{Christmas Eve}

The traditional nativity was joined by the Birkeland and Prosser family this year!

It was fun to have extra players for the event, The kids had a great time finding costumes!

they were quite inventive!

Mary riding the donkey

The angels

Emma and Avra

Mary: Eden
Joseph: Max
Baby Jesus: Mara
Donkey: Channing

The shepards:
Caleb, Noah, Sam
kneeling before the babe!


Somehow now the angel is riding the donkey?

The whole crew

Wisemen: Sam and Ryan- what a good sport!

Sleddin{G} Behind the Suburban!

As a child we used to beg my sister Maria to pull us in sleds behind the car! It was our favorite. We would wait all year for a good snow that would make the roads snowpacked. Well, the roads here have been snowpacked for quite a while, and taunting me to take the kids. When I told them what we were going to do, none of them were really excited. So being the mother that I am...I FORCED them to go sledding behind the car. They of course loved it! Which is why I continue to force them to do things. I hope one day they will just believe me when I say..."let's do this is will be fun!" I mean really...have I ever steared them wrong? Never! (If you don't mention Tower of Terror in Florida. They will never forgive me for that!) Off we go!

Even Emma loved it! she of course didn't get the crazy driving!

Noah after he biffed it!

And it's home for hot chocolate and a rest by the fire!

{Merry Christmas from Our Family!}

What!!! {SAM} A Teenager?

Well it is official...We now have a teenager in the house, and he loves it! He is forever taunting me, "you are old enough to have a teenager" Yeah, Yeah Yeah! Ryan's parents sent him a teenage survival kit complete with Axe spray, shampoo, deodorant, and body wash. He now smells like a man all the time. There was also movie tickets, a movie, candy and popcorn, and other cool things. He thought it was the best. What a great idea. He also got money, so he is really close to being able to get his i-pod touch, which seems to be the only thing he can think of these days.

This summer Ryan took the older three boys to the RUSH concert in SLC. They loved it and claim they are changed for life. Ryan's idea was to get him a RUSH shirt...yep, he loved it. He also got a Lord of the Rings computer game. What do you get a teenager?

Check out Max's goofy face...What a nut!

Sam had to have his favorite cake... Better than Anything Cake!

Man that is a lot of candles!

Love that kid!

Recital 2010

The boys had their recital tonight at the Ursaline Center. They did such a good job! I was so proud of them. Sam played the piano, "O Come, O Come Immanuel" and " Good Christian Men Rejoice." He was not nervous at all. I am so glad that he is taking lessons. Noah played the violin. He was slightly nervous. You could tell by his face, he got a little red and tried not to smile, that is how I know he is embarrassed. He played, "Come little Children" and "The First Noel." It was his first concert ever. And for only taking for just 3 1/2 months, I was truly impressed. I think he is a natural. He had his songs all memorized and everything. I am his mother though, and just a little bias.

I can't wait until they can play together. Caleb leaned over to me and said, "next year I want to do this too." I am all game for a family band, or orchestra!

The End of Mou{S}ey!

Warning, animal rights activists should stop reading right now, I have a love for animals and a dislike for violence, I will leave any creature God created alone as long as they stay in their house (outside) and not in mine. You come in my house...it's grounds for death. Sorry!

I have set traps that look like this. Peanut butter, licked right off, cheese, taken without a crumb left, but never a mouse caught. Nothing!
So I set traps like this, live catchers that were supposed to attract and catch up to 30 mice. they crawl in out of curiosity and can't get out, they just die....Right! Not a one!

So as much as I hate to, I set out packets of poison. A girl has got to do what a girl has got to do and the incessant scritch, scratching and mouse droppings has got to go. You know what they say...were there is one...there is 10. I can't take it any longer... But did the mouse even touch the packet of poison...Oh no! Not our smart country mice.

So what is a girl to do but pull out the big guns!!!

Don't mess with me mister gray mouse. You come in my bathroom and I guarantee
I will come at you will all stops pulled, even if the only weapon I have is a little girls church shoe!

