Grossnickle family blog

How Firm a Foundation!!!!!!

2010-07-01T02:45:00.000-07:00

This was my Favorite part of Dance festival after the dancing! I just cried and cried to see 2000 youth and 4000 audience members sing together!So sad this is only parts of it...UGH!

Rumba...Leavi

2010-07-01T02:43:00.000-07:00

This stinks because it cuts off but Leavi is forth girl from the front far right row...she did FABULOUS and now wants to follow in aunt Lindsay's footsteps and do Ballroom dance at BYU!

The Swing! Jaydn and Leavi did this one but the camera was just barely to far left...you can glimpse Jay now and again,

2010-07-01T02:39:00.000-07:00

Jaydn did tricks in this one where he swung the girl back and forth on his hip, his back hurt for days every time they practiced this!

Disco...Leavi was in this but I don't see her in this video...it was awesome!

2010-07-01T02:35:00.000-07:00

These are the 16-18 year olds but Leavi got asked to fill in and she did MARVELOUS!

Dance Festival 2010 A Firm Foundation

2010-07-01T02:24:00.000-07:00

I chose this clip because Leavi is right out front third from the right. There are better ones for the effect of 2000...that's right 2000!!!!!!!!!! youth running out onto that field. It was AMAZING! I wish I could get my computer to load my many, many pictures! I went to all 3 sessions of the festival and enjoyed it more each time. It was a half hour drive each way and I would gladly drive it again just to feel the strong spirit that was there! I can't even believe that the people that coordinated this event did it so perfectly and it went off without a hitch...well one hitch was that Kole got accused, FALSELY, of having drugs...ha ha that is funny... NOT it was some other kid that looked like him and he was "Acquitted". Leavi and Jaydn had the most fun hut I even have pictures of Kole smiling while he was doing his Eye of the tiger dance!Now...just to get these darn pics to load on my diseased computer...UGH!

Winchester Bay Quad Trip with the Young's

2010-06-08T07:02:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day weekend we went to Winchester bay with the young Family! Jordan and Emily have 2 kids and 3 quads and a Razr! We had a ton of fun doing jumps and the boy, Jaydn , learned how to tip and "roll" a quad:) Kole learn how to do a side wheelie on his friend, Elliot"s, three wheeler. We played in the sand and enjoyed the warm sunshine while everyone else back home had to endure the rain. Robert flew over the handle bars of Jordan's quad when we were playing hide and seek out on the dunes, that was scary to watch his body fly off that machine like a rag doll. He only hurt his ankle a bit but was good to ride the rest of the trip.The Young family is very kind and generous to invite us along twice now and Jaydn was totally in heaven, he now wants quads:)

Hking at Mitchell Creek

2010-05-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

After a very long 6 month snowboarding season I am happy to say that I was on the mountain 19 times! Robert has some 36 days under his belt but he teaches and he gets to go every Saturday while I take the kids to where they need to be for church, school and the like.

The last few weeks of the season we went hiking and/or biking afterward in the gorge. the hikes were gorgeous and so great! We were all a bit tired after snowboarding all day and then hiking but the scenery and memories are well worth it.You can see by Kyzen's expression he didn't like being that high up, he gets his fear of heights from me:) sorry son:(

We are now in the go to the beach and surf part of the year..go us! This weekend we are going to Winchester bay for the second time with some friends and we get to go 4 wheeling and surf at our pleasure until late Monday evening. I am determined to take a lot of pictures this time( took not a single one last time). Especially of me paddling on a surfboard...new adventure! It is a LOT harder than it looks...and scary!

See you soon... making it a goal to blog more:)

Taking a look back in time...

2010-05-14T06:21:00.000-07:00

This was 2 summers ago when we went to Yellowstone.
A. I was HUGE!
B. look at how short Jayd is?He is taller than me now:)
c. Robert doesn't look very happy:(

I love my Bob!

2010-05-13T14:33:00.000-07:00

Bob is my favorite sunggle buggle by far!

hike at the gorge after a day of snowboarding! Mitchel Creek

2010-05-13T14:27:00.000-07:00

We got up at 5am and began our day. We arrived at Meadows at about 8:30, rode until 2:15 and went for a hike ( about 2 1/2 miles) in the gorge at Mitchel Creek. Doesn't kyzen look happ? HA HA, he was terrified at the drop off on the edge:) That's my boy!

GTD ( Gratitude of the day)

2010-05-10T21:49:00.000-07:00

I haven't been here for a long time. I will eventually begin to blog again but I just want to express my deep gratitude for the love my Heavenly Father showers me with, holds me with, comforts me with and guides me with! These past few months have been the greatest learning experience I have ever had! God is so merciful and kind to me. He knows just the perfect trials that will turn my heart to him! I am grateful that he loves me enough to allow me to suffer the pains and hurts of this life so that I will learn to rely wholly upon the merits of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Truly loving another human being is so much deeper and greater than I knew. Don't sell yourself short by trying to love someone with the pitiful, meager love a wretched sinner such as all of us are can manage to feel or give???? God's love is incomprehensible and indescribable but definitely obtainable and astonishingly FREE! All we need to do is simply ASK for it!I love God with all my heart and will forever and ever!

Kyzen at his pinewood derby this year

2010-02-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

Robert helped Kyzen shape the car and I painted it with him. He got the award for "Most High Tech Car". His car came in 1st 2 times ! I really love this kid, he is so sweet and innocent! Just the happiest kid you ever did see:)
My Bob!

This is Kyzen with Lilly Bench

2009-11-27T20:13:00.000-08:00

Kyzen was so sad the day Lilly moved from Milwaukie, he gave her a big HUGE kiss on the cheek...so cute! He used to call her " wiwee".They rode the tube for a while and had fun!

I had to post this one of Jaydn too!

2009-11-27T20:11:00.000-08:00

Jaydn tried wakeboarding for the first time and got up on his 3rd try and then Andrew couldn't shake him off!

Island Lake 2007

2009-11-27T20:09:00.000-08:00

During our Yellowstone/Glacier trip we stopped in Island Lake for 3 days and 2 nights to spend some time with our friends the Bench Family! They had a boat and Robert took full advantage of some wake boarding! I thought I had somehow lost these pictures and I just came across them so I had to blog this one because it looks totally cool!

who are these little kids?

2009-11-27T19:41:00.000-08:00

This was the year we first moved to Washington, Kyzen was 2 1/2 years old! My how they have grown!Look at Leavi's HAIR!

I ran across this picture of Halloween 2004

2009-11-27T19:37:00.000-08:00

I just had to prove I was once very into Star Wars and Halloween:) Aren't my kids small back then? I love reminescing.

A centerpiece

2009-11-27T09:56:00.000-08:00

Thank you to my aunt Diane who just sent me this "artsy", she calls it, picture of one of the wedding centerpieces:)Aren't they pretty? It was Tricia's idea that I just copied from a picture and I love them! So very simpls! The total cost of teh flowers for this wedding inspire me that my daughter doesn't need hundreds of doallars of flowers to have a spectacular and elegant wedding! $190 total! So great!

Our Thanksgiving Day

2009-11-27T09:45:00.000-08:00

The natives are restless, the food is all ready to be devoured:)

Kole and Kyzen wait ...patiently:)

Not my best look, but I had been cooking all day and ran 2 miles that morning!

I just have to express my gratitude about my life! I am grateful that this year I decided that I , personally, would rather begin our own Thanksgiving tradition and celebrate as just our family. Every year, in the past we have spent with either Robert's family or mine or both and it has been wonderful each and every year to gather with family and eat and spend time together! Those are moments you just can't live without. This year felt different for me. I realized that my bubbie girl is getting older and has only 3 1/2 years left in our home until college and then probably will get snatched up real fast for marriage so I had t5o make the best of it now! I wanted to spend all day Wednesday and Thursday with just my family. Cooking, cleaning, playing laughing, enjoying. We did just that ...minus a few hours of football and such:) I have not had a stress free holiday dinner in over 16 years! I just felt good, happy, pleasant. Jaydn even commented on how happy I was when we were making pies together. We did not cook together Thursday morning as I had hoped because of the turkey bowl that Robert took all the kids to but I had the time of my life preparing this wonderful meal for my little family! I felt such pride in knowing that I have acquired such amazing cooking skills so that I can present my family with the best food in the world! The rolls were amazing( yes, I had one, but only one!)The yams rocked the house!!!...so I have been told! I made homemade cranberry sauce of my own recipe this year and Leavi said it was the best she had ever tasted!!!! I snuck just a taste and I agree...it was SUPERB! The stuffing was totally amazing this year! Every single thing I made was incredible and turned out fabulous. then... the oven started smoking while I was baking a cheesecake and sent Robert outside to finish eating due to the smell. well, it was almost perfect anyway:) I had to put the oven on self clean and bake the cheesecake later but in the end the day was as close to perfect as one can get in this life! I am grateful for all of the positive changes I have made in my life this last year that have made it possible for me to find joy in the simple things and rest in the time I spend with my immediate family.

