Sunday, October 26, 2008
Every year, the boys' Awana program at church hosts a very special fair called "The Fairmont Fair" and it is a highlight of our year. Where else can you play games for 20 cents a ticket, eat nachos, snow cones, popcorn, and come home with a ton of junky lame prizes that will break within a couple days???? This year we even brought home a life sized Daffy Duck stuffed animal. You know you're jealous of me.
For four hours, the boys played games, ate snacks and candy, and "bought" prizes at the prize store with all their winning game tickets. It was fun for all, as usual!
For four hours, the boys played games, ate snacks and candy, and "bought" prizes at the prize store with all their winning game tickets. It was fun for all, as usual!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Trip to Mojave!
We are back from our camping trip out in Mojave. What a weekend! Geeeeezzzzz....The first two days we were inundated with wind, and it got pretty miserable at times. Nobody could be outside riding, so we just stayed inside playing card games and hanging out. I am so thankful for our trailer! It has all the amenities that would make an otherwise miserable trip in the middle of nowhere a pleasant time!
Friday we left the campsite for a few hours for our field trip with our homeschool group to Edwards Air Force Base. It was an awesome trip. We took a bus tour, which included a stop at a museum that contained several aircraft and a video, a trip down the runways and hangers where we saw an F-22 come in for a landing. We got to see where the space shuttle lands when it comes in. Amazing! The tour guide was very informative and it really was an amazing place to visit. The place is absolutely enormous-301,000 acres and contains its own little community inside with houses, shops, a golf course, schools, etc. The AFB is a testing facility, where all government planes come before they are put into commission, so we saw some awesome aircraft!
Saturday, the winds died down and everyone emerged from their trailers. It was a beautiful day. Three of the families needed to leave on Saturday, but the Berggrens and us stayed on another night. Sunday was absolutely perfect and beautiful. The kids had so much fun riding around all day. Austin enjoyed trying out the Berggren's quad, Luke excelled on his 80, and Vance drove the girlies around in the dune buggy all day. The screams and squeals of joy coming out of that thing as they rode by were sheer entertainment all in themselves. We are just so thankful for a fun and safe time. Can't wait to camp for Thanksgiving!!!! Woohoo!!!
Dave getting ready for a ride.
Dave on his bike.
Dave and Scott Berggren being nice enough to let me take their picture at the AFB.
The Dads after their ride.
Dave and Tom Jensen having a ball.
Luke enjoying his 80. He is such a skilled rider now!
Luke.....
Our family at the entrace to the AFB.
The Lighthouse kids that came on the field trip.
Vance and I inside the museum.
All the planes they have tested at the AFB.
Austin being goofy in front of a plane.
Luke enjoying his ride.
Luke again!
Luke some more.....
Vance and his playdoh happy face!
Vance, Luke, and Austin at the AFB.
Dave and Claire Berggren shooting the tennis ball cannon.
Vance, Claire, and Luke eating lunch in the trailer.
Vance and Claire were buddies this trip! Isn't she adorable????? I WILL kidnap her someday.
Luke off his bike to refuel.
Dave being a maniac with Austin.
Friday we left the campsite for a few hours for our field trip with our homeschool group to Edwards Air Force Base. It was an awesome trip. We took a bus tour, which included a stop at a museum that contained several aircraft and a video, a trip down the runways and hangers where we saw an F-22 come in for a landing. We got to see where the space shuttle lands when it comes in. Amazing! The tour guide was very informative and it really was an amazing place to visit. The place is absolutely enormous-301,000 acres and contains its own little community inside with houses, shops, a golf course, schools, etc. The AFB is a testing facility, where all government planes come before they are put into commission, so we saw some awesome aircraft!
Saturday, the winds died down and everyone emerged from their trailers. It was a beautiful day. Three of the families needed to leave on Saturday, but the Berggrens and us stayed on another night. Sunday was absolutely perfect and beautiful. The kids had so much fun riding around all day. Austin enjoyed trying out the Berggren's quad, Luke excelled on his 80, and Vance drove the girlies around in the dune buggy all day. The screams and squeals of joy coming out of that thing as they rode by were sheer entertainment all in themselves. We are just so thankful for a fun and safe time. Can't wait to camp for Thanksgiving!!!! Woohoo!!!
