We did it! Yesterday we took 7 of the 8 of us to Old Navy. AND we survived! The store was packed! Apparently they were having a few big hit sale promotions going on, but we all endured and made it out alive...and still smiling. This is what it was like in our car on the way to and from the store and possibly the main reason we left still smiling.
We were doing a Space Odyssey with each kid in command of something. We had a Weapons Officer (Bria), New Weapons Specialist (Heath) and a Navigation Officer (Alyssa). Dad was Commander at the wheel. Laney and Ansley were special cargo. All yellow cars were the enemy. Old Navy was the enemy's headquarters. Our Navigation Officer made sure we knew the enemy's plans from her network of spies. Apparently her spies were able to wire her the map and info. before never being heard from again. They sacrificed their lives for a greater cause...getting clothing for our kids. :)
I LOVE my family!
Here are a few other videos I recommend viewing too.
Video 2
Showing posts with label Family Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family Life. Show all posts
11.20.2011
10.22.2011
Snippets~A Photo Shoot
One goal that I have had for a few weeks now is to take pictures of each kid, for their 2011-2012 school year, no easy task when you have five. I had to do Laney on one day, the older girls on another and then the boys. I would like to get pictures of all of them together, but Laney is NOT cooperative with pics these days and Heath just wants to ham it up. So I will do what this pregnant body can do for now because my ever changing hormones can't handle it! :)
I can't believe that in about a week I will have added another child to my already crazy bunch of kids. They sure are a lot of work, but so worth every minute of it.
Now be prepared for a lot of pictures! I had too much fun! :)
I can't believe that in about a week I will have added another child to my already crazy bunch of kids. They sure are a lot of work, but so worth every minute of it.
Now be prepared for a lot of pictures! I had too much fun! :)
First I wanted to start with these. I LOVE how it turned out! I don't get pictures like this with Chad often (he isn't big on PDA...boys!) and this is just one of my faves now. I can't decide which I like best. In color or B&W?
They were having fun together and I wanted more cooperation on poses, but had to just go with it. In the end I think its cute and fun to see their personalities not only shining through, but that they enjoy each other (for the most part).
Heath loves to try and get people to laugh. He LOVES life so much and I wish I could be more like him. Life about does me in and then I am done with it, but he isn't usually down for very long. :)
Heath lost his first tooth and he is the youngest one in our family to have lost a tooth! Most of my kids were at least 7 going on 8 when they lost their first.
Chad has been hitting some of that teen 'tude, but overall is a good kid. One day when we were visiting my sister, Laney hit Chad and kept on messing with him. My sister told him to stop her, but he simply said, "She's too cute to scold!" Now if she has him wrapped around her pinky, I am wondering what our newest little one could get away with on his watch. :)
He has even babysat a couple of times for another family and has done really well. Their kids want him over a lot! We are pretty proud of our boy who won't be boy for much longer! I can't believe we have about 6 more years with him before he ventures out into the world on his own.
It was hard to get Laney to be in some of these pictures, but the girls loved posing for the camera. Unfortunately for some reason, Alyssa isn't happy with her teeth and doesn't smile much, but I still was able to get some good pictures of her.
Ring around the rosies and other games were the only things that worked for Laney-bug. At least they had fun together.
Alyssa is still the little mama. She really is such a big help to me especially when I have been sick with this pregnancy.
She also LOVES to sew and go to fabric stores. I think that is going to be a weakness of hers cause she LOVES fabric! :)
I admire her giving heart too. She truly has a love for people. Another trait a child of mine has that I wish I had too. I sometimes allow myself to get annoyed more than I should.
Bria has also lost several teeth as of late. She and Chad have both lost 3-4 at a time. I wouldn't be too surprised if the tooth fairy goes bankrupt anytime soon with these two. :)
Bria has been doing really well with her piano. She can play left and right hand by ear so long as she practices, but after a few tries or so and then she pretty much has the song down. She loves it too. So that really helps. Now she wants to play flute, but I think with her good ears she should do strings, but I will be a good mom and let her try things out before she makes a final decision. :)
What can I say about bug-bug? She needs NAPS! She is now in a big girl bed and it is hard to get her to nap, but because she isn't getting them she isn't the same child. She spits, hits and gets into EVERYTHING much, much more than she used to. Of course it could be the fact that she is 2!!! :) I can NOT keep up. So we are trying to make her take naps. I am hoping that we can get into a groove soon. I am so tempted to just put her back in the crib for nap time until the baby is old enough to be out of the bassinet.
