James Family Fun

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T06:45:00.000-08:00

We are so ready for Christmas this year. The house is clean. The presents are bought, wrapped and ready to be ripped open. Today is a day for us to have fun together.

Rich spent all morning baking. Yes, our roles are reversed in our home. He LOVES to bake the goodies every year, and he does an excellent job.

After the cooking extravaganza we hooked up our trailer and did a Christmas Eve sleigh ride with friends from our neighborhood. Next year we will have to have hot choclate and Christmas music.

When our sleigh ride came to an end, we quickly got ready and headed over to our friends house, the Blauers. We ate dinner with them and the kids played games. Karin is a good cook, and everything was delicious!! The kids couldn't hardly stand the wait for Christmas, so after dinner we headed home and had dessert with our other friends the Nazloos. The kids made reindeer food and spread it all over the yard, so the reindeers could find their way to our house of course. When everyone was gone and the kids in their jammies. Rich read the Christmas story. By this time the kids were done! They just wanted to get to their beds and lay awake thinking of ways to capture Santa Clause.

Today was wonderful, being with our little family and our friends. Those are the best things to have for Christmas.

P.S. Unfortunately my camera decided to crash today. During the hay ride to be exact. The worst day on earth to lose your camera, so I don't have too many pictures.

Visit to Santa

2009-12-23T07:44:00.000-08:00

Carson has been begging me to go see Santa. So finally the night before Christmas Eve, we were out running errands and it was about 8:30, I decided hey why not swing by the mall and see Santa. The kids were a mess, Brookie didn't even have her socks on but it was late so I figured tonight would be the best time to go. There couldn't be any line and tomorrow would be a mob scene.

That is exactly how it was. We were in and out. We only waited in line for about 15 mins. Carson told him all about what a good boy he was, Nathan was interested in his reindeer, and Rylee didn't believe he was the "real" Santa. Brooklyn wasn't even terrified, she didn't mind at all. I am so glad we went tonight!

A new tradition

2009-12-22T09:39:00.000-08:00

Ah, this is probably the funnest thing that we have done yet. This year we decided that the kids are old enough to start getting the "bigger" picture of Christmas and what it is all about. So, we gathered up all of our change had the kids count it out, and each one of them got $5 dollars.
We proceeded to tell them that it is much better to give than to receive, so each of them needed to get every member of their family a gift. Yes, the cat counts too. We also told them that they would not be getting anything from the store, and they were only to buy for others.
Rylee was so excited to get everyone something. She carefully browsed over the store to make sure that each member of her family got the perfect gift. She also was very sneaky, she really wanted her gifts to be a surprise.
Nathan definitely had a challenge. He saw many, many items that he wanted and had to have right now. Rich explained it time and time again. He also picked out some nice things, but wanted to tell everyone right away what it was.
Carson was the quickest shopper of them all. He decided that everyone wanted a can of silly string. He loaded up 5 cans of silly string into his basket and was done. Very good thinking Carson. However, we tried to explain to him that we needed to also get people "thoughtful" gifts. Something that the would use and enjoy. His realized that we were right. Brooklyn really didn't have a need for any silly string and neither did the cat.
That was the funnest trip that I have ever had to the dollar store. We will be making this a tradition every year!

But, Dad, I want what I want right now......

One can never have too much silly string.

Gingerbread House visit

2009-12-21T08:40:00.000-08:00

The kids are finally out of school. Rich has work off until the new year. So we got together with some friends and went to the Ballantyne Resort, a very fancy hotel and looked at their gingerbread house display.

I have never seen such a display. Those were the best houses that I have every seen! The boys' favorite was the gingerbread dragon, and Rylee and mine was the pink castle one of course. All of the children had such a hard time keeping their hands off of the houses. Especially my little Curious Carson.

After looking at the displays, we went back to Janis' for cookie decorating extravaganza and pizza!

Boys Christmas Program

2009-12-18T07:26:00.000-08:00

Every year the preschool presents a Christmas program, they always do a really great job. The boys were singing in the car, practicing all day. But for some strange reason, when it was go time, I didn't hear any singing. Any other parents have this problem??

Thank guys for the goodies afterwards. Brooklyn will just be napping through it.

I am the greatest little singer

Family Photo Shoot

2009-12-16T02:44:00.000-08:00

When Brooklyn was born, we had her newborn pictures taken. I was foolish enough to think that we could also get a family photo at the same time. WRONG! My kids were horrible and we couldn't get everyone to smile. Our photographer was kind enough to re-shoot the family. Here our some of our favorites.

To have a look at all of our pictures that were taken go to http://www.harttohartdigital.myphotoalbum.com/ and go down to James family Photo session. Lindsay is the best!! Check out her biz, at have her take your pictures http://www.harttohartdigital.com/.

