you smarter than a fifth grader" on television. Sunday evening (with it being due on Monday morning) this was Audrey's unfinished project. So we all put our thinking caps on and this is what we came up with. Ryan made the whale spout out of straws while I helped glue the seaweed and coral down. Audrey had started her sea creature earlier in the week and this was our end result. Ryan has a REALLY hard time letting the kids do their projects on their own without making too many "suggestions"!

Crazy Hair

2008-02-25T20:39:00.001-07:00

This has become a daily challenge. Grace has beautiful curls but when she wakes up in the morning this is what she looks like. We call it her "crazy hair". We can tame it but it is not long before she has rolled, jumped, and run it back into a big frizz ball. Any suggestions? I'm thinking about having it trimmed but the top is just barely long enough in places to pull it all back. We may look like this for another year...

We'll Miss Him So.....

2008-02-20T20:49:00.003-07:00

Tread didn't come home from the neighbors when I called him so he was grounded from his video games that evening. He was DEVASTATED! He tried to use a little reverse psychology on me and gave me the option of letting him play video games or having him run away! "Choose, Mom, Choose"! Tread is so dramatic! He really should be an actor. He threw this little fit and so I decided to capture these images so that we would remember what he looked like the last time we saw him.....

Spiderwick

2008-02-18T20:54:00.004-07:00

Fun movie! We took the kids for Valentine's Day to this show and it was pretty good. A little intense for Tread but Grace didn't seem to mind! One part of the movie the kids set a trap to "blow-up" the goblins and when it exploded Grace decided to yell out loud in the theater..."TAKE THAT YOU EVIL"! It was so funny. Tread said, "Mom, don't buy that movie"! Grace is here posing in her new swimming suit. Yes, a little early but wearing last year's at the rec center revealed more than we wanted!

Daddy-Daughter Date Night

2008-02-11T13:59:00.000-07:00

The recreation center puts on a Daddy-daughter date night every year around Valentine's Day. Ryan has been to it with Audrey and decided to take both girls this year. Face painting, cookie decorating, DJ and dancing, and jewelry making made this an evening of fun for all!

Mother-Son Date Night

2008-02-11T13:45:00.000-07:00

So much fun! 800 feet of SLICK! The Bogus tubing hill was a blast and the best part of it is they pull you back up to the top! This is what the boys and I did for our date night. We drove up with Tim, Kathy, Sarah & Kaitlin and did the night tubing. Then up to the lodge for dinner and some hot chocolate! The guys at the top of the hill would spin you as you went down the hill if you were in for a little more thrill. It felt like a carnival ride! I definately would like to take everyone back up and do it again before the season is over.

All Tuckered Out

2008-02-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

When you're tired, you can get comfortable just about anywhere!

T.G.I.F.

2008-02-08T14:54:00.000-07:00

The end of the week. Yaaaay! Everyone had something to look forward to this morning which got them all out of bed in a timely manner. Audrey has a sleepover birthday party, Grace has speech therapy at her preschool, Chase was invited to a sleepover with a friend who has a huge house with everything a 9-yr-old could ever wish for and Tread made this beautiful Valentine for the bulletin board at school. He woke up and said "Well mom, today's the day!" "The day for what Tread"?, I asked. "For showing my heart"! He was so proud of it. They get cutouts in school and they have to use their imagination to decorate it. This time we cut up crepe paper and twisted it around a pencil and glued it onto the heart. I remember doing this in elementary school for many projects. Audrey is in 5th grade and had NEVER done it. I couldn't believe it! It was one of my favorite arts & crafts!

Superbowl Snowday

2008-02-08T14:32:00.000-07:00

Saturday evening Ryan and I went to the church to set up the chairs in the Primary room. The bishop happened to be there at the same time when he got the call...church had been cancelled. Wha-Huh? Does that happen? We had gotten a lot of snow that evening and it was supposed to be coming down all night not to mention the winds. So bishop put a sign on the door and started the phone tree. Ryan and I went around to a few of the neighbors and let them know that church had been canceled for the superbowl. (No, they didn't buy it either). We ended up at the grocery store at 10:00 p.m. to stock up on some goodies and saw about half the ward there. They were all doing the "happy dance". Snowed in, food and football. I was just thankful for being able to sleep in (I had a scheduled 7:30 a.m. appointment). Sunday morning, Ryan shoveled our driveway and a couple of neighbors as well (counts as service, right?) which turned into building this 12-foot (alien)snowman with the kids, which led to spraying him with food coloring so he could be seen. It was still snowing that morning but it was so warm it made perfect packing snow. Jeffery came over to take a look (his stake was canceled as well) and ended up 4-wheelin' the kids' motorcycle.

Princess

2008-02-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

Gracie and her dress ups. She is always calling herself the "pink princess". And every princess needs a handsome prince!

Cavity Free!

