Fun With Haggards

A Post from a friend

2010-12-10T13:09:00.001-08:00

With the Haggards Texas move mere weeks away, I begged Tricia to let me post a farewell message on her blog. My first real interaction with Tricia and Brad involved delivering a few survival supplies during their vigil with Katie in Seattle two and a half years ago. First over a stroll on Seattle’s Burke Gilman Trail, and later through weekly walks on Ledyard’s backroads, Tricia became one of my dearest friends. We have been with their family through happy and sad times, and have shared many outdoor adventures and special occasions together. We will miss them terribly.

During their 3+ years in Connecticut, the Haggards have impacted so many of our lives through their kindness, fun, and love. I invite you to share a comment detailing a memory with or feeling about the Haggards. Let’s send them off with some of the great love they’ve shared with us!

From: Elise Jones

Taking a Break

2010-10-10T18:09:00.000-07:00

Hi All:

I want to let you know that I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I have decided that I need to let some things go for now. I'm trying to prioritize my time, and, unfortunately, the blog has fallen by the wayside. I hope to be able to start it up again within the next few months, but for now, just know our family is doing great and we love you all.

Tricia

School Has Started

2010-09-05T11:43:00.000-07:00

We were all so happy to get back into school this week. The kids all love their teachers, but none of them have many friends from the year before. They are all ready to make new friends. I love having a schedule again. It's nice to get everyone going in the morning and we have jumped head first into our after school activities. MaryLynn decided she wants to play Cello at school with Nathan. I signed her up. We'll see how mom will get to transport two cellos to school and back!

We found out about a visiting author/illustrator at an area bookstore, so we had to go.

He was so great with the kids. He read his book and then drew some pictures that the kids got to color.

He would ask the kids what to draw and then he would draw it. It was funny because the book was all about telling fibs. The kids had a hard time thinking of fibs for him to tell that the author could draw.

Here's the kids with Darren Farrell, his book and the drawing he did just for them.

We brought home the drawing and colored it. It is now hanging in MaryLynn's room.

I'm excited to get back to work on my book. I can't wait to see a finished product. Of course, right now I would be happy with just a finished first draft! Wish me luck!

Summer is Almost Over

2010-08-22T18:12:00.000-07:00

We did Camp Liberty again this year (our co-op summer camp), but we did it differently. We picked two weeks out of the summer and met four days each of these weeks. The kids learned about Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Morton, Susan B. Anthony, Amelia Earheart, the five senses, Lewis and Clark, acting, and we had our own awake over. Our camp liberty once again added to our busy summer with some scheduled fun with our friends.

This week we had our annual crabbing trip. Thanks to a great family in the area we spent hours catching and releasing crabs.

We even had bubbles to make the crabbing into a party.

After the tide came in and we were all overly warm, the kids jumped off the dock into the ocean.

They had a great time swimming and cooling off.

Then this weekend we had a big camping trip. We went with three other families and took turns making meals. What a great way to camp! Here they are making smores on the first night. I always love this because my kids don't like marshmallows, but they love cooking them. I get lots of smores!

We took all thirteen kids on a hike on Friday morning. We had a few complaints when we started, but by the end of the hike, the adults were having a hard time keeping up with the kids.

The favorite spot of the trip was at the lake, of course. The kids swam, climbed on the rock, and dug in the sand. We sat for hours watching and visiting. We did get in the water some, too.

We all went out on the lake at least once in the kayaks. Brad flipped the canoe with MaryLynn in it. MaryLynn stayed in, but Brad was wet from head to toe with his jeans, boots, two cell phones, and wallet. Oops!
It was a great way to end the summer. I can't believe we are almost done with the calm and restful summer (yeah, right!).

The Next Best Thing to Being There

2010-08-08T18:27:00.000-07:00

We had such a great time last year hosting a soccer coach from England, that we jumped at the chance to do it again this year. We were so excited to find out that we got to have two this year! We had a great time taking Andrew and Daniel around town and spending time with them.

Monday, we went to the Lake on base. It was empty there, so we sat in the sun and played in the water with Coach Andrew.

Tuesday we went to the Go Cart track. It was not the most fancy place, but we had a great time racing each other.

It was funny to see Nathan and Andrew/JJ passing up the other cars on the track. Their cars were much faster. Poor Coach Dan wanted to race Andrew, so we let them "Have another go" after the kids were done.

MaryLynn tried to drive by herself, but she was pretty scared, so we ended up being the fourth team on the track. We got passed up too, but she had a great time steering. All I had to do was keep the gas peddle mashed to the floor.
One funny thing happened this day: I took everyone to Cows n Cones for some yummy ice cream. Andrew was trying to ask if he could try a particular flavor, but with his accent, the girl behind the counter couldn't understand him. I leaned over and said, "He wants to try it." Andrew laughed and said, "I guess I need and interpreter." I guess English to American is not so easy.

I think the coaches' favorite day was Thursday. We took them rock climbing. Neither of them had ever climbed outside before and they were both willing to give it a shot. Look at MaryLynn, she is being "cheeky" again.

They both made it to the top of the easiest section pretty quickly, so Brad moved them over to the harder spot. Nathan was happy to see that he could climb higher than Coach Andrew, but that's because Nathan is on the easy section.

Coach Dan took some lessons from Brad on how to get past this tricky section. He learned well, and after this fancy move made it further up the cliff. (Check out the manly chalk bag--it's Katie's old one, I hooked it on him before he had a chance to see what it was--hee hee)

MaryLynn's favorite part of the climb was finding this cool white and black frog sitting on the rocks. She loves frogs and had to pick it up and play with it. It's so cute.

Here I am! I actually made it to the top! Yeah, it was the easy section, but it was the first time I made it all the way up.

After some great climbing, we walked around to the top to check out the view. It is beautiful.

Friday we took them to the Nautilus (the first Nuclear Powered Submarine) Museum. I think they enjoyed going down on the sub, but I wish Brad could have been there to tell them interesting things and answer their questions. I really don't know much (except that submarines are gone all the time!).

Oh yeah, we played soccer, too. The kids spent everyday from nine to noon playing soccer. They learned lots of new skills and had a great time.

Here are the campers with their funny face picture.

Nathan decided that he wanted to try the evening camp, too. This camp was mostly older kids and he enjoyed the faster pace and harder skills. So it ended up that he went to a morning camp from 9-12 then the afternoon camp from 5-8 almost every day. By the end of the week, not getting home until "half eight" every night, Nathan said his legs were so sore. I bet they were! But it was a testament to the kind of camp these coaches ran that he was that interested in going each day.

We were all so sad on Saturday when Andrew and Daniel had to pack up and head to their next job. I didn't cry in front of them. I saved it until they were gone :(

We had planned a trip to Boston to watch the Boston Cannons Lacrosse team but Andrew and Daniel kind of got "stitched up" and had to leave earlier than expected. It wasn't all bad, though, we called the coach that stayed with us last year, and he happened to be working nearby, so he met us at the game.

The kids were so excited to see Seve; they almost knocked him over with their hugs.

The Cannon's lost in overtime, but it was a great time for us! We sure enjoyed seeing Seve, and hope to see him again soon.

I think I realized from this great week that I just get too attached. These young men were only in our lives for a week, but they have a special place in our family now! What a blessing!

See how I'm learning all the English sayings!!

Our Texas Vacation

2010-07-31T06:38:00.000-07:00

I haven't written for awhile because our life has been go, go go! We spent a week at Cub Scout Day camp. All the kids got to go. The girls spent the week in the "Sibling Den" while I helped with the cubs. It was so much fun! Then that friday we packed up and headed to Texas in our car. We drove for three and a half days and the kids did fabulously. We were so excited to see our grandparents. We did lots of fun stuff while we were there:

We went to an area museum. It was free! And the museum was really fun. We learned about the area and there were lots of hands on exhibits. The kids pumped water, carded wool, cleaned cotton, crushed corn, and sent telegraph messages.

We spent hours at the water park with Aunt Cindy and Madison. It was hard to get good pictures because the kids came flying out so fast (not to mention I was too busy playing to take pictures!) They had a great time and really didn't want to leave.

Grandpa had a doctor's appointment one day, so we ventured out to the Inner Space Caverns. The cave was huge and just kept going. All the stalactite and stalagmites were unbelievable. The kids are still talking about this adventure.

Of course the girls had to carry on the tradition of painting grandpa's toenails. This time they had a cousin to join in. His toenails looked beautiful!

The weather in Texas made us want to spend lots of time in the water. We went to a pool and the kids had a great time jumping and diving into the deep end. When we got to the pool everyone was in the shallow end, so the Haggard kids just took over the diving board. They spent over an hour jumping and swimming.

Uncle Tracey drove down from Houston to visit us. We took him to a community water park in the area that ended up being really fun. They only down side of this park was that JJ wasn't tall enough to go down the water slides. I had to laugh though, they let her jump and dive into the twelve foot water, but not slide down into the four foot water. Funny, huh? But we had fun anyway.

This was so cool. You slide down a steep slide into this gigantic funnel. You slide around and around the funnel until you come out the bottom. Nathan and Uncle Tracey loved this one.

Here's Nathan after just coming out of the funnel.

We also went to a Round Rock Express baseball game. We had awesome seats right behind home plate. We love baseball.

With all the fun we had, the best part was spending time with family! Here's MaryLynn with cousin Madison.

Kids and Grandpa!

Here's the kids with cousin, Cody. They are showing their college spirit. Cody is a longhorn fan, but Brad has brainwashed our kids into loving Texas A&M, so they are showing their "Gig'm Aggies" spirit.

Nathan spent some time playing Lacrosse with both Cody and Uncle Tracey.

We had a great visit and headed home for another long drive. Believe it or not, I turned around and headed to Young Women's camp that tuesday. I just got home from that yesterday and the kids start soccer camp on Monday. I hope to have time to breath then! Wish me luck!

Camp Liberty

2010-07-03T15:24:00.000-07:00

It is our second year of our co-op summer camp Camp Liberty. We get together with three other families and take turns hosting the camp at our house. This year we are doing it slightly different from last year. This year we picked two weeks out of the summer and have the camp monday through thursday of that week. That gives us each one day each week to host.
This year started with a bang! Our first week we learned about important people in our country's history.
Monday they learned about Abraham Lincoln and they realized how lucky we are for the freedoms we have.

On Tuesday, they learned about Susan B Anthony and her fight for woman's rights. They learned about the right to vote and how to have a peaceful protest. They all got to choose a cause they feel strongly about and then they had a picket line. Nathan said that "Women should be able to play Men's Lacrosse." MaryLynn said that "Teachers should be nice to their students." And JJ said that "People shouldn't drink and shouldn't beat up on the people they are married to."

Wednesday was my turn to host and we learned about Thomas Morton. (Don't feel bad if you don't know who that is. I just learned about him in one of my classes this spring.) He was an explorer who came to New England about the same time as the Pilgrims. We learned about being brave and trying new things. We then explored the area around our neighborhood. You should have seen our neighbors' faces as we marched past in our Camp Liberty shirts singing our songs. (We even had one lady who wanted to sign her boy up! I laughed.)

We even had our own maypole in celebration of our successful journey into the unknown!

Thursday they learned about Amelia Earhart and they all made their own paper airplanes.

Brad also took our kids fishing later that evening. They tried to actually catch us dinner, but they only caught one fish and it wasn't really the size for eating!

But they had a great time. I put MaryLynn in charge of taking pictures because I stayed home to get some writing done. Looks like she had a good time with her assignment.

I was blessed to go to a get together for a friend who is moving this weekend. We are going to miss their family so much. They have been such great friends to us. I hope to see them sometime in Utah. Then a few of us headed to the movies to watch "Eclipse." It was a good movie, but mostly it was fun to be with friends. (Thanks to a friend who took my kids for a sleepover, since the movie didn't get over till midnight!)

Friday, we didn't have Camp Liberty, but the kids wanted to go to the Children's Museum here in the area. We have been there before, but it has been awhile. I really feel like it is geared toward younger kids, but they all had fun.

They pretended to whip up some stir-fry.

Climbed down into the real exploratory submarine.

Blew lots of bubbles at the bubble table.

And climbed up the mountain on the side of the building.

Today we are celebrating the fourth of July with some friends. They should be here soon and we will have hamburgers and get ready to see the fireworks. I'm glad the Navy decided to do fireworks on Saturday, so we can enjoy them without breaking the sabbath.

I decided my kids are going to be happy when school starts again. Maybe they can rest then! Hee hee!

I Love Summer!

2010-06-27T18:57:00.000-07:00

So our first Camp Liberty field trip was a true field trip. We went to pick berries. We had a great time and came home with tons of berries. I probably got more than I needed, and tried really hard to use them all up, so that I didn't waste any. We made Popsicles and smoothies that night. The next day I made some jam and froze four containers full. We still had lots left over to eat. We are still eating them now!

Yummy berries!

I got to go with a friend to a concert on Thursday. We saw REO Speedwagon and Pat Benitar. Of course you are not supposed to record or take pictures, but I wanted something for my scrapbook. I don't think I can get sued for this tiny clip. Pat Benitar was so fabulous. I even got a guitar pick from REO Speedwagon. What a great night!

We had a great opportunity (thanks to a hard working mother on Nathan's Lacrosse team) to go watch a Professional Lacrosse game and meet some of the players. Saturday, our family drove to Boston for the fun!

I didn't get a great picture because I didn't want to be in their faces, but Nathan and his team go to meet three players and get their sticks signed. One of the players asked about Nathan's silly bands and he told him all about them. We got a great compliment from the security. They said our team was the best behaved team they had ever hosted.

MaryLynnn and JJ had to get in on the fun. Why not? We let them get some autographs too. This player told JJ that he had never signed a pink stick before, but he signed it anyway!

Then Nathan's team got to help form the Human Tunnel to welcome the players onto the field. His team is wearing the black jerseys towards the back of the line. Nathan said he got to give one of the players a high five as he ran past.

Nathan was picked from all the boys on his team to play a game during a time out. He got to play the "Want to be a Cannon" game. He and another boy had to race to put all the gear on (man-size gear) then try to make a goal. The cheerleaders are helping him get the gear on. He was so worried about holding the pants up, that it was awful hard to make a goal.

Here is the two boys all dressed in the gear standing with the mascot. This is a memory that Nathan will never forget!

So right before we leave the game, I realize I don't have a picture of our family. So, I grab the coach to take a photo. Here's what we got. Lesson learned: Don't ask a coach to take a picture!

He may not be a photographer, but he is a great coach!

Our Summer Fun Begins

2010-06-23T06:23:00.000-07:00

MaryLynn has been asking to get her haircut for a while. We took her on the last day of school to get it cut. Here is the before picture.

And the after picture. She looks so different. I can't decide which one I like better. It is definitely easier to wash and brush when it is shorter, but I think both cuts look nice on her.

