A Night Out on the Grass

It was such a beautiful night last night that I didn't have the heart to keep the kids in the house. We went outside and played in our front yard. Josh and I layed on the grass and watched and then we had doggy piles and tickeling galore!! Nothing beats just haning out with the kids!

Josh tickling Tyson
Tyson and J.D. on the teeter totter
All my kids being silly.
Can you see our feet??
Josh and Piper
The Great J.D.
Me and my Tootie!

I am so blessed!!

More conversations with J.D.

I just had to write this down for journaling purposes. J.D. really does say the funniest things. Every morning I ask my kids what they dreamed about. This is my conversation with J.D. this morning. The kid is cracking me up lately. I need to write it down in a regular journal, but in a sense this is my journal. You'll have to endure my J.D. conversations phase for a while.

Me: What did you dream about J.D.?

J.D.: Holly.

Me: Your girl crazy J.D. But it's okay mom and dad used to play kiss tag when they were in school.

J.D.: Did my dad kiss you?

Me: No I grew up in Marysvale and he grew up in Santa Clara, so we went to different schools.

J.D.: Did any boys kiss you?

Me: We used to run really fast to get away, but I did get caught once by Micheal Allan.

J.D.: If he kissed you, then why did you marry my dad?

Me:Because I loved him.

J.D.: Because he was lookin' good!!

5 minutes later~~~~~~

J.D.: We change rows today and guess who I get to sit by? Holly!!!

Me: That will be fun but J.D. you need to make sure... (going to say the word quite, but interrupted by a jubilant and beaming 6-year-old.)

J.D.: I know, I don't kiss her!!

How is my child so girl crazy? I then had to explain that he needs to be quite, because J.D. is a talker and he really is infatuated with Holly. This could be bad. Stay tuned for the conclusion to our saga........

Homemade Bread

My mom always made homemade bread and I loved it when I was growing up and I had tried my hand at it a few times, but never had any luck. You could build a house with my loaves they were so hard.

Josh had an awesome grandmother by the name of Lonnie. She passed away last year and we miss her dearly. One of the things that his uncle talked about at the funeral was how she always made bread and how much her children looked forward to that. That comment inspired me to learn how to make bread because I thought that is such a great memory for her kids and it was for me, in my home. So I found a recipe that I liked, but it was too complicated. So I tweaked it and looked at several other recipes and came up with the BEST recipe ever for wheat bread. And quess what? My kids won't touch it. J.D. calls it FAKE bread and asks for store bought. Oh, well! Josh and I love it and so does everyone else!

This is the look I got when she saw the bread in my hand.

Piper is the only one of my kids who will eat homemade bread and she loves it. Especially with Raspberry jam.

That's good stuff, huh sis? If your interested in my recipe, click here.

Converstaions with J.D.

Me: J.D. you look like an orphan. I am throwing those pants away.

J.D.: No they make me look like a teenager.

Me: They do not.

J.D. I saw a teenager wearing pants like these and he looked cool. I want to be a teenager.

Me: Why?

J.D.: Because teenagers are cool and they wear their hats like this. (sideways)

Me: You don't want to be a teenager yet. Your still little and it will make me sad if you grow up so fast.

J.D.: I still want to be a teenager because they walk to the school bus by themselves.

Just a Reminder

Just want to remind you guys to check out my other blog, Some of This and Some of That. I have tons of pictures on that sight, because that is where I post all of our craft projects that we do and we usually do at least something every day so there is lots of our pictures and happenings over there!! And I put this picture in just because it she is stinkin' cute!

Things I Love ~ Just random ramblings

I used to be good at keeping journals. I also used to scrapbook, quite a bit. I really enjoyed doing those things, but the time just isn't there anymore, but oh my goodness, I always can find time to blog!! How is that? I just want to jot down a few things that I like for journaling purposes.

I love Josh. I love him a lot!! I think he's pretty hot and he is also one of the kindest guy's I know. He's never home and it drives me CRAZY, but he's always helping somebody fix a car or helping with this or that. I shouldn't complain. He's amazing. One of the most charitable people I know. I am glad he fixes my car, because I am not mechanical. Ask him and he'll tell you. He thinks it's FUNNY that I can't change my own tire! I like the way he laughs at me, because I am kinda silly and I love the way he hugs me! I LOVE hugs from him. I love him for how hard he works to provide for our family and all the things he does to make sure that we are happy. I love the way he loves me and I love the way he loves my kids. He is the best daddy ever! I love to watch him play with them and love to see their faces light up when he walks in the room. I Love you 5 lbs. babe!!

