Family Photos

Last Thursday we had our family photos taken. Whew! What a chore it is! I really hate getting family photos. It is just too stressful to figure out what to wear and making the kids smile and be happy, now that is whole other story! A girl in our ward did the photos (Maren Sijbrich Photography). She is awesome. She met us downtown. We just walked around and had some fun. She was so patient with my kids. We bribed the kids days in advance to smile. If they were good and smiled a lot, we told them we would buy them a surprise. With both Robert and I continuously reminding them that there was a prize in store for good behavior, they actually did quite well. So, the next day Robert took the kids to get their prize. No surprise to me, Avery picked out another stick horse. Owen chose a ball and bat, and Payton got fake nails! I am just glad the photo shoot is done for another year. That's right, once a year is all I can handle! You can check out all the photos at Maren's website. If you live in the Boise area, I would recommend her in a heart beat. She is very reasonable (cheaper than any of our stops at Kiddie Kandids!) She also gives you the entire cd of your shots and you can print what you want. So, here's her site.....

http://www.marensijbrich.com/

Inspired

As a teacher, I want to inspire my students. However, in the midst of me trying desperately to inspire them, without fail, many of them inspire me. Their individual stories are amazing. So many of them are finishing their education while working to help support their families, raising a child of their own, and have gone through more in their short lifetime than many of us could even imagine. I admire them for beating their odds and working towards their goals. It can't be easy, but they do it, and for this I am truly inspired!

There is a lot of ill in this world today, but there are also so many great things, people, ideas, etc. that inspire us daily. I love to be inspired. Teaching American Lit. gives me an opportunity to be inspired by the many witty poets who wrote so eloquently and left us with words of wisdom. Just a few of my favorites are;

Love the earth and sun and animals,Despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks,Stand up for the stupid and crazy,Devote your income and labor to others...And your very flesh shall be a great poem. ........Walt Whitman

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.
Mark Twain

As I think back to all the people who have inspired me in my life, there are too many to mention. But, I am glad for them and think of them often. I am also happy that each day, continuously and always, I am inspired by so many things. For them I am grateful, because what a bleak world it would be without inspiration!

What to read???

So, I finally finished my book, I am a Mother. My good friend, Tessa gave it to me for Mother's Day. It was a good, quick read, once I finally found the time to read it! There were some great stories and lessons to be learned. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone. Now I just need to figure out what to read next! Oh the possibilities.......

Friday's Funny

Oh, yes...our fight gear is on and we're ready to go!
Punch, kick, oh ya, this is just a fun little game!
Brittney is realizing Alec is getting serious!
She takes cover by backing up on the bench and using the old, kicking method!
She is laughing here, but realizing this isn't so damn funny!

In the last two pics. she is relentlessly begging for mercy!

Payton thinks everything is uhlarious! She means, hilarious, of course. But the error is so cute that I can't correct her. I thought I would try to post something funny, or uhlarious, on Fridays.

My first post is my bff, Brittney. She and her three kids came for a visit in June. They were here for Avery's birthday party, where Uncle Nate gave her "fight gear!" Britt's boys loved the fight gear! One night when we were hanging out, Britt's oldest boy, Alec wanted her to "fight!" Being the terrific mom she is, she obliged. Boy, she didn't know what she was in for. It started out as a friendly match and ended up being a major "I'm going to kick your butt, mom!" ......uhalarious scene for the rest of us! Sorry, Britt that we laughed at your expense. Thanks for being such a good sport!

Love is merely a madness-Shakespeare

"Love doesn't sit there, like a stone; it has to be made, like bread, re-made all the time, made new." - Ursula Guin

July 12, Robert and I celebrated 12 years of marriage. Twelve years seems like so long to me. But, this thing we have has been such an adventurous ride that it has flown right by. Looking back, we have been through a lot. There have been growing times, bonding times, challenging times, over joyous times, and times I wish I could wipe away with a big, fat eraser. But that is what marriage is isn't it? It isn't easy, there will be bumps in the road, but how we handle those bumps, enduring, forgiving, loving, is what makes marriage. To be together, loving one another, after all that life unfolds in front of us, is our true test. We've worked hard to be together. Boy, am I glad, as I love my life with you and our three, little monkeys. And at the end of the day, I am grateful because I love you, Robert and I can't imagine my life without you!

So, we went downtown Boise. We had dinner, did a little shopping, stopped for yummy drinks, and then found a bench. Across the street from us there was live music playing. It was so nice and relaxing to just sit! We ended up having a ball on that bench. We sat for hours, talking, laughing, and being shocked at all the crazy things you can see on one, lowly street! Us, laughing it up!
Me, admiring my man candy! (ha, ha)

Robert, taking a few calls. (I am sure one was from his boyfriend, Brent!:)So, I snapped a few glamour shots of myself!
He even let me make out with him on the bench! (My favorite part of the night!)
Sporting one of my new, fun purchases from Helly Hansen. (If I were rich I would have bought everything in that store!)
Thanks babe for the most fun night I have had in a really long time!
I hope that in twelve more years we'll celebrate again on a bench in downtown, Boise, chatting, kissing, laughing, and having the most fun just being together!