Dave getting ready for a ride.
Dave on his bike.
Dave and Scott Berggren being nice enough to let me take their picture at the AFB.
The Dads after their ride.
Dave and Tom Jensen having a ball.
Luke enjoying his 80. He is such a skilled rider now!
Luke.....
Our family at the entrace to the AFB.
The Lighthouse kids that came on the field trip.
Vance and I inside the museum.
All the planes they have tested at the AFB.
Austin being goofy in front of a plane.
Luke enjoying his ride.
Luke again!
Luke some more.....
Vance and his playdoh happy face!
Vance, Luke, and Austin at the AFB.
Dave and Claire Berggren shooting the tennis ball cannon.
Vance, Claire, and Luke eating lunch in the trailer.
Vance and Claire were buddies this trip! Isn't she adorable????? I WILL kidnap her someday.
Luke off his bike to refuel.
Dave being a maniac with Austin.Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Desert Camping!
It's almost time for our upcoming trip out to the Mojave desert. Yes, I know what you're thinking....What's in the Mojave desert???? The answer is NOTHING!!!!!! Dirt and a po-dunk little town where you should be able to find about 1 motel, 1 gas station, a few trailer parks, and a McDonalds.
We are amongst those crazy people who actually enjoy being in the middle of nowhere. Not because we're antisocial, but because we love dirt bikes, dune buggies, and of course, the dirt itself! And if you can believe this, the desert can actually be very beautiful, my friend. Yes it can. The sunsets are amazing, the mornings unbelievably crisp, and the dirt- well, unbelievably dirty.
It's really the three F's that keep bringing us back: Fellowship, Food, and Fun! We usually go with several other families, all whom we love so much and whose kids are among some of our kids' best friends. The food is usually amazing. It's like we go on this mission to find the most amazing food ever to eat while we're there. Most of it is centered around my sister's huge deep fryer, you know the kind you fry a turkey in. We have made turkeys, deep fried pickles, onion rings, fried chicken, funnel cake (ummm....YES!!!), and this time we are doing homemade corn dogs! I mean, come on, what else can you fry in there....Twinkies, Snickers, it's out of control! We will also have a "group soup" night. It's just so enjoyable to sit around a campfire and eat dinner with people you love. It's a beautiful thing.
Then there's the dirt itself. Highly conducive to some of the most amazing fun you'll ever have. The boys ride and ride and ride, and dig and dig and dig in it. Dave usually brings all of his toys (BB Guns, pellet guns, and the infamous tennis ball shooter) for additional fun in the middle of nowhere. He has a great game planned for the kids this time....with candy rewards. Life is sweet.
This time out in Mojave will also include a field trip to Edwards Air Force Base with our homeschool group. We actually planned this trip around the field trip. We figured we'd already be out in Mojave, so why not make a weekend out of it? Should be awesome for the boys to see. Dave loves airplanes, especially the old ones. Hopefully there will be at least one old one for him to check out. Did you know Edwards Air Force Base has been the home of more major milestones in flight than any other place on earth? Little-known fact I thought you may enjoy. And right there in the beautiful Mojave desert.
Well, I'll put pictures up when we return. Stay tuned and you will feel like you were there. Except you stayed clean. (Hey wait, I have a shower and toilet in my trailer, what more do I need? OK and a generator. And a coffeepot. And every other comfort of home. I'm spoiled).
We are amongst those crazy people who actually enjoy being in the middle of nowhere. Not because we're antisocial, but because we love dirt bikes, dune buggies, and of course, the dirt itself! And if you can believe this, the desert can actually be very beautiful, my friend. Yes it can. The sunsets are amazing, the mornings unbelievably crisp, and the dirt- well, unbelievably dirty.
