Look what we got...

Todd found out Saturday that his motorcycle isn't worth fixing, bummer! So what better way to cure the blues than retail therapy?!

We had been debating on getting Rock Band 2 for Wii for a while and finally out of pity...just kidding Todd...sort of....I told him I was OK with getting it. After all it is family fun, and music is good for you right? We have had fun playing together as a family, and with friends and extended family. The good part is only two kids really like the drums, and one really likes the guitar and two don't care what they do as long as they think they are playing. So not too many fights!

TC and Soccer

We have found the one sport TC loves to play. He asks about it every year, he looks forward to the games and practice, and he puts a good effort in when he plays. I think I might look into some soccer camps this summer and see if someone can teach him some skills...considering his mom doesn't really run after soccer balls much any more...and dad really likes football. (On a side note dad will play if TC asks)

In the pictures TC is the one with no jacket and shorts on, despite the cold day...in my defence I asked him 4 times to find a long sleeve shirt or jacket to put on under his jersey, we ran out of time and we were in the car when I realized he still didn't have one...so I tried!

I hope he keeps loving it and it is something he can look forward to every year. I think it's fun he has found a sport he loves.

Temple Open House

A little more than just painting has been going on around here, not much, but a little. TC started soccer (a post on that as soon as I get picture with my camera or off Todd's phone), a preschool day with Amber and Tobyn (see post below) and we had the fantastic opportunity to go to the Draper Temple open house.

I remember going to the Mnt Timpanogos Temple open house when I was younger. I remember going with my parents and a couple that lived across the street from us. They were a German couple, and not LDS. To this day, as far as I know, they still aren't but I remember my mom talking about the open house and what it was, and that it was a chance for them to see the inside of a building that we believe is sacred.

I was excited to take the boys to go see the Draper Temple. My Mother-in-law had tickets for the whole big family. We left the little ones at home. Too much work and Todd and I wanted to be able to have a special time with the older boys. Hopefully they will remember what a special place it is and want to go someday.


The whole family


The cute boys. You can definitely see their personalities in this picture...gotta love 'em!

Preschool Day

Tobyn often cries when Tate goes to school because he doesn't get to go. I try to tell him he's too small, but he doesn't like that answer. So a few days ago, I had my niece and nephew come over and we had a "preschool day" We started the day with a picnic (inside at the little table) Then made glasses out of construction paper. Nichole brought the stuff to make paper bag puppets. To end the day, we went outside and let the kids play on the playground. It was a lot of fun and Amber and Tobyn loved it. Nichole and I got one afternoon that the kids weren't driving us crazy from boredom!

I think I am going to see if I can get Tobyn in Headstart this fall. Maybe I can use his slow developing speech to help him get it, considering he won't be 4 until 3 weeks after the deadline. We'll see, if not there then SOMEWHERE, the poor kid just needs some stimulation!


* We got some of the craft ideas from crayola.com



The Glasses and Puppets

Amber and Tobyn on the swings.

Tanner loves to drag Max around with the leash.

Tanner "Helping"

These were just too funny to not post. He would stand there and scream at me so I finally just gave in and let him "help". He was worse the next day when I did the brown...You can see how he got the white mouth...He would suck his thumb and the finger would still be covered in paint. The only reason his chest isn't too bad is because I had a shirt on him for a while.

Adventures in Painting

Painting was truly an adventure...Todd was so sweet and took Monday off so that we could get as much painting as we could done. Putting the primer on was the biggest pain, after that the other colors weren't so bad. I have more touch-up painting to do today, but hopefully by next week we can start moving stuff down there. (the floors might have to wait a little while to be finished)


This is Todd painting...and Tanner "Helping"


The toy room. I wish the color showed up better but it's a very light brown or dark tan.
This will be the guest/craft/storage room. I might wait a while before I paint this room

This is the bathroom/salon...I will use it as a salon for a while. The walls are a light green with the fun bright green on the one wall.

Drywall Part 2

OK, So here is the drywall mostly done. I didn't get pictures before we started painting. It was done on Saturday.

Tid-Bits of Randomness...

....Like my posts are never random....(Long post...beware)
I think about so many things during the day as I am cleaning, driving, washing, etc. (And with no one around that I can actually express my thoughts too, thinking happens a lot) I usually end my thoughts with I should go write that down so I don't forget it! So that's where the tib-bit of randomness comes in.
Bit #1. When people ask what my occupation is I often say "oh- I am JUST a mom" I have decided that that particular word "Just" needs to come out of that statement and stay out. I am not "JUST" a mom. I AM A MOM! All the work that includes; changing babies, helping with homework, cooking 2-3 meals a day (thank you cold cereal for cutting out one of those meals...most of the time), fix 3-4 snacks a day, taking kids to school, doing the budget, washing the clothes, folding them (OK we all know how that goes sometimes), cleaning the house....the list could go on for pages. But the point is there is no "Just" about it.
I was reading the Visiting Teaching message this month. It is about the importance of families. That a family needs a mother and father for a child to come into the home, and I am so grateful that I have been able to give that to my children! I often think of the overwhelming fact that I need to raise these 5 beautiful boys to be missionaries, soldiers, fathers, and friends. Some days I think "I don't know if I can do it" But then I remember how special they are and that I am so blessed to have that responsibility. That being said that is why I write things down like this so that at 6 o'clock at night I can look at this and remember why I am counting to 10 (20 x's) and not running out of the house screaming!
Bit #2. I have been reading about the "Big Love" show. I don't watch and wasn't even aware of what they were showing until reading the emails that started going around. At first I was furious, but then I calmed down. It still makes me upset that they are even attempting to portray sacred things such as those in that happen in the temple. However, it also made me think of a couple of other points. One is that, again, I love how the Church words statements in such a way that a finger is not pointed at a particular group, person, whatever, but reminds the members that WE know what is right WE know what we believe and WE should not be the ones to cause the problems and conflict. There is never any confusion about what we believe and where we stand, but we don't need to put others down in order to maintain our standing!
The second thought I had about the subject is that we must be doing something right in order for Satan to use such drastic measures to try to detract for what is important. It does worry me a little for the world my boys have to grow up in, and yet it gives me hope that IF (if being the key word) I can do my job, with Heavenly Fathers help, my boys can be a good examples, stand for what is right and do as the Church does, defend our beliefs and stand for what is right in a tactful way and not bend!

Drywall Step 1

So today they are putting up drywall in the basement!!! It will be a couple step process, but it is getting done. I think they will put up edging and do some mudding Tuesday and come back Thursday to complete it. I can't wait I am so excited!

I have tried to take the same angle of pictures everytime so you can see it step by step. When the end is here I will post room by room pictures.

Uhhh...

I saw this on the side of a building today. Is it just me, or do they need a bigger bucket?