Seth at seventy-five

This weekend we had a trunk-or-treat activity. Jacob was supposed to go as an old man, but didn’t like the look of his wrinkles (who does?) so he decided to borrow a Star Wars costume instead. That meant we had an extra cane, jimmy cap, white hair spray, so I decided to go as an old man.

Several people at church didn’t even recognize me. I won a prize in the costume contest, and had a great time flirting with all the widows at the church. Continue reading “Seth at seventy-five”

She can pose!

Last week during UEA weekend we tried to come up with some simple, but fun activities for the kids. Visiting dad’s work is always at the top of this list. They love to eat at the Cafe, play out in the beautiful gardens, feed the fish, and sneak treats out of dad’s candy jar. (side note: I remember doing this as a kid too…do all dad’s have treats stashed away at work?)

I brought my camera and tried to snap a few photos of the kids playing. Any of you that know Megan know she is quite shy. She is slowing growing out of it, but still very timid when people compliment her and even more so when I pull out the camera. However, this time was different. She kept smiling and posing. I think some of the photos are cuter than pictures I have paid to have taken. It was fun to see her enjoy having her picture taken. This is very rare! She is turning into such a big girl. Below are just a few of the pics. Continue reading “She can pose!”

Toothless wonder!

It seems that every day Megan comes home from school disappointed that another classmate had lost their tooth. She so badly wanted it to be her. She’s had a wiggly tooth for a couple months now, but didn’t want to disturb it for fear it might hurt. I noticed it was starting to turn grey so I knew it had to be pretty loose. I told her it was time to get the tooth out. She said, “I have an idea” and then she pulled out the tool – Dad’s multi tool. Continue reading “Toothless wonder!”

Holy Costco!

Whoever said little kids don’t eat a lot have not met my children. My most recent trip to Costco resulted in a van full of bread (6 loaves to be exact), four gallons of milk, 1 large block of cheese…and no, this is not food storage for the year, but merely just the staples for two weeks. It actually stuns me every time I come home and unload my van and look at all the food. It even stuns me more to see the tab. $300 at Costco isn’t outrageous for our family. Sadly, it seems almost normal. Of course we do splurge on some extras…gotta have Jelly Belly’s every now and again, right? However, most of it is food to fill school lunches and make dinner. Wow, that is all I can say, wow! Continue reading “Holy Costco!”

Happy Birthday Seth!

Today is Seth’s 32nd birthday. I seriously remember when we were sixteen like it was yesterday. So much time has passed… but at least it was time that we spent together and I love that!

The kids wanted to make Seth breakfast. We do breakfast every year but I decided this year I would like to try something different than just eggs and toast. Keep in mind, I am not a chef and rarely cook new things and although many of you makes these on a regular basis I have never made a real omelet. I watched three YoutTube videos that teach you how to cook the egg just right and then flip it up with the pan. I even practiced with a piece of bread (how embarrassing). However, in the end it turned out great. He said he loved it. And no, I am not going for any presentation awards here. I was just glad to get it made and still have time to get the kids out the door for school.

Tonight we are going to go to dinner at Cheesecake Factory (we have a gift card burning a hole in our pocket) and then maybe hit a hot tub at grandma’s house. Then I think we’ll come home, put the kids to bed and just enjoy being together.

Happy Birthday babe! I love you!

Biking

After hurting my hip while training for the Provo 1/2 marathon in August, I decided I needed another exercise besides running. Seth quickly suggested I take up biking so I could ride with him. Not completely convinced I would love the sport enough to purchase an expensive bike,  I decided to ride around my old mountain bike from college first.

I quickly found that I didn’t have any free time to ride without taking at least some of my kids so I decided to purchase a bike trailer to tote my youngest two. Having five kids is wonderful, but finding an activity that fits all their ages and interests can be difficult. Biking however, is great and we can all do it together. The kids are always begging to go on family bike rides now. It is too bad it is starting to get too cold…

A kid’s perspective on the ecosystem – chocolate milk or bust!

Jacob brought home an assignment he had completed in his third grade class this week. Seth and I read his comments on the bottom of the page in reference to the question: “Using the illustration, explain how you become a part of the simple food chain” and got a good chuckle. One of the great things about being a parent is observing how these young minds work. Attached was Jacob’s response. Click to enlarge and read. Don’t forget to read the “P.S.” at the bottom.