Other than that she is very snuggly and lovable when she wants to be. :)
She also loves to learn phonics with Heath, so I have been doing alphabet flash cards with her and we let her think she is doing what Heath is. I think I may have an early reader on my hands though. She sure gets it quickly.
And Laney STILL loves her bellybutton! :)
9.07.2011
Back to School-Homeschool Style
This year we decided to not only homeschool all the kids, but to start early. We are in our seventh week. We started in July since it was so hot and since we had a two week trip planned while everyone else would just be starting their school year.
The first couple of weeks were a little rough trying to get the boys acclimated to our already established school routine, but they are starting to get the hang of it. Heath LOVES getting his phonics out and having me work with him, but is still known to give me a run for my money at times. Some days are fun and others I want to pull my hair out. Of course that is the case in everyday life anyways so nothing too new to me. Laney either plays alone upstairs or comes down to color, play with her kitchen or watch "Dora". She has also enjoyed trying her hand at Phonics too. We are mostly working on letter recognition for her, but she is like a little parrot and repeats the lessons we recite. Maybe she'll be our early reader! *fingers crossed*
We start the morning with breakfast, reading scriptures together, family prayer and personal scripture reading. Then move onto Lang. Arts, Math, 15 min. break, History and Science. We then have lunch. The younger two are done while the older two work on computer skills. Then every Friday we have quizzes to see that they have retained most of the info. we have learned and have either an Art or Religious History lesson. We are usually done by noon and earlier on Fridays, but can be flexible if need be. Sometimes I just HAVE to start that laundry right then or else I will go insane or our break needs to be a little bit longer. :)
In History we learned about the Roman Empire, its fall and the rise of the Byzantine Empire, the India, Chinese, and Japanese Empires and are now studying about Australia in the middle ages. Its great for me because I am always learning new things right along with them.
We even had the kids write their own laws for their "Empires". Heath said to "Obey mommy ALL the time and daddy sometimes." :) Have I ever said how much I LOVE that kid? :) Don't wory I did tell him that isn't really how things should go, we need to listen to daddy too, but I relished in it while I could. Cause we all know mommy isn't listened to and feared as much as daddy. At least not in this house. My kids, for some reason, assume I am always teasing or joking with them. I think I need to rethink my parenting style.
Then we made a typical Roman Soldier dinner. We put cubed potatoes, sliced carrots and onions in over a small patty of ground beef inside some foil. Then added salt and butter. We weren't supposed to add the butter because that isn't something they would have had on them during their travels as soldiers, but I can't live without butter on my veggies. :) You put it in the oven on 350 for about 20-30 minutes then, voila, you have a meal that wasn't too much fuss and it was really good! Kind of like foil camping dinners. We also had to eat with our hands...Chad and I lasted about 2 minutes, if that.
So far the year is going fairly well with a few bumps in the road here and there, but it is nice to be together during the days. I am fully aware of what they are learning and know where they need the most help. That has been nice. I can also cater their learning towards their strengths while trying to improve upon their weaker subjects. It is also nice to plan field trips just to have a change of scenery. I consider having that kind of control and insight into their education a blessing and am grateful my heart was softened towards this alternative of schooling for them. It has been a learning experience for all of us. One that is too precious for us not to have tried. Of course I hope to remember this when my patience is worn thin and I am ready to lock myself in my bedroom with a half gallon of ice cream, but even then this will still ring true. I just may not want to admit it at that point. :)
The first couple of weeks were a little rough trying to get the boys acclimated to our already established school routine, but they are starting to get the hang of it. Heath LOVES getting his phonics out and having me work with him, but is still known to give me a run for my money at times. Some days are fun and others I want to pull my hair out. Of course that is the case in everyday life anyways so nothing too new to me. Laney either plays alone upstairs or comes down to color, play with her kitchen or watch "Dora". She has also enjoyed trying her hand at Phonics too. We are mostly working on letter recognition for her, but she is like a little parrot and repeats the lessons we recite. Maybe she'll be our early reader! *fingers crossed*
We start the morning with breakfast, reading scriptures together, family prayer and personal scripture reading. Then move onto Lang. Arts, Math, 15 min. break, History and Science. We then have lunch. The younger two are done while the older two work on computer skills. Then every Friday we have quizzes to see that they have retained most of the info. we have learned and have either an Art or Religious History lesson. We are usually done by noon and earlier on Fridays, but can be flexible if need be. Sometimes I just HAVE to start that laundry right then or else I will go insane or our break needs to be a little bit longer. :)
In History we learned about the Roman Empire, its fall and the rise of the Byzantine Empire, the India, Chinese, and Japanese Empires and are now studying about Australia in the middle ages. Its great for me because I am always learning new things right along with them.
