Salt Lake Temple session

The day after Christmas we made it to a live session at the temple. It was a pleasure (like that word) to have every single one of us at the temple. It was cold out and I had the wrong shoes on for the walk to and from the car (I can't seem to find boots that fit my large calves).

The close up


Gotta get the majestic temple in


...and finally some shots of Greg and I that don't seem to make priority any more.

We have a nerd in the house

...I mean we have 2 with the offspring we have created (this would be Greg and Gabe). I do have to say I loooooove having a nerd around and one of the benefits from today is an:

Excel Spreadsheet projecting how long it will take for us to finish remodeling the inside of our house. This does not include the outside. The projected time when we will finish is in July of 2011 with us working only 9hrs a week no more or less (I just hope its done sooner...the spreedsheet says if we give 15 hours a week we will finish in July 2010).

Example spreedsheet.

Christmas in Review

Christmas Day...was WHITE!
Lots of presents
Smiles
so much excitement that there wasn't any sleeping until 2:00 a.m.
getting up @ 7:00 a.m. (made them wait until 8)


Santa visited Isaac at school and Elly was there for the party too




Mrs. Claus reading them a book


Isaac's chrismas ornament that he made at school.


Christmas Sledding Party was a blast!












Isaac getting board of sledding so he wanted to play in some water...fareeezing!

Confession

You know when you go to a store and there is a SALE and its a really good sale...one that if you buy it now it saves you money later and you know that you will use it. Well, I found one of those today and came out like a bandit but spent $237...shhhhh, don't tell Greg. My rationalization was this...I haven't bought scrapbooking stuff for about 2 years now... I'm thinkin it's about time I update my stuff...or soon to be collection. Not really sure when but I would like to get on top of it again. I mean I only take about 1,000 pictures a month.

Elyse's Daily Goodbye List

This one is Dad's
Give me a elbow high five and then a real high five. Then I need a hug and a kiss and a blow kiss.

For mom it goes like this
Wait at the bus stop and when it gets here give a hug and a kiss then wait till she gets on the bus and wave.

Prepared

We ordered our 9 month food storage a few weeks ago and we finally got the delivery...a palet. It's crazy how much we spent but the feeling of being prepared definitely out weighs the amount of money we spent.
All of this food comes from The Ready Project and I love it, it actually tastes good...you only add water...and it has a 20 year shelf life. Love it!

Better late than never

This feels like a constant line I am putting up here in my family blog...but it's true.

I wanted to put some Halloween photos on here.
Let's start with the youngest of them all little Issac. If you don't see this boy on a daily basis you would not be surprised to see that he was Spiderman. He has this costume on daily.
I tried to hide it from him yesterday because I want to see him in normal everyday clothes. Greg asked "Why?" It's not very often that you can get away with wearing a costume everyday... so why not let him...so, I pulled it out to say the least he had a HUGE smile on his face.
He has learned that Peter Parker wears a tie and a shirt and pants...this was to help so that he would wear his church clothes. It has worked so far.





Here is Elyse as Miss Daphne (well we had 2 Daphne's) Bryn was too but she wasn't anywhere to be found...plus, she refuses to have her photo taken.



our Spy Guy. I think this idea of his was good...it got him some new toys instead of a dumb ol' costume.



Here are a couple other costume shots I got (only 2 others)
I just thought this was so cute.


Here is one of the winners for the night Jeff as "chewy" and Jared won too he was of course Bateman.



a view of some of the others.

The Leaves

...we have a ton of them. I haven't done any of the racking yet this fall season and we took advantage of that the other day. I just love to watch them play and smile enjoying the little things in life.

A little of me

I have been dieting (well lets say eating healthy) and so far I have lost 6lbs of FAT yes, I have a fat measurer thingy and I have lost 3% body fat and after we do the calculations it has totaled 6 lbs. of body fat. I don't usually like to tell people I am on a diet because everyone asks how its going and sometimes its not. But I am feeling so good I want to share.
I am now lifting weights (I can already see results) and I have also been playing soccer again. It was a rocky start but I can actually run more than 2 minutes now...you have to give me some credit...it is indoor (much more intense). Greg signed us up a few months ago and I dreaded doing the whole thing because the games are late at night (even as late as 11:30 to start) and we both play so our kids are running around the bleachers cheering us on and having a lot of freedom to do as they please. I have come to enjoy it again...I would have to say my competitive side has come out a little but not too much...he he. I love this form of excersize but I did not realize it made every part of my body soar including the love handles (soon to be gone). I don't actually have any pictures for this one but will get them soon.

