HaHa Happenings

Anything Happening at HaHa's House?

2012-02-13T13:00:00.001-07:00

I never thought I would say it, but I was talking with Handsome Hubby the other day and all of the sudden I found myself saying how much I missed the good 'ole days of having only one car and two kids under the age of two.

Did I just say that?!?

Yeah, I did... WOW.

For me, life seems to cycle. Sometimes I feel like everything is amazing and then I feel like everything is insane. Lately, I've been feeling overwhelmed - you can tell by the lack of blog posts :) Professional blogging is definitely not my thing - but keeping in touch with friends and family - I thought that should be pretty do-able... I thought.

So, I thought I better get posting so you'd know what was going in HaHa Land!

Handsome Hubby

New calling in the church, Scout Master! With the new calling a new something to drive. Our little old Saturn was having problems right & left... so he got to get a little something he's been wanting for years!!!

The Professor, Handsome Hubby & OTG Boy

Headed off to the Stake Camporee Last Fall

He loves his new toy!

He's studying like crazy to finish-up the MBA - he's doing great - and we are ALL looking forward to graduation! With all of his extra-curricular, life at work is pretty crazy, too... new owners, new bosses, new responsibilities - if you're curious give him a call - he'll tell you all about his adventures.

OTG Boy

On the Go, as usual. Biggest changes - he just registered for high school and I am in total denial! In the meantime, he's doing great with school he's in orchestra and choir and also decided to learn the mandolin for Fiddle Club. And just for fun decided to be part of the Year Book Club, too. He has his eye on engineering, but I have to say he's pretty good with graphic design - yearbook club has brought that out. Summer is over, but he's still volunteering at the library - good kid - works hard.

He also loves to play goalie and took weight training as an elective this year.
It's official - he's a teenager!

The Professor

Absolutely loves his classes for school! Online schooling has been a huge blessing in this kid's life. However, he likes to get out of the house sometimes, too. He has so much fun going to his scout activities and tells me everyday about his amazing leaders. He's worked up to a blue belt in his martial arts class and can make one of the best "intense" faces you have ever seen. The Professor's biggest change?

Braces!

I tried and tried - but no matter how many pictures I took - he still came out looking like a teenager. I guess this little boy is growing-up, too.

Bubba

Bubba loves to have fun! His favorite subject in school is recess and his second favorite is lunch :) You get this kid together with his friends and he does not stop talking! He's been working hard at school and making definite progress with reading & spelling... and the kid is a math whiz! The only day of the week he actually enjoys homework is math day - any other day I think he'd actually prefer having a tooth pulled... if he just didn't have to do homework!

Bubba's biggest news is that he was baptized this past year and it was so fun to have family in town! We were lucky to have both sets of grandparents, a couple of aunts, a couple of uncles and a lot of cousins come by for the happy day... it was really great to see everyone!

Junior

Well, what's not constantly changing about this little man? The one constant? He's still a daddy's boy! A day without Daddy is just wrong! He loves playing High Ho Cherri-o and Candyland. His biggest accomplishment since Christmas - Potty Training! No more diapers at HaHa's House!!!

HaHa

Now you can see why I miss the no car - toddler days. Back then I spent my time, all day - pretty much everyday - at home. No commitments. No craziness. No needing to be four places at the same time while Handsome Hubby is out of town. Just walks to the park with my double stroller and playing in the backyard.

These days I'm driving kids everywhere and trying to organize schedules. I spend my days helping The Professor with school. Reading and singing with Junior. Working on spelling lists with Bubba and trying to keep up with OTG Boy.

Junior, HaHa & The Professor the park in Fountain Hills

It's hard to find a picture of myself - I'm always behind the camera :)

Life is definitely crazy... but... definitely good!

And I am thankful, every day, for the boys who make my life amazing!

I'm a Mormon

2011-10-07T17:25:00.004-07:00

I recently updated my profile at Mormon.org - if you'd like to take a look just scroll down my blog and click on the button that says "I'm a Mormon"... or click here.

Our Favorite Hang-out!

2011-10-07T16:51:00.004-07:00

We love going to the Arizona Science Center!

When you walk in they have a telescope you can look in - really it's a video camera... it projects your eye onto a lens of a giant telescope hanging from the ceiling. If you stand back far enough you can get your whole face on the screen instead of your giant eye.

Over the summer they had a really fun special exhibit called Mazes.

The kids loved it. They had labyrinths you could walk through - of course - with all kinds of science activities along the way. They had mazes to follow on the floors, rope mazes and all kinds of maze games.

OTG Boy's creation!

Bubba and Junior decided to build a house!

These foot mazes were fun... and tricky!

We couldn't tear Bubba away.

The Professor a-"maze"-ing structure :)

These marble mazes were so addicting - OTG Boy and I agree - we need to buy one!

The "Big" Camping Trip

2011-10-07T16:04:00.004-07:00

The last week of July we headed for the mountains...

it was wonderful!!!

It was monsoon season - very rainy - very cold...

It was so much better than sitting at home in the 112 degree heat!
It was beautiful!!!

The kids had a wonderful time!

The Professor overcame his fear of bugs (mostly) and spent a lot of time enjoying the forest - he also helped Handsome Hubby with some cooking and passed-off a few scout requirements.

Junior was in heaven - and endless supply of sticks, strange bugs to look at, hiking & mud!

My little comedian - Bubba - if you've ever seen "Open Season" you may recognize Elliott :)

The boys loved fire building - but Handsome Hubby will tell you, he was impressed/shocked/if not a little frightened with my fire building skills.

OTG Boy spent a lot of time playing, but most of his time fishing.

Junior gathering firewood.

The only picture with me - and it's blurry... oh, well :)

We were trying to get a picture of our new tent. Handsome Hubby and I bought it as our anniversary gift to ourselves... after 14 years we've outgrown the tent my aunts and uncles gave us for our wedding. This one is fun it has room dividers, so The Professor & Bubba shared a room, Junior slept with Handsome Hubby and I, and OTG Boy had a room to himself... everyone was happy AND had plenty of space!

We had a good time - while Handsome Hubby took the boys off for their own special dad/son time (either fishing or hiking) I stayed at camp and played with the boys 0r went for short hikes. If it wasn't raining we were outside playing, making God's Eyes and pet rocks. During the downpours we'd be in the tent playing Scrabble, Mancala, UNO, drawing or reading... it was great - no technology allowed - except for Handsome Hubby - somehow that iPad kept finding it's way out ;)

4 Days & 3 Nights of camping - it was so nice to get away!

Summer Round-up

2011-09-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

No need to worry about Junior - he can hold his own just fine!

Dear Family & Friends,
You're probably wondering what we did with ourselves this past summer... especially since we didn't take any big vacations, missed ALL the family reunions, and basically haven't left the state since last summer. (Well unless you count Handsome Hubby - he's been off on business trips to California & Texas... but I don't... I like to travel too!)

If you ask the kids they'll tell you they did chores ALL summer - and they did - but here at HaHa's house we pay on commission so, honestly, it couldn't have been that bad - they were pleased with their summer incomes.

So here's the rundown...

Handsome Hubby - worked a lot, studied a lot, has enjoyed his calling as an 11-year-old scout leader, and is basically functioning on very little sleep - I can't believe how much he accomplishes in the day. Thank goodness the MBA will be done by next summer!

OTG Boy - and the award for "Not Wasting Time" goes to... yes OTG Boy. Not only did he attend Scout Camp for a week, he spent the summer participating in Swim Team, played on a water polo team, had a couple of scout camp outs (in addition to camp), cello lessons, Young Men activities and he volunteered at least once a week at the library. The teenage years are upon us - this is one kid who's hard to keep up with.

The Professor - karate, karate, karate... lots of karate! Also, since he didn't have swimming lessons I "made" him spend time in the pool everyday practicing all his strokes. Don't worry - plenty of free swim time too... I'm not that mean :)

Bubba - took swimming lessons from the best teacher he's ever had! He loved getting his gummy worm at the end of each lesson... such a good little fish.

Junior - well he spent a lot of time with mommy in the car driving to everyone's activities. However, he played in the pool every day, too - he loves jumping off the side and swimming to the steps (still needs help, but he's doing great)!

HaHa - driving, driving & driving. In between activities we managed to throw in our weekly Summer Fun movie at Harkins, plenty of trips to the AZ Science Center (one of our favorite places), a wild morning at BounceU, oh and we can't forget, plenty of trips to the library - the kids completed the both the Mesa & Phoenix summer reading programs (and yes, if you are wondering, I am "that" mean - they had to read separate books for each - but my kids love books so really it's better to have a challenge) - can't wait to take the kids to their free Diamondbacks game!

Also, Handsome Hubby and I had tickets to see "Little Shop of Horrors" - Handsome Hubby thinks I'm so funny but, I love that musical.

And to top off the wonderful summer "break"? A family camping trip - that will get a blog post all it's own.

Very great summer! I'm trying to enjoy them and keep track of the memories - my little boys are growing-up - I love it, but I hate it.

Hope you all had wonderful summers, too!

Love,

HaHa

P.S. We hope to see a lot more of you in the next year!

Dream Come True

2011-08-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

Just found this "lost" post - it never published... so here's what they boys were doing last spring!

We were finally able to finish off the major part of our front yard project.

A dream come true!

A Giant pile of rocks in the driveway.

New Sport

2011-07-26T16:34:00.004-07:00

2011 found us getting into the world of Mixed Martial Arts!

The Professor loves it!

He started out as a white belt...

Then he advanced to his yellow belt.

After that he was promoted to the Black Belt Training Class...

Now he's learning to use weapons!!!

This summer he earned his orange belt - and he just keeps going!

This has been a great fit for The Professor:

gets focuses on an important life-skill each month...

he gets to hit, kick & yell...

he gets to break boards...

he gets to make "intense" faces...

he gets to use weapons...

he has his own set of kick boxing gloves...

he gets to work out & build muscle.
Best of all he loves it!

