to jump on the private blog bandwagon:( Today as I was driving, I suddenly remembered that I was going to make my blog private months ago and I never did! I'm sure there's better ways of doing this, but I guess just leave your e-mail address here if you want me to invite ya:) Or you can e-mail me at huishfamily@gmail.com . I know I don't have too many readers, but let me know if you still want to see what us boring Huish's are up to! Hope you're all doing good!
Oh, and if you're blog is private and you haven't invited me, can you invite me?:) I'm bad with old friends and their new married last names so I might not know who you are by the name of your blog. Make sense? And I'd love to see what you're up to:)
Thanks!
07 November, 2009
Where did October go?
Well, if October went this fast, then I can't even imagine how fast November and December are going to fly! Well, you probably guessed that the cold is settling in here in Ohio because...I'm actually posting! This fall has once again been beautiful. So, we've been out every second possible enjoying it. Who has time to post? I know, most of you do! I'm what you call Lazy.
Well, I think I'm just going to do a quick summary of our October:
So, first off we moved! Except that didn't happen in October, it happened in August:) Boy am I behind! We were lucky to have James family here to visit and lucky for them, they got to come help us move! A dream vacation for them, right? They were such good sports and a humongous help! They stayed for 2 weeks and I have tons of pictures and stories to post...coming soon:)
Well, these pictures are ridiculously dark, but I haven't remembered to take new ones when it's more sunny. But hopefully you get the idea.
In case you didn't know, that maroon shield is our new family symbol. We had it professionally painted. Yep, I know. You're jealous. Maybe someday, you too can have your own family symbol painted on your garage:)
We love our backyard in that it is all fenced! I have dreamed about having a fenced yard for years! Well, I guess really only 1 yr. since it's only been 1 yr. that I discovered that not all houses have fenced yards. It has been heaven and is by far my favorite feature of the house.
We really love our house. We feel very blessed once again to have found it. After looking for a house for 6 months, I can't explain the relief of finally being able to not look for houses all day! The other major bonus is that James is about 5 minutes from school. Heaven once again. I see him much much more than I did when we lived in our "Ohio house" (as Gene calls it).
James is also enjoying mowing the lawn for just an hour rather than 4 hrs:) Here are the boys helping out:
Well, I think I'm just going to do a quick summary of our October:
So, first off we moved! Except that didn't happen in October, it happened in August:) Boy am I behind! We were lucky to have James family here to visit and lucky for them, they got to come help us move! A dream vacation for them, right? They were such good sports and a humongous help! They stayed for 2 weeks and I have tons of pictures and stories to post...coming soon:)
Well, these pictures are ridiculously dark, but I haven't remembered to take new ones when it's more sunny. But hopefully you get the idea.
In case you didn't know, that maroon shield is our new family symbol. We had it professionally painted. Yep, I know. You're jealous. Maybe someday, you too can have your own family symbol painted on your garage:)
We love our backyard in that it is all fenced! I have dreamed about having a fenced yard for years! Well, I guess really only 1 yr. since it's only been 1 yr. that I discovered that not all houses have fenced yards. It has been heaven and is by far my favorite feature of the house.
We really love our house. We feel very blessed once again to have found it. After looking for a house for 6 months, I can't explain the relief of finally being able to not look for houses all day! The other major bonus is that James is about 5 minutes from school. Heaven once again. I see him much much more than I did when we lived in our "Ohio house" (as Gene calls it).
James is also enjoying mowing the lawn for just an hour rather than 4 hrs:) Here are the boys helping out:
03 November, 2009
Pumpkins & Apples!
Well of course that's what October means! Pumpkins and Apples. We were able to go to Burnham Orchards for a very fun filled fall day. Oh, I just got excited remembering this day again. It just screamed fall! It was the perfect amount of crispness in the air (and in the apples mind you), the most perfect blue sky, the best tasting apple cider, the yummiest honey, and the happiest children. Which is sure to mean the happiest Mom and Dad's.
There were lots of fun things for the kids to do, but I think my personal favorite was this train made out of water containers and trolly's with the lawn mower at the head:
How's that for creativity? Even I had to join in for the ride!
Even the lady bugs were orange in the spirit of fall! Here's Gene with one:
James and the boys liked this restored truck. The sun was maybe a little too bright would you say?:)
Then Braden found a tractor. If you know Braden and how he feels about tractors, you'll know that this is perhaps the word that comes out of his mouth more than any other by far. Yep, even more than Daddy, Mama, treat, sorry, and all the other words he frequently says. I think Braden experienced TRUE love sitting on that tractor. And I bet you can guess who took these pictures:)
They also had fresh honey for sale made by these bees:
We got some creamed honey which was so so yummy. We reserve it just for special mornings:)
The kids also got to see cornfields for the 1st time up close and personal:
And Daddy gave them a little lesson about corn and how it grows:
Quick Family pic...
We'll see you next year Burnham Orchards!
Family Pictures!
Thanks to Lara, we have some family pictures! Before we moved to Ohio, we never even got one family picture. So thank you Lara for making these happen!
Here's a few that I love:
I love this one because it so perfectly depicts the boys and their characters.
Braden is obsessed with pockets. I have learned that if I dare put him in pants without pockets he'll soon discover and come to me saying, "NO THESE PANTS!" and off they go.
