CARVING PUMPKINS

I think that carving pumpkins is such a fun family tradition! The boys each picked out the perfect pumpkin and then they were ready to carve. Everett spent a lot of time stabbing his pumpkin with various tools. He also refused to stick his hand inside the pumpkin to pull out the guts! Parker was meticulous in his efforts of cleaning and cutting. We definitely missed Kamarin this year, as she was at her Dad's. We were successful in creating spooky jack-o-lanterns!

PARKER'S PRESENTS

Parker had a couple of gifts that he REALLY wanted for his birthday this year: a watch and a yo yo. As you can see by the pictures...he was very pleased with his presents. Little brother also got a yo yo to join in the fun. Dad and Mom spent the next several days rolling up yo yo's...so the boys could stand on the couch and try again!

1ST AND 4TH GRADE HALLOWEEN PARTIES

I figure that I had better hurry and post all of our Halloween pictures from parties and trick-or-treating. I was schduled to be induced to have our baby this morning. The hospital called and they are full until this afternoon...so, we are waiting! The boys class Halloween parties fell on Parker's birthday. His class was having a pizza party too. He wanted me to bring in donuts for the class. His teacher always does an apple bobbing for each of the kids. Parker almost got a bite into his apple. Everett's class had fun making spiderwebs with paint and eating plenty of junk.

HALLOWEEN PARTY 2009

Kamarin had another Halloween party this year. We had worried that she had sent out too many invitations (108) and that it would last way too long (6-11 pm). Fortunately, only about half that many kids showed up! And, surprisingly enough almost all of them were in costume! We had plenty of food...almost 5 pizza's left over! The kids had a great time! They spent time dancing, singing karaoke, and just being silly! Even Kamarin's little brothers were welcomed into the mix! The party did go a bit long, but for the most part, it was a great party! She was really pleased! She even gave out a trophy for the best costume...it went to the guy in the Santa Claus suit!

CINNAMON ROLLS

Last week, my Mom came to visit. I always enjoys when she comes!! I debated whether to have her come before or after the baby arrives. I decided to have her come before, because she is so fun to play with! I figured that after the baby was here, I wouldn't feel much like playing for awhile. We hit all of our shopping hot spots and went to lunch everyday. The one thing I wanted her to do for me before she left, was to try a new cinnamon roll recipe. I have been craving a really good, really big, and really sweet cinnamon roll for a while now! I knew that she could help me get my fix!!! This recipe had vanilla pudding in it...and they were enjoyed by all! We even had enough to share with neighbors!! (Ignore Branden's long lizard tongue...when you ask for a pose, you get what you get!)

EXPRESSIONS OF A PREGNANT WOMAN

WARNING: THERE WILL BE A LOT OF COMPLAINING, WHINING, AND SELF-PITY CONTAINED IN THIS BLOG ENTRY.

