{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!

{Happy Birthday To Me!}

I'm pretty sure this was one of my favorite birthdays! Who knew 33 could be so good? I was woken up at 12:38am on my birthday...with a phone call. A baby was coming. Luckily I was able to sleep for a little first. Ryan wished me happy birthday, and at 5:00am I left. I headed out to Lewistown and by 2:15pm the baby was here. When I got home from Lewistown, I walked in the door and there were decorations up and the kids were hiding. They all jumped out and yelled "Surprise!" They were so excited that it was my birthday and their excitement was contagious. We ate chinese food takeout and opened presents.

Ryan made me a strawberry pie and a chocolate pie while I was at the birth. He is amazing! It was the first time he had ever made crust before...he did a pretty good job! I was impressed. Caleb stuck a couple of toothpicks in since there weren't enough candles...I still got them all out with one blow!

Lighting all the candles

Goofing around with the camera

After pie and presents, I was just relishing in all the family home at one time with no where to be. Ryan was reading to Max, Noah was on the couch reading. Sam and the girls were dancing and Caleb and I were playing with the camera. It was a moment I wish I could have frozen in time. All my little ones gathered around and a feeling of peace and contentment...I want so many more of those moments.

Love those kids. Love this family. Love my life.

The good, the bad, and the upsetting! It's all life!

{Noah's Eleventh}

CandY CakE!!!!Heaven for any little boy!
FableHaven from G & G , Cowboy boots from Y& P!

Blowgun from the parents! SWEET!

All the kids love birthdays..no matter whose it is!

Blowing out the candles that he lit himself!

Noah is the greatest kid ever. He is quite the homebody, so he is always around when I need him. Still is the instigator that he has been since he was big enough to toodle around. Still comes up with ideas for trouble that amaze the pros. Still loves reading. Still cracks us up and has the greatest laugh ever! Has recently found a facination for his "washboard abs" and doing pushups and sit ups. He is loving school and the new friends he is making.

Love you Noah, and we are so proud of the great man you are becoming.

{New Puppies!}

Friday night Miya had her second litter of puppies. I stayed in the barn (where she choose to be) with her for the first four. Falling asleep between puppies, and then there was a long lull, so I though (or maybe hoped) she was done with four. I went to bed and in the morning, there were three more.

Seven puppies. 4 brown, 2 black and 1 that is brown and black.

So so fun! They are so, so tiny.

What to do with all the boys gone?

I asked Mara what we would possibly do without all the boys home. Her immediate response without hesitation was..." Let's have a tea party." So the first day of school, after the boys were all deposited at the school, home we came for our tea party. Oh, how much fun we had!
With all the boys home, it was never easy to just have a girly tea party!

WE loved IT!

We will be having lots more of those.

First Day of School 2010-2011

The crew in front of West.

They were so excited to go. I had to be the mom with the camera on the first day of school...It's necessary, I promise!

Caleb in 3rd with Ms. Olsen

Noah in 5th with Mrs. Delgado

Max in 1st with Mrs. Brown

A new desk and not a care, even though it was his first official day at school.

Getting off the bus after a long ride!

I of course could not take Sam to school for the first day, even though I really wanted to.

Ryan and I decided the first day of Jr. High is much worse than the first day of kindergarten...it really makes you feel your age! Yikes. Sam LOVED it though and said he couldn't wait to go back tomorrow.