What the Heck???

Last I checked...I lived in the Seattle area and it was November...why is the weather behaving like it's December in Utah???
This was just the beginning. It snowed for more than 24 hours straight! Now it's butt cold!!!!

See our red van and gray escort? They look so cold out there. This morning when I woke up, it was 9 degrees on the wind chill factor. Dadgum! We are not used to that at all!

Oh...and I just included this because I thought it was so cute. Little Miss got hungry and helped herself to her favorite food. (o:

Halloween 2010

Since Travis had his surgery...we kind of fell behind on the whole holiday thing this year. We did manage to get to the pumpkin patch and the annual Trunk or Treat at the church. Here are a few pictures of the fun times. Pumpkin patch...obviously. (o;

Our little Queen bee...Queen Elizabeth.

Connor the Crossbuck. He's so cute!

Joseph and Spencer were so excited to get started.

Connor's crossbuck. He's such a funny kid! Our kids are very original in their costume choices. No store bought things for us...except Lizbets...hers was a hand me down though.

Connor did get these at the dollar store and wanted to wear them, but he couldn't see to even walk...so he nixed it on his own.

As usual...Spencer wanted to be a stoplight. It's like his 3rd or 4th year being a stoplight, but it's super easy to make and it makes him happy so...

Last year Joseph was Grave Digger monster truck, so this year he was the driver, Dennis Anderson.

Elizabeth loved the feeling of this bee costume. She actually enjoyed wearing it. She really was as cute as a bug.

Today...

Travis had surgery. He had an umbilical hernia that needed to be taken care of. I had to stay home with all the kids, so his mom went with him and took brought him home. I asked how he was doing and this is what he sent me in response:
Funny guy! The surgery went very smoothly and he is now home and resting. Thanks to all the family and friends that prayed for us. They were heard because all went as perfectly as they could. Now he has a week to recover and then he can go back to work.

She's just soooo silly!

I rest my case!

Wii and Bowling with Diet Coke Cans

We caved and got the family a Wii. We got it at a good price. We have bonded over this stupid video game console. I'm loving the swordplay game. Travis enjoys bowling and sword play. We got Joseph and Spencer used copies of Monster Jam Urban Assault and Sim City Creator...those are their faves. Connor is a bowling maniac. Everyone gets a turn and we all have a blast cheering each other on.

Like I said, Connor is a bowling maniac now. So, tonight he got a bunch of empty Diet Coke cans out of our recycle box and lined them up and then went "bowling" for about an hour. He had Joseph playing with him and Elizabeth cheering him on. It was cute. They even convinced their dad to give it a shot.

Travis found out he has a hernia...belly button kind. He is scheduled for surgery on October 29th. He will be in at 9am and should be home by evening. Home from work for a week. He said he can use that time to work on homework. He's taking 4 classes right now and boy are they a lot of work! I hope that this surgery will relieve some of the pain he has had lately. Poor guy.

That's all I can write cause I'm simply pooped. Elizabeth has yet figured out the sleep is an important thing for all humans to do. She's 20 months old and only naps a few days a week. Then, at night she wakes up at least 3 times. I'm thinking we should get rid of the crib. She might sleep better in a little bed where she doesn't feel so trapped, cause she almost always ends up sleeping on our bedroom floor or the living room floor (with me on the couch to spare Travis the noise). Adios for now!

Stars and bugs and a Zoo to boot!

Yesterday we took the kids to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. We also took Travis's mom. We got to see lots of super cool fish and some neato animals too. We had a great time. We walked and walked for over 3 hours. Elizabeth was determined to walk the entire time...and she almost made it. She crashed at the Red Fox house at the very end.

After the Zoo we took Mom N. home. Connor found a roly poly pill bug while there and brought it home. It has it's own container of dirt (it's house). Today he rolled the thing around in a Matchbox convertible car, "flew" it in a toy plane and then sat it on his hand so it could 'see' the movie that they watched together. He calls it Mr. Pillbuggy. Connor is such a cute little character. He has so much life!


Lastly...last night when we came home, Spencer looked out at the stars (cause it was late!) and said, "Look at all the stars. The stars are the Sun's little children." He was so serious...My heart grew three sizes at that moment. (o: He's such a sweet and perceptive little boy.

