Kittyrella

Taylor was ready for bed early last night and was playing with her Hello Kitty that she made for her Birthday at Build a Bear. She came in announcing "This is Kittyrella, meet Kittyrella." She had dressed her up with her old cinderella dressup stuff. I just got a big kick out of it I took pictures. A closer look at Kittyrella. Notice the Boa, don't you think it adds just the right touch. Taylor was having so much fun, that she went and put on one of her Sunday dresses that is has glitter and is sparkley. Then dressed her pink puppy that Jessica gave her in the Sleeping Beauty outfit with a boa. The next victim was her Mickey Mouse doll who was dressed up as Snow White. We have so much fun with her. I don't want her to ever grow up. Stay young Baby Girl, for mommy please. She is and always will be my baby.

FHE

Last night for Family Home Evening we played a dice game that Doug and I learned at a party recently. The kids love it and we have so much fun playing it. We all wanted to sit by Taylor, because she seems to roll the best numbers all of the time. Spencer won out and got to sit by her and he ended up winning the game. Before we started the game, the kids helped me prepare our dinner. The boys cut up carrots while Taylor and I cut up potatoes and onions. Jessica wasn't available to help. Then we put together our own Hobo dinners (foil dinners), out here they call them silver turtle dinners. I personally do not want to eat a turtle, but then again I don't want to eat a hobo either. Well, we ate our yummy dinner then headed to Wendy's and brought home Frostie's and enjoyed out dice game. It is called several names, Zonk, Greed, Bust. We just have fun playing it. Here is how you play: You take six dice and roll all of them. If you get three of a kind, roll a one, a five, or a straight of 1,2,3,4,5,6 you can continue rolling. Once you get know more of those combinations you bust and the next person gets to roll. Now each dice has a value. A five is 50points, A 1 is worth 100points, and three of a kind is worth its value say you roll three 5's it is worth 500 points (now you must roll it on one turn), if you roll three ones at one time it is worth 1000 points and a straight is worth 1500 points. Now each person must determine if they want to continue to roll the dice or stop and take the points. The next person to roll the dice can also add onto the person before them points. Say Taylor rolled worth 1200 points, with only one dice to roll and passes it onto Spencer, then Spencer can roll that one dice and chance getting a 1 or a 5. Say he rolls a 1, then he will have 1300 points and gets to roll all of the dice again if he wants to risk the points, if not then it continues on to the next person and Spencer gets 1300 points. You continue rolling until you bust or keep your points and pass to the next person. We play to 10,000 points. We have fun playing this game. I am sure I have just confused you and you are reading Blah, Blah, Blah. Hopefully it makes sense and you can try this at your next Family Home Evening.

It Begins.....

I signed my boys up for baseball again. It was $300. This is getting crazy. Sports is just way to political for me out here. Not to mention very costly. $150 for each child to play baseball. Luckily Jessica is doing Track for the High School, which will still cost me still a couple of hundred dollars. Poor Taylor is the only one not doing anything right now. She wants to do dance again, but it doesn't start back up until August. She will start achievement days in April and she is very excited about that. We will be signing Hunter up for Football in March which will be $500. So the last two months of no sports has been wonderful, but now we start the whole cycle all over again. Going to practices, practices, practices, baseball games, scouts, track meets, young men's, and young women's will be our everyday life for the next four months. Oh, yeah I forgot to mention, Spencer is playing basketball currently. So I guess their really was no peaceful months off. It just felt like it, because only Spencer was playing a sport. So in order to help our family have decent meals and not a drive-thru dinner. I am going to make a bunch of freezer meals. I should just be able to take something out of the freezer and throw it in the crock pot or just warm it up. I will have to let you know how it goes. I have a good friend that does this and she loves it. (Thanks Heather) Wish me good luck and if I have fewer postings in the next few months you will know why or it could have the opposite effect on me and I will vent out my little heart.