We also had another fun surprise right before school got out. JJ lost her first tooth!

She was very excited to take her tooth to show and tell before school ended. Brad was happy that he finally got a child who would let him pull their tooth out. And not a week later, JJ let Daddy pull another tooth out. The picture above shows JJ with her front two teeth missing. Then we had an emergency when the tooth got dumped into the sink (Ok, I'm sorry, it was an accident!). Poor JJ started to cry, she was afraid the Tooth Fairy wouldn't leave her any money because she didn't have a tooth. We talked her into writing a note and explaining it, but she was still pretty upset. We called a friend who had a similar experience and she calmed down when she knew this friend had corresponded with The Tooth Fairy via notes. The downside was, this friend told her the that Tooth Fairy left her a note written in glitter. Yeah for me! Guess what kind of note JJ got in the morning from the Tooth Fairy, yup, glitter! Oh, and she got her dollar!

I felt like our summer officially began this weekend with a fun camping trip! Unfortunately, I brought two cameras along--one with no memory card and the other with almost no battery. Oh, brother. So here are the limited photos I got:

We arrived at our all time favorite camping spot on Thursday evening and the kids couldn't wait for us to even park the car before they jumped out and began playing. It was a joy to watch them run and play. Then, as always happens, they got closer and closer to the water. I gave them permission to take off their shoes and roll up their pants to wade in it. Then they started going farther and farther into the lake until they were swimming, fully clothed. It was so funny to watch that I couldn't even get mad.

Here is a picture of MaryLynn and JJ in their secret place. This is right next to our camp site and all the kids think it is a fabulous place to hide.

We have started to get braver from our hotdogs over the campfire cooking that we did last year. This trip we made pita pizzas in the fire (thanks to some friends introducing us to them last year) and then we tried cooking our breakfast over the fire.

I don't have the most exciting pictures, but lets just say cooking bacon and eggs in a paper bag over the fire was not as easy as the webpage made it seem.

However, the muffins cooked inside the orange peel worked just fine. We enjoyed chocolate chip muffins with the flavor of orange (and a little hickory smoke) mixed in. We will just know for next time to start the muffins way before we are ready to eat.

Another exciting adventure was when MaryLynn caught a frog that was hopping through their secret place. She handed the poor scared thing to each child in turn and I tried to get pictures of them all holding it. I'm sure he was happy to be let go at the end of that fun.

Today we are off with our Camp Liberty crew to pick berries and have some more summer adventures!

Nathan's Exciting Week

2010-06-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

Nathan started his exciting week by receiving his Arrow of Light award in Cub Scouts.

He earned it a little early, but it worked out well. He got to share his day with one of his friends (whose name happens to be Nathan). There was a special surprise at the ceremony: We had one of the Young Women come and shoot a flaming arrow into the fire pit to light the fire. It was cool.

Our Scout Master loves to do these ceremonies and he goes all out.The kids love to see him in his Mountain Man Costume.

Today was the final home game for Lacrosse this season. I feel like Nathan is finally getting the hang of it. He played a great game. He played hard and even scored a goal. He just has a tournament on Saturday and then his season is over. We'll see if we can find a league for him to play in next year.

This is the picture I got AFTER he scored the goal. Could I actually get him shooting the goal? Of course not!

Here is the fourth grade team. We actually have twice as many players--a BIG team-- because it is 2nd through 4th grade. These are the boys who will be moving up to the Juniors next year.

On Wednesday, he played a solo for the orchestra concert. He worked really hard on his song. And he played it well. I had to cut just the ending because the whole song is too long to download, but you can get the idea!

Wow, looking over this post, I am struck by two things: How busy that boy is, and how talented he is. We love you Nathan!

MaryLynn's Baptism Day

2010-06-02T04:29:00.001-07:00

We had such a beautiful baptismal service. It was extra special because MaryLynn got to share it with a really close friend. We also had many sweet friends come to share this day with us.

This one of MaryLynn's best friends. It was so touching to see how much they enjoyed sharing this day.

I just love this picture of MaryLynn. She is so excited to be making this commitment. Doesn't her face just glow?

Here are the two children with their new "comforter"s. They were gifts from my mom as she talked about the Holy Ghost and how he can be a comfort in your life. This is one of my favorite pictures from that day. One of MaryLynn's best friends and one of mine!

Here is our family picture from that day. JJ is mad about something, but I guess it adds character to the photo. My mom came and my sister and her husband. My sister and my friend sang at the baptism and it was gorgeous.

I had so many comments about how special and personal the baptism was. I hope it is something that MaryLynn will remember all of her life. Thanks to all who participated and came. I know it will be a favorite memory of mine.

MaryLynn's Birthday Party

2010-05-09T18:12:00.000-07:00

With our crazy schedule, we ended up having MaryLynn's party a week before her birthday. MaryLynn decided to have an Under the Sea Party. She came up with the decoration idea. We hung streamers and fish from the ceiling and had a bubble machine. We also added a container of live fish.

I stole some decorations from my sister's wedding and made the table look like the sea.

We played Clown Fish Tag and Sharks and Minnows in the back yard. We wore the kids out!

Then we had played "Fill Up the Ocean" where they had to race to fill the bucket of water.

Then everyone got to make their own sea creatures. They had a great time sitting around the table and being creative.

Here is MaryLynn's cake! I'm pretty proud of this one. I just made it up. How do you like the barracuda?

I sent the live fish home with the kids for their gift. I know, brave, huh? All the kids loved it, but not so sure if the parents liked it.

I was so happy with how the party turned out. Under the Sea!

Our Easter

2010-04-09T15:28:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter this year. I mentioned on my other blog about how I have come to see Easter as a blessing despite it being the anniversary of Katie's death. angelwiththesilversmile.blogspot.com

And this year we celebrated with a few friends. We met at Katie's tree (not the big one you see here) for picnicking and scrapbook reading. It was such a nice time to be together. The weather was gorgeous and the kids ran and played while the adults visited.

We were also presented with a neat gift. Marissa and some friends from school put their money together and had some special m&m's made for us. They have pictures of Katie on them and special remembrances. I can't tell you how much it means to me to know that Katie is remembered. I don't know who pitched in for this gift, but Thank You, Thank You, from the bottom of my heart. What a thoughtful gift!

Here is some of the candy in a bowl . Hopefully you can see some of the imprints.

Here we are beside Katie's tree. It already has buds on it this year, and I can't wait for the flowers to bloom. Our family is wearing our clothes that we brought home from our cruise. Don't we look like we belong in the Carribean?

I couldn't resist taking this picture of JJ. Brad and I brought back parasols for the girls and they both love them. She is so beautiful. (She looks like a re-make of Katie, doesn't she?)

Catch Up Time!

2010-03-10T12:05:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have to admit that my blogging has had to take a back seat to school work and family time (too bad housecleaning has taken a backseat to everything!) Anyway, enjoy the catch-up blog!

Nathan is working on his artist badge for Webelos. This is his mobile. (Funny story: He read in his book to design and make a mobile, so he drew plans for his Pinewood Derby car. Get it Mobile!)

A few weeks ago, our family and two others from the Ward went rollerskating just for fun. We haven't been in a while and we all had a really good time. I think Nathan was a little disappointed because the boys his age were not quite as practiced as he was, so he ended up skating with a girl from school most of the time. I still think they all had fun!

Isn't this the cutest picture ever? Look at all those beautiful girls. This was not a staged photo, they just all held hands. Of course, I couldn't resisted snapping the photo!

JJ finished her latest session in swimming lessons. Here she is with her teacher. She was amazing, and couldn't say enough good things about JJ. She wrote on her certificate that she goes and goes and never runs out of steam and all with a smile on her face. We were surprised to find that after just one session at level 3 she is moving to level 4. I'm a little nervous about that (its when they start learning the different strokes like butterfly and breast stroke). She will do fine, and have fun!

She was also invited to a Masquerade Ball last weekend. It was a birthday party, but they had to decorate and wear masks. She had a great time, and look at how cute she was!

We also got to venture outside this weekend! It has been very nice weather and thanks to some great friends, we went on a hike to explore a nearby campground. We really liked it and hope to try it out this summer! MaryLynn took time to build this fancy "Pinecone Town" and had to have a picture.

MaryLynn also had her yearly Judo Tournament. She got herself a blue ribbon for winning her match and her team took second place. She sure doesn't give up. Go to watch her video of her match at nathansgnomies.blogspot.com

So, we are all as busy as ever. Brad and I are still crazy at school. I have a few more stories sent out to publishers and I have recently found that one of my poems won Honorable Mention in a Ct contest. I will add a link to it as soon as it appears on the website.

My Girls

2010-02-14T14:15:00.000-08:00

I found this really cute pattern online for making Valentines Cards. I almost forgot to do it on Wed (the one day I'm not at school) because it ended up being a snow day, but the girls reminded me. Nathan didn't want to make any, so MaryLynn and JJ and I sat around the table and designed these fun flowers with tootsie pops.

I think they turned out really cute. They had a great time giving them out at school.

On Friday, I took the kids out of school for lunch time and we surprised Dad at work with balloons and a lunch for Valentines Day. I think he was really surprised, and the kids loved doing something special just for Daddy.

Later that night, MaryLynn and JJ and I went to see the Lion King Musical in Hartford. Dad and Nathan didn't want to go, so we made it a girls night. But, WOW!, did they miss out. The musical was fabulous. The girls were spell bound the entire time. My favorite part was when the lifesize (and I am not exaggerating) elephant walked onto the stage with a baby elephant holding onto it's tail. I don't know how they did the costumes and props, but they were so fantastic. We are so glad we went.

The girls wore their tiger and leapard costumes and everyone around us were jealous. We even had a girl about fourteen tell them that she wanted one, too.

I tryed to get them to take their coats off for the picture, but we were outside and it was really cold, so I didn't push it. We will always remember The Lion King!

On the way home, we talked about some of the differences between the play and the movie. I was really impressed with the parts of the plot that they picked up.

JJ loved seeing Simba's painted face, and MaryLynn liked the way Scar moved his head (it was really neat how he moved kind of snake-like that looked all sneaky).

One more thing, just for fun: MaryLynn and JJ playing chess--- Their way!

New York

2010-02-07T16:18:00.000-08:00

We have had some busy days the last couple of weeks. But the highlight of my time was the writing conference in New York City. I actually have never been into the city, and was very happy to have some friends with me that knew New York well.

We also celebrated a friend's birthday at Serendipity's. They have awesome frozen hot chocolate. I got a cherry one. It was yummy!

I didn't take many pictures because we were busy learning. Wow! That conference was overwhelming, depressing, scary and at the same time it was educational, inspiring, and fun. I know that makes no sense, but I have never been to a national covention before and really did not know what to expect.
It was neat to hear from editors, publishers, agents and published authors and illustrators. The things we learned both grounded me and gave me goals to aim for. I am so glad I was able to go and I am looking forward to using the information I learned to make my writing better.

Here's one of the few pictures we took. I am on the roof of the hotel where we stayed. The empire state building is in the background.

Nathan also had a great weekend. He was awarded his Webelo badge on Friday. I am so glad he has that next hurdle done. Now it is on to the Arrow of Light.

And one more thing, I forgot. (Hopefully I will get a recording of this soon.) JJ was picked to give her teacher her official good-bye (she's having a baby) on the morning announcements. At our school they record it and show it on all the TV's in each classroom. She dressed in one of her nicest dresses and said, "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Mrs. Wold, we're going to miss you." She was supposed to read it, but she memorized it and she did a fabulous job. She was proud that she got was picked for that honor.

JJ's Birthday

2010-01-24T14:04:00.000-08:00

We had to have JJ's birthday party early because I am going to be out of town next weekend (which is her birthday). She decided to have a G-Force party (mostly because she is in love with Guinea Pigs). My first mistake was sending birthday cards home without a note. (You see, I am one of those parents that when I get a party invitation from a kid at school, and I don't know them or their parents, I ignore it. Yet I didn't take that into consideration when I had JJ's party.) She was only allowed to invite four friends, and two of the ones she chose were girls from school that I didn't know. I sent cards to them all (I did put on the back to contact me if you couldn't make it), but I should have put in a note to the parents telling them that JJ was only inviting four friends and to please let me know if they couldn't make it. Let this be a lesson to you (Small Bear) put a note in! Only two friends showed up. JJ didn't seem upset at all and we had a great time anyway, live and learn I guess. Anyway, on to the fun:

I made these really cute invites with "You have been recruited to help the G-Force" I even photo-shopped in pictures of our Guinea Pigs riding a motorcycle and a four wheeler. So---when the girls got to our house they first had to decode a message using their cipher.

Then they had to pass the Spy Training Course:

First, they had to army crawl through the obstacles (under Nathan's bed), then

They had to swing across the lake (a blue towel on the floor), Yes, we have a pull up bar in the middle of our hall.

Then they had to balance across the beam.

Then they had to get through the mine field. (They couldn't touch the balloons.)

Then they had to do it all backwards and climb the hill to pull the flag. (A step stool with the flag hanging from the door jam.)

Then their mission began. They had to rescue Speckles from a kidnapper and figure out who the kidnapper was. They followed footprints and read clues. They had three suspects, and they had to decide which one did it.

Here they are beating up the guards that were holding Speckles hostage (punch balloons).

And here they are trying to figure out which key fit into the lock to release Speckles.

And here are the three heroes posing with a photo after saving Speckles. (How do you like the way I made a teddy bear into a mole?)

They all seemed to have a great time and really enjoyed throwing the perpetrator into prison after they solved the mystery.

And of course we had cake and ice cream to finish out the day.

I am pretty proud of my cake. Can you tell what it is?

Ok, I will tell you: It's a magnifying glass with fingerprints!

Anyway, I am really glad it went so well, and that we got it done before school starts tomorrow.

So, we will have the family party for JJ on her birthday next sunday!

Quick Note

2010-01-18T08:47:00.000-08:00

Hi to All:

I had a great week spending time with friends and savoring the last week of freedom before I return to school. I am excited to get back to learning, but not so excited to get back to the stress. I do have some great opportunities heading my way (a writer's conference, an internship with a literary magazine, and more work on picture books heading towards possible publication) and for that I am grateful.

I so enjoyed seeing my friends this week, and I am hoping that will help me through this stressful semester. I am grateful for the support of all those around me, especially my husband. And it looks like he caught the bug too, he is returning to school to get brushed up on his Calculus skills!

Wish us all luck!

Our Christmas

2010-01-03T16:47:00.000-08:00

This is not in order, but here are some things we did for Christmas break:
We were so excited to have Grandma R come to visit. We love her. We were all sad when she had to go home!
We were lucky enough to join three other families on Christmas morning to go caroling at a local nursing home. It was a great experience. I hope we can do it again next year.

