This is how we watched General Conference

At least for Saturday Morning Session.

Pictures and Videos from last May 2014

Yep, this is normal when sisters get together.  I love you Sisters of the Promise!

Seeing the big train engine with Grandpa Brent.  WAY WAY COOL.  I love trains.  I love the Union Station - what a great place of wonderful memories and important family events:  My great grandfather immigrated from Holland and came to Ogden.  And in 2006, this is where Joseph and I had our wedding reception.  Now, we went there again to see the big engines.

Family Home Evening - Our opening song fifty percent of the time is this, "Book of Mormon Stories".

Avannie wrote Grandpa Brent a letter asking for three things:  to see a temple, eat chicken nuggets at Wendy's, and hike to a waterfall.  All three were accomplished.

The rope around my belt loops was for Avannie to hang on to if she ever got tired.  but for the 3 mile hike UP A MOUNTAIN she never used it.  She was a trooper.  I was so proud of her!

Waterfall canyon with the Stuart Family.  Sadly, Joseph was already back in NH.

Baby Pictures of Me and my Sister

This is me and my younger sister Amy.  And my little KateLyn looks more like Amy than she does Joseph or myself.  Even down to the hairdo.  :)

KateLyn, a couple months old.

Happy Birthday Sadie! 3 Years Old!

 She got binoculars, flip flops, new pjs, and swing for the back yard to be just like her big sister, and new sidewalk chalk.  Binocular were by far her favorite part but the swing is the most used and loved.  And for breakfast, nothing but her favorite: toast with peanut butter and jam.

Giraffe cake (her favorite animal) will have really spots next year with chocolate frosting instead of chocolate chips.

First Day of School

Orientation

August 28, 2014

The bubble we have been perfectly creating for our little girls just popped.  We have sent our oldest off to the world of public school and who knows what she will have to encounter.  But we have taught her well and now its time to see how she shines.


Orientation, where she learned she sits between two boys.  On our walk to school today, that was her biggest concern.

Sadie is probably having the hardest time of everyone because she has to stay home and not go to a new "[c]lass".  Already today, we have had number, letters, and songs for our little Mommie/Sadie school.  She even gets a lunch box and her own desk at home.


 Joseph gave a wonderful Father's Blessing to Avannie this morning telling to have confidence and be a leader to those around her.

We walked to school and after I dropped her off, I stood across the parking lot watching Avannie line up and be so brave.  I didn't shed a tear until I called Joseph saying, "I did it.  I just left our daughter at school."  Yet, I knew she would love it and do great.

Best part of my day was at 2:55 pm when I put the two littlest girls in the wagon and we were off to pick up Avannie.  I couldn't stop smiling because I was getting my little girl back!  And then when I asked her what she did at school, she replied, "Nothing."  Except I did learn that she has to wear an alligator clip with her name on it.  :)

Everyday is a Blessing

Harvest Time!

Check out the size of these blackberries!  YUM!  these are by far my favorite because they are so sweet!  We've been freezing them along with the raspberries and making jam like crazy.  So far we've made 6 batches of freezer jam!

And, the tomatoes are going crazy!  We've made 2 batches of salsa, one batch of pizza sauce, and have dried a whole bag full.

Essential tools for canning salsa:  GOGGLES (for the onion cutting), really cool one-swift-push-and-waLa! food dicer, Vitamix (as a Magic Bullet takes w.a.y. too long), and a really big pot.

Sadie can now draw people

Joseph is to the left of the temple with three eyes.  Mom is next to Angel Moroni with big pink hair.  Sadie is in the top right corner with an "Elsa [B]Raid".  Avannie is the big blue in the bottom left.  Kate is has the one strand of hair.

I LOVE it when the girls start to draw things that I can start to understand what the object is.  And lucky for me that our girls always start drawing our family first.  Yep, its important!  :)

I just love being a mom!

Joseph's New Favorite Toy

I don't know which he will like the better:  the chainsaw or the new snow blower.

This thing is huge!  It has an electric starter, headlight, and all sorts of speeds.  It is the Cadillac of all snow blowers.  A dear friend, Karen Henkel, who is moving west sold it to us and admonished us to also do all the neighbor's driveways too - just as they had done.  AND to go with the new toy, we have a hat to remember a wonderful man who lived a life of selfless service, George Henkel, as we clear our driveway and those around us.  Thank you Henkels!  We won't let you down.

Our little Strawberry is 5 months old!

Each child has a nickname from Joseph.  KateLyn has become the Strawberry.

 

And this is how she sleeps: right hand's index and middle finger in her mouth with face smashed into the mattress.

Sadie's LOVE of vegetables

Too bad this picture doesn't have sound because Sadie is screaming a bloody panic.  We couldn't help but laugh hysterically.