Christmas Darling

2009-12-13T16:54:00.000-08:00

I am so glad that I had another girl! They are so fun to dress-up. I couldn't resist this cute little dress for her first Christmas.

Elf on the shelf

2009-12-12T15:46:00.000-08:00

This year we started a new tradition. We invited "Gordo" our new elf into our home to watch the kids. Santa sent him from the North Pole. He watches the kids all day and at night he goes back to Santa and tells him how the kids did that day. The next morning he is in a new spot. Sometimes he moves several times a day. Sometimes it takes the kids several days to find him. It hasn't improved their behavior, but it sure has been fun. The mysterious ways of Christmas and it's magic is what the kids will remember!

Grandma & Grandpa James' Visit

2009-12-10T15:08:00.000-08:00

Nathan and Carson love to help Grandpa shave.
Grandpa's little sidekick.

Just the girls!

Grandma made some of the most darling Christmas ornaments with the kids.

Since Nathan cut a huge hole in our other trampoline, Grandma & Grandpa got them a new one for Christmas. Here they are helping set it up. Thank heavens! I have my babysitter back. They love their trampoline!

It was so sad to say goodbye. I am watching you two! I know you want to take this cutie home! Have a safe trip home. Thanks for coming, love you guys!

Brooklyn's Baby Blessing

2009-12-07T12:47:00.000-08:00

Today was Brooklyn's baby blessing. What a special day! Everything was perfect! Except not having all of our family and friends from afar here of course.

Many things made this so special. Rich's parents coming was so nice. My mom gave us the blessing dress, which was so beautiful! It felt like she was here even though my parents weren't able to come. I found the shoes and the headband and my dear friend Heather made Brooklyn her bracelet.

After the blessing we invited church members and friends and neighbors over for a Mexican food fiesta! Rich cooked fresh tortillas on demand and I made some Cafe Rio pork with green sauce and some homemade salsa. Afterward we were truly exhausted, but the day was perfect for our little Brooklyn.

Happy Birthday Uncle Trevor

2009-12-06T01:48:00.000-08:00

We just love uncle Trevor. Here are a few reasons why..... Fearless

Mischievous

Hard Worker Kids and women adore him

Looks Good even when covered in hard work and bustin a move!
Happy Birthday Trevor!!!

Little Brooklyn learns to Blow Bubbles

2009-12-05T01:02:00.000-08:00

This is her newest and cutest thing that she has learned.

Trimming the tree

2009-11-30T18:09:00.000-08:00

Every year I have this glorious vision of me and my children decorating the tree with classic Christmas carols being sung in the backround with cups of steaming hot choclate to end our evening. What I actually get are fighting children, a cranky husband and a crying baby, and no hot choclate. Every year it seems to end this way. Let me know what I need to do differently next year, would you?

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T12:26:00.000-08:00

Someone had too much to eat

What a wonderful time of year. This year we are so thankful for our health and all of our blessings. This year we decided to keep Thanksgiving low key. Rich is still recovering from his surgery and I am sleep deprived. We just wanted to have thanksgiving with our own family and have a relaxing day.

We did just that. The night before, we did most of the baking and prep work. As you can see we had a little sweat shop going on. Rylee peeled all of the potatoes and Carson picked up all the peels. I was dead set on having a banana cream pie and the bakery was not taking any more orders. So, my dear husband made me one. He actually did most of the cooking. We have reversed roles in my home. Rich enjoys doing the cooking, and I do the other work that needs to be done. He is a mean cook by the way!

After we stuffed ourselves with yummy food, Rich took a rest and I took the kids outside to play. Someone came up with the bright idea of swing surfing. Yes, boys are boys and there is nothing I can do to stop them. Yes, this was wild, crazy and dangerous. They sure did have fun!

After the backyard olympics, we took a walk to our favorite spot, a nature preserve. We pretended we were pilgrims exploring America. The best part of the walk was that our cat thinks she is a dog and followed us the whole entire way.

We worked up an appetite and had some pie when we got back. Kudos to Rich on the filling, It was delicious! Next time just make sure the bananas are ripe : ) The bananas turned into hard little gummy saucers, not so tasty. We will know for next year. When the pie was finished, the kids got to make Christmas ornaments. At this point in time, It was time for bed. Rich and I had a huge mess to clean.

Little Peanut

2009-11-25T15:04:00.000-08:00

This baby is so adorable I can't get enough of her! She is growing too big too fast.

Small Pox?

2009-11-24T14:44:00.000-08:00

Did small pox make a comeback, or do I just have a naughty (cute) little boy that likes to play in everything?

