2008 Halloween Photo Shoot!!

Halloween Time

Every year my Mother in Law buys our children the absolute best Halloween costumes ever! We love her - thank you!!! My kids look forward to it every year. Since we have never lived close to grandma, she calls and gives the kids a website that they can order their costumes from. They spend hours - HOURS - looking at which costume they like the best. Some kids use their costumes once or twice a year however my kids literally live in their costumes for weeks. They spend hours playing dress up. The boys are usually ninjas, knights the usual. Taylor - or course always a princess. This year she wanted to be Belle, but it was sold out so she became our "Southern Belle" the costume is so fun, and she is wearing it out. It has a little hoop on the bottom and she is constantly tripping, I shouldn't laugh, but it's so funny to see her dancing around and then **BAM** on the ground.

Last night we went to our first Halloween party at the church called a Trunk or Treat. Tye ran from car to car packing his bag full of candy. Taylor hit maybe 10 cars and then got to tired to walk (trick or treating should be so fun, good thing Aunt Karry will be there to carry her). Tate went to one car, got a nestle crunch bar and then came back and helped me pass out candy. I passed out 4 huge bags from Sams Club and went through everything!!! Afterwards Tate started crying because he didn't get any candy, you can never win. The only thing he kept saying was "At least I got one crunch bar." (which are his favorite) I kept telling him we will have plenty more opportunities for candy, but of course he doesn't believe me! By the time we got home Wes carried all the kids into their beds, of course we didn't bother taking off the costumes, we thought they would be fine.....until.....I found Tate's costume on the living room floor, smelling of....you guessed it... urine! Oh, it stunk so bad, but it's washed, cleaned and packed for Las Vegas! We fly out today at 3:00. Four days in CA and then 5 in LV - I'm so excited!!!!

Just Life....

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenk's lawn. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived. "-Marjorie Hinckley

This is my new favorite quote, I found it on my friend Mindy T. blog and loved it, anyone who knows Mindy knows she lives by this quote...love you Mindy! Anyway I just related, probably because I'm guilty of being the girl at the beginning of the quote, not not the one at the end. But I'm trying!!!!

Although our week hasn't been full of fun events or life changing moments it's been a good week. I was in charge of a carnival for mutual - which turned out awesome! We've had special guest day at the boys school, Tye did good at singing, but he's too cool to sing right now. Tate on the other hand really busted a move, he was so hilarious to watch. I need to learn how to download video - you would die laughing, he's such a character! Taylor had dance, Tye at scouts, we joined the YMCA, registered the boys for basketball, I volunteered for a day in Tye's class, worked with Wes almost everyday, have not cleaned my house for the week...its scheduled for tomorrow along with the missionaries for dinner and taking Taylor to get her pictures done. Saturday football games, scouting for food, a trunk or treat at church and the most important...packing for our trip. We are going to Newport Beach and Disneyland and Las Vegas for 10 days! I can't wait, although I wish Wes was coming with us. Unfortunately he has to stay and work, it reminds me of my Dad, always working so we could enjoy life. I wish I would have appreciated my parents more when I was younger, it's not until your a parent that you realize how hard of a job it is! Love you Mom & Dad!

Well enough rambling...I better get down and check the basement, I gave the boys permission to build a fort and haven't heard from them in about an hour, that only means one thing. I"M IN TROUBLE~ I'm just trying to remember the quote, take a deep breath before I open my eyes to the disaster and try to remember I'm trying to be the mom with peanut butter on her shirt, not the one with the clean house! Heaven help Me!

Living with Miss Taylor

As Many of you know life with Taylor can be quite comical. I started writing down all the funny things she does and says...I thought you might get a laugh. Let's start with the picture below.

At the festival last week the kids were standing in line at the Fishing booth...not to my surprise when Tye & Tate fishing line came across they both had a pair of vampire teeth. When Taylor's came across it was bubbles. Any little girl would prefer bubbles...not Taylor, you can imagine the fit she threw....needless to say we stood in line again, and mom helped the fishing booth get it right!

