First Snow!

You’d think the week after I order a 390 page blog book (give or take a few pages)  I’d slow down on picture taking…but it was the first snow so…I took picture like I’d never seen the stuff before 🤷🏻‍♀️ it’s just what I do. 

Saturday was good fun snow (probably the wettest we’ve ever had here) 

These guys LOVED topping our play off with a snow cone! 

Our friends built a 17 foot snowman that ended up on the news and stuff:

Before the snow we’d talked about putting our nativity scene at their house so more people could enjoy it —I did love it at the cemetery last year but I also like mixing it up. Anyway they’ve had a lot of people stopping by so we did take it and down along with our #lighttheworld sign. 👍🏻 no pic but if I get the upgrades I’m working on done (an angel and I ordered a light) I’ll get a pic!😉

Anyway Sunday they canceled church but authorized the sacrament in our homes. The kids wondered if they had to dress up, I said “At least a shirt and tie.” After which there was zero chance of Addi putting on a dress…this is what her and Isaac settled on:

I had to walk away and have him deal with here-she was completely unreasonable. 

There was definitely some Sunday snow play-we’re calling it quality family time. 

I was determined to #lighttheworld by the kids singing at the old folks home! So we called one friend from primary who I thought would really enjoy it and …well I just felt really strongly to invite her. So we did and she was game and we headed to the place. When we were driving by the church we saw the Gonda family out shoveling the sidewalks. I was so glad we went at that time. Isaac had us drop him off, he borrowed Bro Gondas keys and showed him where the snow blower was. We recruited two of the boys to come sing with us and one didn’t want to come so he stayed and helped Isaac with the snow blower. 

The kids were AWESOME singing and brightening days! 

They brightened my day for sure! Not too long ago Isaac and I listened to an old (maybe 2012ish)  Christmas Day message Elder Bednar gave at the MTC about the character of Christ, he talked about looking outward and serving others instead of just doing whatever we want but this little trip to the old folks home just reminded me of that. It was not a first choice activity for Colt or Tan but they did it-and they made a difference! It was great! 

(Ugh I just screwed this up! I was through Tuesday and I couldn’t get the pic I wanted to load and I refreshed -thinking I was refreshing Google photo not my post and it just took me back-Dangit…now your going to get the watered down here’s the pics version. 😏) 

Monday more snow-early out, no school for Add

We played and skied after we got our

 brothers back. 

Addi’s not sold on skiing yet but she’s getting better. 

Monday evening we figured out tubing off the snow pile and on to driveway, it was a blast and we were set for a good time Tuesday when they canceled school.

It was a fun day! 

Wednesday the were back at school. 👍🏻 when our brothers went to children and youth we started working on the angel for our nativity set. My plan was let them help but then get it done when Addi is at school but… I haven’t gotten any further. 

Thurs the temp dropped and it was Cold Cold Cold—feels like -2 when I took Cann to seminary, but Colt and I had a service project planned. And we took hot chocolate to his 4th grade teacher and the other lady who always helps with parent pick up! I HATE pickup but I don’t hate the teachers that have to do it-I feel bad for them. So we tried to lessen the drudgery, with sugar. 

Hanging out with dad by the fire in the dungeon (basement) 

Today they didn’t have school because it was a professional development day. I woke up in the middle of the night and realized if they didn’t have school and Isaac didn’t have school and Cannon didn’t have basketball it was the perfect day to go the temple! So we did. There were varying degrees of enthusiasm but I really do think it’s important and the best way we could use our time, so we did! 

And we got back early but didn’t really have anything we had to do so we laid pretty low and it was nice. Addi was sharing some socks with her doll. 😊 she’s going to be a good little mom someday. She does this cute thing right now where if I say anything about Grama she says “Your Mom?!?!!!” Yep-Grama’s my mom. Grandma Ison is dad’s mom.  