Welcome...Long lost friends

2009-11-22T14:11:00.000-08:00

We were soooo excited when our friends the Echols came for a visit. They moved to Michigan last year and we have missed them terrribly! Good to see you guys!Rylee and her "sister" Caroline Clint the magician extraordinare entertained the children with his magic coin tricks.

I think Heather is in Love...... What a special Thanksgiving to see our friends that we are so thankful to have met.

Night Night Kitty

2009-11-20T22:02:00.000-08:00

Today must be the lucky day for Blackfoot. Carson stuffed her clear full of food, and Rylee is warming her up at night. What a spoiled little cat!

Feed the kitty

2009-11-20T12:27:00.000-08:00

I guess Carson was worried about the cat not getting enough to eat, because he sure did a great job feeding her. I just knew he was being too quiet. I am busted!! Hey mom, "do you have any more measurer thingies"? Why no I don't, you used them all.

Beautiful Fall Day

2009-11-19T09:10:00.000-08:00

The kids were outside having such fun in the leaves, I couldn't resist taking a few pictures.

Happy Birthday Nicole!

2009-11-17T14:52:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to you! We love aunt Nicole for many reasons...
Here are just a few......

Nicole is never afraid to have fun. Even if she is being videotaped : ) She can be a city and a country girl

She has a smile on her face even after her weed wacking sessions

She still looks beautiful even after 2200 miles in the car

For how kind and sweet she is to my kids. They love and miss her! Nicoles undying love for hard work and Mt. Dew

Happy Birthday

2 months old

2009-11-16T14:51:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox collage

Thank You Mom!!

2009-11-15T14:10:00.000-08:00

After years of strep throat and constant snoring, Richard had the joy of having his tonsils out this month. Thankfully, my mother came out to save us. I truly would not have been able to manage without her! Richard was down and completely out of it for a whole 2 weeks! My mom did so many fun things with the kids and chipped in with all of the house work. What a lifesaver!! Thank you for re-arranging your schedule and taking the time to be here with us.

What's Cookin??

2009-11-10T05:06:00.000-08:00

Oh my little kitchen cuties!Carson is really into being a "cooker man" right now. I can't resist a man in an apron and hat. Rylee is cute too!

Newborn Photo Shoot

2009-11-01T02:22:00.000-08:00

I had a friend recommed Hart to Hart photography to me. Check her out online http://www.harttohartdigital.com/. You can see all of our pictures there. She did an excellent job, I would highly recommed her. I just had to share some of these pics! Brooklyn is so sweet I could eat her for dinner!

Halloween Night

2009-10-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

The cutest one of all!
Are you tired of Halloween pictures yet? By the time tonight actually rolled around, the kids were tired. And so was I! Today has been so much fun, but I am officially Halloweened out! We did a Star Wars theme this year since all of the kids seem to be obsessed with it. Rich and I also dressed up, aren't we silly? We met up with our friends, the Ghilchrists. They have the cute little woody and buzz. I am a tired little Yoda.

I am a tired Yoda

Halloween Party 2- Ghostbusters

2009-10-31T15:56:00.000-07:00

Who ya gonna call???Ghostbusters!

This was so cool! The second Halloween party that we went to was at a friends house down the street. The kids did a pinata and a bouncy house, halfway through the party the Ghostbuster guy showed up. He was so awesome. As you can see he looked (and talked like) the guy on Ghostbusters (Sorry can't think of his name right now, but you know who I am talking about.

He had a ghetoblaster and the whole bit. Carson kept asking him how to catch Ghostes.

Halloween Party 1

2009-10-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

Our friend Janis planned such a fun Halloween party at her house. Boy oh boy did the kids have fun, so did Rich and I for that matter. There was face painting. Donut eating contest and Hayrides provided by yours truly. Rich and I got lots of straw and decorated the trailer. That thing has sure come in handy! We blasted Halloween music and drove through the neighborhood. The kids also decorated ghost shaped cupcakes.

Funner than fun, says Carson.

My little dolls

2009-10-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

Sunday was the first time that we took Brooklyn out to church. Of course I had to get her all dolled up. I bought these dresses when we were in Utah. At the time Rylee was mad at me because she said that I could not dress her and her sister alike. Now, she loves it when I dress them alike. Aren't they just adorable?

Trunk-or-Treat

2009-10-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

Our ward put together such a fun trunk-or-treat this year. They did it kind of like a carnival theme. Everyone got their trunk candy and then went inside for games. All the kids got tickets that they could use on various games. There was Plinko, a cake walk, crafts, pin the bone on the skeleton, lots of fun stuff!

Here is Rylee with the other princess Leia in our ward, aren't they lovely!

Don't laugh. I know I look ridiculous, me and my wookie baby. But at least we are festive! My little clonetrooper refuses to wear his mask.

