Couldn't resist...

"Shouldn't that read: ROAD CLOSED!"

We met this sign as we approached the Wandermere bridge this morning...and being the fans that we are, we just HAD to stop and take a picture.

The difference a year makes!

...sorry, but I'm not heartbroken about this!!

Our Truck Today:



Our Truck One Year Ago Today:




I'm just sayin'...

4th Place

I'll admit, I've never fully understood the concept of the "Wild Card" position in any team event. I don't understand how they are selected or how they qualify. I just don't get it. However I no longer care HOW it works, I'm just glad that Jacob's math team made it to Masters as a wild card team! The turkeys took 4th Place!!



Brandon received a phone call the evening before Thanksgiving with the news about making it to Masters. He didn't tell the rest of the team until the following week since they weren't going to be able to practice over the holiday anyway. They had time for 2 practices and that was it. The boys were really more excited about getting to go than they were about the thoughts of actually placing!! When told about making it to Masters, one of the boys replied, "No way! We stunk!" Obviously, however, 7th place at last month's competition was enough to make it...and apparently they deserved it!

Power Outage 101

In the 2.5 years that we've lived in this house, we've never had the power go out for more than a few minutes. Last night was our initiation night! Four hours with no power!! What an adventure!!

Luckily, I had a candle burning in the kitchen window and since I was in the middle of making dinner I was able to grab it and begin head hunting! Most of the family was already in the kitchen goofing off helping prepare dinner. We scrounged up some more candles and flashlights and hunkered down. Here's what we learned...

1. A Rubbermaid box full of candles, matches, flashlights and batteries is a must! (The part abt it being kept in an easy-to-find location goes without saying!)

2. An emergency list of phone numbers is also a must! Thank you Flylady! I keep a very complete (some might say Type-A even) list of numbers for doctors, neighbors, schools, utility companies, etc in a notebook in my kitchen. We were able to phone and report the outage...then call and check on neighbors! It was nice not having to fumble for a phone book in the dark!!

3. Mike'n'Ikes make great magical beans that keep children from being scared in the dark!

4. If you put a lid on boiling water and pasta, it will cook in 20 minutes even without power! (See mom, I do listen sometimes!)



5. Keep your cell phones charged - always!

6. It was handy having the portable DVD player charged!



7. Make sure that "Alvin & The Chipmunks" isn't the closest movie on hand when the power goes off!

8. Portable Kerosene convection heaters are WONDERFUL! (They stink, but it's worth it!)

9. Don't wait until the power goes out to try to assemble your portable kerosene convection heater!



10. Every person in your family should have a headlamp!

11. Laser pointers can't help you find the way to the bathroom in the dark.

12. Don't have pancreatitis when the power is out. Just don't have it ever...it's miserable. Yes, I am still dealing with it and No, we don't know what's causing it yet.

13. Don't wait until the night before a project is due to start it!



14. Hulu.com comes in handy when the power was out and your TiVo didn't record NCIS or The Biggest Loser!

(Disclaimer: I know these pictures are horrid! I didn't want to use the flash and spoil the magic of the darkness!!) Ü

Thanksgiving day went like this...

Dad carved the turkey -



Jason mashed the potatoes -



Everyone patiently waited...



...and finally it was time to dish up!!



What Thanksgiving would be complete without olives??



...and more olives?



Test-driving a new tradition of a family picture on Thanksgiving



After dinner we broke out the games!
(Rex and Joseph played Trivial Pursuit...well, with the pieces anyway!)



Lindsay and Jason had a tickle fight during Apples to Apples...



...and Jason resorted to using his size to his advantage!



Grandma Janet brought a new game called Scrabble Slam...the kids love it!!




Joseph decided to work off some turkey with push-ups



Later in the evening we celebrated Grandma Janet's, Lindsay's and Megan's birthdays!



Polly Pockets is still a favorite!!



This is one of the many reasons why we keep mom out of the blog!



We tried to get a family picture! We've never had a professional portrait taken...



...maybe because apparently we can only hold it together for about four seconds!