I love J.D. because he is my first baby. I love that he still loves to snuggle and that he shares my love of books. I love that he always tells me that I am the best mom ever and how he never forgets to tell me I love you at least a dozen times a day. I love his crazy hair and his obsession with cowboys. I love that he is compassionate. He is so tenderhearted. Such an amazing kid.

I love Tyson. The kid melts my heart with his blond hair and butterscotch colored eyes. He is my joy and my heart. I love how he comes and finds me first thing every morning and gives me a great big Tootie Squeeze and tells me he loves me. I love that he is so independent and very much his own person. I love that he is adventurous, but also scared of the dark and of monsters. I love how he climbs EVERYTHING and is a sugar junkie, like his momma! He makes me want to do a happy dance.

And Piper. What to say about Piper? The girls is outrageous and wild and I love everything about her. I love the way she throws tantrums and how much of a tom boy she is . I love her cute little cheeks, her cute little legs, her buddah belly and her toosh!! I love how she carry's around her babydolls and how she loves her brothers. Nothing makes me happier than to see her hugging the boys around the waist with those cute little arms and how she kisses them on the cheek. I also love to see her hold her own with Tyson and how she fights back. She will be strong!

I love good friends. I am fortunate to have some great ones, some crazy ones, and even some weird ones and I love each and every one of you. I love that I can be a stay at home mom and spend my days playing with my kids. I love to read am grateful for people who have the imaginations to write good books. I love to learn and I love to craft. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I love to give service to others. I love to bake and cook and I love good food. That's why I am a chunky monkey, but oh well. I love the smell of cookies and homemade bread. I love Marysvale and want to return to live there someday as dysfunctional as it may be. I love a good game of basketball and I loved coaching my young women this year. It was fun. I love my calling in young women. The girls make me feel young, but they also have a way of making me realize that I am getting older.

Thanks for listening to the ramblings of a crazy mom. I haven't had much by the way of adult conversation today, so just lots of thoughts. I am grateful for the life I have and I just want to make sure that my family knows I love them. Good night everyone and thanks again!

More Marysvale Pictures

We always have a good time hanging out with our Winckel cousins. We stay at Sherry and Austin's house when we go home, because Josh is allergic to cats and Mom has one. Plus the cousins like being able to be together and play.

Cute Riyo! The girls a little monster! She's 6 months younger than Piper, but wears the same size clothes and is about 1 inch shorter. She's gonna be tall like Austin.

Me and J.D.

Piper, Ashton, Tyson and Riyo

Piper and her daddy!!

Gracie looking for help. Piper loves dogs and loves to maul them. Gracie was so good to just take it!

We looked out the window and here comes Tyson walking home from the school with a sleeping bag wrapped around him. He told me he was scared of the cold!

Snow + Trampoline = FUN!!!!

We made an impromptu trip to Marysvale this weekend and it SNOWED!! Never fails, I go home and it's unseasonably cold. Anyway, my kids had so much fun. Sherry pulled out the box of gloves and hats and Tyson got so excited and said " Oh look, a glove station!" He's so cute. J.D. kept knocking everybody down because he had on his slick old cowboy boots. The pictures pretty much speak for themselves.

Tagged

A list of eights.

8 TV shows I love to watch ( I don't watch much and some of these I haven't watched in months)

1. Scrubs ~ Favorite!
2. Friends
3. ER
4. CSI
5. SVU
6. Super Why
7. Sid the Science Kid
8. Word Girl

8 Things that happened yesterday

1. Went to church
2. Made Spaghetti for lunch
3. Watched movie's with my kids
4. Hung out with my sister
5. Watched my kids play in the snow
6. packed our clothes
7. Kissed my hubby
8. Drove home from Marysvale

8 favorite places to EAT!!!

1. Cafe Rio
2. Texas Roadhouse
3. Panda Express
4. Pizza Factory
5. 25 Main
6. Red Robin
7. Olive Garden
8. Applebee's

8 things I am looking forward to:

1. The end of the hunts
2. Josh coming home
3. J.D. coming home from school
4. The end of my laundry pile
5. The cookies that I will make some time today, possibly if #4 happens
6.Forgotten Carols
7. Halloween
8. Christmas


8 things on my wish

1. Crickett
2. Photoshop
3. New Camera
4. Ranger
5. New Truck for Josh
6. Josh to work in St. George
7. World Peace
8. Elections to be OVER!

8 people I tag:

1. You
2. You
3. You
4. You
5. You
6. You
7. You
8. You

Random Pictures from our Day in No Particular Order

J.D. is so dramatic. We went for a walk tonight and he was showing us that coyotes had gone into these little caves or burrows as I think he called them. He's so smart!! He loves science and he knows things that I don't even know.

We made Haunted Gingerbread Houses. Tyson was way into it and he took forever to decorate his. He kept singing, Jingle Bells the whole time. I kept trying to tell him it was a haunted mansion and not a Christmas House. But it's his Jingle House. He's so stinkin' cute.

