Jury Duty

For my whole life I have been waiting to get called to Jury Duty. I know many of you will think this is strange. But I have really really really wanted to be called to Jury Duty. I love the feeling that I am contributing to my Country. I have a sense of duty to my Country. If I were on trial I would want someone like me to be on a Jury so that I would get a fair shot. It fascinates me. The whole court thing. Well today I was FINALLY called to Jury Duty. HOWEVER IT IS FOR AFTER THE MOVE! I am so bummed.

Sadie's Science Project

Sadie and her dad came up with a great science far project. She took baby teeth that the Tooth Fairy lent her and stuck it into Coke, Diet Coke, Caffeine Free Coke, and water and soaked a tooth in each one for 2 weeks. Each day she took pictures of the teeth and measured them. Those teeth got NASTY! Black and small. One thing is for sure Sadie won't ever be a soda drinker. The sad thing is that a girl did the exact same project but she added whip cream into mix. She got 1st place. Oh well Sadie did great and that is all the matters.

Tr-Weekly Intercome Hosts

Kamryn and her friend Kymber have (I recently discovered) a spot on the intercom for the whole school to hear every M-W-F mornings. They make up a jingle or rap or some other poem to advertise a book reading contest. Apparently they have become famous and all tune in to listen to what in the world they will be coming up with each day. You never know what they are going to do or say but it is quite comical and very imaginative. Sadie and Derrik for some reason have begun to put their heads on their desks at this particular time of the day. Seneca and I went and observed one morning and the Principal told me that she thinks they are very good at getting the message across.

Derrik's Arrow of Light

Cub Scouts is all most over for my only son. Last night at The Blue and Gold Banquet Derrik received his Weblow and his Arrow of Light Award. The theme was an Army Theme. They made a special time for Derrik because we are moving and Derrik wanted to receive this award in front of his friends that he has grown up with. Grannie and Grandad Slade came for the occasion. We weren't planning on moving so fast so a lot of his belt loops and pins got packed up by mistake. We will have to put them on when we get settled. Derrik worked real hard getting this award. Lots of hours were crammed into just this week so we could get it done before we leave.

I got teared up when thinking about all the good friends and leaders Derrik has had here. And how my boy is growing up so fast. I have to say I am glad Cub Scouts is almost over. Now it is Doug's turn to do all that stuff with Derrik.

1st Chair 1st Violin

Sadie recently moved up into 1st Chair, 1st Violin, in her violin class. She is getting better and better each week.

Her teacher Ms. Skolrud is such a great encouragement to her and has given her the confidence to continue on at her new Middle School. It will be during school everyday so it should be easier there and not 3 early mornings. We are very proud of her accomplishment.

For the last number of her concert the whole district (2 high schools, and 9 schools of 4th-8th graders played a song together and it really sounded great.

Sleep Sassin' Sadie

Around our house at night it is louder than in the day. Doug snores very loud when he forgets to take his allergy medicine and the blankets are all over the place. When he is gone I just get up and replace the covers. All 3 kids sleep talk and sleep walk and make noises. That is why I sleep with a noise machine on to buffer all the noise.



Well 2 nights ago I was watching TV around 10pm and Sadie comes in very concerned about the front sign being blown over from the storm. I told her I would fix it in the morning. She says to me "Fine if it is broken it is your problem." She then goes off sassin me. I told her to go to bed. The next morning I tell her she better tone down her attitude. She had no idea what I was talking about. She had been sleepwalking.



Last night at 1:30 AM, AM I repeat!, she bangs on my door and says "Mom!, Mom?" I said "WHAT!" and she says in a very snotty tone, "We have been waiting for a long time. What are you going to do!" I realize she is Sleep Sassin again. I told her to go to bed and she just keeps on goin. I was so mad. I haven't been sleeping well and here is my teenager talkin back at me in her sleep at 1:30 in the morning.



You think you have it bad with your teenagers. Mine talks back to me in her sleep so I can't realy punish her for it.

All Star Jam

One of the requirements for Scouting's Arrow of Light is to attend an 11 year old scout den meeting. Derrik called and asked if he could come and they said yes. Well that day some one got tickets to the NBA ALL STAR JAM SESSION for all the boys in the 11 year old scouts. They got one for Derrik too. That was a great meeting to pick. He had a lot of fun and is looking forward to going into 11 year old scouts. I think he might be disappointed if he thinks those are the kind of activities they do each week.

