Cindy tagged me a while ago. I'm a little slow in getting this one done!

ABC's of me:
A- Attached or single: Definitely attached
B- Best Friend: Hubby! I've never been too good at having close friends.
C-Cake or Pie: Depends. I don't like Cherry or Apple Pie at all. My favorite part of the cake is the ice cream and cream cheese frosting minus the cake.
D- Day of Choice: I like Thursday! It means we are past Wednesday and almost to Friday!
E- Essential Item: My All Natural Chapstick! And my computer!
F- Favorite Color: Yellow-It makes me happy, Red or White-my favorite colors to wear, and Black is my current fad color.
G- Gummi Bears or Worms: Red Swedish Fish! Actually gummi foods hurt my teeth.
H- Hometown: Rupert
I- Indulgence(s): Sleeping!
J- January or July: July! I love picnics and watermelon and parades and fireworks and family reunions and camping and no school!
K- Kids: Zachary-12, Jusytn-10, Shaelynne-8, Alexys-6, Kathryn-3 and Henry-1!
L- Life is incomplete without: True Love and Good Friendships
M- Marriage Date: September 24, 1994
N- Number of Siblings: 10; 7 girls and 3 boys and I'm #1! (Ha! Ha!)
O- Oranges or Apples: Niether really, Apples only if they are peeled, Oranges only if they are juicy and sweet! I love fresh ripe peaches and pears and WATERMELON!!!
P- Phobias or Fears: Buttons! YUCK!
Q- Quotes(s: I love anything that speaks directly to me. Some of my current favorites are on my sidebar.
R- Reason To Smile: My husband and my kids. Other people's naughty kids, and my SIL Julie.
S- Season: I honestly love each of the seasons. I love Spring because of the newness of life in color and sound. I love Summer because it's a time for being outdoors. I love Fall because of the smells and colors of harvest and I love Winter because of the holiday seasons and the idea of peace on earth under a blanket of snow.
T- Tag: EVERYONE! Anyone who wants to play!
U- Unknown Fact About Me: I ran into a glass panel at college going a hundred miles an hour (close anyways) I missed the door. My face print was permanent in the glass and my one front tooth is now fake.
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: Ummm...I like meat more than vegetables? This one sounds so MEAN!
W- Worst Habit: Just one? Okay, I talk too much. AND I either overthink things or forget to think about things all together.
X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: What kind of answer does this one want? I don't remember ever having an x-ray and I have only had ultrasounds when I was pregnant so I guess ultrasounds. I love seeing my babies for the first time.
Y- Your Favorite Food: I love pasta!
Z: Zodiac: Virgo

Now it's your turn!

Gifts full of love

S likes to give gifts to people. Because she doesn't have the money to buy things, she makes things. She has made little things, that we have no idea what they are, out of whatever scraps she can find around the house. She always writes letters and cards to us. She has a bead kit and she makes jewelry for her friends all the time. For Valentine's Day she decorated my house in signs that she had made and covered them with suckers and other random things she could find. She made homemade Valentine Cards for every one and hung them around the kitchen as decorations. She had recieved a package of Necca candy from a friend at school so she divided it up and included them in her little cards she had made. She gives everything she can to everyone. A is starting to get old enough that she wants to give things also. It's fun for S to have a partner in her gift giving.

So for H's birthday yesterday, the two of them disappeared after school to try to come up with an idea that they could give to him for his birthday. They came to me with a couple of ideas that we scratched due to not appropriate for a baby or lack of time or supplies. Finally, they came up with the perfect gift. Unfortunately, the older boys are clueless and tactless about these little homemade gifts, Hubby tries to appreciate them but most of the time he's clueless also, and K and H are just too little to get it yet. So for now, they are just entertaining for me. And I love it!

So, here's my girls, giving their little homemade gift of love to their baby brother on his 1st birthday.



These are the moments that are truely priceless to me!

Out-Smarted

Yesterday, I had some time to kill so I decided to browse Target. Not the best idea since I can never get out of there without buying something.

Last summer I tried to be smart and buy swimsuits on sale. By the time they went on sale, there was absolutely nothing left to choose from except a couple of really ugly two-piece suits. Not worth the stress, so this year I bought early and not on sale but one- piece and very cute. When we got home, I realized I had bought K a 2T. I figured it would fit okay but I wanted to take it back for a 3T and maybe get more use out of it. The other girls were trying on their new suits and K asked if she could try on hers. I told her she could but not to take the tags off because we were going to return it for a bigger size. She said that she didn't want to take this suit back. This was the one that she wanted.