It's really the three F's that keep bringing us back: Fellowship, Food, and Fun! We usually go with several other families, all whom we love so much and whose kids are among some of our kids' best friends. The food is usually amazing. It's like we go on this mission to find the most amazing food ever to eat while we're there. Most of it is centered around my sister's huge deep fryer, you know the kind you fry a turkey in. We have made turkeys, deep fried pickles, onion rings, fried chicken, funnel cake (ummm....YES!!!), and this time we are doing homemade corn dogs! I mean, come on, what else can you fry in there....Twinkies, Snickers, it's out of control! We will also have a "group soup" night. It's just so enjoyable to sit around a campfire and eat dinner with people you love. It's a beautiful thing.
Then there's the dirt itself. Highly conducive to some of the most amazing fun you'll ever have. The boys ride and ride and ride, and dig and dig and dig in it. Dave usually brings all of his toys (BB Guns, pellet guns, and the infamous tennis ball shooter) for additional fun in the middle of nowhere. He has a great game planned for the kids this time....with candy rewards. Life is sweet.
This time out in Mojave will also include a field trip to Edwards Air Force Base with our homeschool group. We actually planned this trip around the field trip. We figured we'd already be out in Mojave, so why not make a weekend out of it? Should be awesome for the boys to see. Dave loves airplanes, especially the old ones. Hopefully there will be at least one old one for him to check out. Did you know Edwards Air Force Base has been the home of more major milestones in flight than any other place on earth? Little-known fact I thought you may enjoy. And right there in the beautiful Mojave desert.
Well, I'll put pictures up when we return. Stay tuned and you will feel like you were there. Except you stayed clean. (Hey wait, I have a shower and toilet in my trailer, what more do I need? OK and a generator. And a coffeepot. And every other comfort of home. I'm spoiled).
Monday, October 6, 2008
Not much to blog about, but I guess I'll find something!
I have missed blogging. It is therapy to me, for some reason...kind of like washing your car and vacuuming it completely. It's that clean, "everything is taken care of" kind of feeling. So it is with blogging. It's like clearing out the thoughts in my head for the world (well, for the 5 people that read this blog) to read.
Not much to blog about. School is going fine. The field trips and PE classes have begun. The kids Awana classes are underway on Wednesday nights. We are going camping in the desert this weekend planned around a field trip to Edwards Air Force Base. It will be a fun, five-family camping trip, our first real trip since Yosemite in May. We are really looking forward to getting away for a few days.
This week, my Mom's Auntie Edith in Alaska (and always very close and special to our family) passed away. Although I haven't seen her in years, it is very sad that she is gone. It reminds me of how brief our time is here on this earth. It is like a vapor, and then it is gone.
I try to remember that during the ho-hum grind of daily life. God wants me to savor each moment He has ordained for me. If doing laundry is what he has ordained for me, cleaning up spills, breaking up arguements, picking up those dreaded little evil Lego pieces that run my life (I got carried away, sorry). It is all the work that God gives me to delight in Him and in serving my family. I pray I would let go of the rigid strings that so easily entangle me and rob me of my joy in doing all the mundane things of life. It is so easy to see the beauty of life when your child leans over and kisses you and says "You're the best Mom ever". Why isn't it as easy when he has failed to do what you have asked of him mulitple times? These are such training times, times to demonstrate God's authority and rule over my life and how that is lived out to my children. I fail at it every day. I fail at doing what is right just as much as my children do.
So I pray I would find joy in each moment....even picking up the dreaded little lego pieces. The ones that rule my life.
Not much to blog about. School is going fine. The field trips and PE classes have begun. The kids Awana classes are underway on Wednesday nights. We are going camping in the desert this weekend planned around a field trip to Edwards Air Force Base. It will be a fun, five-family camping trip, our first real trip since Yosemite in May. We are really looking forward to getting away for a few days.
This week, my Mom's Auntie Edith in Alaska (and always very close and special to our family) passed away. Although I haven't seen her in years, it is very sad that she is gone. It reminds me of how brief our time is here on this earth. It is like a vapor, and then it is gone.
I try to remember that during the ho-hum grind of daily life. God wants me to savor each moment He has ordained for me. If doing laundry is what he has ordained for me, cleaning up spills, breaking up arguements, picking up those dreaded little evil Lego pieces that run my life (I got carried away, sorry). It is all the work that God gives me to delight in Him and in serving my family. I pray I would let go of the rigid strings that so easily entangle me and rob me of my joy in doing all the mundane things of life. It is so easy to see the beauty of life when your child leans over and kisses you and says "You're the best Mom ever". Why isn't it as easy when he has failed to do what you have asked of him mulitple times? These are such training times, times to demonstrate God's authority and rule over my life and how that is lived out to my children. I fail at it every day. I fail at doing what is right just as much as my children do.