So...I'm gonna download a bunch of pictures and so you can see Mr. Pillbuggy and also a sampling from the zoo.

Here is Mr. Pillbuggy watching Tom and Jerry help Sherlock Holmes solve a mystery.

Look! It's Mr. Pillbuggy!
Travis and his mom at the zoo. She looks so good! Travee's always cute!

Lizbet and the mama tiger had a little chat. I love this picture!!!

Aren't we just the cutest little family? (o;

She was meowing at the monkey. It was pretty cute! He was pointed back at her.

Touching the sea life.

Cutest boys ever!

Just a Recap

Busy, busy, busy. In the last 10 days we celebrated Travis's birthday, have had school every day except weekends, babysat Jake once (cause it was a teacher work day and he had no school), served 2 people their court papers (we do process serves for our friends husband-he's a lawyer...and they pay us), moved Joseph out of the boys bedroom and into Lizbet's room (cause he needs alone time and she doesn't believe in sleep so it's like he has his own room), helped Travis get ready to start school on Monday, gathered the seeds that weren't used at our assigned 5 Home Depots and packaged them up to send back to the Stover company (this is a merchandising job that Travis did over the summer) and went to the Fair! Elizabeth is still more work than all three of her brothers combined, and the boys are going through a teasing phase that makes it very loud in our house.

BUT...we all love each other and are pretty much in good health (lingering colds are almost gone and Elizabeth has 2 teeth ready to break through)...so...we say...we are great! Hope you are all having a great week and have a fabulous weekend!

Joseph's Birthday (and mine)

Friday was my 36th birthday. Zoiks! Travis's parents took us all out for breakfast at Denny's (they give a free Grand Slam to birthday people). Then we came to our home and had icecream cake and Deone took me to the store and bought me a new purse. It was a lovely day.
NOW....on to the really important birthday! (o: Joseph turned 10 yesterday!!!!! 10!!!!

First, may I mention, that Travis had to go have a tooth pulled first thing in the morning. He got happy pills and went through Joseph's birthday in a fog, but pain free. (o:

Here is Joseph on the way to Grandmas house in this picture. I made him hold the cake cause I had to hold the pizzas.

Per his request...Papa Murphy's! Mmmmmmmmm

Condor being cute. Look close...pizza sauce face!

Grandma Teese got him a big Medusa!!! Sweet!

90% of the toys that he got were legos. I love watching him create. Nothing better than watching your child follow instructions and create something cool...or use their imagination and create something even cooler!

He worked an hour on it, but put together his gas tanker truck all by himself. He was so proud!

Lizbet has NOT been sleeping for the past...oh, I guess her entire life...but it's been worse this past week (yes...my brain is mush from lack of sleep). Apparently, it all caught up with her yesterday because she spent almost the entire party time at Grandma's looking just like this! (noice in the picture above this one...she's passed out behind Joseph)

I gave Connor and Spencer little party bags with playdough and stuff in them so they would have something to play with while Joseph assembled his lego things. Worked out nicely. (Peppo needs a haircut!)

Notice his awesome plates and cups!

Joseph said it was the best day of his life. I'm glad he had a good day. I'm not glad that my baby boy is already 10 years old!!! Where did the time go?

We Will Never Forget!

First day of (home)School

Today we started school. It was fun! I had them dress in their new shirts and comb their hair...this will be about the only time this year that they do this....then we took some pictures.
We talked about paragraphs and did some Saxon math. Then we discussed recycling and the new recycle container that we have at our apartments now. Connor practice writing his letters and we are going to read together tonight. We set some general rules and made a goal to earn 100 rocks by October so that we can go to the Zoo/Aquarium. It was a good day!
Joseph. I guess he's supposed to be in 4th grade. He's doing work all over the place. Some 5th grade, some 4th grade and even some 3rd grade stuff. I really don't like the grade level thing...he is where he is and that's what matters.

Spencer. He's 3rd grade.

Connor is doing Kindergarten work this year!

And Elizabeth had a great time making a HUGE mess while I taught the boys!

Some of the things we discussed that can be recycled.