What We've Been Up To

 We go to go to Vernal to visit Grandma, Grandpa, aunts, uncles and cousins for a few days.  It was loads of fun and now the kids would like to live there.  When we were there, it coincided with the death of a fallen soldier that was from Vernal.  His body was being flown in to be buried and they were going to have a processional around the town before taking him to the funeral home.  I thought it would be a good opportunity to teach the kids about soldiers and the price some pay for our freedom, so we hopped into the back of my nephew's truck and off we went.

 

 The route the casket took was lined with flags.  It was quite patriotic.  There were policemen, firemen, the soldier's family and a whole lot of motorcycle people that accompanied the hearse. 

 Liam got a science experiment kit for his birthday and we took it to Vernal and did a couple of experiments.  This is glow in the dark alien blood.  They all thought it was cool.

We also had Miss Reagan's first birthday.  She's such a fun girl.  She still isn't even interested in walking.  She is a great crawler and can get places okay that way, which is fine by me.

I made her a purple elephant cake.  Happy 1st Reagan Roo!

She loves dirt.  If there is a choice between grass and dirt, she'll play in the dirt every time.  Cameron and I were getting some bushes pulled out and she found this most delicious rock to eat.

She is also a really good helper.  Every time I do the dishes, she is right there, ready to sit on the dishwasher and help in any way she can.  Pulling silverware out, moving dishes around, whatever it takes.

The first day of school came and went.  Liam is in 2nd grade, Erin is in Kindergarten and Owen just wanted to be in the picture.  He also really really wanted to go to school.  Two more years buddy!

While we were in Vernal, Grandma pulled Liam's front tooth out.  His other front one is pretty wiggly.  I think this is the sixth tooth he's lost.

Erin wanted a ladybug cake for her birthday, and boy did she get it.  She really was glad to turn five because, as she kept telling me, "all my friends are five mom and I don't want to be four anymore."  Alas,  I think this is how it will be her entire life, being that she is the youngest in her class.  Happy 5th Erianna!!

Owen has been doing his very best to be the best mess maker he can be.  This here is lip gloss that he emptied out all over his arm and the carpet in the girls' room.  I'm actually pretty proud of myself that I took a picture instead of yelling.  I really wanted to yell though.

I've been canning.  I got a ton of apples from my parent's tree and my friends and I went to town canning.  We got 87 quarts of applesauce and 35 quarts of apple pie filling. We still had half a box of apples left.  I am so done with apples.  I have two 5 gallon buckets of pears upstairs calling my name waiting to be canned though.  Sigh.

We've been working in our "garden".  Well, it will be our garden next year.  Right now it's just our weed patch full of cinder blocks, flagstone and  pavers.  The people who owned this house before us loved cinder block so much, they lined their rose garden with it, sometimes burying them two deep.  Great fun for us.  I'll put an after picture on here when we're done.  I spin trimmed the weeds, raked them up and am in the process of getting the rest of the rocks out.  We'll till it up and I'll post an after picture.

And, in closing, I tried to be a good mom and give my family cinnamon rolls for breakfast one time.  I put them in and was doing the dishes when BOOM, something exploded in the oven.  Oh wait, that was my Pyrex pan exploding in the oven.  Glass all over my oven and all in the cinnamon rolls.  It was a nice thought though right?

Cabin Fever

This summer we were fortunate enough to get to go to a cabin by Pineview Reservoir and hang out with Cameron's family for a weekend.  The kids had a really fun time and keep asking when we get to go again.  The cabin belonged to my brother-in-law's friend, but he has since sold it, so we will have to go up sans cabin next year I suppose.

A few days before we went, though, the three older kids were riding their scooters and bikes around on our driveway.  Owen and Liam decided it would be fun to ride down the neighbor's driveway and this was the result.

Our neighbor's driveway is a lot steeper than ours is and Owen biffed it at the end of the driveway and fell on his face in the road.  Poor kid.

Anyway, back to the cabin.  We got to hang out, eat, play games, have fun with cousins, roast marshmallows, watch movies, chat, and go to the beach.  It made for fun times and good memories.

Grandma brought some lawn games and the kids all liked badminton. 

 Owen liked jumping off of this fireplace onto the grass.

Erin liked badminton too and...

...riding her scooter all over.

Reagan was content to just crawl all over the place...

...and give loves to Rafe, whom she loved.  He was a very good sport about it.

Uncle Greg gave rides on the 4 wheeler.  Erin went too, but I somehow missed that picture.

Reagan, managing to still smile through the constrictive-ness of the life jacket.