We went with some great friends during the Christmas break to see the Harry Potter exhibit at the Boston Museum. It was soooo crowded. Maybe we will learn our lesson about not doing things during Christmas break (last year it was the Statue of Liberty!). But we had fun. This is an illegal picture that mom took. We were in the gray hallway just waiting for our friends to come out of the exhibit- mom was just goofing around taking pictures of us when a man walked by and said, "No pictures in here, Miss." I said, "Well, at least he called you Miss." I guess they don't want that gray painted hallway on the internet. Too bad for them!

I made Grandma pose with the kids for the usual "Christmas Sunday" picture.
Here we are in our new PJ's. The Christmas Elf didn't forget Grandma.
We were invited to a friend's house on Christmas Eve. We had a nice dinner and then acted out the Christmas Pageant. JJ got to play Mary. I love this picture of her. The highlight of the night was when Bro D dressed up like an angel. He had a white robe, angel wings and a flower headband. He is so funny!

Our family also visited the 12 Dinosaurs of Christmas and thanks to Grandma, we built a really cool snow cave in the front yard. I will have to post some pictures of that later. And Mom and I went to see Wicked (The Musical) in Providence. We loved it, and I bought the CD. I now have the kids singing, "No one mourns the Wicked" and "Popular!"

Now, it is back to real life. School tomorrow for the kids. I am hoping to get some writing done before I go back to school at the end of the month!

Our First Winter Storm of the Year

2009-12-20T11:01:00.000-08:00

We got our first snow storm of the year last night. We waited and waited for the snow to start. It didn't come until 8 or 9. The kids kept checking every fifteen minutes or so. When they got up this morning they found two feet of snow waiting for them. They didn't waste any time-they headed outside. The snow was up to JJ's thighs. Nathan tried to make a trench all around the house so that she wouldn't sink. It was cute.

After the sun came out-I went out with them and we did some sledding.
Nathan tried a snowboard. He did pretty well on it, but the hill was too small to get much speed, but he learned how to stand up.
Here's a picture of the kids trying to get to the back of the house. See how deep the snow is?
JJ made a beautiful snow angel. She stayed out in the snow for hours.
MaryLynn loved the sledding. She would yell the whole way down. But she got cold quickly and was the first one to head back inside.
Here is a great picture. It shows how far the snow was to MaryLynn. She had to lift her leg all the way up to her chest to take a step.

I love the snow and was not sad to see it, even when we had to shovel our way out. Brad worked for almost three hours. I helped for the last hour or so. We can finally get our car out, but we still need to work on getting the truck out.

Yay Snow!

Week of Music

2009-12-06T12:23:00.000-08:00

Thursday Nathan had his Choir and Cello Winter Concert at School. He sings in the school choir and plays in the Orchestra. He had me video his favorite song: "Feeling Jazzy"

Then he played the cello. There are only two cello players in the Advanced Orchestra, and he ended up being the only one playing the harmony on "Feliz Navidad," but he did well. Here is the Orchestra playing "Deck the Halls."

Then Saturday was the Choir and Creche at our church. It is so neat to see how much time and effort went into that program, and it was fabulous! We had the navity scenes from around the world and music playing the entire time. This year they added a Christmas tree forest. It was so cute. I wish I could have been more involved, but with finals coming next week, I had my hands full.

Our family did play two songs on the bells and Nathan played "Deck the Halls" on the cello. He did a great job. I couldn't record those, but here's a picture of our family in front of the "Liberty Tree" that I had no hand in decorating, but was a celebration of our days in "Camp Liberty."

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T12:41:00.000-08:00

I want to start out my blog for this week by saying thanks to everyone who thought about us on this family-filled holiday. We received texts and voice mails wishing us a Happy Thanksgiving. I can't tell you how much it means to know that Katie is always remembered. I love getting all those texts from her friends. It really lets me know that she made an impact on many different lives.

Wednesday we (Brad and I) got to join JJ's class for their feast. She had the cutest little turkey hat I have ever seen.I love the little feet. (In this picture, JJ has the feet clasped together under on her chest.) We had a great visit. It was so cute to see her eyes light up when we walked in.

Enjoy her turkey song:

We then had a great Thanksgiving at our friends house. We had four families get together and we just ate and visited for hours. Here is the 'kids' table. They didn't eat much. They were too excited to go play.

JJ was so glad to get her cornucopia. Here's a picture of her with it. I guess we might be stealing that tradition from our friends when we move. It is fun to see all the candy disappear while we wait for dinner to be ready.

Here's the group of friends having a great time outside. It was nice that the weather allowed them to run and play. The guys even went out for a football game. I didn't get any photos cause I was busy visiting. Although I heard one of the teams cheated (I'm not naming any names, though--Bishop!)

And of course we had some yummy desserts. Brad made a Turtle pumpkin pie. Here he is putting the finishing touches on.

Here is the finished product. Too bad you can't taste it, you'll just have to take my word for it. It was yummy! We also had some homemade pumpkin pies--Bro J made one of the best that I have ever eaten. It was a great day.

I am proud of all the work I got done this weekend. I've got a good start on two of my papers and one rough draft is finished!

Then I got to go with six friends on Saturday to see "New Moon" it was so fun. I haven't done anything with my friends for months and it was so nice to hang out and visit (we went to lunch after the movie). I still think Jacob is cuter than Edward. OK, you can't even compare the two after seeing Jacob in only his shorts. Poor Edward. This movie was better than the first one. We only laughed a few times at the poor "high-school" moments.

Not Much

2009-11-22T17:20:00.000-08:00

So, we don't have much to report this week. We must finally be slowing down (now that November is almost over).
We had a normal busy week with swimming, Judo, cub scouts, young women's, tennis and school and work. Brad and I went to see "The Blind Side" friday night. It was really good. We both loved it. It was even more entertaining because we had all the teen age overflow from the New Moon (Twilight)movie that was sold out. So every time something nice happened, all the girls would go "Oh." It was cute. Anyway, I highly recommend it.
We are looking forward to this week and some days off of school. We are spending Thanksgiving with some friends and we are all looking forward to it. (Check JJ's blog for what she is looking forward to: nathansgnomies.blogspot.com)

Finally a Day Outside

2009-11-15T10:52:00.000-08:00

I have to say that it is pretty nice to have friends that get you out even when you feel like you don't have time. Thanks to a friend (and some visiting teaching that needed to be done) we ventured out to Bluff Point on Wendsday. It was a really nice treat to have nine kids with us and even two dads!

We brought hot chocolate and some snacks and really enjoyed our visit.

It is getting harder to get outside with the weather getting cooler, but I am so glad we did. It was gorgeous at the point. Oh, and we saw a seal (well we think it was a seal) jumping in the water! That was cool!

Tuesday was a first for Nathan. He was allowed to go to a skating party for fourth and fifth graders. We dropped him off (after reviewing all the rules) and hoped for the best. He had a great time and really appreciated the freedom of going by himself. We started him on his own budget for his birthday and he got to decide how to spend his money. This was his first purchase with his birthday money. (He also bought some lights for skating in the dark that you hold in your teeth.)

Check his blog for his tennis lesson review: nathansgnomies.blogspot.com

Brad and I got to go to the temple on Saturday, thanks to a friend in the ward who stepped up last minute to watch the kids. I feel like that is the only place on earth that I can sit still and not feel guilty for not doing something that "needs to be done." Anyway, it was a great day.

Saturday was JJ's turn for a date night. She chose to make a count down chain until Christmas. We had a great time cutting and stapling the chain. We also made JJ count the rings to make sure we had 39. Then we played Go Fish and Uno. It was a fun date.

Our Fall Tradition

2009-11-08T14:41:00.000-08:00

I am very proud of myself for setting some boundaries on my time. I have been struggling for a while about trying to be everywhere I think I should be, and usually want to be. I have a hard time giving up something I think would be fun or worthwhile, but of course we can't do it all.
This week I have finally decided to put myself and my family at the top of my "to do" list. Sometimes this means missing out on a fun "girl's nights" or interesting church activites. Saturday I chose to stay home with my family instead of going on a women's church activity. We didn't do anything earth shattering, but we were able to do one of our fall traditions (at least since we moved here). We went to the Apple Cider Mill. I really do love going there. It was fun to just be together and the cider and apple doughnuts cannot be beat!

I love seeing the press in action. For once, we got there when it wasn't packed. We could stand right up close and see the apples get squished.

MaryLynn didn't want her picture taken, so I caught her peeking out from behind Daddy. I think it's a pretty cute picture.

Then Saturday night, we had our first stay home "Date Night" with MaryLynn. We have had a really hard time fitting in a date night with the kids lately. The calendar just fills up. So I had a great idea. We are going to let each child have their turn at staying up an hour later than the others and do something fun with Mom and Dad. They get to pick the activity.

MaryLynn got to go first (we figure with her being the middle child she doesn't get to go first very often). She chose to make some clothes for her stuffed animals. I am not as good as Grandma, but we were able to make some little dresses (check MaryLynn's blog for a picture of her animals in their new clothes MaryLynn's point of view).

I other news: we have moved on since soccer ended. MaryLynn is still doing Judo, JJ is starting Swimming Lessons again, and Nathan is starting tennis lessons (he loved his first lesson this friday)!

Our Halloween

2009-11-01T11:14:00.000-08:00

We started out our week by carving pumpkins. It was so cool this year because all three kids could actually carve by themselves. Daddy drew a ghost on JJ's pumpkin and she just followed the lines. I love the neat Jack-O-Lantern kits you can get at the store. The little carving tools are so worth the price. Look at my grown up kids!

I made the kids pose outside with their pumpkins, but JJ thought it was too cold. Everyone thought it was funny, so I just took the picture. She matches Nathan's Jack-O-lantern (his was the headless horseman).

On Tuesday we headed to the church for Trunk-or-Treating. MaryLynn invited two friends, so we had a car full. It was rainy, so we ended up trick-or-treating inside the church. I miss doing it outside. Maybe next year!

Brad said he wouldn't dress up, but he had his motorcycle clothes on and decided to just leave them on. Here's our scary family! Are you scared yet?

I had to take a picture of Nathan and his twin. They decided someone did their magic trick wrong and made a duplicate Harry Potter. They are awfully cute, though.

Halloween started out with Soccer games. It was the last games of the season. Even though the kids all had fun, we were all ready to be finished. All the kids had successful games. MaryLynn got to play goalie for part of the game. She was very nervous about it, but she did a great job. She stopped two goals from getting in, And made some great kicks.

JJ got to play forward and did a great job chasing the ball. I love watching her run up and down the field. It is so cute.

Then I took the girls to an area musuem where they had fairy houses on display. We had a great hike and I was very impressed with the imagination of the artists.

Can you believe these tiny little houses made of stone? The girls thought this must be the smart fairy, cause she made her house of stone (not straw or sticks).

I took a picture of this cute little tree. It was covered in magical leaves, bells and beads.

I couldn't believe how many houses had tiny little paintings inside. This one had a studio on the second floor. Wow!

Then we went trick-or-treating that night. For once, the weather was beautiful and we could actually enjoy being outside.

Hope you all had a great Halloween!

All about Nathan

2009-10-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't start out this blog thinking about Nathan, but it looks like that's where it's going so:

On Tuesday, Nathan got to attend Cub Scouts as a Webelo for the first time. He was so excited to be in the group of boys that he started cubs with. Now we have to get busy and start working on his badges. (In all our free time).

Friday I got to be a chaperon for his field trip. We went to a town here in the area that has many Colonial sites. We saw houses, a barn, and an outhouse. We had a genuine tea party, made our own lavender sachets (you know, cause we only bathe a couple of times a year) and wrote with a quill pen. I enjoyed spending the day with Nathan and learned some cool things that should come in handy for the book I am writing for my children's writing class.

Saturday, the weather was not good and the girls' soccer games were canceled. But not Nathan's. So off we went. I haven't been able to watch him play for a while and I enjoyed it. He sure gives his all!

He is the one in the white shirt with the long black pants. (He decided it was too hot to play with long pants, and even if it is raining he is going to where his shorts from now on.)

Then we headed to the store to let him spend some of his Birthday money. He bought himself a bow and arrow set. We have some very strict rules about it, but so far he is loving his "gift."

New Poets

2009-10-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

Before we give you our news, I will fill you in on our week. Monday we had a get-together with our Camp Liberty group since it was Columbus day. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures because I had to sneak out to get some homework done. The kids had a blast, though. They heard some Halloween stories, sang some songs, decorated cookies, then just played and played. They sure didn't want to come home. In fact, I had to drag JJ out from under the bed because she was just having too much fun.

Here are some pictures from our sad, sad family day last Saturday:

We can just pretend it was fun, I guess.

I got registered for next semester, and I was able to get into every class that I wanted! yeah for me! Now i am just waiting to see if one of my teachers is willing to do an "Independent Study" with me.

While I was at school on Thursday--It SNOWED!! I can't believe it. It snowed for almost 4 hours. It was still snowing when I drove home. Luckily, the closer I got to the shore it stopped snowing. It is only October? SNOW?

Friday was Nathan's birthday. We had a small celebration with our friday-date-night friends. Check the kids blog for Nathan's view on his Birthday: Pink Elephants on Parade

He asked for a racing cake. This is the best I could do. Not bad considering I just made it up!

Yesterday, The kids played soccer and they enjoyed it. Nathan is loving playing forward. I think he has a new sport to love. MaryLynn said she almost made a goal. JJ said it was too cold and didn't play much. I got to go with a couple of friends to the LDS Temple in Boston. I hadn't been for a while and it was a great experience.

Now for our news: MaryLynn and I won honorable mention in the poetry contest! They listed us as "Best Family Team" How cute is that? MaryLynn is so excited.

Here's the link: Long River Review

Are We Having Fun Yet?