I am officially 33 weeks and 2 days pregnant. That may not seem like very much to some women who just love to be pregnant. I however do not! Do not get me wrong...I love being a mother!! I just love it! But, the 9 months (9 lunar months actually, which really equates to 40 long weeks)it takes to grow a sweet infant is really too long for me. I realize that some mammals are pregnant for far longer...but, like I forewarned I am complaining!
The news that we are expecting another precious individual, to welcome into our family is always a joyous occasion! Then comes the "day-long" sickness! I have been sick with all of my pregnancies, but it seems to have gotten worse with each baby. By the time that the nausea/vomiting has subsided, then I am getting big and uncomfortable.
So, that being said...I am huge! My youngest son has told me that I am not yet as fat as Santa Claus though! My middle son asked if I was too big to stand on a scale anymore. When I shared with him, that I was indeed small enough in stature, to fit on a scale...he then wanted to know how much I weighed. After much persistence...I agreed to whisper my weight to him. "No way!!! You weigh way more than that Mom! You are lying!" Hey, I totally told the truth! I guess that is what you get when you tell a 9 year old how much you weigh!
I have now spent 2 eventful evenings at the hospital with contractions! I am certain that the triage at L&D have deliberately purchased the MOST uncomfortable beds that they could find! That way you won't be tempted to return unless absolutely necessary! Both times, the sweet girls that work there have given me injections to stop my contractions and then sent me home. Don't get me wrong...for this I am grateful! It just is time consuming and a bit exhausting!
I recently read in an article about pregnancy. It stated, that woman should have no problem feeling attractive while pregnant. Hmmm, was this article written by someone that has never experienced pregnancy? Let me tell you about feeling sexy...I am retaining water from my toes to my chin! Cellulite and a double chin do not rank high on the sexiness scale in my book. My limited maternity wardrobe is tight and uncomfortable! I cannot stand, with out experiencing the need to pee all over my self! Oh, and exercising hurts and starts my contractions....so, any hope that I might be fit while pregnant is out! And I am supposed to remain feeling attractive?
It is just NOT happening!
I did just go to the doctor. She would like me to remain pregnant for another 2 weeks. Of which I am fine with...longer really, if my body and this darling baby will cooperate. So, now I have to stay down after 4:00 pm everyday and do all of my mom-duties from a chair! Yeah, it doesn't work out all that well. I know that this too will pass and pretty soon, I will be rewarded with a beautiful baby boy! But, until then, I will commiserate to all of you that are willing to read.

CARMEL APPLES

Sticky, gooey, and messy! But, oh soooo good!

SOCCER SEASON 2009

Our boys love to play soccer! And, both are actually good little players...and I am not just saying that, as their mother! This year, Branden was hoping to just cheer from the sidelines, but as usual he received a call asking him to coach. So, he is proudly coaching Everett's team. The first month is quite brutal, because we are still experiencing the Arizona heat. You can see from these photos, that my boys are a bit on the warm side. They drink lots of fluids and we spray them with a water bottle. Parker is an amazing defender! If the ball is coming toward the goal, he is your man! Everett loves to play Striker...he is aggressive and can move the ball down the field!

RELAXING IN THE SUN

The Hoopes family had planned to spend a week together at Rocky Point in Mexico this summer. But due to the unsafe environment across the border, we changed our plans. We all met in Tucson at the La Paloma resort instead. We spent the day relaxing pool side and enjoying each others company. Saturday evening, we dined at the club house and were pampered by Curtis Peralta, a family friend and chef at the resort. The dinner was preceded by delicious appetizers and finished by fabulous desserts!! The kids enjoyed the waterslide and the many pools. They even got to watch a dive-in movie! Thanks to Mom and Dad Hoopes for providing such an enjoyable time. I didn't seem to get pictures of everybody...sorry to those that were missed. Love you all!!

TWO LOST TEETH

It has finally happened!! He had to wait 6 painfully long years, but he finally lost a tooth! Not, just one tooth...but two! You can see the extremely large tooth growing in. Unfortunately, two teeth have to fit in that one little space. Thank goodness for orthodontics in a few years! Everett walked around with those two little teeth hanging on by a thread for about 2 weeks. He was very protective of them! We all tried to "encourage" their removal....but he wouldn't have it! Finally, with much bribing and persuasion, his Daddy was able to pull the first one. He roped it with dental floss and *pop* out it came. The second tooth followed the next night. The tooth fairy was VERY generous!!

Thanksgiving Point--Utah Adventure

One of the many things we wanted to do while in Utah, was to visit the dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point. My boys love to use the paint brushes to uncover dinosaur skeletons. We were lucky enough to share the experience with cousins!! It was so fun to see the Hudsons & the Cannons! Kamarin was a great help with the little ones!! Dinosaurs, dinosaurs and more dinosaurs! Grandma was along for the ride too. We had a great time!