Braden often has his hand in his pocket searching for some gum that he found somewhere around the house. He also uses these pockets for shop lifting at the grocery store. Almost always when I turn my head to slide my card, I look over and see him trying to stuff candy in his pockets. And for some reason, I laugh every time. I know. I'm not really teaching my child good morals. However how can you not laugh at a 2 yr. old shop lifter? Don't worry. He doesn't get away with it.
Then there's Gene with his smile that he gives me many times throughout most days:) This smile is him saying "Mommy (or Daddy if he's around) you're the bestest bestest bestest bestest bestest bestest bestest bestest bestes bestest Mommy in the whole world!" He gives me that corny smile and suddenly everything that went wrong that day, just got better. I never get sick of it.
Then a kiss just for wedding day flashbacks:) Well, and to gross all of you out!
01 November, 2009
Super Heroes to the rescue!
Thank goodness super heroes still exist, right? Where would our world be without them?! Lucky for me, I have 2 living in the same house as me!
Buzz light year decided to make an appearance on Halloween night of all nights!
He was styling some designer wings constructed by a man he refered to as "Daddy." Luckily we had photograher Lara close by to snap some pictures of him!
And we could hardly believe that the one and only superman decided to show up too!!
He was generous to let us take a quick shot of the infamous cape which he said was made by "Grammy."
Oh, and these super heroes were so thoughtful. They even decided they would stick around for trick or treating (for our safety of course)!
They said they needed the food source for ammunition. It was for the good of mankind. And poor James. He wanted to be in a picture SOO badly with heroes, and I accidentally cut part of his head off. I'm not sure if he'll sleep tonight.
And as one last favor for us, they even posed by the jack-o-lanterns:
What a Halloween! These 2 super heroes were flying and "falling with style" all through the night! Unfortunately, Superman wasn't quite as brave as he comes across in the movies. When a couple of guys with hockey masks were handing out some treats, Superman wouldn't even move an inch towards them! He ran/flew away screaming, "No scary guys! No scary guys!" But then again, for all I know the guys had some kryptonite near by. So, I'm not one to judge.
As for buzz light year, well, this is just a suggestion. Perhaps buzz shouldn't have gone with the color purple as part of his apparel. I was so embarrassed for him when a woman handed him a "ring pop" saying, "Here's a ring pop for her because I know all the little girls like those." Luckily, I don't think Buzz heard. Whew.
Overall, it was another great Halloween. The night was crisp, but not too chilly. You could smell wood burning, hear leaves crushing beneath our feet, and there even was a full moon. Halloween can't get much better than that. Happy Halloween!
21 September, 2009
Home again, home again, jiggity jig...
Home again, Home again, I came home a pig. Ha ha. It rhymed, and it's part way true with the good eating I enjoyed in AZ. Mmmmm, nothing like home cooking:)
So, James got his family back. I missed that boy. And our boys were sure glad to have their Daddy back. We made up for lost time by doing lots of fun things that week. We went to our favorite parks, the Science Museum, and enjoyed the beautiful outside as much as possible. Here's James a little picture happy to have his wife. I normally don't voluntarily post pictures of myself, but I honestly am finding it comical how many pictures this boy took. So here's a few the good and the bad:)
I know, I know. Allright already! You get the point. Lucky for you I can only post 5 pics. at a time:) I think he missed me:) I missed him too:)
So, James got his family back. I missed that boy. And our boys were sure glad to have their Daddy back. We made up for lost time by doing lots of fun things that week. We went to our favorite parks, the Science Museum, and enjoyed the beautiful outside as much as possible. Here's James a little picture happy to have his wife. I normally don't voluntarily post pictures of myself, but I honestly am finding it comical how many pictures this boy took. So here's a few the good and the bad:)
I know, I know. Allright already! You get the point. Lucky for you I can only post 5 pics. at a time:) I think he missed me:) I missed him too:)
So there you have it!
That's Arizona in a nutshell. And a small nutshell believe it or not. Our trip was once again perfect. When you're with the people you love, you can't ask for life to be any better. Thanks over and over again Mom and Dad for putting up with us for 3 weeks and making it possible for us to be there. I'm so grateful my kids get to have these memories for the rest of their lives. Love you guys.
By the way Mom, at Christmas you're going to be in a lot of pictures whether you like it or not because I'm sure having a hard time finding ANY of you! So be prepared for that:)
By the way Mom, at Christmas you're going to be in a lot of pictures whether you like it or not because I'm sure having a hard time finding ANY of you! So be prepared for that:)
20 September, 2009
Important visits...
And what AZ trip is complete without seeing Grandparents. It's definitely the highlight of the trip. We were able to see Grandma and Grandpa Huish and Grandma Swenson. I feel so lucky to be able to have Grandparents to be with (Thanks to marrying James). Both Grandma and Grandpa Swenson and Huish adopted me like I have always been one of their grand kids. And quite honestly, I feel like I always have been:) When my Grandparents died, I was still fairly young. So I'm so grateful to be able to have Grandparents here on this earth to love again.