Busy Weekend

....filled with Bryn's Baptism, & a service project and a photoshoot. This kind of a schedule makes me a crazy woman but for Greg it brings challenge...but it all worked out just fine.

Lets start out with the beautiful Bryn. She has been waiting for this moment for some time and I think it was scary yet exciting for her. We had many friends and family to support her...which made her feel very special. She loves to have people over and have a reason to have a party. She helped me plan the food and the setting up.
The baptism was at 10:00...we probably waited 45 min before it was our wards turn (we are the manilla 11th ward) and we were the last ones to go. Getting baptized with Bryn was Blake and Megan...and the thing that Bryn remembers most was the water was "Cold".





And now for the service project. Every year we as a large family plan a service project and we were in charge of it this year. My sweet friend Kelly decided to make a service project to give to the church in Kenya and sent around and email asking if there was anyone willing to give...so Greg and I decided to make this our family project this year. The best way that we were able to serve was by making the flannel boards that is needed for some teaching materials for the primary class.
We made it into an FHE night and was able to pull out 64 flannel boards and many pictures colored by the children and toys that they brought to give to the kids. We have done this for 4 years now and I think the kids are starting to catch on to the giving spirit and I love it. We are truely blessed and I hope that I will always be guided to serve were I am needed.









and then I had to try to get a photo of all the grandkids minus 3...ummmm that was funny!

Isaac at School

I took pictures on another time but deleted the files so this is a repeat.

When we first get there we make a craft/project and there is always a theme,
then move on to story time (Isaac doesn't sit long for this)
then snack time.

He loves to go to school and has been lately asking me everyday if he goes to school.

Hee Haws

Both Elyse and Isaac had a field trip to Hee Haws but I only remembered to bring my camera to Elyse's but they both loved it.

Elyse's favorite part was the slide. I think Isaac's was just running around to everything.









They are being scarecrows in the cornfield

My Love Note

Dear Mom,
I realy want to have our quiet time together (with siblings). I don't want to make you mad, but I would love it if you would let us. Thank you for being so nise to us and for loving us and takeing care of. We all love you and you love us. iexpecily love you and so does dad. Bryn and elyse love you also. You try your hardest to make us happy and feel comfirted. So I promise that I will do the same. I don't know about the girls but I think that they promis too. We are verry thankful that you are our mother. I am so verry happy that you didn't do what youre dad and brothers did!

Thank you!

Gabe (in his exact words and spelling)

Let me prefrence this a little after church the kids have a quiet time, not only for my sanity and time to reflect but for them to reflect too. I don't know how much they think about what they learned at church but it's always good to give it a try. Gabe was asking to have it together and as much as I want them to be on their own and be quiet its cute that they all "WANT" to be together.

As for the reference to my dad and brothers. They all have spent some time in Jail for DUI or drugs or whatever else they do. I love them all to pieces and hope for them to have it together some day. But as I watch them battle addictions it breaks my heart to see how much it runs your life. The saying always comes to me "Once an addict always and addict" Now, I have really never desired this in my life and in fact I have always wanted better for me and for my children. It does get a little hard at times when I don't know exactly what I am doing as a mom but I do my best. But I have to say I never thought that I would get the thanks at such a young tender age of 9. So, Gabe thanks for being so tender and bringing happy tears to my eyes. Love your guts!

This was the following note from Gabe after I gave him a hug and said thank you (with tears in my eyes).

Dear Mom,
Your welcome because I love you so much thank you for being so kind and excepting the letter and making me happy too. I have never ment to make you sad in my life. You make me so happy just by loking at you. This morning when I gave you that hug it made me feel very comfertible.

Thanks mom

Gabe

Elyse has a Boy Friend

Elyse "Mom, there is a boy in my class that likes me."

Mom "Your too young to have a boyfriend."

Pause nothing being said.

Elyse "He likes to stare at me in class"

Mom "Do you know his name."

Elyse "No"


That was extent of our conversation. I just had to write it down before I forget.

Happy Birthday Bryn

Yesterday was the big day! Bryn turned 8 she is so excited to get baptised. We went shopping for the right dress for the perfect day. She seriously feels like a princess and can't wait to get married and choose her wedding dress.

She got a Nintedo DS, a game, a journal, a stuffed animal dog, how to apply make-up, and went to build-a-bear with grannie annie. Oh, and she even finished her PJ's bottoms that she has been sewing.

What a fun day! I love ya!





her PJ's she made






I love those shy looks.


make WHISH!