Linden Park--Utah Adventure

My side of the family had a family reunion in the middle of July. Branden and I drove the boys up to Utah and Kamarin flew up a few days later. Can I just say that Utah is beautiful? I grew up below those gorgeous mountains and took them for granted! Now when I go back to visit, I can't help but stare up at the mountain peaks and sigh! And the weather...(of course this does not apply to winter)! If it is hot during the day, it still cools off in the evening! We are still 105 degrees at midnight here! We found a rather fun place to play with cousins! Linden Park is nestled below the beautiful mountains that I speak of. As you can see from the picture, you can enjoy the scenery and a water slide at the same time. They also have a flow rider!! My kids thought it was GREAT! Especially the boys! You pay $10 for the day and you can go as many times as you want. Park got very good and was performing many tricks. Kamarin swallowed too much water a few times. It kept them entertained for hours! We went twice in the week we were up in Utah. It was a great way to chill with family!

Percy and the Olympians Book Signing

Parker and I love to read together. We pick a series and eat, drink and breathe the books until we are done. Sometimes, we start them all over again, just for fun! This summer we chose Percy and the Olympians. The series has five books in all and as luck would have it...the last book came out this summer. The local Barnes and Noble was having a book signing. The auther Rick Riordan was there signing books and answering questions. We decided that it would be an adventure to attend!! Apparently, there are alot of Olympian fans out there...who knew? We waited 3 hours for our turn. We had a great time! Kamarin wanted to come along for the ride (although she had not and still has not read the books). It was fun to see everyone dressed up as characters from the books. Both kids had the author personalize one of the books to them.

Swimming Lessons 2009

Back in the saddle again...with the kids back in school, I have time to get back to blogging. I have much of the summer to catch up on. My boys took 3 sessions of swimming lessons through the city. Kamarin was a veteran guard volunteer at the pool too. She logged an impressive 100 hours... in which, she either assisted in lessons or life guarded at public swim. Both, Parker and Everett took diving. They loved learning to dive from the diving board. Parker is really interested in joining a dive club over the winter months. Everett was still hesitant, but always looked forward to his "free dive" at the end of class. He can do a mean cannon ball! Thank goodness we can escape the heat in the coolness of a pool!!

CUB SCOUT DAY CAMP

Parker had the opportunity to go to the Heard Pueblo Day Camp for cub scouts for three days at the beginning of the month! He was soooo excited! This made for very long days...he left around 1:00 pm and returned home exhausted about 10:30 pm. After work, Branden met him up there and had a great time helping chaperon the boys. Park had the opportunity to do archery, BB guns, swimming, crafts and water balloon fights! He created many memories with his buddies!

STILL HUMAN

I have been having some problems with heart palpitations recently. The cardiologist thinks it is just related to pregnancy hormones. He wanted me to wear a cardiac monitor for 24 hours just to monitor my heart beats. I was telling my boys that I was leaving for about an hour to have some electrodes and wires put on my chest to record my heart. They both got kinda quiet and told me that they didn't want me to go. I said that I would be right back. Then Park asked, "well, are they going to change you into part cyborg?" No...I assured him and jokingly told them that they would be stuck with just a human mom, not a really cool robot one. Everett said, "good cause I like you being human!" When I returned they both came running to inspect the hardware. They counted the 5 wires and then asked again how the doctor would get them off. They were relieved that they were just stuck on with stickers. Such imaginations!!

NEW SAND BOX

It has taken 10 long years to finally finish the back yard. We ordered 15 tons of rock to put around the yard. It looks soooo nice! I thought that it would be the end of the mud my boys cleverly create....every single day of my life!! I was WRONG! So, the day after the yard is finished the men in my life decide to build a second sand box. This one in the shade of the club house. It really is a great idea, but, add a little water and PRESTO....MUD! Branden had some mighty good helpers though!

EIGHT GRADE PROMOTION

When I was going to school, Junior High consisted of 7-9th grade. I think that I kinda liked that! Especially, since my daughter is about to enter HIGH SCHOOL!!! The school that she attends starts High School in the 9th grade. She is sooo excited and a little nervous too. She looked beautiful at her Eighth Grade Promotion. It began with the eighth grade student body entering the gymnasium to the graduation march. They read her name and gave her a certificate and that was it. She is now a High School Freshman!!!! Yes, I am freaking out!

