The Devenish Dish

Back to school...

2011-09-02T15:56:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year again and I am not sure I am ready. I can tell you for sure that my wallet is not ready. We went school shopping today. When did my 7th grader start wearing a size 9 men's shoe? What?!

I have to say the most fun was with Cassie, our little shopping DIVA. She sparkles from head to toe and I have to say, much as I hate sequins, she is adorable. That kid cracks me up. We are now off to buy the rest of our school supplies. Lucky for us, I picked most of that up when it was on sale so it only cost me a slight fortune to equip our children for public school. They need all the help they can get.

Holy Crap!!

2011-05-01T22:38:00.001-07:00

It's been like 6 months since my last post. What a giant slacker I am. I do have an excuse...ok, many excuses, but I won't waste your time. I promise I'll be better at posting. Unfortunately, not right now because I have a giant headache and my brain is fried. Maybe tomorrow...yeah right.

This is an awesome giveaway!!

2010-11-23T13:42:00.000-08:00

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme

TodaysMama (link to: http://bit.ly/tmwishlist) and GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10 ) are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What is your holiday wish for your family?
My holiday wish is that we all make it to next year healthy, happy and we still like each other.

2. What is your Christmas morning tradition?
Our kids get up and come in to our room to "rouse" us from our slumber. Then they have to wait upstairs while dad goes downstairs to see if Santa came. He calls them down, we open presents and then enjoy an awesome breakfast of waffles and bacon.

3. If you could ask Santa for one, completely decadent wish for yourself, what would it be?
A trip to Tahiti or Bora Bora

4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money?
We do service for others, like shoveling walks and helping put up Christmas decorations. Somethimes we babysit while parents shop.

5. What games did you play with your family growing up?
Rummikub, gin rummy, mormon bridge, spoons

6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own childhood?
We have an advent calendar countdown, a pajama parade, and we make the same food for Christmas Eve the family has been making for 40 years.

7. Where would you go for a Christmas-away-from-home trip?
On a Disney cruise somewhere warm.

8. Check out GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) and tell us, what are the three top items on your GameStop Wish List this year?

Wii Games, The xbox Kinect and new dsi's for the kids.

Just Thought I would share this awesome giveaway. Check out Today's Mama to get to play!!

House Hunters

2010-11-14T17:54:00.000-08:00

Yes, we are house hunting. It sucks. For some people it is easy. For us it is a p.r.o.c.e.s.s.!!! We are difficult. I'm sure our realtor hates us, but we're paying him to hate us, right? Our house is not ready to sell, which makes frustrates the realtor even more. He doesn't understand that we are SLOW. It takes us forever to decide and by the time that we do, our house will be ready. Until then, we continue to look at a plethora of homes that may or may not spark our fancy.

We did look at a home on acreage that was styled like an English Farmhouse. We loved it. Huge problem though...1 finished bedroom. The potential for many, many more, but only one finished. Right. If we have to finish a home anyway, we are starting from the ground up and building what we want. We don't really want to do that, build. Seems like an awful lot of trouble. Todd was excited because of the acreage. He could have a really big dog and told me that I could raise chickens. Wow. Lucky me!! (If you can't tell, that is dripping with sarcasm.)

I'm thinking we should just suck it up and add on to this house. It would be fine. We love the neighborhood and are close to our friends and family. Who knows what will happen. Until it does though, pray for my realtor.

The longest 3 weeks of my life!!!

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

I know I said I would keep up weekly with my dieting progress, but things have been a little hairy around here. Luckily for me, the first (and hardest) 3 weeks of this diet are over. I am very excited to report that in a mere 3 weeks, I lost 20 lbs and 23 1/2 inches. The difference is amazing. Todd is a maniac!! In the same 3 weeks, he has lost a total of 36 lbs and 34 inches. This "diet" is fabulous and I know we both feel fantastic. What a difference without the caffeine addiction (hehehe) and the sugar highs and lows. I would highly recommend this to anyone. If you would like more info, please let me know. I will rave to you about it!!!

Week 1 is done!!

2010-09-23T18:23:00.001-07:00

Week one of our diet is done and here are our results:

Ally lost 8 lbs and 7 inches
Todd lost 15 lbs and 15 inches

The guys always lose faster and better than the girls!! It 's been tough but with results like this, we are so not complaining!! On to Week 2!!

Are you Pregnant?

2010-09-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

Now that I have your attention, NO I AM NOT!!! Todd and I just started a new diet called the HCG diet. Basically you take the pregnancy hormone HCG and it helps you lose weight. Amanda lost 40 lbs, Shawna lost 25 lbs. and Andrew lost 136 lbs. With these kind of results we decided it couldn't hurt to try so we jumped in feet first. Things are going well, in the first 2 days Todd lost 6 lbs and I lost 4 lbs.. Onward and downward...we'll keep you posted.

It's about time

2010-09-19T18:31:00.000-07:00

Well, life has caught up with me and the posting isn't going so well. So I thought I'd fill everyone in on what's up in our little corner of chaos.

Todd has been working like a maniac. They are short staffed and he is an overtime fiend, so he is always at work. There have been many days of late where he is working 36 hrs straight. It's an awesome paycheck, but sometimes we miss our dad/hubby. He was also recently called to be the Assistant Scoutmaster, which meant he got to take a week off in July to go with Robbie to Scout Camp. They had a blast and cannot wait to go back again next year.

I get to stay at home and play(if you call being the mother of 5 and running a household play). I dove headfirst into my newest passion, quilting, and am in the middle of an ambitious quilt with my quilting group. I work on it when I can- in between school, chauffering, meals, games and church. I was released from being the CTR 7 teacher in the Primary and called to the Relief Society Board. I love RS, but I do miss those kids in Primary.

Robbie is turning 12 this year and is preparing to receive the Aaronic Priesthood. He is the last one his age to move from Primary to YM and is anxiously looking forward to his birthday. He also started middle school at Horizon this year. He LOVES it. I had a panic attack when he started, but he is doing well and has the greatest teachers. I suppose it's just the thought of Jr. High all over again!! He is taking piano and is a phenomenal player. I wish I had half his talent. Now if we could just get him to practice...

Preston turned 8 and was baptized in June with his cousin Sarah. We were so proud of him for choosing to be baptized. He struggles daily with making the correct choices, but somewhere in the end, he chooses correctly. He started 3rd grade at McDonald with Mr. Dahlgren. Mr. D. is a new teacher to McDonald this year, but Preston loves him and he is really cool. I think he is only 12 ( Just kidding, maybe 25) but that's how the young ones seem when you are getting old. Preston has also started playing tackle football for Pop Warner. They are intense but he loves it and is learning so much every day. Go Bengals!!

Riley turned 7 this year, while we were at the lake, and the only thing she wanted for her birthday was a pinata. AAACCCKK!! Hopefully, she will grow out of this soon. Riley started 2nd grade this year with Mrs. Godfrey. She loves her and is looking forward to the day she starts getting homework.(WHATEVER!!!) She learned to ride a two wheeler this summer and spends many days and nights riding around the neighborhood with Malia.

Cassie is 3 going on 20...she is quite the little miss. She started preschool with Teacher Barbara this year and she even agrees with us!! She is large and in charge and says the most random things. I need to start writing them down. One day, on the way to the lake, she was having a conversation with Todd about nonsense that went something like this:

Cass: Can you say PPPHHHTTTT?
Todd: PPPHHHTTTT.
Cass: Can you say LLOOOLLOOO?
Todd: LLOOOLLOOO.
Cass: Fine! Subway Eat Fresh.

See? It's totally random. She loves watching Sprout, looking forward to her next day of school, playing with her cousin Piper and torturing her brother Will.

Will is getting so old so quick. He turned 1 in July and started walking shortly after. I forgot how busy they are once they are mobile. He is in to everything, and enjoys torturing the dog, annoying his sister and wrestling with Dad. Lucky for Mom, he finally decided that there are other people in the family that can hold and cuddle him!! Grandma is still not his favorite though...

Well, that is the long of it. Maybe I will try to post more later.. or maybe not!!

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T16:31:00.000-07:00

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DADDY!!!

Alice Cooper has nothing on us!!

2010-06-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

School's out for Summer!

School's out ForEver!!

No More Homework.

No More Books.

No More Teachers

Dirty Looks!!!

This is what I heard from a chorus of 3 voices

when I picked them up in the car this morning

after the last 2hrs of schoool.

Yep, they're mine :).

Does this mean I'm grounded?

2010-06-09T13:11:00.001-07:00

OK. I'm a slacker. I can't help it. I have so much going onn, that blogging is really one of the last things that comes up. Do I enjoy it when I do it? Yes, and it's very theraputic for me to write all this stuff down. Does that mean I will be better about it? Probably not. I am going to post some fun things that have been going down at our house for about the last oh 6 months. But most of that will take quite a long time so you'll just get a snippet today. I am thinking about going private on this blog...it involves my kids you know...but I do have another one for just me and you can check it out here athomebeingme.blogspot.com. Let me know what you think about the private on this blog.

Just to keep your interest, this is what I do to my kids when they don't mind...

Yep, I put them in jail. It's not so bad..they can kind of get out!!!

She said what???

2010-01-31T20:08:00.000-08:00

The other day I left to run some errands and Todd was hanging out with the kids. Cassie perceived that Robbie had done some terrible injustice to her and was more than indignant with him. Todd was teasing her and told her she should call him a jerk....what did she say instead? "Robbie you a pervert!!" I do not think she heard that from me, but would guess that it has come up once or twice in conversations with my siblings. The things they repeat. I always forget that they repeat things that they hear, and really this was one of those pretty random things. Oh well, let's just hope she doesn't call "Coleman" (our home teacher Brother Coleman) a pervert sometime when he is here (although I'm pretty sure he would think it was hilarious). Aaahhh, the joys of motherhood. She makes me so proud!!!

Resolutions....

2010-01-23T11:03:00.000-08:00

I really should be better at keeping up with this blog. I can blame it on the fact that I have 5 kids and 2 under the age of 2, but I know plenty of others who can seemingly "do it all." I'm not complaining, it's just that blogging is not on the top of my list. What is on the top of my list right now you ask?! Working out. Yep. I said it. I go to the gym with my mom every day and we work out for at least an hour. Then, sometimes I come home and do another hour on the Wii fit. I'm actually feeling a little selfish, but it feels great and I deserve it. I am committed to getting rid of all this extra weight and taking better care of myself and being a little selfish in the workout time is the beginning.
Todd's family is taking us to Disneyland for a family vacation in April. Can you only imagine how happy (almost giddy) that makes me? I haven't been for 2 years and I was starting to go through withdrawl. What's that you say? It's impossible to go through Disney withdrawl? Clearly you are not a true Disney Lover. It is possible and very difficult!!! I hear rides calling my name in the night!!! When I found out we were going in April I read one of the guidebooks for 2010 all the way through. That's right. I went out and bought a guidebook and read the whole thing...even though I already know most of the information. From cover to cover. It just makes me feel good!!! What can I say?
The kids are just as excited as I am. How could they not be? Their mother is quoting some Disney fact and talking about it non-stop. The last time the kids went, Riley was only 2. I can't wait to see how much fun she has this time. Yes, we are going with a 2 year old and a 9 month old, but grandparents are there and it won't be too bad. We've got a week in the park so we don't have to rush to see everything. Trust me, I'll be posting more about it as time gets closer.
Valentines' Day is sneaking up on us too. Yes, it is a commercialized holiday, but what a great excuse to show your family and friends you love them. I can't wait.