...you know, it's a wonder we ever get a presentable picture taken!


Yes, we love you, Mardi!

Happy Thanksgiving

New Moon

Ya gotta love a great tradition!! A very kind, complete stranger offered to take our picture while standing in line to see New Moon! (Yes, I'm embarrassed to admit, we waited in line to see it!) We sure love Mardi and Kera!!

We love Grandma & Grandpa!!

The kids and I had a fun visit with grandma and grandpa on Friday.



We went up while the older kids were at school. The older kids don't like it when we do that, but it's fun for the little kids to have grandma's and grandpa's attention for themselves once in a while!



We had a blast and fully intend to do it again some day soon - but don't tell the school kids!

Student of the Month

Melanie was selected to be Student of the Month...hmmmm, it's the middle of November, so maybe it's for October? I'm not sure, but whenever it was she was awarded today! (red shirt)



She got to have her picture taken with Deputy Craig whom locals may recognize from Q-6 News spots (Hopefully not from personal encounters!).



Where's Waldo? We were able to find Malorie sitting with her class...can YOU find her???

'Tis the (Volleyball) Season

Madilyn had her first volleyball game last week in Colville - because of about 400 committments here at home and with Scouts, we didn't attend, but Grandma Janet & Grandpa Gary and Rex & Lindsay went to cheer her on!



I forgot all of the silly cool traditions school teams have!



Service!



We won 2 lost 1 vs Riverside last night!!!

Family Night / Cannon Ball Wound Ointment

Last night Jared was in charge of refreshments after family night. He and dad chose to make donuts...the kind where you pop open the can of refrigerator rolls. Mmmmmm!!!






A little known fact (before I published it on the internet anyway) is that I have a sincere fear of refrigerator rolls...well, of the cans they come in I mean. It all ties back to my hatred of being startled I guess (and a little bit of having the flesh torn off my hands...)

When Jared tore a can open, it popped with enough force to 1) give mom cardiac arrest and 2) to make a mark on his chest!!! (Validation!!) Luckily, we have Jacob around - he's our resident quick-whit who instantly called out to me and said, "Mom, Jared needs the cannonball wound ointment!!!" You'll probably have to enlarge the picture (and squint) to see the red circle in the center of his chest...but it's there - and you'll have to be a Brian Regan fan to appreciate Jacob's joke!




His reference to the cannon ball wound ointment is in the last minute and a half of this video! Enjoy.

She said I could!!

Ok, maybe she just didn't say I couldn't...is there a difference? Either way, I told her I was putting this in my blog today and here it is!

JA and Susan will be married in the
Albuquerque New Mexico Temple On December 8, 2009

More Cousins...

I snapped this quick picture of the Scout-Cousins earlier this week at Shane's Eagle Court of Honor!

"This sucks!"

I tried to think of a more dignified title for this entry...one a little more respectful maybe...but then I figured a direct quote from her daughter was probably fitting!

Our dear friend Marge passed away 2 weeks ago. She is my sister-in-law, Mindy's, mother...shouldn't that make her my mother-in-law-in-law or something? Whatever she is (or isn't) to us on paper, she is a dear friend who we love like family and who will be missed!

Mindy told me that the day will come when Marge will get a tongue lashing for this! I supposed you'd have to understand their relationship to really appreciate the humor in that! :) But just so Marge knows...I'm on Mindy's side - and I may not be as vocal when the time comes, but you can bet I'll be standing right behind Mindy nodding and wholeheartedly agreeing...maybe even gutsy enough to shake my finger!

All joking and kidding aside - our family loves Marge...we will miss her until we are blessed to meet again!

And then there were 15...

Our home keeps pretty busy with nine children going in every direction...this week we had family visit from Boise and in an instant we had 15 children going in every direction! It was GREAT!! We've vowed to do better at visiting family from now on! It's so fun to see the cousins pick up their friendships where they left off from the last visit without missing a beat!



"Brothers don't shake hands, brothers gotta hug!"



It's quiet in our house now that they've headed back to Idaho - well, as quiet as our house ever really gets. We sure do miss them already!!