COOL ZOO DAY

The week after school got out it was beautifully overcast. We say that here in AZ, because the cloud coverage offers us some relief from the sun! So a group of our friends decided to make a trip to the zoo. My kids were more interested in the potato bugs and snails, found along the trail.

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL/FIRST DAY OF SUMMER

All three of the kids had their last day of school on May 21st!! Summer has officially begun! We started it with a fun BBQ with our friends and a swim party! The water in the pool is still a bit cold, but the kids didn't seem to notice. What could be better than swimming, grilling and fun? We are so grateful for such good friends!!

AWARDS NIGHT 2009

Kamarin was selected by her Language/Arts teacher to receive the Outstanding Student Award. We were sooo excited when they called her name at the award assembly. It was hosted in the school gymnasium. She was given a medallion which she wore proudly, the next day to school. We are so proud of her efforts in school. She really tries hard and goes the extra mile in all of her classes! Way to go Bug!!

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS SOUND IS?

We are sooo excited to finally announce that we are expecting another little Hoopes! I am about 13 weeks pregnant and as you can hear...have a baby with a healthy heart beat growing inside me. We waited to tell the kids until today! They are so tickled!! The boys are hoping for a boy and the girls are hoping for a girl...so place your bets! These ultrasound pix are just quick ones that the doctor's office did for me to show the kids. You can't really tell what is what, but I swear that there are two arms, two legs, fingers and toes, and a huge head! The due date is around November 24th. Now my kids know that their mother really isn't lazy, just really nauseated and tired! I have been so sick for the last 2 months and haven't been able to tell them why! So, now you all know too!

FATHER & SONS CAMPOUT 2009

I have been falling behind in my blogging lately. Some of it has to do with the fact that Branden now works from home...and the computer is in his office. So, if I want to work on my blog or pay bills or check emails, I have to do it very quietly....shhhhh! He is usually on a conference call or something else of equal importance.
So, with that being said....I am trying to catch up! The boys went on the Father & Sons Camp out a couple of weekends ago. Park and Everett look forward to this special time with their Dad. This year Grandpa Hoopes went along for the ride too! They had a great time! Pay close attention to how filthy dirty my boys get! They love that I am not there, to tell them to wash up and comb hair. This is guy time at its best!

EGGS...BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!

My kids love Easter! They love to get Easter baskets and paint eggs...we painted 3 dozen hard boiled eggs this year! Everett makes each egg an individual masterpiece. Kamarin writes on the eggs in her teenage code the initials of the boys she likes. Parker is slow and meticulous, painting one egg to everyone elses three. We had a fun egg hunt at our friends the Bast's. Then, we relaxed on the lawn! In between all of the festivities we tried to focus on the reason for celebrating Easter. Of course, Parker our thinker wanted to know what eggs had to do with Jesus! We are grateful for Christ's atoning sacrifice and resurrection!

THE BOX!!

Grandma and Grandpa Hoopes sent Everett a birthday package...it had some fun presents inside. Everett was just thrilled with the box! He grabbed a butter knife and went to town on it! He cut it to pieces, bit by bit.

EVERETT'S BIRTHDAY PARTY!

This year Everett wanted a puppy dog themed birthday. Not a "The Dog" kind of party...just a party where you act like a doggy. Kamarin painted dog noses and whiskers on all that attended. We played pin the tail on the dog, musical dog rope, and chasing each others "tails" to pop balloons. Everyone enjoyed pizza & cupcakes in the shape of puppy paws. Everett thought that it was a great party. We can't believe that he is six!!

WANNA WRESTLE?

Look at this group of unruly boys! Juvenile delinquents if ever I saw some! OR, are these just a few friends that love the roll around on the ground in a friendly wrestling match. I think that the the odds were pretty even. Big boys against big boys and little boys against little boys. Parker loves to wrestle & will try to take down anyone willing to be his victim. And I can thank his Dad for the tough wrestling matches that my boys look forward to the minute that Branden walks through the door.