First Laugh of the Day

2011-07-25T08:26:00.003-07:00

Junior is my garden helper. Everyday - we work in the garden together and he likes to say the names of the vegetables as we are weeding or harvesting.

This morning we were out picking some okra...

he was chatting along and then he got very quiet - I could see he was thinking - and then I knew... he'd forgotten what this vegetable was called.

Then all of the sudden his eyes lit up and he said,

"Mama - I weally wike "B"-kra!"

I had to smile - and then said, "you mean "O"-kra?"

"Oh yea, Mama wight... is "O"kra!"

Junior with his "B"-kra!

Jack-O-Lantern in July

2011-07-25T08:19:00.003-07:00

Bubba's gonna save us some money on buying pumpkins this October!

He's lost another tooth and has the best jack-o-lantern smile on the block!

He's Alive!

2011-07-18T18:06:00.002-07:00

OTG Boy had a wonderful time at scout camp!

He said the weather was perfect...

only a little bit of rain : )

He worked hard and completed 8 Merit Badges:

Astronomy

Environmental Science

First Aid

Indian Lore

Mammal Study

Nature

Wilderness Survival

Wood Carving

Handsome Hubby and I are very proud of all his hardwork!

Mighty Fishermen!

2011-07-13T18:13:00.005-07:00

It's been years in the making - but Handsome Hubby and OTG Boy have finally experienced a successful fishing trip!

Good thing, too - OTG Boy was trying to finish up a pre-requisite for scout camp.

Thanks Handsome Hubby for taking care of our boys!

Dinner was delicious!

Toothless

2011-07-11T22:19:00.003-07:00

Look who just lost another tooth!

Guess we know what Bubba will be wantin' for Christmas!

(Two others are loose & wiggly - how's the poor boy going to eat!?!)

Trying to Let Go

2011-07-11T10:51:00.002-07:00

OTG Boy walked out the door, today, at 4am!

Off for a week of Scout Camp!

Handsome Hubby drove him to the church, while I waited at home watching the lightening light up the walls and listening to the thunder crash. Then the rain started pouring down...

My mind was racing...

will he be warm enough?

will any of his belongings stay dry?

why am I letting him go away for a whole week?

Handsome Hubby has done his best to calm my fears and remind me that this week, both the good and the bad, will be important experiences for OTG Boy. He promised me he'll survive.

He better be right... it's going to be a very long week for mom!

Time Flies

2011-07-07T12:57:00.003-07:00

When we moved back to Phoenix in 2004

I thought my little boy was so cute swimming in the pool!

Then

OTG Boy

Now

My cute little swimmer has turned into a crazy cannonball,

very grown-up, "almost" teenager!

Staying Cool

2011-07-06T22:22:00.001-07:00

(Bubba and The Professor)

Favorite Summer Family Activity? Swimming!!!

The Garden

2011-07-06T11:46:00.004-07:00

Our garden has been very productive this year!!!

It's been fun for the kids to help -

they help with the watering & the weeding.

So far we've harvested:

Green Bell Peppers

Roma Tomatoes (hundreds - it feels like)

Jalapeno Peppers (very spicy)

Peas

Cucumbers

and Okra!

The zuchini and crook neck squashes are almost ready!

Lessons Learned:

We had to battle the birds this year they kept eating our little plants...

Handsome Hubby created a system to keep the birds out!

Lesson two: we specifically planted roma tomatoes because I had heard they are excellent for canning. So, I thought with all our peppers I would make my own salsa to can. I learned making salsa is a lot of work - for a very small yield. I think I'll stick with the sales and buy my salsa at the store from now on : )

Missing Posts

2011-05-13T10:16:00.003-07:00

So I thought I had created some new posts - since I know Grandmas like to know what is going on. It looked like they had been created and published... but now they are missing. So, I will try to re-create them later today and see what happens. Sorry.

Playing is Hard Work

2011-05-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

Junior has two things... okay actually, three things he absolutely loves doing!

The first is playing outside - but there's no picture - he helps me water the garden every morning.

Number two: he loves trains - his room becomes a train track... daily!

The third? Woody is his best friend! We watched "Toy Story 3" for the first time a couple of months ago. Half way through the movie Junior ran out of the room, threw every toy out of the toy box until he found Woody, and his hat, at the very bottom... they've been inseparable ever since!

Life Size Science Project

2011-03-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

The Professor had a great time on his most recent field trip!

Biosphere 2

(click here to see their website)

It was an incredibly windy day on the outside...

but on the inside balmy and tropical!

I don't know the name, but apparently this flower is rarely in bloom... pretty lucky to see something that's so hard to find.

Junior and The Professor in the tropical rain forest biome.

The ocean - doesn't look so big in the picture, but it was very impressive!

All of us in the underground ocean viewing room.

The Professor had a great time! Even though the initial science experiment (living inside without help from the outside) failed - the ongoing science projects are amazing. So amazing in fact, The Professor is actually thinking he'd rather attend the University of Arizona - just for the chance to participate in some ongoing research at the Biosphere.

If you get the chance ask him what it's like inside "the lung" he'd love to tell you about it!

Junior's 2 - it's a little Deja Vu

2011-02-17T20:00:00.001-07:00

A few pictures from the big day!

Loved his egg free cake!

and now for the

Deja vu!

Here's Bubba when he turned 2!

Boys and Valentines

2011-02-15T12:07:00.004-07:00

So, yesterday I worked all afternoon making these cookies for my boys!

(Mostly for the daddy boy

- he LOVES them and he doesn't get them very often -

my mom can tell you why)

So after hours of tedious work I presented my Valentine offering... and now I'm thinking I'll be changing the way I decorate these cookies... what was I thinking... white... pink.... purple?

Instead of discussing love, or sweetness, or Valentine's Day - the topic of choice?

Dinosaurs!

"Wouldn't it be great if dinosaurs were still alive? Then they might attack us on the playground. We'd have to take guns to school! Yeah really big guns to shoot the dinosaurs!"

What?

Well they are boys!

Next year I'll have to remember to use greens, browns and black.

Maybe I can make camouflage Valentine Cookies...

we'll see :)

To see my inspiration for these cookies go HERE.

Pioneer Village

2011-02-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

We recently went on our first, "official," school field trip of the year.

(The Professor by the well at the Miner's Shack)

It took us about an hour to get to the Pioneer Living History Museum just north of Phoenix.

(The Professor & Junior in front of the school house.)

The Professor loves learning at home - however, I think all of us had a good time getting out for the morning. We learned about the early settlers of Arizona and Junior liked seeing the chickens in the chicken coop.

Right around lunch time the volunteers at the museum put on a good old fashioned gun fight on Main Street. I wasn't sure The Professor would like it, but he said he wanted to go... and I'm glad we did. Before the "show" the Sheriff and a few town people had a gun safety presentation - it was very informative and has convinced me I need to take a gun safety class - which wasn't something I'd ever thought about doing. When the gunfight started The Professor covered his ears... took a few deep breaths... but did a great job of handling the chaos. I'm so proud of him for wanting to do something that wasn't easy for him to do - he's made a lot of progress in the last couple of years!

What Mom's Don't Want to Know

2011-01-27T14:34:00.003-07:00

About two weeks ago OTG Boy went on his first Scout Campout as a Deacon.

I was good with 11 Year Old Scouts - Dad's tag along.

Now the dad is optional and for this campout Handsome Hubby had to opt-out (had to work most of the day Saturday starting at 3am).

So, after school OTG Boy grabbed his pack and headed out the door.

Did I mention it's January and this was the "wilderness survival" campout?

So, off I send my son... no dad... no tent... nervous mom!

Let me just add... I've been attending the scout planning meetings and roundtable for the last year and a half as part of my calling (very different from cub planning & roundtables) - when the brethren start sharing their stories of all the "fun," the "games", the injuries and they're laughing and talking about how awesome it all is... all I can do is sit there thinking, "I'm the mother of four boys... four boys! Do I really need to be hearing all this!" I think I was better off in my ignorance :)

So, when OTG Boy came home the next day (Handsome Hubby still at work), I smile, trying to remain calm - but inside super excited to have him home alive! The first thing my son says is, "Well, I stepped on a nail last night. Don't worry, it's not hurting today." Second thing out of his mouth, "I cut myself twice - don't worry, it wasn't with my knife - it was the can opener." Nice!

So, as he unpacks and shares his stories... I feel proud. He's a good kid and I'm glad he had a good time.

And then he says, "let me tell you about the scorpion."

Four boys!!!

I hope we all survive!

Mac is Back!

2011-01-25T13:15:00.005-07:00

Finding myself in the world of allergies and dietary restrictions I thought my days of quick, "easy" meals were over. We've been eating a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables and cooking most meals from scratch. One thing I've really missed is pasta. Spaghetti and mac & cheese were my go-to meals on those days I just didn't feel like cooking and didn't have a lot of time. Don't get me wrong - we've loved eating spaghetti squash - it just takes a little bit longer to prepare than throwing noodles into the boiling water. Well, try finding pasta that has not been made with eggs, and if you do... try finding it manufactured on equipment that does not also process egg products - pretty much impossible. So, since I'd been missing pasta I decided to get online and figure out how to make pasta without eggs - I found that there is actually a town in Italy famous for their "eggless" pasta - it's made from durum wheat. So I've found a local store down the road in Gilbert where I can purchase my durum wheat... but I haven't made it there yet.

Just the other day my busy little boy found this box of mac & cheese stuffed way in the back of the cupboard.

I'd never even thought twice about eating mac & cheese, our allergist right off the bat said it was on the "no-no" list.

Well, I started reading the label and guess what? Fry's brand Macaroni & Cheese is made with durum wheat and no eggs. And there were no warnings on the label that it had been processed on the same equipment as eggs. So, I thought we'd try it out...

not a reaction in sight :)

I'll be putting mac back on my shelves - it's nice to have a least one thing I can fix in a pinch!

