Dance Recital and ...........

I love Dance Recitals. Kara and Halle were both very exciting about the recital. Halle asked me every day for 2 weeks if she could "go to the stage and dance." She wears her costume everyday!

Kara's group did a great job remembering their dance. They were chosen to be a part of another dance recital this Saturday.


Halle' s group well lets just say they remembered one move and that was to spin in circles when the music changed. They looked cute and they thought they were fabulous!

Halle loved putting the make-up on, but Kara absolutely refused. She thought Halle looked a little scary with eye make-up. I think she finally let Aunt Natalie put a little on her, but she was not letting me close to her.

Hayden and Kelton wanted me to leave them home. Why don't boys like ballet? Hayden has been playing basketball and he loves it! He also wants nothing to do with girls. Brent asked him what if you had to pick a girl you thought was nice. He thought the idea was revolting and informed us that you don't even have to think about liking a girl until 8th grade. I don't know where he came up with 8th grade.

O.K. these next pictures are old pictures that were on the camera card that Brent put in my camera for me for the recital. I'm just glad he put a card in for me or I would not have any dance recital pictures. I uploaded them and thought they were too cute to delete. Kelton brought home his report card today and his teacher described him as a sweet and genuine child. I have to agree with her(:

I had to put this in here for Brent. Look at the guns on that guy (: Can't wait for summer!!

So lets see my little update. Kara is sick today. I think she has the flu, but she is still up and running around. I have spent the last few days getting fingerprinted, notarizing, and catching up on paper work. I tried the lemon juice thing and it did not work. It did help in making me feel nauseated, which is a good thing if your on a diet! I am on to my next venture of drinking gallons of ionized water and taking hydrangea capsules. I am on pill number 15 and have consumed over a gallon of ionized water today. It wouldn't be that bad if I did not have the throat the size of a pea! It takes me 15 minutes to get down each pill. They go down and then they get stuck. They then slowly dissolve in my throat, ugh, what a process. I think my throat is revolting though because it seems to be taking longer to get the pills down. 5 more pills to take today and then I start the process over tomorrow. I think this is going to work. Next thing on my to do list Get an Idaho Driver's License. Can you believe I have been here almost 3 years and I have not gone down and gotten a new license? What a procrastinator I am. Well my Nevada license is about to expire and I really don't want to take the driving test. I don't want to take the written test either, but that is inevitable!

Unloading the Dishwasher.........

I asked Kelton to unload the dishwasher and ......................................................... No they never grow out of it!

Kelton says to me "Mom why does Halle always copy me? When I say I want ice cream she says me too or when I say I want some soup she says she does too." I say "well maybe she just likes all the things you like, maybe you should try telling her you want some fried tomatoes, I bet she won't want that because she does not like tomatoes." Kelton goes and asks her and sure enough she wants fried tomatoes if Kelton is having them. So there goes my theory. I then say "well then your going to have to be a good example and eat healthy food so she will too." He looks at me and says, "Mom your so lucky to have me." I say "Do you eat healthy foods?" and he says, "well not right now, but I am going to start tomorrow!"

Halle and me went on a field trip to downtown Boise! I guess she has not really been to many very exciting places because she thought it was amazing! She was overwhelmed by all the huge towers and the fountain in front of one of the buildings. Before we left she said, "can I go see that fountain just one more time?" I can't imagine what she would be like if she got to go to Disneyland or something.

For my #1 Fan

Grandam this is for you! Grandma reads my updates regularly and she was wondering what happened to me! Thanks Grandma for being my #1 FAN! So I haven't taken many pictures lately, but here are a few! Halle always gives me a good reason to get out the camera! I don't know where this outfit came from, I definitely never dress like that(:
Oh what to say about Halle. She keeps me entertained all day long.

This is something very rare so I had to take a picture!

She was being rather bossy and then all the sudden she was so quiet, I went to find her and this is where she was. She gets really bossy when she is tired!

Update: for those who want to be bored out of their mind read on! I'm feeling a bit boring so it should be an extra boring update(:

January well I don't like January or February! Sorry to anyone who has a Birthday at this time! I just heard on the news or maybe it was a commercial for the Dr.s that you can be allergic to the cold. I think I am allergic to the cold! I am grateful yesterday was a beautiful day no wind, blue skies and in the upper 40's. I know I shouldn't complain about the weather there are a lot worse things than the cold, but I still don't like the cold!!! So anyways I'm still trying to pass this stupid kidney stone and am really getting tired of it! Actually it's not that bad, it only acts up occasionally. I tried the coke and asparagus thing. It didn't work for me, but I only could get down about 13 Asparagus and 1/2 can a coke before I thought I'd Ralf! I also tried the Lemon juice thing. Way better than asparagus. I don't think I like asparagus anymore! So Brent helped me squeeze 20 or so lemons and I drank 12 oz of lemon juice straight and then you drink about an ounce in 8 ounces of water over 12 hours. I think this may be working. I don't know though because I can still feel the stone, but I have hope that it is working. I did feel rather sick the one day of drinking the lemon juice, but I think that is because I tend to go a little overboard when I do things and so I was drinking double the amount of lemon juice, who knows, I certainly don't.