Here's Gene and Braden with Grandma and Grandpa Huish:
I love these two. I always get good laughs in every time I visit with them. One of my favorite conversations I had with Grandma Huish was when James and I were first married. We were going to the store to get some yarn so that she could teach me and James' Mom how to crochet. She did a little check up on James to make sure he was pulling his weight around. She said, "Does he help with the dishes? Does he do the laundry, make the bed, help with meals?" She assured me that he was very capable of doing those things though men are easily underestimated:) So she told me to make sure he knows that he's gotta help too:) Oh Grandma. How I have lived your wisdom. Ask James:)
And here's Gene with Grandma Swenson:
Yes. and here's Braden demonstrating that he learned how to pick his nose this trip. Have I mentioned the biting nails yet? If not, he also developed the bad habit of biting his nails on this trip. I mean REALLY biting his nails to blood shows up. If anyone knows where to find that yucky tasting nail polish stuff to put on kids nails, let me know. I've had no luck.
Gene always has a big smile for Grandma when we come visit. Just today he told me that he was going to write a letter to send to Grandma Swenson. Oh how I love Grandma. Even though she misses her sweet husband (Grandpa Gene), she always puts a smile on her face and has a cheerfulness about her you can't help but to catch. Grandma is truly so young at heart. In fact, anytime she calls my parents house when I'm visiting, my Dad always thinks that she's one of my friends because she sounds so young! You can never get enough of Grandma. Last touch Grandma!
And lucky for us, I got to visit with Sarah, Dacin (I know Dacin, I think I still spell your name wrong!), Jennie and Kenneth too! Jackpot! Braden and Kenneth are just a few weeks apart, so we love getting them together! And it was so fun to see cute little pregnant Jennie with a tiny little belly. We are finally getting a girl baby on the Huish side! She's due November 4th and we can't wait! This is going to be a spoiled little girl! I already have a few outfits for her:)
And we seem to never leave without attempting to get a good picture of all 3 boys, but so far to no avail. This was truly the best I could get. Oh well. Sorry about the red eyes.
Here's Gene and Braden with Grandma and Grandpa Huish:
I love these two. I always get good laughs in every time I visit with them. One of my favorite conversations I had with Grandma Huish was when James and I were first married. We were going to the store to get some yarn so that she could teach me and James' Mom how to crochet. She did a little check up on James to make sure he was pulling his weight around. She said, "Does he help with the dishes? Does he do the laundry, make the bed, help with meals?" She assured me that he was very capable of doing those things though men are easily underestimated:) So she told me to make sure he knows that he's gotta help too:) Oh Grandma. How I have lived your wisdom. Ask James:)
And here's Gene with Grandma Swenson:
Yes. and here's Braden demonstrating that he learned how to pick his nose this trip. Have I mentioned the biting nails yet? If not, he also developed the bad habit of biting his nails on this trip. I mean REALLY biting his nails to blood shows up. If anyone knows where to find that yucky tasting nail polish stuff to put on kids nails, let me know. I've had no luck.
Gene always has a big smile for Grandma when we come visit. Just today he told me that he was going to write a letter to send to Grandma Swenson. Oh how I love Grandma. Even though she misses her sweet husband (Grandpa Gene), she always puts a smile on her face and has a cheerfulness about her you can't help but to catch. Grandma is truly so young at heart. In fact, anytime she calls my parents house when I'm visiting, my Dad always thinks that she's one of my friends because she sounds so young! You can never get enough of Grandma. Last touch Grandma!
And lucky for us, I got to visit with Sarah, Dacin (I know Dacin, I think I still spell your name wrong!), Jennie and Kenneth too! Jackpot! Braden and Kenneth are just a few weeks apart, so we love getting them together! And it was so fun to see cute little pregnant Jennie with a tiny little belly. We are finally getting a girl baby on the Huish side! She's due November 4th and we can't wait! This is going to be a spoiled little girl! I already have a few outfits for her:)
And we seem to never leave without attempting to get a good picture of all 3 boys, but so far to no avail. This was truly the best I could get. Oh well. Sorry about the red eyes.
Am I really THAT old?!!
Am I really that old to have my nieces be making fun of my prom dresses from high school?! And on that note, am I really old enough that my wedding pictures are looking embarrassingly out of style? James and I are AMAZED at how much we change in 6 yrs! Amazing. But let's get back to my nieces making fun of ME!!
I remember trying on my Mom's old dresses and laughing and thinking it was the funniest thing ever. I would wonder how was this EVER in style?! Well, apparently my dresses have made it to that category as well according to Cassie and Amber:) Here's they are modeling "Prom 2001." Cassie (on the left)is wearing a skirt I wore to Prom (I didn't have enough $ to buy a shirt). Ha ha! That was good, right?
They put on a whole fashion show coming down the stairs with multiple styles. Here they are trying on my Mom's old dresses. Some classics just never go out of style;)
Most every time I visit, we have a little girls night. This time it was Haley, Cassie, and Amber. Rinsley was in Florida visiting family, so we missed her. But we had a fun sleep over. Here are a few things our girls night contained of:
1. Learning Hannah Montana dances (well more like I watched them and cracked up!)
2. Watching an episode of Lois and Clark because I promised them they would like it. Instead we ended up cracking up the whole time and I was spending the whole time wondering why I used to be in LOVE with that show!