Bad Hair Days

I decided that I needed to learn how to color my own hair so I asked Jennifer Shumway to teach me how. Well it didn't go well. First off we went and bought the stuff at Sallys Beauty Supply and she taught me what to buy. It was the same color she always uses on me. I have been so lucky that I have never had a bad color job. Then the next day I came over and she showed me how to apply it. Well for some reason we have no idea why because it is the same color I always have... MY HAIR TURNED PURPLE!!!!!

Very scary but I was not too alarmed yet. We then decided that maybe it was a reaction to medication I am taking right now or that it was because we used cream and not liquid. Back to the store, (Yes I did happen to see people I know there with my purple hair) So we tried the very same color but in a liquid form. It turned my hair Dark RED!!!! Needless to say Kamryn was the only one who was liking that. We decided to give it a rest before we started out on our journey to fix it. My skin tones were not liken that either.
So this morning after hours of labor, thanks Jen I think it is fixed. We put lots of highlights in different stages and this is what we got. It still has a little red but it will wash out in a few washes I am sure. Thank goodness for hair color and good friends.
Amazing the difference hu? I went home and took a 2 hour nap with conditioner and a plastic bag over my hair. Hopefully it won't fall out from so much processing.

BLURB WORKS!!!!

I was so excited to learn today that Blurb.com has fixed it's issue with blogger. You can now download your blog and print your blog into a book. So excited to get started. Just FYI.

Wild Wild West

Last night we had quite the storm. It rained real hard and the wind really blew. This morning when we woke up there were HUGE tumble weeds in our backyard. The kids worked hard this cold morning before school getting rid of them. Some are too big so we are going to have to get help with them or maybe use a chainsaw. Crazy, but I guess this is the wild wild west.

Jealouse spectator

That is one big tumbleweed!

They were all over the place.

Kamryn's Carrot

Kamryn has a little green thumb. She thoroughly enjoys her garden. She checks on it everyday and eats out of it like crazy. Look at this huge carrot she grew.

Kamryn's Pizza

Kamryn worked real hard at her reading goal and she got a free coupon for a free pizza from Pizza Hut. Great Job Kamryn.

Martin Luther King

Last night the kids were asking what their new school names were going to be. I told Kamryn that hers will be called Martin Luther King Elementary. She says "Is it because it is free like all people?" I laughed.

Home is Listed

We have found the house we want in New Mexico so we have listed our house. I thought I would not be able to get it all ready in such a short amount of time but I live in the best neighborhood in the whole wide world. My back was killing me so I put out an email and asked my neighbors for help and for the next 3 days I had over 30 wonderful Angels here to help me. Doug's Mom and my good friend Jennifer were here a full 3 days. I will forever be great for them all. We painted and cleaned like crazy. My bishop brought his work crew over and did the yard. I had women watching other people's kids so they could come and I even got a dinner brought into me and I got a blessing from my home teachers. My MIL says I will probably never have these kinds of neighbors again and I am afraid I won't. I am so sad.

If anyone wants to buy it, it is for sale in the best neighborhood in town and we have a really great yard. Please pass it on to everyone you know.

Thanks.

Derrik's Biz Town Field Trip

In 5th grade the kids get to attend something that I think is such a great program. It is called JB Biztown. The kids learn about how the economy works and how to run a successful business just to name a few. The learn about for a quarter. The building has little businesses that real businesses sponsor. They have a Mayor and a Town Hall, Cox TV Station, Stores, a little Airplane, Even State Farm Insurance (where they take a drivers test). Last year Sadie was the CEO of a newspaper business. Derrik was the CEO of The Diamondbacks. It was so cute with little stadium seats and a place to buy memorabilia. The kids learn about advertising, how to write a check, (I was the bank volunteer last year, kids really learn about that mean FICA real quick) and how to manage your money. This year I was in the TV station. The whole goal of the day is to pay off your business loan and have more money. They have bills they pay and taxes and utilities and employee's to pay. Both Derrik and I had a lot of fun and Derrik proved he would make a great business man someday.