(Of course, I'll have to check out the white mac & cheese first... turns out the regular stuff contains yellow 6 & yellow 5... please let the white cheese have no egg products... please, please, please, please... please!)

Unforgettable

2010-12-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

14 Years ago I went on a date I just can't seem to forget.

My date had flown in to visit his family for Christmas and had arranged for us to meet that night at Temple Square (his sister was singing in a choir concert).

Not wanting to make a bad impression I left two hours early, from Provo, to make it in to downtown Salt Lake. I ended up being stuck in traffic at the Point of the Mountain for an hour... as soon as I made it to an exit I started driving up surface streets. Well, I was 45 minutes late - and hey, this happened pre-cell phones - and I had no way to contact this guy who was sitting in the North Temple Visitors Center thinking he'd been stood up. Finally, I found a spot to park my car and ran - felt like I was in "Sleepless in Seattle" trying to get to the top of the Empire State Building. As I was running in, he was getting ready to walk out... wow... he'd been waiting!

So, we made it to the last part of the concert... met Mom, Grandma and sisters and we were off... the Christmas lights were beautiful!

Next dinner. We went to a restaurant where we were seated at a cozy little table for two overlooking all of Temple Square... so amazing! We were talking, enjoying the view and the food... when suddenly I hear a loud crack and a crash - half of my glass is standing upright on the table, the other half is shattered on the floor. The table, my plate, and myself are covered in pink lemonade and everyone in the very crowded restaurant is staring at our table. Not a very fun situation for a girl who does not like to find herself the center of attention :)

Finally, my date walked me to my car so I could drop him off at the parking garage to meet up with his family. You may remember I had been in a hurry, so I'd taken the first spot I could find - well it was on a hill and when I started my car it would not shift out of park... great... I asked my date if he could get out and push the car so I could get it to shift. He actually did and it actually worked. He got in the car and the short drive to the parking garage turned into several city blocks as, every time I wanted to turn, the roads were closed for construction. Finally, I dropped him off... drove home sticky and embarrassed... thinking I would never hear from this guy again.

He called me the next day...

Happy First Date Anniversary Handsome Hubby! Can I get you a glass of pink lemonade? ;)

So Exciting!

2010-12-15T15:14:00.005-07:00

I am so excited... my profile on Mormon.org was just published!
If you'd like to take a look just go over to the button on my sidebar that says, "learn what I believe" and give it a click.
While you're there take a look around... there are so many inspiring stories!

Egg-less Cake

2010-12-08T08:29:00.003-07:00

I kind of started panicking when I realized it's birthday season at my house. I don't have a ton of time for cake baking right now - so I was pleasantly surprised when I learned about this easy little trick. Here it is:

Go to the store, find a cake mix that does not contain eggs, peanuts, or tree nuts... verify that it wasn't processed in a plant with any of these allergens... buy it and take it home. Then when you go to mix the ingredients add the oil, but omit the eggs and water and instead pour in a can of soda (light colored soda in light colored cake and dark colored soda in a dark cake). When you bake the cake extend the cooking time by five minutes.

Honestly, it does come out very moist - so it's definitely a cake to leave in the pan or cook up as cupcakes and you'll want a frosting you can either pipe on or pour on to your cake - definitely won't spread.

But, it didn't take a lot of time... was very easy to make... and the kids loved it!

Me

2010-12-03T10:00:00.001-07:00

So, this is me... the only girl in a house full of boys.
And what have I been doing this past year?

Plenty!

Aside from the full time, stay-at-home-mom basics... like, chasing after a one year old, being a taxi driver, teaching kids piano, church callings, soccer mom, learning coach, and... does the list ever really end?

I've been adding a few new things to my plate, just in case I wasn't busy enough already. Like...
learning how to cook without eggs.
eliminating all nuts from the house.
taking food dyes out of our diet.
slowly implementing an eating for autism plan.
and
trying to keep my home more organized and clean.

It looks like a lot of my life is revolving around the foods we are eating... and, now that I think about it, it is really true. Between the food allergies and the things I am learning about healthier eating with kids on the autism spectrum, I no longer have the fall-back of prepared frozen foods or grabbing take out. Basically, we cook from scratch and that takes a lot of time. It's good for us though - we are eating a lot more fruits and vegetables and hey... we love rice :)

Amazing how many things change in just a year.

The Man of the House

2010-12-01T07:00:00.001-07:00

This is my Handsome Hubby!

I am so proud of him... and slightly jealous... he started working on his MBA this year and he's doing a great job! It's a lot of extra work and I miss having him all to myself in the evenings, but he's learning so many interesting philosophies and strategies that it's definitely worth the sacrifice.

We've been married about 13 1/2 years and it's interesting how we learn and grow together. In our wedding pictures we both look so young... and it amazes me that within just months of meeting we were married and experiencing life together. We've had happy times and sad times, but there's not anyone I'd rather be spending my life with. I think he's amazing!

Love you, Handsome :)

My Young Man

2010-11-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

It's official... OTG Boy is no longer in Primary... he's a Young Man now! He's growing up way too fast.

I am so proud of this boy... he's loving Jr. High, he uses his time wisely, he is diligent at practicing the cello and piano, he likes to sing in the choir and he is doing a great job with his sports this year.

OTG Boy's love of reading, has inspired me to listen to more books on CD, since I spend more time in the car than I do sitting down with a book. I've enjoyed listening to the novels he's been telling me about.

This kid is definitely On The Go... but I couldn't be more proud.

Above and Beyond

2010-11-19T09:30:00.001-07:00

The Professor is still going above and beyond when it comes to learning. He's in his second year of attending virtual school. Most breaks are spent reading his science book for fun. This year he's been focusing on improving his writing skills and his cursive - he's doing a great job with both!

Just yesterday he was telling me that he's narrowed down his future career path to two possible choices... "I'm pretty smart, like to think of new ideas, and like to do experiments - so I could become a famous inventor. But, I do have a talent for balancing on things, so I could become a professional tight-rope walker."

I guess we'll see what happens - my future may hold a house full of unique inventions, or free tickets to the circus... both exciting!

Bubba's Turn

2010-11-17T23:10:00.002-07:00

Bubba has grown so much since this blog began. He has a love of life that is absolutely contagious. He loves sports and he's always asking if I can go outside and play with him, whether it's playing soccer or throwing a baseball. I wish I had more time, but I do take it as a compliment that he thinks I'm coordinated enough to go outside and play.

He loves school, loves riding the bus and loves recess.

Bubba loves to help... he's always in the kitchen helping me with whatever. Part of it is, he is truly that helpful - the other part... he loves to snitch - anytime I'm cutting up cantaloupe he's there.

Big Changes

2010-11-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

This little boy seems to grow by the day!

Which truly is a miracle.

In his short little life he's gone through rounds of testing trying to determine why he wasn't gaining weight.

When he was 15 months old we rushed him to the ER - his heart was racing and his breathing was labored. Turned out he'd swallowed a dime and it was lodged in his throat - after emergency surgery and a day of recovery life was back to normal.

Then in September came the "peanut butter incident" and another rush trip to the ER. Now our world is completely changed: no peanuts, no eggs and no tree nuts. No more peanut butter, no mac & cheese, no ranch dressing... big changes, but a huge blessing. Once we removed these foods from our diet Junior has started gaining more weight, his cheeks aren't red and chapped and he has a much healthier appetite.

Junior is daddy's little boy. If Dad is home Junior is with him... if Dad is leaving Junior wants to go.

Junior gives the happiest kisses and loves using his new words. Two new words of the day... "cool" & "pitty stars."

Long Over Due

2010-11-10T22:12:00.005-07:00

Updated photos of these handsome little men are long overdue!

So, as we come into the holidays I'd like re-introduce you to a few of my most favorite people.

Which First... the Chicken or the Egg?

2010-10-12T22:50:00.001-07:00

For Junior the choice is clearly chicken!

Yes, he is allergic to eggs, too!

Originally, we thought he was able to tolerate eggs that had been cooked into foods like pancakes, or banana bread - but, over the last month we have realized how wrong we were. Now, that we have been removing allergens from our home it has become painfully obvious that when Junior eats pancakes his face is red and blotchy within minutes and the other day when we tried boiling eggs his eyes began to water and his nose started to run... we haven't cooked with an egg in two weeks.

Let's just say, we are very glad we never invested in the chickens we were thinking about buying last year :)

So what do we do with egg allergies?

Read the Label!

Key Words in the Ingredient Lists are:

albumin or albumen, egg (dried, powdered, solids, white & yolk), eggnog, lysozyme, mayonnaise, meringue and surimi

Foods the Doctor Suggested We Avoid:

egg flavoring (natural & artificial)

lecithin

macaroni

marzipan

marshmallows

nougat

pasta

This allergy is definitely taking some getting used to - no more marshmallows, miracle whip and cheap pasta from the store.

Did you know candy corn contains eggs? Well you do now!

Now everything is made from scratch and I'm experimenting with ingredients I can substitute for eggs. Luckily, my eggless pancakes have been a success - Junior loves them so much he talks about them in his sleep!

Now if I can just figure out how to make eggplant parmigiana without eggs we'll be okay!

My New Allergy World - It's Way More Than a Sneeze

2010-09-30T09:50:00.000-07:00

This September Junior tasted his first and last lick of peanut butter sandwich. After taking the tiniest lick of peanut butter I've ever seen, he pushed his sandwich away and wouldn't eat anymore. Five minutes later he had hives going down the back of his neck, his face was swelling, and he started having trouble breathing.

The ER pumped him full of Benadryl, steroids and epinephrine... after several hours of observation we were able to leave with the advice that we contact an allergist and pick up an Epipen as soon as possible.

We've met with the allergist and boy have our lives changed!

Junior is highly allergic to...

peanuts

and

eggs

and mildly allergic to most

tree nuts.

So, now a visit with us is going to be even more exciting than it already was. I promise I will try not to be a nag, but I will have to ask about every product used in the cooking process... right down to your butter - some use peanut oils instead of vegetable.