Dishes done dude!

...and with only minimal high pitched screams when he managed to slip past me and run with his tiny little claws over my feet. But to be honest there were a few more high pitched girly screams coming from Sam who was my cohort in the crime.

And I should also mention that Caleb is not very happy at all about the death of an "innocent, darling gray mouse, who never meant anyone harm."

He does not approve of this post as animals were harmed in the making of it. I for one, will sleep better tonight.

I should also mention that Ryan happened to be napping at the time, and didn't even come running when he heard my screams!

Dear San{T}a,

Upon arriving home from the ward Christmas party empty dishes and leftovers in hand, I entered my kitchen where the mess from preparing what I had to take had been left.

When what to my wondering ears should I hear, but squeels of delight and proclaims that Santa had been here.

My mind struggled to comprehend what the kids meant when they shouted "come and see, come and see, come and see what Santa left."

The way was strewn with coats, hats and boots, but eventually to the living room was where my course took.

My eyes how they widened, my mind how it wondered how could it be that before my eyes was this scene?

The note said just this:

The smiles and glows on their faces say all this!

To our secret Santa: words cannot express our gratitude for this most wonderful gift that all the boys have been asking for. We love you immensely and wish you to know that we think you are the greatest and will forever hold a place of love for you in our hearts! The joy on the kids faces was so fun to see, and the wonder and amazement that such a thing would find a place to our home was priceless! Thank you so much!

Love Arkoudas'

{Your Name in LiGhTs!}

On Monday I got home and Sam had a note for me... Since Sam is the type of kid that is always getting in trouble I thought for sure he had been suspended from school....Just kidding, this kid gives us no trouble at all. The Note said this:

Sensational 7's Student of the Week

Samuel Arkoudas

The sensational 7's are proud to announce Samuel Arkoudas as our student of the week. Sam is a dedicated student who participates in class and values his grades. He was an integral part of preparing for the Science Olympiad, Sam notices when things need to be done and offers his assistance. His patient nature allows him to work well with everyone on the team. He comes to each class period prepared and with a wonderful attitude and smile on his face. We enjoy your sense of humor along with you being a young gentleman. Your kind heart to others shows through in your generosity with fundraisers and taking care of your peers. We appreciate you. Thanks for bein such a Sensational part of our team.

On Tuesday, Ryan saw this in Lights at our local credit union...

Even if they can't spell Samuel, but manage to spell Arkoudas, it was so fun to see his name in lights!

{Toilets and Pie}

For family night the monday before Thanksgiving we had a paper turkey with lots of feathers. On each feather we wrote what we were most thankful for. After all the usual answers of family, sisters, friends, house, Jesus, food, clothes, ect. It was Emma's turn. Without missing a beat she says

"um...toilets and pie."

Really! How could I have overlooked those? She is only two! Where does she come from? A long line of jokester brothers that's where! She kills me!

{Missionaries}

Last night we had the missionaries over for dinner. Elder Weight and Elder Lunt. Elder Weight is from Kaysville, Utah. His parents actually live in Ryan's parents ward. It is such a small world. Ryan's parents have brought him up packages from his parents a few times. I had big plans for Elder Weight in our ward Sacrament Christmas program. He plays the piano wonderfully, I was so hoping to utilize that talent. Apparently the Lord had other plans for him in Anaconda. Such is life.
I love the spirit that those young men bring into our homes and am grateful every month that we are blessed to feed them.
We ended the night with piano concert from Elder Weight and Sam and violin from Noah. It was so fun to just sit and listen to them and their talents.
Elder Weight bore his testimony in Mongolian in testimony meeting yesterday. He was supposed to serve his mission in Mongolia, but the Mongolian government changed the number of visas they would issue and he never got one. I can only imagine the disappointment, not Mongolia, Montana. He had such a powerful testimony of being where the Lord wants you to be, even if it's not what you originally planned. I so can testify of that one. When deciding to move to Montana, we knew we were supposed to come...It burned within us without a doubt. Getting here, it was not what we thought, it has been really hard, but how can we question that this is where we are supposed to be? We can't, we just do the best we can and enjoy it, because for some reason we are where we need to be, that I trust. I trust in him who knows me and my family more completely than I know myself. I am so grateful for that knowlege.