Flu Crew

2009-10-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

Poor little kiddies, each and everyone of them got the dreaded swine flu. Luckily little Brookie weathered the storm. Glad they are all recovered so they can go wreak havoc on the neighborhood in search of candy.

Neighborhood Halloween Party

2009-10-29T05:57:00.000-07:00

We had a fun filled night will all of our neighbors at the Harvest Festival. Everyone dressed up even us adults. And believe it or not, I won a gift card to Target for the best costume! Richard won second place. Maybe it was really for looking the most ridiculous. We had lots of yummy food, hayrides, costume contest and pumpkin decorating.

Sleepy Heads

2009-10-11T20:08:00.000-07:00

We were watching a movie and I looked over and Carson and Brooklyn fell asleep. The the cat made her way over and made herself comfy. My, My, how cozy you must be to sleep on. Think of all that drool that you will have on your shirt.

Our Sunday dinner was better than yours!

2009-10-10T19:06:00.000-07:00

I guess Rich got tired of being couped up in the house with all the kids, so he decided that today we would have tin foil dinners after church. Why didn't I think of that? It was such a beautiful day, and our dinner turned out oh so tasty : )

She's Here!!

2009-09-20T17:38:00.000-07:00

Our little bundle of joy is finally here!

Brooklyn Susan James was born on September 15, 2009 at 8:01 am she was 6 pds 4 ozs and 18/12 inches long. She is our smallest baby. We love her so much already!!

I was scheduled to be induced on Tuesday, but I guess she also decided that would be a good day to be born and that she would get a head start. I woke up about 4:30 having contractions, they weren't too bad so I decided that I would try to get some more rest because we didn't have to be at the hospital until 7:30. Around 5 I started timing them, they were about 7 mins apart. Around 5:30 they went to 5 mins. Around this time I decided to wake Rich and let him know that this is the real deal. We hurried around the house getting everything ready, we loaded up all the kids and the stuff and got them to our friends house. We got them dropped off around 6:40, by this time my contractions had moved to 3 mins apart. At this point in time I was panicking! I am sure Rich was driving like a maniac, but I was in too much pain to remember, it was our worst fear to have a baby in the car. Thankfully we made it to the hospital about 7:05. They hurried me to a delivery room where I was dilated to a 7. My other worst fear came true they told me that since my contractions were like every other minute I couldn't have an epidural. I wanted to choke someone when they told me that. I' am woman hear me roar! All natural here I come. So as the story goes I labored about 15 more minutes and until they checked me and found that I was completely dialated to a 10. I was pushing before the Dr. even got into the room. They kept telling me to wait, but this baby was not going to wait. The Dr. got there just barely in time. She was born so fast, that she came out in her amniotic sac, they broke the water after she was born. CRAZY!! She was born at 8:01 almost an hour after we got to the hospital.

When I was in the recovery phase, everyone left the room so that we could get some rest until our room was ready. I was just laying there half asleep until I started to feel dizzy and like I couldn't breath. Rich was asleep and I told him to go find a Dr. NOW. The nurse came in and realized that my blood pressure dropped and I was bleeding. They gave me a shot in the leg and started pumping pictocin through me, to get it to stop. They finally got it under control but I lost alot of blood. Blood transfusion level. Thankfully I was close but they decided that my blood would regenerate on its own. We are greatful to have a healthy baby that I am O.K. Thank you for everyone's thoughts and prayers! We can't wait for everyone to meet little Brooklyn.

Hospital Visit

2009-09-19T06:18:00.000-07:00

The kids were so excited to come and see their new baby sister. They really weren't sure what to think. Rylee was afraid to hold her, Nathan just looked at her, but would not go near her. Carson said, "I just love her." How sweet! He really did love her, he just kept stroking her little head. But, after being there for about 15 minutes they were already done with baby talk. They were the most excited about the cool bed that could go up and down, and the T.V. that was on the wall. They also loved the endless supply of hand sanitizer that came out of the dispenser on the wall. Silly Kids!

Bringing you home

2009-09-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

You would think that after your 3rd child you would feel like you know everything. Wrong! We are so excited to take Brooklyn home today, but at the same time, nervous. Getting to spend all this quiet time at the hospital with just us 3 has been wonderful!! What will it be like when we get home? Will I ever get to sleep again? How will the other kids adjust? Will Rich go crazy taking care of all these kids, instead of going to work? I guess we will just have to wait and see, and keep you posted.