I Love the Muppets

2010-01-05T12:16:00.000-08:00

Disney's promotion at their theme parks this year is give a day, get a day. It's all about volunteering and doing something good in your community. Since the Devenish family is having their family reunion at Disneyland this year, we are very excited to go and use our tickets we get for completing our volunteering. The whole family is going to participate and we are looking forward to it. Here is some fun little video from the Muppets. We, along with them, encourage you to give a day...even if you don't get the chance to go to Disney this year.

To our Jewish friends....

2009-12-22T17:25:00.000-08:00

I make no excuses about my love of Adam Sandler movies. This is not one of his movies, but one of my favorite holiday songs. I hope you appreciate it as much as I do.

So much...

2009-12-19T18:29:00.000-08:00

There has been so much going on lately. We had Rob's strings concert (2 hours of pre middle school and middle schoolers playing really squeaky instruments, secret santa, ward christmas parties, Rob's christmas program, PTO and finally school christmas parties. I have this inherited disease called "can't say no syndrome" which makes me a very busy little elf this time of year. Throw in the fact that I try and get all my shopping done before the kids get out of school for the holiday (have you ever tried to christmas shop for them when they are with you?...doesn't work after about age 3.) and Bah Humbug becomes my favorite word.
Today was the greatest day so far of the holiday season, everything is done. Well...I still need to wrap but after wrapping for my parents for I don't know how many years, I am a master. The only things I have left to do is treats for FHE (which after the week from down under, should be a breeze) and caroling with the family on Monday night. Aaah. There is peace on earth. At least at our house.

Mary Did You Know

2009-12-14T20:39:00.000-08:00

This video says everything beautiful about this season.

Have a Merry Christmas!!

He's almost 12!!!!

2009-11-22T20:12:00.000-08:00

Tonight was Priesthood Preview for the 11 year olds. I know I started having my kids later in life and many of my friends have already been through this, but for me it was so strange. I don't feel like I am old enough to have a child who has graduated from Primary. Granted, Robbie is a late October birthday, so really we have a long time until it officially happens. The way this year has flown by it will be here before we know it. He is really excited and loved the attention that he got from the bishop and the primary presidency at the preview. The bishop talked to them about being future missionaries and preparing every day. Hopefully, this will help with his chores!!!

Backin'Up

2009-11-06T12:45:00.000-08:00

We recently had a major computer crash at our house and are trying to recover. Luckily, we have the greatest home teacher ever (Thanks Bill!!) so he saved us. Originally we were just trying to add some memory and fix a broken disk drive, but somewhere in that process the whole hard drive crashed. Needless to say, I was not prepared and had very little in the way of files backed up on disks (partially because of the broken drive). Bill swooped in and saved us as best he could, but he is trying really hard to find another working version of our old hard drive so he can save most of my pictures and documents.
I've learned the hard way that off-site storage and a removable hard drive is the best way to go. Guess what I get for Christmas!! The good to come from all this is that I am now operating Windows 7 (love it) and my computer is light speed compared to what I used to have. I will be very diligent about backup from now on!

Halloween

2009-11-06T12:08:00.000-08:00

Halloween was great this year. By great I mean it wasn't raining and it was only slightly cold. The kids wanted to go as characters from NCIS, but after much cajoling and explaining that no one would know who they were, they decided they all wanted to be doctors and nurses. I get the brilliant idea that I can make scrubs for everyone cheaper than I can buy them...yeah right. After making myself completely nuts sewing like a maniac for 4 days, Preston decided he didn't want to be a Dr. but wore his top as a baseball uniform. I told Todd that if I ever decided to sew costumes again to go ahead and punch me. I was insane!! Thank heaven my mom helped by cutting out all the patterns. I didn't get Cassie done so Shawna came through in a pinch and delivered one adorable (and warm) horse costume.

We went Trick or Treating at Evergreen Point again with Jane and Manda and then met up with John and Shawna a little later. Todd stayed home with the bubba (Will) and gave out our candy. The kids were running up and down the streets. I think the east half of the Stake was over there. We got to see tons of people from the other wards and the kids got great full-size candy and pop as treats. All in all I think it was a great time had by all and it took us over 2 hours to get it all done.

First Day of School

2009-10-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

Ok. I will now be playing catch-up on all my posts so you will probably see a lot that are long passed. Oh well, better late than never.

This is the first year that 3 kids are in school full-time. Robbie is in 5th grade with Mrs. Hubbard, Preston is in 2nd grade with Mrs. Godfrey and Riley is in 1st grade with Mrs. Winkler.

They were very excited to go back to school and mom was very excited also!! Cassie was very sad because the kids were going to "cool" and she didn't get to go. It was good that she doesn't know how to unbuckle her carseat, or she would have been out the car door when I dropped them off.

This is Riley's first year for school lunch and she promptly came home the first day and informed me that she was not eating school lunch anymore, only sack lunches. Only Riley. The boys would eat school lunch every single day without a complaint, but not the princess!! The kids are getting settled in now and are enjoying school life again, although I forgot how much busier life really is once school is in session again.

Wee little Willy

2009-10-11T16:38:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a long time since I posted and I really don't have too much time so I will just post a few quick pictures of Will. He's almost 3 months old and getting very big. He's a very happy baby and a joy in our home.

The Top 10 Things Ally does right!!!!

2009-09-14T00:10:00.000-07:00

You know how sometimes you just have a tendency to get down on yourself? My lovely wife explained to me yesterday that she "can't seem to do anything right!" I tried to explain to her everything in life that she does right, but you know how guys are!!! All I could think of were jokes to try and make her smile. I decided that while at work tonight, I would write her a nice letter and list all of the things that I think she does right, and all of the things that I love about her. Then I decided to try and do one better and list publicly the things I think she does right. I want the world to know just how much I love Ally. Here we go.....

10.....Egg Sandwiches!!!!

Yes I said it. Like that surprises anybody. "Wow, Todd likes food!!!!" I grew up loving Egg Sandwiches. What a nice breakfast to start your day with. Then a couple of years ago Ally decided to make me some for breakfast. What did I find out?? She makes them differently than I do....and much, much better!!! Maybe it's just that they are made with LOVE now, who knows, but I very rarely make my own anymore, I ask Ally to make them.

9......What a Looker!!!

One thing that Ally always does right is prepare herself for the day. Whether it be clothes or make-up, she always knows how to look good. She is constantly getting on me or the boys with "You're not going to wear that are you!!" but she always co-ordinates her clothes right and does her make up right and always looks great. We are in the 13th year of our marriage and every single day she is more beautiful to me.

8......Always looks to improve herself.

This is probably part of the reason why she is currently having this feeling. Always the perfectionist. I have always been impressed and inspired by my wifes work ethic. Whether it be at the jobs she has had, her church callings or just life in itself, she always wants to do her best. Every job she has had, she never fails to quickly move up the ranks. Every church calling she constantly strives to do her best and truly magnify her calling. I look up to her so much, she is truly an example to me.

7......Brown Chicken, Brown Cow!!!!!

Enough said!!

6......Takes a stand.

For any of you that have crossed ways with my wife, you know she will always stand her ground with her opinions, and she has no problem letting you know what those opinions are!! We can just use her last blog entry as an example. Her family always teases that "Ally knows it all", okay, I usually join in on the teasing, but the fact is, she does know quite a bit. She is definitely the smarter of the two of us and her opinions are always well grounded and more often than not.....correct. I love to watch her assert herself and stand for what she believes in.

5......Five beautiful children

If there is anything in this world that you can definitely say that Ally has done right, it's the five beautiful faces that I see each day. They all definitely look like Ally and her family. She does such a good job with raising and teaching them. I mean c'mon, it's not like I do a lot. Really, I don't. In 3 1/2 more hours, I will have worked 76 hrs in the last 5 days. Normal jobs do 40 hrs in that time and I've almost doubled it. If you add in sleep time, that means I'm not around much at home. She has made our kids very loving and caring, smart and resourceful. She is an awesome mother.

4......All I have to say is MUSIC

I guess this goes along with "Ally knows it all!!", but really, don't challenge her. Ally loves to play this game while listening to the radio. "Todd, who sings this song?", really, I never know!!! Nor do I really care, but still, she knows it all!!! I swear one of these days I'm going to sign her up for the "Singing Bee" or something like that. Almost any song we hear, she knows who sings it and she's usually pretty close to the year it came out. "Todd, who sings this?", "Todd, what movie is this song in?" Don't try her, she knows!!! and I love that about her.

3......Cooking

Yes, I went back to food. Are you really that surprised??? I tease Ally quite often about some of the things she cooks and how she always likes to experiment, but she really is a good cook. She has found some recipes that are so good. The things that she does well, she really does well. I still think I'm the better cook though!!

2......She's a great friend

All of you know this better than I do. She is loyal to the end and will truly do anything for a friend. She is the only one I know of that can sit and talk to her best friend for 3 hrs in church and then go home and talk for another 2 hrs on the phone, with the same person. It doesn't matter how close or how far away the friend is, Ally will always be there for them. She has a way of making you feel good and special. She is truly a great friend.

1......The Number One thing Ally has done right??? ME

13 years ago I was going nowhere fast. I had no direction in my life. Then Ally invited me to go to Germany with her to pick up Quinn. My life has never been the same. Standing on the Eiffel Tower and telling Ally that I thought that I loved her was the best thing I've ever done in my life. She inspires me to be better. She makes me want to improve myself, so that I can be as good a husband for her as she is a wife to me. I'm proud of who I am today and I owe all of that to her. I have a good job, I have a beautiful family and I owe all that I have to her. She is truly the love of my life and I will forever be grateful to her.

So, those are just a few of the many things that I know Ally has done right and continues to do right. I'm sure each of you have your own ideas of something that she has done right in your life. Please let her know. Sometimes you need the encouragement from your friends!!!!

Thank you.....

Censored....

2009-09-04T20:38:00.000-07:00

OK. I have a tendency (especially when I have an infant and am getting very little sleep) to go off about things. I really have to censor myself often, but sometimes the little switch doesn't work. My last post was one of those times. My best hubby very gently explained that I am ranting in a very, very, very public forum and I probably should limit my use of names and such just to avoid any possibility that said names may read my blog (doubt it) and choose to take their dislike of my opinion out on my children. Enough said. I get it, and probably should have gotten it sooner but hey, I am sleep deprived. Rather than rewrite the whole post, I chose to just delete it. It's much better this way. I am not going to apologize for my opinion, but will be a little more careful about how I express it. I hate it when he is right!!

I am way to old for this!!

2009-07-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

I have finally rejoined the land of the living and have found some time in my sleepless, busy schedule to post some pictures of the new little one. I've forgotten what a joy it is to have a precious little one in the house, but that also includes very little sleep. When your 2 yr old has been sleeping through the night since 3 mos. you get used to that...go figure. I have to say though I wouldn't trade him for the world. I think he's adorable and totally forget about the misery I went through to get him (It really wasn't misery, 5 hrs start to finish) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed Todd and his posts, I know...they make me laugh too. Here are some pictures, I will post more later.