But, I'll start you off with the basics, so you'll know what to expect.

Peanuts:

Always read every label to see if peanuts are listed in the ingredients.

Always read the label to see if the product was made in a factory that also processes peanuts - if this is the case it's still a "no-no."

Key words in ingredient lists would be:

artificial nuts, beer nuts, cold pressed - expelled - extruded peanut oil, goobers, ground nuts, mixed nuts, monkey nuts, nutmeat, nut pieces, peanut, peanut butter and peanut flour.

Foods that the doctor suggested we avoid (unless we make it at home - completely from scratch - and know every ingredient) include:

African, Asian (esp. Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Thai, and Vietnamese), and Mexican dishes

(So glad Korean food isn't on the list - but I can make it from scratch and I've never used peanut oil in what I make)

baked goods (pastries, cookies, etc. - Handsome Hubby is really gonna miss his early morning donut runs for the kids)

candy (especially chocolates)

chili (who knew they used peanuts to thicken chili? I didn't until I came home and found out how deadly it could be to someone with a peanut allergy)

egg rolls

enchilada sauce

peanut flavorings - natural and artificial

nougat

And really there's more, but I think that's enough for day one.

In fact, I thought I'd share my information for each allergy today, but now I see separate posts will be much better.

So, tune in next week for everything you ever wanted to know about egg allergies - some of the info will shock you! It did me :)

The Storms

2010-09-27T07:00:00.002-07:00

Sometimes I start to get overwhelmed with life. Handsome Hubby is working on his MBA. OTG Boy has started junior high. The Professor is in his second year of virtual schooling. Bubba has plenty of homework and reading to keep us more than busy. We recently learned that Junior has peanut, tree nut, and egg allergies and I had my first experience with anaphylactic shock - scary! And as if these personal life circumstances weren't enough we discovered water damage and mold in the back bedroom and had to rip out a wall and closet, it's soccer season, and we've been in Primary Program preparation mode... aaaaahhhhh!

But,

as I was reading the Summer 2010 edition of BYU Magazine I came across a thought I absolutely love!

(In fact the entire article is worth a read, "Family Focus: Money Management Myths," by M. Sue Bergin, she shares the ideas she learned from an associate teaching professor Bryan L. Sudweeks.)

Here's the basic idea:

He points out that in the Book of Mormon the Jaredites had two problems when they built their boats... one, they had no light and two, no way to navigate. Sudweeks points out that the first problem was solved when the Brother of Jared prayed and the Lord touched the stones, which could now provide the light.

And now for the part I love!

The second problem was solved by, "sending storms that blew the vessels toward the promised land."

When I find myself in the middle of all of this craziness... I just need to sit back and remember what I already know... The Lord knows who I am and he knows what I need to make me into the best that I can become. I just need to remember that "the storms" will get me to the place that I really want to be.

"Remember the Alamo"

2010-09-24T10:53:00.004-07:00

So, I've always wanted to see the Alamo

and wouldn't you know my only picture out front my eyes are closed?!?

Oh well, we had fun.

We learned a lot about the tensions on both sides - how the Mexican Army moved in - and how those trying to hold on to the Alamo really didn't stand a chance. It was a very big build up for a very short battle. A sad story really.

We enjoyed walking the grounds - they were beautiful!

We also enjoyed demonstrations on muskets...

knife throwing...

and enjoyed being serenaded by the Spanish Soldiers.

Someday we would like to go back - hopefully on a day when it's not quite so crowded :)

On the Way Home

2010-09-17T10:30:00.001-07:00

There's no way the boys would let us miss this - I think they've talked about this place at least once a month for the last five years...

We stopped to visit the USS Alabama
(a battle ship)

and the USS Drum.
(a submarine)

The boys had a lot of fun touring the ship...

ladders everywhere... climbing all over... it was great.

I had fun, too. But I think the part I enjoyed most was sitting in the A/C watching the USS Alabama commemorative movie - it was a hot morning!

I'm thankful we have places like this to visit - I'm glad that my boys can learn about and I can be reminded of all of the sacrifices our servicemen, women, and their families have made throughout our country's history and today.

Time Flies

2010-09-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

OTG Boy was thrilled to sit in this simulator...

5 Years Later...

Still loves it.

Kid, you are growing up way too fast!

Missing Summer

2010-09-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

This summer we took the kids on a cross-country road trip to visit Grandpa & Grandma's house! Getting the family from Arizona to Florida seemed a little daunting, but in the end... the kids were great travellers and the trip was a lot of fun!

Here we are with my Mom & Dad and Grandma Y

One of the best things about heading South?

The food. I always eat way too much :)

Destin Beach is a family tradition...

it's where my Dad proposed to my Mom.

The boys had so much fun we had to go back for a second day...

good thing we did - we found some amazing shells and as we were out swimming a small shark swam by. I immediately started enjoying building sandcastles, but my boys thought swimming with a shark was pretty impressive.

Handsome Hubby w/Junior

OTG Boy

The Professor

Bubba

Junior w/Mommy

We also stopped to visit the Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin. It's one of our kids favorite places.

Grandpa's an amazing scouter - so he was more than willing to help the boys pass off some of their scout requirements. He helped OTG Boy learn to use a personal camp stove and let The Professor pitch a tent. And of course, Junior was there, right in the middle of all the action.

Grandpa and Grandma also put the kids to work...

Bubba was picking the blueberries...

while Handsome Hubby, OTG Boy and The Professor cleaned up pinecones and pine needles.

Grandpa and Grandma said they appreciated all the hard workers.

And in our family, when you go country...

we really go country.

We always go visit out where Grandma Y grew-up...

you can't get anymore country than that.

(Anyone else think it's kind of funny that my eyewear seems to match my Grandma's? I guess I know what I'll be looking like when I'm in my 80's!)

And of course, the old swimmin' hole at the Blackwater River.

My Grandpa was baptized here.

And yes, very country... while we were standing there something plopped into the water on the other side of the river...

Turtle

Alligator?

We'll never know.

The hardest part about visiting family?

Loading everyone into the car to head back home.

Saying goodbye is no fun.

We miss you Grandpa, Grandma & Great Grandma!

We had a wonderful time and hope to get back for another visit sometime soon!

Love You!

Ouch!

2010-07-22T07:00:00.001-07:00

During OTG Boy's last Water Polo match - Junior thought he'd try running away.

Now he's had his first lesson on why they have all of those "no running" signs at the pool.

He bit his tongue, cut his lip & scraped his chin!

Oh little boys... I Love 'em!

Home Away From Home

2010-07-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

OTG Boy has spent a lot of time at the pool this summer.

He has swim team practice every morning.

Then for two weeks he went back for another hour each day and was able to earn his first two Merit Badges

Swimming

Life Saving!

Then back again in the evening for Water Polo...

his team took 3rd Place!

You've been working hard this summer!

Great Job!

Under the Sea

2010-07-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

We just took a trip to the new

Arizona SeaLife Aquarium

it's just 12 miles down the road in Tempe!

When we got there Junior was asleep - tried as hard as I could but he just wouldn't wake up...

poor guy :)

The boys had a lot of fun, the aquarium has questions for the kids to answer throughout the aquarium and they also had a hands on section where you could touch starfish, shrimp and a few other little creatures.

When Junior woke up he didn't know what to think - there were fish everywhere he looked!

They also had these fun bubbles in several of the tanks - next best thing to scuba diving.

The fish and corals were beautiful.

Of course, Bubba loved the the Tylosaurous skeleton with the sharks swimming all around... if you didn't know he is VERY in to skeletons and sharks!

The boys had a great time!

And here's a tip for anyone wanting to go (which I discovered by accident) -

buy your tickets online!

I just happened to buy mine online, because I was able to get a discount - when we arrived at the aquarium the ticket line wait was about 45-60 minutes, but because I had pre-purchased my tickets we got to go through prepaid ticket line - which had no one in it and we got to walk right in... very nice!!!

"We Have a Dog!?!"

2010-07-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

A week ago I had a really nasty stomach flu... I mean yuck... I felt like I was on the verge of passing out most of the day. Then the next morning Handsome Hubby took OTG Boy to his 8am Water Polo Game. As I'm waking up I hear The Professor yelling at the top of his lungs,

"We Have a Dog!!!"

I come out of my room to see what's going on, because I'm pretty sure we don't have a dog... I know I was pretty out of it, but I'm thinking Handsome Hubby would've let me know if he was bringing home a dog.

Well sure enough, I look out the window and...

we have a dog?

Now, I'm not very brave when it comes to larger dogs I don't know - especially when they have a resemblance to the pit bull family. But, I poked my head out and all of our gates were locked and closed.

I called Handsome Hubby, "Did you know there's a dog in our backyard?" "No? What do I do?"

So, I put a bowl of water outside the door (it was already 100 degrees) and decided to wait for Handsome Hubby to get home.

45 minutes later the dog was gone.

The boys are sad - they really want to be dog owners.

But, I have to say, huge sigh of relief for me - I'm not quite ready for the dog commitment...

yet :)

Question of the Day

2010-07-13T08:40:00.003-07:00

Whenever I go shopping with all my boys the inevitable question of the day from any, and every, cashier..., "Wow, four boys. You gonna keep trying for that girl?"

When I was the mom of only two boys - I would laugh and chuckle at that question. After three boys I got really tired of that question... then I got bitter about that question... and then the tables turned...

Now when they say, "Wow, four boys. You gonna try for that girl?" One of my boys will pipe up and say, "we actually have five boys, but our other brother died when he was a baby." How's that for awkward silence in the checkout line?

But, it does give me the opportunity to think about and share with others how much I love being the mother of a flock of boys! Sure a girl, or two would've been fun, but having my boys has been quite the adventure. Instead of the Little House and Nancy Drew books I grew up reading - they've exposed me to Percy Jackson and Artemis Fowl, they think I'm cool because I'm not afraid of a little soccer scrimmage in the backyard and my boys keep me hopping - they all have different interests and that keeps me busy learning new things, too.