Taylor Loves bath...(maybe because she see's her mom all the time)..The other day I was getting ready and she was playing around, then all of the sudden stood up, put her hands on her hips and said "Get me Out of Here....I'm getting Sprinkly"

Many times when you hand some one a drink they ask..."How full is it?". Not Taylor, it's "How deep is it?"

We have a rule that the kids can't leave the table until their food is gone, (Usually they never stick to it, but it was the rule when I was little and anyone who knows my past figure growing up knows I had no problem with this rule) Anyway the other night I put dinner out, then went in my room and started something, about 10 minutes later Taylor walked in. I asked her "Did you finish your dinner?".... Response: No, but I swooshed everything around.

When my mom came to visit last week Taylor and I headed to Milwaukee to pick her up. Since it was my first time to Milwaukee and since the majority of traffic in the country are tractors and farm equipment, I'm a little out of the loop in large city traffic. I had to change freeways 3 times, and I got a little lost. Taylor started complaining and I finally told her...well mom's a little lost. She started crying so I said "Taylor what do we do when we are lost?" she answered "I don't know" then I said, "We say a prayer and ask for help"...her response..."Just CALL Jesus mommy, it's faster...I said Mommy can't call Jesus ....she said ...Yes you can your phones right there, just call him mommy...if I only could!

We were getting ready for bed and Wes told Taylor she needed to get her pajamas on, she came back out with her Scriptures instead and asked "Are we reading slippers tonight?"

Not to any one's surprise we have a new member of our family. "A new Titty" Remember when I delivered carmel corn to all my neighbors, While we were visiting one neighbor I noticed how many cats they had and politely commented on the number. THEY HAVE 18! (They are not kittens either) I had the kids with me and we told them that we left our kittens in AZ because they couldn't survive the trip. The next morning at a quarter to 7, I hear a knock at my door. You can imagine, although it was not one of their 18 cats, they found this little black one for Taylor. It is a cute kitten, that's not the problem. The problem is everywhere we go Taylor will say "I have a new Titty". The other day I let her bring it to work and one of our workers walked in, a male of course and she said. "I have a new Titty...he just looked around and asked..excuse me?...she said again..I have a new Titty...this time he looked at me and began to blush....he looked at her again and said...one more time...this time she looked right at him..raised her voice and in slow motion yelled....I.....HAVE....A.....NEW....TITTY! He finally looked at me, blushing terribly...I pointed to the cat and he about died of embarrassment. It was pretty funny.

What a Weekend

What a whirlwind of a weekend - I'll give you the breakdown.

Friday:
Wes & I went to Costco. Filled up TWO flatbed carts full of food storage. We have NEVER have had so many people staring at us! We were asked the following questions during our little jont around the store:
1. Do you own a restaurant? (no, but it feels like it...)
2. A man pulled up in a wheel chair and said "You must bake a lot, what kind of flour has the least amount of glutton? (No clue what glutton is,and if I;m spelling it right) I said honestly I don't do that much baking so I'm not sure. He said "than why do you have 150 lbs of flour in your cart?" How do you explain....in case we have a disaster and I have to make little flour cakes so my family won't starve on the prairie!
3. Do you guys have 10 Kids? my response..(although I might look like I have 10 kids because of the beautiful bags under my eyes...we really only have 3!)

The best I might add, is after we were done I needed a treat, like usual (we seriously filled Wes's entire truck bed - honestly it was unreal) We went through a drive thru, I ordered a shake, went to the pick up window and the guy took my money, looked in the back of the truck, did a double take and then opened back up the window and asked if we were preparing for the Apocalypse...I just busted up laughing. If Wes & I were in Utah, Idaho or even AZ people would know we are getting our food storage, but here we are freaks preparing for the Apocalypse.

After unloading we headed off to the Boo and the Zoo, which actually turned into BOO ZOO, until the haunted hay ride. Seriously we went to the Zoo and there were no animals, I was starting to think what a waste of money I think I can count how many animals we saw on 2 hands, and five of those were little animals in glass exhibits. Anyway afterwards we went on this hay ride. I had NO idea it was haunted, but I learned the hard way. I hate scary things....HAtE scary things, they scare me! But I was tough because my kids were scared, once I caught on I was fine...but the first couple people...weirdos! It turned out to be a really fun night.... (Notice the picture to the left...I'm wearing my brand new Parka..I look like I'm in a Fat suit, but I'm going to be warm!)