2009-10-11T10:39:00.001-07:00

So, you know how you get this idea in your head about how fun it will be to spend the day together as a family? The dreams of laughing, holding hands, and talking as you all have a great time together? Yeah, well, that is mistake #1! As I looked at my calendar for this month, I found something as rare as a mystical White Buck—a Saturday with NOTHING scheduled. I couldn't believe it, so I set forward to plan the "perfect" fall family outing. Of course, Brad and I have differing opinions on what this day looks like. So, we decide to "compromise" by doing them both (mistake #2). We spring our ideas on the kids on Friday, and hear a chorus of "Yeah!" So, of course, I'm thinking, "This is it! The kids are excited, I'm excited. We are going to have a great day together!" Then mistake #3—we decided to try something new. For the last couple of years, we have gone to Scott's Apple Farm for our fall fun. They have a cute, kid friendly corn maze, a real pumpkin patch, where we always stop to take some pictures, and last year we got the yummiest caramel apple (yup, just one that we all shared) that I have been craving since the weather turned crisp and cool. Well, advertising works, because we heard about the Preston Pirates of the Corn Maze, and just had to go check it out. I figured they had to have pumpkins to sell, right? And maybe even a caramel apple, right? Oh, boy. We get to the maze and they give us a card with 16—count 'em 16 boxes we are supposed to stamp as we wind our way through this seven acre maze. Did they have a map? Nope. And off we go, determined to have a great time. After wandering around for half an hour and only finding four stamps, MaryLynn was done with that fun. She began the famous whining, "I'm hungry, I want to go home, this is no fun." So we find the entrance again, and I am still determined to make this a fun family day. So Brad stays with MaryLynn while I take the other two back into the maze. Well, we wander around for another 45 minutes and find two more stamps. Now JJ starts, "I'm hungry, my legs hurt. Can we be done?" So we hike to the end and pick up MaryLynn and Brad. Then we look around. There are no pumpkins, in fact the only food for sale is chips and soda—real autumn-like, huh? Of course we had also decided that we would try to fit in some rock climbing (Brad's idea of family fun). Not really an autumn sport if you ask me. But we were meeting another family at 1:00 and at that point it was only 11:45. If our life wasn't so crazy we could easily have said, "We can just get our pumpkins next weekend." But, no, there is never the promise of next weekend in our schedule. So, we decided to just stop at the first roadside pumpkin stand. When we stopped, it wasn't a cute pumpkin patch, nope, there were rows and piles of pumpkins on shelves. Oh, well, there dies another fantasy; we all picked out a pumpkin with minimal mind changing. And we started looking around for mom's covenanted caramel apple. Now, I forgot to tell you that this roadside stand is an APPLE stand. Shouldn't they have some homemade, fresh caramel apples for sale? Well, they didn't. So, we bought a package of caramel mix, promising the kids that we would make our own caramel apples "sometime." After spending thirteen dollars on two pumpkins, one green gourd (that's what JJ picked instead of a pumpkin) and a package of caramel mix, we piled back into the car. That's when we began to hear, "I don't want to go climbing, I want my animal (now you have to know that earlier this month, JJ and MaryLynn bought themselves a Littlest Pet Shop stuffed animal on Walmart.com, and we had just gotten the email that said their toys were waiting for them at the store)." So, I look at the clock and ask Brad what he thinks about going to pick up their animals before we go climbing, so that they have something to keep them occupied and happy while the rest of us climb. Brad thought it was a good idea and dropped the girls and me off, while he and Nathan waited in the car. We ran inside and waited and waited and waited at the Site to Store pickup area and finally got our box. As we were carrying the box out of the store, I saw the animals they had paid $14 apiece for, on the shelf for $10. Now, I had a problem. Brad is waiting in the car, and hates being late, but at the same time; $4 is a lot of money to someone who only gets $5 a month in allowance. So, I asked the girls what they wanted to do. JJ pipes up, "I want to save money." Smart girl. So, we began the dance of returns at Wal-Mart. We had to return the box we had (without a receipt because somehow the packing slip did not get put in the box) and get the exact same things off the shelf and pay for those. By the time we got back to the car, we had about ten minutes to get to our climbing spot. Now Brad is frustrated because we are going to be late meeting our friends, so he starts driving like a maniac down the curvy roads in Ledyard. This makes everyone in the car start to get carsick, but, of course, he can't slow down. With his great driving skills we get to the parking place at 1:04. And, our friends aren't there, yet. So we load up with all the climbing gear as if we are pack mules and start the hike up the hill. Luckily, we were smart enough to bring sandwiches with us, and we ate while Brad set up the rope. At this point we all realize how cold it is outside and the kids start complaining about being cold (I won't even say that as we walked out the door that morning, I asked who wanted a jacket and no one did). So Nathan climbed, and started crying when he got stuck in the middle of the rock. Then Brad climbed (after tying me to the tree so if he falls, I don't go flying into the mountain as I held the rope for him). Our friends came, but it ended up being only the dad and son, so I decided that would be my cue to escape from the cold and take MaryLynn and JJ home—they didn't have any interest in climbing anyway. So off we went. I assumed that Brad could get a ride home and we headed to the library, so I could do some research for a paper that's due this week. Knowing I couldn't use the library on Monday, since it's closed for Columbus Day, I figured this was my only shot. I found tons of books and sat down to peruse them and choose the ones I wanted, when I got a phone call to go pick up Brad and Nathan. OK, so then I had to drive another twenty minutes back to where we started to pick up Nathan and Brad. I am still determined to have a fun family day, so I thought, maybe we can go out to eat for dinner and just enjoy being together. Now, it is mistake #4—I ask the kids where they want to eat. Do you think we can all agree on one place? No way. So we head to Friendly's, the whole time hearing JJ whine, "But I want Spaghetti." "We can have spaghetti next time, JJ." As we walk into the restaurant, she's still whining, and I can't take it anymore! This is supposed to be fun. We are supposed to be having that perfect family day that we see on LDS commercials. What is wrong with my family? Why am I such a bad parent? So, I turn to the host and tell him we're leaving. Our family sulks our way out of the restaurant and Brad takes his frustration out on JJ. I'm over the whole thing and let my keys fly at Brad (oh, I forgot to tell you about how Brad has to comment on my driving skills, or lack thereof, while I am driving to the restaurant), grab JJ, and storm off not thinking about how we are going to get home now. Let's just end by saying we went home to eat leftovers and the kids sat on the couch watching TV, which is probably what they would have liked to do all day, anyway.

Anyone want to join us on our next outing?

Breast Cancer Walk-a-thon

2009-10-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

I am proud to announce that Elise and I finished the Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Half Marathon Walk-a-thon! We had a great time and really ended up doing well.

Here are our special bracelets. We got the pink plastic ones in our registration bag, but then we got these great beaded ones from a friend as a good luck gift. You can't really see, but our names on on them. We love them. Thanks Jessica!

The bad new was that when the walk started it was pouring down rain. We were worried about being soaked, but there really was nothing you could do about it (that didn't stop Elise from putting plastic bags on her feet and wrapping her back pack in plastic--don't tell her I told you about that).

So, we snapped this photo at the beginning of the race as we wondered what would be coming.

We headed over to stretch out in the rain and then took off. It was only a matter of moments before Elise and I were out in front. I was surprised and a little worried that maybe we were going too fast at the beginning and wouldn't be able to keep it up the whole time. When we stopped to check on a bathroom, we were passed by three women, but we easily caught up to two of them. The other woman we saw in front of us was running part of the time, so we decided she was cheating and we wouldn't count her.

The walk was much more interesting than we thought it would be. We ended up walking along a couple of boardwalks and even through a wooded area. We really enjoyed the sights as we hiked along.

(You should have seen us stopping to pose for pictures. We didn't want to get passed, so the photo ops were done very quickly!) The rain did stop for part of our walk and we stripped off our extra clothes. Of course the rain did come back and we ended up putting most of it back on. But it was nice to not be too hot (got to be a plus somewhere, right?)

We also got a huge kick out of the signs along the way. There were some that were very informative. Some that were inspirational and some that were just plain funny. Like this one:

Here's me holding up what kept me going the whole time: Candy and Water. All along the way there were pit stops with candy, fruit and water. I did get fruit sometimes, but I can't deny that I never turned down the candy!

Elise and I really had a great time on our walk. When we started out we didn't mean to be competitive, but if you know us at all, you know that is just about impossible. So we enjoyed catching and passing anyone in front of us. (These were probably Full and Quarter Marathon walkers.) And we also had such a great time visiting. I don't think we stopped talking the entire way.

Here we are at the end of the walk. We finished in 3 hours 17 minutes and 40 seconds. We are pretty sure that we came in second and third for the Half Marathon. We really don't know because we finished before two o'clock and the closing ceremony wasn't until four. Elise said she will find out and let me know! We were also pretty happy that we figured on average we walked a 14 min 52 sec mile! Not bad.

Well, after we finished the race--it was like we walked into heaven (and I don't mean the line of port-a-potties). There was so much food, a live band, and get this...

Yup, we got a free massage!! Anyone want to sign up for next year? I guess the massage worked, though. I haven't been sore at all. The bottom of my feet hurt some (I bought new shoes, but I'm not impressed with the lack of cushion), but no muscle issues.

Thanks for all the support. It was great, and we couldn't have done it without all the help!

Please look at the kids blog: Pink Elephants on Parade MaryLynn wrote a poem that I am going to submit to a contest (along with one that I wrote--hope she doesn't beat me)

Tigers, and Cheetahs

2009-09-27T13:09:00.000-07:00

Nathan spent this week feeling awful, again. I keep hoping his cough will get better, but it keeps hanging in there. He missed school on Thursday and Friday, and I hope the rest did him good. He did play soccer on Saturday, and seems to be much better today. I've got my fingers crosssed that he is getting over his sickness.

MaryLynn and JJ waited and waited last week for a package that grandma had sent. They finally received it on Saturday. We immediately went outside for photos. Aren't they cute?

Thanks to grandma, who can step up when mom is too busy to even think about making costumes! I guess I have two of the three ready for Halloween. You wouldn't believe how often they wear these. They slept in them the first four nights they had them.

(Not outside, in their beds.)

Now they want pajamas and Nathan is getting in on the act. He wants tiger pajamas, too. We'll see if grandma has the energy for more sewing. Thanks, Grandma!

We also did our 5K walk-a-thon for the Groton Food Bank. Our family didn't raise as many cans as we did last year, I guess we will have to work harder next year, but we all walked the 5K and the kids had fun doing it with their friends.

I also walked with my friend. We did 8 miles to train for our Breast Cancer half marathon. We were still walking as they were cleaning up. Oops!

The kids played soccer again this weekend. We all had fun. Nathan had a great game last week. He scored a goal. And I was so impressed when I saw him hit the ball with his head down the field in the right directions! Wow!

Here's his picture after his goal. I think he was pretty proud!

School is keeping us pretty busy, but we are fitting fun in where ever we can.

Thanks for all my donations for the walk-a-thon. I have surpassed my goal and I owe it all to my great friends and family!!

Make sure to check out the kids new blog: Pink Elephants on Parade They are taking turns writing on the blog each Sunday. Enjoy their "voice!"

Our Week of Sick

2009-09-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

So, last Saturday was the kids first soccer games. They all really had great experiences. MaryLynn and JJ are on the same team. JJ got to play goalie for part of the game, and she thought that was great. It was so funny on one play, she blocked the ball from going into the goal and then she turned to me to make sure I saw and while she wasn't looking they kicked the ball into the goal. Oops! It was so cute, though.

MaryLynn surprised me. She was aggressive and got right into the middle of the pack. She was also really fast. She would all of a sudden appear right from behind the mob of kids a steal the ball to turn it around. She said she had a great time, too.

Nathan got to play on a half field. It seemed huge after seeing the girl's little one. He played forward the whole game, and Brad said he played almost the whole game. He played the whole first half and then most of the second. I am excited to see how he does this season. Sadly, some of the games are on Sunday, so he will miss four out of the eleven games.

Then, I made them line up outside for a group photo. Here's my little soccer nuts!

On Sunday, our group of "Camp Liberty" kids sang in church. They did a fabulous job. They sang "America the Beautiful," "God Bless America," and "My Country Tis of Thee." They all knew the words and sang out. It was so cute. Then later, the girls were in charge of Family Home Evening. We are trying to let them take charge. They taught about what they learned in primary, and they did a fabulous job. I was so impressed that I had to take a picture to brag about!

They taught us about prayer.

Well, now we are all sick. Nathan and MaryLynn have this awful cough and I am so stuffed, I can barely breathe. Well, we will all heal, but I am still not sure if we can hold still long enough to do it!

Summer's Over!

2009-09-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

We were invited to a friend's house for our end-of-the-summer Labor Day Barbecue. We used this day for a finish to our most successful Camp Liberty!

I can't believe that we couldn't get one good picture of all of us--Thanks Nathan!

I have begun my Half Marathon walk training in earnest now. This day we walked about five miles and came upon this house with this beautiful garden in front. We stopped to see if we could take pictures. Here is our little "model." We tested out the background with her. Isn't it fun?

So, I decided that summer must be officially over, because I don't have rolls of photos of our week's adventures. How sad! The kids are doing great in school, though. They are all happy with their teachers and are settling well back into our school routine. I am enjoying school , too and I am so excited about my Writing for Children class. I hope to get a few more articles ready to send!

School Begins

2009-09-05T17:54:00.000-07:00

We had a busy time getting ready for school, but somehow in there MaryLynn and JJ found a way to have guinea pig races up and down the hall. I could resist getting some pictures.I actually started school on Monday, but the kids didn't start until Tuesday. I was surprised about my reactioin to JJ starting Kindergarten. I was not sad, as much as proud. It was neat to watch her be so excited for the beginning of school.
Her she is with her teacher. As you can see, I kind of snuck this one in.
And she got to be the line leader on the first day of school. I watched her walk off leading the class and thought about all the times in her life that she will be a leader. Wow, my last one off to school!
Here is the three lined up before heading off for the first day of school. I am hoping that having all three in school all day will give me time to get my homework done and keep the house put together. Wish us luck on our new endeavors!

Nathan got a bag full of awards at Pack Meeting this month. He is excited to move up to Weblos next month when he turns ten.
MaryLynn has been bugging me for days to have a lemonade stand. She finally got it done with the help a friend. Lucky for me the commissary had a sale on lemonade mix! They made about 3 dollars in less than an hour. And they sure had fun!
We decided to have a family field trip to go climbing today. We splurged and bought our own rope and webbing so that we could climb. Brad did a great job setting it all up and the kids had a ball! Nathan almost made it to the top this time, he loved it. JJ was scared of spiders, so she didn't go up very far. I thought that was strange because she went so high last time. MaryLynn didn't go very high, but she kept wanting to go again and again. I'm glad she had fun. Then I climbed and came only about two feet from touching the top! Too bad I am not just a little taller!

Oh, and I have begun to train for my Half Marathon! My legs aren't too sore, yet! Check my next post for info on that!

Walk for a Cure!

2009-09-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone:

I am walking in a Breast Cancer half marathon in a couple of weeks. I need to raise $250 dollars. I am walking in honor of Katie (I figure pink is pink, right!). Please click on the link and donate. (Just click on Sponsor a Walker, then search for Patricia Haggard.) Any little bit would be appreciated!

Or you can just leave a comment on my blog telling me how much you want to donate and I will add you to the list and collect the money after the walk.

Thanks for your support!
Tricia

PS-Search for Patricia Haggard
https://www.terribrodeurbreastcancerfoundation.org

Its Only a Tropical Storm!