As for our "Other Brother", I miss him.

I love all my boys!

I'm thankful for the opportunity to be a mother.

Dinner

2010-06-24T11:08:00.003-07:00

Handsome Hubby picked out my blog topic for today. As I took dinner out to put on the grill he said it looked "beautiful" and snapped a picture with his cell phone.

I was just trying to use up what I had in the house, grabbed some frozen meat, a couple of peppers, a few zucchinis, threw on a few spices...

and voila...

you get a handsome husband who thinks his wife is a great cook!

I must admit though, the meat was tasty and Bubba said, with his mouth full of food, it was the best zucchini he'd ever had.

I love it when last minute ideas come together!

By the way, I love Handsome Hubby and I'm glad he appreciates my cooking - his compliments mean the world to me!

Slightly Unbalanced

2010-06-23T11:17:00.002-07:00

My parents started out with a family of 2 Girls & 2 Boys

Now we look like this!

You may have noticed a lot of short hair in the picture... probably because the boys slightly outnumber the girls.

Okay, okay...

Here's Grandpa & Grandma with their

14 Grandsons

1 Granddaughter

We're a little top heavy with the boys!

First Haircut

2010-06-17T09:31:00.004-07:00

First Junior Looked like this:

Mommy really didn't want to do it... her baby wouldn't look like a baby anymore :(

But, we're all supposed to learn and grow, so...

Daddy went to work and Junior didn't even cry (the only one of our boys who didn't) - he just seemed slightly annoyed.

Here's how he looks today:

All "Big Boy"

Say Cheese

2010-06-16T08:19:00.004-07:00

For all those wondering... this is what a 40 pound block of cheese looks like.

Why do we have a 40 pound block of cheese?

Handsome Hubby's parents are dairy farmers - how lucky are we?!?

What do you do with 40 pounds of cheese?

- send half to your brother-in-law's house

- cut a few smaller cubes for the fridge

- shred, shred, shred...

- put in storage bags and freeze

- did I say shred?
It may look like a lot, but I'm sure the boys will finish it off in no time! Four growing boys... bring it on!

Happy Sleep

2010-06-15T15:16:00.003-07:00

I couldn't resist recording this... every time Junior would wake back up he'd start to laugh... way too cute!

Happy days are good days!

Backyard Fun

2010-06-14T11:18:00.004-07:00

When it's 104 degrees - the pool is a wonderful place to be!

Junior loves floating around!

Bubba, the noodle thief!

How about a snorkeling adventure with the Professor?

OTG Boy's up for a little one-on-one any day!

And of course Handsome Hubby and I take turns playing and life-guarding...

How 'bout a swim? Come on over!

My Little Helper

2010-06-10T09:28:00.003-07:00

This little one loves being outside and loves watering the lawn. I love how our kids come to this earth natural born helpers - I wish it would stay that way. Junior really is a good helper, but...

He also loves any excuse to get in the water :)

Better Late Than Never?

2010-06-09T07:02:00.004-07:00

You may remember Handsome Hubby and OTG Boy were going to be in the Easter Pageant at the Mesa Temple this last March. Well they did it... they loved it... and had some amazing experiences!

During the pageant cast members are set apart as cast missionaries - what a great opportunity and reminder to our family that, "it is the Spirit that matters most." Next time you're talking with Handsome Hubby ask him about a few of the miracles he experienced... wonderful times.

So, for those who could not come, this is the pair in their costumes. They did a great job! It was busy, but both will tell you they'd love to do it again!

Grandpa

2010-06-08T07:22:00.003-07:00

So, blogging kind of fell by the wayside for awhile... turns out being a mom took away some of that free time this year... between virtual schooling (for the first year), an infant/now toddler running around the house, primary calling and all the "stuff" a growing family finds themselves participating in... I got a little busy. You know what? I wouldn't have it any other way - I love being a MOM and I love my family!

So, you see the guy with the big smile on his face teaching my little brother how to shoot the 22?

He's my Grandpa!

Grandpa passed away last week. I miss him.

I am incredibly lucky to have him as my Grandpa.

He loved his family, he loved adventure, he loved this earth, he loved learning! He's one of the smartest people I've ever met.

As a kid I loved the adventures of camping and water skiing... it was also fun when my Grandpa was the only person I knew with a home computer - I thought that was the coolest thing ever (Grandpa was a techie, too).

As a teenager, I loved to learn about World War II and listen to Grandpa & Grandma's experiences as they travelled the world.

As a college student, I visited any time I could... BYU was just down the street.

Once I got married I loved talking with Grandpa about our trips as we'd drive back to Utah. He'd always get so excited when I'd tell him about our adventure, the path we travelled the places we stopped.

During the funeral as my Uncle was describing the way my Grandparents travel - always stopping to see the landmarks, admire the beauty and enjoy the adventure, Handsome Hubby would give me a nudge and smile. Why? Totally me... I can never get in the car and just go... we have to stop, we need to learn about the sites... we need to take in the adventure. When Handsome Hubby tells me I'm just like my Grandpa, that's the best compliment I could ever receive.

Love you Grandpa! I'm thankful families can be forever! Say "hi" to my little angel!

What is That?

2010-03-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

This year The Professor started attending a virtual school and let's just say that more than one person has asked, "What is that?"

So, this post is dedicated to answering,

"What is a virtual school?"

Who?

The Professor is enrolled in Arizona Connections Academy...

Connections Academy is a nationally available school with different options for enrollment depending on your state. In our state virtual schools can be set up as charter schools, so the Arizona Connections Academy is set up as a charter school.

The school does have a local administrative office, but most of our teachers work from home.

What?

When you enter the world of virtual schooling you get to learn a whole new vocabulary...

first of all - you no longer attend a "bricks and mortar" school... we learn "without boundaries."

We have an assigned teacher, a list of classes to be done daily, assignments to send in and tests to be taken. The Professor also participates in pragmatic speech therapy once a week, is a member of the Robotics Club and is taking an elective - beginning spanish.

Sounds pretty rigourous and frankly, it is... however the "without boundaries" part, is the best part. That's the part that benefits us the most... Asperger's Syndrome is not easy and my experience is - some teachers and administrators in our public schools care (we have had two teachers who were absolutely amazing), others could care less, some have their hands tied with budget issues and some are just out right uneducated and mean. Now that we don't have the "boundaries" The Professor and I can make working on social skills part of any subject or lesson - we can meet the problems head on, instead of ignoring them and, even more importantly, help The Professor learn and grow without tearing him down. We also get to discuss the gospel with any and all subjects - The Professor and I have had some very interesting insights this year. The Professor's favorite part is that once he's done with his day, or taking a break he can study whatever he wants... it's great. Last year, in the "bricks and mortar school" The Professor was constantly in trouble for wanting to read - which yes, proper time proper place, however, this year on his breaks he's practically memorized his science book - reading it over and over just for fun.

Yes, virtual school is real school! In Arizona we still have to do the state mandated AIMS testing. And yes, universities accept kids who graduate from Conncections Academy - many students have been accepted to the local colleges like ASU and NAU, but they've also been accepted to schools all over the country, including Harvard.

When?

When you're in a virtual school you can learn whenever you want - as long as you're working on curriculum, meeting your state mandated number of school hours and turning in assignments in a timely manner.

For us, The Professor works best with a schedule - so we have a daily schedule with very specific time frames for accomplishing his work. If his work isn't finished according to our schedule then he has homework. This approach seems to work best for The Professor, so that's what we do.

Where?

Right in our front room. It's great - at the beginning of the year the school sent all of the text books, workbooks and most of the supplies (we still have to provide a few of our own), so we have our computer area, study area, and then, if we feel like it, we can go anywhere else we want. We do a lot of our science projects in the backyard, reading can be done sitting in a comfy chair, or if we feel the urge - field trip! We have several resources within 15 minutes of home -museums, the zoo, the Mesa Temple... if there's something we'd like to see, we can! We also go to the library once a week and as I said earlier The Professor still recieves his IEP speech services online. He meets online with his teacher and 4th grade class once a week and does the same for spanish class. The school also plans field trips once a month - it's been fun to have the chance to meet with other students and parents.

How?

All you have to do is go to the website and see if you're eligible. In Arizona enrollment is free.

Attending a virtual school is a lot of work and as a mom it's been a huge committment for me to adjust my schedule and outlook to make this type of schooling work in my life. I'm still learning. All of my children are important to me and as a mother I am committed to doing whatever I can to help each of them know that they are a child of God, that they each have special gifts and talents and that each of them have special assignments that they came to this earth to fulfill. I can't live their lives for them, but I will do my best to give them the tools they need to live their own lives and do the things that they know are right.

March Madness

2010-03-01T10:22:00.004-07:00

Handsome Hubby & OTG Boy are going to be very busy this month...
subsequently that means the entire family is going to be very busy this month!

Handsome Hubby & OTG Boy are participating in the Easter Pageant at the Mesa Temple this year, which means a lot of rehearsals and 9 nights of performances.

OTG Boy is absolutely thrilled - he's been wanting to audition since we moved to Mesa - so, his dreams have finally come true!

Click here and here for info, dates and times.

The Easter Pageant is AMAZING!

Snack Time

2010-02-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

I guess Junior thought Woody might be a little hungry!

Holes

2010-02-24T06:22:00.002-07:00

Keep Digging OTG Boy...

"This ain't no girl scout camp!"

(If you've never read it "Holes" is one of our favorite books - you should give it a read sometime!)

Math Genius?

2010-02-03T11:31:00.002-07:00

The Professor has an online math tutorial daily.

When the music starts, no matter where he is or what he's doing, Junior flies to the computer!

He loves the music and then he's hooked - he'll watch the entire tutorial and then go back to whatever he's been doing.

Today's lesson...

adding and subtracting decimals.

Don't all babies love that?!?