So I pray I would find joy in each moment....even picking up the dreaded little lego pieces. The ones that rule my life.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Wiser for the Wear
Go listen to this!!!! Our great friend, James Killian, who is the drummer for the band "Godspeed" that we love so much, now has a new endeavor called "Wiser for the Wear." They have two songs up on Myspace, and to sum it up....it's AWESOME!!! And I'm not just saying that because the drummer, his wife, and two girlies are some of my favorite people.
So go and listen to this right now by clicking on the link below....you will be really impressed. James is, of course, the drummer, and if you don't think the sound is amazing and highly professional, well, then you have a problem! Heehee! So here's a little plug for our great friends that we love so much....
http://www.myspace.com/wiserforthewear
So go and listen to this right now by clicking on the link below....you will be really impressed. James is, of course, the drummer, and if you don't think the sound is amazing and highly professional, well, then you have a problem! Heehee! So here's a little plug for our great friends that we love so much....
http://www.myspace.com/wiserforthewear
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Have you ever had one of those days????
I am having one of those days. That's all I have to say. OK, it's not. My morning went like this:
To begin, I managed to spill about 2/3 of a 5 pound bag of flour all over the kitchen floor while making pumpkin cake. It was all over me, too. The whole entire kitchen floor was covered in flour, with mounds in some places.
After cleaning up that mess and getting the cake in the oven, it was time to sit down at the school desk with the boys and a nice hot cup of tea. Too bad I spilled it all over the stove when I knocked the cup over with the tea kettle.
Fast forward to 11am or so. I was making stuffed potatoes. As I'm mixing all the ingredients in with the potato pulp, I am bewildered by the results. It was a pasty mess. I questioned myself as to what I could possibly have done to get these results. I've made this recipe before. Hmmm....Well, I decided to proceed with filling the potato shells with the filling anyway, hoping they will turn out fine once they are baked. I'm about 14 shells full when the dinger in my brain goes off......Butter, you fool! You forgot the butter! So I pulled out two sticks of butter from the freezer and stuck them in the micro for 15 seconds to thaw and soften them. Except instead of pressing one-five, I press one-one-five (or a minute 15). It seemed to be taking way too long for the butter when I realized what I had done, and I opened the micro to find a melted mess all over the turtable plate. At the same time, one nameless child spilled an entire glass of water all over the table which is now spilling all over the hardwood floors. Eeeeeeek! So we cleaned that up, and then I tackled my butter mess. Which now leaves me back at the potatoes. I re-stuffed them after mixing in the buter.
By this time, I am hungry, as it is well past lunchtime and the kids have all been fed. I decided to heat up some leftover chicken tortilla soup.....Do you think I could get that right? I semi-exploded that in the micro as well. I'm not going to touch anything or do anything more today out of fear of what may happen!
To begin, I managed to spill about 2/3 of a 5 pound bag of flour all over the kitchen floor while making pumpkin cake. It was all over me, too. The whole entire kitchen floor was covered in flour, with mounds in some places.
After cleaning up that mess and getting the cake in the oven, it was time to sit down at the school desk with the boys and a nice hot cup of tea. Too bad I spilled it all over the stove when I knocked the cup over with the tea kettle.
Fast forward to 11am or so. I was making stuffed potatoes. As I'm mixing all the ingredients in with the potato pulp, I am bewildered by the results. It was a pasty mess. I questioned myself as to what I could possibly have done to get these results. I've made this recipe before. Hmmm....Well, I decided to proceed with filling the potato shells with the filling anyway, hoping they will turn out fine once they are baked. I'm about 14 shells full when the dinger in my brain goes off......Butter, you fool! You forgot the butter! So I pulled out two sticks of butter from the freezer and stuck them in the micro for 15 seconds to thaw and soften them. Except instead of pressing one-five, I press one-one-five (or a minute 15). It seemed to be taking way too long for the butter when I realized what I had done, and I opened the micro to find a melted mess all over the turtable plate. At the same time, one nameless child spilled an entire glass of water all over the table which is now spilling all over the hardwood floors. Eeeeeeek! So we cleaned that up, and then I tackled my butter mess. Which now leaves me back at the potatoes. I re-stuffed them after mixing in the buter.