2009-08-29T15:12:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday we went on another adventure. We have quite a few families in our ward who like to rock climb. So we got together and did some climbing. It was so fun to climb with friends. I hope we get together again.Brad is the expert. He has done this a few times with other guys and he really enjoys it.
I, however, have not climbed anything for years and have never climbed outside (only in a climbing gym). But we had a pretty easy spot and I went for it. I had a great time.
Nathan really wanted to be the climbing king, but when he got up high, he decided he was ready to come down. He went up three times and each time he went a little higher. He really wants to go again.
MaryLynn kept saying she didn't want to go. We didn't try to talk her into it, and she spent most of her time just watching. Then right towards the end she decided to give it a try. I don't think she loved it, but she did it. I was proud of her for trying it. We'll see if she ever does it again.
JJ is our climbing Queen. She went the highest out of all the kids. After that Nathan had to go again just to prove he could go higher than her. I'm not sure he did, but JJ will be climbing again, that's for sure!

On Monday, we went to the kids school and helped JJ's teacher (the one I worked with last year) set up her classroom. I really enjoyed helping her and I think the kids had fun, too. It was fun to spend time with her again. I hope to see her this year even though I won't be working regularly, just substituting.

We also got to meet the kids soccer coaches and pick up their uniforms. I was very impressed with the uniforms. I will have to take a picture of all three kids together. We did get MaryLynn and JJ on the same team (JJ moved up to MaryLynn's age group). Both coaches seem great. They had their first practices on Wed and they all had fun. I can't believe how aggressive MaryLynn is, she really get in there and fights for the ball. JJ on the other hand, was doing cartwheels in the field (silly girl). We are looking forward to a busy, fun soccer season!

On Thursday we headed for our final summer fling. We went camping with four other families. We had a blast even though hurricane Danny was headed our way. We decided we would be fine when someone said, "It's not a hurricane, just a tropical storm." Oh, just a tropical storm, no problem, lets go sleep in a tent in the woods.

Enjoy our camping adventures:

We rented a couple of Kayaks and enjoyed paddling around on the lake.
Friday morning all the ladies took a pleasant stroll through the woods. NOT! We hiked for eight miles. And with Elyse leading we did it at a good clip. We all had fun and only a couple of us couldn't walk the next day! (Stay tuned for an update on our walking goals--we are going to try a half marathon!)
The kids had a great time swimming and playing on the beach. It was a little chilly for any of the adults to get into the water, but the kids sure didn't mind.
I wanted a family photo taken on our trip, but this was not exactly what I had in mind. It's awfully cute, though.
Nathan took the kayak out many times. I think we counted eight. He paddled out a couple of times to where we couldn't see him. Then Brad and I had to go find him.
The guys worked their tails off this weekend. They did much of the cooking and most of the muscle work (of course most of the campsites were set up by the women because the men had to finish their work day-they came up later, so we did do something).
This was dinner on friday. We made our own pizza's out of pita bread and put them in the fire to cook. MaryLynn and JJ ate three halves!

Then we went to bed in the rain and it rained all night and it was still raining in the morning. Thankfully, there is a lodge right down by the lake and we were allowed to use it. We made breakfast and ate there. Then I stayed with the kids while all the moms and dads broke camp.

I had tons of crayons in my car from cleaning out our teacher's room. We put them to good use keeping the kids entertained.
Then we pulled out the soccer ball, so the boys could get rid of some energy. Finally, we made paper airplanes and the kids went wild flying them all over the lodge. Don't tell any of the parents, but I let them climb on the tables- they loved launching their planes from up there-- Bad babysitter!

Then we headed home soaking wet, tired, and happy!

Off to Utah

2009-08-18T13:00:00.001-07:00

We slid into our fun at Grandma's house as soon as we got there. She took us to a place called "Jumping Jacks." It is a huge warehouse full of those air-filled jumping things. We spent a couple of hours just running, jumping, and sliding. What a great idea.

Then we headed to the dinosaur museum. We looked at the footprints and learned about how birds are related to dinosaurs. They had some cool displays of dinosaur nests and eggs.

We also went on a hike up above Grandma's house. We hiked to some caves and watched Nathan and JJ climb up the cliffs. Daddy will be so proud when he sees what a great rock climber JJ is. (Of course, getting down is not as easy as getting up.) MaryLynn was busy digging in the sand trying to find dinosaur bones while the rest of us climbed. Grandma and I had to watch JJ closely. We would just look up and there she would be, hanging over the top of us!

Then Grandma took us to the Grand Canyon where we stayed in a cabin with a fun playground. We went on a "smooth water raft ride" down the Colorado River, which was very fun. We had a great guide who made the trip extra fun. He started driving back and forth over the wakes of two other boats while we screamed and laughed. We actually did learn about the Glen Canyon Dam and the Colorado River in between playing around.

Here we are at the playground at the campground where we stayed.

Then we went to the Grand Canyon. The kids really wanted to see the Grand Canyon and I felt bad because it is only a couple of hours from where mom lives, yet I had never taken them. We took a special day trip and walked to the edge of the north rim.

We had a great view, but Grandma got a little nervous when the kids got close to the edge. And believe it or not, she wouldn't go out onto this neat outcropping called Angel's Window.

Then we took a hike to Cliff Springs. It was a great little hike along the cliff and we found some fun water and plants hiding among the red rocks. The kids wanted to keep hiking even after we got to the spring, but we decided we shouldn't push our luck. We also couldn't resist buying some neat authentic Navajo souvenirs at some of the roadside stands. MaryLynn bought a pink turtle which stands for long life. And JJ picked a round ball made from turquoise (we are calling it mother earth). Nathan got a necklace with an arrowhead on it.

We were excited to see Aunt Janna and her kids when we got back to Grandma's house. On Sunday we visited Katie's grave and had a silly string fight. I know that could be seen as irreverent, but we had a great time and I think Katie would think it was awesome. We had to try and contain the fun in case others wouldn't appreciate the excitement.

Here are the cousins after the cans of string ran out. I hope I am teaching the kids how to love and miss someone in a constructive way. Of course the kids had so much fun with the silly string that we had to join in, so we bought more and had another silly string fight at Grandma's house. This time the adults joined in!

We went on a hike in Zion Park to the Emerald pools. We took eleven kids and four adults. You would think this ratio would work, but we had a busy time trying to keep the little ones going and the big ones slowed down.

The hike to the upper pool was difficult and hot. The kids wanted to turn around many times, but I kept urging them on. We were very glad we made it to the top. There was a sign saying "No Swimming," so we didn't swim, we frolicked. We were glad we made it all the way to the top. It was worth the long hike. Then the kids almost ran all the way back down the hill to the shuttle.

We then headed to Brian Head for our Reeve Family Reunion. We had almost our whole family there. We were missing some spouses and one of my brothers, but we sure had a great time! Here is the whole family in one picture, aren't we awesome?

We went to mammoth cave and explored. We needed more flashlights, but we still had fun. Nathan and a couple of the other cousins went through one cave that was probably about 100 feet long that was a very tight squeeze (I'm talking belly crawling). When he tried to talk me into going I said no way! I did go through another cave that had some tight spots, but I had been through it before, and I could see the light at the end. This picture was actually taken inside the cave. Pretty neat, huh?

Uncle Paul set up a family relay race. It was entertaining. MaryLynn did the lassoing, JJ did the monkey bars, Nathan did the tether ball for the opposite team and I had to eat the banana with no hands. Great Grandma was on our team and she was the anchor leg. You can see her here getting ready to wrap the tether ball around the pole. And, yes, we won!

We also took a hike next to Cedar Breaks. The view was fabulous. JJ, Ethan, Grandma, and I got way behind everyone else. By the time we finished the hike it was getting dark. Good thing we started early or we would have been hiking in the dark!

We had a family talent show. It was great! Almost everyone participated and the kids were so cute. JJ sang a song, Nathan played his recorder, and MaryLynn hid behind me while I told about Judo. She is so funny.

Mom also planned a treasure hunt, (actually four of them) so that each age group could do something different. The youngest followed strings to their treasure, the next age had pictures and words, the next age had clues, and the oldest used a compass. Everyone had fun and many asked if we could do it again. Then we made bug jars and went outside to catch bugs. Mom made a circle in the gravel and the kids were supposed to put their bugs in the circle and see which ones would get out of the circle first. MaryLynn didn't want her bug to escape, so she wouldn't do it. JJ did, and here we are watching her bug hop out of the circle. (We mostly caught grasshoppers, so it got out of the circle pretty quickly.)

Janna and I got nominated to be in charge of the next family reunion. We are planning on two years. Wish us luck! It was so great to see everyone and to spend time with them. It was a great visit and very well organized. We have a lot to live up to!

When we went back to Grandma's JJ finally got to ride horses. She had been waiting for that for months. Thanks to Uncle Randy for taking her, of course the first thing she said when she got off was, "Why can't I have a horse?" OH, boy! Then today before we headed home, mom took us back to the cemetery where we vandalized the grass. We placed some stepping stones that all the cousins made next to Katie and Grandpa's headstones. They look really good, hopefully, we won't get into trouble. What a great visit, and we can't wait to get home again!

Our new Friend

2009-08-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

We had another busy week finishing things up to get ready to go to Utah.

On Tuesday we had Camp Liberty at our house. We learned about water. It was just an excuse so that I could take the kids to the water park by our house, but the kids really seemed to enjoy it. We did lots of different experiments involving water. We learned about the water cycle. Did you know that all the water on earth has been here since the earth was created? We did "sink or float," siphoning, and learned how water has mass. Their favorite experiment was guessing how many coins it would take to overflow the water. They couldn't believe how the water "bubbled" up over the edge of the cup without overflowing.

Then we headed to the water park!
The kids played for about 30 minutes. They had a great time running and cheering. They loved to all squeeze inside the circle and wait for the water to shoot up, so they could run and scream again.
Here we are outside the water park. When I walked in with nine kids they just about had a heart attack. There were not more than three other kids in their, but I got into trouble for bringing too many guests. I just stalled talking to the man in charge while the kids played. By the time he left, I told him we would only be ten more minutes, so they got a good amount of play time. We then headed to the park next door to enjoy our lunch and play on the slides and swings. When all the moms got there, we visited for a couple of hours and really enjoyed some adult time while the kids wore each other out.

Later that day, Nathan had a bike ride for cub scouts. Families were invited, so we packed up all our bikes and headed out.
I was so proud of MaryLynn and JJ they made it all the way around the path which is about two miles. We had to walk on a couple of parts that were just too rocky, but they made it and did great.
Of course, we stopped at the Point so they could play in the rocks and water. We love going here and they never want to leave before it is time.
Since I had my trusty camera, we set up the timer on a rock and got a picture of the whole group. Don't laugh that there are twice as many adults as Cub Scouts, we all wanted to go, so we just did! (Oh, and you should have seen me jumping back and forth across the rocks to get in the picture, it was pretty entertaining!)

On Wednesday, we had some friends over for dinner. When I told MaryLynn and JJ that we were having soup, salad, and bread sticks they said we should have our house like Olive Garden. So I set them loose and here's what they did:
They set up an entrance with a Welcome sign and Nathan sat at the stool to be the Host. MaryLynn is holding the menus that they designed. As soon as our friends (a couple with no kids. . . yet) walked in, Nathan greeted them and seated them, "How many are in your party?"
Then MaryLynn and JJ had a ball being the waitresses. They served the drinks, the salad, bread sticks and soup. MaryLynn did not want them seeing into the kitchen because in a real restaurant you can't see the kitchen, so I hung a sheet in the door way. This was my compromise because she wanted to set the table up in a bedroom! Our friends were very impressed and we all had a great time! (Don't worry, after all the food was served we all sat down to eat together.)

Thursday, we were invited to attend a free performance at Connecticut College of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." We took the kids not sure of how it would work out. They enjoyed it and I was surprised at how much I remembered of the plot, so that I could explain to them what was going on. There were a couple of funny parts that they laughed at. At least one of them didn't seem planned because the whole cast was trying not to crack up.
We got a picture with two of the fairies during intermission. The one fairy got beat up in the play-that is why she is wearing bandages.

Also, on Thursday, we welcomed a new addition to our family. MaryLynn decided to buy a guinea pig with her own money. We went to PetSmart and she picked out . . . Daisy Katie Haggard. She is loving having something to cuddle and carry around. She is getting along well with Rose and has settled in nicely. MaryLynn wants to bring her to Utah, but she will have to be taken care of by Daddy while we are gone.

Our Staycation with Grandpa and Grandma!

2009-07-26T17:59:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to have Grandma and Grandpa come and see us!
They got here on Saturday and we began our week of tourist fun.The girls were in heaven when Grandpa let them climb on his lap and read him a story. Grandpa was impressed with MaryLynn's reading abilities.

I hope they got all their cuddling and loving in for the next year or so. I think Grandma and Grandpa loved being treated like giant stuffed animals and the kids never got tired of giving all those hugs and kisses.

On Monday we headed to the Mystic Seaport. We were able to get free tickets from the library and bought the extra two on base, so we got in at a great price!
We enjoyed walking through the seaport and seeing all the sights.
Grandma and I both love lighthouses, so we needed a picture of the kids in front of this one. They learned some neat info about lighthouses (did you know the Statue of Liberty is a lighthouse?)
We also played some fun 19th Century games. We rolled the hoop.
We walked on stilts. JJ kept telling me to "Let go, Mom!" And we played a game where you throw a hoop back and forth using sticks (I think it is called Charms). Nathan and Dad were really good at that game, and they tried to see how far apart they could get and still catch the hoop.

Here we are outside the seaport. (It's a good thing Grandma and Grandpa are good sports about being photographed, cause I made them pose everywhere!)
The girls painted Grandpa's toenails. They get to do this everytime we see him and they love it! His nails were bright and colorful (not to mention much thicker) when they were done. I would sure like to be a fly on the wall when he goes to the doctor this week!
On Tuesday, MaryLynn and JJ went to Camp Liberty while Brad, Nathan, and Grandpa headed to the Basketball Hall of Fame. They didn't take a camera, so here they are holding the tickets and brochure. They had a great guy time! At the same time, Grandma and I had a girls day. We did a little shopping and then went to lunch at this cute little place called "Felicia's SweetFace Pastry Shop." WOW! The food was fabulous and there was lots of it, then, of course we had to get the dessert--which was some of the yummiest stuff I ever put in my mouth! GO, GO, GO there!

I will post some pictures of that Camp Liberty when I get some. Unfortunately, it was raining like crazy that day, and it was supposed to be the camping/hiking day. They still did it and had a ball (they were just wet)!

I talked our Liberty crew into doing our Thursday camp on Wednesday so we could open up a day for our sightseeing.

So, Wednesday we had another Camp Liberty. We got to pick up the kids early and enjoy a Circus put on by our kids.
Here is the whole circus clan.
MaryLynn, Josh, and Dianne were the clowns. They were very cute.
Nathan and Josh were the hoop masters.
Nathan was the sword swallower. Doesn't this look real?
JJ, Josh and Dianne did the high bar together. There were many other acts, but I couldn't put them all on this post. It was so cute and the kids had a great time. It was fun that Grandma and Grandpa got to see it.
JJ talked me into helping her practice her batting. She is pretty good at it. I might have another baseball player next spring.