Take #2......

2009-07-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

Okay, call it the drugs wearing off, or just the given right a person has to change their mind...but let me re-introduce you to our new baby. William Frederick Devenish was born on Tuesday July 21st. After 30 hours we just weren't comfortable calling him Shea, he just isn't a Shea. So we went back to calling him Will which seems to fit just right. We changed the middle name to Frederick as it is a family name and an homage to my 2nd favorite country Denmark. The papers are all filled out now and turned in, so changing it again may be a little more difficult. Mother and child are still doing wonderful and will be coming home today. They will actually probably spend most of the day at Ally's parents house as I work all day, but we should be home all day on Friday and Saturday, so if anybody wants to stop by and meet the new member of the family, feel free. Entrance fee is a plate of cookies and "holding the baby" rights come with a fresh pizza!! Just kidding. But do feel free to stop by if you would like to. Thanks goes to Dr. Brown and the wonderful hospital staff that made this LAST visit to labor and delivery a fun experience for us. If it's not our last Dr. Brown, I do know where to find you!!! We should have some pictures posted possibly today but most likely tomorrow. Take care y'all!

10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...WE HAVE A BABY!!!

2009-07-22T02:59:00.000-07:00

Okay, give me a break...I can't be as clever as Ally with titles to blogs. But the truth is here to be known, we have a baby. William Shea Devenish (Will or Shea) came into the world yesterday just after noon. Baby measured in at 6 lbs 15 ounces and 18.5 inches long. We were all happy to see him. He has a little bruising around his nose and mouth, but other than that, all is good. He has a little hair, kind of looks like a cool marine buzz cut. The quote of the day has definitely got to go to Preston. Preston had the good fortune of checking the new baby out with our Pediatrician Dr. Woolf. After checking the baby over completely, Preston was proud to report that the baby's "weiner is as big as a worm!!". That's my boy!! So, here is the tally....

10......The number of days in a row that Riley asked if we were going to get the baby out today!!

9........The number of minutes I think it actually took us to push to get the baby out.

8........The number of different names Ally called me during those 9 minutes!!

7........The number of people now in our family!

6........lbs 15 ounces......that's right, nice and small makes an easier delivery.

5........The ungodly hour we were supposed to be at the hospital.

4........The number of veins that the nurses blew out before we finally got an IV in.

3........The number of toes on his left foot.......................................................just kidding.

2........The number of hours of sleep Ally got the night before.

1.........The number of times in the middle of pushing that Ally exclaimed "I NEED A COKE!!!"

That's my little caffeine addict!! Here's your medicine, you just go to sleep now.......

Anyway, thank you all for caring and sharing in our lives. We miss you and hope to talk to you all soon. We will post some pictures of the new one in the next couple of days or so.

Are We There Yet?

2009-07-09T00:19:00.000-07:00

It's a little after midnight, I'm having contractions, I have to go to the potty for the 100th time since 9pm and I have insomnia, even though I am exhausted. Isn't late pregnancy fun? I feel like I am Riley on our last car trip asking every 5 minutes..."Are we there yet?". My mom says to be careful what you wish for!!!

The King of Pop

2009-06-25T18:53:00.000-07:00

I just heard, and yes I am mourning. Michael Jackson died of a heart attack. I am incredibly sad because I think he makes great music. Eccentric and Weird yes, but musically brilliant. We are in Logan and my in-laws are making fun. My sister called me from SLC as soon as she heard and asked if she needed to drive up here really fast to be by my side. I liked his music and all but it's not like it's Bono!!! All I can say is, Long live the King of Pop on my Ipod. I'm sad there will be no more music from him.

Our life is so...

2009-06-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

I know it's been forever since I have posted and there has been so much happening at our house. We're counting down the days until school gets out (2 days, 2 hrs) and getting ready to go on vacation. We're going to visit the Devenishs' in Logan for a week. We also get to see Manda, Rob, Michelle and Finn. Actually, Michelle and Finn are going to be in TX so we get to hang with Manda and Rob. We haven't really been on a vacation with this many people before so I'm trying to get used to the logistics of packing for everybody.
My energy level is noticeably reduced especially during the really hot days and so I feel like I am running at 1/4 speed. It really is making me nuts. The Dr. is concerned about the Diabetes and my history of early deliveries and so I am forced to have a non-stress test at the hospital and ultrasounds at the office once a week from now until I deliver. The one benefit to this is that I get at least 30 minutes of uninterrupted Ally time at the hospital each week.
Robbies' baseball season ended about a week ago, but since then both Preston and Riley have started theirs. Prestons' season is actually over at the end of June and Rileys' games start on Tuesday. Softball with 5 and 6 year old girls is amusing...to say the least. Let's just hope they can stay on the field long enough to complete an inning.
I will try and post some fun (and interesting) things in the coming weeks, including softball and more baseball pics. I hope everyone is having a fun and interesting summer!!

Happy Birthday To Me!!

2009-05-08T19:43:00.000-07:00

OK, so I am a year older...and I really was alright with it. I wasn't going to bring it up but I need to brag about the great gift my husband got me. I was fortunate to be born in the same week as mothers day and usually I don't get much of a gift for that reason. This year, Todd was totally sneaky and bought me something I really wanted but figured I'd never get. I have the smaller, more economical model and figured that would have to do me until I had to buy me a new one.
Todd had to work on my birthday so I went to hang out with mom. He called and told me to get home right away, he had a suprise. I figured he gotten the rest of the afternoon off and I was really excited to see him (yeah right, I wanted him to take care of the kids so I could nap!!) but when I got home he wasn't there, but there was a giant box on the porch from UPS. I went inside and opened it up...what was there??? A Cricut Expression. This is like the Holy Grail of Cricut machines and I just about peed my pants. Even better...there were 4 cartridges in it, the markers (color and black) and various other tools. I know I sound like a geek, but I think I was screaming while I was talking to him on the phone.
I can't wait to get started with my vinyl cutting, but I haven't really have a chance to play with it. I promise Quinn, when I get some stuff done, I will take pictures and post. I think I have the best hubby ever!! Anyway, if you don't see a post from me in awhile it is because I am playing with my new toy!!

A little early for Mother's Day

2009-04-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

OK. I love these guys and it doesn't hurt that they go to school at Gonzaga and live in Spokane. They are hilarious. My brother-in-law Orrin sent this to me last year and we kept it because it totally reminds me of my brothers and my sons. Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

Baseball is here...

2009-04-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

I love the pacific northwest and really wouldn't want to live anywhere else. There are some drawbacks though, one of which we have avoided until now. Springtime Sports. I know it sounds funny but spring in Spokavega can be a crapshoot. You never know what you're going to get and this year has been no exception to that rule. Robbie wanted to play baseball this year, and my brother John and his kids have been playing for years, so I asked them which league was the best. He said they were all great but he thought the Pony season was the best because it starts in April and ends in June. Most of the other leagues start in June and go through August, which means spending many summer nights at baseball games. That sounded great to me...especially since I will be giving birth sometime this summer, so we signed him up for Pony. I forgot. I didn't really forget, I just had a momentary lapse in judgement until the game that was 40 degrees and snowing/raining. Remember, this is Robs' first year playing organized baseball and he is on a team with other guys in the same boat. Translation? They need work. Mostly it's a lot of sitting around in really cold, icky weather watching the bad news bears (or muddogs, in their case.) He loves it and we know it's a great experience, but ya gotta love Spokane for spring sports. Off we schlep with parkas, gloves, hats and heavy blankets, sitting in our camp chairs with umbrellas by our sides just in case. The things we do for our kids. Prestons' age group starts in May and Riley doesn't start softball until June. At least by then we will be used to it. Right?

Happy 7th Birthday Preston!!!

2009-04-24T21:08:00.000-07:00

REALLY LATE!!! April 14th was Preston's birthday. I am late posting but we actually celebrated for about 2 weeks to accommodate everyone and our crazy schedules. We are so thankful to have Preston in our family. We sat down as a family and wrote things that describe him and correspond to his name. Here are our answers:

P is for pizza because that's his favorite food

R is for rambunctous because he loves to wrestle

E is for energetic he has so much we can't keep up

S is for smile it will light up a room

T is for taller than a lot of his friends

O is for obedient...most of the time!!

N is for no one could ever take his place in our hearts

We think he is the greatest. His laugh is contagious and his smile is the brightest. We love you and are thankful for you. Hope you had a great day.

Riley's turn for Mobius Kids

2009-04-24T20:50:00.001-07:00

My favorite place to take my kids. I can't brag enough about it...but this time it was all about Riley and her Kindergarten class and their first "real" field trip. We got to take the bus downtown and walk a short distance to Riverpark Square (the mall that houses Mobius). It was time for lunch so we went up to the gallery in the food court (yes, an art gallery just off the food court at the mall) and let the kids eat their food. This was almost as much fun Mobius, because most Kindergarteners still eat lunch at home. Here are the girls enjoying their lunches.

When we got to Mobius, the kids all lined up so they could give them a really quick briefing about the museum rules and being respectful. It was very hard for them to listen because they were so excited about what they were going to do. Riley is an old pro...we have a membership so it's not new, but there were lots of kids who had never been there and were chomping at the bit to get to the exhibits. I don't blame them, it's hours of entertainment and they were having a hard time deciding where to go first.

After close to two hours of non-stop playing( I couldn't get any pictures because I was running around trying to keep track of kids) we hopped back on the bus...which was another first for quite a few of the kids....and came back to the school. Riley said it was the best field trip she'd ever been on, of course it's only the first one!!!

It's Been So Long...

2009-04-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

I know, I have been very lax in my blogging lately. I feel like there is nothing to talk about and then I go through my pictures and I realize that there really has been a lot, I'm just a slacker. So here is my attempt at a few things that happened recently. I'll try to keep it short. Keep reading!!!

It's a Boy!!

2009-03-09T15:20:00.000-07:00

Todd Wins!! The bet was on and Todd is the big winner. Baby #5 is a boy. No we do not have a name and we probably won't until right before he is born. I voted for a girl, only because I have girl clothes. I haven't had a boy in 7 years, so there are no clothes at our house that work for baby boys. It's really kind of funny, but we are looking forward to doing some shopping!!! Everyone is really excited, even Riley, although she is convinced that she will be naming him.

Cassie cuteness

2009-03-09T15:07:00.000-07:00

My family has continuously teased me that my kids are really good. I always said that they just put on a good show when they are not at home. Cassie and I went over to visit Grammy the other day and what happened? Cass plopped herself down and went to sleep on the floor next to Abby. There she slept, with at least 10 people and 2 dogs stepping over her. We did push her out of the way, but I was worried if I picked her up she would wake up. She slept this way for over an hour. OK, maybe she is really good.

Cass has also decided that she is old enough to play the "tendo" (Nintendo DS). Obviously she can't really play it, but she really enjoys telling her siblings to give her the Tendo and "tendo on". She is really funny. Here is her typical stance while playing. Notice she is even trying to use the stylus...

She loves to play with her brothers and sisters things...especially shoes and hats. She cracks us up that she loves to put these things on and parade around the house showing us what a big girl she is. Most of the time she encourages her brothers to play along.

