Still waiting to get used to this

Went and bought a bunch of fruit...

5 bags apples
2 bags oranges
8 pounds strawberries
6 bunches of bananas
4 pineapples
2 sacks of pears

10 days later...

This is all that is left...

I know that I shouldn't continue to be horrified by this.

But I can't seem to help it...

Spook 1994-2010

Corey and I had been married six months when we got our first pets.

Two girl kitties whom we named Shorty and Spook.

One day, I spied them doing "the tango" and though that it was weird. But, I knew they were both female so I really didn't give it any more thought.

When we took them to the vet to have them spayed, and the vet called Spook a "he". I corrected him. And then he laughed at me.

15 years later and Corey still occasionally referred to Spook as "she".

I wonder if it gave the cat a complex.

He was an all black, very long haired kitty with personality.

Someone once told me that he must be Jamaican because his fur balls looked like dreadlocks.

Every year we would have to deal with his enormous fur balls.

One year, instead of taking him in to the vet to have him shaved, I decided to do it myself.

I turned on the clippers, which made a loud buzzing noise, looked down to where Spook had just been, but he was gone.

We didn't see him for several days. He was no dummy.

He would purr at you for scratching him under the chin and then turn around and scratch you.

I think we traumatized him by having all these kids.

He was never a mouser. We once showed him a dead mouse and he ran away from it.

It was a common sight to look out the front window and see raccoons eating from his food dish as he sat several feet away, calmly watching.

We sometime called him a lazy old man.

He was a very social cat and he loved all the attention he would get at Halloween.

He was the perfect accessory to my witch costume.

Most cats would hide on Halloween, but not Spook.

He would sit on the front porch and greet all the trick-or-treaters.

He lived a good life.

He live a long life.

We will miss him.

Spook aka Spookers July 4, 1994-February 27, 2010


Here is a picture of Spookers this last Halloween, laying down on "Neal the Meal"

He loved Halloween, almost as much as me.

What should we name it?

Ok, just kidding.

It's really not a small pet.

It is the just the amount of hair that is on my floor after giving seven haircuts.

I like to joke that it is an animal and that we should name it.

But, in reality, it gives me the hebbie jeebies.

That is a whole lotta hair.

I'm just sayin...

Saving my bacon

I am the type of person that rarely asks for help.

I readily give help but I just have an extremely hard time asking.

I feel guilty when I do ask for help.

I feel like I have passed on a burden to another person and it tortures me.

I really hate doing that to another person.

I recently "overbooked" myself. Thanksgiving, an out of town trip, planning an Eagle Scout court of honor, kids playing multiple sports, an adoption "party", and Levi's blessing at church all happened in 10 day period.

So many good things but in a little time frame that left me feeling overwhelmed.

A friend of mine, Charlotte aka Sewing Guru, came over to help me with some questions that I had about cutting out a dress for Lily.

I was planning on staying up most of the night because I needed it done by the next morning.

She literally ripped the fabric and pattern out of my hands and took it home, ignoring my feeble protests.

Early the very next morning, we stopped by her house on the way out of town.

The dress was completed. As in all done. How she took a pile of fabric, a pattern and whipped up an amazing little dress overnight, I don't know. And it looked waaaaaay better then the one that I had sewn for Hannah just don't tell Hannah I said that.

We were all so impressed, not only that she is really an amazing seamstress but that she was willing to take her time to help me out.

Thanks Char! I just can't tell you enough what that meant to me.

You. are. amazing.

Before and During After

Last year, I decided that it was time to get back to my normal weight again.

I got on a workout routine and lost a lot of weight.

I still have more so that is my goal for this year.

Here is moi and Lily, Christmas 08
No laughing peeps, I'd just had three babies in four years

Here is moi and Lily, Christmas 09

50 pounds lighter!

Next year, I plan on showing the "after" pix.

Hey, a girl's gotta have her dreams, right?

My eternal family

One of my in-laws wanted this pix taken. Four generations of family. Actually, my entire family as well, except for me. Still scratching my head on that one.

Great Grandpa with Lily Pad

Levi with his bio grandparents. We are forever indebted to these people. There are no adequate words of appreciation. They could have stepped in and raised this little boy. But they let us. There are truly no words...

My twinerds

Corey's grandpa, dad and our Michael

I love this one of Great-Grandpa with Matthew

Levi with three of his bio siblings. Wish I could show you a better pix, they are all beautiful children. But, I am respecting their privacy.

Levi destroying smelling the flowers.

Joshua and Lily Pad (who has a massive shiner)

My eternal family

I'm completely somewhat behind...

This is totally how I feel too...

We had so much going on in the six week period before Christmas that I still am finding it hard to catch my breath.

So...I am just getting around to posting Christmas pictures.

I guess because we were so busy, I just had a really hard time getting into the Christmas spirit.

We didn't put up any lights outside this year again, the tree didn't get decorated until the 23rd and I felt guilty for not being excited.

I guess what doesn't help is that we were getting ready to tear apart the front room, are currently in the middle of a bathroom remodel and are awaiting the delivery of our siding. Whew...