We even had the kids write their own laws for their "Empires". Heath said to "Obey mommy ALL the time and daddy sometimes." :) Have I ever said how much I LOVE that kid? :) Don't wory I did tell him that isn't really how things should go, we need to listen to daddy too, but I relished in it while I could. Cause we all know mommy isn't listened to and feared as much as daddy. At least not in this house. My kids, for some reason, assume I am always teasing or joking with them. I think I need to rethink my parenting style.
Then we made a typical Roman Soldier dinner. We put cubed potatoes, sliced carrots and onions in over a small patty of ground beef inside some foil. Then added salt and butter. We weren't supposed to add the butter because that isn't something they would have had on them during their travels as soldiers, but I can't live without butter on my veggies. :) You put it in the oven on 350 for about 20-30 minutes then, voila, you have a meal that wasn't too much fuss and it was really good! Kind of like foil camping dinners. We also had to eat with our hands...Chad and I lasted about 2 minutes, if that.
So far the year is going fairly well with a few bumps in the road here and there, but it is nice to be together during the days. I am fully aware of what they are learning and know where they need the most help. That has been nice. I can also cater their learning towards their strengths while trying to improve upon their weaker subjects. It is also nice to plan field trips just to have a change of scenery. I consider having that kind of control and insight into their education a blessing and am grateful my heart was softened towards this alternative of schooling for them. It has been a learning experience for all of us. One that is too precious for us not to have tried. Of course I hope to remember this when my patience is worn thin and I am ready to lock myself in my bedroom with a half gallon of ice cream, but even then this will still ring true. I just may not want to admit it at that point. :)
7.26.2011
Snippets-This summer...
I know that I have totally neglected my blog. It has been a loooong time, for me, since I last posted. To be brutally honest I have not only been busy, but not motivated to blog. I haven't felt that I have had much to say and I might even bore you all with this post anyways, but my sister has said she misses my updates. She is awesome! Thanks for the motivation sissy!
We have been busy. I have been busy. So what have we been up to you ask? Hmmmm....This summer:
I drank my very first Sarsaparilla, or as Doris Day says in "Calamity Jane", "Sasprilly"! I LOVE the sound of that. :) If you haven't seen that movie (musical) then you should cause you are MISSING out!
Bria was finally baptized and was so happy about that!
My in-laws had an exchange student, Clara, from Germany stay with them this past school year and we had a fun farewell for her. The kids all went outside to create some nice art work for her on the driveway and sidewalk. I think some of them had more fun getting it all over their shirts, hands and faces...Laney! :)
Since I was here for the 4th of July this year (I am normally with my fam in Southern Georgia), we threw a party at our house for our local family members, complete with a craft and fireworks later that evening at Brandt and Jenny's. We had fun splurging on fireworks this year, but their neighbor's put ours to shame. :) They had way more to watch and much bigger ones. BUT ours were still fun too, especially when a bottle rocket dive bombed my hubby and he had to hit the deck! Ha ha ha! *tear* Don't worry I am sure that he is laughing with me. ;)
My girls decorated an awesome flag cake in honor of our founding fathers. The night before we talked about why we celebrate the 4th of July. This is one of my favorite holidays, second to Christmas, and is very dear to my heart, so its important for me to always keep the celebrations fun and memorable.