Word of the Day

2010-01-28T13:00:00.001-07:00

Flexible

During this week's speech lesson The Professor and his classmate took turns being flexible.

For the next week we are all going to be flexible.

Yesterday I asked The Professor to watch Junior for a few minutes. Just as he started to say no, he looked at me and said, "Okay, I can be flexible."

Wow! I love the word flexible!

Speech for the Professor has been a little different this year... it's virtual.

It's been great - he's met kids from all over the country!

However, as a family we haven't been as great at practicing his lessons during the week, so I thought I'd start blogging about them like I did last year... hopefully, that will keep us going for the next 7 days!

The Matching Tie Guy

2010-01-25T07:44:00.005-07:00

In my house full of boys I'm always on the lookout for great ties!

Well today, thanks to my friend Lindsay at "Delightfully Content" I found my dream tie shop!

(click here to see her cute baby & his daddy in matching ties on blessing day a few weeks ago... I love it!)

Easter at my house doesn't require hours and hours of dress shopping... but you would be surprised at how hard it is to find the perfect spring ties for boys age 1 to 30 something!

Right now I'm leaning towards the light blue ties with stripes & squares...

To see these ties for yourself go to http://www.thematchingtieguy.com/

So Cute!

or, I stand corrected...

So Handsome!

or if you're Bubba...

You so, definitely, look like a rockstar!

And, she's offering a free tie giveaway on her blog... click here for the details!

Whether you blog or not, you should check out these ties... definitely worth your time!

Mommy's Little Helper

2010-01-19T19:40:00.004-07:00

Look who stopped by to help put away the produce!

Well...

Kind of!

My Hardworking Handsome Hubby

2010-01-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Handsome Hubby works hard...

that's one of the reasons I fell in love with him...

13 years later he's still at it.

Here's just a few of the things he's been working on since July.

He provides great entertainment for the boys!

He coached both OTG Boy and Bubba's soccer teams!

(That's three practices a week)

Dug a giant trench through the front yard!

(with OTG Boy's help)

When your house is on the "old" side it's amazing how many crazy "fix-up" projects come along.

Our latest adventure happened when a monsoon storm blew over the lamppost in the front yard. At first we thought we'd just replace the lamp, but then the wires broke - they're over 50 years old, so then we thought we'd run new wires through the pipe... but when we checked out the pipe it was rusted through and falling apart... so, time to replace the pipe.

So, replacing the lamppost has turned into the beginnings of re landscaping the front yard...

starting with a new, sturdy, post.

Handsome Hubby helped each of the boys leave a print in the cement.

and left a note

HaHa + Handsome Hubby

Then he started making our post beautiful -

he's really quite a craftsman.

Almost done!

Love You Handsome Hubby!

Biggest Changes in 2009... Goes to Junior!

2010-01-10T19:28:00.005-07:00

He started the year safely tucked away in mommy's belly!

The next thing you know - he was here!

A Total Miracle!

Now he's joined us at the table...

and eats toes for dessert!

He had a sugar free Halloween...

And experienced his first Christmas Tree...

couldn't leave it alone!

He was a natural when it came to opening his gifts!

His favorite thing about Christmas?

Santa brought him his very own swing!

Combines two of his favorites... swinging and being outside.

Nice when Santa truly knows the desires of your heart!

He swings almost everyday - it's his favorite place to be!

Starting with the End

2010-01-10T19:24:00.002-07:00

Hi Everyone,

You probably noticed I never finished my end of the round-up. I've been sick for a few weeks and wouldn't you know pneumonia has knocked me off my feet! So, starting tomorrow - I'll try starting my new year by finishing last year's end :)

Love you all!

HaHa

A Few Firsts For Bubba

2009-12-24T16:23:00.004-07:00

Bubba's had a great couple of months!

This was his first year playing soccer!

He loved it! He had a lot of fun because his dad was his coach and his best friend was on the team... it did however bring out a competitive streak we didn't know Bubba had. He's one tough cookie!

He also celebrated a birthday!

He loves dinosaurs so, I created a volcano cake complete with dinosaurs and lava.

(Made me feel good when he said it was the best cake ever!)

Look at that smile!

This is Bubba's first bike that wasn't a hand-me-down...

he rides it any time he gets a chance!

On Thanksgiving Bubba lost his first tooth!

Bubba loves kindergarten and has become a great reader!

I love watching him learn and grow - he's so enthusiastic and that smile is contagious!!!

Notes for The Professor

2009-12-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

The Professor has been very busy the last couple of months, too!

And yes, he's been a very good listener :)

What keeps The Professor busy?

Online Virtual Schooling!

It's been a lot of work - but I have to say, he's been very focused and had the opportunity to learn a lot more, about subjects that interest him, than he would in the traditional classroom!

For starters he has at least two hands on science projects a week and absolutely loves them.

He also had the opportunity to go on a field trip to the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum in Tucson - Junior and I tagged along. It was almost completely outdoors... it was beautiful... it was educational... we loved it!

The Professor and I agreed we need to take a family trip to Tucson!

Here is just a sampling of our adventure!

We explored caves and found minerals...

We saw wolves...

This was some serious desert hiking...

We saw tons of birds - The Professor loved the falcon!

Big horned sheep were climbing around on the rocks...

And we got to see a bright red cardinal - I'd never seen one before.

It was a very fun and adventurous day!

I'm glad the Professor and I were able to go!

Other things that have kept The Professor busy...

Along with virtual schooling he has virtual speech. So, once a week he spends an hour with his speech therapist via headset & webcam. He also participates in social groups this way. It's been very exciting to visit with kids living in other places - so far he's been talking with kids in Ohio, Vermont, Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona.

The Professor is also taking a Spanish Class and he's a member of The Robotics Club at his school - which he absolutely loves!

He enjoys Cub Scouts - he's currently a Bear.

He's also been busy with piano.

And of course he reads, reads, and reads!

His current interests are robots and dogs. He recently finished the Harry Potter series and is now on the second book of Artemis Fowl.

End of Year Round-up - OTG Boy

2009-12-22T08:23:00.008-07:00

Boy have I fallen off the blogging bandwagon!

I've tried - really I've tried :(

So, to catch everyone up on what's been going on at HaHa's House I've got a little end of the year round-up planned.

First up, OTG Boy

As usual he's always On The Go!

Here's a sampling of what he's been up to...

First of all he joined a singing group called Up Beat!

He absolutely loved it!

Here are a few pics from their Fall Show.

Here he is singing a song about the misery of raking leaves...

(he's in the green shirt w/glasses)

These boys were very convincing - made doing chores look absolutely miserable!

This is him singing about Zorro

(second one in on the right)

This was action packed - even included a sword fighting scene!

This was OTG Boy's favorite song (I think)

Jelly Bean Blues
He really let his "inner cool" shine!

Gruesome Groaners

Hard to see - but very fun spooky song.

They sang a tribute to the pilgrims.

And of course a grand finale, involving canes and high kicks!

It was a fun night!

Next on his list of things to do...

Earn the Arrow of Light

OTG Boy has always been very motivated and it's been an absolute pleasure watching how hard he has worked to accomplish his goals.

He also crossed the bridge from Cub Scouting into Scouting...

yes, that's right he's officially a Boy Scout now.

Boy time flies (and I feel old)

And I have to brag just a little...

In the Webelos Den you can earn 20 Activity Pins.

OTG Boy earned them all!

Great Job OTG Boy!!!

So, now OTG Boy is another year older

and what did he get?

You guessed it... anything Boy Scout related...

including a tent - he was very excited!

What else has OTG Boy been up to?

Working hard at Math Blasters - he just passed the 7th Grade test...

Participated in the school Spelling Bee...

Just had his Orchestra Christmas Concert and

he's been taking private cello lessons this year...

And don't forget - soccer - he did great this year... his skills have improved

and he's turned in to one tough kid!

Ok, I think we've got OTG Boy covered!

Boy has this kid been busy!!!

Are You Listening?

2009-11-19T08:57:00.002-07:00

Some pictures just make me smile!

Halloween

2009-11-06T19:24:00.005-07:00

My costume supply has built up over the years - they are sooooo cute!

I have everything you need to be a puppy, a cow, Bob the Builder, or a Fireman and plenty of other fun ideas.

My kids really haven't been attracted to the scary, or repulsive.

But,

this year things changed.

It all started with Bubba...

He said, "Mom, I don't want to be Bob the Builder for Halloween."

I said, "Why not? We've got the whole costume it would be great."

He said, "Mom, Bob the Builder is for little kids. If I wear that everyone will laugh at me."

I said, "Okay, what do you want to be?"

He said (with bright eyes and a mischievous smile), "A vampire bat!" "With fangs!" "And with my face painted black."

So, for my first year of scary boys for Halloween this is what I got:

OTG Boy - Skeleton

The Professor - Harry Potter

Bubba - The Vampire Bat

(check out those orange teeth!)

And

Junior - The Jack-O-Lantern

Since he can't talk I got away with cute for him :)

So, candy anyone?

Hopefully, we didn't cause too many nightmares!

Spooky Spiders

2009-11-04T05:46:00.007-07:00

Remember last year's October Break project?

I was pregnant and sick and needing to stay off my feet...

but had three busy boys who needed something to do?

I guess we started a new tradition.

I wasn't sick

- but -

you may have heard that the flu is going around, so when OTG Boy had a fever of 102...

Mama called the doctor and the doctor said...

keep those boys at home - don't let that flu bug spread!

I had to find something fun to do?!?

We made spiders!

Even Junior helped - he was a great spider hanging supervisor!

Finding Fall

2009-11-03T07:59:00.006-07:00

Here in the Valley of the Sun Fall is different...

After Labor Day I feel the urge to eat soups and chili, wear my boots and put on a jacket...

I'd like to feel that little "nip" in the air and look out my window into a yard full of falling leaves.

Well, frankly that's just not gonna happen, so for October break (after we finished-up with the flu) we headed north searching for Fall.

Bubba didn't know leaves came in any other color but green!

