Pack night

Last night was our second pack night. Jacob got his Bobcat. We're on our way to cub scout fun!

Bryce Canyon

Here are a couple of pictures from Bryce. We had such a good time. The hike almost (and I mean truly almost) killed me. The rating on the hike was strenuous and should take between 3 and 4 hours. It took me 5 hours 45 minutes. But I did it and most of my problems were the altitude. Cherrie and Jim, Roberta and Van, Leland and JoAnn, Kaylene, Mom and I were the ones who went. We stayed at the Volle's condo in Brian Head and it was really great fun.

Camera

I am looking at the Canon Rebel. I looked at both the Nikon and the Canon and decided that the Canon is the one I want even though it is $100.00 more than the Nikon. Nikon lowered their price because most people were buying the Canon (at least according to the salesperson I was talking to. He said that the reason most people preferred the Canon was because it takes better motion pictures. Jeff found a good deal from Costco.com for a camera and a printer. I decided to go with it because I have been having some problems with my printer communicating with my new computer. I have been online and everything and it still works better with David's laptop than with any of my computers.

And about the camera...

So what kind do you have your eyes on, Mema? A Canon Rebel? A Nikon D80?

Beautiful

Your pictures are beautiful, Mema. Makes me miss the mountains at home--all that grey limestone, the Ponderosas...lots of memories of camping and hiking trips.

Speaking of hiking: How was Bryce Canyon, Mema? Who came? Did you get some good pictures?

And speaking of camping: Good land, Mother-of-mine! Camping is SO MUCH WORK for the mommy of the family. We went camping on Friday (down at Goblin Valley), and I spent probably four-five hours on Friday getting everything ready. And then the aftermath of putting everything away, dealing with overtired children, dirt EVERYWHERE...wow. I take my hat off to you, for taking us camping as often as you did.

We did have a wonderful time, though. I'm pretty sure it was worth it.

Photos

For the last three weeks, I have been taking a photography class. I want to learn how to take better pictures. I am not good and I have learned that I am not a natural. I really don't see the artistic view through my lens. You do not have to worry about mom running off to take pictures of some war or anything like that. I did however learn some things so far and I want to show you some of the pictures. I am going to be taking the class until almost Thanksgiving. I did however decide that I need, I mean NEED, a new camera. I want to be able to do all the really great stuff that I see. I may never be able to but I'd like to try. The down side is that I want a 'GOOD' camera and I don't have that kind of money. Oh well, I guess I will have to see if the budget can stretch far enough to get one. I only need about 1200 to 1500 dollars. What do you think? The first one is from Fletcher Canyon trail on Charleston and the second is from the hike to Mary Jane Falls.

Well...

We've actually done The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly...twice. But The Tragical Mystery Tour we've never heard of. So, yay! =)

Murders

The titles are...
The Tragical Mystery Tour and
The Good, the Bad and the Guilty.

I really hope you haven't played them Telima. That way we all have fun.

Murders and Potty Training

Jenafer, which Murder Mystery's are they? Tyler and I love them and are always looking for new ones to do, but we've done quite a few. We would love to borrow them if they're ones we haven't done before. =)

So, about a week ago Katy came up to me while I was feeding Brooke and said "Potty!" She's been doing this a lot lately, but she doesn't ever actually go. So I told her to wait until I was done feeding Brooke and then I would help her go "potty". She decided not to wait for me and a few minutes later was crying in the bathroom. When I went to go see what was going on, she was diaper-less and standing in a middle of a puddle of pee, some of it having gotten in the little potty, but most of it on the floor. I said "Yay, Katy! Good job going potty!" and we cleaned it up and went on with life. A few days later, she told me she needed to go potty again and when she sat down, she actually pooped for the very first time in the potty! We were so excited. We called Aunt Keryn (because it was too early to call Grandmas) and danced around and she got a lollipop and everything. But she hasn't done it since. Today we decided to go exclusively to panties and...well...we've gone through about three panties since noon. It's been frustrating, especially since Katy's younger cousin Madilyn was here visiting this weekend and she's completely potty trained already (she's four months older than Jayson). I know that each kid is different and she's still not as old as others have been when they were potty trained, but it still felt sort of like failure. But we're moving on and working hard and trying to get Katy motivated to be potty trained. Grandma Smith bought her a pack of Dora panties that she adores and wants to wear, but I won't let her yet. They're sitting in the bathroom, in plain sight but too high for her to get to them, as an incentive. When she can pee and poop in the potty for two days straight, then she gets to wear them. =) We'll see if it works. Anyway, I don't know how all of you have done this. I'm dreading the whole process. I'm halfway between wishing she could just stay in diapers and wanting desperately for her to be potty trained. *sigh* Wish us luck!