A few minutes later I found her suit in a wad on the bathroom floor. I asked her to come and pick it up and put it back in the bag so we could return it in a few minutes. She said "Nope. I'm keeping this one. See. I pooped in it."

WHAT?

Sure enough! We will be keeping the 2T!

One Year Later....

Today my baby turns 1....

American Idol-David Archuleta

Even if you're not an American Idol fan, this kid is very good and he's very likeable. He's got my vote this week!

Geek Mom 101

Okay, so let me start off with, not only was my lunch idea bright but in my opinion it was simply brilliant.

My kids are in a charter school and they do not have a cafeteria so there is no hot lunch program available. That means sack lunches everyday. When the weather is good they eat outside on the lawn and when the weather is bad they eat in their classrooms while the grounds teacher reads to them. Since there is only one class per grade and only 250 kids total in the school, the kids are all very close friends and they spend alot of time together. I have 3 in this school. My kids want go-gurts, Capri sun drinks, fruit cups, fruit roll-ups, and IF I was really cool I would let them take lunchables. Sadly, I'm not so cool but I have tried to buy some of these things when they are on sale. The problem I am running into is, if I don't pack them what they want, they either don't eat, they barter the unwanted stuff for more desirable, less healthy foods like Twinkies or donuts, or their friends will just bring extra goodies to share because they feel sorry for my kids pathetic lunches. Very nice friends, but not okay with me. Each week I end up spending a ridiculous amount of money on their cold lunches. I would really prefer they just take last nights left overs but that would be really damaging for their fragile self-esteems.

So, this last weekend when I went shopping, much to the panic and dismay of my poor starving children, I bought some small containers and small refillable juice boxes at Target and then bought bulk yogurt, canned fruit (lots of different kinds even), pudding, and jello so they can fill the little containers with whatever they want. I bought lots of cans of 100% concentrated juice so they can make a pitcher at night and fill up their little bottles with good juice not sugary punch, and Hubby has been drying some jerky and fruit for them as well to put in their lunches.

Honestly, nothing bright in this idea at all. And I'm sure that any of you would or are doing the same things with your children's cold lunches. I didn't mean to leave you all in suspense. It was the reaction from the kids at school that struck me as funny. Because I'm trying things that are more home made, I'm thought of as the "weird" mom. My poor kids. (I wonder what other bright ideas I have had that have been the topic of discussion among the lunch buddies.)

Each day when the kids get home from school the first thing they tell me about is how their lunches went over with the other kids and what things are totally not cool to do again. The thing that makes them the happiest is when they don't stand out from the other kids. They just want to blend in. I had no idea cold lunch would be such a social event. I thought my idea was sort of like the real deal. It could be worse. I could make them eat really healthy embarrassing stuff.

So, since we are on this subject, what things do you put in your children's cold lunches. We are half way through the school year and our lunches are starting to become boring.

Ummm.....not sure what to say

Conversation at lunch yesterday as told to me by J:

Kinsey: Looks at J's lunch and says, "Oh man, did your mom have another one of her bright ideas?"
J: "Yea, only she's serious about this one. If it works, we have to stick with it."
Kinsey: "I'm so sorry! I'm just really glad that my mom is normal!"
J: "I wish mine was."

What do your kids say about you when you're not around?

Where's K?

Yesterday after church we all climbed into the sub. The kids were all laughing and playing and arguing over who sat where and Hubby and I were just relieved to have survived another Sunday. For some reason, Hubby didn't drive right off but we chatted for a minute. I turned around and noticed that all the car seats were empty and the kids were all crammed in the back seat together having a party. I could see H and the older 4 but not K. Just as Hubby put the car into drive, I asked who had K. Suddenly we could hear a panicked muffled scream. It was K, but where was she. No one had her on their lap so we decided she wasn't in the car. Hubby looked out his side mirror and there she was, standing by her door waiting for someone big to open it for her. When she heard the car start up, she panicked and screamed. That's the scream we heard. Suddenly the reality of how close we came to either leaving her, or worse, running over her suddenly set in. We looked up to see several ward members staring at us in disbelief. I can only imagine the circus act we must have looked like. K cried for most of the ride home. She said that we scared her cuz she "foughts we had forgot 'bout her". Talk about guilt. One more reason to justify why couples should not have lots of kids.