I also finished filling out my nursing paperwork so I could possibly get a job, and then I realized that it had been over a year since I had requested the paper work so I have to redo the whole thing!! Fun, Fun, Fun!!!

We have been doing late nights with the kids. It is this really fun idea a friend of mine told me about. I don't know maybe I wrote about these, well anyways the kids love them, and it makes bed time so much easier and faster! So one night a week the kids get to stay up with us for about 45 minutes passed there bed time. The great part is that if your not in your bed when the clock strikes 8:30 (for us) then you lose your late night. It has been really fun spending some one on one time with each kiddo and they absolutely do not want to lose their late night so they are in bed so quick when it is not there late night. Halle walks around saying "oh is it my late night? I don't want to miss my late night!"

I also started a chore chart well actually it is more of a "if you want to be in this family chart." I made a list of all the things I wanted them to do in the morning and when they get home from school. Easy stuff like put shoes under bench, back pack on hook, coat on hook, homework in basket, piano, etc. stuff only Kara does with out being asked. They put checks by the items. Kelton said, "I love this!" So far it is working. I am determined to keep it up, unlike most of my other failed attempts at charts and rewards. This one is really easy so I think I can manage it!

Halle is at a friends right now and I am cleaning my office, well I should be! My computer in the kitchen died, so I don't look at the computer like I used too. Brent is working like crazy and for once in my life I actually am encouraging him to work all he can! Funny how things change when circumstances change!

Well I hope this is a good year, and I hope everyone has a happy, healthy, sunny, hopeful January!! I am grateful for hope(: I can't imagine a world with out hope!

Happy NEW Year!!

I should be posting my goals for 2010, but I'm not. I've got them in my head for now and will soon be putting them on paper. I'm a little behind. As I woke this morning not wanting to get out of bed contemplating homeschooling just so I could start the day a little later, I sleepily got out of bed and got going. The kids were excited to head back to school and I was a little sad even though it is quite chaotic with everyone home and all the friends. For the 2 short hours I was home alone I thought wow it is quiet here. I embraced my alone time and feel rejuvenated now! I'm ready to put away the Christmas decor. that I have piled on my dinning room table and start a new year full of optimism and with out regret! That is my biggest goal for 2010 no regrets. If I think of making cookies for a neighbor I'm going too! If I look at closet that is disorganized I'm going to organize it. If I pass by a sticky window I'm going to wipe it. If my baby girl wants me to read a story I'm going to stop cleaning and do it. No more excuses for me! O.K I guess I decided to write down one goal so you can all hold me too it. Hopefully it makes me a better person and not a crazy mess! We took our annual trip to the ice rink. The kids love it. It's a little cold for me, but I have to admit I am the biggest wimp when it comes to anything cold. I only endure for the children!
Kara, Kelton, and Hayden! We always make them wear there snow suits, because they fall like crazy! If they were adults every bone in there bodies would be broken, and they wouldn't be able to get out of bed for weeks! Kara thought I should wear my snow pants too!

Kelton was speedy with this and Brent thought of the game push the children as fast as you can on this little walker and have all the other kids chase you!

Did I tell you that it is impossible to wear these guys out! They never wanted to leave.

Halle was a trooper she loved skating, but she also is a whole lot of work with out that walker. She almost killed me twice. Did I mention I'm not a great ice skater! Brent is actually really good, well at least he is better than me, the kids, and most of the people on the rink, so that qualifies you as really good in my book.

George enjoyed eating the ice off his skates! It seems gross, but he doesn't seem to get sick from it!

So I was bad this year and took a million pictures and did not get one family picture well actually that is not true my mom took one family picture of us after our family reunion of not showering for 3 days. So I'm starting off the new year with a family picture of all of us at the ice rink.

Nat and George and Reggie also joined us at the Ice Rink. Nat was wearing little bobby socks so she wasn't feeling the love her feet were hurting!

My sister Kerri and her family came down for a little visit and we all went to open gym at a gym in town! Her family is in the process of possibly adopting so they brought along some nice little boys.