Getting ready for baby

2009-09-13T16:27:00.000-07:00

I am starting to think this baby will never come. All of my other children have had to be induced, so why wouldn't this one? Rich and I went out for one last dinner (for awhile anyway). We went to our favorite, an Indian resteraunt, we thought we would try something spicy to get things moving. The kids made t-shirts so that the baby would know who we are. Carson was very worried about her not knowing who he was. On Saturday we went on a mile bikeride/walk to get things moving. Again no luck, but it was a good time. Even though Carson and I got left in the dust. That night we even went for a swim, the final one of the season. It was a busy weekend... Baby must just not want to come yet, but tuesday she will have no choice!

Beauty Cat

2009-09-10T18:26:00.000-07:00

Rylee cracks me up. We told her to go get ready for bed, so apparently she thought that the cat needed to get ready to. She put her in her bed, tucked her in and gave Blackfoot her night wear. So cute!! I can't believe the cat put up with that. What a good kitty, that's why we love her!

Nathan's Christmas Program

2008-12-10T08:04:00.000-08:00

Nathan's teachers always do such a great job for the holidays. They did this whole Christmas production with a bunch of 2 & 3 year olds. WOW... And it turned out very nice. I think Nathan's favorite part was definately all the cookies at the end!

Carson's Love

2008-12-08T07:42:00.000-08:00

This is true love.......

when will the saga end....

Tree trimming

2008-12-03T07:10:00.000-08:00

In my mind I always have this grand evening envisioned, with tree trimming, apple cider and christmas music. Somehow this is never the evening I get.

Instead this is actually the evening that I got. Kids crying over which ornaments were theirs, pushing and shoving to get the ornaments onto the tree. Rich is just as guilty in this fiasco, he did his share of complaining. Maybe the kids will look back and think about how much fun they had. Maybe?

I hope you can see this clip, not sure how to turn it the other way.

Happy Thanksgiving from Pittsburgh

2008-11-30T20:46:00.000-08:00

This year we are Thankful for such good friends that would let us come and crash with them for Thanksgiving. Margie and Scott were so kind to let us stay with them. Margie made a Thanksgiving feast fit for the Gods! Scott and Richard got very into finishing their puzzles. Which honestly we have never done before, but quite liked. I enjoy chatting and shopping with Margie.
The kids had a blast together! I wish we lived closer the boys I am afraid they would get into some serious trouble together. I think actually Felix and Rylee played the best, an arranged marriage might be in the works. We really had a blast!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Our special places- Day 3

2008-11-29T20:18:00.000-08:00

Before we left we decided that we would visit our old house. What memories it brought back. Pittsburgh is such a special place to me, It had so much character. Our house was over a hundred years old. It was drafty and cold, but it was our home and we loved it. Also, we visited the neighbors that were still there. They were the BEST neighbors that we have ever had! Tim was so helpful to us and the girls, they really helped take care of me when Rich was away with school. It was wonderful to see them again. I am sorry my boys cried the whole time and we had to go, but it was still joyful to see them.

A trip to the "Burgh" wouldn't be complete without a visit to Carnegie Mellon. It was fun to walk around campus again, and feel the joy of not having to go there everyday. The kids thought it was funny that daddy was in school. I guess they don't think of Daddies sitting in desks doing homework.

Next stop was our little tiny community strip of stores. We lived in Squirrel Hill ( yes there was alot of squirels). We made a stop to the candy store (the name of it escapes me at the moment). But it was a regular stop as well as Ritas. Too bad Ritas was closed, they made KILLER custard. And of course my favorite, favorite feature of all time are the bridges. Pittsburgh is full of bridges, sometimes, actually alot of times I got lost and couldn't figure out which side of the bridge I was on. Unfortunately, this picture isn't that great. (I need my camera back!!)

Pittsburgh Zoo-Day 3

2008-11-29T20:08:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite things to do in Pittsburgh was to go to the zoo. We went there at least 3 times a month. The aqaurium is our favorite. It was a little chilly, but we were glad to go!

Nathan's Thanksgiving feast...Gobble Gobble

2008-11-19T15:54:00.000-08:00

This is the Thanksgiving feast that Nathan had at school. The teacher's let the kids make their own food (with the moms helping of course). They mixed the batter themselves and took everything to the kitchen to be cooked. His teachers really do a fabulous job. Who else would let all these kids mix up their own meals??

Taking pictures just isn't the same without my camera. But thankful I still have my old trusty...

My saddest day

2008-11-17T12:17:00.000-08:00

I don't have a pet, but I bet I' am just as sad that my camera has died. I just got the thing for mother's day. I went to grab it and take pictures at Nate's school for his Thanksgiving program and it was cracked. What a sad, sad day : ( I guess this weekend while I was at work, Rylee grabbed her coat off the shelf and my camera went along with it. Unfortunely it wasn't insured and to fix it is almost as much as a new one. Yes, you can cry for me!