Here are a few random Christmas pictures for your viewing amusement pleasure.

Each year a different kiddo gets the privilege of putting the angel on top of the tree.

If you get more then two turns in your lifetime, you are living at home too long are lucky.

This year, it was Levi's turn.

This was the tree on the night of the 23rd.

24 short hours later...

It looks like a bomb has gone off.

Hope you too have a wonderful Christmas!

Utah pictures

This is one of Corey's brothers and his wonderful family. We just love, love, love this family!

Corey comes from a really large, blended family (he is one of 10 kids) and there is so much that is just so unpleasant about it.

Lots and lots of negativity, materialism, arrogance, abrasive, loud personalities, backbiting, competitiveness...it has totally burned us both out.

Not all of them wear us out, there are a few that we enjoy being around but he has one brother that is, simply put...stellar.

Both him and his wife are caring, warm, genuine, down-to-earth, humble, lovable people and our kids get along wonderfully.

The reason that we made the suicide whirlwind trip to Utah, was because their twins (they have a set too!) were getting baptized. We wanted to be there to share in their special day.

While we were there we got to take the kids down to Temple Square to check out the amazing light display. Breathtaking!

We left on a Thursday in the afternoon and arrived Friday morning. We left Utah the next night, Saturday and arrived back home Sunday afternoon.

I think that kind of trip is called a suicide. Probably because you want to take your own life to get out of the remainder of the trip.

Was it worth it? Driving hour after hour after hour after hour with a van load of kiddos?

Definitely.

Miss you guys!

Twins!

More Utah family

And more

And more...are you seeing a common theme here?

Corey with Lily at Temple Square

Doing the headcount lineup.

What is so remarkable about this picture of Hannah with my sister-in-law is that Hannah does not go to anybody. But, she really took to my sister-in-law and kept going up to her wanting to be picked up.

I so loved seeing Hannah reach out to someone like that.

Corey with all four of his "full" brothers, along with their dad. What totally cracks me up about this picture is that Corey and his twin (on far right) are wearing very similar jackets. Corey is in red and his twin is wearing blue.

Those are the colors that their mom always had them wear. Too funny that they still, unknowingly, do this.

Obviously, they are both scarred for life.

The reflecting pool was amazing!

In the reflecting pool were these little light balls.

I don't know exactly what they are but I need some.

For real.

The view on the way home.

Beautiful.

Especially when it means that home is nearby.

Home, sweet home.

The entire fam damily

I love this picture, taken at Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah.

The only exception is that Tim closed his eyes, on purpose, in every. single. picture.

Luckily Utah's Child Protection Laws are much more lax then the ones here, so I beat him after this was taken.

Kidding people. I jest. Please don't call DHS.

And this "outtake" cracks me up every single time. Enlarge it and check out Matthew's face.

I think he looks possessed.

It's probably just the after effects of sleeping all night in a car seat...

14 hour road trip + 9 kids = my personal hell

A few days before Thanksgiving, Corey we decided that we would make a quick trip to Utah.

Giving me only a few days to come up with reasons not to go to get ready was crazy!

Luckily, me and crazy are best buds!

We literally finished Thanksgiving dinner and then left.

Driving all night is not fun.

Overdosing on caffine will make you act weird.

Trust me.

Doesn't Matthew look happy at the propsect of driving all night?

I feel your pain buddy.

Believe me.

Please ignore Lily digging for treasure.

We made sure that Lily didn't have a nap on Thanksgiving in hopes that she wouldn't fight going to sleep in her carseat and that she would sleep most of the way there.

This was Lily only 15 minutes into the drive.

Too bad she didn't stay that way...

My BFF

...and my nemesis...

I know I need to stop drinking this...

again...

Reading to the kids

Our kids love books!

Especially Lily, who loves to chew on them.

So, please excuse the bite marks...

And is it just me, or does the kid's dad look like a kid himself?

Geez...

Dentist visits

As a kid, I just didn't take very good care of my teeth. Not yummy.

It was not uncommon to go to the dentist and have 8 or 9 cavities.

I now have a mouth full of metal.

As an adult, I brush my teeth 5-6 times a day, at least. And I floss at least once a day. I realize that they might possible verify your assumption that I have issues. Oh well...it was bound to come out eventually.

But, I sure don't get cavities anymore.

So...

Now that I'm a mom and have to pay for dental bills, I am anal about a lot of things about my kid's teeth.

We floss the "littles" teeth three times a week and we ask the "bigs" to floss their own teeth every other day.

Each one of the kids gets flouride every day.

We take the kids to the dentist twice a year and have all adult molars sealed.

We also offer $20 to each child, if they are cavity free at their check-up.
Some friends of ours give their kids $50 each if they are cavity free but please don't tell my kids that.

So far...

Not one cavity. At all.

Knock on wood...

Adventures at the Local Farm

The three teenagers stayed at home because they were too cool to tag along but the younger six had a great time!


Horse-drawn wagon ride through the orchard

Balloons for all

Enjoying cobbler and ice cream

That is the stuff that memories are made of!