I miss my extended family but I know how important it is for me to have the connection with my husband and my children and to feel the gratitude for that!

I am grateful for my many blessings!

My Bubbie girl has a letter in Cross country...

2009-11-27T09:30:00.000-08:00

So, for Christmas I got her a letterman jacket! She will wear it always, she is proud! Isn't she adorable? Yeah, I love her:) She will letter in band this year too...maybe even track, who knows??

The wedding party

2009-11-27T06:53:00.000-08:00

Here they all are holding their bouquets.

flowers I did for a wedding

2009-11-27T06:50:00.000-08:00

The Bridesmaid bouquet ( white roses)

The bridal bouquet ( The tint of thepicture is wrong but the roses were deep red and GORGEOUS)

The very simple and elegant boutineers! I love that there is no fluff on them. Stephen wanted them to be very masquline:)

So I offered to do the flowers for my half borther and sister's half brother's wedding, confusing I know:) I did 3 bridesmaid bouquets, I bridal, I throw bouquet, 7 boutineers and 14 table pieces , of which my sister didn't egt any good p[ictures of ..but I still love her...theye were red roses tied and set in a rectangle vase with the stems exposed and some glass pieces in the bottm, very simple, very pretty!

Robert takes Leavi and her friends to New Moon!

2009-11-21T21:33:00.000-08:00

Leavi really wanted to go see New Moon with me but also wanted her friends to go like last year at Twilight. Carly( last on the right) couldn't go on a school night so we made plans for them to see the 10:30pm showing Friday night( after Leavi got done with basketball practice at 8:30pm. Robert volunteered to take them since I had just gone the night before:) Even he liked the movie!

Kyzen is the sweetest little boy:)

2009-11-21T21:29:00.000-08:00

Our Bob loves to help out in the kitchen and mom here usually turns him down...BAD MOM! I made a promise to myself I would not do this anymore and try hard to let him help out with everything! He just shines like a star when he gets to help , especially in the kitchen. So then the question is " why in the world would I have ever turned him down?" Answer: I am CRAZY!

I love this kid to infinity and beyond! I love how tender and sweet he is! He is my special Bob:)

New Moon Midnight showing...

2009-11-21T21:26:00.000-08:00

I took my handsome "Jacob look alike" son to the New Moon midnight showing and we LOVE LOVE LOVED it! Can't you just see the sheer joy on his face? What is it with teenage boys not wanting a picture with their mommy in a public theater? I will never get it..ha ha:)

My "Bubbie Girl" can drive now!

2009-11-21T21:15:00.000-08:00

There comes a time in every parents life when they must realize their children are growing up and growing up FAST! My daughter, Leavi, turned 15 in September and I insisted we get her driving right away which requires signing up for "expensive($300) driver's ed. Well... I got a deal in a La Center Education Fund auction and went in with another family on a buy one get one free deal. The Driver's Edd class is right here in La Center so Yay! Only catch...had to sign her up during basketball season and seeing as how Leavi just made the JV BASKETBALL TEAM!!!another YAY!!!... she will have to miss the first game but in 3 weeks we are home free and she can get her license when she turns 16 instead of having to wait until she is 18 ( Law in Washington is they must have Driver's Ed to get license before their 18th birthday.

Side note: Leavi is wearing a very fashionable "ugly" sweater we specially purchased for an ugly sweater sleep over party at our Stake Presidents daughter's house:) What a cool idea for a party, don't you think? There prizes and everything! Leavi won most glamorous!

2009-11-17T18:41:00.000-08:00

Some IDIOT is leaving anonymous comments that make no sense on my old, old posts? I may have to go private...will let you know if I need email addresses to invite all my friends and family to read this blog! Ugh! Why are people so stupid? I have changed my comment moderation a bit in hopes to divert the goober!

GTD

2009-11-13T16:44:00.000-08:00

Today I am grateful for the principle of prayer in my life. If I wasn't able to open my heart to my Father in Heaven and pour out all of my heartache and joy I would be at a loss, for sure. I appreciate the love that Heavenly Father gives me and how I can feel it, intensely! When life seems unfair and out of sorts all I have to do is get on my knees, cry for hours and pour out my heart and I can feel love that no other can give to me! I am grateful for this life and the experiences that it affords me to learn more about the atonement and about forgiveness, unconditional love, humility, kindness, patience, charity, peace, faith and JOY! I am small and insignificant in the world's eyes but to my Father in Heaven I am His daughter and He opens His arms , wide, to embrace me in His love. There is such beauty and wonder in our lives, how they play out, what we learn from them. When life gets tough and seems unfair then that is the time you will draw the closest to the Lord, if you open the door and your heart to Him! I love the person I am becoming because of who He is making me!

Marriage is not a bowl full of cherries all the time, it is not a fairy tale, it is not a vacation, at least not for me. It is WORK...a lot of it. It is learning, understanding, giving of yourself, service, compromise, patience( a lot of that one), kind words when you feel like screaming obscenities, it is work, work, work. It is love, passion,tenderness,self sacrifice...ENDURANCE! If it was easy would we try so hard to make it last forever? Marriage is not something to take lightly. It is not a short sprint, it is a Marathon, a lifetime marathon. It has ups and downs, consequences and rewards, trials and joy...it has it ALL! I am grateful for my wonderful, terrible, hard, fun, joyful, irritating,obnoxious, rewarding,CRAZY marriage and I am commited to the work it takes to make it last for all eternity! Life is all about our choices and what path we find ourselves going down. May all your paths lead to the right place!

Stake Roadshow

2009-11-13T16:42:00.001-08:00

Here are pics I stole from My friend, Janice's, blog from our stake Roadshow. Leavi danced, Jaydn beat up a dweeb and Kole held a Batman signal sign, then they all sang "We Are The Ward" at the end. It turned out really great! I was surprised at how good the whole evening was!

My "bubbie girl" the band GEEK!

2009-10-27T22:20:00.000-07:00

Doesn't she look stunning in her high fashion Polyester band uniform? Absolutely SMASHING! Seriously, her band is totally awesome. It is wonderful to go to football games and hear them play and the chemistry between them, the football players and the cheerleaders is pretty rare...they all feed off each other it is FABULOUS! Her band goes to San Jose this year for band festival, so fun! I love my Le-wer she is the bestest ever!

I went to the temple with 3 of my "babies"!

2009-10-27T13:26:00.000-07:00

This was so much fun! I got to watch all three be baptized for those who are dead. It was such a great experience to be in the temple with at least 4 kids that had never been there before. I am grateful that we have a temple close enough to us that we can attend whenever we can! The temple is such a peaceful and light giving place to be. I want to go more often...MOTIVATION!

GTD...it has been a while

2009-10-21T13:13:00.000-07:00

I am so grateful for what I have been given in this life! I have such a beautiful and wonderful family! My children are my heart, they are my joy and my love! I am so grateful that I have been given a healthy body to exercise with and to take good care of! I enjoy the work it takes to get it to where it is and to keep it that way! I feel so good after working out and eating well! I am grateful that I have a Heavenly Father that loves me and knows me better than I even know myself. He knows what trials I need in my life and what my strengths and weaknesses are. He gently comforts me when weak and lifts me to great heights when I am strong. I con not even imagine living this life without knowing my Father in Heaven and of His love for me, Danelle. I am grateful for Temple marriage! I am so lucky to know that I will be with Robert for the rest of my life and ALL of Eternity! Isn't that better than "til death do us part"? I love the gospel of Jesus Christ! I am a Christian through and through! I love my Savior and what He did for me and all who have lived, live or will live on this Earth! I am grateful that I can be the Lord's hands through serving others. It feels so good to do service and be able to love others unconditionally! I am grateful for the country I live in and the freedom I enjoy! I am grateful that I have food to eat and clothing to wear and a home to live in, many do not have these luxuries!

I do not need much but have been given ABUNDANCE and for that I feel such joy and love!

Notice any difference between the 2 pictures?