Saturday:
Of course our usual Sat. Morning Football games, the boys played great and Tate caught his first kick off return and ran it back to the 50 yard line...pretty good for little Tater bugs. Afterwards came home and Wes & the boys went Riding. Every since we got the barn done, the kids ride the horses all the time, which I 'm happy about. Around noon we had some friends over and BBQ hamburgers and then headed to a festival in Little Chutte. It was a little Danish festival. They had a little carnival, cotton candy - which we inhaled -and a bunch of little booths about the Dutch. Later that night I didn't want to cook so we headed to Texas Roadhouse for Dinner - which turned out to be a mess - our kids were tired and Tate literally fell asleep in the restaurant, probably not the best idea of the weekend -I didn't even enjoy my steak dinner that I have been craving!

Sunday - I woke up at the crack of dawn - notice the picture of the sunrise - (not sunset) and started making Carmel corn for all of our neighbors. I found these cute bowls at Target, but needed something fun to put in. I then got a whim that I wanted to make Sugar cookies and started them. Around 10 I realized I had ward council meeting, break the fast potluck dinner after church and a lesson to prepare and had 1 hour to get out the door. Big Mistake...huge....church was terrible, our kids were so bad in Sacrament meeting and everyone was in a bad mood.

The night just got worse, definitely not a Sunday "Love at Home" kind of night!

So today started....Disastrous! I got so tired of fighting the kids to get ready for school that I chased them out of the house with a broom, threw their backpacks, shoes, lunches out the door and told them to find a new ride to school that I was quitting being a Mom and they were in charge of their selves. I knew they would walk over to the ranch and Wes would take them to school so I wasn't too worried. I spent the next couple hours listening the BYU radio network putting myself back together, Wes came home for lunch....made everything better, I spent the rest of the afternoon on conference calls with our Corporate Office proposing a new payroll policies that will help our employees and still be cost effective.....(I won, it's a good thing....I might loose my mind again and pull out the old broom!!!!)

And here I am, past 10 o'clock (which is pretty amazing for me) and trying to figure out how I am possibly going to accomplish everything that I have scheduled to do in the next 48 Hours!!! Mutual, scouts, field trips, dance, presidency meetings, helping a friend and my list goes on and on, even at dinner tonight I telling everybody what we have going on as a family and Tate turned to me and said "Are we done with your schedule, I want to play!" I just looked at him and thought, so do I...so do I!

Our first Dance

Yesterday was the day...Our first day at Dance!!!!I'm so use to football, basketball, baseball practice, that It was so fun taking Taylor to her first day at Ballet. She was so excited to go, I had bought her little leotard and ballet shoes the day before but when I told her it was time to get ready she started squealing with excitement- she refused any help, tried putting on the tights herself and when she kept falling over I asked her again, "Would you like some help?" She put her hands on her hips, rolled her eyes and said "Oh...fine" She is so dramatic! After we got her all ready she danced on the Ottoman for about an hour until it was time to leave. Even the boys got so excited for her, they talk to her like she's still a baby sometimes and they were telling her she looked so pretty and to dance like a princess.
When we got to the studio it was a different story. For the first 10 minutes she wouldn't get off my lap because she was shy. Finally the teacher said "Mom would you like to come dance with us too? In my mind I was seriously thinking "Hell no, I don't want to stand in front of those mirrors practicing the scissors in front of all these people" so I just smiled and said "No, were fine, she's just a little shy." We watched for another few minutes when the teacher got out these matts. (really they were old carpet samples, but whatever lady) The teacher lined all the little girls up on these matts, then went and got two more pieces of carpet and said "Come on Mom, bring your little girl" Honestly - take a hint lady, but I was just like you got to be kidding me......Let me tell you about what I was wearing. Earlier in the day Wes needed help with Inventory at the ranch so I decided to go help him. I had on old jeans, with no belt, knee high work boots and and old gap sweatshirt. I had specifically picked out one of my new cute jackets to hide what I was wearing and pull off the whole work boot look, but underneath the whole jacket was dreadful - I was counting cows, not planning on jumping around old pieces of carpet. Needless to say Ballet Lady wouldn't quit, I painfully took off my jacket went to the dance floor and sure enough started jumping from carpet to carpet. I was laughing so hard at myself, and when Taylor seemed to forget I was behind her I darted for my jacket, put it back on, and found a seat in the back row! I laughed the entire way home, one big fat mama prancing around old pieces of carpets with work boots, ugly clothes, hair in a ponytail surrounded by cute little 3 year olds in ballet shoes! Oh, the things I do for my kids...I think next week I'll let Wes take her to dance and not tell him about the whole Shy thing and let him take a whirl at the Old Carpet Dance!!!!