I sure hope BYU wins tomorrow but stumbled on to this fantastic video. (Along with a hilarious one about Pres Oak’s wife kicking him when BYU didn’t win a bowl game years ago 🤣) 

They’ll be just fine if they don’t win-they’ve got their heads on straight! 

https://youtu.be/dJMPUFYmhNE?si=vWC5vxLMXQVh8zJG

Bout it…well it’s late so done or not, I’m done! 👍🏻

Happy Thanksgiving and Black Friday and such.

Ok here we go…

These lists would not have made the blog, except…I was looking back at the old blog (I can’t even remember why now) but it was so fun and Cannons lists were definitely there. 

These are the originals (punch stain and  all) we we had to make new ones and I stopped them by the post office today 😉

Saturday was beautiful! (Oh the difference a week makes it’s supposed to snow tomorrow 😩 and it definitely feels like winter.) 

So I was going to ride over to the cemetery, but then everybody decided to come! Addster was helping get bikes ready but this was her first time on the tag-a-long! She did awesome!!  

Cann wasn’t game to ride pedal bikes but he thinks he’s a big shot because he’s tall enough to ride “my” motorcycle. 

But the other kids hated him zipping back and forth past them and Seth-a-too on that tiny little bike…we actually only made it to the end of our gravel road and we headed back. 🙃 I don’t know what else we did…but I have evidence we went to the church.  Everyone had a good time. I (tried) to play a little defense on Cann-just make him go left and get after him about going hard. But Isaac rebounded and the other kids played line tag and made up games. They were having a blast! That’s a win. 

My only pics from Sunday? They were seeing who could squat a brother the most. 

Monday we got to watch Cannon play basketball! Seth was going to come with us because Seth’s favorite person is Mrs Feeney and her son is Cannon’s coach. But Colt. Addi, and Tan and lured him into playing their “really fun game” in the dark. (They turn out all the lights even covering up the clocks on the oven and microwave and…now you know as much about the game as me.🤣) 

But it turned the ballgame into a date for Isaac and I! Sweet! 

Cann got quite a few minutes and I thought he played well. 

This was a make. 

They got a W. 

President Vorkink came to watch him. I thought was really nice of him and we had a good time visiting with him. 

They talked me into getting some ornaments out. 

Then just goof’n around. 

If it’s not squats it’s push ups. 

They also laser guns out this week, and orbi  guns (they always come in telling me “dad cheats” or “dad never admits when he gets hit” or “dad just said getting hit in the hand  ‘non fatal’” …the list goes on—they really should know what they’re getting into by now)  

Seth’s friend gave him this…and he thinks we’re saving it…hoping a pic is good enough because when he goes back to school— it’s sayonara! 

What would a holiday be without a little project? 

And some work! Isaac forwarded me these pics but it looks like it bout got away from him. 🤣 He also said Colt ran it today. But no pics because he (Isaac) was running the mini. He’s started to dig some trenches for the plumbing out in his building. The two of us trying to plan a bathroom…note to self-NEVER build a house and probably try my best to talk him out of any remodels too! Ha…truth. 

Maybe we forgot Grama and Grampa left us pomegranates. Yum! We didn’t make Dixie salad but they were still a great Thanksgiving day day snack! 

This was yesterday…but this was today too. It’s so fun having her brothers home but it’s exhausting! 

Such a good helper. 

The other work project they got in today was cleaning the chimney. I was grateful. Because …well you know they say do it every year and I think we only worried about it once, the year we moved in. I am just grateful they did it again while I was gone giving blood. And having the excavator to lift Isaac up was a huge help!  

I told the kids we’re starting a month of service where each kid has the one just younger than them. And Addi has Cannon, then at the end we can do the “sibling gift” thing. Some of the kids (Tanner especially) is trying so hard. We’ll see how it goes…a mom can hope! I do love it when they try!! 

Just fun with each other.

The only thing I really had to do today was give blood. I try to support and go when it is at our church.  I signed up to do their “power red” thing because that would mean they only email me and bug me about doing it 1/2 as often. Ug. I hated it, no thanks, they can have my whole blood but I hated them pumping fluid back into me and I got so cold, so so cold. I never feel crappy after giving blood but today I did. Yikes. I’ll take the emails! 