2009-10-21T13:09:00.000-07:00

I will give each of you 3 guesses as to what Robert did different for the picture on the right! I think he is the SEXIEST man alive :0)...but that's just me! How does he seem to get even better looking with old age? So not fair, not at all.

My beautimus girl!

2009-10-17T22:13:00.000-07:00

A member of our ward goes with the cross country team for every meet. They call him "Uncle Dunkle". He takes many pictures of my girl and emails them to me. I am so grateful I have these so I can keep the memories for Leavi! Thanks John! His camera ROCKS!

Fort Worden Cross Country Meet October 10 , 2009

2009-10-17T22:09:00.000-07:00

Leavi was invited to go to a Varsity meet. She ran the JV course. She had a great time. They stayed the night in a hotel in Port Townsend, Washington. Leavi has had a lot of great opportunities in the short while she has been in High School. She works hard and has a great attitude so her coach/the principal invited her to go to this meet even though there are 3 girls that are faster than her on the team.

Leavi's Cross Country meet this week.

2009-10-17T21:36:00.000-07:00

My girl is a goofball! Look at her muscles on her arms. Her body has changed shape with running:)

WAIT UNTIL DARK October 16, 2009

2009-10-17T16:54:00.000-07:00

For my friend, Lisa's, birthday Lisa, Angela and I went to see a play in downtown Vancouver at the Magenta Theater. We saw Wait Until Dark. It was really fun and the play was pretty good! I love having good friends!

Leavi practicing for Roadshow:)

2009-10-17T16:50:00.000-07:00

Jaydn is much taller than his grandma Renee!

2009-10-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

I think my mom is shrinking!?

Leavi and I went shopping with grandma Renee today!

2009-10-17T16:46:00.000-07:00

Leavi posing at Charlotte Russe. She got the boots and the blue shawl shirt! There are 7 racks of clothes for $4.99 each piece and shoes are buy one pair($34) get the second pair for $10! That made 2 pairs of boots for $44...great deal!

My mom took Leavi and I shopping for our birthdays. She insists on wrapping the items up to give to us next Sunday. My mom is really funnny about that kind of stuff, our birthdays were like last week and a month ago. She is fun to shop with!I even got 3 things from Charlotte Russe...they fit great! Me... shopping in a teen store:)

We sold the jetta! Then it came back:(

2009-10-04T18:22:00.001-07:00

Robert posted our Jetta yesterday and within 2 hours an 18 year old kid bought it for $800! I was so excited I could hardly stand it. After our mushroom adventure Robert noticed like 5 messages on his phone and then the kid called him again when we were finally in range again. He was very irritated that the car needed some work, which Robert told him about before selling the car! The kid said his mechanic said the fuel line running through the car was dangerous and would blow up! Diesel does not explode what a GOMER! Anyhow , the kid was very irate and was threatening to call the police to get his money back. I have to state first of all...the State of Washington does NOT have a buyer's remorse law, at all. We were well within our rights to refuse this kid! Once you buy a used car and sign a paper that states you are buying it " AS IS" you have no rights to reclaim your money and return the vehicle. That being said, I felt like we needed to let the kid return the car. 1...I didn't want a creepy dude stalking us or doing something bad to our house/children/cars...2...it just didn't feel right to make this kid suffer after he had obviously made a rash decision and needed to be shown some mercy on the matter. I wish someone would have been so kind to me after I have bought things I couldn't return later. I called the kid back and told him to bring the car back and we would return the cash...this was very HARD for me and Robert didn't agree with me. I want that junk pile gone so very much but I felt lead by the spirit to give this kid a break! I hope he appreciates this...'cause I still have to look at that UGLY car..!

Way cool picture!

2009-10-04T18:22:00.000-07:00

On our way back down the mountain from hunting them fungi Leavi and Robert were in awe off this majestic nightime scene. They tried hard to capture the picture with our mid range camera...I love it! It reminds me of Halloween!

Bob!

2009-10-04T18:20:00.000-07:00

This is my baby boy! Is he not the cutest boy EVER? When we were mushrrom huntoing I was playing with our new camera and this picture just melts my heart! I hate to think this boy of mine will grow up and be HUGE some day:( I just want to run downstairs and hunt him down and kiss his sweet cheeks all over!

Kole's Birthday party in the park on Friday.

2009-10-04T18:06:00.000-07:00

Kole was determined to have a friend party this year. He "says" he asked me if it was alright??? I relented after he told me he had already invited all of his friends...what was I to do? I agreed to have it in the park with pizza and cupcakes. One friend even brought a gift, yay for Kole! The sunshine was out and they ran around and played games and ate pizza , we even fed some park friends too:) I feel bad but I really don't like having birthday parties for my kids. I am just over that stage of life, poor Kyzen has only had one his whole life and it was cousins, which was fun but he has always wanted a friend party, maybe some day:)

Kole is now playing soccer

2009-10-04T18:03:00.000-07:00

During Kole's "birthday party" in the park on Friday Robert went around the park on the Rip stick being his usual "I can't stay in one place and enjoy conversation self". He found 2 soccer teams practicing and talked to the coach of one. He happened to be the man in charge for all of AYSO( Not my favorite soccer organization BTW) . The man made a deal with Robert to put Kole and Kyzen on the same team for $40...there are still 7 games left of the season. Kyzen will likely just practice with the team and not actually play because he really is too young for their team but AYSO is desperate so if he can actually show he can play he might just get to. Anyhow, without even consulting me if I have to time for the practices and whatnot Robert just went and did it. Kole played in a game Saturday without even practicing and he scored 2 goals for the team. This meant that Friday evening Robert and I had to go out on a "date" to buy Kole some cleats ( $39..YIKES!) and Robert was hungry so we went to Chevy's with our Entertainment book coupon. The wait was going to be "15 minutes...yeah right...more like 40 minutes" so we went into the bar area to get chips and order some meals...I GOT CARDED didn't have my ID and was told to leave! WHAT IN THE WORLD??? DO I really look like I am under 21 years old? HA! I left and went out to the car and ROBERT STAYED THERE TO EAT CHIPS! Some date:( He dd finally come out and we went and got Chinese food instead, less of a wait. We then went to Blockbuster and rented 2 movies. fun date...sort of:)

Mushroom Hunting with the McClellan Family!

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

We went mushroom hunting with Our friends the McClellans on Saturday after Kole had a soccer game, more on that adventure in another post. Nate ( The dad ) Know everything about edible mushrooms in this area. Robert has taken our boys to find them before and they have had great luck in finding the really good tasting ones. This time they found Lobster mushrooms and we roasted them over the fire. They really didn't taste very good but when Robert sauteed some in butter with salt they were much better. The adventure was fun and I found out that I have a Kindred spirit friend in Paula( Nate' wife) She, too, gets really cold easily and doesn't particularly love doing these outdoor, in the rain kind of adventures but she goes along so her kids will know she was there too...ha ha ha I thought I was weird or something for not really wanting to trek around all over the forest in the pouring rain and muck:) Glad to know there are others out there. All in all it was fun and our children really loved it! Jaydn had a scary moment when he fell off a bridge while still attached to his bike...I screamed and my heart rate went over the top but he landed just so and didn't break anything, we were shocked he didn't break his leg!

Can you BELIEVE the size f this kids feet?

2009-09-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

Kole's church shoes recently became WAY too small for him so we went to Goodwill and found these lovely Doc Martin's for $10 and ...prepare yourselves...they are a size 12! In a men's shoe...Robert wears a 13 so I am worried Kole will be like 400 feet tall by the time he is done growing..ha ha:)I have to say Kole looks a bit like a clown with feet this HUGE! Love that kid!

Kole is 12 and was ordained a deacon !

2009-09-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

Kole was ordained on the 20th and was able to pass the sacrament this last Sunday. He had gum in his mouth and I caught him chewing a few times which won't happen again but he did very well!

A sneak peak at Leavi's new room!

2009-09-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

Her window treatment. A combination of my ideas and Leavi's ideas, she added the lights!

It says " Live, Laugh, Love ( I got the love part a smidge crooked but it wouldn't be a project of mine if it didn't somehow look cookey!)

I spray painted 2 different shelves chocolate brown for her walls. I am working on her dresser and a desk and her bed frame that will also be chocolate brown! Her bedding is brown and her sheets are pink like her walls. I can't wait to get it all done and take more pictures!

Leavi runs at Seaside meet this last weekend!