Grammy got a new dog

2009-03-09T15:03:00.000-07:00

Grammy Nowels got a new dog, her name is Ava and she is a Visla (pronounced Veeshla). She is quite skittish, but she is really pretty and she loves the kids. She is also a couch potato. If you are sitting on the couch in "her spot" she will come and sit right on your lap...until you move.

Hoagie Night

2009-03-09T14:50:00.000-07:00

Monday nights at our house are Hoagie Night...We buy all the fixins' for Sandwiches and the kids get to build their own on these great french bread buns. These are the pictures of what our kids built we had our first Hoagie night. Rob's was so big he couldn't even get it into his mouth, but we were impressed so we took a picture, and then everyone else wanted in on the action.

I haven't posted in so long...

2009-02-11T14:55:00.000-08:00

but I really don't have anything exciting to report. Life is busy around here and sometimes I worry how I am going to get it all done, but I enjoy it. I'm still here and will post more pictures and possibly some funny antidotes soon.

The greatest band and album ever!!

2009-01-20T14:41:00.000-08:00

Today I am professing my love for the greatest band of all time. I would even dare to say they are better than the Beatles. Who is this marvelous musical menagerie? It is only Bono, The Edge, Adam and Larry otherwise known as U2. Yes, I am a child of the 80's, so it is slightly possible that my view is skewed, but they are even popular today. Isn't one of the legacies of a great band the fact that they are loved and appreciated by generations? Think back to some of their songs:

With or Without You

Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

Mysterious Ways

One

Elevation

Beautiful Day

Pride..(In The Name Of Love)

Sunday Bloody Sunday

I could go on and on. They do a haunting rendition of Unchained Melody, that makes me want to cry whenever I hear it. One of their B sides contains a song called All I Want Is You. I played it at my wedding and it's another one that makes me cry. Is this an obsession? Probably. If you asked Todd he would swear that I love Bono more than him. It's not true, I just would like Bono to sing to me forever!!! You can tell when I am in a mood, because the iTunes is blasting U2. I am just curious...Am I the only one with this crazy obsession for a band or are there others of you out there? Leave me a comment and let me know if I should seek therapy now.

Baby #5

2009-01-15T14:51:00.000-08:00

Well, we've finally let everyone know, we're expecting baby #5. Yes, I know to many of you it is a suprise because we were supposed to have taken care of this. The Lord works in mysterious ways and apparently thought the Billy T family was not quite complete. The kids are ecstatic and mom and dad are looking forward to adding another personality (Not so much the wrestling in Sacrament Meeting, but we got awhile!!). Again, Ally is due about the same time the Nowels family goes to the lake, but what a better way to recover than to sit on my rear in a chair on the dock while the baby sleeps. We're growing out of our cars and our house but it's all good. We're looking forward to August.

It's Official

2009-01-11T20:37:00.000-08:00

"The" Stake conference is finally come and gone. They said there would be suprises, and by goodness, there were. With all the speculating and supposed "info leaks" out there, our neighborhood thought we were safe. They would be adding to our ward and cutting off a small part to put in another. Boy were we wrong. I think there was an audible gasp when they read that our neighborhood, as well as a big chunk of our ward, would be in two different wards. We were shocked when we were told that we were now members of the Belle Terre ward and others were members of the Painted Hills ward. I have to say I didn't see it coming. I was looking forward to having my sisters' family and my parents in the Pines ward with us and thought it would be a great experience. The stake presidency had different ideas.
With that said, we are very excited to be in our new ward. We are looking forward to meeting new people and serving with them. For the time being we are calling-less, but we expect that to change as the ward settles in. We are also excited that we will still be able to see some of our friends at school activities and stake activities. Change is good, although for some can be extremely scary, but we're trying to go in with no preconceived notions of what to expect. It will be odd to attend church at the Stake Center, I've gone to the Evergreen Building the whole time I've lived in Spokane (including my childhood) but hey, a building is a building right? So, the suspense is over and it is not the "End of the World", and we still feel fine.

Back to School, Back to School.

2009-01-07T20:02:00.000-08:00

They're finally going back!! Thursday is my favorite day this week. After being out of school for 3 weeks...1 whole week of snow closures...they are going back. The amount of snow melt in this city is truly amazing. I will post pictures tomorrow. If you compare the pics taken on Mon to the landscape right now...you'd think we haven't had any snow all year (If you don't look at the giant snow berms everywhere.) I suppose I should be thankful we didn't have any roofs fall in on our children but I had seriously had it. Summer vacation where they can go out and play, no problem. Winter when they are stuck inside? Sucks!! By the way Reni, thanks for offering to send me the homeschooling stuff, but you lived with me for years. Let's just say I have no patience and am not a teacher. I don't know how you do it :). It's now 8pm here and time for them to go to bed so they can go to school tomorrow!!! Yeeeehaaaaw!!!!

The saga continues

2009-01-05T20:42:00.000-08:00

Day #15 without any school. They are now saying that a huge warm front is expected at the end of the week and we are going to get poured on. This in turn makes the 2 feet of snow on every roof very heavy, which has already caused numerous cave-ins. The school district wants to be safe and is clearing off all of the roofs before they send the kids back to school. It is estimated this will take until Thursday. I'm half tempted to call the school district and volunteer to remove snow just to get away for awhile. Although the sleeping in is nice, it's probably time for them to go back. They are supposed to be learning, right? I'm not sure how much more Spongebob I can handle!!

Al Gore can suck it!!

2009-01-04T22:01:00.000-08:00

The mailboxes across the street

Global warming my butt. I want that man to move here, so he can be on the storm track that every 2-3 days brings us 4-8 inches of new snow. They are worried about the polar ice caps and the polar bears going extinct. Move the polar bears to Spokane. There is plenty of snow for them here. My kids have not been to school in 14 days (This does not include weekends but does include the break which is only 10 days) The Sheriff is now saying that it is not safe for my kids to go to school because the sidewalks are not shoveled and they will have to stand in the middle of the street to wait for the bus. Didn't they know this 2 weeks ago? It didn't just start snowing today. Whatever. I told John that since the Sheriff cancelled school, he could swing by and pick the kids up on his way to work. They would be happy to keep him company in his patrol car tomorrow, because they are driving me nuts. He wasn't so keen on the idea, said it was Ozzie not him. I'd be happy if Sheriff Ozzie would take the kids to Chuck E. Cheese. They would like that. It's hard to play in snow that's over your head. Thank heaven for Nintendo DS.

Shannen this is for you. You got Democrat connections. Get Al Gore over here so we can give him a nice "warm" Spokane welcome and tell him what we think of global warming. I'll get off my soap box now and go watch the gigantic flakes fall from the sky, again. At least it's pretty. This was the trampoline!!

A reference to R.E.M.

2009-01-04T21:46:00.000-08:00

Ok, flashback to old 80's songs... I've decided that this song is so appropriate these days. It fits for everything... the beginning goes like this....
That's great it starts with Earthquakes, birds, snakes and airplanes,
Lenny Bruce is not afraid....
Fred Durst royally screwed it up trying to sing it during MTV's Y2K celebration at Times Square. The chorus goes something like this...
It's the end of the world as we know it,
It's the end of the world as we know it,
It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel FINE!!

Before you decide that I have completely lost it, think about the amount of change that occurs everyday. To many of us, it may seem like the end of the world, but although often hard to stomach, it's just change. It happens all the time and you can't really escape it. The Stake Presidency just announced that they are adding a new ward and many of the old ones will be re-arranged. For us, no big deal... the church is true no matter what ward I am in. For others, it is a crisis of Biblical proportions. It will be interesting when it all comes down next week. If I truly got in to astrology and my horoscope, I would be losing my mind. I am a Taurus. I am a bull, very stubborn and resistant to change. Maybe I grew up. I don't feel like I am so resistant. Change is exciting and makes life fun. It breaks up the routine. All I can say is long live R.E.M. and great 80's music, because I feel FINE!!!

MAMMA MIA!!

2008-12-28T21:31:00.000-08:00

Deanna, Quinn and Anita

I just wanted to give a quick shout out to Anita, Quinn, Gusti and Jamie. I just watched Mamma Mia! again and although I did have fun watching it with Todd (my kids wanted me to stop singing) it wasn't quite the same as a bunch of 30-sonething women at the movies. So here's to best girlfriends and ABBA. I love and miss you guys. You're the best Dancing Queens I know.

Oh...the weather outside is frightful....

2008-12-20T11:35:00.000-08:00

...but since we've no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. I highly doubt that when this song was written, they were speaking of breaking a record for the most snowfall in 24 hours and over 30 inches. That's right, over 30 inches on the ground in Spokane, in less than 48 hours. It was nuts. We were stuck!!! Luckily we have one vehicle that is 4 wheel drive so that Todd could get to work. Needless, to say, school was closed and my van was not going anywhere. It's now Saturday, the roads are still not plowed and my van is still buried. We are now experiencing sub-zero temperatures again!!! More snow is on the way for tomorrow. It's crazy nuts!! The kids have been sledding on the streets because no one is driving (unless you have a 4x4 you are not going anywhere) which is nice because we couldn't get to the sledding hill if we tried. Thank heaven I went grocery shopping the day before the storm hit, so I didn't have to worry about trying to get to the store while Todd is working 20 hour days. (He's essential personnel for the Sheriff's dept. so he goes to work as long as they need him.) They plowed my moms' street this morning, so we are hoping they will get to ours today before the next storm hits. I love winter, but I don't love it this much. We were hoping that they would cancel church. Is that too much to ask?

ElfYourself by Office Max

2008-12-07T21:14:00.000-08:00

Go to elfyourself dot com to create your own little elf dances. It's cute and a lot of fun. Here's ours.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

I love Adam Sandler

2008-12-07T16:41:00.000-08:00

I can't help it. I love stupid humor. I firmly believe that "Billy Madison", "Happy Gilmore", "50 First Dates" and "The Wedding Singer" are movie classics. I don't love all of his movies, but his old SNL spots are great and I just laugh my head off at him. I especially appreciate his tribute to the Jewish Hannukah...The Hannukah Song. It makes me want to convert...(Hey they get 8 crazy nights!) So in tribute to those Jewish friends of mine and one of my favorite comedians, Adam Sandler, here is the live version of the Hannukah Song. Mazeltov!!

Fried Turkeys and little bugs

2008-11-28T20:26:00.000-08:00

The one redeeming quality of Thanksgiving is fried turkey. If you have never had this delightfully Southern delicacy for your Thanksgiving main dish, you are missing out. There is nothing better than a deliciously seasoned, brown and crispy outer skin and a gorgeous white and juicy meat that just melts in your mouth. Todd would say the dark meat is more delicious, but I am partial to the white meat. I must admit, when my mom said that we were not doing a turkey this year and were opting for Prime Rib instead, I was not complaining. But when they changed their mind because Joe bought an infrared turkey fryer ( it doesn't use any oil, which can get expensive) we were all very excited and the disappointment about no prime rib was minimal.
The dinner was delicious, as many of you know, my mom is quite the cook and she never disappoints. Our family does not watch football on Thanksgiving but rather, basketball. Gonzaga Basketball to be exact. The Mormons cheering on the Catholics. Seems rather strange but we love our hometown team and John Stockton played there.
I got started with my Black Friday shopping a little early. Michaels' opened at 6pm on Thanksgiving and the cartridges for my Cricut (aka my little bug) were on sale for $30. This was a smokin' deal. At Michaels' they retail for $90, at Wal-Mart they are $70, so you can imagine my excitement. I never imagined the line. It was crazy, apparently a lot of people have nothing better to do Thanksgiving evening. I did end up getting three cartridges I wanted, for the price I would have paid for one, so I was very happy and Christmas came a little early. I bumped into quite a few people I knew and thanks to Joann Maughn I was able to get one cartridge I wanted, but didn't get in time. Luckily she was the first one in and grabbed one too many which she passed on to me. I am thankful for her!!!
And so ends another Thanksgiving, admittedly not my favorite holiday (shouldn't we be thankful all the time, not just one day?) but I survived it nonetheless.