Again, somehow I missed taking Liam's picture in his life jacket.

Cameron was really good to swim with the kids and go on the tube with them.  It was an overcast day and I was freezing cold and just couldn't bring myself to get in the freezy water.  I watched the baby, shuttled people and made lunches.  Good enough for me! 

Some Catching Up

My computer that I edit my photos on is down and probably gone for a while, so no photos this post.  Just my musings today before I forget to even write.
The first day of school has come.  I do have pictures of that, I'll post them when I can convert them.  Liam is in 2nd grade and Erin is in Kindergarten.  Surprisingly, of the two of them, Erin has liked it better.  Liam is having a hard time being at a new school and not knowing anyone.  He gets a little lonely at recess because he doesn't know anyone to play with.  It breaks my heart to see him struggle with this.  He is such a fun kid and makes friends really easy.  He's my one that always has a new friend every time we go to the park.  This time has been more difficult for him and I can't do much about it.  It's hard when you have to just give advice, talk to them and pray and leave it up to Heavenly Father and them.  I'm sure all will be well as the year goes on.
Erin has loved going to school and knows how to read I, see and like.  School comes really easily for Liam so far, but I think it may take more work for Erin.  She is doing really well and loves her teacher. 
Owen really wanted to go to school on the first day and had his backpack on and everything.  That day was just horrible because he wanted to go so badly and just cried and cried because he couldn't go.  He's doing better now, though he wants to play with mom all the time the kids are gone.  I would love to play with him all day, but I just can't and that can be frustrating for him.
Liam lost another tooth, which brings the total to 5 now.  Crazy.  He has known since even before he lost his first tooth that there is no Tooth Fairy (not to mention no Easter Bunny) and I have threatened him with the loss of any future Tooth Fairy money or Easter Bunny treats if he ever lets slip that they are not real to the other kids.  He told his cousin about the Tooth Fairy, so no more money for him (at least for a while).
Let's see, what else?  Reagan is crawling all over the place and cruising around the couches and chairs.  She has no desire to walk though.  Which is okay by me.  She had her 1st birthday, (pictures coming) and has developed a bit of a temper when she doesn't get what she wants.  She loves her daddy to pieces and has nothing to do with me when he is home.
Erin turned 5 and delights in telling people "I'm five now, just so you know."  She has been measuring her hands and feet to see if they are any bigger than when she was four.  She seems to be coming out of her shell, just a little bit.  She even talked to her teacher on the first day of school which is huge folks, just huge!
Because of the birthdays, Owen can't wait to be four and keeps telling me "Me too tired to wait for four mom."  or "Me been waiting so long mom!" 
Our van was also MIA for about two weeks.  It was totally my fault.  I was trying to shut the windows in the back of the van because they stick sometimes and it wasn't working.  My kids were screaming (It was that wonderful first day of school I told you about) and I just wanted to get them inside, so I got the kids in and forgot about the windows and I left the keys in the ignition on the on position all night and drained the battery.  My friend Julie came over and used her big muscles to push it out enough to pull her car in and jump it.  It didn't work.  Cameron tried to jump it and it didn't work.  So we decided we would have to tow it to a fixer upper place.  We borrowed Cameron's parent's car and got the tow rope hooked up and we were off.  I was driving the van and Cameron was towing us.  Just as we got to the busiest intersection we needed to pass, Cameron started going and the tow rope broke.  Not only did it break, but the hook went flying somewhere and we couldn't find it.  So Cameron tied it onto the van and off we went.  Just as we crossed the intersection, there is a bit of a hill we had to go up and the rope broke again.  Sigh.  Tie it on again and here we go again.  We got to the place and they decided after a day of looking at it that it is the security system in the van that's not letting us start it.  They don't know how to do it, so they suggested towing it to the dealership.  We didn't want any part in towing it again, so paid to have it towed.  The dealership said when we tried to jump the van, it fried the chip in our key and shut down the security system and we would have to get a whole new computer to reset it.  They quoted us an exorbitant amount and just like that, doubled what we owe on the van.  Cameron tried to call around and get a lower quote and found a locksmith that said he could do it for half the price.  We had the van towed there and they decided they couldn't do what they said they could do after all and suggested taking it back to the dealer.  Really?  They even charged us for it.  Whatever.  So, pay for another tow to the dealership and pay for a new computer and two weeks later I have my van back.  I will never, never do that again.   I have learned my lesson and will be paying for it for a while. 
That's about all the news we have going on.  Exciting eh?  Hopefully I can get pictures on next time...