Wednesday, while I was at school, Brad and Grandpa took the kids fishing. It sounded like they caught quite a few fish. Nathan said he caught seven. Once, again we didn't get any pictures, but they were 'swimming' in the fun! Grandpa said that Nathan tied his own hook on, baited it, then took the fish off the hook all by himself. We are just training Nathan for when we visit Grandpa and they can do some real fishing!

Thursday, we ended up needing to take a break from the fun. We wore out our visitors, and they needed a rest.

Friday we started back into our fun before Grandma and Grandpa had to go home. We met some friends down by the dock and did some crabbing.
Nathan was happy use the net. . .
But, thanks to Marissa, JJ was brave enough to pick one up. She thought it was neat. (By the way, don't pick them up like they tell you at the Aquarium--you'll get pinched.)
Water is always fun when the sun is out. It was never really hot this week, but the kids don't care, they just went right in.

Later, that night, we went to the Minor League baseball game, the Defenders.
We love to watch baseball, and this was a good game. And the Defenders won!
They shot off fireworks after the game, and they were some of the best I have seen. It was a great end to our visit.

We will sure miss Grandma and Grandpa! And we can't wait to see them again.

Saturday our church had a big picnic. It was so fun to visit with friends and eat some good food.

Can't beat food and play! We have to do this again.

By request: Here is JJ singing "You're a Grand Ole Flag" (You have to listen for her singing "Every Heart Beeps True!")

2009-07-17T18:40:00.000-07:00

JJ and I went on our date last Saturday. We went to watch "Up." It was a good movie, but very emotional. I'm not sure I would classify it as a children's movie. We had a great time. I wish I would have taken a picture, but the memory will have to do. After I finished two classes, I was bored, so I decided to clean out the garage. We have been talking about doing it for month/ years. Finally, I tackled the job. I threw away and gave away LOTS of stuff, but I think the garage is much more "user friendly" now. I tried to put things we need where I can reach them. I'm pretty happy about the way it turned out.At Camp Liberty on Monday, the kids learned about money. They learned the names of the coins and made a piggy bank out of a water bottle. (I think the mom of this craft wins so far for the cutest craft.)

Here is my famous garden. It is actually even bigger now, but thought you would like a peek. It will be funny to see how much we get. Right now we have nine squash, one cucumber, one bell pepper, and quite a few tomatoes! Let's hope they make it to eating time! (We already ate two jalapenos--no more growing yet.)
Brad was a good dad this week and got into the pool with the kids. I didn't want to, so I read my book and took pictures. MaryLynn wants to swim so badly, but she is scared. Brad worked and worked with her, and she is starting to get it. JJ, on the other hand, is the little fish. Here she is swimming under water. She is trying to learn how to come up and get a breath and then go back down, so she can swim farther. We'll see how that goes.

We took one of MaryLynn's friends along with us to the lake on base this week. They played on the beach, in the water, and at the park (behind the photographer) for almost two hours. Mom had a great time reading her book (and Daddy surprised her with a sandwich from Subway-we ate lunch together before he had to go back to work.)
Camp Liberty at our house this week was the Safari! We found animals hidden all over the neighborhood. Here the kids are using their handmade binoculars to look for the animal in the tree.
Here we are looking for one hiding on our porch. After we found the animal, we also found a card that told us many unusual facts about that animal.
Here is our group with their own animal puppets. The kids were very creative with their puppets and then had to put on a puppet show for the parents. (I think this one was my favorite, so far.)

We are excited to have Grandma and Grandpa Haggard visiting for this week--stay tuned for our fun-filled week!

One more camp week

2009-07-11T05:55:00.001-07:00

Nathan went straight from soccer camp to Cub Day Camp! MaryLynn, JJ and I got to go with him on Monday. The girls went to the "Tot Lot." Their group included them and one little boy--they had four leaders. Funny, huh? This is the only picture I got of them.

We all got to eat lunch together. This is the first year we were served lunch at day camp, and the food was good. (I also didn't have to make four lunches at seven in the morning!)

Nathan is already begging me to come up all week next year. I am going to try. I really enjoy going and it will be Nathan's last year as a cub!
Here he is going through the obstacle course.
Here is archery. The best time at cub camp is archery and bb's!
Speaking of bb's--Nathan love to shot and does a good job at it. His first target this year had all five bb's in the same spot-right between 10 and 9.
This is where they learned how to build a lean-to for shelter.It was fun to see the boys figuring out how to work together to make their shelter. As a side note, I was planning on going straight from Day Camp to my computer class, but halfway there I realized I forgot my backpack. I called Brad to bring me my backpack, but then I had to figure out what to do with the kids. I then remembered that Monday was Expressive Arts which just happens to be down the street from the Community College. I dropped them off there and returned to class. It turned out to be a positive thing. The kids hadn't been to art for months and they were so happy to go!

Tuesday, the girls were off to Camp Liberty. They learned about outer space.
Here is MaryLynn throwing the asteroids into the black hole.
And here is their art project--Stars and moons.

Thursday we had Camp Liberty at our house. We learned about fishing.
We practiced casting in our back yard. Most of the kids new how, so they just played around, but I did get to teach one of the kids how to cast. By the end she was really doing it.
Here is our art project. We made fish out of tissue paper and aluminum foil and attached them to a "fishing pole" that we found outside.
We fished over the sheet to catch different types of fish that live in Connecticut. The kids took turns clipping the fish onto the pole. When they reeled them in, they would tell me what kind of fish they caught.
This is during singing time. I just thought it was so funny because JJ loved the "John Jacob Jingleheimer Smith" part. She screams it really loud while jumping up and down. Check out poor Josh in the background with his hands over his ears. Do you think he is having fun?
More fishing fun. Catch those grass fish, girls.
While Nathan was at camp, we went to the water park. It was perfect-I studied for my test, while the girls ran and ran.
On Friday, we went to a party for Dad's work. The girls loved the jumping cage. We also played at the lake, but I forgot to take pictures.

My news for this week is that I finished two of my summer classes. I didn't have to take the final for economics so I got an A in that one. Now I just have a computer class to finish!

Soccer Fun

2009-07-05T17:51:00.000-07:00

I have to apologize up front for this long blog. I tried to pick and choose, but we had a great week, and there is too much to tell you about, so hang on!

The kids had a week of soccer camp. We have never done any camps like this before, but all three kids want to play soccer this fall, so I thought it would be good for them to have a preview before they play on teams.

They were very excited for their first day.Here is JJ with her favorite trick that she learned. You throw the ball in the air, clap your hands then catch the ball again. I am sure this is not a skill you use in the game, but she loves doing it.

We were lucky enough to have one of the coaches stay with us for the week. They are all from England and travel around New England doing soccer camps all summer, they stay at "host" families in the area they are teaching. We took the coaches to Monster Golf. That is mini-golf with black lights and a monster theme. The picture isn't great because of the lighting, but we had fun.
We also took them to the beach one day. It was our family's first time at the beach for the summer, so we all really enjoyed it. The kids played and played while all the adults slept in the sun.
Well, I guess MaryLynn slept in the sun, too. Can't really blame her--this is after 3 hours of soccer camp!
It didn't slow JJ and Nathan down. I don't think they stopped moving the whole time. The water was still pretty cold, but they didn't mind. The coaches finally went for a swim right before we had to leave.
JJ and her shell collection. I usually "lose" over half of them before we go home. Otherwise I would have shells coming out of all the drawers and buckets in the house.
Here is a picture of the whole group at soccer camp. The last day they had a graduation. Each child got a "report card" telling what they learned and how they did on each skill. I was impressed with the details that they included.
Here is the only picture I got of Nathan "graduating" He ran through too fast. His coach said that he was a natural and picked up on new skill very quickly. The coach staying with us said that he was teaching Nathan skills he usually taught the fourteen year olds, and he was picking it up. Looks like he may have another sport to add to his list. We'll see if he enjoys playing on a team this fall.
Here is MaryLynn. I loved seeing her do camp. She is usually very shy and reserved, but not here. I think it helped having a coach at our house. She already knew someone and felt more at ease. She had a great time and learned some great skills. She was one of the youngest in her group, but really hung right in there.
JJ with one of her coaches. That little thing just loves everything she does and puts her whole heart into it. This was no exception. Her coaches said that she soaked up everything like a sponge and was not afraid to try new things.

We were very sad when our coach had to leave. We are going to miss him and loved having him stay with us. We hope to do it again next year. How fun!

Then we left on Friday to go camping over night. This time we went with just our family. And we had a great time and even lived through it!
We took our boat out on the lake, but we were a little disappointed because we camped right next to a river. We couldn't figure out how to float down the river then get back to pick up our van. If we go there again, then we will be more prepared for that one!
We played at the beach.
The kids dove right in, but I thought it was too cold to go swimming. Brad and I sat on the bench and watched.
We actually got to see our first covered bridge. It was pretty cool. Although, I thought they ruined the picture op by adding all that safety stuff--Not too pretty. Dumb Safety.
Here is a picture of the river we camped next to. It was running pretty high because of all the rain we received this week.
MaryLynn liked to sit on a rock and sketch the river. She did a good job and loved the opportunity to just sit still.
JJ, on the other hand, doesn't know how to sit still. Here she is teasing Brad. He was afraid she would fall into the river and so she pretended to slip and grab a hold of a tree. The little stinker.
Hiking by the river.
I made Brad take this picture because I was so proud of my fire making skills. I did it all by myself. Unfortunately, I may have turned my kids into pyromaniacs when they saw me playing with the coals. Oops.
Yup, our famous hotdogs and corn on the cob--I can do that!

Then we came home on Saturday to watch the fireworks.

We set up the chairs right across from the base and watched the show. It was a nice time together. The kids didn't even complain when we had to walk all the way down the road and down the hill to get there because of all the people and cars blocking the roads. It was a great end to a busy week.

Crazy Summer

2009-06-28T17:24:00.001-07:00

We started our new day camp this week. We have a group of friends that are putting together a day camp for our kids. We're taking turns having the nine kids at our house. We learn about some fun things and then play and have lunch. I really enjoyed my time off on Tuesday. (I was also happy to not have to make lunch- I hate making lunch) The kids came home telling me how much fun they had.Here's the kids getting ready for their first day at Camp Liberty.Here they are with their very own Liberty bells that they made.

And a picnic on the floor. Have to have the picture while you eat.
On Wednesday I took the kids to the aquarium. They never get tired of the sea lion show. We hope to spend many days there this summer (we have a membership).
Thursday we had Camp Liberty at our house. We started out with a group photo. We won't go into the fun time we had trying to get eleven kids and three adults to all sit still and smile at the same time. Aren't our shirts cute? A friend has a screen printing machine and did these shirts for us all. We are so official.
Here we are together, together, together. Oh, here we are together.
Here are the kids with their flags. We learned about Freedom and making choices, then we made flags.
We went on another camping trip this weekend.

Brad had to work and Nathan went with the Cubscouts on a hike (Nathan had a blast with the cubs. They hiked up to a waterfall, cooked over a fire and learned about pocketknives. He didn't feel like he missed out at all.), so it was just us girls with our friends.
I took the boat out with three kids on it (I borrowed a child from our friends). They had a great time leaning over the boat and trying to grab the lily pads. Good thing they had life jackets on.
Swimming in the lake. They played and swam for hours.
We went on a two mile hike. I thought the kids would poop out before the hike was over, but we couldn't keep up with them. They had a great time.
Here's the three musketeers eating their yummy breakfast. It was good stuff.
We were treated to a beautiful sunset over the lake. The kids just couldn't get enough of this lake. We are loving the camping thing!

School's Out for the Suummer

2009-06-21T17:34:00.000-07:00

Yeah for us! Summer is finally here-- Of course you couldn't tell by the weather. It has been gray and rainy around here. According to the weatherman it is about 20 degrees below normal for this time of year. Oh Brother!

So far the kids aren't driving me too crazy, but we have had many talks about "This is going to be a long summer if . . ."

Nathan finished out his baseball season this week. I think he really loves baseball, which doesn't make Daddy too upset. The last couple of games didn't have a very good turn out so they kind of just goofed around. It was fun.We decided to buy a boat! How do you like it? Fancy, huh?
Lucky Daddy gets to be the motor. Well, we've only tried it once, but it was pretty funny. We had a hard time going in a straight line. We are going to get a couple more oars and see if it works better. Five of us in the inflatable boat, OH Yeah!
I think the kids had fun, though. It was overcast, which was nice because then it wasn't too hot. I thought it was relaxing out there on the water, but then I wasn't trying to row.
JJ is sure going to miss her Preschool class. She was lucky enough to have the same teacher two years in a row and she is fabulous. Here she is with her teacher and her two helpers.--On to Kindergarten!

JJ and I had a date at Bluff Point. We love that place and JJ loves to collect sea shells.
Don't laugh at my outfit. I didn't look in the mirror, OK? Anyway, the water was cold on our feet!
This looks scary, but actually it was just the shell. The crab had been eaten already. JJ was still pretty leery of it though.

So we are looking forward to a jam packed summer with lots of fun and friends. Stay tuned!

Loving the Growing Season

2009-06-13T17:05:00.000-07:00

I have decided that I am enjoying growing things. I don't know how long that will last, but for now it is fun. I am very happy with my flower garden in front of the house. I think the blooming of the honeysuckle perfumed the air, and we finally started receiving hummingbird guests at our feeder.

It is pretty fun, because my computer "desk" (Ok, it is a folding card table that I put my laptop on) faces the front window, so I can watch the birds flitting around the feeder. Isn't that fun?

I have to say that I have never understood the fascination with taking pictures of flowers and sending those pictures to others, but now that I have living, growing, blooming flowers of my own--I get it! Don't you just love my roses? I was given this tiny little bush last year and I just planted it and crossed my fingers. Thanks to some great advice from a teacher I work with--they have flourished this spring!

OK, now on to my next project. This one was introduced to me by a friend. When I told her I was going to plant some veggies in pots she suggested I check out the "Square Foot Gardening."
I went on the website and decided to go for it. So on Monday, JJ and I went to Home Depot and bought the wood, then made three stops at gardening places around the area to find the compost, vermiculite, and peat moss to mix together. We built the frame and then had a great time mixing the three ingredients together to plant in. We finally gave up trying to use a shovel, and ended up mixing with our hands. JJ said it was just like playing at the beach.By the time Daddy got home, this is what he found! I have all the plants in the squares now and we have our fingers crossed! I sure hope to get some veggies this summer! (We planted tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapanoes, cucumbers, summer squash, zuchinni, and grean beans.) Can you believe that all fits in that little box? Actually one of the tomatoes plants I put in a pot. I will post more pictures as it grows!