Go Utes!!

2008-11-28T20:18:00.000-08:00

Here it is...Todd is the greatest, Todd is the best, Todd still owes me for losing the Christmas Tree bet even though he won the bet for the Utah - BYU game. What was up with my Cougars? Max Hall threw 5 interceptions...he's killing me!!! I will have to listen to the Utah fight song for the rest of my life because of him. (Did you know you can hear it on You Tube?) MH better watch out. If I ever run into him he is a dead man!!! Well, at least one Mountain West team is going to a BCS bowl, unfortunately it probably won't be the National Championship Game. It could be interesting if Utah gets to play Florida and their former coach Urban Meyer. I'll be watching and not just because Todd is making me.

Can you have withdrawl symptoms for this?

2008-11-22T15:45:00.000-08:00

I think I am. I am having fly for free, former airline employee withdrawl. I can't say that I had it with any of my other jobs. I certainly don't even miss the apartment manager thing, but I do miss working at the airline. This is the busiest time of year and usually the most challenging, yet at the same time it is very rewarding. Knowing you're helping people to go be with loved ones, or doing something fun for the holidays is great. The best part is that when all the hubbub of the holidays is over, you can load the whole family up and head out without worrying whether you are going to get bumped. I miss it so very, very much. Not enough to go back to work, mind you, but enough to have little worksickness pangs every now and again. I know a quick hop on a flight to Disneyland for the weekend would cure me.....

HOLIDAY GIFTS

2008-11-21T20:02:00.000-08:00

Okay, this is my first post on here. I had to get on and let people know a little about our blog site here. If you go down on the right hand side you'll see a link to "Marys Mints", you have to visit. If you are looking for that perfect holiday gift, you can't go wrong with Marys Mints. On the site they offer homemade butter mints that are to DIE for. They are so good. There is also offered Toasted Coconut Chocolate Marshmallows, how can that be bad?? I'm here now to tell you that you can also get Holiday Chocolates shipped!! You name it, you can get it pretty much. She makes turtles, chocolate covered pretzels, nuts, etc. Caramels and the works. I believe any order made before December 20th can probably arrive by Christmas. On the Marys Mints site there is an email address to ask questions or make orders, you can also email Ally to ask questions. This business is just getting started and I'm telling you, you won't be disappointed. You'll get an original, inexpensive gift that people will talk about. This is probably what my siblings are getting for Christmas so.....surprise!! That's all I have to say, if you're having a hard time thinking of that perfect gift for in-laws, neighbors, co-workers, loved ones that live far away, visit Marys Mints, you'll be glad you did.

BYU vs. utah

2008-11-20T20:01:00.000-08:00

For those of you who follow college football in Utah, the big game is this weekend. I am asking for predictions. Who will win? The Lord's school or those heathens on the hill? Leave me a post and let me know who you are rooting for. We'll see who wins the Devenish informal game. I got a quick joke for you...Why isn't the U having a nativity this year? Give up? Because they couldn't find three wise men and a virgin. In case you're wondering, Ally is rooting for BYU and Todd (and Ally's whole entire family) is rooting for the U. I'm a little outnumbered here. Show me some love and then pray for those BYU cougs.

Do I have anything to say?

2008-11-20T19:05:00.000-08:00

The other night Todd was saying that I had not blogged anything for a long time. I said that I haven't done anything fun lately. He reminded me that I don't necessarily have to do anything fun to have something to say, and that I should treat it more like a daily journal. I think many of the things I do on a daily basis are terribly mundane, I do have opinions and sometimes I wonder if others share (or care) about these things. So here it goes... a couple of Ally musings:

1. Is the decorating talent something you learn or something that is inbred? I know I certainly don't have it, nor did I learn it. Am I going to HE** for that?

2. Why am I, a really not creative person, continually called to be involved on the RS enrichment committee, or in some other capacity involving the enrichment committee? Is somebody trying to tell me something...like I'm not getting it and maybe that's something I should be working on?

3. What is the infatuation with Twilight? I understand enjoying a book, but I don't understand the total obsession that tons of people have with these characters. I am really not a hater, I just don't get it.

4. I have to confess...I have a strange love/hate relationship with reality TV. I hate it because it's mindless and contrived and I love it because it's mindless and contrived. It's a dilemma that I can't solve. I have to admit that I watch the really "good" ones also like Real Housewives of Atlanta ( These women give *itchy new meaning). I watch Dog the Bounty Hunter and Repossessed and Cops. I laugh at stupid people. It's weird, but I think part of the reason is that I don't have to put any effort into watching. It just goes in and rattles around a bit. Then it goes away. Whatever.

5. Why does the school district still do late start during conference week? If it isn't bad enough that our kids go one hour later on Thursdays, you throw in conferences when they get out at 12:30 and they are in class for 2.5 hours, and yes this includes lunch and recess. You make me get them up for what? What is the point exactly?

6. Why do children think your furniture is a jungle gym? Maybe that's just my kids!!

7. Why can't I ever win anything? I enter all sorts of fun contests. People win, me...not so much. Is my luck really that bad?

So there you have it. I wish I could say I have profound and witty things that I contemplate and then post, but no!! Feel free to comment. It's always nice to get confirmation of my mental illness!!

Dancing Queens?

2008-11-09T18:27:00.001-08:00

There is one thing I forgot to mention in my previous post and that was video night. Anthony showed us the most watched video on You Tube, which for some reason I had not seen. It has some great (classic) moves and the middle reminds me of our cruise to Mexico. (It's a long story, let's just say it involves Todd, Freddie, Robert a lawn mower and a dog) Just in case you haven't seen it, I am including it here for you. My kids love it and are trying to master all the moves as we speak!! I hope you enjoy it like we did.

ROAD TRIP

2008-11-08T14:02:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago my best friend (and former college roommate) Quinn called and said she was coming to Utah for a visit, all the way from Germany. I have not seen her since before Preston was born and I was very excited because I miss her!! As I mentioned in a previous post, my friend Anita (another one of our roommates) just moved to Seattle. I just so happened that the opportunity presented itsself for Anita and I to hop in the vanagan and take a vacay to Utah for a mini reunion.

Once we were there, it was like we had been together just yesterday. It was like being in college again only add 15 years, husbands', children and all the other fun stuff that comes with growing up. We took the kids to the park to see Deanna (another roommate) and let the kids play while we caught up. We missed Reni though as she had the nerve to give birth an hour after she was supposed to meet us. We decided that we were going to feed our ABBA obsession and go see Mama Mia. We had so much fun. I'm sure our husbands' were relieved that they didn't have to go with us and we had a blast singing, dancing and yelling during the movie. Gusti's 15 year old Kali came with us. I'm sure she was horribly embarrassed by our antics, but if you can't embarass your friends kids, who can you embarass? When we got home, Gusti talked us into playing a video game. Not just any video game but our new obsession:

We played until 2 am. I don't think I've stayed up that late on purpose(unless it's New Year's Eve) for a really long time!! I am really not good at video games, including this one, but we sure had fun trying.

On Saturday, Kelli drove down from Boise and we decided to take a mini road trip all the way to Provo. I had not been to BYU in probably 7 years and we thought it might be fun to go down there and see how much had changed. There were lots of good changes (DT is no longer) and some that suprised us. (Our beloved white, mouse house is gone.) We did feel a little nostalgia as we drove by the former site of the White House. There was a football game that day and parking was insane. We were laughing at how we used to park cars in our field and charge for parking on game days. It helped with the rent, until Steve found out and chose to do it himself!! Landlords!! We spent some time on campus, telling stories and eating at the creamery. It was just strange to be there again. On the way home, Quinn mentioned she was thirsty so I had to introduce her to the Sonic Cherry Limeade. I know they don't have those in Germany!! After Sonic? More Rockband. I said it was an obsession.

We had so much fun while we were there. Gusti took lots of pictures and hopefully will send them to us because I was camera challenged. I also got to see my sister Amanda and my brother Rob and sister-in-law Michelle. I appreciate Manda for reminding me how good Cafe Rio really is and that there is nothing better than cheese fries from Training Table. Yes, we ate, but there are some things you can only get there. I also appreciate her letting us stay at her really cool house. The theater room is truly the best room to sleep in!! Thanks Man!!! I also have to thank Gusti. She fed us and let us stay at her house also, even though she already had a houseful. Thank You!!! We were sad when we had to leave, we had so much fun. Quinn and family will be back next year and we're making plans already. Thanks for the fun girls. I love and miss you. You are truly best friends!!

A week late and more than $1 short...Happy Birthday Robbie!!

2008-11-03T13:35:00.000-08:00

OK. I have been very busy and I didn't forget his birthday, I just drove 10 hours on very little sleep on his actual birthday and updating the blog was the last thing on my mind. So here it is...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBBIE!!

Here's to our oldest son. The one that fills our heads with endless amounts of trivia and knows every fact there is to know about wolves, rattlesnakes and dinosaurs that no longer exist. The one that Todd is convinced will be our state champion swimmer and the one who is truly wicked smart. The one who corrects his parents on a daily basis because he is convinced that his 4th grade Central Valley education has made him more knowledgeable than his college educated parents... Rob is the most considerate, caring and helpful older brother that any younger brother or sister could possibly want. Thank you Robbie for coming to our family. We love and appreciate you very much. We hope you had a happy birthday.

Avoidance only works for so long...

2008-10-05T16:59:00.000-07:00

It finally happened. I got tagged. Yep, I'd been avoiding but Quinn didn't get my subliminal messages!!! So the rule is I get to post a specific picture, here's mine.

This picture is Kim and Freddie in the front and Todd and Robert right behind them on California Screamin' at Disneyland last year. The reason this picture is so hilarious is that Kim absolutely hates roller coasters and this one goes 0-60 in 3 seconds up this hill, but you get to sit and wait until it launches you, which is a little nerve racking for those of us who actually enjoy roller coasters. Her smile quickly changed once she was launched. The next picture is better but unfortunately its blurry ( and not part of the game). I was not on the coaster because I was preggo. I was really sad about that, but Lillie doesn't like coasters either so she was standing with me laughing at them. So I respectfully tag Cindy, Traci and Tammy. The rule is to pick photo number 4 out of the 4th picture file on your computer. Have fun.

Utah Football and Bob Marley

2008-10-02T21:17:00.000-07:00

As I sit here after putting the kids to bed, listening to Todd intently watch the Utes barely beat Oregon State, and try to think of a way to drown it out...it hits me....Bob Marley. How can you beat a little reggae to make everything feel alright...Jamaica mon, take me away.