{Things not to forget}

Emma picked out her dress that she wanted to wear yesterday and jumped up and down with a huge grin on her face...

"...I a going to be dARliNg!..."

she kept saying. Then she climbed up on the cupboard to look in the bathroom mirror. Smiling she said...

"...Oh, I am dARliNg!..."

Wish I felt like that everyday! Then later when I was getting dressed she saw my clothes and said...

"...Mom your clothes are dARliNg too!..."

not quite sure where she comes from.

Something not so fun... on Monday I got a letter from the school bus saying that Caleb had been suspended for bad behavior. Great! Three day suspension that mom has to take him to and from school. The very next day I get his report card. Perfect marks in behavior and a glowing comment from his teacher about what a great leader Caleb is and how he is always willing to help and always behaves and follows rules the first time. What gives? The complaint from the bus driver was that he won't stay sitting down even when told multiple times. When I asked him why he couldn't stay on his pockets his brilliant response...

"...he only had to ask me once everyday not multiple times..."

Okay, as consequence he will have to get up and ready normal time as usual and when the other boys get on the bus he will get to stay at home and practice doing what I say when I say... my house should be spotless by the end of those three days!

Seventh grade math is, I am sure, going to be the death of me. Some brilliant mom (we won't name names) thought it would be great if her son took honors math since in sixth grade, at home, he had been doing seventh grade math and because he came home from school saying how math was so easy he could just turn off his brain...not words one wants to hear if one wants ones son to take as many college courses in high school as possible. So because test results were consistent with him being able to move up we did it....What was I thinking? I hate math, Ryan hates math and dangit...it is hard! But with three brains working together, we finally figured it out. I think that for the first time in my life I finally figured out algebra. When you teach it you learn it right!

Coming home from a birth at 2:30 am I was consciously following every speed limit signs since I have already had two speeding tickets this year, but in my tired stupor I saw a blinking red light and slowed down, saw there was not another car to be seen anywhere in any direction and went right through....Oh, there was a car...a police one who saw me do it and gave me another ticket. I truly was thinking if it was flashing it was yield. Only after he reminded me about the yellow blinking light did I remember...Why do I have a target on me that tells every policeman to pull me over and GIVE ME A TICKET? URRRRGH!

We got new carpet in our basement a few weeks ago, Ryan was home when the laid it so after the guy came and I was done cleaning upstairs I hopped in the shower. I made sure the doors were closed to our bedroom and the bathroom. When I got out I hung up my towel and was putting lotion on when I hear this "...M'am..." I froze with horror. My towel was not within reach. Then I heard the door of our bedroom open "...M'am..." and I hear the bathroom door open "...I am not dressed I say with great fear in my voice..." then I see Ryan come around the corner...what a nerd. I was scared to death...I guess he owes me for all the times I trick him!

The girls are in dance and they love it, especially Emma, I don't know where she gets her booty shake, but it's a good one. They sing a song in there that goes..."ya know what, ya know what, I go to dancing school. ya know what, ya know what, I'm learning every rule. stand up straight , concentrate, don't chew gum and don't be late." It will not leave my head because just when I get it out, Emma sings it again. Her little voice is so cute though.

So grateful for my life. As crazy as it is, I am grateful for the opportunities that are mine and for the great husband I have who supports me and makes my life complete. I am so grateful for my great kids and their individual personalities that make life so fun and full of JOY!

Halloween Ward Party!

