A Visit with David

We were so excited when David called and said he would be in Philly on business! He came by Sunday night for supper and a relaxing visit. Sheldon and David were able to get away for an afternoon of fishing before he had to head back to Colorado. It was good to see him and spend a little time together

Tooth Fairy Trouble

As you can see...Heather has lost her two front teeth. Not on the same day, but close. After losing the first one, she put it in a bag and took off up the road to show her friend, Kirin. She forgot to zip the bag and the tooth was lost on the way. We looked and looked, but never found the missing tooth. Heather decided to write the Tooth Fairy a note and explain what happened and put it under her pillow in place of the tooth. What do you know...she still got a dollar! A couple days later the other one came out...and was place safely in a zipped bag and under the pillow within minutes of the extraction. This time the Tooth Fairy must have had a busy night because she didn't come! Heather left the tooth under her pillow and at some point during the day the Tooth Fairy popped in a took the tooth and left a dollar.

After Easter Outfits

With General Conference during Easter weekend, we didn't attend church on Easter Day. In keeping with our family tradition, I took the kids shopping for new 'Easter' outfits during spring break. They wore them to church the week after Easter, and looked FABULOUS!

Easter 2010

The kids had a good time coloring Easter eggs in preparation for the big day. Abby created a fun game to play with the finished eggs...a contest to see who could keep their egg in one piece for a whole week. They kept them in their rooms and were allowed to play with them as much as they wanted. The winner would be awarded a box of 'Peeps.' Needless to say, most of the eggs didn't last too long. (Thankfully they were broken within the first 24 hours...not too stinky.) Spencer's met it's demise first during a dispute with his sister. (I love natural consequences!) Heather's was the next to go during a game of catch with Lizzy. Abby took really good care of her eggie. She made it a soft bed, carried it around in a pouch she made with a hankie. She earned those Peeps!

Grandma and PapPap came for a short visit. Sheldon, Spencer and PapPap were eager to break out the fishing poles for opening day. They each caught 5 good sized brown trout. (Sheldon forgot to take pictures of the big catch!) Grandma brought a cool assortment of seeds to share with us. Some really crazy varieties of pumpkins and gourds. They also brought us a BUNCH of fresh eggs. Yum!

It's ALIVE!

I can't believe it!! Abby found my cell phone on Sunday! It was just sitting there on top of the melting snow, basking in the sun, after being lost for what seemed like forever! The best part is 1) I didn't run over it at any point 2) It works perfectly, just needed to be charged!

Time Makes the Heart Grow Fonder...

10 Things I miss about Las Vegas...

1. Being close to my family and friends.
2. Sunshine 360 days a year.
3. Flip flops and hoodies as part of my winter wardrobe.
4. The smell of sagebrush after it rains.
5. The drive to church taking less than 5 minutes.
6. Desert sunsets.
7. It's a 'dry heat.'
8. Purple mountains majesty. (The beautiful mountains that surround the city like a big hug!)
9. Winter gardening.
10. Did I mention I miss my family??

Did She Just Say That?

Another funny conversation between Liz and Heather while they're kicking the soccer ball around the living room.

Liz: Why did 6 run?

Heather: Why?

Liz: Because 7 ate 9.

Heather: I get it! HaHa! That's a homophone.

Liz: Yep, sure is...wait, did you just hear what she said?

Me: (Thinking to myself) What the heck is a homophone? Crap, I'm not smarter than a first grader. (I do know what a homophone is, it just took me a minute to catch up!)

One More Reason to Look Forward to Spring!

I had my first experience having to dig the truck out of the driveway after getting a little sideways on the ice. We share a LONG private drive (meaning it doesn't get plowed by the township) with 2 neighbors. It didn't take too long to get back on the road, but now I'm cell-phone-less. It fell out of my pocket at some point during the dig out, and we still haven't been able to find it.

Family Fun

With all the winter weather we've been having, we have really been enjoying spending time inside, by the fire, playing games and having fun. Our new favorite winter-time treat is snow cones made with fresh snow and Kool-aid!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I love Valentine's Day!! Being Sunday and all, we had to shower everyone (primary teachers, Sunday school teachers, visiting teaching ladies) with hugs and treats. We had fun making heart shaped cookies with candies on top, candy cane hearts (with candy canes bought after Christmas for 10 cents a box!), heart shaped rice bags and of course LOTS of heart shaped love notes! After church, I had the kids pose for a pic outside of the church building. (It was SOOO cold!!) Check out the GIANT icicles in the background!

SNOW!

Heather couldn't wait to wreck the snow castle on top of the bird feeder!


Elizabeth enjoyed an afternoon snack...a HUGE icecicle!


Freckles is a little on the short side, Sheldon had to make a path for her so she could go outside to do her business.


Sheldon got started shoveling the sidewalks and in front of the doors. Our snow shovel couldn't keep up with him - it broke in half before he was done.