3. Making oily and fattening doughnuts for breakfast. Mmmm.
4. Hailey "teaching" us how to make cute bracelets. I use the term "teaching" loosely because pretty much it consisted of us saying, "Haley, I don't get it. How do you make a pattern like that?" And Haley just saying, "I don't know you guys! You just do! Just watch me." Well, we never learned. I think she just didn't want to share her secrets:)
5. Making hair flowers clips for our hair. Which why do the girls look so cute in them and I just look like an awkward plant with a flower too pretty for the head it's growing on?
6. And what girls time isn't complete without a little shopping? But these girls don't really go shopping to buy something. They just shop to try on hideously ugly things to make us burst out laughing. Much more fun that way:) But I think we all did get at least one thing:)
7. And then we had so much fun, how could you not do it all over again!? Amber and Cassie spent the night again. Lucky me:)
Well, it really doesn't matter what you do with these girls as long as your together. These girls have been my girls for most of my life. They were my little dolls to dress up. Every Sunday after dinner, the girls and I would go upstairs and I'd do their hair, makeup, dress them up, and most often have a little tea party. Oh how I love these girls. I would always be calling my sisters to see if they could bring them over to play. I simply could not get enough. And it still is true today. Thanks for the fun girls! I'm excited for next time!
I remember trying on my Mom's old dresses and laughing and thinking it was the funniest thing ever. I would wonder how was this EVER in style?! Well, apparently my dresses have made it to that category as well according to Cassie and Amber:) Here's they are modeling "Prom 2001." Cassie (on the left)is wearing a skirt I wore to Prom (I didn't have enough $ to buy a shirt). Ha ha! That was good, right?
They put on a whole fashion show coming down the stairs with multiple styles. Here they are trying on my Mom's old dresses. Some classics just never go out of style;)
Most every time I visit, we have a little girls night. This time it was Haley, Cassie, and Amber. Rinsley was in Florida visiting family, so we missed her. But we had a fun sleep over. Here are a few things our girls night contained of:
1. Learning Hannah Montana dances (well more like I watched them and cracked up!)
2. Watching an episode of Lois and Clark because I promised them they would like it. Instead we ended up cracking up the whole time and I was spending the whole time wondering why I used to be in LOVE with that show!
3. Making oily and fattening doughnuts for breakfast. Mmmm.
4. Hailey "teaching" us how to make cute bracelets. I use the term "teaching" loosely because pretty much it consisted of us saying, "Haley, I don't get it. How do you make a pattern like that?" And Haley just saying, "I don't know you guys! You just do! Just watch me." Well, we never learned. I think she just didn't want to share her secrets:)
5. Making hair flowers clips for our hair. Which why do the girls look so cute in them and I just look like an awkward plant with a flower too pretty for the head it's growing on?
6. And what girls time isn't complete without a little shopping? But these girls don't really go shopping to buy something. They just shop to try on hideously ugly things to make us burst out laughing. Much more fun that way:) But I think we all did get at least one thing:)
7. And then we had so much fun, how could you not do it all over again!? Amber and Cassie spent the night again. Lucky me:)
Well, it really doesn't matter what you do with these girls as long as your together. These girls have been my girls for most of my life. They were my little dolls to dress up. Every Sunday after dinner, the girls and I would go upstairs and I'd do their hair, makeup, dress them up, and most often have a little tea party. Oh how I love these girls. I would always be calling my sisters to see if they could bring them over to play. I simply could not get enough. And it still is true today. Thanks for the fun girls! I'm excited for next time!
Cousins. A gift sent from heaven.
As I always mention, one of the best parts about visiting is seeing my kids in heaven with their cousins. My Mom is about the best sport when it comes to having the grand kids over to sleep over. She used to have ALL the kids over to spin...wait... I think I'm going to leave that there. I was meaning to say "spend the night." But I'm laughing because I just recently discovered that it's not "SPIN" the night. It's SPEND the night." Some people know that about me and we laugh. So I'm going to leave my "spin" there just for kicks:) Anyway, once the number of grand kids got into the 20's, I think it got a little too crazy. So now we have a boys and girls spend the night.
Here are the boys eating pizza at the boys sleep over and also a really cute video of them. Well, maybe only cute if your kid is in there. But I just love the fact that they just burst into joy school songs while eating their pizza. A very non-boy like thing to do if you ask me:) Stephen was definitely the conductor of the pack. When others forgot the words, you could always rely on him. If you said a wrong word, Stephen was there to correct. I love it and it's making me miss these kids!
12 September, 2009
A new record...
This is the longest I've ever gone without posting (or atleast I'm hoping so!). I'm sorry to have abandoned this blog! Having my computer broken for the past 2 months has really been a bummer. But I've taken James' computer captive and plan to post atleast a few pictures.
There's so much and I know I can't mention everything. However, I can't let the rest of my AZ trip go unforgotten!
Our 3 week trip was so perfect. It doesn't take much to entertain me. Just give me family and life can't get any better. Yet, it couldn't reach perfection because my good husband wasn't there with me to party:) But other than that it was wonderful.
I know many friends think that I'm CRAZY for visiting AZ in the summer. I love it! I love visiting at Christmas too. However, I love the laziness of summer. I love that we don't have to run off to visit a million people that are only in town for 2 days:) I even love the fire heat that I feel when I'm walking off the plane into the airport. It screams "home." I love summer.