Day-cation, Summer 2014

Its rare, very rare.  We had a Saturday that we didn't have any big projects (or a list of little ones) to do.  So we have a family fun day!

It started with stacking wood.  Joseph arranged us all in a fireman line and we passed a log from one to the other.  Sadie was HILARIOUS and so dramatic.  "Whoa! This a heavy guy!" she would grunt out with her face in a heave-ho expression.  Oh it was perfect.  We worked together and everyone was happy.

Next, Joseph got out the chainsaw (his favorite toy) to cut down a dead tree in the back yard.  We, the girls, were on rope-duty to make sure the tree didn't crash down on the shed.  I didn't realize how intense that job could be.  And the shed is still intact.  :)

Joseph then took the girls down the street to the circle so they could practice riding bikes.  While they were gone, there was lots of repetition of using brakes.  Regardless of all the practice, when Avannie got onto our street that has a slight down-hill slope, she panicked, forgot the brakes, and knicked the parked car in the driveway that sent her flying into the pear tree.  Helpless, Joseph was walking behind pushing Sadie on her bike, all the while hollering for the neighborhood to hear: "Use your brakes!  Use your brakes!"  Incredibly, Avannie only came out with a few good scratches on her leg.

Then we all loaded up and went to the library.  Besides four new musicals to introduce my girls to, we came home with Beginner's Spanish (we are taking the challenge from the Bishop to learn Spanish to better help our missionary efforts), and loads of books and two books on tape.  Quite successful.  Finally the girls and Joseph can continue reading the Little House on the Prairie series.  Both girls have been begging for it.

Next was lunch and naps.  Ahhhhh.  Nothing like a good Saturday afternoon nap for the whole family.  Joseph woke up earlier than the rest of us and instead of getting something done, he sat on the porch eating graham crackers and having a self-reflection/spiritual moment.  I was so proud of him for doing that!

Once everyone was up, we loaded the bikes and roller blades and headed to the Rail Trail and Avannie did GREAT!  She loved riding her bike fast.

After getting home, eating dinner, and tubs for the girls, we settled in and watched Matthew Brodrick's The Music Man.  He is a great Ferris Bueller, but he is a really good Harold Hill too.  It was great!  Even Joseph enjoyed it.

It was a perfect day - probably in my top 10 days!

Sadie calls her hairdo the "Fruit Snack Hair."  Strange, yet so cute!


 

Missionaries

We have loved having the missionaries in our home so often in the last 2.5 years.  Here are two of our favorites.  Elder Spears and Sister Hyoung.

 

Tomato Season

Look at ALL of these delicious tomatoes that greeted us we came home from camping!

First Batch of Raspberry Jam

Our raspberry bushes have become a jungle.  But its so yummy!  I made my first two batches of jam with them.  The first batch is always made to be seedless.  Why?  Because I make it as a special treat for my mother-in-law.  And because its really just for one person, this year I wisened up and used baby food jars and other little jars for her.  That way, when she leaves, our family doesn't devour her jam before she comes again.  Individual sized!

Soon the blackberries will be ready for picking!  Hooray!

Come downstairs to find...

Its always a gamble when you leave little girls awake when I take a quick shower.  But today I was so pleasantly surprised!  I found all three of the playing with the doll house and everyone was happy!  No screaming, no crying, and no super big messes.  Avannie did a great job keeping everyone smiling!

So he thinks this controls the spider population

Grilling in the garage I have always thought is a bad idea.  But after last week, it REALLY doesn't seem safe.  Yet, Joseph thinks its totally fine.  When my garage blows up, I will blog about it.

KateLyn, four months old - already!

Bunny Hunt

Ever since getting the pellet gun sighted in, we haven't seen that little rascal!  Nor has Marty, our neighbor who has been a great coach to Joseph with this borrowed gun from Ricky.  And this is what they were doing for 30 minutes at 9:00 at night.  After every shot, Joseph would go out and point to where the hit was and mark it with a sharpy.  And Marty would reload.  They were both so giddy about it, it was hilarious.

Our girls this past week

Avannie tries on our neighbor's hat while at a picnic.  Its place where she goes every other morning to help in the garden.  

KateLyn can flip over now!  And reach for things!

 

Sadie continues to keep us smiling and making bloody toes with this car.  

4th of July, 2014

We went with dear friends to see the fireworks in the PERFECT location in Nashua.  It wasn't crowded, a playground right there while we waited, and great view of the show - not to mention really good get-away parking.  

This wagon is awesome!!!! It folds up and yet is strong enough to haul all of our girls and stuff for the perfect way to see a parade and go to the fireworks.  And no one gets lost in the crowd!  :)