We combined family fun with school research for The Professor - he'll be writing a paper on our findings about some of Arizona's earliest residents.

First we headed to Montezuma's Castle.

Want to know more click here.

Junior loves anything that gets him out of the house - his stroller is his favorite place to be!

Next stop...

First you hike up...

and then go down in...

you're at Montezuma's Well.

Click here if you'd like to read about it.

All those handsome boys!

OTG Boy

The Professor

Bubba

HaHa, Handsome Hubby & Junior

Look!

We found it!

It's officially Fall!

What It's Like to Live with Boys...

2009-10-15T11:26:00.001-07:00

I wouldn't have it any other way!

Baby in a Bucket

2009-09-21T07:00:00.001-07:00

Why is the bucket, always, more fun than the toys you keep in it?

Multitasking

2009-09-18T09:50:00.003-07:00

No longer afraid to touch the baby... OTG Boy can do his homework and keep Junior from eating it at the same time!

Inchworm

2009-09-01T07:55:00.003-07:00

Originally, Junior started crawling like any other baby we've had...

then things changed and he decided to become an

Inchworm!

Personally, I think he's the cutest little inchworm I've ever seen!

By the way, every night as we sit down for our family scripture time this is what he does... there's just something about Mommy's scriptures, he just has to have.

Fun New Site

2009-08-19T17:12:00.003-07:00

Look how fun!

A whole website based on

"The Friend Magazine"

I love it!

Click HERE to take a look.

Everyone's Learning Something New!

2009-08-18T05:53:00.002-07:00

Guess what I've been doing since my brothers started school?

Learning to crawl!

Now I can go wherever I want...

whenever I want!

First Day of School 2009

2009-08-13T11:22:00.008-07:00

Seems like everyone had something special to be excited about this year!

OTG Boy - extremely excited to be in 6th Grade and "rule the school" as he says!

The Professor - ready to become part of the "virtual world" and start his online academy!

Bubba - first day of Kindergarten - that smile says it all!

OTG Boy and Bubba headed off for the bus...

The Professor worked all day on his projects...

He's attending the Arizona Connections Academy -

if you'd like to learn more about it click here.

Oquirrh Mountain

2009-08-11T07:10:00.000-07:00

It's already time to start heading south towards home, but we have a few more stops to make.

After our late night at the rodeo, we were up only a few hours later to start packing up the truck.

Our first stop along the way...

Uncle L & Aunt H2's house!

We were excited to see all of them, but mostly to see the little guy in the orange...

he's my newest nephew and he was born while we were on our vacation, so it was perfect timing!

Glad you made it cute little Cousin C!

After a quick visit - we were on the road again...

headed here -

The Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple Open House.

It was the last day, so it was pretty crowded. We spent quite a bit of time waiting in a tent to watch the welcome video. As we waited Handsome Hubby was going over a pamphlet about the temple with Bubba. When Bubba saw the picture of the baptismal font he asked, "Why is the baptismal font sitting on the back of a bunch of water buffalo?"

A little while later, I asked Bubba to tell me about the pictures, when he got to the picture of one of the sealing rooms he said, "And of course, this is the Upside Down Room." "What?" I asked in confusion. Bubba pointed up towards the roof of the tent we were sitting in... "You know, Mom," with a tone of exasperation, "the ceiling room."

At least we know a couple of good topics for some upcoming Family Home Evenings ;)

The boys all enjoyed going to the temple - OTG Boy seemed especially excited to have the opportunity to see what it is like inside a temple.

After the temple we stopped for a visit with my Grandpa and Grandma. It was a good visit and it was a great opportunity to introduce them to Junior. The boys especially enjoyed the ice cream cones! That's one thing you can always count on at my grandparents house - an ice cream cone. My kids always talk about the ice cream cones - and think they're the best they've had!

We spent the night in Richfield, again, and then it was all about driving home. As we were driving Bubba recognized some mountains by the Grand Canyon, he looked at me with concern, “these look like mountains in our desert.” “They are,” I said, “we’re going home.” “What?!?” he said, “I thought we were going back to Grandpa’s House!” Then through tears he softly said, “I had so much more I wanted Grandpa to teach me.”

I think we all feel a little bit like Bubba - it was a wonderful vacation - we enjoyed grandparents and cousins so much. We love Arizona, but we miss our family and love all of you more than we can say!

Family Time

2009-08-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

I must admit - I let the picture taking get away from me but we continued to have a very fun vacation. After the cabin we headed to Uncle A2 and Aunt W's house. Bubba and Cousin J had fun playing and it was fun to see where our Utah cousins live!

Next, it was back to the farm where the kids enjoyed time with Grandpa!

Everyone took turns horse riding and going out on the tractor. However, I think the boys were a little sad... we'd planned so many extra activities this time around they didn't get to go out and help with as many chores as they usually do... hopefully next time!

Here's Bubba on Maverick with Handsome Hubby. At first he was really scared, but in the end he hopped down, ran over and said, "Mom, did you see me driving the horse?" "Yes," I said laughing. He said, "Now I'm a real cowboy since I can drive my horse all by myself!"

Here's The Professor - he wants to be a cowboy now, too. He says all he needs are some cowboy boots, a hat and a piece of straw to chew on!

Don't Handsome Hubby and his brother Uncle W look cute in their matching shirts?

And here's OTG Boy - he's a good hard worker on the farm - he even went out to help move pipe!

Bubba loves Chip!

While we were in Preston we were able to visit with one of Handsome Hubby's best friends. We had a BBQ, delicious dessert with fresh raspberry jam, all of our kids had fun playing together... and the best part... watching the video of Preston High School's "Mr. Manly" contest the year Handsome Hubby won the title! Yes girls, don't be jealous... I'm married to a former Mr. Manly! That video was so fun - I think we laughed for an hour straight...

and yes, I have requested a copy.

Our last night of fun was at The Famous Preston Night Rodeo!

The boys loved it - and amazingly lasted the entire time - it ended at 11pm!

Our entire family...

Grandpa & Grandma

Handsome Hubby, HaHa, OTG Boy, The Professor, Bubba & Junior

Uncle W, Aunt K & Cousin B

Uncle A2, Aunt W, Cousin J and Cousin A

and

Aunt S

...were all able to go to the parade and rodeo.

We had so much fun!

I didn't get any good rodeo pictures but Handsome Hubby did take a few of the kids... and me!

OTG Boy and The Professor

Bubba

Aunt S, HaHa & Junior

(sporting his wranglers - couldn't take him to the rodeo without 'em)

The Cabin

2009-08-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

Handsome Hubby had a lot of fun taking us to stay in a cabin that his Grandpa and Great Grandpa had built. He has a lot of great memories of this place and was very excited to make some with his own boys.

Here is Handsome Hubby's family minus His Dad and beautiful wife :)

The kids loved playing in the creek!

It was perfect, only a few inches deep. The Logan River was just down the hill, but it was moving a little too fast for us desert dwellers, so we stuck with the creek.

Here's cousin J

Cousin B - from Arizona

Cousin A

OTG Boy

The Professor

Bubba

Grandma and Junior

Handsome Hubby says this flag has hung here as long as he can remember. His Grandpa was a member of the military and an executive in the Boy Scouting program.

The Flag meant a lot to his Grandpa.

There is a story behind this bag. When Handsome Hubby was a Varsity Scout he went to the Sawtooth Mountains, near Mackay Idaho (High Adventure), to ride horses and fish. Handsome Hubby did not have any fishing equipment, so his Grandpa loaned him a fishing pole and this bag. Handsome Hubby used this bag to carry his bait and the fish he caught. He was very excited to see the bag at the cabin and show his kids this piece of his history.

Visiting the cabin was very special for Handsome Hubby. His grandfather passed away a few days after he got home from his mission and his grandmother a little over two years ago - it's nice to have this place with so many special memories.

Also, his uncle and cousins have been working on the cabin for several years now, fixing and remodeling - it looks spectacular!

Little side note: we rented a car for our trip (the old van's just not that reliable anymore). Originally, we had selected a Dodge Durango, but when we arrived at the pick-up counter they informed us that there were no standard size SUV's available, so they'd have to give us a free upgrade. The Expedition was great! We had all the room we needed!

A few last moments at the creek and then it was time to go!

Goodbye Cabin - we had so much fun!

P.S. OTG Boy and The Professor were both working on their Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award and decided to take some pictures as part of one of the requirements. So, if you'd like to see their pictures of nature click HERE.

Preston & Rockets

2009-08-06T07:59:00.006-07:00

After staying the night in Nibley we headed up to the other end of the Valley for Handsome Hubby's family reunion in Preston, Idaho (before you ask, yes that is the town of Napoleon Dynamite fame, no he was not in the movie - his high school locker was, yes he grew up on a dairy farm, but no... his dad is not the guy who shot the cow in front of the school bus kids. I thought I'd let you know since everyone who finds out Handsome Hubby is from the Preston area, or as we like to say the suburbs of Preston - his town is much smaller :) - wants to know about Napoleon Dynamite. All we can say is, that boy did put Preston on the map.).

It was a fun reunion - so fun, in fact, I forgot about taking pictures. Actually, I spent most of my time holding Junior - so I didn't really get a chance. However, the food was delicious, company was great, OTG Boy and The Professor spent hours going down the water slide and Handsome Hubby enjoyed playing in the pool with Bubba. You know Handsome Hubby enjoyed himself because he didn't realize he was getting the sunburn of his life - he was red for about a week... yikes!

6-4+1-1=2

What does this mean?

The boys were very excited about launching rockets at Grandpa & Grandma's House.

We arrived with 6 rockets.

4 disappeared - never to be seen again.

Everyone and their dog tried to find this one - never did.

Had so much fun, Handsome Hubby bought 1 more fancy rocket to play with.

Grandpa had so much fun he found out Handsome Hubby could buy more engines in town - so he did.

We had 1 last rocket break.

In the end

2 rockets survived.

OTG Boy and Handsome Hubby both have rockets they can take back next year!