Every time we visit, Gene is always more and more excited to see his cousins. That's one of the reasons I love being able to go to Alpine with the cousins. It was so cute to see all those little boys all within months of eachother play all day. It was also so fun to be able to see Braden play with cousins. Here's a cute picture of Braden and Rilla:
I can't remember where poor little Rilla got that bump on her head from, but all I remember is that she sure is a tough girl! And it's not just the glasses that make her look smart, she really is:)
Here are a few more random pictures:
No Alpine trip is complete without kids picking flowers for their Moms. Gene was constantly picking little flowers for me and this was one of my favorites:
This is the best swing. It's on top of "Grandma's mountain." One push and you feel like you're flying in the sky. As you can see, Braden is truly enjoying the experience:
I had to take a picture of this cute little frog. Not many frogs are "cute," but I thought this one was picture worthy:
This is an occurence that occured several times a day:
If my boys were being quiet, this is almost always where I found them. They loved snuggling with Papa in his chair and watching family videos and looking at pictures with him. He was such a good sport. Braden rarely left Papa alone. He became Papa's little sidekick. If Papa wasn't home...heaven help us all:) Braden would ask "Papa? Papa? Papa go?" He would call for Papa continuously. Have to admit it was cute:) Braden still asks for Papa probably every day. He picks up the phone and says, "Call Papa?"
There's so much and I know I can't mention everything. However, I can't let the rest of my AZ trip go unforgotten!
Our 3 week trip was so perfect. It doesn't take much to entertain me. Just give me family and life can't get any better. Yet, it couldn't reach perfection because my good husband wasn't there with me to party:) But other than that it was wonderful.
I know many friends think that I'm CRAZY for visiting AZ in the summer. I love it! I love visiting at Christmas too. However, I love the laziness of summer. I love that we don't have to run off to visit a million people that are only in town for 2 days:) I even love the fire heat that I feel when I'm walking off the plane into the airport. It screams "home." I love summer.
Every time we visit, Gene is always more and more excited to see his cousins. That's one of the reasons I love being able to go to Alpine with the cousins. It was so cute to see all those little boys all within months of eachother play all day. It was also so fun to be able to see Braden play with cousins. Here's a cute picture of Braden and Rilla:
I can't remember where poor little Rilla got that bump on her head from, but all I remember is that she sure is a tough girl! And it's not just the glasses that make her look smart, she really is:)
Here are a few more random pictures:
No Alpine trip is complete without kids picking flowers for their Moms. Gene was constantly picking little flowers for me and this was one of my favorites:
This is the best swing. It's on top of "Grandma's mountain." One push and you feel like you're flying in the sky. As you can see, Braden is truly enjoying the experience:
I had to take a picture of this cute little frog. Not many frogs are "cute," but I thought this one was picture worthy:
This is an occurence that occured several times a day:
If my boys were being quiet, this is almost always where I found them. They loved snuggling with Papa in his chair and watching family videos and looking at pictures with him. He was such a good sport. Braden rarely left Papa alone. He became Papa's little sidekick. If Papa wasn't home...heaven help us all:) Braden would ask "Papa? Papa? Papa go?" He would call for Papa continuously. Have to admit it was cute:) Braden still asks for Papa probably every day. He picks up the phone and says, "Call Papa?"
10 July, 2009
115 degrees and loving every minute of it!!
Yep! We've made it to Arizona! Where else could we be:) Although it really is quite unbearably warm outside, I don't think anyone has heard me complain yet:) It's home. That means I take the bad with the good. For sure the good FAR outweighs the bad:)
I'm sorry I don't have too many pictures to share! They're still on my camera and I didn't bring my transfer cord. So I'll probably steal some from my sisters blogs;0 Thanks girls!
Well, the kids and I left the 30th of June, and we'll come back July 19th. A whole 3 weeks! We are very very lucky to be able spend so much time with family. The only bad thing is that being with them makes me realize how much I really have missed them! But we are just enjoying and savoring every day we get to be here.
Grammy and Papa have been spoiling us way to much! Papa always has a "fishy" (Swedish fish) waiting for the boys and Grammy always has a lap to offer to read "The Monster Under my Bed." Not to mention all the treats that call my name from the pantry and freezer. As I speak, I have a couple oreos and milk waiting for me till I finish this sentence.
Mmmm. James I'm afraid you're wife will be coming back a little softer:) But that's what vacation is for, right? So poor James. James has been such a good sport about letting us leave for so long. I was kind of hesitant to leave him. However, he was so encouraging and really wanted us to be able to come (should I be concerned?:) James is one who likes to have company around, so I know it's been hard for him coming home to a quiet house. Thanks honey a million! You're such a good sport.
I'm sorry I don't have too many pictures to share! They're still on my camera and I didn't bring my transfer cord. So I'll probably steal some from my sisters blogs;0 Thanks girls!
Well, the kids and I left the 30th of June, and we'll come back July 19th. A whole 3 weeks! We are very very lucky to be able spend so much time with family. The only bad thing is that being with them makes me realize how much I really have missed them! But we are just enjoying and savoring every day we get to be here.