The Massagli Family arrives in Spokavega

2008-10-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

Anita and Andy and family are on the move!! They are moving from Indiana to Seattle and well, Spokane is on the way. They stopped in to say hi for a couple of hours before finishing their journey. It was so great to see them and the kids. We haven't seen each other in about 6 years so it was nice to catch up. Yes, I am a bad friend and did not have the camera with me, so unfortunately there are no pictures. Their kids are all grown up and so adorable. Camillo tried and tried to get Cassie to let him hold her during breakfast but she wasn't having any of it. By the time we were ready to go though, she was all about hanging out with him. I did ask if he could stay with me so I would have such a wonderful babysitter, but they said no (I wonder why, it's rare that you meet a 14 yr old boy that talks, let alone likes kids). I'm really glad that they are so close because this gives us an excuse to get to the coast more often. I tried to talk them into just staying here but Andy kind of needs a bigger airport (What? It is Spokane INTERNATIONAL airport!!!!) It was good to see them and we will get together soon I promise. Thanks for stopping guys.

We love our "puppy"

2008-10-01T21:22:00.000-07:00

My friend Gusti recently posted on her blog that she was looking at getting a boston terrier puppy. Since our BT "puppy" turns 9 in a couple of days, I thought I would write a quick note to say Happy Birthday. I know...he's a dog and can't read, but if he could I know he would be happy. As it is, I get cuddles and licks just for petting him, I don't even have to say anything. Don't you wish your kids were as easy to appease?

Painting this week

2008-09-28T17:56:00.000-07:00

Even though Spokane is enjoying a wonderful indian summer, I will be in my house painting this week. Yes, I finally broke down and convinced myself that it needed to be done and by dang (you like that?) I am going to do it. Todd is off for 6 days straight and he is going to help me, although he doesn't know it yet. I'm not painting any crazy colors this week though, mostly covering up the crayon, pencil and the other ugly colors I have chosen to paint in the past, with primer. I am thinking though, we might paint our basement an antique white with a denim treatment under the wainscoat. We'll see how ambitious I get.

A Crafting Fool

2008-09-26T19:43:00.001-07:00

In between all the other things I have been doing (Enrichment, Family Fun Night...Nothing) I've been feeling kind of crafty. It's not really my strength and I can copy anything, but I enjoy it and it's kind of a creative outlet. I used to do floral arranging, but I prefer fresh flowers and they are expensive and hard to find.

Last Thanksgiving/Christmas, I got a Cricut from Provo Craft (www.cricut.com). In case you are not familiar, they are a personal die cutting machine. Basically, I plug a cartridge in and it will cut shapes and letters up to 5 1/2 inches. Trust me, it's really fun. I would imagine that if you are a frequent scrapbooker/papercrafter/crafty person you would appreciate this little gem. Anyway, I found this great craft idea on pccrafter.com that uses Martha Stewart Crafts Halloween Test Tube Pen Sets. These are so cool. You can put candy in the test tubes and then use the little pens to embellish the fun stuff you make to go with them. As soon as I get mine finished I will post pictures. I love them and think they are perfect for visiting teaching!! The best thing about the Cricut...it also cuts vinyl. That's right. For a fraction of the price, I can hop on the "I decorate everything in my house with cute vinyl sayings" bandwagon. I apologize for the sarcasm there, but some people just go way overboard with a good idea.

I also am making some cute wood signs for Halloween, Fall Harvest and Christmas. Super Saturday is coming up and I am all ready for 8 straight hours of crafting and chatting...mostly chatting...I don't really have much more crafting to do.

It's Raining

2008-09-21T16:08:00.000-07:00

It's raining here!!! I know I am weird but I get sad when it doesn't rain for awhile. Maybe because I grew up here and got used to it, I don't know. Fall is on the way. I can live without the winters but I love, love, love the Fall!!! It's time to get out the jackets and head up to Green Bluff for apple cider, pumpkin patches and corn mazes. Fall is Fun!!!

Bums in the Park and Hearts of Gold

2008-09-20T19:59:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Kim, Traci and I decided that would take the kids for an afternoon picnic at Balfour Park. It's the perfect size for the smaller kids, plus there is the sand volleyball court which doubles as a sandbox. Usually this little out-of-the-way park is quiet and pleasant. When we get there and see the homeless men sleeping along the west fence, we are a little shocked. We chalk it up to not having been there for awhile and go about our business, keeping our distance and a close eye on the kids. Pretty soon though, as we're enjoying our conversation, this guy runs full speed out of the bushes, yelling at the top of his lungs. This of course gets our attention. Following right behind him is a sheriff's deputy. Apparently they came from across the field and into the park. This guy was putting up quite a fight so the deputy whipped out the pepper spray and totally doused this guy in the face. It slowed him down a little, and increased the volume of his screaming. At this point, they are totally fighting. We decide it's probably time to call it a day, even though all of the other homeless men have gotten the heck out of dodge when the cops showed up. Fun at the park!!
Kim and I, the gluttons for punishment we are, also decided to take our kids to the Valleyfest Hearts of Gold parade. The guys were out of town and at work, so we packed up our 6 kids and headed down to Sprague and Bowdish to stake out our seats. This parade is pretty close to small town as you get. The elementary schools all get their kids to march, the shriners are there, there are fire trucks and cop cars and hot rods and I swear just random people walking down the street for the exercise. The best part about this parade...they throw candy. Everyone does. Our kids had so much candy by the end of the night that they could barely carry it home. They have almost as much candy as when they trick or treat. I don't know if I'll ever be able to take them to a parade again where they don't throw candy. They'll be so disappointed. It was a great distraction though. Only 1 hour and it only took about 5 minutes to get out of the parking lot to a clear street to get home. How can you beat it? I complained when they moved the parade from McDonald and the Valleyfest from Terrace View, but this wasn't so bad and I think we might do the parade every year, it was fun!! We're still skipping Valleyfest though...too many people in a little itty bitty space.

Late 9/11 Musings

2008-09-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

I watched this great documentary on the history channel last night after the kids went to bed and Todd went to work. It was the story of 9/11 as told by regular people who just happened to have their cameras and were filming the whole thing. At the time, those of us here could just watch in awe, shocked that it was happening. We did not even comprehend the reality of what was occuring there. As I watched this documentary and listened to the people comment on what was happening (23 people on the ground were killed from people falling out of the building and landing on them) the true magnitude of the devastation, destruction and loss of life really hit... 7 years later. It was a tragedy that I hope this country never forgets.

Monkey Cheeks are eatin my nuts

2008-09-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

For years, I have watched this awesome tree grow in my backyard, it produced a "fruit" or something but we (meaning I because Todd doesn't care) had no idea what it was. I couldn't figure out what these strange green things resembling an unripe kiwi were that were growing on this tree. I knew there was no way that kiwi would grow in Spokane and they didn't ever change color. Every year they would fall off the tree and then just disappear. I really didn't have time to figure it out before, but this year it became an obsession. The easiest method would have been to take a branch of this tree to Northwest Seed and Pet and ask. They always know. Again, that would have been the easiest and not my style. What do I do? I dig through some Western Gardening book that my mom has (Similar to a medical dictionary only for plants if you get my drift) and hope that I stumble on some picture that looks like what's growing in the backyard. Scary thing is, I do. I convince myself that it is a Walnut tree. Why? I cut one of those "fruits" open while it was still soft enough to cut and saw what could have been something in the shape of half a walnut. It also hit me that all those walnut shells I was finding in my lawn were from my tree and there was a force of nature at work.

Preston and I decided to test the Walnut tree theory. We removed a couple of the green "fruits" and placed them on a large lava rock we have in the backyard. I knew my theory was correct when Preston ran in the next day and proudly exclaimed.."Mom, come look. The squirrels are eatin' my nuts!!" Oh yeah, we went there.... and laughed until our sides hurt. There you have it...true science at work in the Devenish household. My niece Piper calls the Squirrels "Monkey Cheeks", like chipmunks only not. Now if you want a good laugh at our house, just come in and say the Monkey Cheeks are eatin' your nuts.

First Day of School

2008-09-07T18:41:00.000-07:00

Wow!! I can't believe it's finally here. I am really excited and believe me, they are too. It's the first year that I get to send 3 (count 'em 3) children off to school every day. Robbie is in 4th grade this year in Mr. Dobney's class. He is really excited and ready to be working again.

Preston is in 1st grade with Mrs. Winkler. he and Landon Rehkow are in class together so that works well for him. We kind of feel bad for Mrs. Winkler. Preston is so easy going though that he doesn't really care what happens, he's just excited to ride his bike to school.

Riley is in Kindergarten. She is really excited and luckily she knew Mrs. Hillstrom from last year. She was not wanting mom to help her get to class. She knew where she was going and didn't need my help.

She then found her seat, which was on the side by the cubbies. She sat down and started to "read" her book. There was a little boy who had a broken arm and who was crying and didn't want to leave his mommy. Mrs. Hillstrom suggested that Riley move to sit by him because she had big brothers and wasn't afraid of boys. She said she had 2 brothers and she would sit by him and be his friend. Todd and I were taking bets on how long it would be before he was her "boyfriend."

Now it's just Cassie and I at home (at least for a couple of hours a day). I think I'm going to appreciate only lugging one to the grocery store, appointments, quilt class, etc. Cassie also takes naps in the morning, so Todd and I get to pretend it's like we don't have kids!! So hooray for school and all the joy it brings to our family!!!

Doesn't it make you want to sing?

2008-08-29T21:17:00.000-07:00

Don't you love Geeks??

2008-08-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

We sat down for dinner the other night and Riley was telling me about the story Sister Jaussi told her in primary. She was saying that the little boy wanted to go out and play with the little geeks, but his grandma told him no. The grandma said the big geeks were mean so not to go out there and play with the little geeks. Now I know this sounds mean, but I am thinking, Geeks? seriously? Could we not come up with a better story for the 5 year olds? Then she told me that the little boy went out to play with the little geeks and then the big geeks came over and bit him on the hand. He ran in to grandma and she said that he shouldn't play with the little geeks because the big geeks are mean. The little boy went out again and played with the little geeks. He then got bit on the hand by the big geeks.
Then it dawned on me. She was talking about Geese.

Newly Wed and Nearly Dead

2008-08-24T22:15:00.000-07:00

Apparently today in EQ there was a discussion about the advancement of technology in this decade. The lesson was being taught by one of the young, soon to be lawyers in the ward. He was explaining that the advancements in the computers and the ways that we get information is so much different than the 80's, but someone should correct him if he has any 80's info wrong because he wasn't even born then. I asked my hubby if he was offended by that comment and he said no, he is older and wiser. Todd D and Todd S (Billy T and Todd) were sitting together and the next comment he made was in regards to clothes and then 80's music. Billy T and Todd then let him know in no uncertain terms that there were many things about the 80's were goofy but you can't touch the music. Go guys. Way to defend against the haters.

Happy Birthday Riley

2008-08-20T20:58:00.000-07:00

Happy 5th Birthday Riley!!!