2009-09-29T11:46:00.000-07:00

The meet was very wet and muddy. Leavi was excited about the trip. She got to go overnight and had anticipated a "dance" on Friday evening. Leavi soon discovered that "other" dances are NOT AT ALL like church dances:) She was disgusted , to put it lightly, about how the teens were dancing with each other. I call it the "humping" dance...can't mince words here, sorry. The stake presidents wife went on the trip and said that Leavi was the only girl at the entire dance dressed modestly. I am grateful that she upholds her standards even when no one else there has high standards. She got asked to dance about 8 times and said "NO!" then went on to explain to a few of the boys that she had very high standards and she could tell by the way they were dancing that they did not. A boy came up behind her and touched her hips and she jumped up and squealed " Don't touch me!" I just love my daughter. I know that not all LDS youth maintain such high standards for themselves so I know I am blessed to have such a good girl! She also shared the scriptures she had been reading to the girls that were sleeping in her dorm. Janice commented" I didn't even bring my scriptures with me, Leavi is a good example. She does worry a bit about how willing she is to talk to everyone about her faith and that one day she might not have such a good experience with that but hey ...that is what sharing the gospel is all about, some good times, some bad. I just love Leavi and all the goodness that she has brought with her to this Earth! I know she will succeed and I know that her being here will affect many around her. Her testimony is strong and her mission here on Earth warrants it! It brings great joy to my heart to watch her life unfold.

Kole's birthday 11 year old scout campout!

2009-09-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

I believe I can add pictures again to this blog via "Kole's" new Gmail/blogger account! So...This is s collage of Kole's last campout as an 11 year old scout! The hike was spectacular, from what I ahve been told! One of the boys who went ,that had not been hiking much in his life, told his mom " Everything was SO BEAUTIFUL!" , Robert has a knack for finding the most beautiful places around here doesn't he?

Update for my own records, no pictures..ugh!

2009-09-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

Robert's mom came into town on Thursday , she got to watch Leavi run cross country and made the last half of Jaydn's 8th grade football game! Our visit was short but very fun! We ran all over town on Friday, watched a high school football game and listened to Leavi play in the pep band( the best part). Watched movies and made pizza and pumpkin cheesecake Saturday for Kole's birthday. Kole had a great birthday but not much fanfare, he enjoyed presents( Heeley's from Robert and I and I Frisbee type toy and a mechanical bug), all is good! Grandma Jean and Grandpa Tim gave him the 4th book in the Leven Thumps series! Yay! He is excited to get to it!

Sunday Kole was ordained a Deacon with his grandma Jean there! That was too cool! I taught a lesson about "Wise Dating Decisions" in Young Women's that went over very well! Mom sat in on the lesson which made me a bit nervous because I knew there were a few very frank things I was going to discuss with my girls. Mom said the lesson was good..whew! I would love to alter that lesson and do it for a Standards night, I think it is much needed!

The rest of the week went well with Leavi celebrating her 15th birthday on Wednesday! It was a way too busy day and her and Jaydn had mutual that evening where they began the first of 4 Roadshow practices! Leavi is dancing with a boy in our ward ( the swing) who is a Junior in high school and whom, she did not know very well ...at first. She was tentative, but after 10 minutes they were swinging and high fiving each other when they got it! Totally fun to watch! Later, Leavi told me she didn't want to dance with that particular boy because she had heard at school that he did drugs( simply silly to believe everything you hear if you ask me) and after mutual she was pretty convinced by his, how did she put it?..."countenance"..that he was a good boy..and did I mention she now thinks he is cute and funny and nice! Just goes to show ya, don't ever listen to gossip about other people!!! And, don't be too quick to judge others, good lesson to learn at her age:)

On to the rest of the week.. well let's see here.. Jaydn had another football game Thursday where his team "killed" the Henkle team winning some 45 -6 or something like that! Jaydn got a cookie from the coaches when they ran the film because the couches were complimenting him on some great blocks he made! Who knew I would get into football..ha ha!

Friday, Kole came home from being at Cispus( Outdoor school) for the entire week, I missed him terribly! He didn't seem to think it was very fun, poor kid. It is not that he missed home but he just said it was boring and the food was bad. I have spoiled my kids with my cooking...proof positive! We then, saw Leavi off on a cross country trip to Seaside for 2 days. She comes home Saturday evening sometime. She is so excited about the trip! She has moved up to the B team from the C team for cross country this year:) She is not Varsity yet but I am sure she will be by next year if she keeps running all year. She really likes the challenge of running hard. For the trip...they are staying at Camp Rilea and there will be a dance for all the runners on Friday evening. They run Saturday, then come home. Fun for her! The surprise chaperone is my Mia maids advisor, Janice Richardson( who happens to be the stake presidents wife) so i felt really good about Leavi going on this fun trip!

Funny story: Thursday evening Robert age Leavi some advice about dancing with non- Mormon boys and suggested she only dance with Jake( He didn't know about Matthew Richardson going at this point) because Jake is Mormon and will respect her standards..hee hee Jake is a senior so the following morning I told her she could dance with any boy but Jake or any other senior, for the reason that he/they are too old for her to dance with. I had not known about Robert's advice the night before and she just "UGHHED" me and relayed what her dad had said. I just laughed and laughed! Robert and I tend to be very protective of our little girl! I then told her that I trusted her judgment implicitly and she should dance with any boy she felt was good enough to dance with! Followed by... " Slap him if his hands go anywhere you don't like...then stomp away!" I know how these high school boys think...I am not stupid. Apparently there is a boy on the cross country team that wanted to ask Leavi to Homecoming via another boy telling Leavi this information. Leavi knows she can NOT date until she is 16 and even then it will be group dating until she is 18 years old! She is very happy about that rule for it helps her to politely tell any boy " Thank you so much for asking me and I am flattered and would love to go with you but I can't date until I am 16, sorry." Have I really gotten to this part of raising my children...the eve of dating..YIKES!

This is all part of my life now and my children are not getting any younger, that is for sure! I am, however, grateful for the young men in our ward that live up to their standards and are following the guidelines of the church for youth! I am grateful there are young men out there that have testimonies and are shining examples of the kind of young men my daughter will eventually be dating. I am grateful for the stair step process that enables our young men and women to become familiar with one another in a safe and friendly enviroment. The 12-14 year olds begin by having one activity per month that is co-ed and they go to the temple together and have Sunday school together. Then on to ages 14-16 where they can also dance together for things like Roadshows or Dance Festivals and they may attend church dances! Then 16-18 is group dating and group social activities that are enriching and fun! Then 18 and on would be the dating for the purpose of finding traits that you want in your Eternal companion and eventually to courting and marriage! It is such a simple and perfect guideline/plan! I am so grateful for it!I wish this could have been part of my life when I was a youth! It would have made the world of difference in a young, impressionable me:)

Today, Robert sold one of the 4 cars he agreed to get rid of ( The deal was if I got to 180 pounds he would sell all the junk cars...I got there like 6 weeks ago..about time!)! I am happy happy happy about that! I cleaned the Jetta out again so we can unload that one soon too! He posted the Mercedes and hopefully we will get that one out of here soon too! I bought a NEW garbage can because as of last week we have garbage service for the first time in 6 years! I am so happy about it! We get a HUGE recycling can and that about takes care of most all of our garbage! We have taking it all to the dump every 3-4 months which is much less expensive( by half the cost) but I decided that the garbage everywhere, the rats, the smell, the work is not worth it any more! I feel like we really need to recycle and the service that goes along with our garbage is perfect! I am so so so HAPPY! Robert took Kole and Jaydn to go climb something...a mountain or something or other and I go to pick my Leavi up in a few minutes! Kyzen got to go work at his friend, Cole's, house for $10 moving wood! He is happy about that! More money for college/mission fund:)

Picasa will not let me load any more pictures to my blog???

2009-09-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

My web album is full so I can't load any more pictures onto this blog? I am going to have to check out what I can about this dilema? I am NOT paying $20 per year for 10 gigs storage capacity??? What to do?

Dinner with our missionaries...and Mr. G

2009-09-16T13:11:00.000-07:00

The lizard( leopard gecko) gets some attention:)

My baby girl running Cross country

2009-09-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

She sprinted to the end and ended up beating this girl! I wish I could have been there to watch her but these meets are usually very far away:) bummer:)

I did get to watch Jaydn's first Football game on Thursday at home! I forgot our camera( loser mom) The 8th grade team pulled out a WIN with 14 zip as the ending score!!! I actually learned some things about football that help me understand the game a bit more, elementary things but good nonetheless:) Jaydn played 90% of the game on starting offense and defense on the line as a center something or other, basically a human wall! He was so powerful and great! One coach told me the reason why he is playing the whole game this year as opposed to last year is because he has become so aggressive and strong...and I quote " That boy can HIT hard!" I am a proud mama! He was so sweaty and tired Thursday night, just adorable! The entire 7th and 8th grade team is required to stand on the line for both games, a total of 4 and a half hours...whew! That is long! The new coach this year is really AWESOME and motivating and expects a lot out of these teams! Jaydn is LOVE IN IT!