Grammy and Papa have been spoiling us way to much! Papa always has a "fishy" (Swedish fish) waiting for the boys and Grammy always has a lap to offer to read "The Monster Under my Bed." Not to mention all the treats that call my name from the pantry and freezer. As I speak, I have a couple oreos and milk waiting for me till I finish this sentence.
Mmmm. James I'm afraid you're wife will be coming back a little softer:) But that's what vacation is for, right? So poor James. James has been such a good sport about letting us leave for so long. I was kind of hesitant to leave him. However, he was so encouraging and really wanted us to be able to come (should I be concerned?:) James is one who likes to have company around, so I know it's been hard for him coming home to a quiet house. Thanks honey a million! You're such a good sport.
4th of July at Alpine!
The day after we got here, we headed straight for the cabin/Alpine. So I was able to postpone the heat for a few days. It was so much fun and absolutely beautiful! Have you ever had anyone try to help put you in a relaxed state? You know, where they tell you to go to your happy place? Well, Alpine has always been that place for me. The smell of pine trees and nature is so strong there and it's so quiet and peaceful.
One of the best parts of Alpine is that it's where family is. The kids wake up, get dressed (on a good day), and off they go to explore the mountain! A few years ago, some of the kids dug out some sleds from our shed and tried sledding down the mountain. The catch is that there's no snow:) Amazingly enough they go super fast! They made a little trail of some sort and they do it over and over. The boys especially seem to never tire of it.
(Thanks for the picture Cindy!)
All of the Uncle's were so nice to let Gene tag along with them on their adventures. Gene had his first fishing trip and he still says that it is his favorite part of being in AZ:) He didn't catch anything, but he must have had a good time. Since I wasn't there I didn't get any pictures, but here's some of some of the other kids.
Meet Raelyn:
Meet Elly:
A conversation between Raelyn and Elly:
Raelyn: “I like your fish Elly. What are you going to name it?”
Elly: “Well I can’t really name it, cuz’ it’s dead.”
We all got a good laugh out of this one:)
(Thanks again for the pics. Cindy and the story!)
One of the other great parts of Alpine is the awesome food we get to eat there. Nutrition is not important once you enter the boundaries of Alpine. Taste is all we're concerned about. That means buttermilk syrup, bacon, homemade icecream, and too much to list!
The 4th of July was perfect. It was complete with an Alpine parade that was "a real shin-dig" (as Kent would phrase it). The kids tried their best to wave and be as cute as ever to get candy thrown at them.
Another favorite conversation I over heard happened after the parade was over. Friendly Stephen (4) continued to wave to people coming down the street. Then older sister Dennalei (6) tells him, "Stephen, don't wave. Their not going to give you candy." These kids are smarter than we think:)
(Yep, and Crissie I'm even stealing all of your cute collages! Take me to court:)
We ended the night with homemade icecream (to die for!) and "Night at the Museum" outside on the mountain. Dad bought a movie projector to use up there, so we definitley enjoyed it! Much more fun than going to the movies:) Thanks Matt for making a screen for us!
I loved these pictures that Stan & Crissie took of the kids. I believe they were planning on going on a "Family walk." Instead they ended up with the whole clan following them:) You definitley don't get too much time to yourself with the size of our family, but I wouldn't trade it.
On Sunday, some of us did our traditional walk to "The little Stream." Here's a picture of Gene & Ben enjoying the water:
(comment: So, I know some of you are saying to yourself, "Take that ugly hat off of Gene Tara!" But, Gene has a suspicious mole on his head that the Dr. is a little concerned about. So until his dermatologist appt., I'm being a little extra cautious. Anyway, I had to give my reason for always hiding my sons head:)
And I had to steal these pictures too Crissie! So cute of these boys. Gene has so many cousins to play with and I haven't seen him smile so much in a long time:) He played so hard all day and seemed so big just hangin' out with the guys:) I never had to fight him to go to bed once because he was pratically asleep before I even kissed him goodnight! Playing is exhausting sometimes!
One of the best parts of Alpine is that it's where family is. The kids wake up, get dressed (on a good day), and off they go to explore the mountain! A few years ago, some of the kids dug out some sleds from our shed and tried sledding down the mountain. The catch is that there's no snow:) Amazingly enough they go super fast! They made a little trail of some sort and they do it over and over. The boys especially seem to never tire of it.
(Thanks for the picture Cindy!)All of the Uncle's were so nice to let Gene tag along with them on their adventures. Gene had his first fishing trip and he still says that it is his favorite part of being in AZ:) He didn't catch anything, but he must have had a good time. Since I wasn't there I didn't get any pictures, but here's some of some of the other kids.
Meet Raelyn:
Meet Elly:
A conversation between Raelyn and Elly:
Raelyn: “I like your fish Elly. What are you going to name it?”
Elly: “Well I can’t really name it, cuz’ it’s dead.”
We all got a good laugh out of this one:)
(Thanks again for the pics. Cindy and the story!)
One of the other great parts of Alpine is the awesome food we get to eat there. Nutrition is not important once you enter the boundaries of Alpine. Taste is all we're concerned about. That means buttermilk syrup, bacon, homemade icecream, and too much to list!