CUB SCOUT GO CART

Like I mentioned a few posts back...Branden helped Parker complete an elective in his Bear handbook for cub scouts. They built a go cart out of wood and screws. The boys had a lot of fun helping put it together. After a couple of trips to Home Depot, Branden decided they should be rewarded with a trip to the gas station for slushes and a Coke! What a great way to spend the afternoon with your Dad!

TEE BALL

Everett was so excited to have his first real tee ball game. We all went to support him! He is such a cute little player...he throws great, and can catch the ball too! He likes to hustle to the next base when the ball is hit. The best thing about tee ball is there are only 3 innings, they don't keep score, & nobody gets out! Just a fun time for this kids, with their parents cheering them on. We are very proud of him!

MUD!!

When I look at these pictures, I remember back to playing in the mud as a kid too. Mother's don't love that their children want to be covered in such a sticky gooey substance. But, what is a childhood with out mud? So here are my silly boys stripped to their skivvy's...enjoying the mud!

FISHING

The boys planned a fishing trip while they were visiting Grandma & Grandpa in Safford. We were grateful for Uncle Mike's patience and help. He is an avid fisher and since none of the rest of are...it was nice to have someone that knew what they were doing. Only one fish was caught in a four hour period...and as you can see from the pictures...Everett caught it!! We weren't sure what to do with it, once it was caught...so we cut it free to swim another day.

SPRING BREAK 2009

I have been such a slacker....So, I need to get you all caught up to speed with our lives. The week of Spring Break we were very busy & played hard together. My Mom was here visiting. We skateboarded, climbed trees & the boys went to Grandma & Grandpa Hoopes'. Branden also helped Parker complete a cub scout go-cart. The kids had a blast pulling each other around. While the kids were gone, Branden & I enjoyed a lovely birthday dinner for Branden at Richardson's, a yummy restaurant. Well, we kinda went celebrated his birthday and went to dinner a few times.

TRACK AND FIELD DAY

Every year the elementary school has a track and field day. Parker was sooo excited! He has been "training" all week for a relay with three friends. His relay team tied for first place. He couldn't have been more pleased! He also participated in the long jump, 60 yard dash, obstacle course, rock wall and some water fun, too.



This was Everett's first track and field day...he was a little unsure about what was in store. All morning, he kept saying that he didn't want to go. He refused to put on shorts and left the house a little stressed. Parker's reassuring words that it was going to be fun didn't ease his nerves. Luckily, he had a blast!! He dug for gummy worms, played in the water and loved the obstacle course. He received a purple ribbon for participation.

T BALL HERE I COME

Everett is signed up for T-ball this spring. He is soooo excited! Dad is kinda excited too! Branden just went and bought a bat, 5 balls, a helmet, & batting trainer. Everett wanted to get right on practicing. So, out to the back yard they went. Branden thinks that Everett will be the best T-ball player on the team.



**On a side note:
To give a brief update on Everett's recovery is to say THANK GOODNESS he is finally starting to feel better. It has been a grueling week and a half. He has been very mean and I have been tested beyond human limits in regards to patience. So, that being said...he is finally starting to feel better.

BRACES ARE OFF!!

They are off!!! She is sooo excited and her smile looks great! Dr. Larabee is very pleased with her results. Now, she is just trying to get used to her retainers. I remember those days...the slobbering, sucking and clicking of the retainer. Who can forget?

She looks just gorgeous! Congrats sis!!

THIRD GRADER TOUGH

I was having a conversation with Parker the other day that I wanted to share. I just love recording stuff like this, because someday he will enjoy hearing what he had to say.

Parker: I am Quinten's body guard at school.
Mom: Why does he need a body guard?
Parker: Because kids mess with him.
Mom: Why are you his body guard?
Parker: 'Cause I am the second toughest kid in the third grade.
Mom: How do you know that you are tough?
Parker: Well, I used to mess with people.
Mom: Who is the toughest?
Parker: A kid named Josh.
Mom: Then, you are next?
Parker: I like to look at my muscles....I blow up my thumb and then flex my muscles...it looks like my muscles are growing!
Mom: Do you flex your muscles a lot?
Parker: Um, yeah...everyday at lunch time. We try to see who's arm is widest.
Mom: What else do you do?
Parker: Arm wrestle people. That is how I know I am tough.