Here's OTG Boy during one of his launches.

(sorry it's sideways, but I don't have software to switch it around right now)

Here's The Professor launching his rocket.

Everyone had a lot of fun!

Nibley

2009-08-05T07:36:00.000-07:00

After Manti we made it to Provo... the boys liked eating at Chuck-A-Rama. In fact, Bubba said it was almost like being in heaven - he likes places that let him choose his own food and lucky for us he's a healthy eater... out of all of the food choices he was most excited about the cantaloupe and honeydew. Don't worry, he's still a little boy... you should've seen the sundaes the boys created for dessert... in one word...

huge!

By the time we made it to Brigham City Junior was starving! So we stopped at the park, the boys played, but as you can see a couple of them decided to join Dad for an afternoon nap. Who could pass up that beautiful shade and soft grass? Two things we definitely don't have in Arizona.

After the nap everyone piled back in the car for the last leg of our journey. A quick trip through Sardine Canyon and we soon found ourselves in Nibley and pulling up in front of Uncle A1 and Aunt H1's house (sounds like the flu, but we have two Uncle A's and two Aunt H's so it will have to do). We were so excited to be at our destination for the night!

It's especially fun to visit with my brother because all of our kids have a match - we both have four boys and each one has someone their age to play with - can't get better than that!

We had a BBQ that night, so here are some more picture of us eating!

(I must've inherited that take pictures of people eating gene from my Dad!)

After dinner, and a little more playing, Uncle A1 and Aunt H1 took us to the 24th of July (Pioneer Day) Fireworks at Willow Park. They showed us their secret to getting the best spot - right where they are being launched - the best part? You don't have to go early, you don't have to save spots... you just park and walk (not even that far) and you get the best view in town!

It was great!

The kids were excited when we all pulled out light sticks to play with while we were waiting. And of course, they immediately became wands and the next thing you know Harry Potter spells were flying back and forth.

It was so much fun other kids joined in too - it made the time fly.

Isn't this an amazing scene? You can almost see Hogwarts in the background - I think imaginations were working overtime here.

And then the fireworks started. Junior didn't even cry, which frankly, was a shocker - we were literally right under the fireworks.

Thanks for a great time A1 and H1 we miss you and hope to see you again soon!

And if Handsome Hubby ever gets a job in Cache Valley - Nibley here we come!

P.S. I had a great time going to the yard sales!

Manti

2009-08-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

After spending the night in Richfield we meandered up through Central Utah and stopped here...

The Manti Temple!

It is one of my most favorite places in all the world...

a beautiful fairy tale temple standing out in the middle of nowhere.

What makes it even more "cool" is it's history...

"Part of the little we know of his [Moroni's] travels derives from an account of an incident that occurred on April 25, 1877, the day the Manti Temple site was dedicated. Early that morning, President Brigham Young is reported to have gone to the site and said, “Here is the spot where the Prophet Moroni stood and dedicated this piece of land for a temple site, and that is the reason why the location is made here, and we can’t move it from this spot.”" (Ensign 1978, "Moroni", by W. Cole Durham, Jr.)

My boys thought that was amazing!

After walking around the grounds we drove across the street to the cemetery. I sat in the car, parked in the shade to feed Junior... the cool breeze was perfect and the boys had the fun of exploring the cemetery. One of their favorite finds... the headstone of a man who translated the Book of Mormon into Danish and OTG Boy found a few (headstones) belonging to some of our ancestors... very fun!

The Grand Canyon

2009-08-03T07:37:00.008-07:00

The first stop on our summer vacation was

here!

My boys have been asking for the last five years,

"How can we live in the Grand Canyon State when we've never even seen it?!?"

So, since we pass the turn-off every time we go to Idaho, we decided it was time to stop and take a look!

It was beautiful!

We took a hike out to Bright Angel Point.

Everyone who saw us said that Junior had the

Best View!

Here we are at Bright Angel Point.

See the clouds in the background?

As we were hiking a thunderstorm was rolling in...

it was amazing!

You could hear the thunder rumbling through the canyon and see lightening in the distance.

For those of you feeling nervous go ahead...

parts of this trail had drop-offs down both sides, but my boys behaved very well... no one wanted to fall into the deepest hole they'd ever seen.

The North Rim Visitor's Guide it says to "Avoid Shocking Experiences," lightening strikes are apparently very common on the North Rim. The Guide says, "hair standing on end is a warning. It is a signal that an electrical charge is building near you and that lightning may strike. Move away from the rim immediately!"

Nothing like little boys checking their arm hairs to see if they're standing on end ;)

We felt lucky that we were able to hike and see this amazing view before the storm rumbled our way.

Yes, that's me... last one out!

Hiking around with a 6 month old strapped to your front is not the easiest thing to do... but it was some amazing exercise!

After our hike we went to the Lodge for lunch.

Junior tried out his first high chair...

with my purse shoved behind his back and a little help from Dad it was a successful venture (for a little while).

My Dad always takes pictures of our family eating...

So, this one is for you Dad!

We had an excellent meal...

Watched the storm come in through the giant lodge windows...

and the boys were very interested to hear the stories I had to tell about the summer Grandpa (my dad) worked at the Grand Canyon as a teenager.

We had a great time!

Maybe next year...

The South Rim!

Huge Weight Off of My Shoulders

2009-07-22T07:00:00.001-07:00

Sunday Night

Monday Night

Why We Have Brothers

2009-07-21T08:03:00.000-07:00

The other morning Bubba was playing with Junior and singing. Bubba is always singing Primary Songs with Junior and this morning was no different... so I found myself humming along with "Follow the Prophet." But then the words caught my ear... have you ever heard this version of the chorus in your primary?

"Buckle your seat belt!

Buckle your seat belt!

Buckle your seat belt,

Don't go astray.

Buckle your seat belt!

Buckle your seat belt,

it saves the day!"

Good thing Junior's got his older brother looking out for him!

Ready... Set...

2009-07-20T11:20:00.001-07:00

Almost ready to go!

I'm getting bigger everyday!

Oh, Gross!!!

2009-07-15T17:36:00.002-07:00

Well, you may never want to come to my house again...

Yesterday morning we woke up to at least 100 of these little beauties all over the kitchen floor!

After cleaning up as much as we could Handsome Hubby went to work and I ran kids to swimming... then it was a call to my pest control service.

The kids thought they were termite larvae...

I thought they looked like meal worms...

Pest Control Guy said...

Maggots!

He asked what I'd had in the house the day before...

Nothing!

I know my house is never anywhere near that "perfect" clean I'm always trying to figure out... but I have to say, I thought I was doing better than this!

Oh, well...

they're cleaned up now - I don't know what happened...

if I never have visitors again, I'll understand!

Yikes!!!

Look Who Came to My House on the 4th of July!

2009-07-06T08:32:00.004-07:00

It's my only niece in the state of Arizona!

I love my boys - but, it's just soooooo cute to see that little skirt walking around the house!

We're glad you live here - we love you!

Entertainment

2009-06-29T11:36:00.002-07:00

Junior

with his captive audience!

This kid's always putting on a show!

"Egg"-citing!

2009-06-27T06:59:00.008-07:00

Each week this summer we've been getting together with friends twice a week. It rotates from house to house. On Tuesdays we do a cooking activity and on Fridays we do a science activity. This week it was our turn to host... for our activity we discussed gravity and what you can do to change the expected result - crashing into the ground. Each of the kids were so excited about what they had created they wanted to take it home - however that was a very messy idea so I promised them I would take pictures and post them on my blog. So here it is...

The Great Egg Drop!

They each had: 15 Straws, 10 Popsicle Sticks, 1 Sheet of Newspaper, Scissors, Tape and Their Great Imaginations. Here's what they created:

Swim Team

2009-06-25T10:11:00.006-07:00

This is OTG Boy's first year doing the local swim team and he's been having a lot of fun!

This is him after his first meet, they swam freestyle...

He was 3rd Place for his individual race

and his relay team took 5th

(but Handsome Hubby will tell you they were ROBBED!

He could have sworn they finished 2nd!)

Last week was backstroke - individual and team were both 7th Place.

Tonight - Butterfly!

Good Luck OTG Boy!

Note to the Older Boys

2009-06-24T08:15:00.005-07:00

I promised you this day would come...

Yesterday, I left Junior, happily, playing under his baby gym. When I walked back into the room after loading the dishwasher, he had his feet propped up on the window and was looking outside!

It's official boys...

your stuff is no longer safe!

So, please remember to put things away, and don't say I didn't warn you!!!

Love,

Mom

First Taste

2009-06-09T09:31:00.000-07:00

BEFORE

Junior's first taste of rice cereal

AFTER

Not a huge fan... we'll have to work on it!

Latest stats: he's 4 months, weighs 13 pounds 4 ounces, and is 25 inches long!

Moonlight

2009-06-08T09:14:00.000-07:00

You know that song, "Dancin' in the Moonlight?"

Well, Handsome Hubby and I do our

cannin' in the moonlight!

Ever since my friend showed me how she does her canning in the backyard I've been wanting a stove so I could do it, too. Well, Happy Mother's Day (stove for canning)/Father's Day (stove for dutch oven cooking)... we now have a stove!

So, here's my second attempt at Apple Pie Filling...

First attempt not, too successful...

Thanks for the advice Mom, the second batch turned out great!

Also, a special thanks to my Mother-in-Law who gave Handsome Hubby the job of running the apple parer, corer, slicer as a kid - he's a pro!

My First Button

2009-05-29T15:28:00.002-07:00

You may have noticed this...

I recently added it to my sidebar.

It belongs to...

well, I can't name names, but if you know my name then you know her name.

This is my extremely talented cousin-in-law!

She has a home business making the cutest car seat covers I have ever seen!

So, if you've got a car seat, or know someone with a car seat - take a look at her website

hipncozy.com

First Swim

2009-05-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Here's how Junior really felt about that first swim...

What a lip :)