The kids finally got to have Field day this week. We have had it cancelled twice because of rain. They finally said, we are just doing it! I am so glad. I don't have lots of pics, but here you go:
JJ and friends playing with bubbles.
JJ sliding down the big slide. (We had to sneak her in. Right when her class was supposed to go--the rain just downpoured, so they didn't get a chance. But I snuck her in with the class I aide for--Hee, hee sneaky me!)
MaryLynn on the slide. I think she liked it.
Nathan playing tug-o-war. He is the last one in line. And if you can't tell, they didn't win. I was sure cheering them on, though!

Today was the Primary Talent Show. JJ sang this cute song. Unfortunately, she sang faster than my finger, so the beginning of the song is cut off, but she did a great job.

MaryLynn showed a Judo video and then she was going to show some holds, but when she announced she was going to show the "choke hold" on one of the boys, everyone burst out laughing. Then she was embarassed and wouldn't do anything.

Nathan was supposed to play the cello, but he didn't get out of his baseball game in time, so he didn't get to play. Oh, well.

We also got some great news this week--Drum Roll please-- JJ got into the full Day Kindergarten! Can I hear you? Oh, yeah! I am so excited, this should make next year a little easier on the schedule, and she will learn so much more. She is so ready for kindergarten. She is starting to read already. Her teacher will have a fun time keeping up with her!

Late Week

2009-06-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

I had a hard time getting to my post this week. Taking three summer classes is taking lots of my time, but so far we are all hanging in there.

I got to accompany Nathan's class on a field trip to the "Portersville Academy" which is a schoolhouse from the 1890's. It was really interesting. They had the kids sit in the benches and answer questions they would have asked then.They told us about the children's diaries that they read to recreate the school house and many other places from that time period. Then they had the kids begin their own journals, so that we can have records from this era.
Here they are practicing handwriting on their "slates." They all loved doing it, I told Nathan's teacher we should get them some chalkboards instead of computers.
Nathan had to answer the question 55 divided by 11. He did a good job and when he told the teacher how he got the answer, the teacher was like "Well, can't argue with that." I am always interested to hear Nathan's thinking. He can usually figure out the math problem, but not the way I would have done it.

Brad's Birthday!

We made him his very own dessert, in his new ice cream bowl. Brownies with chocolate ice cream and peanut M&M's.
Blow out the candle, Daddy!

MaryLynn and Nathan discovered this turtle in our backyard. It is pretty funky. Check out the spikes on its tail! It also had really sharp claws that it was digging a hole with. I'm not sure where it was going, but it took a shortcut through our backyard.

Our first successful Camping Trip! We were invited on the spur of the moment and I took them up on it. We had a blast! We were in the rain on Friday, but it wasn't pouring, just annoying. The kids didn't seem to mind, though.
You know it! We had smores, and as we were told, "When the stickiness begins, it doesn't end!" I love roasted marshmellows.
Hot dogs roasted over the fire. We were surprised how much everyone ate!
Here we are doing the roasting! I think Nathan ate two hotdogs that were kind of warm in the middle, but at least he ate them!
They actually got in the lake even though it was raining. I thought they were crazy, but they wanted to do it. They decided pretty quick that is was too cold.
In the lake with the rain!
Perched on a rock. This was a fun rock to climb!
Look, we got to kayak! Nathan and his friend had a great time. Chad got a nice ride by the two boys (neither one wanted to give up his paddle).
My first time in a kayak. I enjoyed it. Luckily, Elise was very good at giving direction.
Here's the line of kids digging sand and letting it fly!
Making sand castles right by the lake! We will definitely go again (if we can find any time to do it!)

My Last Week of Freedom

2009-05-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

Since I had two weeks off from school, I finally got to see JJ's swimming lessons. She is doing so well.When I walked in her teacher asked me if I had seen her tread water. When I said I hadn't she had JJ tread water. She was able to stay up for about 20 seconds. Her teacher said she was the best in the class at treading water! Go JJ! (This picture she has a noodle under her because I forgot to take a picture when she was actually doing it, but when she did it for real she didn't have a floatie!)

She loved jumping into the water. I think she tried to jump higher every time she jumped in.

She is a master at floating on her back. She doesn't mind putting her head way back. My little fishy.

MaryLynn and I went to cows and cones for our "date" (That might be the summertime place to go--who could beat homemade icecream and animals?) We got to see the bunny because no one was there (it was kind of a rainy, over cast day-reminded me of Washington) so the bunny wasn't hiding. It's name is Lucky.

You can see that she enjoyed her cone! And the little pigs are named Spot, Molly, and Twinkle (not really, that's just what MaryLynn called them) We also got to see some brand new twin lambs. They are black and so cute. MaryLynn named them Buttercup and Wesley (you can tell our favorite movie!)

Nathan and Brad had their date too, but of course he didn't bring a camera. They went to the batting cages. Brad said Nathan only missed four of the forty eight pitches that he tried. Not bad, huh?
Nathan got to pitch again, and I got to see part of it. I didn't see the first inning when he got three batters out with seven pitches. Go Nathan! But I was really proud of him when the second inning he walked a few, but he didn't get upset and frustrated. He really hung in their and struck out the last one. I haven't gotten any good picture of him batting because he usually gets walked. He has a good eye and really waits for a good pitch. That does backfire on him sometimes and when he strikes out watching. But he gets walked on this at-bat.

Here is a video of one of his pitches. You have to look closely to see him on the mound, but here you go.

And I finally got him to play the solo he played for the concert a couple of weeks ago. It is called "Christoper's Tune"

I have enjoyed my weeks off, but they went way to quickly. Off I go to take more classes this summer!

Fun Week

2009-05-24T16:29:00.001-07:00

Don't freak out. JJ took a header into the bench at school. (I was there when it happened.) She has a big black eye and a sratch and a huge bruise on her check. It seems to get darker everyday (poor girl). I wonder what she will look like when she finally reaches adulthood?
We hung a hummingbird feeder in our flower bed. I am hoping to see some hummingbirds soon. Brad saw one the other day and I saw one today. Cross your fingers for us!
JJ had the most exciting news. She had her very first, offical, all-by-herself sleepover! She had so much fun and I did not get a call in the middle of the night. She is so growing up!
We finally had MaryLynn's birthday party! She had a great time and I think the kids did too. I limited her to how many kids she could invite because we had it at the house. She picked mostly kids from school and look at the boy to girl ratio. I guess she likes boys--Oh Brother!

I don't have these picture in order, but this was the pinata. That was the one thing she asked for (I didn't make it-I bought it)

This was the balloon stomp game. I was afraid to play it because I didn't want anyone getting hurt, but they all had fun and only two people got her (JJ was one of them).And, believe it or not, MaryLynn was the winner!Here was her cake. She wanted a Littlest Pet Shop cake. I just used coconut for grass and brown sugar for dirt and put the animals on top. I think it turned out pretty cute considering I don't really know what I am doing.
I guess Daddy finally lost it. He has been doing a good job being "Mr Mom" while I have been at school, but now that my semester is over, I guess he wanted me to know that he was done cooking. WHAT? I don't want to eat a baseball glove for dinner! (Just kidding, we bought Nathan a new mitt and there is this cool stuff you can put on it and put it in the oven to make the mitt nice a soft--I won't even go into how expensive this glove was--WOW!)

Can anyone help with this puzzle? We planted these bulbs two falls ago and we can't remember what they are? What are these white flowers? They have really thin leaves that look almost like onion leaves. Help!
How do you like our new irises? We are calling this one our Texas A&M flower.
I think this one is my favorite. I love the dark purple with the yellow. Pretty, huh?

No pictures for this, but Brad and I got to go on a date on Saturday afternoon. We went for a huge motorcycle ride and went to a movie. Who new I would get addicted to riding motorcycles. It is so much fun!

MaryLynn's Birthday!

2009-05-16T16:53:00.001-07:00

MaryLynn turned seven this week. I think she had a good birthday, but it was a busy one. I talked her into waiting until next weekend for her party, so that I can plan it better (I will be out of school, so I will have time to actually work on it.)I thought you would enjoy a picture of our first iris. We planted them last year, but I guess they don't bloom the first year, so this is our first one. We have more getting ready to bloom!

This is the cake I just happened to have in the freezer. We let MaryLynn pick what she wanted for dinner. She chose toasted cheese sandwiches. Easy enough!

JJ and I planned a treasure hunt for MaryLynn, so when she got home from school she had to follow the clues to find her presents. I think she really enjoyed it.
She got her very own CD player and the new Mylie Cyrus CD (yup the one with Hoedown, Throwdown-we hear it over and over again-eeeee).
She also got a huge Little Pet Shop gym. She really likes it, but I am still not sure it was worth the price.
Nathan and Daddy got to go on the father and son campout. They finally didn't get rained out! (For the last two years it was cancelled because of rain).
I finally go to see a baseball game! And guess what? Nathan got to pitch! It was great. He did a really good job. He has pretty good control, we just have to work on his strength.
Then when the ball was thrown back to him, he missed it and it hit him right between the eyes, hard! He got a bloody nose, and , yup, he cried! (I would have cried too, even though "there's no crying in baseball.) I was so proud of him. What a great job he did!

The night of MaryLynn's birthday was Nathan's "Art Concert" at school. He played the cello and as a surprise to all of us, including Nathan, he played a solo. His teacher just called on him during the concert to play a piece. Unfortunately, I didn't get a good video, so I will make him play it a home and post that. I thought he did a good job considering that he didn't even practice for it.
He also played the recorder.

All the third grade classes learn to play the recorder and they can learn as many songs as they want. Nathan learned all of them in the book. This video shows the kids playing the hardest song in the book. You can see how many of them didn't learn it.

And then for the finale, some of the kids danced the "Hoedown, Throwdown." This was just a bunch of kids that wanted to learn it, and they met a couple times a week during the lunch hour for a few weeks. Nathan had a ball (there were only about four boys in the whole group). He was chosen to be on the stage for the performance. Watch him on the stage in the dark blue shirt and jeans. He is having sooo much fun!

Live and Learn

2009-05-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! Here's my gift. I love it! Katie is an Angel, Nathan is a baseball player, MaryLynn is in her Judo outfit, and JJ is in a swimming suit.

We had a few life lessons this week.

This is a rabbit we saw out our back door one morning. We watched him for quite a while. Isn't he cute?

It is hard to learn why lying doesn't work. Poor MaryLynn decided she wanted some books from the book fair (now keep in mind I had already bought them all some books) , so she told the aid in the room that Nathan was paying for the books. When Nathan went to buy something with his own money, he ended up buying the books that MaryLynn picked out. She got in some huge trouble for lying to the aid and for "stealing" Nathan's money. I told her she had to pay him back with her money and she didn't care. Then I told her she had to give the books away because she shouldn't get to keep them after she lied and stole. Then she brook down crying. To her credit, she woke up the next day and told he she wanted to give the books to the neighbor's little girl.

Nathan didn't get to play much baseball this week. He had a game on Monday, but then his game on thursday was cancelled. Darn Rain!

JJ bought a "handbag" for her guinea pig. I know that sound bad, but it is actually a carrier. She called it a "handbag" and I thought it was cute. She cleaned out her piggy bank to buy it (we'll see how upset she gets when she can't buy anything else). I think she wants to take her guinea pig to class. We'll see what her teacher thinks!

The kids had their favorite babysitter on Friday, when Brad and I got to go a friend's house for dinner. They got to stay up and watch Star Wars. They were in high heaven. Until that morning when they woke up at 5:45 because they slept in the living room. That might have to come to an end! 5:45--that's ridiculous! (A life lesson for Mom and Dad!)

Here is a picture of Katie's tree. It is beginning to blossom. I am using this picture for the cover of my poetry portfolio. What do you think?

Baseball Weekend

2009-05-03T10:15:00.000-07:00

Our school did a fundraiser by selling tickets to the local AA baseball team, the Connecticut Defenders. Our family went and we had a great time. We all enjoy baseball, and as long as we are willing to buy hotdogs and cotton candy the kids are happy. The Defenders won and mommy got some yummy nachos! The only bad part was that we got home at 10:00 at night and we have church at 9:00 in the morning. Oops!

Here's poor JJ after she fell asleep in the car (not from the baseball game). Daddy thought it was so funny, he took a picture. Poor Jay.Every year the youth center down the street from us have a carnival the first weekend of May. Brad took MaryLynn and JJ. They had a great time and won these animals. (The animals were a bargin price of $20- too bad we could have bought some at the dollar store for a dollar-anyway.) As you can see, they love the little tigers.
Nathan has started playing baseball. On friday he got to pitch. Dad said he did pretty well. I think he did walk a few batters, but he also struck out a few, so its all good. I think he is one of the extra pitchers, usually he plays third or shortstop.
Here he is getting the runner out at 3rd. Nice play!
This is a good picture, but it was a foul ball. He walked every time up to bat at this game. Brad says Nathan is really patient at the plate and waits for a good pitch before he swings.
This is warms ups before one of the innings.

I am down to two weeks left of this semester! I am excited, but also have a few projects to finish up. Wish me luck!

Warming Up!

2009-04-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

This week we finally got some warm weather and we are all excited.

Nathan got to actually play baseball (he didn't get rained out), MaryLynn and JJ decided to run through the sprinklers (I don't think it is warm enough for that , but whatever) and Mom and Dad got to ride our bikes!

We took Sabrina to meet another dog this week. We are going to dogsit for a week next month and we wanted to make sure they got along. They did fine, so I guess we are up for some dogsitting.

I was invited to read a story I wrote for one of my classes in Nathan's class at school. It was fun and I think the kids really enjoyed it. (I know I did.)
JJ thought she would stroll her guinea pig around in a doll stroller. Funny, huh? When dad found out he said that if the pig gets away he's not buying another one! I just laughed-right dad!

I took the girls to get ice cream at "Cows and Cones" they have yummy ice cream and you get to see Chickens, pigs, cows,and sheep. It was fun. You should have seen my prize winning catch when I accidentally flipped my cone right out of my hand. It did an entire flip then I caught it in my hands. I was so happy, I didn't want to waste my yuumy smore ice cream.JJ had to smell every flower in the green house. Funny girl.

I was so proud of the girls today. We have been having issues with Saturday chores and we had a big talk about it last saturday. So, today the girls decided to be "Clean up Girl" and "Tidy up Girl" They put their blankets on like capes and found a magic wand. They took turns using the wand and magically putting things away. Believe it or not,they were done in record time cleaning three rooms! I was so proud of them. I sure hope it carries on to next chore day!

Spring Break

2009-04-19T17:52:00.000-07:00

We had a busy spring break week.
Monday we had some friends come over and the kids played all day while I got to visit with a friend. It has been a long time since I got to do that--it was great! I also found out that day that my article that I wrote for the Friend magazine was accepted! I got to sign my first contract. It was so exciting!

I feel bad for the kids because I still had school and spent most of my time doing my homework. So, their spring break was not very exciting.