GTD ( Gratitude of the Day)

2009-09-09T13:53:00.001-07:00

I love the Fall air, so crisp and fresh!
I long for a warm fire and snuggling galore!
I am grateful for wood to burn and food to eat, love to give
I soak up every ray of sun I can get but am so grateful I can get more from my garage when it is all gone outside!
I am grateful my children are well adjusted and have been loving school!
I am grateful God let me take care of one special girl named Leavi! She is such a precious and sweet soul!
I am grateful I can push my body to do unbelievable things and I can still, somewhat, walk the next day!
I am grateful I am healthy and do not have a single sign of depression left in my body!
I am grateful for relationships, marriage, intimate encounters,kisses and togetherness:):):)
I am so grateful for the peace that comes from knowing my Heavenly Father and my savior, Jesus Christ. For know that Christ Lives and loves me and carries me when I am in the deepest depths and walks with me in the highest highs!
I am grateful I know about what happens to us after we die, many people are not sure for themselves and I feel such gratitude to REALLY KNOW because it gives me cause to REST!Not be "lazy..like sleeping" but really REST...REST in CHRIST!
I am grateful for my trials and all that they have brought to me life. No one LIKES to suffer but through it all we become stronger, more dependent on Christ ( sounds weird huh?...but true) more HUMBLE, more gracious, MORE long suffering, more teachable, MORE Christ - like,better tools in the hands of the Lord and , by far, much happier! We get MORE!
I am grateful for MORE!

The very First day of school, a lot of firsts....

2009-09-05T16:16:00.001-07:00

This was the fantastic food they ate on their FIRST day of school

This is Kole At his very own locker on his FIRST day of middle school!

This is Kyzen standing with his teacher..his FIRST male teacher, it is going to be a GREAT year!

This is Jaydn His FIRST day of the last year in middle school( I had to be creative)

This is my princess, Leavi, on her FIRST day of seminary and her FIRST day of High School!!

Comments after their first day of school:

Kyzen " School is so awesome mom , I love my teacher and I get to sit in the front of the classroom!"

Kole " I was so confused, it will take some getting used to mom. I like my teachers and I am going to learn a lot!"

Jaydn " Yeah, I am cool...I LOVE FOOTBALL!"

Leavi " School is so fun! I have 2 Mormon teachers that are really cool and I totally love seminary. My seminary teacher is so nice and the class was so quiet, I am going to learn so much. I am so excited!"

They are all just so happy to be back and are very excited about their new FIRSTS!...Me too:)

GTD

2009-08-31T23:26:00.000-07:00

I am so grateful for living this life of mine! I think about the wonderful friends and family that I have and my heart just fills to overflowing with joy! I am so grateful that I am having this experience here on this Earth right at this moment! I am grateful all of my children are healthy and happy! I am grateful they are getting old enough to be independent and to do really fun things! I miss having babies sometimes ( babies are the sweetest!) but I really love my older children! I love having teenage children that fill my life with so much love and conversation! I love to pick Jaydn up from Football and hear how he did in practice and listen to all of his stories, he is quite a jabberjaw!I especially LOVE to tease him, relentlessly...he takes it all in stride and just smiles and tells me I torture him...then he smirks ...he loves it! I love watching Leavi interact with others and to see how she excels in all that she does!I love to watch her cook and to hear about her dreams...they are CRAZY! I love being a part of my Kolo's life and seeing that he is so intelligent and capable of doing many great things!I love to listen to him talk to his friend, Elliot...I spy on them...they crack me up! I love that Kole is a leader and he doesn't give in easily!I love his sweetness even when he is also ornery! I love my Bob and I hope that I will get to snuggle that little boy for the rest of my life! I love to hear him reading to me. He is so funny when he reads. He tries to get the inflection just perfect so he re-reads sentences like 5 times...no wonder he scores just average on his school reading level tests but he really can read much higher than he tests and he understands it all. He is a wonder to me! I love the smell of his hair (weird...I know).

I love that I have so many things to love about my life! I love my husband and how hard he works for our family! I love that he does go out and do great things with our kids. They are blessed to have such an active dad that will just pack up and go fishing/hiking/camping/sporting of any kind...whenever the mood strikes him, which is often!

When I asked Robert the other day to give me schedule of his planned outings he emailed me back and said this " Just know that very Saturday from now until the kids are out of the house I will be either: snowboarding, surfing, biking, kayaking, wind surfing, hiking, fishing, hunting, kite boarding, camping...or any other outdoor activity with one or more of our kids and you if you want!" I love him for making me crazy, and he does make me crazy but it is a GOOD crazy!

We need to have unlimited funds( like winning the lottery or something, but that is hard to win when you don't play it huh?) so I can hire someone to pack and unpack and clean up after each one of these special activities:) ha ha:)

My dream: 4 washers and 4 dryers...6 boot dryers...2 more garages...unlimited storage space that always stays clean and tidy...and a personal assistant at my every whim and beckoned call! Wouldn't that be grand?

For now I am grateful that I have a perfectly healthy and fit body that I can do all these things with for myself and I pray my attitude will be a smidgen sweeter, about all of the work that goes into my WONDERFUL life!

Dream vacation:

Sitting in a fancy,fancy hotel room ( doesn't matter where) reading every book I have ever wanted but haven't had time to read, while "enduring" endless massages and body treatments. Having my meals brought to me and my room cleaned for me! And having the ability to instantly telaport to wherever my family members are and watch them do their activities and telaport back to the cushy life... Oh the life...

WAIT!

I love my life just the way it is!

Really:)

My life wouldn't be my life if I didn't put a little elbow grease into it!

Kyzen got Uberstix from grandma Renee and grandpa John to add to his collection from Uncle Timmy and aunt Danika

2009-08-31T23:22:00.000-07:00

My mom and dad were about 2 months behind on birthday's so they came over for Robert and Kyzen's birthdays last evening. Kyzen got 450 piece Uberstix collection and two 39 clues books with a deck of clue cards. Robert got the Panasonic Lumix camera that Quincy has....I am excited about that one:) I paid for half of it so really it is from me too:) I can't wait to capture Jaydn during football season and Leavi while she is running cross country..whoopie!

Birthdays are fun!

Robert climbed Mt. Adams this week with Leavi.

2009-08-29T15:07:00.000-07:00

The weather held out so they actually got to summit. Leavi was really tired at the false summit but you don't go that far and not make it to the top...Robert talked her into it. She was very proud of herself and she isn't even very tired today.

I love that Robert takes time to do these kind of things with our children. I love that he took just Leavi with him. What a special daddy daughter time they had.

Jaydn's experience last night....

2009-08-28T10:29:00.000-07:00

And I quote "Mom I lost a chicken when I was feeding them.It ran out of the barn. I got on my bike and looked everywhere for it. I hit the bushes with a shovel to try to scare it out of hiding. I stopped and said a little prayer and then the chicken just came running out, I caught it and it was done."

I love how my 13 year old son has enough faith to stop his own effort and ask the Lord for His help even with something so silly as trying to find a chicken. This will help him so much as he grows older and learns to rely on the Lord for much bigger things:) I also love that he came right to me and told me the whole ordeal.

I love my son!

I figured out how to print my blog!!!!!!!!!!

2009-08-27T17:27:00.000-07:00

It is probably cheaper to have a book made at this point but...did you know you can just copy and paste your posts into a windows document, select high quality printing and print it out! I did one on regular paper and one on photo paper, both excellent! I am debating which will cost more blurb vs. my printer ink? Then there is the binding vs. binder with protective sheets???

CHOICES!

Jay is officially taller than Leavi!

2009-08-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

I measured Jaydn today because he was looking particularly tall. He is now one and a half inches taller than Leavi and One inch shorter than me. I am , regrettably 5' 10 1/2 " now...golly I shrank an inch and a half..that stinks! That makes Jaydn 5' 9 1/2 " tall...he is going to tower over me by next summer! The boy is a weed...well ...growing like one anyway lol:) He took his shirt off the other day and I gulped and thought " Oh my goodness he is getting HUGE!" Like muscles and everything...can you say a 6 pack on the verge of emerging? I don't like this one bit...I want my babies back:) If his voice gets any deeper I am going to die..lol!