Nathan's new friend

2008-11-05T11:48:00.000-08:00

This is Nathan's new best friend. Bradley is the class bear that get's to take a turn going to everyone's house. What great teachers Nate has. He has loved taking care of this bear.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

This year all of my kids were very excited about Halloween. Rylee wanted to be an angel, Nate was an excellent pirate. I actually wanted Carson to be a chicken like Nate and Rylee were when they were 2. But Carson would have nothing to do with the chicken suit, he wanted to be a football man.
We started off the night with a neighborhood pizza party and then went trick-or-treating from there. The kids actually were done in about an hour, I think all the days festivities wore them out. They sure weren't to tired to rip open the candy bags as soon as we got home.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

My front tooth is missing

2008-10-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

Rylee was very funny about having a loose tooth, she really didn't want to talk about it let alone show me. One morning while she was getting ready for school she brushed her teeth, and her loose tooth fell right out. She was SO excited. While she was at school the kids told her that the tooth fairy wasn't real.
She came home and asked my friend about it and my friend told her that the tooth fairy is only real if you believe in it. So, after she woke up in the morning and found her money, she said that she just knew the tooth fairy was real.

Make a Smilebox postcard

Welcome Aunt Ashley!!!

2008-10-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to have Ashley come for a visit. We had so much fun with her. First, we took her for a train ride uptown to visit the city. Then,we took her to The Biltmore, the largest home in the United States which is in Ashville. We also got to go to Charleston, SC. for being at the beach in October was pretty darn great! I can't believe that Rich and Rylee played in the water, the rest of us weren't too brave, we just enjoyed the sand.

Pretty Pumkins

2008-10-29T17:48:00.000-07:00

Aunt Ashley got to share in our joy of carving pumkins. The kids were very into doing it themselves this year. They turned out lovely don't you think?

Pictures of our Freezing cold day at The Bilmore House

2008-10-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

Charleston Trip

2008-10-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures of our fun!

Our trip to the Apple farm

2008-10-28T18:27:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

Cinderella & Sleeping Beauty has come for a visit

2008-10-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

My Scare-row

2008-10-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

Nate has found a new best friend. He will wheel his scooter up to the front porch and get his "friend" and take him for a ride. He also likes to jump on the trampoline with the scarecrow. He talks to him, it is really cute. If only he would put him back on the front porch for me : )

Ward Olympics

2008-10-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

Heather doing the noodle javelon....

Ah, the highlight of the evening. Dave and Richard doing synchronized swimming. Oh, I would kill for video footage.
Our fall ward party was a blast. In honor of the olympics, we held our own olympic events at the church. As always the kids loved it and the adults got a lot of chuckles out of everyone making fools of themselves. I got rolled up in TP, Rich did the synchronized swimming HILARIOUS.. Rylee did the hula and Nate and Carson mostly ate the candy they gave out as prizes.

Coupon Craziness

2008-10-26T07:12:00.000-07:00

Since Christmas is coming I decided that maybe I need to be a thrift a holic instead of a spend a holic. I have been trying out the coupon thing for a couple a weeks now, and it is going really well. I love the stores who will double and triple your coupons, it does take alot of time so we will see how it goes. Here are some great resources that I have found: beingfrugalisfabulous.com and

thegrocerygame.com.

You will have to check it out. My best deal so far was my shopping trip to Lowe's foods. I got all of this for $103.00. Eat your heart out!

I will never need cereal again!

6 going on 16!!

2008-10-24T20:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to you my sweet little girl! Today we celebrated by going to my gym and having way to much loud and crazy fun with Rylee's classmates and neighborhood friends and her church class. I have to think that I may never want a party at my house again.
Rylee has grown and changed so much. It is fun to look back at her baby pictures, time really has flown by. This year she has begun to read, started math and spelling and is such a peace maker in our home. We are glad to have her.

Backyard fun

2008-10-20T06:37:00.000-07:00

Once in awhile it is nice to just do nothing and enjoy the backyard. Today we had ice cream, backyard races, swinging, and giggling. Rylee even took a shot at taking some pictures of us. Now there's an idea, who needs a photographer after all.

They do love each other?

2008-10-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

What baffles my mind is how much my boys can fight, hit, kick, scream, punch, you name it to each other and then do this. They were just hangin out on the stairway after lunch just chit-chatting. Nate reached over and gave Cars a hung and said, "I love you brother." Now that truly melts my heart. Even though they fight, I know that they couldn't live without each other. Carson always tells me that he wants me to go pick up his "fwother" from school. He just loves to be with Nate.