President Hinckley dies

I woke up this morning and turned on the news to find out that President Hinckley died yesterday Sunday January 27th. I had an instant peace, and a smile on my face knowing that he is with his beloved cherished wife Marjorie. What I loved about him the most was his sense of humor. He was a terrific leader and man. He will be missed here on earth. Newsroom - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Pinewood Derby

Spencer started to carve his pinewood derby car in December. He came up with what he wanted to do and began to work on it. Doug assisted him, but let him do it for himself. Here he is before the race. Here he is checking in. Doug is the cub master in our ward and he registered all of the cars. He kept the whole crowd entertained all night. He did a great job. Spencer with his friend Andrew waiting for the races to begin. Spencer watching his car come down the track. He was 2nd in this race out of three racers. He did not win, but just like Doug reminded all of the crazy parents we have in our ward that it is for fun and to learn something new. The boys had a blast and it was the most successful pinewood derby our ward has ever had, so I was told by a member of the bishopric. We had a really big crowd and not one boy complained about anything. They had a blast racing and were cheering each other on. We are proud of Spencer and his ability to use his pocket knife to create a car.

Valentines Day Poll

What are you doing for Valentines day for your spouse? Go out on a date A Valentine's day card/letter Buy a gift Being creative Don't know yet (View Results) Create a Poll

Let me know what you are going to do for valentines day. I know what I am doing, but I can't post that now can I. It will give it away to my loving husband.

Family Home Evening

Last night for FHE we had a lesson on the Tree of Life. Doug read the story from the scriptures and explained it. Telling us we need to hold on to the Iron Rod, which is the gospel. He tied into the lesson, about making choices that will let us hold on to the rod. He is amazing at talking with our children about the gospel, and I love how much they understand and know it. At the end of the lesson we all said one thing we are going to improve and work on to help us Hold to the Iron Rod. This morning when the kids were getting ready for school. My boys went the extra mile by finding things that needed to be done and did them. They did the dishes, folded a load of laundry, and did their regular chores by taking out the garbage and sweeping the floor. I told them THANKS! They responded by telling me "After the lesson last night, I want to be more helpful." I love it. I did not even had to ask. Not to say my girls don't go the extra mile. Jessica got up late this morning and was already at Seminary, by the time the boys did all of these chores and Taylor did clean her room, which is in itself a huge task. Needless to say I am one Happy MOM this morning. Thank you Doug for a great lesson, I love you.

Another Snowman

It snowed again today. Here is the snowman the kids made today. I am not sure how much snow came down. It stopped around 4:00pm, but is suppose to start back up this evening. It is really cold though, it will drop into the teens tonight. I am glad we have church at 1:00p.m. Since, it was a cold day a nice big dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn and biscuits for dinner sounded really good. We enjoyed it. I don't make fried chicken very often. It takes a long time, its fried, and I usually don't have time. But today we hunkered in the house and played games, watched movies, and I scrapbooked a little (I never had the chance to scrapbook last Thursday).

Sleeping outside

The kids have been begging to sleep out on the trampoline for weeks. I finally gave in and said o.k. Doug was a better parent than me. He slept out there with them. It dropped into the 30's. Needless to say they were all in by 2a.m. They gave it their best effort. I think we need to wait until Spring for our next outdoor sleeping adventure.

Snowball Fights

We woke up this morning to 1 and a 1/2 inches of snow on the ground. We have needed the moisture. It soon started to rain and the snow started to melt away. So, my kids hurried to get warm clothes on head out to play. Of course they ended up in a snowball fight. You guessed right, school was cancelled. They played in the snow for about an hour. Then hurried in to warm their feet by the fire. They are enjoying a nice cup of hot cocoa.

I hope to enjoy a nice day of laundry, I mean scrapbooking. Doesn't that just sound peaceful?

It's SNOWING!

It started to snow around 4:45pm today. The kids tried to catch snowflakes on their tongues. Snow accumulated on the trampoline. So of course they wanted to have a snowball fight. As soon as I took the picture of Hunter, Taylor, Spencer with their snowballs they threw them at me. After an hour the kids were able to make a little snowman. As of now around 7:30 pm we have almost an inch and it is suppose to snow for a few more hours. The kids hope it will be a snow day tomorrow. I will keep you posted.

Ticked at the Dentist

Taylor, Spencer, and I just came back from the dentist with a cleaning. I needed to schedule our next six month appointment. She proceeded to tell me they do not allow more than one family take up so many spots on the appointment books. I am ticked off. We always have gone together as a family. They will only book three at a time now. They will only book two children at a time. Hello, I have four children and I want to get it done all at once. I told them they just lost six customers. So now I get to look for a new dentist. Yeah for me.