I did cut JJ's hair. It is much shorter than I thought it would be, but I think it looks really cute. It is definitely easier to wash and brush.

On friday, we took a hike up Bluff Point. The kids rode their bikes and we ate a picnic lunch on the point. It was so nice to be outside and enjoy the sunshine.

Saturday Nathan got to ride on Brad's motorcycle for the first time. He took him to baseball practice, and Nathan was elated to ride on the bike.
Today we tried a recipe that I received in an email. It is a cake in the microwave. It was fun to make the cakes and it only takes 3 minutes to cook. The kids had a great time. The only bad part was that the girls wanted vanilla cake, so we just left the cocoa out of the recipe. It turned out fine, but a little to dense. I will have to experiment for that one. But watch this:Here is JJ mixing her cake in the mug.

Here is MaryLynn putting it in the microwave. Then they would watch for 3 minutes as the cake raises up over the side of the mug. It is fun to watch.
Here is the cake all done!And we eat!
Here's the recipe:

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..

Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.

The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!

Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Easter Week

2009-04-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

We started out the week with a Cello concert for Nathan. He did a great job. (I skipped one of my classes to go , I hope I don't get into too much trouble.)

Our Easter celebration started last sunday. We were given a program from a friend so that we can talk about the different days leading up to the resurrection. Each day we looked at pictures and read scriptures about what happened to Jesus during this time.

We died Easter eggs for the first time in I don't know how long. We had a fun time doing that, however, I forgot to take pictures, so I made all the kids pose for a picture!

We had the Easter bunny come on Saturday morning and we also went to the church to have the egg hunt. We also took MaryLynn to watch the State Judo Tournament in Norwich (only about 30 min away), she seemed to enjoy it. Later that night, I took MaryLynn and JJ to see the new Hannah Montana movie. We are not huge fans, but I do think her music is fun. I was actually pretty impressed with the movie. It was much better than I was expecting and the music was really good. I loved one scene where she wrote a song for her dad and played it for him on her guitar out in the middle of the field.

Sunday, the kids got dressed in their new Easter clothes and we went to church. It was cold outside, but I made them take their coats off for one picture. So it is a funny picture, but it's what we got. We kind of have a "pink" theme going on.
I had to give a talk in church today, and I think it went well. Dad had duty, so he didn't get home until this afternoon. We wanted to have a picnic, but it was too cold outside. We decided to go with Daddy to the church for him to finish his reports. We took our picnic along and we ate in the gym and played some games. We talked a little about Katie, but the kids didn't seem to interested, so I dropped it.

All in all it has been a good Easter season.

My Winner!

2009-04-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

MaryLynn competed in her second Judo Tournament. She did so good! She had two matches and won them both. Here is my fancy movie making skills. I had to add in the music, because otherwise you would just hear me yelling, "Go MaryLynn, hold him down!" (Oh, by the way both matches were against boys.)

Here she is with her first place medal.

Pinewood Derby

2009-04-05T17:31:00.000-07:00

We had another busy week.
JJ got this awful scratch on her face! She was playing with some friends and they were running around the house. JJ was running one way and her friend was running the other, they ran right into each other. Unfortunately, the other girl was holding a plastic gun. It scraped all the way up her face. She was so embarassed to go to school the next day. It is almost healed now.
We had the imfamous Pinewood Derby on Friday. Luckily our ward is pretty lowkey. Most of us just want to have fun.
Here's his car and his certificate for "Best Details."

The ward had three trophies in the closet and they decided to "get ride of them." Our Cubmaster gave the whole speech about "There are fifteen boys and three trophies. Twelve boys won't get anything. I don't want any tears." Nathan listened to the speech and held his tears in until we got in the car. Then he got so mad and cryed all the way home. Yup. It was great. What was really funny was the next morning I asked him how he felt about the night before. He said that it seemed pretty dumb to throw that fit. I was relieved to hear that.

I got registered for next semester's school. I am excited to get moving.

We spent Saturday with a great family watching General Conference. We had a yummy dinner and even yummier brownies. I think it was one of the best Conferences for me. I hear many things that I didn't even know I needed to hear. We are working on having a more peaceful home.

One week done

2009-03-29T12:27:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it through the week of Katie's Anniversary. Monday was a good day (believe it or not). I wrote a poem-that turned out pretty depressing. We'll see what my class thinks of it on tuesday. We also went to art class that night. We got to make covers for journals and write some poems about Katie.

I was on Spring Break this week and the kids had half days for Parent Teacher Conferences. So, we had time to do some things. JJ and I went with some friends to walk our favorite hiking trail (finally, the weather was nice enough to be outside). We took a picnic lunch and the girls collected shells and climbed on rocks. It was so fun.

The kids are all doing well in school. It is fun to talk to teachers and hear about how they are in class. I guess Nathan's classmates are not happy when it's his turn to answer questions. They say, "Oh, no, not Nathan. He's too smart!"

MaryLynn decided she needed a new Build a Bear. She was going to earn it, but decided it was easier to just buy it herself. I told her that she needed to get rid of all her old stuffed animals before I would get her a new one. She decided she would rather spend her own money than give up her animals.

JJ is working on a behavior chart. We have been having issues with anger, crying, and tantrums. Even when we talked to her and tried to get her to understand why it was unacceptable, they kept going on. I started this chart and she hasn't missed a sticker yet. She is able to control her emotions when she wants to. The little stinker. But our house is much calmer now!

We went to see Monsters vs Aliens for a cub scout fundraiser. Our family will end up with $75 to go towards day camp. Of course $50 of that our family paid, but that is still $25 I wouldn't have gotten otherwise. The movie was cute. Not as funny as I thought it would be, but the storyline was more interesting than I was expecting.

I got a new calling! Check my other blog for details!

Spring!

2009-03-21T18:15:00.001-07:00

Spring is here! We are so excited. Today was a beautiful day, but still pretty chilly. I can't wait to be outside in the warm again.
We actually have Dwarf Irises blooming. They are tiny and cute. Every time I drive into my driveway, I smile at the colorful gift of spring.

We spent Monday building Rose, our Guinea pig, a new home. It is a grand palace of a cage. We are probably getting another pig because they like to be together.
So, what do you think of the palace. JJ wants a sign that says "Guinea Pig Cafe"

This week was full of "culture."

Marylynn got to go to the aquarium for a field trip. She really wanted me to go, but the teacher said they had plenty of help and didn't need any parents. She took her camera and took lots of pictures. (Many of them are of her friends on the bus.) And, my crazy girl, forgot her lunch. Her teacher bought her something from the cafeteria. I guess I owe her money now. Oh, brother.

Brad and I went to a poetry reading for our date last night. It was really fun. We met some really nice people (and I did some networking for my "writing" career). We got to hear a high school band, which was -believe it or not- really good. Then the poetry author that read, was my professor from Eastern. He did a great job. He was quite entertaining. I think we are going to try to go back next month. It was a great date.

Then, today, I took JJ and MaryLynn to see a Cinderella Ballet. They did a great job. It was fun to watch a ballet that told a story that we knew so well. The girls enjoyed it, but I think Jj got a little bored towards the end.

Oh, and Brad is driving his motorcycle every chance he gets!

Writing Conference

2009-03-15T11:21:00.001-07:00

Well, another week has gone by and here is our news:

Monday JJ tried her new gymnastics class--it was funny. She didn't really do anything. She said she was shy. I think I am going to call the gym and tell them she is done. It doesn't seem to be working out. I am a little sad about it, but whatever. She is excited to start swimming next week.

We went to art class and made dream catchers. MaryLynn and JJ both woke up the next night upset, because they didn't work. They were both having bad dreams. Of course, I think some of that was because one of the girls in class shared a dream that she had about her family getting shot by intruders. Nice, huh?

Nathan finished his CMT's (the testing). He says that the math part was easy. I am excited to see how he did! We got some disappointing news, he did not make it to the majors in Little League. I think the hardest part was a friend at school who did make it and has been asking Nathan everyday if he made it, too. He is a little disappointed that he has to spend another year in the minors, but I guess we will all live through it.

MaryLynn was sick most of the week. I finally got her back to school on Thursday. I took her to the chiropractor on Wed and that seemed to help.

Nathan and I went out on a date on friday because Brad had to work. We went to see "Race to Witch Mountain" and went to 99 for dinner. We had a great time and really enjoyed the movie.

My good news is that I got to go to my Writing Conference this weekend and read the poem that got Honorable Mention in the poetry contest. We also got a surprise, all the Honorable Mention winners got $25 prize money. That was nice because we weren't supposed to get any prize money. I had a friend go with me and we had a great time at the conference. We heard some good speakers and had fun in the writing workshop. We also learned about a project in Connecticut where they are trying to record veterans' experiences. I would love to help with that (like I can fit one more thing in my schedule!).

Here I am with my "Award."

In like a Lion!

2009-03-08T06:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I can't believe this one! We got almost a foot of snow in 24 hours this week. It was crazy, but fun. The kids had a great time playing in the snow (they got another snow day from school!). Dad, however, did not have a great time digging us out. I wish I would have gotten a picture of Sabrina walking in the snow. We let her out to go potty, and the snow was so high it was touching her belly, she kept sucking it in as she walked, needless to say, she came back inside without doing her business. She decided holding it would be the better option.

I finally got to do my teaching for my Intro to English Studies class. We studied four different poems and talked about them. I think the discussions went well. It was funny, though, because me teacher has been sick and totally forgot to make the copies for my handouts. Thank goodness (I will say thanks to Heavenly Father for prompting me to my laptop) I had my laptop and a memory stick. I just copied the files onto the memory stick and put them on the overhead computer. So, it worked out and we saved paper, too. I am glad it is done, but now I have to write a paper about the experience--Yeah one more thing to do!

Here is Daddy's new bike. Isn't it fancy?

Well, MaryLynn finally go the bug too. She came home from school sick on Friday. She had a fever by friday evening (hopefully we didn't give it to our friends who visited us that night!) And all day Saturday, she was just miserable. We hope she will be ready to go to school tomorrow!

Nathan had a busy week. He was busy taking the Connecticut Master Test (CMT's) he was so stressed about the writing prompt that he made himself sick. Once that test was over, he was fine. I talked to him about his writing afterwards and it sounds like he did a great job on it (his teacher told me he is one of the best writers in his class, so he shouldn't be so worried!). Then, yesterday, he had the tryouts for the "majors" for Little League. This is the first year that he was old enough to try out for the majors. I guess he didn't do his all time best, but Brad said he did well. We will find out this week if he made it. I hope he did. He is ready to be on a team that actually teaches him something. If he is in the minors again, we are going to get Brad involved and hopefully, get the team working!

JJ has decided that her gymnastics class is too boring. I am not surprised. It is way to structured for ones of her age. We are going to move her back into a recreation class and see how that goes. I am not sure why they can't learn and have fun at the same time. We are also, going to let her do swimming lessons for a few weeks. She is excited about that. She loves to swim.

I guess that is all the news for now! Love you all!

Another week

2009-03-01T12:24:00.000-08:00

Here's our week:
JJ and Mom took a trip to the Mystic Aquarium. I took a story that I wrote about the "Ray Pool" and dropped it off at the publicity office. We'll see what happens with it??

We had a great time at the aquarium, they had lots of new things-like these upside down jellyfish. Aren't they funny? They just sit at the bottom of the sea with their tentacles waiting to catch something. (JJ loves jellyfish.)

JJ was fighting off getting sick for a few days.
Our frog, Hoppy, was neglected and he dried out and died (oops!)

We went to Art class on Monday, which was nice because we hadn't been there in quite a while. We wrote notes to Katie and sent them up on a balloon. (Well we tried to, but the wind was so bad that most of the balloons got stuck on the trees across the parking lot)

Here's MaryLynn's poem to Katie:

Stars are twinkling in the sky,
glittering, dancing, and sparkling in the sky.
Angels singing above the clouds.

Here's my poem:

You left me behind.
That wasn't kind.
You are only left in my heart.
Like when you used to start
teasing your Dad.
I'm still sad.

(actually, that wasn't the whole thing, I can't remember it all. I should have written it down. It was kind of funny.)

Then we went to Friendly's for dinner. JJ feel asleep on my lap and didn't eat one bite of her dinner.

I kept her home from school the next day, but she acted just fine. Daddy took her to the pet store to replace her frog. They came home with a Guinea pig! It is really cute and the named her Rose, because it has red eyes. So far, the kids love her and she gets petted and carried around all the time. I wasn't too upset about the guinea pig, cause JJ said she wanted a snake! (No, way)

On Thursday, I took her to her babysitter (she has a regular one on thursdays now, so Brad can get work done without having to hurry home, so I can go to school.) I was supposed to meet them at gymnastics, but I got a voice mail--JJ had a fever of 104! Oh, no! Needless to say, JJ stayed home from school again!

I got to go to a movie with my friend on friday. We saw "He's just not that into you." It was pretty fun and we laughed pretty hard at some of it. But we sure had a good time together!

Nathan's big new for this week: He got his own library card! He could have had one a long time ago, I just didn't want to keep track of it. So now it is up to him to be responsible for it!

Daddy bought a new motorcycle. It is pretty cool. It has flames on the gas tank. I'll have to post some pictures later.

Well, now Nathan is sick. He stayed home from church today. We will see if he is up for school tomorrow. Of course they are forecasting a snowstorm tonight, so there might not be school tomorrow anyway!

I am looking forward to my day to teach on tuesday. I am going to share one of my poems, and we are going to read a few other poems and talk about why the authors wrote the poems.

This Week:

2009-02-22T10:21:00.001-08:00

The kids all had the week off of school (Weird Connecticut stuff). I would like to say that we had some great family adventures, but alas, we did not.

I still had school and we decided to do some big family projects.

We moved Nathan into Katie's old room, JJ and MaryLynn are now in JJ's room sharing the bunkbed, and we got rid of Nathan's double bed and one extra dresser. So, the extra room is now being used as a playroom. It is pretty nice to have all the toys in one room. Hopefully, it will encourage more playing and less watching TV! We also took a turn watching a friends children while her son was having surgery. They were so easy that I even got some of my homework done.

I got to send my English class on a "Quest" on thursday. We break into groups and each groups picks a theme to teach for about 4 days. Our group chose "Spiritual Quest." We set up a treasure hunt around the campus (actually it was six different hunts-so we could have groups). I think everyone had a good time and it was a great way to introduce our theme in a positive way. After the hunt, we met in a classroom and talked about things in our life that produced a change in us. I was surprised at the extent that my classmates were willing to share. It was nice.

Friday, our family took a trip to the Pequot Museum. Some friends met us there. We had a great time. The museum is set up very nicely. There is a lot of technology that sucks the kids in. I loved the Indian Village--We got to take audio recording through the village and learn all about their life. It was educational and entertaining at the same time.