At two she has it figured out!

Today Mara was up on the counter getting into the candy cupboard. I could hear her even though I was in the bathroom, so I called to her and said "Mara, get off the counter and put that candy back." as I started to walk to her.

As she saw me enter the kitchen, her eyes got really big and she said..."it's not candy, it's chocolate."

Oh! Of course, it's chocolate, not candy...well go ahead and eat it then.

October 1,2008

Today while Max and Mara were eating breakfast, Max started singing and Mara said in her most whining voice..."No Max I don't want you to give me a song...Mom, Max is giving me a song and I don't want it."

What a nut she is.

A Good Old Fashioned Corn Huskin'!

We went to the garden tonight, and finally the corn was ready to do some serious picking! I only picked about half of it, but I was excited to get started freezing some. Ryan had already claimed the older boys to help him put up some more fencing for the goats, so I took the younger four and we went out back to husk corn.

Emma thought is was great fun! She would pull the corn out of the box and eat the cornsilk. She would make the most disgusting face when the silk was in her mouth and then do a full body shake when she would pull it out and it would tickle her mouth. Then she would repeat the process again. What a nut!
Caleb, Max and Mara are excellent huskers! They thought it was really fun to pull the husks off and watch the goats eat them up. They would breat off the tops and chuck them as far as they could yelling "I am Anika!" don't ask... I have no idea what it means or where it came from. They worked pretty hard, and even though they complained when I told them we were doing it they kept say'in.. this is actually fun.
Mara loved to give the goats some husks, and even though she only husked three cobs the entire time, she never quit working. She has turned so bossy! I will tell the boys to do something and then she will repeat it as if she has the same authority. I actually find it quite amusing although the boys don't.

It was such a good time! We husked about five-six dozen corn, and I have about that much more still in the garden and enough for dinner tonight and tomorrow. I was quite happy with our corn harvest! I have never had corn do so well. I absolutely love working with my kids, there is nothing more I would rather do. I love it when we all work together and everyone is having a good time, It's my favorite!

Happy Birthday to that Man O' Mine!

I will spare Ryan and not tell you how young he is, but I was so glad that I got home in time to spend the entire day Sunday with him. I love this picture of Mara and Ryan. They are such goof-balls! While Ryan went to meetings, the kids and I made him a double decker pudding filled cake. It was delicious and the kids were so excited to show him. We got his presents wrapped, and were ready for a party when we got home from church.

I got him a propane stove to use when camping, or for emergencies. The fact is we lose our power all the time, and since we have an electric stove, if the power is out we can't cook or get water, so we are just stranded! Hopefully this little gift will keep us from having to pack up the kids to go into town for dinner when the power goes out.

I am so lucky to have Ryan, he is so supportive of me in all that I do, and is my biggest fan! He trys really hard to understand me, and forgives me for all my shortcomings. There is no one anywhere that I would rather spend my life with. I always tell him he is my rock, and he laughs at me, but I truly lean on him so much, and he always pulls me back down to earth when I get over excited about things, or think I can do more than I really can. He is my "logic button" and let's face it I really need one of those. I am so grateful for him and his ability to put up with me!

The cake was really good, and the kids had a great time making it! We sure love you Ryan, and hope all your birthday wishes come true!

Not just number 23...Kate Clarissa!

Wednesday September 17, 2008 started out with a 6:00 a.m phome call, a mom was in labor, and I was on call, so I quickly showered and left Ryan with 6 kids to get ready and out the door. Yeah, he is still trying to forgive me for that one. I was home by 10:30 after seeing a really cute baby girl born to a Hutterite couple that was hoping for a boy. They weren't very excited that it was a girl, and I felt so bad. I was thinking... well I'll take it if you don't want it. They eventually warmed up to the fact that it was a healthy baby, and that's all that matters. I was sad for that little baby though. So I got home and was going about my day trying to get caught up on homework and housework, when Joy Bouck called me to tell me that she thought she was in labor. I was planning on flying out Thursday to go for the weekend in the hopes that she would have her baby while I was home. I was thinking that there was no way that I would make it if she was in labor Wednesday. But thanks to divine intervention, I was able to find a babysitter for Thursday, and catch the 5:15p.m. flight to SLC. It is amazing, but the flight left 15 minutes early. I called my parents as soon as I landed, and by the time I got off the plane and through the airport, I didn't have to wait to long for them, we cruised to Ogden, and I entered the room at 7:11 p.m, and Beautiful Kate Clarissa was born at 7:17p.m. It is a wonder that I made it.

She was 8 pounds 2 ounces. The same size that Sam was. She was so cute, and so content, and such a surprise! I was so glad that she waited for me, although Joy might not have been glad that she waited for me. I can't really count her birth for much in regards to school since I barely made it, but I have to count her! I was so glad to be there, and I came from so far, she has to be 23!

Joy looks so great always, even just hours after she had a baby, and a big one at that

Emma had fallen asleep on the way to go see Joy Thursday, so I laid her on Joy's bed since Joy was out of bed sitting on the couch. When Emma woke up she was so happy, and looked so funny sitting on the bed in the hospital, I had to take a picture.

No! I Will Not Put Her Back!

Ryan's sister Jamie and her husband Brian had a little baby boy on September 11th 2008! That makes the count for the grandkids on Ryan's side 11 boys and 6 girls. Jamie and Brian already have two adorable girls, and they were surprised with a little boy. He is so stinking cute! I can't wait to hold him! Times like this make it really hard to be away. They named him Cale Brian.