Washington Jamboree for scouts!

2009-08-25T10:38:00.000-07:00

Our deacons plus Kole got to go to Washington State Boyscout Jamboree this year because there was a general Authority there for Sunday services! They don't always get this opportunity so I was so glad my boys got to go! Jaydn really loved the french fries that his scoutmaster made every night for their treat. They had a ton of potatoes and a deep fryer? Who knew? Jay really had fun and Kole even earned the radio merit badge, with some incentive from Robert:) I have to hand it to the scoutmaster...he had his hands full but he came back with a smile on his face and said the boys did great and had a ton of fun! That is success!

Jaydn went to Camp Meriweather for scout camp

2009-08-25T10:34:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Jaydn's Scoutmaster He took this picture and emailed it to me! Jaydn got his climbing merit badge ( he is the one in green hanging on the wall) along with 2 other badges at camp this year. Camp Meriweather is such a great boyscout camp! I am grateful that Jaydn got to go there for his last camp!

GTD

2009-08-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

Love
marriage, children
sunshine, wind, lazy days
snuggles, kisses, hugs, long talks about nothing
reading, movie watching, eating
time together, bonding
FAMILY

These are the things I am grateful for today and everyday.

Camping at Thousand Trails ...last weekend in July

2009-08-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

We had a great time and even celebrated Mathew's birthday on Thursday!

Finally a picture of my camping trip with friends:)

2009-08-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

I love these 2 women! We had a blast with us and ALL of our children. We spent 4 wonderful days basking in the sweltering heat poolside at Thousand Trails campground in Chehalis, Washington! Great times with great company!

I may be wrong but Jaydn DOES look more like my brother than Robert...I believe

2009-08-20T15:17:00.000-07:00

Many people who have never seen my side of the family think , automatically, that Jaydn just looks like Robert. Not so..he really does look more like me and my brother, Jeff. Maybe these aren't the best pictures to see that from but I had to publish my proof anyhow:)

I will give them this, Jaydn has Robert's nose and eye color...but mine and Jeff's face shape, Jeff's hair, Jeff's mouth. I love to see family resemblance in my children. It has always been important to me that some part of my dad come through at least one of children and Jay brought that with him!

My grandma..she is 93

2009-08-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

Linda and I with our grandma Virgie. Grandma is 93 and in great health! This is why I am going to live to 100 years old, no problem! She looks exactly like she did like 30 years ago...she never ages! Can anyone see the resemblance between my sister and I ? Her mom said we talk the same and have many of the same mannerisms. Funny because we were not raised together. We only saw each other every other weekend when we were growing up. I think genes play a big part in how we are and how we act.

Visit with cousins and my family August 1st, 2009

2009-08-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

This is Leavi,Jaydn,Danelle,Kole, Grandma Virgie and Kyzen

Kyzen being a goofball

jaydn and his cousin, Colton( my sister's son)...they look similar I think.

Again ...a better picture of the 3 of us!

Visiting with my brother and sister! August 1st 2009

2009-08-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

This is an awesome picture. I love my brother and sister!Jeff and Linda! My sister just finished writing a novel that she sent me and I loved it! She is s fabulous writer. I hope it gets published! Every year Their mom, Bobbie, has a BBQ at her house in Beaverton for all of us to get together.

Short Sands ( Oswald West State Park)...a surfer's dream:)

2009-08-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

Kyzen and Kole work together to bury Max!

Doesn't he look excited?

Proof I was at the beach:)

Sweltering heat caused Leavi to break out the umbrella for shade!

Am I actually smiling?

Leavi is beautiful and loves the beach!

Bob loves playing in the sand

Max came with us...stinky dog!

Kole plays in the sand and smiles at me:)

Who can get the bigger pile of sand?Kole won!

Jaydn prepares to surf...he had a great time!

Leavi is enjoying the sun and a sandy bagel

Kole is going to bury Max in the sand...heh heh ( check out the next post:)

My little surfer boy...hee hee...never mind the Rock star in his hand...OOPS!

Why are my boys wearing jeans at the beach? Weirdos! It was gorgeous weather.

Here is the thing. I don't like going to beach, at all. I know I am strange. Most people love the serenity of hearing the ocean breaking calmly on the shore. Well, I am married to the surfer boy and I have really seen enough of the Oregon/Washington coast to last me a lifetime..or 2:) However, that being said...I have the best luck when it comes to going to the beach. It is ALWAYS great weather when I go. May have something to do with the fact that Short Sands' Indian name means"Hole in the sky"????? Last Saturday was overcast for the rest of the beach but we were blessed with weather that was almost too hot at times( Leavi even got out the umbrella to shade us from the heat!). I was even wishing I had worn my swimming suit so I could have gotten some rays of sun on my now paling skin:) I miss having Robert's parents at the beach so we could have a place to shower off and get clean again. A place to eat and relax away from the sand... never thought I would say that? Robert loved the day surfing with his boys. Kole eventually went and got his surfboard and wetsuit and joined the throngs of surfers in the swell. Kyzen even got to ride with Robert and loved every minute of it! At least someone in my family LOVES the ocean right?

my beloved dishwasher...

2009-08-18T19:26:00.001-07:00

I have had this lovely dishwasher for about 5 years total( 2 different ones during that time due to technical difficulties). The top drawer gave up on me about 3 months ago and Robert and I don't pay people to fix our junk so onto fix-it-yourself land went my beloved dishwasher...never to be seen again...UGH! I unplugged it and began the process of taking it apart to see what I could deduce the problem might be. I am no "Robert" when it comes to figuring these sort of things out ...but it became obvious that the pump was bad when I removed it and it had been completely corroded by sand and minerals due to our fabulous well water minus a sand filter( note to self: install a sand filter ASAP!). I had Robert order the parts and they totaled about $90..YAY! Hoped they would work. Put it back together and the drawer leaked something fierce..UGH! Took it apart and waited ....Robert shaved off some melted plastic and we lubed the "O" rings and put it back together( like 10 days late). NO LEAKS YAY! ...But now it won't drain...double UGH!!!!!!!!What do I look like the Maytag man? I had the crazy...ha haa..idea that something might be stuck in the drain pipe??? That took us another 3 weeks for us to have time to , yet again, take apart the drawer and check it out. Robert took the drain tube out and blew through it and some glob came out and VOILA! ALAS my beloved dishwasher is working and making me all happy and clean dished out! Weight out the options...pay a man Approximately $400 to fix it in about 10-14 days ( allowing time for part ordering and diagnosis) ...or wait 3 months and do it yourself and run only half your dishwasher( of which I am very grateful I have 2 parts to run...now that i think about it) until you can find the time and figure out the problemo.

I love being Bob Villa/ Maytag man / Martha Stewart/ June Cleaver (ha , bet that made you all laugh out loud) / Betty Crocker ...all rolled into one...it's a sweet life, well if you stop and fix the dishwasher!

GTD..haven't had one in a while:)

2009-08-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

I am grateful for all this wonderful life has to offer me. Even in the down times( like yesterday morning , for instance) I can see God's hand in my life, every minute of it! He is mindful of little ol' me and my daily trials. He makes sure I have experiences placed in my path that will guide me, gently, back to Him. I can feel His love for me abundantly throughout my life! I love to go to church when I am not feeling so "spiritual" and sit down in sacrament and listen to what is being said, relate it to my life and lock it up in heart. I love to hear other's testimonies and feel their spirits reaching out to their Heavenly Father. I love to look into the eyes of someone who loves the Lord and see that very special light that sets them apart from every one else. I am really grateful for this and many other little things along my path of life. I am grateful for my Father in Heaven and for the love He has for each and every one of us! I am grateful He saw fit to send me here and let me experience all that I have and that He has made a way for me to return to Him. What glorious life it is and what a gift we have been given!

Thank you!