Silly siblings and cousins! Can you tell we do a lot of silly face pics? Cause little miss D in the blue shirt with the power puff girls on it has been holding the same face the entire time. :)
We planted a small garden and so far we have had a few HUGE zucchini, tomatoes (heirloom), cucumbers, bell peppers and jalapenos make it to our table. YUM! Nothing like fresh food from the garden. We even had a zucchini that was about 2 feet long, thanks to all the rain we had. These pics are a little on hte older side. The garden is MUCH bigger than this now, but it needs to be weeded so no updated pics til then or else you might wonder how on earth we know we have something edible growing in there. :)
Phew! That was our summer! With a few play dates thrown in here and there. Not glamorous, but fun for us because we were together as family and it has been nice to have the peace and quiet from the hustle and bustle of life. BUT I am ready for a girls retreat now and theeeen maybe a little more hustle and bustle. Hmmm, running kids around more, errands, deadlines...then again maybe not. :)
We have been busy. I have been busy. So what have we been up to you ask? Hmmmm....This summer:
I drank my very first Sarsaparilla, or as Doris Day says in "Calamity Jane", "Sasprilly"! I LOVE the sound of that. :) If you haven't seen that movie (musical) then you should cause you are MISSING out!
Bria was finally baptized and was so happy about that!
My in-laws had an exchange student, Clara, from Germany stay with them this past school year and we had a fun farewell for her. The kids all went outside to create some nice art work for her on the driveway and sidewalk. I think some of them had more fun getting it all over their shirts, hands and faces...Laney! :)
Since I was here for the 4th of July this year (I am normally with my fam in Southern Georgia), we threw a party at our house for our local family members, complete with a craft and fireworks later that evening at Brandt and Jenny's. We had fun splurging on fireworks this year, but their neighbor's put ours to shame. :) They had way more to watch and much bigger ones. BUT ours were still fun too, especially when a bottle rocket dive bombed my hubby and he had to hit the deck! Ha ha ha! *tear* Don't worry I am sure that he is laughing with me. ;)
My girls decorated an awesome flag cake in honor of our founding fathers. The night before we talked about why we celebrate the 4th of July. This is one of my favorite holidays, second to Christmas, and is very dear to my heart, so its important for me to always keep the celebrations fun and memorable.
Silly siblings and cousins! Can you tell we do a lot of silly face pics? Cause little miss D in the blue shirt with the power puff girls on it has been holding the same face the entire time. :)
We planted a small garden and so far we have had a few HUGE zucchini, tomatoes (heirloom), cucumbers, bell peppers and jalapenos make it to our table. YUM! Nothing like fresh food from the garden. We even had a zucchini that was about 2 feet long, thanks to all the rain we had. These pics are a little on hte older side. The garden is MUCH bigger than this now, but it needs to be weeded so no updated pics til then or else you might wonder how on earth we know we have something edible growing in there. :)
Phew! That was our summer! With a few play dates thrown in here and there. Not glamorous, but fun for us because we were together as family and it has been nice to have the peace and quiet from the hustle and bustle of life. BUT I am ready for a girls retreat now and theeeen maybe a little more hustle and bustle. Hmmm, running kids around more, errands, deadlines...then again maybe not. :)
7.03.2011
Let Freedom Ring!
Happy 4th of July!
We are going to have FUN with family! This year we splurged and bought the BIG awesome fireworks. Can't wait to let our family pyros have at it. Hope you all are safe and enjoy this awesome day to celebrate what our founding father's fought for....FREEDOM!
6.05.2011
Summertime is OFFICIAL
It has been HOT! And I even think that is an understatement. Seriously. Let's just say I hope I can get through those pearly gates cause I don't want to know how hot it is in the other place. :)
My husband came home after work, found me asleep and then took the kids out for a fun evening of cooling off in the sprinkler. This is what I woke up to...
Little Miss enjoyed it for a minute then she was ready to explore.
I hope my pregnant self can survive this summer. I wish we had a pool. Perhaps I will get a nice kiddie pool. :)
One more day to vote on what gender you think our baby will be. Just go to the top right sidebar on the blog to cast your vote. We find out Tuesday! :)
My husband came home after work, found me asleep and then took the kids out for a fun evening of cooling off in the sprinkler. This is what I woke up to...
Little Miss enjoyed it for a minute then she was ready to explore.
I hope my pregnant self can survive this summer. I wish we had a pool. Perhaps I will get a nice kiddie pool. :)
One more day to vote on what gender you think our baby will be. Just go to the top right sidebar on the blog to cast your vote. We find out Tuesday! :)
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