The 4th of July was perfect. It was complete with an Alpine parade that was "a real shin-dig" (as Kent would phrase it). The kids tried their best to wave and be as cute as ever to get candy thrown at them.
Another favorite conversation I over heard happened after the parade was over. Friendly Stephen (4) continued to wave to people coming down the street. Then older sister Dennalei (6) tells him, "Stephen, don't wave. Their not going to give you candy." These kids are smarter than we think:)
(Yep, and Crissie I'm even stealing all of your cute collages! Take me to court:)
We ended the night with homemade icecream (to die for!) and "Night at the Museum" outside on the mountain. Dad bought a movie projector to use up there, so we definitley enjoyed it! Much more fun than going to the movies:) Thanks Matt for making a screen for us!
I loved these pictures that Stan & Crissie took of the kids. I believe they were planning on going on a "Family walk." Instead they ended up with the whole clan following them:) You definitley don't get too much time to yourself with the size of our family, but I wouldn't trade it.
On Sunday, some of us did our traditional walk to "The little Stream." Here's a picture of Gene & Ben enjoying the water:
(comment: So, I know some of you are saying to yourself, "Take that ugly hat off of Gene Tara!" But, Gene has a suspicious mole on his head that the Dr. is a little concerned about. So until his dermatologist appt., I'm being a little extra cautious. Anyway, I had to give my reason for always hiding my sons head:)
And I had to steal these pictures too Crissie! So cute of these boys. Gene has so many cousins to play with and I haven't seen him smile so much in a long time:) He played so hard all day and seemed so big just hangin' out with the guys:) I never had to fight him to go to bed once because he was pratically asleep before I even kissed him goodnight! Playing is exhausting sometimes!
Braden, Braden.
So, poor Braden has been neglected in this post! I took plenty of pictures of him, but apparently no one else did (since I'm stealing all my pictures:). So, when I download my pictures, I'll make sure to include Braden. Braden had fun for sure. As long as there were tractors and dirt, he was fully entertained.
Unlike the rest of us there at Alpine, Braden was concerned about his nutrition. He knew that he was missing out on crucial vitamins not found in syrup and bacon. So, he decided to eat 40 GUMMY VITAMINS to make up for his loss. Yes, you read that correctly, 40!!!!! Apparently. Braden snuck out the vitamins from my backpack that were in a zip lock bag. Yes, I know. That was my first mistake. My 2nd mistake was that I actually believed he was innocently watching a movie and just being so cute and quiet. I would check on him and saw him laying on his tummy looking at the TV and was so grateful he was actually staying in one spot.
That is, until I saw something stuck to his shirt. He didn't remove all evidence. I saw a ziplock bag that had been ripped open by his teeth and was clearly empty. He ate ALL of them (except the one stuck to his shirt of course:)
So, I freaked out and thanks to Jolene got the poison control number. Thankfully he was okay and they said not to worry. Because the vitamins didn't have iron in them, he would be okay. If they had iron, it would have been a COMPLETELY different story.
Later, Braden kept on complaining of something in his teeth. I found pieces of the ziplock bag stuck in between his teeth. Braden, Braden.
So, I'm almost done I promise. Later on, poor Lyneah got Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. Not fun for her or her Mom. But that's a whole 'nother story. Well, it's very contagious. However, we really thought that maybe Braden had a good plan after all. Perhaps he saw how awful his little cousin was being so sick, and he wanted to do whatever he could to protect himself. Well, his plan failed. A couple days ago, Braden broke out with a fever and blisters. But today he's back to eating and acting much more like himself.
Okay, there you go Braden. There's your spotlight! Even though you're our own "Dennis the Menace", we wouldn't change a thing about you:)
03 June, 2009
Oh What do YOU do in the spring time when all the world is green...
Do you eat pop-sic-les,to keep yourself cool?
Do you go for a ride, on a lawnmower's hyde (I have no clue if that's a word)
Do you eat a S'more, like a big hungry boar (yeah, you try to find something that rhymes with "S'more!"
Do you play with your cousins, till you're muddy and buzzin'?
Do you lay in the weeds, then lay till you sneeze?
Do you eat watermelon, till you've gone to heaven?
Is THAT what YOU do?
So do I.
Well...and maybe a few loads of laundry in between the wagon rides and S'mores;)
Do you go for a ride, on a lawnmower's hyde (I have no clue if that's a word)
Do you eat a S'more, like a big hungry boar (yeah, you try to find something that rhymes with "S'more!"
Do you play with your cousins, till you're muddy and buzzin'?
Do you lay in the weeds, then lay till you sneeze?
Do you eat watermelon, till you've gone to heaven?
Is THAT what YOU do?
So do I.
Well...and maybe a few loads of laundry in between the wagon rides and S'mores;)
And more...
So, although that was a lame attempt to pull some rhyming, it's a quick summary of what Spring has held for us. I truly couldn't ask for anything more from mother nature! Life is truly beautiful!
It's so amazing that a few months ago, all the green grass and trees were covered in snow! That seems like CENTURIES ago! We try to spend every sun shining moment outside. My kids are happier, and I'm happier. Those UV rays really are magic!