Or....maybe I'm just thankful for another tiny miracle.

Dancing....

Last night our church had a family dance. We did not go. We stayed home and played our own music really loud and had our own silly family dance followed by poppy seed cake and ice cream.

So, do you (or would you) go to a family dance? Why? or Why not?

Here's my opinion: I do not understand the purpose of having a family dance at church. I'm not trying to have a bad attitude. It just makes no sense to me. When I went to dances as a teenager, I went to dance and flirt with cute boys. Even when I was old enough to date, going to dances was not the fun part of the date. Sure it was fun to dance a little with my date but mostly we went to just get pictures. It wasn't about the dancing at all. So now that I am happily married, I honestly do not see the purpose of having a church dance. I'm not interested in dancing with anyone but my husband. Trying to keep track of all my kids while holding my baby and trying to dance in a dimly lit church gym surrounded by other happily married couples and all their little kiddos running around just sounds like stress to me.

So now that I've sort of explained my thoughts here, maybe you can share with me what I am missing. In all fairness, I have never been to a dance since I have been married so I don't know what I am missing. I would love to hear your opinions. Our church has this dance every year so give me your opinion as to why I should or should not support this dance next year.

How do you say...?

Last night, S's class was asked to perform for the school board. Hubby and I left the other kids home and just took her. Her class has been learning Spanish so they sang a song that lists the days of the week, a song that lists the months of the year and then they did some conversation exercises for the board. They were really cute and I thought they did a great job! Afterwards, we stopped at the grocery store to get a couple of items. While there, Hubby was teasing S that they had mispronounced some of their words. S was quite sure that they had said them right since her teacher is always right. After several minutes of teasing each other, Hubby took S over to this cute little Spanish couple that was also shopping. They spoke very little English, so Hubby spoke to them in Spanish. He told them that S was learning to speak some Spanish but that some of her pronunciation was wrong but that she wouldn't believe him so would they please tell her the correct way to say some of the words. S was so embarrassed. It was so funny! We laughed and laughed. She just kept saying how she couldn't believe her dad would do that to her. We got our groceries and went to the checkout line. While we were waiting, I decided to make sure I had some money with me to pay for our stuff. I didn't! The store we were at only accepts cash or local checks so then it was my turn to embarrass S and Hubby. Hubby was kind of mad at me and kept saying how I was way too spacey sometimes. As we were walking out the door, empty handed, I saw one of my friends. Now I was embarrassed. As we passed her and I said Hi to her, she quickly showed me her ATM card and whispered, I forgot my money so I hope I can remember my PIN number so I can get some cash to pay for my groceries. I instantly felt better. I told her that was why we were leaving with no groceries. See, I'm not the only one like me out there. (OR maybe that doesn't say much for my friends.) We went and got our groceries at a store that takes a credit card. The whole evening S kept reminding us about how embarrassing it had been to hang out with her parents. I remember being young and thinking my parents were embarrassing also. I actually felt bad for doing that to her but we really had a good time with her and we laughed alot so I wasn't considering the evening a complete failure. Then, just before she headed off to bed, she came over to give me a hug and she said, "Thanks mom for a really fun evening. I had a really great time being with you and dad!" It reminded me of those LDS church commercials that say "Family....isn't it about TIME!"
Thanks S! Daddy and I had a great time with you also! You make us laugh!



P.S. My traps are full again this morning. This is not so much fun anymore. In fact I'm kind of mad about it today! I'm not very patient and this problem is getting old already! I guess it could be worse though. Hubby just stopped in for lunch and said that he has been investigating a dead body all morning. I guess my little dead mice problem is maybe not so bad. Wait, YES IT IS!!!!! YUCK!!!

Home, Sweet Home!

Last night when Hubby got off work, he suggested that we take the sub over to the car wash and use the power washer to see if we could flush the mouse out. As we were driving, I kept feeling something like a mouse tail brush across my leg. Since I was driving, I thought we were going to get in a wreck. I had to put my feet up on the seat. This sort of stressed Hubby out a little bit. I suggested that maybe we should just buy a new vehicle. He thought I was acting rediculous. I wasn't! I was dead serious! I told him I also thought we should start looking at buying a new home, or at least a new garage. He suggested that it would be cheaper to buy some mouse traps. I consented to let him try his plan but if I find any more live mice, I'm taking matters into my own hands. This morning we woke to the traps full! I am not going anywhere today because I cannot go out into my garage with those dead things still out there. Of course, removing them is Hubby's "job" because he is so much braver than I am!