A Yummy Dinner

I just made a yummy dinner that my family loved. I have been in a rut about what to make for dinner. So, today I got out one of my cookbooks from my ward in Mesa. I made Candied Chicken. It was easy to make and did not take much effort at all. Try it out. Candied Chicken Cut up 4 chicken breasts (I use the boneless, skinless). Flour and brown the chicken Put in a baking dish. Mix together: 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 1/4 cup mustard 1/2 cup ketchup 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1/4 cup onion, chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup water Pour over the chicken. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Serve with rice. (I use brown rice) Let me know if you try it and like it. This recipe was from my dear friend Shelly.

Boys YUCK!

Last Thursday Taylor came home from school saying "P.E. was terrible." I asked her why it was so bad. She said "We had to do square dancing." "Why is that so bad?" I asked her. She said, "I had to dance with a boy, and it was Simon *******." (He is a boy in our ward) I told her at least he was LDS. Taylor said, "Whats LDS?" I told her it was The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She told me it was still "Terrible." Don't you love how children are so frank. In about five years she won't think that it is so terrible to dance with a boy. Right now she just cares about her Dad and brothers. In fact if it wasn't for her dad's lap she wouldn't have a place to sit half of the time. She loves to sit on her dad's lap, to watch T.V., read a book, in church, in fact it doesn't matter where we are at, you will find her on her dad's lap. Mom gets her on her lap if dad isn't around. She is my buddy when it comes to shopping, going to lunch, and scrapbooking. I can always count on her to come with me. We are going to enjoy this time for as long as possible. She is just growing up to fast:(

Leaves are falling all around.....

When we were in Virginia for Thanksgiving at Doug's sisters house (Thanks again Kathryn and Tim) the kids raked up a huge pile of leaves. It was a perfect picture moment so of course I took some pictures. They had so much fun doing this, even though it was cold that day.

Our own CELEBRITY in our Family.

Spencer is in the 3rd grade this year. He was named the TOP student of his elementary school out of all of the third graders (which is about 250 students+). Each school in our district, which is about 25 each name 5 TOP students for the 2007-2008 school year. Our Spencer received this award. They read a one minute spotlight on Spencer on the local radio station here in Georgia, it was in the newspaper and now the editor of our local magazine called for a picture of him to put in the magazine. We have our own celebrity in our family. He is an amazing student, friend, leader, helper, and funny kid. He was just put into the Gifted program this year. Can I be a more prideful mother? He deserved this award. We love you Spencer. The pictures are of him at home listening on the radio about himself. He was very modest and embarrassed about it. The last picture is of him at school at his desk the same morning after the announcement.

Growing up.....

What a difference a year can make? The top picture is from just a couple of days ago and the bottom one was in Feb. of last year with her grandmother Jessica has grown up. She is no longer (but always will be) our little girl. She has become such a beautiful, responsible, loving, smart, and funny young lady. She is in High School and loves it. She is an officer in the FBLA club (Future Business Leaders of America), and is getting ready to start track in a couple of weeks. Softball is over for now. Thank goodness (did I say that out loud). She is very talented in writing and wants to become a writer.

16 years of marriage

January 4th 2008 Doug and I just celebrated our 16th year anniversary with a trip out of town and to our favorite Steakhouse. We love being together and are best friends. We had a good time checking out different sites in downtown Atlanta (So when you come and visit, we can take you). We liked the World of Coke. We tasted so many different drinks from around the world. My favorite was the pine nut from Brazil. The least favorite was the Beverely soda from Italy. (We never tasted a drink like that when we were in Italy). It was disgusting. I gave up soda awhile back, but I just had to taste all of them while I was there, isn't that the point of going. I left with a upset stomach. I can say I don't miss soda after that.

Washington D.C. Trip

Here are a few photos of the kids in front of the White House. We went to Washington D.C. the week of Thanksgiving. It was cold that morning, but by the afternoon we had shed all of our jackets, coats, hats, and gloves. It was a beautiful 65 degrees. We had so much fun. I will have to post more about it when I get more pics uploaded. I still don't have a clue how I got these pictures on. Hey, I did say I was going to work on it.

O.K. here it goes.

Doug encouraged me to make my own blog. So here it goes. As you can tell I have nothing yet. It will take time for me to add things and figure this all out. For you bloggers that are experts please just bare with me for awhile.