Cabarras County Fair

2008-10-12T18:39:00.000-07:00

I think one of my fondest memories from growing up where of the Eastern Idaho State fair. I LOVED it. I have not been to a fair for many years, but this year I was determined to go. We found one in another county about an hour away, mind you it was also about 85 degrees with 90 percent humidity (it felt like an oven). It was not half as good as the one from where I come from, but it was fun anyway. Rylee got to milk a real cow, she was really excited at first but then quickly changed her mind. Nathan and Carson loved the animals and of course the tractors and the cars. Rich and I loved the exhibits and the food : )

Our first and last pet

2008-10-10T18:03:00.000-07:00

Many of you probly don't know that I am really not a pet lover, but my dear husband does love animals. One day on the way home from his Dr.' s office he brought the kids home a turtle that he found from the side of the road. The poor little guy escaped the yard after only 3 days. That my friends is why I can never have a pet.

Fishing Poles?

2008-10-05T18:25:00.000-07:00

Oh my silly boys, they found a box of tampons and opened every one of them, and claimed to be fishing. I thought it was hilarious! I hope this embarrasses them when they get older.

Labor Day

2008-10-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

For Labor Day this year we decided we are too traveled out to go anywhere, so we settled on heading into the city for the parade. It was O.K. that is all I will say, but enjoy the pictures.
Give me candy!!!

I'm to sweaty mamma I want to go home!
Daddy's building

Mr. Naughty- Never too sick for trouble

2008-10-01T17:18:00.000-07:00

We were only back for a couple of days when ALL the kids got sick. Maybe it was all the germs from our truck stop stops...I know you know what I'am talking about. I can't tell you how many times we "suddenly" didn't have to go anymore. Anyway, the kids were perfectly miserable, but somehow Carson seemed to still have the energy to cause trouble. My favorite was the make-up all over the bathroom. The crayon on the couch was a little harder to clean. He seemed to be very proud of his artwork, he even drove his Elmo over to have a look.

Back to school beauties!

2008-10-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

Ah, that time of year. When the air reeks of notebook paper and glue sticks : ) It is so much fun for me to see the kids so nervous, yet so excited to go back to school. Even if it is just preschool.

We haven't had much time to get ready. We arrived late friday night and school started monday. The kids have adjusted well and are currently loving school!

Carson just wishes he could go to school. Everyday he wants me to leave him with his "fwother"

Homeward Bound

2008-09-18T10:57:00.004-07:00

Oh, what a summer! Unfortunately, it is time to say goodbye. We will miss our families and friends that we have gotten to spend so much time with this summer. I also wanted to thank the Smart family for being willing to switch homes with us.
I have to say that our trip back was relatively calm. No-one threw up, we managed to avoid any tornados this time. After our experience coming out we checked the weather channel. Hum, not a bad idea you say. We were able to go through Wyoming (all 12 hrs of it), Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee. We left on time this time and got home just in time for everyone to go back to school and work.
I hope you enjoy the pictures, I tried to add some music to the slide show so I hope it works.

Team Clean

2008-09-18T10:57:00.003-07:00

I just wanted to post a thank you to our families for helping us clean and help us get ready for our Trek across the country. Honestly, we could never have done it without them. My family drove all the way from Idaho to be with us. I also wanted to thank Rich's parents and sisters for their help with the kids. It meant alot to us, and we miss everyone so much!

Team A- The gardeners

Heather is only pretending to be smiling : )

Yes, my sister can mow the lawn and walk the dog....very talented girl.

I think my brother Trevor is having way too much fun with this job.

Hum, did I say it was break time? Back to work!

Team B- The house cleaners

Not much cleaning going on here. I guess the cute little dog is too much of a distraction. Again, I'll say.....get back to work dangit!

Earrings are a girls best friend, right mom?

2008-09-18T10:57:00.002-07:00

After

Before

When I was little I remember getting my ears pierced when I was six. I remember it hurting, a few Beforetears and then a Mcdonalds ice cream cone. So that is what I had envisioned for Rylee. She has been asking to get her ears pierced for awhile now, but I thought six years old might be a good time. We had a girls night out with my mom and sisters (which made it even more special) and got her some new holes for those ears. She was absolutely so brave, she held back her tears and didn't even cry. Unfortunately, one of the earrings fell out in her sleep and by the time I noticed it, which was only a day later, her ear had already closed. We had to back to Claire's and had do it all over again. This time major tears were involved, but she was still brave and wanted to go ahead and do it again. Boy it really is painful to be beautiful!

I' am so excited, I just can't hide it

Party Animals

2008-09-17T08:02:00.000-07:00

I just had to post this picture of the boys and their cousins at their sleepover. They had pizza, rootbeer floats and played the Wii until the crack of dawn. The highlight of the evening were when the boys were recreating the swimming portion of the olympics : )

James Family Outing

2008-09-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

Rylee with cousin Cora. Her "bestest" friend.