Today is Riley's 5th birthday and she got to celebrate with all of her cousins at the lake cabin. The one thing she asked for was a "peeata". We let her pick that out and she picked the traditional burro. She thought it was a cute horsey. We didn't argue with her. She wanted a princess theme so we got Cinderella and Prince charming for her cake.

She starts Kindergarten this year and it's hard to believe that she joined our family 5 years ago. I think I was still in shock because she came so quickly after Preston, but we were excited to have our first girl and we spoiled her rotten. We are paying for it now. :) It was soon evident that she was "large and in charge" and very much the boss of her older brothers, who dote on her and are very protective. The best thing about she and Preston being so close in age is that they are best friends. She is happy and beautiful and has many "boyfriends", all of whom she will be marrying as soon as she gets permission from her parents. We thought there would be issues when Cassie came along, but she has taken on the mothering role and is very protective and helpful with her sister. We love you Ri, you bring joy and happiness into our lives every day. We are thankful you chose our family.

Reunion....

2008-08-09T00:16:00.000-07:00

So, I am going to date myself again with this post, but this month is my 20 year High School Reunion. No...I am not going, I don't really see any point. Most of the people I hung out with, I still see occasionally and I don't really want to spend a bunch of money to see people I don't care about so much.
The great thing about reunions though, is it brings people together who still see each other occasionally and gives them an excuse to have a party. I have to give credit to Brad Haines and Tammy Henderson for getting the old group together. We're kind of spread all over the West and using the upcoming U-High and CV class of '88 reunions as our cover, we all came together to have a great time and remember the fun we had in high school (what we can still remember!!). It was great to see the whole gang. Kriste, Dave, and Carol and Adam all came up from Utah and Brad came from Arizona. The rest of us are mostly spread throughout the Spokane Area. It was a great night to catch up with everyone and realize that we probably should have all been arrested at least once when we were younger. I believe the term we use these days is "malicious mischief". We did come to the conclusion though that Mike Conrad seemed to be in the middle of all the mischievous activities. I think fun was had by all tonight. I know it was great to see everyone and remember the friendship that we all share. It was almost like old times...just add in spouses and kids...well, and no running from the cops in Matt's VW Bug! ! So here's to reunions, and Teen Wolf Urban Surfing, stealing county property and then gently reconstructing construction zones in Haines' driveway, and ski jogging in Sherwood Forest. Do you think we should apologize for the endless TPing of the Guinns'? It was great to be together again!!!

Riding the Bus and Accident at Mobius

2008-07-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

Robbie has been attending Forensics camp at Mobius Kids for the whole week. So the wonderful mother I am, I let the other kids and Izzy tag along and just let them play while he is in class from 2-4. The week has been virtually uneventful, except that the kids got to ride the STA bus for the first time. Just to clarify, it picks up at the Mirabeau Parkway Park and Ride and then is an express straight downtown. It drops us off just on the corner one block up from Mobius. It's a quick walk and the kids think the bus is the coolest thing.
Well today, the kids are playing and I'm getting bored (it's day 5...the museum is only so big) so I'm trying to convince them that there are cool things to see out in the mall, namely a great sale at Williams-Sonoma and the Anniversary Sale at Nordstrom, but they are not listening and want to play at the water table. Riley finally decides she has had enough of the water and steps off the stool she is standing on...right into a puddle of water which she proceeds to slip on and conks her head on the stool. She is relatively unfazed but is wimpering and coming over to tell me she bumped her head. Meanwhile, this crazy lady who was standing by her at the water table comes running over saying that she saw her fall and she didn't even lose conciousness. OK... I'm thinking "this kid is barely crying I certainly hope she didn't lose conciousness over a simple bump on the head." Then I see it...massive amounts of blood gushing out of her head, in her hair, down her back and all over my hands and clothes. Now I don't get crazy, because this is child No. 3 and head wounds always bleed the worst. This lady is freaking out..."I'm a nurse and I need something to put on it. I think you should take her to the emergency room!!" I calmly walk the crazy nurse and Riley(who is no longer crying and is wondering why she can't see any blood) to the front desk where I know they have a first aid kit and explain what happened...hoping that the staff will calm down crazy nurse. Thank heaven, one of the people in charge walked her away to help her clean up and fill out the incident report. They then proceeded to clean up most of the blood, put some pressure on the wound and then discover that the culprit is a tiny little 1/2 inch cut that is not very deep. Not even worth a trip to the emergency room and barely bad enough to get me to go to Phil's (Dr. Woolf) if I were at home. They clean it up some more, give Riley some toys ( she's now in 7th heaven and asking when she can go and play) and had me fill out an incident report.
It may seem like we were filling out a lot of reports, but as a former Apartment Manager, you never know who is going to sue and for what so it all falls under Risk Management. I didn't want to tell them that my brother works for "One call that's all" Craig Swapp... I didn't want them to get all defensive. Meanwhile, crazy nurse comes back ranting the whole time about not letting her go to sleep and watching her eyes so they don't go all crazy. (What exactly is the definition of crazy eyes anyway?) She also made me promise I wouldn't sign anything in case something happened and I needed to call the "One call that's all" guy. No joke. I certainly thought it was funny, but I think she would have been highly offended if I'd laughed out loud. I really did want to tell her about Preston falling out of the tree and asking if his eyes were still crazy. It's the devil in me...
Anyway, Riley is perfectly fine and I still did make it to Williams-Sonoma. I couldn't deal with the kids in Nordy's. It had been a long week. I didn't have the camera with me this time...I'll take some pictures and post later. What can I say? It was Friday fun for everyone!!!

Boat Trip

2008-07-10T22:08:00.001-07:00

This last week we finally dragged out the boat and had fun at the lake. Tuesday we went with John and Shawna and Kids and the Thursday we went with Grandma and Grandpa Nowels and Rob and Michelle. It was Cassie's first time on the boat and she loves it (She was too little last year.) Preston is our fish and jumped right off the back of the boat into the somewhat chilly water. Of course, when it is close to 90 degrees outside, the water doesn't seem so cold. Rob decided to christen the tube and spent all of 10 minutes begging Uncle John not to throw him off. Cassie decided that eating the rocks on the beach was just as much fun as riding on the boat so she was perfectly happy there. We're looking forward to spending most of the month of August at the cabin, so we can play every day!!!

Cassie's 1st Birthday

2008-07-09T20:51:00.001-07:00

Our youngest is one and we can hardly believe it. Although we didn't have time to post on her actual birthday, we're giving her a shout out anyway. Our camera broke before the cake pictures, so those are on grandma's camera and we haven't gotten them yet. So here's to our last 1st birthday and to many more years for our sweet Cass!!

Happy Birthday Cassie!!

Happy Anniversary!!

2008-06-27T17:49:00.000-07:00

Today Todd and I are celebrating our 11th Anniversary. No vacation this year, just a trip down memory lane.

11 happy years together

10 years ago we moved from Salt Lake

9 Robert Todd Devenish

8 years ago, Todd began his job at the Sheriff's Office

7 vacations to Disney

6 Preston Rowe Devenish

5 Riley Paige Devenish

4 beautiful children later

3 hour drives to Kalispell...alone!!!

2 strangers meet at work and fall in love

1 Cassie Allyson Devenish

2 people + lots of memories = 1 Happy Family

Todd, I Love You.

You are my lover, my friend and companion. You mean everything to me and I appreciate you and everything you do. Happy Anniversary.

Happy Birthday Todd!!

2008-06-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

It's been said that old age is he** but we've decided that it's the best time of our lives so far!! Happy 38th Birthday to our daddy and my awesome husband. We appreciate and love everything that you do for us!! We hope you have the best birthday ever!!

Summer is Here!!

2008-06-22T21:38:00.000-07:00

I was very thankful that this week, summer decided to officially make an appearance, just in time for the end of school. We had all sorts of fun adventures this week including a couple of trips to Terrace View Pool, Kindergarten play days, a trip to Pavilion Park to enjoy the water with some ward families, our cousin Sarah's 6th Birthday party and arts and crafts with the Spokane Valley Parks Department. There were lots of fun things to do to keep everyone occupied. Here are some pictures from our various adventures.

Preston, Izzy and Riley cheesing it up for the camera at Terrace View

Rob showing us how happy he is to be hanging out with the little kids

Izzy, Preston and Jordan playing with the squirt guns at Pavilion Park

All the kids had a great time. Cassie went over to Grandma's this week and had some spaghetti

She loves spaghetti, can you tell? Luckily we took her clothes off before we fed it to her. On Thursday we got to call Michelle Nowels for her birthday. I think the kids told her she looked like a gorilla and smelled like one too. Hopefully she understands that they only say that to people they really love!!

Happy Fathers Day

2008-06-15T23:09:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to tell all the wonderful men in our lives how much we love and appreciate them. Todd is the best daddy and an even better husband. I couldn't ask for more. He sure works hard and we just like to tell him Thank You Daddy!!!

To Ally's dad Bob and Todd's dad Ron, thanks for being there for us when we need you and hanging out with the grandkids. They love you tons!

Summer and Tower of Terror

2008-06-07T22:43:00.000-07:00

It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring..... This is ridiculous. We get a week of great weather in early May and now we have this. With T minus 4 days of school left, the weather had better shape up quickly or parents all over Spokane will go insane. My kids are so desperate for outdoor activity that they were jumping on the trampoline in the pouring rain today. It's usually a really fun thing to do, but not when it is only 45 degrees. I would have pictures, but I decided that I wasn't going to go stand in the cold rain to get a few pictures. It just wasn't worth it. Play Day is on Wednesday. I am in charge of the water balloon toss. Sure. It better get warmer very quickly.

Preston told me today he was wearing his "I survived the Tower of Terror" T-shirt because he wanted to be back at Disneyland. He said "Hey mom. can't we just go get on the plane and fly there?" I explained that since I don't work for the airline anymore, we can't just go. He then proceeded to tell me that I needed to go back to work "...because Tower of Terror is more fun than riding my bike." Well, I couldn't really argue. ToT really is more fun than riding a bike, although I am not going back to work. I'd really like to go ride Big Thunder, but that's a whole other story!! So this picture is for Preston. We'll go soon buddy!!

Mobius Kids and The Spokane Falls

2008-05-27T19:56:00.000-07:00

We recently received a membership to Mobius Kids, which is the Children's museum here in Spokane. My kids have been driving me crazy to go, it's Preston's favorite and we had some time on Saturday. They happened to be having a safety fair that day, with lots of interactive displays' for the kids to play with. When they got there, they received a safety passport which if they got stamped at every booth, they received a prize at the end of the day. Their prize turned out to be a free dinner at Red Robin. I thought that was a great deal, since my kids were so excited to go to the booths'. McGruff the crime dog was there, the EWU police were there and the Spokane Police were there. With that many cops in one place, Preston was in seventh heaven. He Loves the cops. He wants to be one when he grows up so any interaction is "super cool". As you can see from the pictures, he heads straight for the police dress up when he gets there. He then went to visit all the cops, so he could look like them. Riley was having fun on the stage playing in all the costumes. She tried Barney and then Barney with a hat.