Mara thought he was pretty cute when I showed her the pictures that they e-mailed us and said in a most serious voice, "I wanna have that baby! Let's put her back!." (pointing to Emma).
She really likes Emma and is always wanting to hold her and feed her and change her diaper, so I don't know why she said that, except that baby is stinking cute! I was totally shocked! I will not under any circumstance put my baby Emma back.
She is way too cute! and way too much fun! And she is sleeping through the night, eating solid foods and cutting a tooth. What a funny kid Mara is. We can't put Emma back!

A Cowboy Needs a Horse...

Max was so lucky to get a "tire horse" for his birthday from Ryan's mom and dad. He has wanted a horse for as long as he can remember, and this one is doing just fine. He rides it all day long. When we go to leave in the car, he always says "good-by horse." It's the best horse ever, it requires no food, and never poops! We love it. He gets his garb on, shaps, boots, vest and hat and he is set. He still needs me to push him, but he is willing to ride it with Mara, and they will stay on it forever! The little kids who come to visit think that it is great also. What a great gift! Thanks for it John and LaVone, the kids love it!

Garden's A Plenty

The kiss of the sun for pardon,

the song of the birds for mirth,

one is closer to God's heart in a garden

than anywhere else on earth.

Oh the joys of gardening! I love love love to garden! Usually! This year was a little harder to enjoy, because I was determined to make it a learning experience for my kids. Let's just say it is much more fun to weed in the solitude of the morning, where you can ponder and think on all that you hope to become, and all that you wish to accomplish. When you add six kids into the solitude of the morning, it no longer is solitude--funny how that is! The kids were great to help plant, and the first time weeding was okay, but when they realized that weeding had to be done again and again, they soon lost their interest for it. I spent more time hollering at them to come back and help than they did actually weeding. But harvest is here! It is now time to reap what we have sown. They are really excited about it now, eating corn on the cob fresh out of the garden, and snapping green beans are more fun to do than weeding. Last night for family home evening, we went to dig potatoes. It was almost like christmas. Max and Mara thought it was so fun to see how many potatoes would come off of one plant, and they got so excited when they would see one that Ryan had unearthed. I was totally caught up in their excitment, and quite enjoyed myself. The older boys were given the job of picking all the peppers. They thought that was fun, because we have been watching them get bigger and bigger, and they are easy to see, and easy to pick. It was a successful night, and all those stressful days, of wondering why I had planted such a big garden are behind me, and the fruit is good! I spent this morning cutting up green peppers to freeze, and we will be digging potatoes for a many more nights to come. It's about time to freeze the corn, and if we get lucky, the tomatoes will rippen before it freezes. Oh the simple pleasures of life!

a VeRy HaPpy BIrThdAy foR mE!

What a great day! I was totally reminded that happiness is a state of mind today. I have been disappointed about my birthday's in the past, thinking that the excitement of them had worn out as I had gotten older, but this year I was determined to make it a great day, and I did. I went to school lunch with Noah for his birthday, and did a little shopping with a friend, and then came home and had Hawaiian haystacks for dinner! ( my favorite, and Ryan's least favorite..but it was my birthday!) Joy and Brittany sent me a party in a box, and we wore hats for dinner, and ate on paper plates, and played with balloons. It was great. Emma did not enjoy the hat, in fact she hated it. you can tell by the bawling picture. This may be the only time we catch her bawling in a picture.
Ryan was so nice to come home early, and It was great to spend more time with him. After dinner we went to the garden, and picked lots of corn. I then was treated like a queen. I loved every minute of my birthday. Like I said, instead of dreading it, I just accepted the fact that I am another year older, and in spite of it all, It was a great year.

Sam of course had to clown around. I quite like the look. He is getting to look so much older. Like a grown boy instead of a baby. Where does the time go? Thanks to all for making my day a great one! I am truly blessed to have such great friends and wonderful family!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MELANIE!!!

Happy 31st birthday Melanie! We love you and think you are the greatest.

And for all the friends and family who know Melanie, know how wonderful she is. Call or send her an email today and wish her a Happy Birthday. She would love to hear from all of you.

Happy Birthday Noah!

It is so hard to believe that nOaH is already nine! I swear it was just yesterday that he was baptized. I am so glad to have him in our family! He is so quick witted, and even though in public he appears shy, and reserved, he is anything but that at home. He is the jokester, and the instigator. He is usually the one to get everyone started in playing a game, and his memory is incredible. I cannot believe all the funny little, insignifigant things that he remembers. He makes me smile, and his laugh is so contagious! I love love love to hear him laugh.

Noah was lucky enough to have is birthday on Labor Day, so we got to have a great breakfast all together, and open his presents. Ryan's parents spent the weekend with us, and he opened his presents from them on sunday. He got a huge lego set that he spent all sunday and Monday putting together...Thanks to Sam for helping him, so that Ryan and I didn't have to.
He wanted a Death Star cake, someone with more creative juices than me probably could have figured out a better way to create that, but I did the best I could. It does have the hole out of the middle of it, but I couldn't figure out gray frosting, so chocolate is what he got. I did think that my ty-fighter was exceptionally cute though.

We had a great time opening up presents, and the kids all thought it was funny that I tried to trick Noah into thinking that he got another lego set, by wrapping up a box of Lucky Charms. Since I never buy lucky charms, he was pretty thrilled with them. He was so stingy with them though, he won't let anyone have even one. That kid truly love things that are just his.

We went to the bounce house to celebrate. Really we went because our plans to go to showdown and hike and ride on the ski lifts flew out the window with the freezing cold rain that pelted us.

Caleb is in this phase where he thinks that he is a cheetah, and everytime I tried to take his picture he would growl and claw at me. What a nut.!

We had a great time, and I am so glad that Ryan's parents were here to celebrate with us. Even though I didn't get any pictures of them, It was great to have them here. WE Love Family!