Yard Sales

So, Jeff and I are trying to do as much Birthday and Christmas shopping as possible done at yard sales. We started last week and have Lillian's birthday covered. We have slightly more than half of Heather's birthday done and a real start on Christmas for everyone. Today we had to be back home by 10:00 as Benjamin had a birthday party to be at then. In fact, every single one of my children were gone from 11:30 to 2:00. Benjamin was at JJ's birthday party, Jacob was at Angelo's birthday party, Lillian and Erica were at Katie's birthday party and Heather was at a sleepover at a friends house.

Anyway, we were yard saleing this morning and we were almost out of time when we came to this one sale that had 2 How to Host a Murder's sitting there for a doller each! We got both of them, never having played either. Once we've played them, who would like dibs? We can pass them around!

Love ya all!

Words

Okay, so I love words!! This site is one of the new ones I've been introduced to from my Web 2.0 class. It is called Wordle. I've been playing now for several days and am loving it. Above is one example of what was created by typing in the text for 2 Nephi 2:25-28. The size of the word denotes how often it was recorded in the document (i.e. 2 Nephi 2:25-28). Interesting, isn't it!

If you are interesting in another I created, check out my homework blog. Some of the text might we familiar.

Twins!

It was twin day at school today. Erica and her best friend in the whole world, Katie, decided to dress alike. They got alot of smiles and comments while they walked to school, holding hands and dressed alike. Today I also had Erica's parent teacher conference. Her teacher told me that they were the cutest twins in all of Kindergarten. Her teacher also said that all day long she kept calling Erica Katie. They aren't even in the same class! Katie is next door to Erica. But everytime Mrs. Fryhover looked at Erica she would say Katie. Erica was thrilled by this. Apparently in her mind they were so much alike that her teacher couldn't tell them apart! As you can see, I took pictures- I don't know how I can tell which one is Erica!

More cute pictures

Jenafer, thank you for sharing!!! I love seeing pictures of those darling nieces and nephews!

More Pictures!

Keryn, you need to get a camera phone. I really wanted a picture of those boys together. Precious.

Brotherly love

Today, while at Costco, I had the two little boys in the seats on the shopping cart. About halfway through my shopping, Gideon put his arm around Heber and pulled him close, so that Heber was leaning against Gideon's side. And they stayed that way through the rest of the shopping trip, causing many women to stop and smile or coo at the cutest little brothers ever.

just two of my cute kids. Erica's picture is only a week or so old and Benjamin's was taken last summer at scout camp.

Sweet

Oh, hi there!

SPACE

Space- the final frontier.

Or not.

One of my students very seriously asked me why the president and the astronauts faked the moon landing.

When I told him I didn't believe they did, he proceeded to tell me he's seen the evidence.

Of all the years to choose space as my theme.

Overall, I love my wall. The strange things on the sun are the spaceships belonging to my students. They will use them to travel through space on the fuel of AR points. (Read a book, take a test, earn points based on your score). I can't say I like the rings around Saturn- but since that is the only part Keryn didn't help me with so it only goes to show- Keryn has all the art talent.

Thanks again Keryn for your HELP!!

Life

Now don't get me wrong- life just goes and goes and never stops seems to stop. I was going to have a calmer year, I just knew it.

But...

* I am trying to buy a house (If I can make it through the next two weeks, I be fine)
* I am taking a 2 1/2 credit class the WEB 2.0 (I only have assignment for eight so I just need to make it through October)
* I have been asked to become a math representative and take more classes (They start in October)
* Exhibition starts in two weeks (And guess who is doing all the planning and prep work??)
* Did I mention I am trying to pack up an apartment and move????
* And I am getting released on Sunday and although I KNOW this is the right thing- I just want to cry. I am an emotional basket case

Luckily- my class is wonderful. We've been laughing and learning and they are great.

THANK GOODNESS- otherwise, you would have to dial the Colorado Springs Home for the Terminally Insane to chat and then I could only guarantee snippets from Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

Love all!

Birthday

Lillian has decided what she wants for her birthday. She want's a baby. Specifically a baby sister. Not a baby doll, an actual baby. I'm not sure how to explain to a not quite four year old that she is never going to get a baby sister. Even if we were inclined to have another child, which we're not, and even if we could order a girl and not a boy, which we can't, we only have about four weeks until her birthday, not nearly enough time to take care of that request for her. I think we'll be looking for a great new baby doll for her to love and take care of for her birthday. I think she would prefer that in the long run anyway. I don't think she would appreiciate the amount of time a new baby would take away from her.

Patrick Swayze

Of course I knew that Patrick Swayze was sick. The last few pictures I've seen of him, he was really thin and looking...well, sick. But I still felt sad when I heard he had died today. Sigh, I guess life goes on. I just hope, given the current trend in movies, that they don't decide to remake Dirty Dancing. That would just be wrong.

Baby Brooke's BBQ

Happy 4th Birthday

Happy, happy birthday Arabella dear,
Happy day's will come to you all year,
If I had a wish, then it would be,
A happy, happy birthday to you, from me.

Hope you have a wonderful birthday baby girl.