And last but not least I finally ordered my 2024 blog book today. I was hoping for a good Black Friday sale, the new company I found to try out did 40% off last year! But this go around was only 25% off but I stop punched it. All of my other books are the same so I hope this matches up ok and I like it. 🤞🏻and try as I might I couldn’t get it to fit in their allowed number of pages (I was within 1 and I went back and deleted way more than one page worth of pictures…it was dumb and frustrating) but I’m writing it here to help myself remember to put the 2024 Christmas post in my 2025 blog book…I guess I’m just assuming it will be short enough since it’s more of a pain to put pictures on when I have to uploaded them to google photo first. Who knows?! Hopefully I remember!  

Time will tell! Until next time—soak up this season!! I love it! 

 

Another week! 

Saturday we were so excited for the Truman volleyball game…

(Someone gave us that Truman cheerleading outfit…we cut the skirt off and called it her volleyball uniform 🤣….and don’t tell these two but both those shirts got thrown away—we’ll try again next year!) As for the game…uhhh they were terrible. Oh well after that it was on to Stake Conference. 

Which was great. 

I LOVE the kids being old enough to just leave. The fact it was here in town helps too but I just see those people hauling babies into the Adult session and I’m exhausted and stressed for them! 

Then Sunday morning we had to drive to Columbia. The boys Tanner and up had a meeting with Elder Cuvelier the visiting authority before the general session. He spoke last conference, and then he did the BYU devotional right before our conference  (we listened to it on the drive to Columbia) but he was fantastic and I snagged a few pics to compliment our conference train. 

. 

I loved these pics!  I asked to take the top one but just snagged the other two, but they just showed him, an especial witness of the Lord Jesus Christ, ministering to the one, and the one was  my boys! I loved it. Tanners wording was a little funny but he asked him about who he liked to listen to or who had given talks that he found meaningful and helpful in his life, he said Pres Holland. (Too bad Seth wasn’t there to chime in that he’s his -current-favorite too. Isaac took Seth and Addi to the park during the youth mtg where they had a blast and played with the Page’s younger kids)  But then  Elder Cuvelier turned the question on Tanner and he answered Elder Gong. To which Elder Cuvelier replied with a smile  “I’m going to tell him you said that!”  Then he and Cannon talked about football, and getting bigger—eventually. 

After conference we had a picnic in the van then headed home. 

It was so good but also such a LOOOING day! 

It got me going on my conference train though—we’ve just had sticky notes up since conf but I printed out some screenshots this week! They are partially hung. 

Someone at school put their tree up-so Seth wanted to put ours up. Not decorated. No lights yet-but it’s up! And they put this little one in their room.

We were in charge of bringing 4 dozen desserts for the basketball spaghetti dinner fundraiser. So Addi and I made a bunch of basketball sugar cookies. 

And went to that for dinner tonight. Cann is scrimmaging but I brought the troops home and Isaac went to work on his talk then head to the scrimmage. It was a running clock deal and Cann was the last game. He’s moved up the totem pole a bit (a couple of last years starters aren’t playing this year) but he’s still coming off the bench, anyway I felt bad to miss it but also didn’t feel like I was really going to missing too much…🤷🏻‍♀️

Anyway this kid loves parrots—and he’s a pretty good little artist too. 

I’m not sure what else??? That might be it for this go around…

Oh except a few funny things they’ve been saying. 

Seth to Cannon on how to sell fundraiser cards “well if I knew them I’d give them a hug first” and he would and it would work-they would buy it Cann’s joked about having Seth use his “Charm” to sell them, but the hug trick Cannon just wasn’t going for 🤣🤣

Cannon after asking me to buy a million things and getting a million “no” ‘s for an answer exasperated asked “why do you act like we’re poor?!” To which I answered we’d 100% be poor if we bought all the stuff he wanted me to! 