These two pictures are just of Piper being silly. It's what she does best!!!!
The kids were so good today as it was very busy. Mandee and I made a diaper cake for a baby shower, I made up a crock pot full of apple sauce and will be doing more tomorrow. We did our houses, cleaned our house and went for a walk. We're all just along for the ride!!

A New Way to Play Basketball

J.D.'s First Hunting Trip

Josh took J.D. hunting with him this weekend in Marysvale. They went with Josh's dad, and his good friend C.J. and C.J's little boy Jayden. They had a lot of fun looking for elk and J.D. say's that him and Grandpa saw a 5 x 5 bull. He also told me that he shot a squirrel in the tail with his B.B. gun. He had a lot of fun. I will have to get more details from him when he is not so tired!!

C.J. Jayden, Josh and J.D.
Through the Tree's
Nothing beats the smell of campfire!
Marysvale

J.D. and Grandpa Scott
It snowed on them the first night.

Josh and J.D.
Fog rolling in.

J.D. with the B.B. Gun
North Fork

All tuckered out

Modge Podge Isn't Easy to Clean Up

I think I'm a pretty patient mom. I laugh at a tube of eaten diaper rash ointment and laugh at a tub of sprinkles on the floor. I DID NOT laugh about the whole jar of modge podge (that I just bought on Friday for 50% off) that ended up on my table, floor, chairs and Piper clothes. Oh, and my clothes and in Pipers hair and in her ears and her whole stinkin body.

I didn't get my camera, because there wasn't one to grab and I was freaking out about getting it up quickly. The stuff dries so fast and it doesn't come off. It was my fault, really because I left it on the table, but still. What 16 month old climbs like a monkey?? Piper climbs everything. I put her to bed and let her cry it out because, well frankly 4 day's without a break is starting to wear on my frazzled nerves.

Thank heavens for Mandee!!! We were on the phone when it happened and she threw Mia in the car and raced up here to help me clean it. She was worried about my beautiful table and I was worried about the Old Navy dress and shirt Piper was wearing. Oh, I could cry, but I won't. I'll be tough and I think I might take a nap!!

Hunters Widow

I'm missing my hubby!! And my J.D.!! They left Friday afternoon to go hunting for elk up in Marysvale. I should have just gone, but I knew it would leave me a lot of time to get things done. And I have, but I miss them. Conversation is limited with Tyson and Piper. Here are a few fun pictures of us getting the trailer loaded with the 4-wheelers.

This posts for Mandee

Tim Gates!!!! Love this guy. I had the chance to listen to him speak at girls camp this year and to listen to him sing ~ sigh!! His wife is one lucky lady. He talked about her and his great love for her and he teared up. When we got back to camp, I told my girls, "see, that's the kind of guy you want to marry." Not only cute, but super great guy!

I also had the chance to listen to him at Time Out For Women a few weeks ago. He has one of the most amazing voices that I have ever heard. I bought the Trek cd and have listened to I Must Have Loved You Before ,over and over. I told Josh that I wish we could get married agian because I would want that song for our wedding song. So beautiful.!! Heidi had this picture up on her site and so I stole it!!! I absolutely love him!! He has a band called Due West, that recently put out a new album. Go buy it! I had a sample of some of the songs at camp and I want it for Christmas. (Hint, hint, Josh!)

Instead of Laundry....

This is my laundry pile. It has been growing

steadily on my couch for two days. I don't

mind washing the laundry, it's the folding and

putting away of the laundry I don't like.

Today, instead of laundry I~~~

Cleaned up a dozen or more mess's made by

one very messy, wild, and crazy girl.

Oh, and changed her clothes 1/2 a dozen times.

Note: More Laundry

Laid on the grass and watched my kids play

and read the Ensign!! Yeah for a few minutes of me time!

Watched my boys be cowboys. "Not robbers", J.D., said.

Made Goop with my boys and then somehow

erased the pictures off my computer!! So fun

please refer to Some of This and Some of That

for complete details on how to make GOOP!!

Retied the bandannas, over and over and over and

over and over and over and then a few more times!

Went to the Firestation open house and stood in line

for 30 minutes for my boys to do a free obstacle course

that lasted 2 minutes!!!

Cleaned up one tube of diaper rash ointment

and cleaned up the baby who ate the diaper rash ointment.

Told a naked kid to get dressed 5,000 times.

Only after I told him to get in the shower, 5,000 times.

I'm trying to enjoy the ordinary moments!! The laundry will still be there tomorrow and the next day and the next!! My little ones will be there tomorrow too, but they just won't be so little! Enjoy the moments as they happen. Some day you will wish for them again!!