So, thanks to Lara, our amazing cousin/neighbor/friend/photogapher/seamstress/chef/ canner/crochet'er/singer and OH so much more...we have a few pictures of spring:) Sidenote: This girl seriously does everything:)
I know I have said it before, but being neighbors with our cousins the Ellingsons has truly made our Ohio adventure so fun. How lucky is it that our temporary living circumstances happens to be right next door to them? We simply can't get enough of them. Anyway, so Lara is an amazing photographer and often seems to have her camera handy, so most the pictures in the last post are from her (note: the bad pictures are not from her:)
So I had to post these adorable popsicle pictures that she took of the kids. There are so many I don't know how to choose! But I'll try to not go too over board:
Life doesn't get much better than this...
Can you just FEEL the stickiness on their tummies, hands,and mouths? It feels like summer:)
Why can I just never get enough of this face?
Gotta get a taste of each one!
It's so amazing that a few months ago, all the green grass and trees were covered in snow! That seems like CENTURIES ago! We try to spend every sun shining moment outside. My kids are happier, and I'm happier. Those UV rays really are magic!
So, thanks to Lara, our amazing cousin/neighbor/friend/photogapher/seamstress/chef/ canner/crochet'er/singer and OH so much more...we have a few pictures of spring:) Sidenote: This girl seriously does everything:)
I know I have said it before, but being neighbors with our cousins the Ellingsons has truly made our Ohio adventure so fun. How lucky is it that our temporary living circumstances happens to be right next door to them? We simply can't get enough of them. Anyway, so Lara is an amazing photographer and often seems to have her camera handy, so most the pictures in the last post are from her (note: the bad pictures are not from her:)
So I had to post these adorable popsicle pictures that she took of the kids. There are so many I don't know how to choose! But I'll try to not go too over board:
Life doesn't get much better than this...
Can you just FEEL the stickiness on their tummies, hands,and mouths? It feels like summer:)
Why can I just never get enough of this face?
Gotta get a taste of each one!
12 May, 2009
SPRING IS HERE!
And if my computer "permits" me to post some pictures, I'll have the pictures to prove it! As a side note, I must say that I have never wanted to BEAT something SO BADLY as I do my computer!!!! Does anyone else ever have any similar feelings? Well, atleast it let me post the dandelion pictures. Yet, apparently it thinks I've had enough fun and I should go clean up the mess in the kitchen. Darn computer. Oh, and my computer likes to just omit letters every now and then. So if you sometimes wonder why I write like a first grader, blame it on the computer.
Well, it hasn't got rid of me yet! I do just have to say how BEAUTIFUL it is! Every time I walk outside, it's like a whole new world (picture Aladin and Jasmine singing). It truly is AMAZING! Every day the leaves grow bigger on the trees, the grass gets greener and greener, and more amazing blossoms bloom everyday. However, so many of them are already leaving and I'm so sad to see them go! I really like seeing Popcorn popping on trees!
Yet, we have truly savored every day! I always heard how beautiful Ohio is in the Fall, but I think Spring is equally as beautiful. I have felt so grateful to our loving God who gave us these simple things in life to make our journey here on earth so enjoyable.
Needless to say, we have been out enjoying every moment when it's not raining. Thankfully it does rain, or else I would never go inside and my laundry would NEVER get done:)
Well, when my computer is done throwing it's temper tantrum, I'll post some pictures though they hardly portray the true beauty:)
Well, it hasn't got rid of me yet! I do just have to say how BEAUTIFUL it is! Every time I walk outside, it's like a whole new world (picture Aladin and Jasmine singing). It truly is AMAZING! Every day the leaves grow bigger on the trees, the grass gets greener and greener, and more amazing blossoms bloom everyday. However, so many of them are already leaving and I'm so sad to see them go! I really like seeing Popcorn popping on trees!
Yet, we have truly savored every day! I always heard how beautiful Ohio is in the Fall, but I think Spring is equally as beautiful. I have felt so grateful to our loving God who gave us these simple things in life to make our journey here on earth so enjoyable.
Needless to say, we have been out enjoying every moment when it's not raining. Thankfully it does rain, or else I would never go inside and my laundry would NEVER get done:)
Well, when my computer is done throwing it's temper tantrum, I'll post some pictures though they hardly portray the true beauty:)
We've been INVADED...
by THESE...
I remember as a kid it was so fun to pick a dandelion, make a wish, and blow. Gene has been able to make LOTS and LOTS of wishes thanks to a broken down lawnmower:) I had to snap a few pictures of him enjoying them and only made him pose for this one:
Braden has definitely had his fair share of making wishes as well, but his mean Mom made him take a nap during Gene's time outside.
The wind has blown most of them off after our super windy Saturday. But new ones are sure to come again:)
I remember as a kid it was so fun to pick a dandelion, make a wish, and blow. Gene has been able to make LOTS and LOTS of wishes thanks to a broken down lawnmower:) I had to snap a few pictures of him enjoying them and only made him pose for this one:
Braden has definitely had his fair share of making wishes as well, but his mean Mom made him take a nap during Gene's time outside.
The wind has blown most of them off after our super windy Saturday. But new ones are sure to come again:)
21 April, 2009
Easter!
Well, I'm about to go to bed, but I promised family I would post more pics. So here's a few pics. of Easter. I'll give details later:)
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