Tanner “I can’t say T-H-U-G well I can  but I don’t want to.” Me “thug, why???”  He replies “mom-it sounds like the F word” what??? But then I listened to him talk and his th’s sound like f’s so yeah good call buddy —steer clear 

Seth “ mom your skin is super soft but it looks like it’s going to be bumpy cuz of all those wrinkles” 

Addi “I like mommy” yay I’ll take it because the other one I remember is “mom your tummy is way softer than mine” 

“you mean squishier?” 

“Yeah” 

Hmm the truth is the truth! 

A broken nose? Maybe…

A couple weeks ago, Addi skinned her nose at Preschool when she tripped running to line up. One of her  teachers came and told me about it when I picked her up. She was all worried. I was like oh she has four older brothers. It’s no big deal. But we were waiting for that to heal up—but then, I think maybe it was last Friday, she tripped over the rug and into the corner of the wall right by our stairs it was terrible  because the part of it that was almost held up, got ripped off at a new cut, and it was bleeding. That was really all I worried about but the next day it was pretty swollen, and it just kept getting more and more black and blue… little bit of a rough go for the Addster 

I think it’s finally starting to look a little better! I hope it’s still straight! Every time we mention taking her to the doctor she freaked out (and I might’ve been a little bit older than her, but I totally remember freaking out when my mom took me to the doctor when I cut my fingers getting knifes out of the dishwasher) so I decided well…I think it’s straight…so I Guess we’ll just go with it. 🤞🏻🙏🏻

It didn’t slow her and Seth down playing dress up Saturday morning. It’s all cute and fun until NONE of this stuff gets put away. Sigh. 

While these two were getting everything in the kitchen sink out and playing dress up Colt snd  Cannon and I were helping Isaac drag the manlift (because it doesn’t drive) out from under the building with the mini and the skid steer so it wouldn’t be in his way when he was trying to spread the lime (dirt) around…Stink’n Teancum was screwing around with a mouse but not getting his job done and getting rid of it. So the dang thing got away and ran under the manlift. It was hilarious though when Colt was chasing it with a shovel and then Cannon ran to get the other cat to hopefully finish it off:.. It didn’t work, but I’m telling you the show was worth the price of admission😉 😂😂

There’s not a lot of pictures on my phone for this week so if I didn’t take pictures of it, I usually don’t remember it, hmm,  but I do know that Sunday I was caught totally off guard and we got a new primary President. The new presidency will be great, but I was so sad. I was like wait I really liked how things were… Isn’t that how it goes? Oh well, it was pretty cool though the song I had chosen to learn and sing, turned out to be a pretty good “goodbye” song too so —it was fitting Heavenly Fathet was looking out for us. 

Monday we were doing our normal come follow me where we read the missionary letters and Addi was just sitting on the couch drawing… Or writing her name! When I looked over, I was pretty impressed. She’s only 3! And she’ll tell you, it says “Addi” 😉😂

I really like her preschool teacher, and I think she has high expectations for them  which obviously they’re capable of so I think it’s great! 

Most of the pictures on my phone this week are of Addi’s nose😞

Addi and Seth also found Cannon‘s old journal. I think he got it before he was even in young men’s at a Wednesday night thing, but Addi was drawing all over it so I took pictures of the entries there were only a few but they were pretty cute and I uploaded them to his name on my family search account so maybe someday they’ll be recorded…who knows?

His basketball is about to kill me Monday They had practice in the morning, which we leave for Seminary all the time at 5:45 but when it’s basketball, we leave at 5:20.  but anyway Monday he had practice in the morning and after school. Tuesday, we had the parent meeting. I think I liked the coach….So far and Cannon really likes him so…good enough I guess. I just try to remember that I used to be a basketball coach. It’s really hard when you really want to focus to be on your family. Coaches don’t work like that. That and I hate the fundraiser stuff. 