Also, I just got the strangest phone call from my insurance agent. He said he was worried about me and the kids and wanted to make sure we were okay and did I need anything from him. I thought this was a little forward considering I'm not really used to recieving phone calls of concern from other men other than my father. After I reassured him that we were fine and honestly didn't need anything from him, he asked how my house was and if there was anything I needed to report to him. I was thinking, "Perfect, I bet they have a policy about mice and how did he know I needed a new house." They don't, but apparently we had an earthquake this morning and there are homes and other structures around here that are damaged. I never felt a thing. Bummer! (My insurance agent now thinks I'm a nut job though! Oh well!)

It's only 10 o'clock! This day is off to a great start! Thank goodness it's Thursday!

Puking, a Puppy, and a Pest!

It seems like I go through blogging spurts. Sometimes I blog almost non-stop and then all of a sudden, I don't have anything to write about. It's not that my life changes from boring to more boring. It's just that sometimes my brain just shuts off.

H is a strange kid. He is a little brute! He has a big, heavy head and he likes to ram into things with it. Then he thinks it's fun, so he'll do it again. If he sits up in bed and hits his head on the wall, he'll think about it for a second and then do it again, and again, and again, until I finally stop him. He thinks it's funny. Yesterday he was eating and he stuck his finger in his mouth and puked up a little on his hand. He didn't know what was on his hand, he licked it, stuck his finger in his mouth again, gagged and puked again, licked it again, and then repeated it all over again. It took me a minute to catch on to what he was doing and then I cleaned him up and he went off to play. A few minutes later when I looked over at him, he stuck his fingers in his mouth again, gagged and puked and then laughed and did it again. He has done this several times since. I have to keep a pacifier in his mouth at all times or he is trying to gag himself. He is a very strange kid!

J wants a puppy really bad. So much so that he becomes very emotional sometimes about how unfair his life is because every boy needs a dog to love. When I load the dishwasher, H has discovered that there is water on the door that he can play in. His new trick is to lick it up off the door. GROSS! Then he took his sippy cup and dumped the water on the floor and then laid down in it a licked it up off the floor. I don't need to buy a puppy! I have a puppy!

Today I went to school to pick the older kids up to take J to get his glasses adjusted while Z had guitar practice. We drive a black sub and J and S informed me that it was embarrassing to have our car be so dirty. It really did need a car wash so after the glasses were fixed, we headed over to the car wash. While we were in the car wash, with the machine washing our car, J noticed a little mouse crawling across our windshield. We had a moment of screaming. Then he climbed back down into the hood of the car and disappeared. I spent the rest of the drive waiting for him to climb up my leg. We had a mouse in our garage a few months ago but we haven't seen him since. We set out some traps but obviously the peanut butter must be frozen because we have not caught a thing. I have swept out the garage a couple of times and every now and then I have found some more mouse tracks so I have been suspicious that we still had a problem. Now I know that we still do. So, my newly washed car is not parked in my garage but is currently parked down the street. I am hoping to freeze that little bugger out of my hood and then when he comes out he will be disoriented and not know how to get back to my garage and then he will go live in someone else's garage. I'm very generous that way with my neighbors.

So, as you can see, not too much out of the ordinary is going on around here. It has warmed up to about 40 degrees though. Could Spring really be coming????

Surprise Baby Shower!

After the Birthday Party (see post below), we sent Deb off to do something really important, not sure what, the boys all went to the church to play basketball, and we changed the decorations to pink and SURPRISE! We had a baby shower. Deb is having a baby in a couple of weeks. She has 3 little boys and now she is expecting her first little girl. Grandma Lowder told us that this little girl is her 91 great-grandchild! We can't wait for her to get here!

P.S. Some Statistics: My Grandparents have 8 children, 5 boys and 3 girls. They have 49 grandchildren, 47 are still living, 24 girls and 25 boys (I think that is right), and they currently have 90 great-grandchildren with 7 more on the way, all living, and Grandma said it was pretty close to half girls and half boys. I think these are amazing numbers. Look how many lives have been directly affected all because over 60 years ago, 2 people fell in love! I belong to an amazing family!