Brent giving instruction to Kara! The owner of the gym asked Brent if he would like to be a coach. That was before Brent knocked a hole in the wall with his buns of steel!! Now I think Brent will just be working there to pay for the hole!!!

Brent showing off a little!

I'll admit it is quite impressive that a 40 year old man can hold him self horizontally on the rings for longer than 3 seconds.

I'll tell you one thing Brent is good at playing and kids absolutely love him! I know it is hard to believe, but they think he is funny too! I guess I think he is funny too when he's not being annoying, but I guess I'm annoying too so ..........

Sister Kerri! I don't know what she is doing probably throwing a ball at my dad since he was the official camera man! I didn't put any of the but shots of all of us, so you can all thank me later, even though I think all your booties looked pretty good!

Grandpa took this picture too. I think he must have been trying to get me in the picture, but I think it would have been cuter if I was not in it! They are all just glad it is a picture of their faces.

Brent and Halle!

Halle and me!

Me Halle and Reggie!

Tan, Kelt and Uncle Mark! Sorry no shots of Hayden. He was too fast for the camera!

Kelton stuck in the pit!

The END!

We Need a Little Christmas Right this Very Minute!

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was "sleeping" not even a mouse! Every year we carry on the tradition of my childhood of opening P.J.'s and acting out the Christmas play! This year we hosted the dinner at our house and Natalie had dessert at her house. Sticky buns(recipe by Aunt Heather) and hot milk!

Halle was very excited. She was a little confused too, with her birthday, and now Christmas. She wasn't sure if it was still her birthday, but she was happy about what ever it was!

Kara and Halle had been playing so hard with their cousins they looked like they had been run over by a train!

I think Kelton likes his Jammie's!

Then we had the Play. My telephoto lens was on so I had a hard time getting good photos. Grandma, Grandpa, Grace, Nanny, and Great Grandma B were in the audience, but I couldn't get a good picture with my camera. That is one of my New Years Resolutions to fix my CAMERA!!!

Little Roxie opted out of the play and picture! Halle dropped out about half way through. Grandma made the costumes and read the play. Kelton's robe was my Dad's when he was a little boy. I had not read the instructions on my ham and so it got started cooking late, so we went a little out of order... we did the play, then Santa surprised us by bringing some apples and treats for the kids, and then we had dinner. The kids were wondering how Santa was able to stop by when he was suppose to be somewhere in South America according to the Santa tracking that Brent had pulled up on the internet! Reggie wondered out loud why Santa had the same face as Uncle Ray and Kelton wondered out loud why Santa had the same voice as Uncle Ray(he talks with a Texas drawl). Oh and I got a bladder infection and kidney stone. Thank goodness for modern medicine and some not so modern medicine and some pain medicine, I still was able to enjoy all the festivities!! Oh one more little tid bit that goes along with this jumbled up description of Christmas eve. I had given Halle some medicine to help her with her breathing and after shocks of the peanut allergy. She did not want to take it and so decided to find someone that would. She told her Great Grandma Nanny that it was candy. And being a good Great Grandma she did as Halle told her and ate the pill. Thank goodness it wasn't anything that would hurt Nanny. Halle was happy that she did not have to take her medicine and Nanny was fine. The moral of the story, hmmmmm, don't eat candy from kids!

After lots of Sticky buns and hot milk we went to bed and could hardly sleep in anticipation of the Real Santa. The one that has a real beard, and the one that does not have a pillow for a tummy, the one that has a slightly red nose and rosie cheeks, the one that is magic and can squeeze through the chimney the size of a pin hole, the one that was flying over South America while his little elf delivered trinkets to our window in a Santa suite! Well he made it! We sang the few Christmas songs we knew over and over and over and over as we slowly made it down the stairs!

Some favorites! A doll for Kara.

Hayden received this gun! He loved it and on Christmas day Brent hosted a "destroy the house day" ! Brent, Hayden, Kelton, Reggie, George, and 2nd cousin Dylan built bases all over my house, turned off all the lights, and destroyed each other with Nerf bullets! I don't think they'll ever forget that day! I certainly won't(:

Halle got her Rock Star guitar! As you can tell she loved it!

Kelton got the scooter he had asked Santa for, and Santa delivered!!

Kara after she fell off the scooter she got for Christmas! Yes this is the exact same nose she skinned during the summer when she fell off her bike(: Poor little nose.

Oh and this is one of the forts Hayden built. He brought in all my D.I. dusty silk plants from the Garage and made his room into a rain forest so he could hide under the plants and shoot Nerf bullets at who ever dared to cross his path!!

I think we had a very nice Christmas!! We are very blessed!!