The Barney costume was too little so it didn't really fit and it was kind of funny. The hat was cute though. She looked like she should be shopping or something. There are lots of great things for the kids to do like painting, a ball pit, puzzles, dress up and a whole Phillipine village replica. They can buy Phillipine goods with real money and then take it to the Phillipine hut that is there. They can row in the canoe and go "fishing" for fake fish. They love it. There is a little section for Cassie that is all padded and has toys for babies so this was her first experience getting to play there. She was kind of unsure at first but she got into it pretty quickly.

Robbie was at the water table for most of the time. There are plastic pieces that you can change the position of and then send boats and ducks down through the maze you create in the running water. He spent a ton of time figuring out different ways to send the ducks hurling through the endless maze.

Lucky for us, Mobius is downtown. It had been a long time since the kids had been to Riverfront Park and my family decided that we were all going to meet there to look at the record breaking runoff swelling the Spokane Falls. The kids and I packed a lunch and headed over to the Park, stopping to get our picture taken with the Bloomsday Runners Statue.

We wanted to feed the ducks, but the river is so high that they have the stairs by the carousel all taped off and the lower 4 sets of stairs are completely covered in water. We wandered around and then went to the goat. We went to meet the cousins at the blue bridge in between the YMCA and the Pavilion so that we could see the upper falls. The river is moving really fast and they closed down the south suspension bridge because the spray was so strong. These pictures don't do it justice but it's really cool. We then hiked down by the WWP building so that we could really experience the falls. We got the coolest pictures!! I hope my kids will remember this for a long time. When we got down to the bottom, my mom told all the grandkids to get by the wall for a picture. She told us to stand back to take the picture. All of a sudden, this huge wall of water came over the wall and completely drenched the kids. They were so suprised, but they loved it and I don't think the adults have laughed so hard in weeks. It was classic. We did tell my mother that she was an evil grandma because she set her grandkids up. Oh well, they thought it was cool.

The kids on the way down to the falls

These pictures are all of the kids after they were soaked by the giant wave. It was really fun and an amazing display of nature. Sometimes we forget how beautiful Spokane can be. This was a great reminder of our beautiful city and a fun day for the family.

We love the weather and Crazy Hair

2008-05-20T19:35:00.001-07:00

We finally got good weather this weekend. It was mid-80's all weekend and it was sooo nice. I went and got the kids a pool on Friday so they would have something to entertain themselves with on Saturday. They invited Ryan and Landon over and spent their time alternating between the pool and the trampoline. The trampoline had the sprinkler under it so it was just like a minature water park (certainly pathetic) and they were having a great time. At least it kept them entertained and out of my hair. Yes, the water is brown, because they had just thrown a handful of the pea gravel in and I made them take a picture before I made them drain it and start over with freezing cold water from the hose!!!

On Sunday we went to Grandma Nowels house to roast marshmallows and hot dogs over the fire pit. It's a family tradition, once it gets warm, and everyone was very excited to start it again. This is Riley and Liam getting their hot dogs ready to roast. It was mass hysteria. I think Preston even had marshmallow in his hair by the time they started roasting the hot dogs. We ate dessert (smores!) first.

After the really long winter, we were all really glad for the gorgeous weather and a chance to hang out and play outside. Cassie and Izzy were headed for the swings. She didn't end up going on the swings, but she was glad to be with Izzy.

We decided to enter Cassie in Family Fun's Baby's Crazy Hair contest. The winner gets a $5000 scholarship. We're not sure we're going to win, but we really like this picture and think she's cute. This is the one we entered.

We're watching the season finale of Dancing with the Stars!! Go Kristi!! Girl Power!!

Sunny Days Grads 2008

2008-05-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Riley!!! She graduated from Teacher Barbara's on Saturday. We were finally at a preschool graduation where we didn't get snowed on, hailed on, or rained on. It was actually hot. I heard one of the mothers' complaining (who apparently had not been to a multiple weather event preschool graduation) that it was too hot. I truly wanted to slap her, but I restrained myself. The theme was pirates, and I thought our pirate was the most adorable, but I am a little biased.

She also got to celebrate her un-birthday this week because she has a summer birthday. I told her I was going to take her picture in her birthday hat. She must have thought I said birthday suit because the first attempt at getting her picture, she was wearing nothing but the crown. Needless to say, she didn't get to say "cheese" until her clothes were back on. Then she wanted to have her picture taken in her swimsuit. It's only 60 degrees here today. They didn't get to have their water party because of the rain, so she was a little upset. This is how the picture ended up.

Mothers Day

2008-05-11T22:42:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone out there had a great day. This is one holiday I think was promoted by the Hallmark card and Floral industries. Not that I don't appreciate what my family does on this day, as well as all the adorable cards and gifts they bring from school and church, but... Do you get a break? I certainly feel like I work just as hard on "my holiday" as I do every other day of the week. It's kind of anti-climatic. Oh well. This has been a busy week for us. I celebrated another birthday, hooray!! I'm 29 and holding. My siblings all know how old I am and every single one of them (5 plus significant others) had to remind me numerous times that day. I think they get some kind of sadistic pleasure out of reminding me that I'm the oldest and that gives them the right to rub it in!! I was just glad to talk to everyone. That doesn't happen very often anymore. I do have to thank Manda for the early morning wake up call. She was paying me back for the text last week in the middle of the night. We're even now.

Cassie learned to climb up the stairs this week. She's suprisingly good at it. Not quite as good going down the stairs, but she should get that by the end of this week. Now if we could just get her to stay out of the dog food! The other kids are getting really proficient at dog food patrol though and can stop her before she gets there. Todd just looks at her and says "NO!" She laughs her head off, but doesn't touch the food, so I would say that it works. She doesn't listen to me though. She's learning early. We entered her in familyfun.com's crazy baby hair contest. When you take her hair out of the pigtails it's quite hilarious and it stays that way until we wash it. Hopefully we have a shot. Robbie had a field trip to the IMAX and Riverfront Park on Friday. I couldn't go because I didn't have a babysitter so he decided he would ask his Uncle Joe to go with him. Joe was crazy enough to take him up on the offer, so he got to spend quality time with 3rd graders at the park. He didn't die from kid overdose and said it was actually fun. You never know about those single men. They tend to run for cover when someone says KID. Apparently Joe had never been to the IMAX before. Who knew?

The weather has been much nicer here this week so I've had a chance to get some of the yard work done. The eyesore we call a pond is still in the front yard, but if I have my way it will be gone by next week. Todd and I are battling on this one. It is a long, drawn out battle going on 3 years now. I will win and really deep down he knows it. He just needs to come to the realization that it's ugly and he should just do what I say. I even offered to move the rocks for him. They're big. No dice. Maybe it will just disappear one day while he is at work...HMMM!!!

We got our invitation for Todd's 20 year high school reunion this week. Dang he is old. It's a good thing he married a young thing who stays 29 forever.

TGIF

2008-05-02T17:31:00.000-07:00

Well. the kids are really happy that it is Friday, and I actually get to sleep in (until 8:00am) tomorrow so we're celebrating. It's Bloomsday weekend in Spokane and there are a million people everywhere. A trip to Costco that would normally take me 30 minutes, was more like 75 with the amount of people in the store. It was almost as bad as a Saturday. The kids and I decided we'd play outside for a little while today because the weather is gorgeous!! Finally!! I've posted some pictures of our adventures.

Todd is having great success at work bargaining for higher wages. After a powwow with the Sheriff, and a promise to go and dispatch for the City of Spokane, they agreed that Radio wasn't making enough and they were in an emergency situation. Hopefully this will translate into higher paychecks by the end of the month. Who knew he had it in him? He did let his fellow employees know that they could reward his efforts with a present once the raise came through. I think he actually recalled a situation when we were working for Continental Airlines. We got a new CEO and he came in and turned the worst airline for on-time departures into the best airline for on-time departures, which resulted in quarterly bonuses for all emloyees. The employees were so grateful, that we all chipped in $5 each to buy him a Harley. Of course, there were 30,000 employees working for Continental. Radio only has 16. He told them he would be waiting for his Harley. I think they laughed and said he'd still be waiting.

Our Enrichment meeting last night was on gardening. I have to say I am a huge slacker. These sisters were talking about their huge gardens and how much their kids help and that they already have things planted. It was snowing here on Monday. How can you get things to grow? I think we might get the garden planted by June. We're only novice gardeners though so I think our garden will consist of corn, carrots, peas, tomatoes and zuchinni. We do have some sunflowers that the kids planted and one pumpkin. That's the best we can do. Maybe next year will expand, if we do well this year. I did get my Hostas and Daylillies planted though. Even I can't kill those.

I did post a picture of Riley's dance girls waiting for their recital. This is the costume for their dance to "Lollipop". Thank You Katie for this picture. I think they are adorable.

Spring... for a couple of days

2008-04-28T19:15:00.000-07:00

The weather has been nice for the last couple of days, finally!! The kids can go outside and make everyone really happy!! I have pictures of baseball and trampoline jumping, as well as yard cleaning that I will post in the next couple of days. We also had a recital for Riley on Saturday but we need to get those edited before they can be posted. Before I go though I am going to say Thanks to my wonderful hubby for the really nice profile he graciously added the other day when he was bored at work!!!

Kindergarten

2008-04-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

On Wednesdays, Preston and mom head off to spend the morning together in Mrs. Hillstroms' class. I've decided that Kindergarten teachers are grossly underpaid for what they do. It's hard to imagine the patience needed to spend even 2.5 hours with 23 5-6 year olds. Especially on days like today where the kids can't go outside for recess because of the weather. These brave women (and men) have the patience of Job. Preston's teacher only teaches half-day but there are those who have all day classes. They're nuts! It's good that I only "get" to do this a couple of hours a week because I'm not sure I could handle much more!! Mind you, these kids are adorable, but they are full of exuberance and lots of energy, of which I do not match in any way, shape or form. He looks forward to it every week though so I am happy to do it, mostly to see the smile on his face when he reminds all his friends that it's his mom that will be there today.

Teething Sucks!

2008-04-22T16:17:00.000-07:00

I forgot how bad teething is. I suppose it's different with every one but Cassie is not dealing well with getting teeth. She doesn't want to do anything and only wants to be held. That's OK. Todd is home, there is more than one of us to hold her. NOOO! She only wants mom. Oh what fun!! Robbie and Todd were having a conversation about what Todd had taught Robbie to do in his life....like cooking hot dogs, catching fish, riding a bike etc... Robbie said "Yeah dad, but you haven't taught me to catch a jackrabbit." Random. The things they say!!

2008-04-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I've finally done it. I've jumped into the world of blogging. It happened quite innocently. I was having a conversation with some of the mom's at Riley's dance class and they said it's a great way to keep everyone up to date on your family. One of the mom's even had her blog published to a book. She said if she posts a couple of times a week, it keeps her from having to scrapbook. We'll see whether or not that works for me. Our camera is mediocre at best so I will do my best to keep up with pictures of the kids. We don't yet have a family picture that includes Cass so I will get one asap. We went to the Ward talent show last night to watch Riley dance. They did Every Girl Can Be a Princess. It was great. I thought they all would have stage fright, but they did really well. They smiled and actually danced. Here is a picture of Riley in her costume. The recital is next week so hopefully we will have video.

It's snowing here again today. We were going to paint the exterior of the house. So much for that idea. We also have new video of Cassie enjoying the dogs water. It's quite hilarious and pretty gross, but we're a little twisted. What can we say? I'll post it shortly.