Today was awesome because I got to slip over to Nauvoo after I drop the kids off for school. Addi just hung out with Isaac. And it was so good to go!!! But it was crazy. I wonder if that 10:30 session used to be 10? I had plenty of time going over, but definitely felt rushed to get back.  I went straight to pick the boys up after school as I was rolling back into town! Then our friends invited us to play tennis again so we did that but this time without Cannon because he was at basketball practice anyways go to the temple was awesome, but it has been a busy busy go go go go day so that might be all for this go round of the blog. 

Because it’s late and I’m tired I was trying to be fast by just doing some of the blog via Talk to text… One of these days maybe I should leave it in the talk to text mode. 🤣 You’d have to have a Urim and Thummim! 

Starting to blog at 10:15…whoops…and it feels even later. Ug. 

While our brothers and dad were ant the StL Zoo and temple trip activities we went to Colton’s with Grama and Grampa. Seth had been so excited to use his coupon he got from having perfect attendance. (We’re not sure how the kid that had 2 dentist appts when everyone only had one got “perfect attendance” but whatever-he was excited.

Testing out the new shop lights in the house. 

It was a birthday message to Aunt Laur but it looked like a good picture to me :)

Grama and Grampa took off Sunday early morning for their long drive home. It’s just too far 🙁 but it was sure fun to have them here! 

Luckily we had Patrick Mahomes and his speedy little receiver for our game of family football. 😉

Oh and we finished our book  “The Miracle of Miss Willie” Sunday. It was perfect for us, we need to find a good next read for when we’re all in the van together—the kids being enthralled in a book minimizes fights…I will gladly read out loud for that! 

Monday these helpers went and got a load of lime with their dad. Isaac had got one earlier in the day than we met him after school and they jumped in. The love an adventure in the Goose.

And Cann had basketball tryouts Monday-the new coach ran the heck out of them at tryouts but he survived. We found out that he made the team on Tuesday 👍🏻 (3 kids that played last year aren’t playing this year 2 of them were starters…maybe that and the fact he’s growing and that they will have Freshman games will result in more playing time…all those trips to town when he doesn’t even play are annoying and coming off of football…it will just be good for this driver if it seems a little more worth it.)

Anyway…

It was a “normal” anticlimactic week.  We made bread one day-Addster is always trying to get me to play some kind of ball with her in the house…I’m usually game👍🏻

The way I have to blog until I figure out something better is kind of annoying. I have to upload all the pictures to Google photos and then pull them out of Google photos to use them here so since I didn’t do that with a picture of the horses, I’ll just have to tell the story: I turned onto our gravel road and 50 yards down the way there was all three of our horses! And Isaac was teaching. So I was herding them Back down the road with a minivan. 🙄 When I got them to the silage pit, I thought that was close enough and I could just go back home and grab a grain bucket. Get them back in and then shut the gate (because they didn’t get out of our yard. Isaac could put them over in the neighbors where there’s tons of food) It didn’t work! I never did get them in. Oh and we were out of grain anyway and they weren’t going for apples. They turned up and went into Kilmer‘s area and I just had to hope for the best and try to get Addi to school. She told me not to worry about it, her and her dad would do it later.🤣 Thanks sis! It worked out Isaac came Home after his class and took care of it— I hate dealing with animals. It’s just so stressful to me. But I’m glad it all worked out.  

Let’s see what else, I ditched Isaac and the kids because I had a ministering interview. Our Relief Society president wanted to just go for a walk and I was totally game for that, but we walked and walked and walked, and chatted long after the interview, it was fun to get to visit, but it was not quick! I got home  and Isaac had done some of the dishes and had the kids in the tub. He’s the best!!— it was a total win! 

Today I actually went ministering (maybe that’s what they call a successful interview) 

I don’t know what else and I’m totally falling asleep so last thing—today after school we met the McHugh’s at the tennis court and they totally got Cann going in the right direction!  It was awesome, he was awesome and an  eager learner, It was so fun! We just gotta keep it up. They are a cool family!