Sadie's MRA Update

I was finally able to talk to the Doc. today. Boy is he awesome. He talked to me for a full 20 min. He said everything came out clear. So that is great news. No brain strokes, tumors or eye issues. He said that he would narrow it down to Epilepsy and maybe Migraines. He said that is good news because either one is livable and won't hurt her. He said it will only be a factor when she turns driving age which is 15 in New Mexico. By then hopefully it will either have disappeared or it will have manifested itself more for a better diagnosis. He said even when we move I can call and he will talk to me. Dr. Chapman is his name FYI. So we are just going to go on livin and hope for the best.

Time Keeps Coming

Who said that our kids could just keep getting older. The other day I get a message on my phone for Sadie. It is a girl asking for Sadie to go with some girls to the movies. I can't believe this day has come. It made me realize that Sadie is growing and there is nothing I can do to stop it. We had other plans so she didn't go but I am sure there will be more invites. She has started to experiment with her outfits and her hair. Remember those days? Sadie is a good girl with a good head on her shoulders. I hope she stays that way and being a teenager doesn't change her. She finally talked me into getting her a blog. It is called Little Miss Sunshine. If you want to be invited let me know.

Kamryn's Earings

Kamryn got earrings for her birthday. It was a big ordeal. When it came time to take them out on Halloween. We got one out just great but when we went take the other one out it was green and infected. Needless to say it hurt her because those backs are so tight on the piercing earrings. She has been horrified for me to even touch her ear for months. She has been wearing 2 unmatching earrings. BUT today she got it out all by herself. She was able to wear matching earring and was very proud of her accomplishment.

Book Printing Problem

As stated in my previous posts I want to print my book for 2008. However Blurb does not support Blogger any more. They say they are working on the problem. Does anyone have any ideas of where to do this. I will not spend weeks and weeks copying and pasting.

January Dr appt.s

I always try and get my Dr appt done at the first of the year. I usually have to wait a while to get in. This year it was not so. So far this week I have had Eye, Dentist, Today dentist with my kids. OBGYN tomorrow and Friday we have Sadie's long awaited MRA. What a week. I went to Andi's dentist. Boy did I love him. He was super honest and very nice. I got in as soon as I walked in the door. The hygienist was so gentle I almost fell asleep. I wish the OBGYN was that way.

The End of 2008

I am happy to say goodbye to 2008. It was a very interesting year for our family. We got to go places that I never thought possible. Thank goodness we went when we did. Watch the news and it is not looking good over in Israel. Our friends are safe for the time being but she says they have closed everything and hear bombs all day and night. I am so happy Doug is home safe and sound.

The economy took a crap. That was not good. My kids are getting so old. That is good and bad. We have to move. That is bad. We are healthy and still have a good job. That is good.

I can't wait to print my book. I think it will be a treasure. The Slade Scrapbook of 2008. This is my last entry for the year. Happy NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

2008 Christmas Break

We did our annual 12 days of Christmas. This year we has some pretty sneaky people we did it too. The kids had to be extra careful. We have done this since Sadie was 5 except for last year because we were in Israel. Kamryn wanted to do it to someone there but it really wouldn't work because everyone is Jewish. She also wanted to go caroling and we told her people would probably not like that either. Anyways... Someone started doing it to us but they must of gotten tired because we only got the first 2 days. My kids think that is funny.

The kids enjoyed Christmas this year and the presents they got and gave. Doug and I got a GPS for the car. What a lifesaver in NM. It is really cool and it doesn't have a subscription. We also got a Clear Play DVD player for the family. It filters out all the crap in movies. Can't wait to use it.


The day after Christmas we took the kids, with Doug's parents, up to NM in the motor home and we spent the week at an RV park and getting a feel for the area. Since it was snowing we decided to take another route. It took 12, I repeat 12 hours to get there. It should only take 7 which is bad enough. Glad to say that is over. Doug's parents spent the night in a hotel and then went to Eagar.


The RV park is really nice. It had a little movie theater in it. We watched Journey to the Center of the Earth. It had a laundry and a hot tub and pool and pool tables. It was fun.



One day we took the kids up to Santa Fe and let them play in the snow. They had a lot of fun. I took a nap in the truck.