Leavi baked bread today

2009-08-14T12:48:00.000-07:00

This morning Leavi announced ( after I had just spent like $150 at the grocery store yesterday) That we didn't have anything to eat around here. I told her to go make something...so she did. She found my friend Holly's wheat bread recipe that is to die for and she made it with white flour which turned out quite yummy...it has honey and I splurged and ate some:) She also made some Strawberry ice stuff from one of my cookbooks. When she wants to be she is very homemaky! Thank Heaven for little girls:)

day 7...final day in Utah

2009-08-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

I went run/walking with Lisa in the morning and then shopped at Walmart for trip food for our departure. I then took just Kyzen to South Jordan to visit Kerri Bench and her 2 kids, Sarah and Jacob...that were home that day. We only got to spend about an hour at her house because the check engine light came on so it was off to Dan Davidson's shop for a check...not life threatenting issue but got the oil changed and brake fluid topped off! Thanks Dan!Then over to Stacy's house to see 3 day old Justus...what a cutie pie he is! He just slept on me the whole visit...YUM! we even got him to smile( rare for a 3 day old baby..he has the trademark McPherson dimples for sure!) Leavi and Kole got to be treated to a day at the Winder pool with their aunt Lisa and cousins...they had a blast! When I arrived back at Winder's home Jed had taken Cannon, Kole and Devon to a Bees baseball game. They all wanted to stay until the end and they had fun picking up people's tickets to get the coupoons from the backside:)...really Cannon and Kole enlisted Devon to ask poeple for their tickets...fun to get the little one to do your dirty work huh? We went to bed early to be rested for the long drive ahed the next day whixh was VERY long but we made it home safely!

AHHHHH>>> alls well that ends well!

Day 6 in Utah...SUNDAY

2009-08-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

Sunday services were attended in Jed and Lisa's ward( Lisa and I were quite drowsy from staying up until 1 am chatting like cute little hens:)Lisa made a DELICIOUS dinner and then dad came over after dinner to spend some time with all of us and tells us some stories about his childhood. Then children were all wired up and ran around like crazy people until we sent them to bed! Good times!

end of day 5 Utah...

2009-08-13T22:37:00.000-07:00

Back to Heber to see my dear friend, Kimberly! I haven't seen her a about 6 years or so and it was time!!! She has a beautiful home with her husband and 2 sons! We talked, laughed and took many pictures! My youngest son stepped in dog poop and made the day memorable! Thanks KIM! We had fun!!!

Day 5 still...

2009-08-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

After Grandma and Grandpa's house we headed over to Midway( about a 15 minute drive from Heber) to visit grandpa Tim. Grandma Jean was still at Stacy's house tending to her after baby was born. Dad, Tim, spent some time showing Leavi and I his composing " machine" and playing some of his creations for us while Kole and Kyzen watched movies. Dad then drove Leavi and I around Midway where we got to see The prophet, President Monson's, home and Elder Holland of the quorum of the twelves home too!!! President Monson's home(top right) was so neat to see. This is where he and his wife spent some time raising their children! They still come here for family things too but they also have an apartment in Salt Lake. I had such a neat experience while seeing where our living prophet lives! I realized that he is a humble servant of God. He is not ostentatious or full of pride but keeps a modest, neat and comely home( not a pour thousands of dollars into remodeling your home so you can be like everyone else)! If our prophet who is so dear to my heart can be such a great example of Christ like living then I will surly follow his example of living within my means and being grateful for what I have. Not trying to be like everyone else around me, it seams, and always wanting more! Elder Holland's home is newer( bottom right) but still very modest in it's nature. I really brought back a lot from this experience of seeing that these men are just like you and I , they live in real homes and lead by their great example! Midway is a beautiful city and probably the only place I have seen in Utah , so far, that I would consider living in:)

Day 5 Utah Trip...

2009-08-13T22:21:00.000-07:00

I got up fairly early and went for a walk with Lisa on Saturday and then took Leavi, Kole and Kyzen over to Heber( an hour and half drive) to see Grandma and Grandpa Todd( Robert's grandparents). They chatted with us for a bit, took some pictures and then took us to lunch at Arby's. It is always good to see family!

Day 4 Utah trip

2009-08-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

Stacy wound up laboring all day Thursday and all night until Justus made his very special entrance into this world at 8:41 am Friday morning. The birth was really special and very unique! We all had a great time being a part of Stacy and Jason's experience! Even Leavi was invited to partake of the spirit in that birth! I was determined after only 4 hours of broken sleep to pack myself and Leavi up and met Lisa in Salt lake City for a day at Temple Square! We arrived at about noon and walked around, saw the visitor's center and watched the Joseph Smith " Prophet of the Restoration"...total tear jerker even my second time around! We then headed back to Lisa's house for a great dinner and some "girl talk" until late into the evening:) Always fun times when I visit Utah!

Tour of BYU ( Day 3)

2009-08-13T22:09:00.000-07:00

So on Thursday morning Stacy woke me up at about 4 am to go on a walk due to her anxious and restless pre-labor stage. It was so neat to watch the sunrise over Provo! At about 6:30 we came back , I slept another 2 hours and then got up and got ready to hike the "Y" with Leavi. We let Bethelle and Steve( 2 year old) tag along. It wasn't a long hike but very steep and hard...especially with said 2 year old..he did great and I learned to have patience:) Leavi and I then took off to pick up my friend Becky's daughter, Haleigh. We took her to lunch at my Fave spot...Cafe Rio...and then proceeded to get a tour around BYU campus...yay fun! EFY was going on so it was double fun to see all the youth on that campus too! Leavi really likes BYU!

Stacy and Jason's new kitchen!!!!

2009-08-13T22:03:00.000-07:00

I know Stacy will not post this for a very long time so I took the liberty of taking my own pictures for all of us to see! They did an IKEA kitchen. They have chosen not to have very many cupboards but lots of drawers instead. I think the kitchen looks fabulous! It is a huge improvement over what they had , for sure! Jason did the tile behind the new stove. He chose 12 X 12 tiles and cut them small for a neat effect! Then he spent many days and layers and layers of sealer to make them shiny. This was day 2 of my Utah trip. Day one I don't have any pictures of as it was the day I arrived at Lisa's house!

Sunday August 2nd at Wallen and Quincy's Home

2009-08-13T21:57:00.000-07:00

Quincy invited us to come over early for the family dinner that she and Wallen put on. We arrived at about 4:15 and dinner was all ready to be eaten up by our hungry tummies! We then sat around and played instruments and listened to a great trumpet duet by Wallen and Quincy, some piano songs by Quincy and Mari and then we talked and talked! Danika and Tim showed up as did Andrea and some of her children. Quincy is always such a great host and has countless yummy dessert ideas up her sleeves! She whipped out her juicer and gave us all a HUGE treat by making all different kinds of fruit sorbet for us! Without sugar I even tried a couple of spoons full:) Thank Q for giving us such a special evening of fun!

GTD

2009-07-28T06:37:00.000-07:00

Today I am grateful for all the lovely things I have been privileged to have and to experience in this life. With life comes trials and worries and woes...with life also comes a great gift, the Atonement of our Lord and Savior , Jesus Christ...should we choose to believe it. This is a free gift for anyone who has faith enough to receive it! I am grateful for that! I am grateful I do not have to earn this gift or pay for this gift. The "work" is to receive it and follow in His footsteps! What beauty and peace there is in the simple promise of our Savior! He will hold us the palm of His hand, keep us " fed" with His righteousness, engulf us with His love! I am indeed grateful for this because without this knowledge I would surely lose my mind in the deep abyss that swirls around me , at times. I am grateful for the Living Waters that flow from Jesus Christ right on into my life, here and now! I feel so alive when I study about Him and learn of Him and His redeeming love for me and everyone who ever has been or will be! It is so HUGE to wrap my mind around...so all encompassing!! I look forward with great anticipation to the day that I will be able to see Him again and live in His presence. I know that he lives! I know that He loves me! I know that He will come again and reign , personally, on this Earth ...what a day that will be! These are exciting times and I am grateful I was able to be here during these the Latter Days. I am Blessed!

Stake Girls Camp 2009

2009-07-24T18:17:00.000-07:00

Girls camp this year was so fun! The theme was We Are All In This Together...from High School Musical! I think all my girls had a great time and learned some pretty important things about being together as a ward. There was very little drama...as far as I know. The stake did a FABULOUS job of planning and putting together this BEST girls camp ever! I am so grateful that I cna be the ward camp director! I love being at camp with my girls. I am looking forward to Ward camp in 2 years so I can have a chance to really spend all my time with them ..but Stake camp, for what it's worth, is REALLY fun! my favorite part is Testimony meeting on Bishop's night!

Our camping trip for 4th of July...Camp Zarahemla, you gotta love church camps!

2009-07-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

So I didn't get more than 3 pictures of us at the campground because ALAS we don't actually stay in the campground, ever! HIKING HIKING HIKING and then when you are really tired HIKING some more:)

Cora Lake camping

2009-07-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

This is where the boys went while Leavi and I had a great time at Stake Girl's camp!I am still do the laundry from last week's adventures:)

Becky's visit!