The Pictures from BEFORE we got to Dance, too bad I didn't take a picture of myself!

I can't Believe It!

I can't believe I actually enjoyed the Int'l Dairy Expo - it was so much fun. I know, I was really dreading it, thinking about what in the world I was going to do for 3 days, but it was pretty fun. I'll sum up the highlights. First they had all these Cheese samples, everywhere with all of these different cheese spreads, Wes & I liked them so much we bought 4 different types - they are delicious! (Guess what everyone is getting for Christmas?) Second we spent sometime watching the dairymen get ready to show their cows - you would not believe what they do. They get better taken care of then I do. They totally bath the cow, then give it a fine shave, they even paint the back with white spray paint to even out the coloring, then they polish their hooves, I even saw a cow getting blow dried! I was totally laughing so hard, (and embarrassing Wes to death because I was asking so many questions) but then I found out the winners get like $25,000 - for heaven's sakes I would blow dry a cow and clean out their ears for $25,000! Third I love learning, (actually using my brain once in a while) and we learned SO much, plus we would go listen to these presentations and then they would take us to these really high end restaurants - I mean HIGH END...it's just business for these salesmen, but the food was AweSoMe!! (I think I gained 5 lbs because we ate so well....) At one place we went to a Brazilian steak house, when the waiter came to tell us about the specials I looked at Wes and said "What in the world did he say, I have no clue what half that stuff is" - like infused cauliflower soup with goat cheese, pineapple salsa and a gourmet crouton - ($12 bucks just for the soup I might add) but it was great - I ordered a steak with red potatoes and asparagus. When it came out it was about the size of my fist. A steak, ONE single red potato - ONE single potato cut in 5 slices that you could see through and 4 pieces of asparagus. I looked at Wes and said "They must not think people like to eat?" But the presentation was fabulous - and the food was great - but Holy Cow - I guess If I ate at those kind of places I would be wearing a smaller size but not have any money to buy gas to get home. Another thing I loved is that we had a great hotel with a bathtub in it's own room - it was separate from the bathroom and it was Awesome, when we walked in I started laughing and then called some people that came with us and asked them if they wanted to come swimming in our bathtub - It was seriously the biggest tub I have ever seen, and yes anyone who knows me knows I LOVE LOVE LOVE taking baths, and used it many times. I even came home early one day to take a long bath followed by a long nap - that was worth the whole trip, I can't remember the last time I actually just relaxed and took a nap. Seeing all of the exhibits was also fun, Wes liked looking at all the new equipment and I liked shopping at all the little booths. However, I must say the highlight of the trip was just being with Wes. I know, it's a little corny, but so often at home we never get to spend much time just having fun together. It seems like we are always pulled in so many directions, but on little trips we just get to have fun, laugh and I always realize how much I truly love him! As on every trip at the end I always start itching to see my babies, and coming home is always fun. We pulled up in the driveway and they all came running out of the house, they seem to grow so much while we were away. I actually spend the entire day playing with them, playing playstation, knights and cops with the boys and babies and horses with Sissy - sometimes coming home really really makes me realize how much I love my life....love my family...and once in a while life really is.... Home Sweet Home!!!

PS. For my dear sweet mother - Thank You So Much for coming and watching our babies so we could get away - I love you dearly Mom!!