I only have this picture...not having a camera is truly ruining my blogging...Ryan has a camera on his phone, but it never gets downloaded to the computer and when I am ready to post them, he is no where around. They had a photo booth at the ward party Friday and I got this one off of facebook. The kids were so fun this year. Emma was a hoot. She had her "beautiful princess dress" that once on she never wanted to take off and we sprayed gold glitter on her hair and she was in heaven. "I am an angel princess" she kept proclaiming! She has so much attitude. I love her. Max was thrilled to be a pirate, a recycled costume from our overflowing box of costumes and Caleb, true to character was a dead rockstar, because "just a rock star is not that great for Halloween." Noah was a totally cool Frankenstein and Mara was an adorable bunch of grapes and Sam was Dracula for the ward spook alley that the young men (translated: I) was in charge of. We had such a great turn out and there were so many fun games for the kids to play. I didn't dress up, but when we went to eat, my plate broke and the chili dumped all down the back of my leg. I guess a chili dog was what my costume was for the rest of the night. The night ended with a trunk-or-treat and the kids got so much candy. It was great!
Saturday we had another costume party to attend and after costumes, hair sprays, and makeups for six kids two days in a row, my bathroom is covered in glitter and the fun has gone out of dressing up, so no trick-or-treating tonight since it is Sunday. But the kids haven't complained, they have enough candy to last until next year. No Joke! Hope your Halloween is a great one!

Happy Haunting!

{Puppy Love} 2010

All good things must come to an end...sometimes not fast enough! Love this one where Mara is losing hers.

They were fun to have around

Just got licked!

The kids are loving the puppies. Who ever gets these puppies will get puppies that are used to being carried and loved and kid handled. I think it is great. They are so tame and loving. What great puppies to get. They are sadly leaving us. I say sadly only for the kids...me not so sad, Miya either, she is so done with them trying to nurse everytime they see her. The kids all had their favorite, and each wanted to keep their favorite. Noah still says that he is going to pay us $50 for the one he really likes. I am just not up for another puppy. Sorry kids...not this time! So please someone, come get our puppies!

{October Update}

My Camera broke, and I am not technologically efficent to upload pictures from Ryan's "Droid", but I need to post about Noah!
Noah was chosen with three other 5th grade boys to run in the track meet in Great Falls. Four boys from each school got to run. His coach told him that he ran the mile in 7:35. At the meet he ran the mile in 7:48 taken 14th overall out of 43 5th grade boys! That is great considering that he has never ran much before. With a little training... i.e. running with mom...he could be really fast! I am just glad to have a running partner!

In other news, Mara and Emma started dance and LOVE love LOVE it! Emma is head and shoulders below the next shortest girl, but can shake her booty like no other! She stays focused and loves it! It will be so fun to have them both in the recital next year.
Sam made the piano player for the Jazz band and has started taking piano lessons again. He does such a good job, and can pick out any song he hears. Ryan thinks that is the greatest talent ever since it is usually RuSH and Coldplay that he plays on the piano. He is loving middle school, and will be in the science olympiad in Billings in November.
Noah is taking violin lessons as well and is doing really quite well. Caleb and Max are loving school, but will start speech since they both are having problems saying their "r" sounds....I think it's quite cute....who says that they need to say "wierd" instead of "weeiod"? Surly they will just outgrow it sooner or later...but they think speech is fun, so once a week for 30 minutes they will go.
That is my update...not a lot of exciting stuff...Ryan will have the next two weeks off...reapply for the job he has already been doing and hopefully have a job still at the end of the interview process. In the meantime he is plugging away at our basement. We ordered carpet today and it should be here in a week or 10 days! Halelujah to have that behind us soon!

{Ryan's 40!}

Ryan's sisters and parents came up to help us celebrate!

We ate at the Cattleman's Cut

Then came home and mysteriously people just started showing up to wish him

Happy 40!

It only took 5 minutes to light all the candles on the cake!

Emma tried to stay awake....

The lunch ladies

Watching Ryan's family perform the song of his life set to the tune of

"jingle bells"

Got a cane and old foogy glasses...sported by Max

Opening his Depends...he may need those!

He blew all the candles out in one breath. Someone said... "I always knew he was full of it."

Had such a great time! Glad we could celebrate his happy 40 years and hoping for 40+ more!