Apple Festival

We had our annual Apple Festival here and they have the kids draw pictures for it. Then they pick 2 from each class to be judged. Jacob's picture was picked. He was so excited to have us come and see his picture. He did not win but he did get a participation ribbon, all he really wanted was a ribbon. I might be prejudice but I think that his was the best one there. All the other was just of apple trees with apples falling off them. Jacob's was by far the most creative, no one else had a Mr. Apple. Great job Jacob!

Oh Christmas Tree

I keep forgetting to post these pictures. We set up our tree on the 1st for FHE. Jacob and Riley pretty much did it all on their own. All I did was put on the lights, the 3 glass ornaments on top, and the hat. The boys did the rest. They did such a great job and had a blast doing it!

Family picture time

We finally got our family picture taken for our Christmas cards. We always seem to wait until the last minute. Sorry, but I think I have the cutest kids and dog (I can't forget Moo because she is my little girl). I think my favorite picture is the one I used in my header. What do you guys think?

Santa

We had our annual Christmas parade and Santa was at the end. The kids got to go and sit on Santa's lap after. Parker was not very excited about it.

Stevie's Project

My sister, Stevie, had to do a project for her photography class. The project was to put pictures to a song. She decided to use Chris and Riley. Here is her final project. She did a great job. My favorite part is the picture of me holding both of their hands and Riley is looking at my butt. That part makes me laugh so hard.

Play in the leaves!

This last weekend I took the boys to play in the leaves. We do this every year and they look forward to it all year. Here are some pictures from our fun day!

The first race!

Chris had a dirt bike race this weekend. It was his first race. We had a lot of fun watching (watching what we could). It was a trail race, so they go off on a 26 mile trail and they do the trail 2 times, a total of 52 miles. It took Chris 2 1/2 hours. He did great and had a lot of fun.

This is Chris getting ready before the race.The start of the race. There was about 12 guys in his class to race against.They had to go into a single line so close to the start, that they had to do a dead start. The bike had to be off and their hand had to be on their heads until they said go.Chris finishing the race and getting the flag.It was so dusty, this is what he looked like when he finished. It was funny.

No injuries and no damage to the bike. A successful race!

100 Things

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo, no would want me to sing a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (if buying food at McDonalds counts)
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (does home movie count)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason (from my kids, that they got in the backyard)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit (car accident in HS)
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Totally copied a post from someone else's blog to your own

51. Not bad

Halloween

We had so much fun this year for Halloween.

This is Parker before wearing a Halloween cape and mask. It was really funny and he liked having it on.This is the family at the church Halloween party. Jacob-batman, Me-hippie, Riley-firefighter, Chris-dirt bike rider, Parker-tigger. There was the chili cook-off and then outside for the trunk-or-treating.Me handing out candy at our trunk-or-treating.Parker helping me hand out candy at the house after the church party was over. He loved to hand out the candy and he yelled at the kids if the didn't get it from him. What a crazy kid. Chris took Jacob and Riley to the carnival at the park . They had a great time. After collecting all the candy, they had to dump it all out and see what they got. Way too much candy in one house. Our Haunted House puzzle. The boys had a blast putting this together. The morning after Halloween. My mom got all the grandkids these pajamas . They love them, they think they look like tigger pajamas. Thank you grandma!

Pumpkin carving

Chris helped the boys carve their pumpkins tonight. Jacob and Riley drew the faces on them and Chris cut them open. The boys had to clean out all the guts themselves. Riley really didn't want to, but by the end he was getting both hands in there. Parker liked staying under the table and eating all the seed that they dropped. They had a ton of fun!

Getting pumpkins

This last weekend we went to the pumpkin patch to get our pumpkins. Chris's family comes out every year before Halloween to get pumpkins. We always have so much fun! We go out and get our pumpkins and then everyone comes over to our house for dinner. Chris always makes his yummy Carne Asada. It is really good. Here are some pictures of our great weekend.