2008-01-31T22:19:00.000-07:00

No Kidding? All four kids were cavity free after their appointments this week. What a relief! We have done so much better since switching to the electric toothbrush. The kids know to keep going until the timer goes off! Grace and Tread get spoiled because they come out of the dentist with their arms loaded full of fun things! The Dr. has "playland" in the waiting room, they had toys, sugar-free suckers, toothbrush, balloon and then got their picture taken for the "cavity-free" bulletin board. They were so excited about their goodies!

Getting to know you...

2008-01-31T22:12:00.000-07:00

So we all know I have kids and a job but do you want to know what I do with the remainder of my time? PRIMARY! We had a "Get To Know Your Teacher" breakfast and had a great turnout. We played some games and ate and I think everyone really enjoyed themselves. The teachers each brought some things about themselves to spotlight and then played a game with the kids to get to know them. We had muffins, fruit, bagels, yogurt, juice, hot chocolate, cider and don't forget the doughnuts! We cut everything in half so it wouldn't go to waste. It was the easy route when feeding 100 kids!

Another Snow Day!

2008-01-31T22:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, one snow day a year...maybe; but ANOTHER one? That's right! We had quite the little winter storm which provided another day home from school. The snow wasn't packing very well so when it warmed up and started to melt, Ryan helped the kids build this cool fort!

Recreation Time

2008-01-22T22:14:00.000-07:00

During a trip to the Rec center, Ryan took Audrey over to the dee pool to try out the rope swing. Hi Tarzan!

Audrey gave it a try but her feet got caught in some quicksand.

The boys found the baby pool to be the warmest and played a game where they would be at opposite sides of the pool and then ram each other with their boards...

Poor Tread usually ended up on the bottom!

Grace just stayed out of the way!

"Neglected Children"

2008-01-22T22:07:00.000-07:00

We have had several "RockBand" parties with family and neighbors and these are photos from another while Brett and Amber were visiting. Mom had her knee replaced and needed to get out of the house so she and Dad came over too and watched everyone play. Ryan and I have found the challenge to be fun and re-named our band, "Neglected Children". Our kids know not to interrupt the musicians when we are in the middle of a song! Ryan is getting really good on the drums and I'm not too bad on the guitar but the more songs we unlock, the harder they are to play. We are currently topping the charts at the 22,000 mark online! WHOO! We can play until our eyes are all blurry from staring at the colors on the screen. Pathetic, I know...but it's been a fun game. I decided it would be fun to have a "dress up" party and everyone comes dress in their rock outfits! Would I look good in a mowhawk & heels?

Snow Day!

2008-01-22T22:06:00.000-07:00

I know you girls back east have probably had your share of snow but we finally had an official "snow day" here at home. The schools were closed and I took the day off work. They played in it all day and then when Dad got home (against his "it's too dangerous" advice), we pulled them behind the car on the sled. They had so much fun but poor Tread always had to sit in the front and get the face full of snow!

Intertwined

2008-01-22T22:04:00.000-07:00

Grace still has a hard time sleeping in her own bed. We put her there, but every morning is a guess as to who's bed she ends up in. I caught her in Tread's bed last night playing with stuffed animals. After I put her down this particular night, she had gotten up and snuck into Audrey's room (because she knows Audrey will give in) and this is how Ryan found them. They were apparently keeping each other warm because they had all the covers kicked off. Sleep tight girls!

Starting the Year with a "BANG"!

2008-01-01T22:30:00.000-07:00

For those that were home and not sick we threw a New Years Eve Party!

We had some great rounds of Catch Phrase & Mad Gab!

We also started our own new Rockband! "Bleached Black". I was going for "Dirty Laundry" but it was already taken! Ryan and I have been up until all hours of the night playing this game. I have traded the microphone in for the guitar and Audrey rocks on the drums!

Sarah and Kaitlin decided to give it a try!

Sommer started her year off with a BANG!

Happy 2008!

2008-01-01T22:24:00.000-07:00

Christmas Morning

2008-01-01T22:05:00.000-07:00

If I look like I'm going on 4 hours of sleep...it's because I was!

Our early riser. Chase had everyone awake by 6:00 a.m.

Looks so sweet and innocent doesn't he?

What was so funny?

More satisfied customers!

Christmas Morning II

2008-01-01T21:57:00.000-07:00

Grace was thrilled to get this new pet from Santa that talked back to her! Squawkers McCaw.

All I got for Christmas was this stinkin' tie!

Audrey with a camera? Subjects beware!

I hope this isn't a look into the future...

Catch ya later, babe!

Merry Christmas

2008-01-01T21:48:00.000-07:00

Dear Santa,
I've been a good girl all year!

Is he ever going to come?

Family picture....take 53!

I told you they were good lookin' kids!

'Tis the Season to be TAGGED!