By this time, I am hungry, as it is well past lunchtime and the kids have all been fed. I decided to heat up some leftover chicken tortilla soup.....Do you think I could get that right? I semi-exploded that in the micro as well. I'm not going to touch anything or do anything more today out of fear of what may happen!
Monday, September 22, 2008
OK, Facebook has totally changed my life!!!! If you don't know what Facebook is, it is a social network that is totally free in which you can "invite" people to be your friends and interact with them. Your own personal Facebook page can be totally private, only viewable by those you invite. And you can search the database and find all your old school friends, etc. Because of Facebook, I am now back in touch with several people from my youth whom I had lost contact with and always wondered where their were. In fact, this week I am having an old high school friend over for dinner. I am so excited.
So here's my plug for Facebook, people. If you are reading this, you probably know me personally. So get on Facebook if you haven't already!!!! And invite me to be your friend. It is such a great way to keep connected with your friends without any intrusion on their daily life. It's fun, and it's free, so why not???? Now go sign up.....GO......!!!
So here's my plug for Facebook, people. If you are reading this, you probably know me personally. So get on Facebook if you haven't already!!!! And invite me to be your friend. It is such a great way to keep connected with your friends without any intrusion on their daily life. It's fun, and it's free, so why not???? Now go sign up.....GO......!!!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Boys and Bugs
I have totally learned to not be so "freaky" about bugs having three sons. OK, I haven't learned. Check out these videos to see what happened in our home this morning.
Let me give you a backdrop. Last night as we were letting our dinner guest out the door, a praying mantis flew in and landed on my SHIRT! I tried to remain calm as Dave took it off of me. Inside I was panicking, but I was OK. We put it in a jar for the boys to see when they got up in the morning. I wanted to take a picture of Vance holding "Prayster" (the name they gave him), so we let him out of the jar. What followed was a scene of widespread panic when he jumped out of Vance's hand. There are three separate videos, as I had to stop the camera due to my own "bug issues". As we are all trying to locate the escapee, all the while it is on Luke's back and he doesn't know it. In the first clip, you can clearly see him climbing up Luke's back. It's hilarious....And then in the 2nd clip, he is on his arm. Ewwwwwwww!!!!
So here it is: Raw, uncensored life with three boys: (You may want to pause the playlist down at the bottom so you can hear the video better)!
Let me give you a backdrop. Last night as we were letting our dinner guest out the door, a praying mantis flew in and landed on my SHIRT! I tried to remain calm as Dave took it off of me. Inside I was panicking, but I was OK. We put it in a jar for the boys to see when they got up in the morning. I wanted to take a picture of Vance holding "Prayster" (the name they gave him), so we let him out of the jar. What followed was a scene of widespread panic when he jumped out of Vance's hand. There are three separate videos, as I had to stop the camera due to my own "bug issues". As we are all trying to locate the escapee, all the while it is on Luke's back and he doesn't know it. In the first clip, you can clearly see him climbing up Luke's back. It's hilarious....And then in the 2nd clip, he is on his arm. Ewwwwwwww!!!!
So here it is: Raw, uncensored life with three boys: (You may want to pause the playlist down at the bottom so you can hear the video better)!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Another quote from Vance
Vance (while supposed to be doing math): "Mom, I need to click on something on Webkinz, and if I click on it, I get something exclusive."
Mom: "Do you know what exclusive means?"
Vance: "It means you can't buy it anywhere."
Mom: "You're too cute. I love you."(Squeeze his cheeks)
Vance: "Does that mean I don't have to do my math?"
Mom: "Do you know what exclusive means?"
Vance: "It means you can't buy it anywhere."
Mom: "You're too cute. I love you."(Squeeze his cheeks)
Vance: "Does that mean I don't have to do my math?"
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