Bumblebees & Butterflies

My friend, Trish has this great on-line boutique! She has sunglasses, designer jeans, Juicy attire, fun hats and bags, and adorable baby legs, blankets, and hair accessories. Check it out and mark it as a favorite on your computer!

http://www.bumblebeesandbutterflies.com/products/

Happy Shopping!

Things that make you go hmmmmm

Isn't it strange that the very same thing can be........Eww...so gross

AND YET

Ohhh so cute..............

Sleeping Monkeys

One night Robert was out of town. I was up late working on the computer. Before I went to bed I sneaked into the kid's room to kiss their cheeks and cover them up. I went into Owen's room and he wasn't there. I looked in the girl's room, my room, and then began to panic. I frantically searched the entire house and garage. I couldn't find him. I then looked back in the girl's room. I climbed up on the bunk beds and looked into where Payton slept, high on the top bunk. There was Owen. Whew! Apparently he was scared and knew his big sister, Payton would protect him. I thought it was so cute that I had to snap a pic.

It wasn't but a few nights later that Robert went to check on the kids and couldn't find, Payton. He yelled down to me. This time I knew right where she was. Yup, she had crawled into bed with Owen. The next morning she told me he whined for her to sleep with him because the monsters were scary. Thanks Pay for being Owen's monster slayer, mostly because, the nights you sleep with him, he doesn't climb into bed with me. And that makes for one happy Mama!

Good Times

We headed to Lava Hot Springs for the 4th. We've kind of made it a new family tradition as this was the third year in a row we have gone. We love the small, little town nestled in the mountains. The river, that runs through town, is beautiful and the Olympic size swim pool is a lot of fun. My kids love it because all they want to do in the summer is swim, swim, swim! We enjoyed staying with our little family in the camp trailer for a few nights, floating the river with friends, and meeting up with the rest of the fam for, swimming, barbecuing and fireworks on Friday. As Robert and I packed to go last week, I was feeling strange. It just seemed so surreal that we are the parents of this little family. I feel too inadequate to be the adult planning and packing and doing everything for these three, young kids. It is overwhelming sometimes the responsibility we have as parents. But as hard as it is, that responsibility has made me a better person and brought me more joy in my life than anything else.

Here's some highlights from our weekend.....


Thanks Mikkel for bringing the fire-works. THEY were the highlight of my kid's night!

What is it kids find so fascinating about the stink bomb?!
Mikkel in action.....
Enthusiastic spectators (Check out Payton's shoes.That girl's always wearing grandma's party pumps!)
I really wanted to steal, little Drew. It was hard for me to give him up and let Payton hold him!

It was so great to visit with Gary, Sarah and their new little man, Drew. They are living in Boston and we hadn't seen them in years. Gary and Robert went to HS together, played football at ISU together, and both worked Pharmaceuticals at the same time. Gary was Robert's best man in our wedding. So, as you can see, they go way back! We wish there was a city big enough in Idaho to draw them closer because they are some of the coolest people we know, and we sure miss them.

Grill Master, thanks for the good grub dad!

The river walk

Good thing they allow horses on these trails.

Here's me with Les, Heather, and Britt. We are four of the seven girls who were best friends in HS. Yes, seven girls doing everything together. No, there was no fighting. It is hard to believe, but we were all so close. There was never a dull moment. We are now all spread out over the country. Only me and Britt still live in Idaho. I miss these girls! But when we get together it is like no time has passed. I can't believe how lucky I was in HS to have such an amazing group of friends. Boy do I love and miss you guys! Wish you had been here, Trish, Megan and Molly!

We had the best time floating the river. You have to see more pics. of this in the slide show. Robert took some great ones of Alex falling out of his tube!

Harlee and Payton, bosom cousins.

There's nothing like playing in the pool with grandpa!
Yeah! It's Aunt Mikkel! The craziest girl we know.
Here's Avery doing her little, fancy jump. This pic. doesn't do it justice. Ya had to be there.

See that girl all alone on the first platform?
Yes, that's Payton. She just walked up there and jumped off that thing all by herself!
Whew! That girl is brave.
But not as brave as my brother, Stan. He walked up to the top platform and threw a gainer. There's better pics. of his frightful jump in the slide show too!
Payton can still look fabulous...
play baby dolls, and boss her brother around.
These two can ride a stick horse just about anywhere! Movie night in the trailer.

Nice set-up, Robert!

The rest of the pics