Our journey through the years

Hubby surprised me for Valentine's day and got me a new computer. Then he scanned all the pictures from my previous post and made them into a video. I love it! I think he did a great job, especially since this is his very first video! Thanks Hubby! I love you!

Happy Birthday!

On Saturday, my mom had a birthday party at her house to celebrate all the family birthday's in January, February, and March.

We celebrated Tom's (married to Melanie) birthday, Jeph's (married to Venita) birthday, and Becca's (married to Spencer) birthday.

We also celebrated Brogan's (Melanie's son) 3rd Birthday, Klayton's (Brian's son) 4th birthday, and Henry's (My son) 1st birthday.

And February is also Grandma Wilson's birthday and Saturday was Grandma
Lowder's birthday!

Cali and Mom planned all the food and activities, Brian and Cali painted the whole upstairs, and Brian and Joel were in charge of hanging balloons and streamers! We played silly games and opened presents and had cake and ice cream. It was a very fun party!

Not everyone was able to be there though. We missed Jeph and Venita (had already made other plans), Spencer and Becca and their children (had to work), Lynnette and Neal and their children (live in Indiana) and Kami (on a mission) and Grandma Wilson (still vacationing in Las Vegas). The bigger our family gets the harder it is to pick a date and time that everyone can be to. It was fun to be with everyone who came. We can't wait for the next birthday party in May!

Through the Years by Kenny Rogers

I can't remember when you weren't there
When I didn't care for anyone but you
I swear we've been through everything there is

Can't imagine anything we've missed
Can't imagine anything the two of us can't do



Through the years
You've never let me down
You turned my life around



The sweetest days I've found
I've found with you

Through the years
I've never been afraid
I've loved the life we've made


















And I'm so glad I've stayed
Right here with you
Through the years

I can't remember what I used to do
Who I trusted whom, I listened to before
I swear you've taught me everything I know

Can't imagine needing someone so
But through the years it seems to me
I need you more and more

Through the years
Through all the good and bad
I knew how much we had
I've always been so glad
To be with you



Through the years
It's better everyday
You've kissed my tears away



As long as it's okay
I'll stay with you
Through the years

Through the years
When everything went wrong
Together we were strong
I know that I belonged
Right here with you


Through the years
I never had a doubt
We'd always work things out


I've learned what love's about
By loving you
Through the years

Through the years
It's better everyday
You've kissed my tears away

As long as it's okay
I'll stay with you
Through the years











Since this is Valentine's Week, I've been thinking about the people who mean the very most to me and how we got to where we are right now. I've had this song going through my head all week. I am so thankful for the years that I've had with Hubby and the life that we have created together, for all the things that we have been through that have gotten us to this point and for each of the children who have joined our family along the way. As you can tell from the pictures, some years were definately harder than other but through the years, I have been very blessed.

What a ride....

I watch him as he rises before his alarm,
Another day to get ready and prepare for potential harm.

He gets out of the shower, fresh for the day,
He starts his routine, I just stay out of the way.

I watch as he pulls out his uniform of blue,
He pins on his badge, it looks shiny, but not new.

His name tag, he places perfectly straight in a line.
I watch him with pride, I'm so glad that he's mine.

On goes his belt, with necessary tools, every one,
Handcuffs, baton, extra ammo clip and gun.

He kisses me gently, caresses my face ever so sweet,
I watch him walk out the door and right out on the streets.

I pray each day, as he walks out the door
'Please God, bring him back home to me once more!'

I watch as he comes home, after an extra long day,
Weary and tired, with not much to say

Stabbings, shootings, women tormented by abuse,
There's always a bad guy out there on the loose.

He's out there to protect and serve in his town,
Ever ready to be there when a call comes down.

He is ready to give his life, for another,
Leaving behind his kids, wife, father and mother.

I watch as with pride, I'm reminded once more,
Make every moment special, before he walks out the door.

Author Unknown

We started this ride 7 years ago. This month is Hubby's anniversary month for working for his current employer. He loves his work and we know he loves us. Why do we do this each day? We know that this is where God wants his talents to be used. Serving others. "When Ye Are in the Service of Your Fellow Beings Ye Are Only in the Service of Your God" (Mosiah 2:17) Thanks Hubby for going to work each day. I am proud of you! I love you!