2009-07-21T06:53:00.000-07:00

All the kids gathered on the trampoline. Kennedy, Gavin, Kole, Kyzen, Jaydn, Ben and Leavi.

Kennedy gives me a thumbs up...she is a cutie isn't she?

Becky's family, minus Haleigh. Alex, Ben, Becky, Gavin amd Kennedy. I am so happy that we got to spend some time with them! Now we have a place to go visit in Florida, they close on their new house in a couple of days!

Indian Heaven Hike with Grandpa Grossnickle

2009-07-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

Mom look at me, look at me!!!!

2009-06-28T11:40:00.000-07:00

This is what Kole wants to look like for Halloween this year??? It is June and he is already planning:)

Lazy Sunday

2009-06-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

Kyzen actually had a nap outside with his daddy:)

Lake Day with friends

2009-06-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

Every year my friend , Lisa, plans a lake day one day every week for the entire summer. She hands out a schedule to everyone at church. I try every summer to go at least once, last year I failed miserably. This year I am going to try to make it as often as I can. It is so nice to sit in the sun and melt away while my children played around in the lake. This day the water was a little too cold so Jaydn and Kole didn't spend much time in the water ...Kyzen was a fish! Fun times. Mathew, Angela's son, took this picture for us. Hope this week is even warmer. I got a slight sunburn but it was tan by the next day:)

GTD...Isn't it about time?

2009-06-24T12:29:00.001-07:00

I have been in my female "mode" lately and not feeling all that grateful for what I have and my husband, well not as grateful as I should be anyway:) so here goes, the cure is writing down gratitude and reading it over and over again!

After planning a WILD camping/hiking trip with my husband's dad for this Thursday, Robert got "the look" and an earful from me about how "UN- FUN" that sounded. I didn't understand why he would want to roadside camp( no toilet to speak of) and hike for hours on end...miles and miles( 5 miles YAY...10..YIKES!) I was perfectly fine with him going by himself and enjoying his time with his dad. Did he have to take the kids?

Along comes COMPROMISE...Jaydn and Kole will be going along with Caleb and Elijah( our nephews):) Happy mom Happy boys = HAPPY MEN:)

They will have so much fun with Uncle and grandpa, I know it!

There is a part of little ole me that wished I desired to do these kind of adventures and jumped at the chance to do them with my family:) No toilet, no sleeping mattress, hike all day..should sound fun right? Not so much for this MOM here:), sadly.

I have come to the conclusion ( with help from dear friends) that It is okay for Robert to go and do these adventures without me. I will go on the BIG camping trips, have a huge smile, put in the effort and create big, fun memories for my babies that way! The roadside will have to wait to have me visit it until I am translated:)

When I am less focused on what I want and what is best for others involved the compromise is always better than the original plan!

I am grateful for the ability to adapt and see the bigger picture. To see the needs of others( not always considered on my behalf). I am grateful for the adventure seeking, crazy.." gotta see what is on that next peak" part of my husband's personality! We ground each other and lift each other up:) It is sweet! I am grateful that Robert doesn't just sit around doing nothing of consequence in his life. He makes a mark in this world. How many places will be able to show evidence that his feet have walked their ground? Robert DOES not sit back and wait for life to happen to him, EVER! He takes the bull by the horns and goes out and makes his life, and our children's lives, the adventure they should be. He is the main reason why our children don't play on the Internet/computer, videos games...and recently no TV...only a movie now and then:) They find their lives enriched with things like hiking, fishing, camping, biking, READING( that comes from me), exploring, building, playing sports, playing games, WORKING HARD...ect.

In order to give your children these types of opportunities to develop their characters without relying on technology to keep them " at bay"...you must be of the personality type to not shutter at how hard it may be to get yourself and 4 kids ready to hike, camp, fish, snowboard, bike, surf...whatever it may be. You must be able to sacrifice comfort, be patient, able to coax a smaller child up a very hard mountain without incident( that is you losing your patience and carrying them up yourself or heading back down). You must be willing to not shower for days, eat simple food, use "outdoor facilities" . You must be willing to WORK!

Above all else, I am VERY grateful my husband works! He works hard, which gives him the luxury of playing hard..ha ha, not a luxury to me but it is to him..nonetheless:) I am grateful Robert has the tools necessary to provide for our family, and provide well! I feel so safe knowing he is a hard working, well educated man that can survive literally in any situation!

If the "end of the world" rolled around and there was utter pandemonium everywhere, I and my children would be taken care of because of the man Robert is. He is a good man with good perspective, and a good connection with nature, a love of the outdoors, a patience unsurpassed by anyone I know. He can build anything, fix anything, hunt anything, accomplish just about anything! Nothing daunts him. .. and the words " lazy" or "BORED"...NOT in his vocabulary! Neither is " I can't".

Yes..I am grateful! Grateful I married this unbelievable man that ( as I have said before, makes me want to pull my own hair out strand by strand sometimes:) has made a life for our family that is unique and unlike that of many in this society! We are very blessed to have him in all his weirdness! I do not have riches , and never will, but I am rich! The life he has provided has laid the foundation for our children to succeed in ways I would never have imagined in my wildest dreams. They are independent, kind, helpful, smart, polite, respectful hard working kids. There is something, indeed, to be GRATEFUL for!

Man... did I say I am rich or what?

Who do I thank for this gift?

GOD

How's that for a huge group of boys?

2009-06-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this post by saying that 10 months ago I was suffering from depression and could barely handle my own children, much less others added on top of them! I would never have agreed to have 6 boys playing at the same time at MY house! NEVER! Today Nells, Kole's friend, called and asked if he could play and I said " sure come on over, the more the merrier right?" Then before Nells arrived Justin, our neighbor's grandson, came to the door wondering if Kyzen could play. HMMM? Should I do this , I thought? Sure , why not? This is so unlike me and my anal retentive, have to be on top of things, gotta have order and peace self:) The funny part is that I have learned that many boys is great, now that they are all around 10 years (except Kyzen) or older...it works great! Boys are so not like little girls. They can play in groups and not have all the added " she won't play with me..or they are leaving me out" drama! YAY! I love little boys! I can see that if I would have had more children I would have wanted nothing but BOYS:) ( Girls are great, just not in large groups) It has been 2 hours and not one child has asked me for anything or come to me crying. This is a far cry from what I remember about the dreaded "play date".

I know my house will be dirty and there will be things laying around in the yard when all is said and done...not a problem. In a few minutes they are all going down to the creek to play "commando" or something. As long as I can still hear them ..all is good! Max is in heaven with all these "boys" to bug to pet him. He almost jumped up on the trampoline because he thought it looked like so much fun( though he knows he will get in trouble if he does get up there)!

I am off to mow the yard, happily and merrily. I am enjoying this time of my life beyond measure. Life is great! Kids are great! My mood is UP! How could it be any better?

It couldn't:)

We have a visitor

2009-06-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

We went to our nephew, Malachi"s , baptism last night and his older brother, Caleb, reminded me that I told he and Kole that he could come spend some time with us last summer...and neglected to follow through with my promise..ooops! So after asking his mom and dad we went home with one Caleb Wilson. We will be having our visitor for a few days maybe! Kole and Kyzen are in Heaven! We had FHE and recess peanut butter cup cereal bars...Caleb ate 3. He is being very polite and well mannered! I love family!

Beacon Rock End of the Year campout

2009-06-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

A brother in our ward arranges this end of the year campout every year. It gets bigger every year. This year they went to Beacon Rock. Yay! Looks like they had fun! BTW... I love how rugged and mountain manny my husband looks..hubba hubba:) I just wouldn't want to smell him:)

That is a scorpion..at Beacon Rock

2009-06-13T21:12:00.000-07:00

I had no idea we even had these kind of critters around these parts??? The kids took a picture of it when it came into the campground! I officially don't like camping now..heh heh..SERIOUSLY! Was it someone's pet?

Leavi got Student of the year for Language Arts.

2009-06-12T19:52:00.000-07:00

Good thing for friends with cameras! I forgot mine..bad mommy:(
I , personally, think that they should have handed out an award for the kids that maintained a 4.0 through out their ENTIRE middle school career! There would have only been about 4-5 kids..Leavi included!

I may have blogged this before but Leavi asked me about a month ago what she had to do to be Valedictorian..what planet did she come from? I love my baby girl!