For our last whoo-ha with Rich's side of the family we went to Deer Valley Reservoir in Provo Canyon. On the way there we stopped at Bridal Veil falls, which is absolutely beautiful. We had a BBQ and some serious fishing. Sadly, the only thing that got hooked was uncle Rich.

This is MY place

2008-09-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

I think everyone has a "place" that they like to go to. This is my place. This is where I run when I' am at home visiting. I can be there, run 4 miles and could go longer. I long to go everyday. I think that it is because I enjoy being there so much. There is a golf course on the side of the lake and a greenway that goes all the way around the lake. It is so peaceful to be there. Even a town as small as Blackfoot, Idaho has it's wonderful features. I guess that is what makes home, home.

Check out the scenery. Not Rich dang it, the lake.

Boys just wanna have fun

2008-09-15T19:28:00.000-07:00

I couldn't help but dying of laughter when I saw these two boys playing "dress-up". They busted out the wig, slippers, and borrowed Rylee's umbrella all on there own. This is Nathan with his cousin Aidan, who he misses deeply.

The most beautiful place

2008-09-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

Yellowstone

This summer our last little trip was to Yellowstone National Park, which is in Wyoming. In my mind it might be one of the most beautiful, interesting places to see. It has so much nature and the geology is more than amazing. The kids favorite thing to see of course was "Old Faithful" the geyser that sprays every hour. They also liked the colorful, smoldering, paint pots which were quite stinky. Carson couldn't handle it. He doesn't like anything to smell "off". It was quite humorous listening to him.

We were a little disappointed that we didn't see any bears, we really we hoping for some action! But we did see a bald eagle, moose, buffalo, and some deer. I wish we had more time to see the rest of the park. Next year we plan on staying for a week : ) This is cool Rylee
The paint pots....whoooeee....these things stink

Isn't this taking your breath away beauty?? Everyone needs to come here.

The big 10

2008-09-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

"Friends are the most important ingredient in this recipe of life." -
(Dior Yamasaki)

Ten years later and still fabulous!
Hey guys, we are over here...

I don't know how many of you have been to your high school reunions, but this year I decided that we would go. The only expectations that I had were ideas I got from the movie Romy & Michele's High School Reunion. Hilarious movie! I am so glad that we went, it was fun to see old friends and even funner to see my friends that I have stayed in touch with over the years.

We attended the park picnic during the day, it was fun to see my kids playing with there kids. At night is when it got interesting. The kid we sat by ( I won't name names) he was a hoot! He told us all about how he got fired from his job, right after his wife filed for divorce, right after she found out that he had two other children with another women, that he didn't even know about until the State of Idaho came knocking on his door. Yep, that was a fun evening!

The Handymen

2008-09-08T16:31:00.000-07:00

"We have too much crap, how are we going to get it all home?!"

This is the conversation that led Rich to his new hobby......welding.
When we were first married Rich had an old trailer, that he used to haul his motorcycle. When we moved to Boise it stayed at my parents house. So when we came for a visit this summer Rich decided to resurrect the old trailer so that we could carry all of our extra stuff home. With the help of my dad, brother, and brother-in-law they got it road ready.

Before the welding party.... yep might not make it home

Cabin trip to Island Park

2008-09-04T17:59:00.000-07:00

Right before we headed back we had one last family outing to Island Park. It is a beautiful place about an hour away from Yellowstone.
It was like camping but better. You know hot showers, ice cream parlors, wildlife (without the bear attack). It was more than wonderful. We spent our time riding motorcycles, Richard and my brother have the road rash to prove it. Fishing...that was touch and go. Not much biting, but the bugs that were biting us.
We took lots of nature walks and spent some good old fashioned time together!

Gramps and the grans-my favorite picture

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Horsin' Around

2008-09-04T17:27:00.000-07:00

Since we have been here in Utah the kids have ADORED... in every sense of the word, grandma's horses. We were able to go to one of her shows while we where there. How many grandmas do you know that competes in horse shows : ) We were so proud!

Is camping still camping if your not in a tent?

2008-08-27T19:38:00.000-07:00

We have not been camping since Rylee was about 2 yrs old, so we jumped at the chance when we got to go for Rich's b-day in July. Let me tell you that was alot of fun. My sister was nice enough to let us stay in there camp trailer for the 2 days. I think her husband got no sleep at all because of my kids. But hey I am used to it, so I slept great!
We had the yummiest outdoor meals one could think of and the kids could get as dirty as they wanted and ride motorcycles all day so they were in heaven!

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My new hobby

2008-08-09T14:34:00.000-07:00

I finally have entered the 20th century. I am just learning how to do this blogger thing, and I am kinda liking it. Hopefully I will stay caught up. Also, since I am much better with the camera than the journaling, you will be seeing more pictures than words.