What I have been up to.

Before After
My chairs were looking horrid, so I had to do something about it. This dinning room set was given to us. I can't even tell you how old it is. The kids have just torn them apart by sliding off of them.

Before I started this project, the only thing I had sewn was a little baby blanket. I really didn't know much about a sewing machine. I am really glad that you can't see all my mistakes in these pictures. I do think they turned out awfully good considering. Chris even said that he was really proud of me and my work. Yeah!!!

My next project is to refinish the wood of the chairs and the table. The table is what really needs it. It is so bad that I have to keep a table cloth on it. It is going to be a big project, so I don't even know when I am going to start. Can't wait!!!

Prop 102

I just got this e-mail from my dad today with this video on it. As I watched it I wanted to cry because it made me think of what the world could be like for my kids if prop 102 doesn't pass.
Last night we were watching Dancing with the Stars and the advertisement for prop 102 came on. It was going back and forth with why to vote yes and not vote no, with showing the yes on prop 102 and no on prop 102 signs. Jacob (my 7 year old) was really confused at why they were saying yes and no for something. So, I was trying to explain it to him and what it was that they were talking about on the advertisement. When I told him it was about people wanting a family to have 2 daddies or 2 mommies, he looked at me like why would they want that. Then Jacob said "that is really bad to have 2 daddies or 2 mommies. Why would someone want that and not one of each". Then Chris said, "See, even a 7 year old knows that it is bad".
It makes me feel good that at least my kids know what is right and wrong on this issue. But it makes me sad that a lot of kids don't know this or don't realize that they don't know this.
I just really hope and pray that my kids won't have to grow up in an even harder world then what they already have to.

Where are the shoes???

All I have to say is, "be careful what you teach your kids when they are young, or make sure you look in the garbage before you take it out".
I taught Parker how to put his diaper in the garbage after I change him. It is great when they can help out!
On Friday I took Parker's shoes off of him and asked him to put them away. I watched him go down the hall like he was going to his room and then I stopped watching him. Saturday we got up to go to Jacob's football game. We were all ready to go but I had to put Parker's shoes on. I went to get them and they weren't there. I asked everyone to help me look because we really needed to go. We couldn't find them anywhere. So, I gave up and put on his church shoes. Saturday night I was in the kitchen and Parker came in and put something in the garbage. It got me thinking about the shoes again. I had to dig to the bottom of the bag. There were the shoes. Parker was watching me trying to figure out what I was doing. At least I got the shoes before they went out. Now I will have to watch him better. Jacob and Riley never put anything in the garbage. Oh, well.

My long Saturday

First it started out with a parade in the morning. Jacob was on a float with his flag football team.Riley got to be on a train float with Ronald McDonald.Parker got to sit on the street with mom and dad and watch. He loved waving to all the people as they went by. He also really liked that they were throwing candy at him.
We all had a ton of fun!
Then right after the parade, Jacob had a game. He got to be the team captain for this game (they give everyone a chance at being captain).
Then after the flag game the next age group (Mity Mites) get to play. I volunteered to help at the concession stand for that game. So, after another 2 hours at the field, we finally got to go home. But, only long enough to let Parker take a little, very needed, nap.
Then off to the carnival we went. Chris had to work. So, it was just me and the boys. That is why I went when the sun was still out and less people there. We had a great time.

Parker was playing peek-a-boo with me when I was taking him out of his seat at the end of our long day. What a way to end!

Harlem Starz

The boys talked me in to taking them to the High School to watch the Harlem Starz, who were in town for the night. It was a lot of fun. I am glad that we went. They are a group of 5 guys who have a ton of fun playing basketball and they do tricks with the ball as they play. They did a great job. Jacob and Riley really liked getting their autographs and pictures after all the fun was done. Parker didn't know what to do because there were so many balls around and he is addicted to balls. He always has a ball in his hand. Great times.

Baby Present

This is what I have been working on this week.