2007-12-19T13:56:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends.
Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bag? It depends on who it is and how much time is left but I definately LOVE wrapping paper and bows.
2. Real tree or artificial? Every live tree I've purchased never smells. I'm sticking with artificial and saving $$ and a tree.
3. When do you put up the tree? Hopefully before Christmas.
4. When do you take the tree down? Immediately after New Years. It's all I can take.
5. Do you like eggnog? It's OK but I usually pass it up.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? The kitchen set and an Atari! (But then Dad and Shane took it over!)
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Not for me. Our is the "Little People" version. So far, Baby Jesus has survived.
8. Hardest person to buy for? Definately Parents and In-laws.
9. Easiest person to buy for? My girls.
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I had a break down over an electric toothbrush once...
11. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards? Mail cards WITH pictures!
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Polar Express and for some reason The Holy Grail is tradition.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? October
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Do we have to admit that?
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Dad's fudge, Ryan's Divinity, Mom's gravy!
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Love clear, but the kids win - COLOR!
17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night - Jesus was Born Today (Oak Ridge Boys)
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Staying home. The hustle and bustle plus traveling? It's too much!
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Yes, but only if I sing it.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Never had an opinion. Right now it's Santa (our angel was kidnapped!) Then Audrey reminded me that's not what "it's" all about.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One on Christmas Eve & all the rest on Christmas morning (one at a time)
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? BLACK FRIDAY and no matter how early I begin, I ALWAYS run out of time to do what I want to the most!
23. What I love most about Christmas? Kids, Christmas music, games, tastefully done exterior lights, and sledding when there is snow.
24. Do you always get a new pair of pajamas for yourself or someone else? No.
25. Do you decorate your home on the outside? The big "C9" colored lights aligned to perfection (thanks to Ryan.) Definately a childhood memory from my home. We look like a gingerbread house and we want to be seen from space!

I TAG:

1. Amber
2. Sarah
3. Erin

Better Late Than Never

2007-12-05T13:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the late posts. I just can't seem to keep up with all you hardcore bloggers! Be sure to leave your comments.

No lurkers allowed!

Dear Santa

2007-12-03T12:55:00.001-07:00

Oh Boy! There he is! Grace and Tread were excited to see Santa this year. Grace was a little hesitant at first but I think Santa could have been a little more enthusiastic. I guess I shouldn't have expected much from someone who is talking to children all day.

Cats in Hats

2007-12-03T12:51:00.000-07:00

All the third grade kids did a musical program called "Cats in Hats" this year. Chase's class did a special number where they would "pound" different rhythms with flip-flops on their hands. It was fun and Chase gave a great performance!

Stuffed Turkey(s)

2007-12-03T12:47:00.001-07:00

We spent Thanksgiving in Idaho Falls this year. The kids had so much fun seeing their cousins and using Grandma Paula's closet to play "dress-up!" All the girls posed for the traditional "Turkey Photo" with the beautiful turkey that Kari prepared.

All agreed it was the best turkey yet!

Happy Halloween!

2007-12-03T12:39:00.000-07:00

Chase's Statue of Liberty
Tread's Spider
Sheila's Frankenstein
Ryan's Reaper
Audrey's Grave Zombie

All the kids "poked" and help carve their own pumpkins this year. They did a great job! But of all the halloween pictures - "SOMEONE" deleted the kids' pictures off the camera! Ryan dressed up like "Santa" and took the kids around the block. Chase and I stayed home to pass out the goodies and everytime I talked to Ryan on his phone he was yelling "Merry Christmas!" Maybe that wasn't such a good idea...

Dippin' Your Spoon

2007-11-14T23:26:00.000-07:00

Chase made up names for all of our wakeboarding moves...or rather the mishaps! This one is call "Dippin' Your Spoon" into the ice-cream. He called another one "Gratin' the Cheese". We ended up using these terms through the rest of the summer.

Audrey's Turn

2007-11-14T23:02:00.000-07:00

This was Audrey's first time getting up. She popped out of the water and went right over the wake! I am still scratching my head...Way to go Rosie!

Looking Like a Pro?

2007-11-14T22:51:00.001-07:00

So Ryan is videotaping me and obviously found something in the sky that was more interesting than my wakeboarding skills!

Hey honey...I'm over here!

Next Year's Goal...

2007-11-14T22:45:00.000-07:00

Uh, you may want to mute your speakers during this video...

Owyhee Reservoir

2007-11-11T18:07:00.000-07:00

We were invited to go with the Redds to the beautiful Owyhee Reservoir for a weekend of camping and boating.
They showed us how to get our feet in the boots.
And how to steady ourselves...
And how to "CUT"...
...and some just plain showed off!

Owyhee Reservoir II

2007-11-11T17:56:00.000-07:00

Some stayed on the boat and watched...
But Audrey gave it a try and got up AND cleared the wake - all on her first try!
Chase gave it a go...
...but all in all we had a great time!

More Fun in the Sun

2007-11-11T17:47:00.000-07:00