Love Thy Neighbor

Our neighbor, Andy, came to our rescue on Sunday morning! After getting 30 inches of snow we were so glad to see him ride up and save the day! The repairman was able to get thru and fix the heater, and we didn't have to spend days trying to make the driveway passable! THANKS ANDY!!! We took him a loaf of warm bread and a jar of jam to let him know how much we appreciate him!

Bracing for the Storm

We spent the bulk of the day on Friday preparing for the storm everyone said was coming. A trip to the grocery store for extra milk and such, a trip to the hardware store for a new propane heater, a trip to our favorite farm for a load of wood...and it all paid off. We didn't lose power, but our heater went out just before the sun went down. We had a camp out in the living room, watched movies, played games and tried to stay warm. All in all, it was fun for the kids and we made it thru just fine.

A Two Hour Delay

We got a bit of snow overnight. The kids were SO excited, the schools were running on a two hour delay. Seminary was canceled, so Elizabeth slept in and still had time to make herself beautiful. The little kids made a mad dash for their snow suits and headed outside for a little playtime before school. The pile of wet snow pants, gloves, hats and boots are what was left when they hurried off to catch the bus. Good times.

Blessings

This is the load of venison we got to fill our freezer with...all because of the generosity of a stranger! It's a bit of a long story, but the short of it is as follows. A friend of a friend filled a bunch of doe tags on the last day of deer season, didn't need all of the meat, so it was passed along to us. Sheldon cleaned it up and butchered it and I wrapped and froze it.

Speaking in Sacrament Meeting

Sheldon and I were asked to speak in sacrament meeting...finally. Sounds weird, I know. But we've lived in this ward for 6 months now and we truly expected to get 'tagged' long before now. The topic was "The Book of Mormon and how it blesses our family." I didn't leave much time for Sheldon, but he didn't seem to mind. It was good to publicly express my appreciation for the gifts in my life. I love the gospel and am so grateful for my membership in it! And okay, have to admit, on some level I'm just plain glad that it's over! WHEW!

Crazy Fun Birthday Party

Saturday afternoon Abby had some friends over for a birthday celebration! They had tons of fun decorating shirts, making cat masks, playing games and of course, eating cake and ice cream. The kids partied so hard that they all had tummy aches and missed church the next day!

Spencer's Scouting

Spencer was awarded his first badge as a cub scout by our Scoutmaster, Brother Kone. He's LOVING the scout program and eating up the idea of earning badges and such for things he loves to do anyway!

Happy 10th Birthday, Abby!

Abby had another birthday...and she's 10! Hard to believe, at least for me! She's modeling this years 'birthday suit.' (Every year on the morning of their b-day, they open a present first thing and get to wear their new outfit on their special day.)

Rainy Days are Here Again

Isn't he the cutest dog in the world? We've opted to 'dress' him on the rainy days rather than live with the wet dog smell for hours after he's been outside. He doesn't seem to mind and it certainly hasn't slowed down his squirrel hunting any!

Hats on for Haiti

The little kids had a fun day at school yesterday. The PTO organized a fundraiser for the earthquake victims. Everyone wore hats to school (and got to wear them all day!) to show their love and support - and they brought a dollar, or more, to donate to help them. The hats in the pic below are the hats the girls wore to school to show their support. Way Cute!

Sew Mama Sew

I've had a busy week sewing up a storm. I made Abby and Heather both skirts from some wool fabric that Grandma Penrose gave us. Thanks Grandma! I also made some fleece pj's for Spencer. They have his signature fishing theme with fish appliques. (*Side note: Abby has grown so much!! She's wearing a 14 in girls' clothes and a size 6 women's shoe!)

Study Buddies

Elizabeth and Alex are spending the afternoon studying for mid-terms. Good Times!

Abby's New Hobby

Abby's got a new love - the clarinet. She takes lessons at school and is doing so well! She really enjoys making beautiful music!

Meet Grace

We are the proud owners of a calf! Abby named it Grace, becuase we are not keeping it as a pet, but rather will be 'saying grace' before it's served up for dinner. Or we thought it might be fun to sing 'Amazing Grace' if a meal is particularly good. Either way, we thought it was appropriate! Except for one thing...she is actually a he. What do you think? Should we rename him, or keep saying Grace?

Let it Snow!

A Room with a View!

This is the view I wake up to every morning!! I'm so blessed!!

The Tribe-cicle

We were so excited for the first snow! The minute the flakes started falling, the kids were scrambling for their snow boots and sleds! Shortly after this picture was taken we had 2 feet of snow on the ground. Buddy (the dog) had the most fun romping thru the white stuff and chasing the kids on sleds down the hill.

Merry Christmas 2009

18 years and counting...

We celebrated our 18th anniversary on November 28th. We have made so many beutiful memories over the years and are looking forward to an eternity of good times together.