I think I should mention that this conversation was done on a very serious note. So there you have it...he is a tough guy.

POOR TINY

The tonsils and adenoids are out!! It has been a long week! Everett has been a real trooper. He has felt poorly for several days. It has been difficult to keep him hydrated. After the surgery on Monday, he was sooo nauseated. The post-op nurse gave him several doses of medicine in his IV to help him not throw up. They released us on Tuesday and when we got home, he acted like he felt good. By that night, he was feeling poorly again. Wednesday was a day of vomiting and sore throat. More of the same on Thursday, with a call to the doctor because he couldn't keep anything down. Today, he feels much better and even ate a little bit. I think he has probably lost about 5 pounds. We keep telling him that he needs to fatten up. This tiny is just tooo skinny. We are so proud of him! We are all glad that it is over and hopefully he is on the mend. We love you tiny!!

THE BEST CHEERLEADER EVER

Kamarin has been getting a lot of blog airtime lately...but, I promised to share her award with all of you. We squeezed in her awards night right before we left to Disneyland...and boy are we glad that we did. She was recognized along with all of the other girls with a certificate and a pin. Then they awarded 3 different trophies for different achievements. Kamarin received the best of the group award!! She was sooo excited! We are proud of her!

ATTACK OF THE DRYWALL!!

I wish I had taken a pix of the "before" stage of this project!! The overhang on our back patio had some water damage. Between the kids spraying the paint with the hose and a sprinkler going haywire, it was coming off in strips. Branden decided to handyman it himself. He had to scrape off the old and retape, putty and sand the new. This is what he looked like after a session of sanding. What a mess!!

SCHOOL PROJECT

Kamarin works very hard at school. She has great study habits and always finishes her homework! This was a fun project for one of her classes. She drew out the flag and then painted it red, white and blue. Her attention to detail paid off...she got 100%!!

LAST MEET OF THE SEASON!

Well, cheer has finally come to an end...Kamarin loved her experience! She learned a lot and made many friends. Her coach said that she really appreciated Kamarin and her hard work! These pix come from the final tournament and her school took second overall!

DISNEYLAND!!!!

We went to Disneyland! We left right after Kamarin's award night on Thursday (I will blog about that in a bit.)With a car full of sleeping kids, we rolled into the hotel about midnight. We unloaded and got a pretty good night sleep. The kids were up bright (Kamarin not so bright) and early ready to head to the park! Everett was dieing to go on the Dumbo ride, so after a quick stop at the Matterhorn....no lines yet...he got his wish! He took turns riding with Branden and I. We gave a little more freedom to the older two. As long as they stayed together and called to check in, then they got to run around the park on their own. This was much simpler than trying to constantly wait for each other. They had a blast...and got along most of the time!



We can not go on a vacation with out some kind of challenge. The second morning Branden got up to go buy milk at the store. The dome light had been left on in the car and the battery was dead. Thank goodness for roadside assistance!! They were there in about 30 minutes. I took the kids into the park and he waited for the battery to charge. We all met up a bit later and had a great time. I hate to buy food in the park...it isn't very good and is very expensive. We took snacks and lots of fruit. But, strangely enough my family still got hungry. We did pretty good though and everyone ate surprisingly well!



My kids are a bit spoiled when it comes to waiting in lines. If the line was longer than 10 minutes long, all we heard was complaining. By getting there early in the morning, right when Disneyland opened, we could jump on any ride with out waiting. By lunch time, the park really starts to fill up. We learned to Fastpass and when Disneyland got too busy, we went over to California Adventure. We walked and walked and walked! Our soles are bruised and a few of us have blisters, but it was worth it!

ASTHMA SUCKS!