One day we took the kids to the aquarium. When you have been to the Red Sea it is kinda hard to beat but it was nice.
One day we went to the zoo. It was a very nice zoo. Sadie took pictures of all the animals. Kamryn got a monkey to sit on a stick that she put through the cage. I realize I use to do this kind of stuff a lot when Sadie and Derrik were little but poor Kamryn has missed out.

Most other days we went and looked at houses. I thought that the kids would complain when we did this but they LOVED it. Last time we did this I had 3 car seats and it was a nightmare. They really loved model homes. I told them the house we get will not be like those. We didn't find one we loved. Mostly because Doug likes old fixer uppers that have a lot of square footage and I like the newer ones that are more practical. We will need to keep looking. Still too sad for me to get into it.


We took the the normal route home and stopped in Eagar for a few hours. Eagar is smack dab in the middle. It was nice to see the family and take a break. Made it home safe and sound last night. It is nice to be home.

A Good Day

So I have something that was so exciting to share with you. I love a good deal. Yesterday I was out with the kids and we discovered I was gunna run out of gas. Well I made it to Safeway and I plugged in my Mom's Safeway Card (My mom said I could use hers because in Eagar there is only 2 grocerie stores and she uses Safeway. However there is not a Safeway Gas Station and the one in Showlow is usually higher even with the gas reward.)(Hope that is still OK Mom?) Well I have been so thrilled with the lowering gas prices. When we got home from Israel it was over $4.00!. Well I got $0.91 a gallon! That is unreal. I had to take a picture because I was so happy. It cost me $22 to fill my whole truck up. It use to cost me at least $75. That is good news. Doug wanted to know if I can read the sign that says, No Cell Phones.

Happy Birthday Sis

Today was Krissy's birthday. I had Seneca today and the kids each took a shift watching her. Derrik had her from 7am-9:30, Kamryn from 9:30-noon, I had her from noon-3 and Sadie watched her from 3-5:30. It works out great, especially for me because she sleeps from noon to 3. (Hey I have her all the time, it doesn't hurt to have her cousins help out.)

Sadie and Seneca made her mom a cake. She sure loved doing it. What a mess they made! She liked to put the sprinkles on. I think she liked to lick the cake after we iced it more than anything. We only had an 8 candle but it worked. Happy Birthday Sissy.

Our first New Mexico Trip

Doug and flew out for 2 days to go and see what I am in for. Krissy stayed overnight with the kids. I had to say that because I got a call from Andi while we were gone and she said Tori told her that the kids were staying by themselves and she wanted to know if I needed them to stay there with them. Too funny.

Well the first thing about it is that it is FREAKING COLD!!! I could not beleive how cold it was. It was windy so it made it very cold. Apparently it was the coldest day all year. I hope that was true because I hate being cold.

We went and looked for houses. There are many houses on the market. Like here I guess but not as many forclosures as here. We haven't even begun to scratch the surface. We are going to get what we want even if it takes a lot of looking.

There is a beautiful mountain there. The towns were not very pretty because no one has grass. I guess it costs a lot to have grass being as the water is so expensive. Some people have fake grass. That costs a lot too but is is better than rock. The city lights were nice. Everything is dead because of winter but I think it will be better any other time of year. The houses are all that ugly brown that Arizona has.

The people we came in contact with were all nice. That is good. We didn't have that much contact but that is good. The stores are all new and nice. Seems to be alot of shopping. There is a mall there with Sam's and Costco. Gas is about the same price as here.

We went and saw the Temple while we were there. It was very pretty. It is about 10 minutes from where we'll be. I guess there is everything we need except all our good friends that we will miss.

Kids Christmas Program

Tonight both Derrik and Kamryn had their Christmas performance. They both did great. Derrik's all about History. He had a special part that enabled him to not have to sing. He is not a lover of singing. He did well on his line.

Kamryn's was all about Christmas. She sang her little heart out. Cute hats hu? Kamryn and Derrik each had to wear a red shirt with no writing on it. They both decided to just turn their shirts around. Works for me.

Grannie Slade and Dustin (Doug's oldest brothers, youngest child) came to see them perform. Dustin is visiting because his mom has been very sick in the hospital. She is doing better now.

On the way home since there is no parking we gave Grannie a lift to her car. They all road in the back of the truck. It was pretty chilly out there.