Going Towanda and Other Happy Things

I have so much I want to blog about!  So many pictures to catch up on!  Why don't I do it?  (Besides lack of time…that is a factor too!)  My iPhoto is sooooooo slow, it makes gathering and editing pictures a tedious pain in the behind.  Somehow I need to reorganize my pictures and keep the bulk of them on my external hard drive instead, but I am going to wait for Ryan to help with that one. I don't want to accidentally delete all my pictures.  That is something I can see happening!  There are so many things to catch up on!  

 Things like when Ryan took these two munchkins to California with him.  Can you see how excited they were that morning?  

I think they were also pretty excited about all the snacks they brought along for the ride. 

Or I haven't had a chance to tell you about the day I went TOWANDA on my kids perfectly working laptop computer! 

 *Do you use the word  in your life?  My sisters and I use it all the time.  I sometimes get a look that others don't know what I am talking about when I say that I "went Towanda."  Click on the link above and have a good laugh.  I think we all have our Towanda moments, however, this moment is one  never to be forgotten.  I dropped (ok, threw) the computer on the cement and then we all bashed it with a hammer.  My oldest son was so mad at me, that he went Towanda himself and threw his cell phone and broke it too!  Thanks, Son!  Even better, no computer OR phone for you.  (A few weeks later we let him buy a new one with his own money, but that is another story.)  Result of my Towanda moment?  No more games on the computer.  No more "mind craft"!  

Spring is here and I captured this when things were just starting to turn green.  I have to capture the pretty things around me because I kind of want to go Towanda on my yard right now.  That is another story, but lets just say there are a lot of weeds and dandelions and I don't like it one bit!  But how can I complain when my kids have this as their playground.  If you look closely at the red barn, you can see one of my boys on the fence.  That is their "hide out" and they play down there constantly. 

A couple weeks ago when I would arrive at the bus stop to pick up the kids from school,  I kept finding Michael missing.  He was crawling under the ROAD into this drain pipe …it makes me claustrophobic just thinking about it!  

His cohorts in crime pulling him out…

"Mom, this is actually a really safe place to be if we have a tornado."  Boys!  

Luke got so mad when I posted this on instagram, because it looks like he is "in love "with our neighbor.  He really was laughing and looking to the side at just the right moment.  I just got lucky with how it turned out.  But I can't help it…it is so cute!  

Sunday evening at Grandma and Grandpa's house-

Luke with his church pants, an undershirt and socks…there is a reason all our socks have holes!   Michael has the whole "mixing patterns" thing down really well.  

When it was time to come home no one wanted to get "in" the car, so I drove VERY slow, and this is how they hitched a ride…cookies and all. 

ELEVEN more days of school after today….YAHOO!!!!  Hopefully I can figure out my computer situation and start blogging more one of these days.  For now….have a BEAUTIFUL May day, and try not to go Towanda on anyone you love.

Spring Time

Spring Break seems so long ago at this point I can't barely remember it.  But luckily, I have a few pictures, mostly from my iPhone, to help me remember.  For some reason we mostly had video's…but we did still capture a few of the fun things we did.  

We stayed home for the entire break. It seems like during the school year each week is so busy and the kids don't get to just stay home and relax,ever, so that is what we did!  (We also wanted to take advantage of some final ski days.)  

I took the kids to ijump.  That is always fun, and I feel like they get some good exercise!  

One of the things on our "to do" poster was to take the boys to the Military Surplus Store.  James, Gunnar, and Michael all came home with this get up.  They were pretty happy!  Luke had all kinds of treasures picked out, but when he found out I wasn't buying them, that they had to use their own money, he decided he didn't wanna waste his money!  (Huh, imagine that!) 

Another thing on the list was to go through Joshua's room and do a CLEAN OUT.  He had things like this lurking under his bed.  It freaks me out every time I look under there.  Yes, that would be his cast from when he broke his leg in SIXTH grade.  Disgusting, I know.  We took a picture and said goodbye!  Always feels great to tackle a project that has been on the list forever.  Annie also thought it was fun, she kept trying to carry off new treasures she found in the "get rid of pile".

We got in a few ski days with the whole family….sometimes the kids favorite part of the day is lunch time!

While the boys were on the big hill with Dad, I got to spend some time with the girls.  Sophie showed great improvement and I think she will make an awesome skier! Annie is so independent now, I could take them both up on the lift with no problems.  I love that we can bring the whole family up now to have a fun day together.  After years of teaching little ones to ski, pregnancy, nursing baby, and all those fun times sprinkled with just a few ski trips here and there, things have PAID off, and the kids can all come up and we can enjoy a beautiful day in the mountains together.  

Annie joined the boys for a while and it was fun to spend some time with Sophie!  

We hosted our extended family for family home evening.  This crew was listening to the lesson from above.  Kind of dangerous with that crazy railing.  (I don't know how it would ever pass a building code.)  I was a little worried and my fears came to fruition when one of the twins got his head stuck in the bars.  Luckily, he was quickly rescued and no harm done.  

Grandpa giving the lesson with a little help from Michael.  

We also all went to the dentist that week for cleanings.  It was Sophie's first visit.  She did great until it was time for the Dentist to look at her teeth and then it was all over.  She did not "like that dad."  (She calls most adult males, "dads" and women "moms".)  We still have not found a solution despite several trips back.  Yikes. 

One morning I laid down after getting the kids off and when I woke up, this is what I saw.  Our primarily outside dog, Daisy, was getting the royal treatment by Sophie.  "Here, here is your dog food."  Hand feeding her animal crackers one by one.  Daisy thought she had died and gone to heaven.  I had to wash my sheets!

I don't even remember the exact details about this, but one day Annie, her friend Izzie, and Sophie all walked to Grandma's house. I went to pick them up in the car and Sophie insisted on "running home by  herself."  So, I let her, and just followed slowly in the car.  I figured she could use the exercise.  I could not believe it.  She ran the WHOLE WAY!  It is a steep incline when you get to our street, but she just kept truckin'.  She was so cute, all our of breath and proud when she made it home.  

One day this was the weather here according to my iPhone and I must say it was pretty darn accurate.  Ya, that says DUST, as in dusty outside.  

I was able to sneak off for some Frozen Yogurt with some of my Zumba buddies to celebrate a birthday.  Luke came along and was so kind to take pictures for us.  

I was especially happy when I got home to see he had also taken a whole bunch of unauthorized pictures.  Most of them looked about like this….gorgeous.  

James ran in his first track meet…go James!  This is him running the 400m.  At this age there is a HUGE difference in the size of kids, and James is definitely on the smaller end of the spectrum, but he held his own!

 

Since we were already up in Rexburg for the Track Meet it was only logical that we stop by Nielson's Frozen Custard for a treat before heading home.  

Man, time is FLYING and I am ready for summer!  I don't even have time to proof read this puppy so excuse the typos.  This mama is TIRED and I have a killer headache.  Peace out folks.