I realize that this exclamation is not very eloquent. But, it does! Asthma sucks! I have been looking back through pix of the kids. Sadly, I can find a picture of Everett with the breathing machine every month for the past year. That sucks! He is such a sweet boy and we really have been following his maintenance plan. Fortunately, he gets his tonsils out in 2 weeks! The ENT tells me that we should see a 70% improvement right away. I hope so!! I just had to write about this, because he is home again today. We got to go to the ER yesterday, because he couldn't stop wheezing and coughing! He was actually pleased, because he got to leave church early.

I love this picture because you can see his "me-me" (binkie) under his mask.

NO TREATS!!

So, Rachel and I have a new...shall we say....competition going. Since swimsuit season is right around the corner and neither of us feels quite swimsuit worthy, we decided to go NO TREATS! (echo, echo, echo!) Branden, who is a lover of all things salty and crunchy, might think, "hey, what's the big deal?" But, for Rachel (a self-proclaimed batter bowl licker) and myself (oh, just one more cookie can't hurt); this will prove to be one of life's great challenges. We started our journey last Tuesday and have both proven to be up to the task.
What constitutes a treat you ask? Well, obviously...cookies, cake, brownies, ice cream, candy, etc. Baking banana bread with chocolate chips is a treat, but not if you pick out the chocolate chips (Rachel's rule!) How are we getting through the day without even a piece of chocolate to the lips? Well, oranges and nuts are delicious! I have been amazed at how many times a day my brain says..."get a treat!" It has been a real eye-opener!
We are undecided about how to reward ourselves when all is done. Rachel says that she can go forever without a treat. And, my competitive side says...bring it on! So, what do all of you out there in blogger land think we should give to the "winner"?

Shall it be a reward to the winner? Or, a punishment to the first to fall? Let me know what you think. Who knows, we just may look like supermodels yet!

FOOTBALL FUN!

I love that my boys play great together...well, most of the time anyway! This is their new favorite football. Everett has kicked it over the fence accidentally, too many times. The neighbors are nice enough to return it though. They are both getting really good at throwing spirals and making a catch. Good job boys!

SHE GOT LAYERS!!

Kamarin has been talking about putting layers in her hair for months now. I had always thought that if she cut them, that it would make her hair really poofy. But, after talking to Sommer (the cute girl who does my hair)...she said that it would take some of the weight off. So, I agreed and Kamarin bugged me for 3 days to call Sommer and schedule the date. All while the haircut was taking place, Kamarin kept saying...."oooooh, I am sooo nervous!" Well, it turned out great and she looks fantastic!!

DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER!

These lovely photo's come from a 2001 vault. They are from a Christmas Party that was hosted at our house almost 8 years ago. Could it really have been that long? We played a game where the person next to you had to pick something out of a big garbage bag for you to wear. We had all kinds of fun attire. I especially like what Angi is wearing! Whoo Hooo!! And who can forget Sheila's battle with Steve on the word strip game? I realize that some of us may not like the way we looked back then....heck, some of may not like how we look now...but we sure had fun!!! Thanks for the memories!

PINEWOOD DERBY

Well, we didn't win the Pinewood Derby this year, but Parker still had fun! Park and Daddy worked a long time on his car. They were working on it right up to race time. This year Everett got to make his own car, even though he isn't old enough to race yet. He can't wait until he is a cub scout! Notice his disappointed face when they told him that his car couldn't race. We were excited to have Uncle Chad and Dana join us for the festivities! Park earned the scariest car award!!

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

I have really tried to stick to a menu this last week. Chicken noodle soup is a family favorite that everyone will eat. My kids love the giant noodles! I always make enough soup to have leftovers for a while. Our Daddy decided to have green chile burritos instead...he loves his Mexican food!

GONE FISHIN!

The first weekend in January we decided to divide and conquer. My niece was getting baptised in Las Vegas, so I took Kamarin and Everett with me. It was wonderful to see my side of the family and let cousins play. Branden and Park were invited to go on a fishing trip with our good friends the Hebb's,(his wife took their girls to Disneyland)and the Cederstrom's. Parker loves to have one-on-one time with his Dad! He did learn that fishing takes a lot of patience. And, that the fish were NOT biting. The weather was beautiful, perfect for an afternoon of male bonding!