The wonderful world of Tautphus Park and family BBQ

We attempted a trip to the zoo! We had a short, but sweet time. Our cousins came and I took my crew. We saw all the animals except the flamingos and the bird exhibit. The bears were cute as always and the monkeys were stinky as always. :) The kids enjoyed each other's company and I enjoyed getting out. Tonight was the big BBQ with everyone. On the menu: potato salad, hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, fruit salad, baked beans, chips, mini cheesecakes and all the fixin's. It was nice for the girls to see their mom and dad. They have missed them so much. It was a busy 9 days, but it was fun and full of activity. I am just glad I am in a stage where I can babysit my nieces and nephews. I enjoy watching them grow and learn, and I enjoy watching the kids all play together (except when they fight, then I stress out :) ). Adam and Kayla had a great time on their cruise. I was sad Ann and Terry could not join us for dinner, but maybe next time! Richard, Peggy, Kaden, Heidi, Adam, Kayla, Adalyn, Mieley, Tora, Bret, Holly, Talia, Nicolie-Olie, Todd, Dani, Ryker, Sadie, Troy, Daeson, Tevan and I had a very enjoyable night and I was glad we could spend it as a big family. Times like these do not happen enough. And, Dani, I am glad you were able to make it! I love seeing you guys!

Treasure boxes

On our way to Walmart, we stopped at my friend's yard sale to say hi. I found these great treasure boxes for only a quarter each, so I picked them up. We bought paints at Walmart and decided this would be our super fun activity. Chloe, our cute neighbor, came home with us to play. The older kids loved it, but the younger kids were bored with it very quickly!

Face painting fun!

Today the kids were a bit bored, after watching Atlantis. The girls loved the cartoon people's faces, so I decided to play with paints. As you can see, I am not a professional face painter, but the kids had a great time and loved every second of it! We got a babysitter tonight, and Daeson was the only one who wanted it washed off. They look so cute with their little sleeping faces!!! Troy dosed off on the couch, so we decided to paint his face, too! Haha. Good thing it wasn't with permanent marker!

Bountiful Baskets

I know I have posted before about BB, but my dad asked that I post him some pics so that the people of Gville can decide if they want to participate. If you are interested, go to bountifulbaskets.org to see if there is a location near you! It is a fabulous program and I support it 100%! This week I ordered 25# tomatoes for spaghetti sauce and it came to $11.50. I thought it to be a great deal.

Our fifth day...

So far, so good. The kids are getting a bit tired of each other. Last night our cousin brought Adalyn and Mieley's baby sister for a visit. We had a pizza party and the kids all played. Tora was done about 7:30. It was good for the girls to see Tora. I think we have all adjusted. last night Mieley was up all night coughing and I wondered whether or not to take her in to the ER. She just couldn't stop coughing. So, about 2:30 a.m. I searched my medicine cabinet for something to reliever her. I finally found some Benedryl...not necessarily for coughs, but it did allow her (and the rest of us) to get some rest. Today she seems great. We played today and the kids actually got in trouble for breaking the fence. I was downstairs folding the fifth batch of laundry when they all came in and tattled on each other. I don't know how they got that fence to fall over, but they did. It is pretty bad, so we decided to take away swimming at the party tonight. I felt bad because that was one of the big things we were going to do while they are staying with us, but the three little masterminds need to know that they cannot be so naughty. Tevan and Troy got to swim and Tevan was very happy about that. They had a great time. I am not sure if the three would have enjoyed swimming as much as they enjoyed playing on the playground. They all had a great time. I could not get any of them to eat, but they will survive until breakfast I am sure. I enjoyed talking to some of the sisters in my ward and Troy had a great time, too. It is nice that our ward has this little get together. I made an orange salad and my signature ChubbyHubby cake. It was pretty good if I do say so myself.

This afternoon we took a trip to the HomeDepot. I love Home Depot because I usually get something there that I need. Troy bought me the last set of shelves for the closet and a NEW TOILET! I know that doesn't sound like much, but our basement bathroom still is not done...and probably won't be for a while, so we have all been sharing one toilet. Do you know how gross it is to sit in pee? Daeson used to be so good at lifting the lids, but lately he has not been. There are six of us sharing one toilet and inevitably someone has to go while the other one is going. I will be so happy when it is installed and usable. Ahhh! Alas, two months without a toilet will be coming to an end! Good bye wet toilet seat!

We are going to attempt the Zoo tomorrow unless they all get into trouble again. I hope they don't because I am looking forward to it. I think they all need a break from each other. They are fighting a lot more and bickering amongst themselves. Saturday is only a few days away. Last night I took Daeson school shopping by himself and I think it was good for him. Maybe tomorrow I will take one more of them out without anyone else bugging them. It is hard to give each of the four kids the attention they need, plus give attention to Troy. I am spread pretty thin and I think we will all enjoy bed time. Maybe tomorrow we can run through the sprinklers and I can weed the neglected garden...I sure hope that gets done. My peas are getting choked out. I do love the fact that weeds don't grow around onions. My onion patch is nothing but onions and that is refreshing!

Pictures of our August 2010 Grangeville trip

Here are some pictures from our trip. The kids had a blast on the horse. It was nice weather and it was a fun time with Gramma and Grampa. Gramma Cindy caught two fish, I think we were all excited about that. There was a lot of moss in the lake and we could not get our casts far enough out. Good job, Mom!

Frisbee

Who would have thought that a $15.00 Disney limited CD made a great frisbee? It went over the fence, probably not to be found again. What will my kids think of next?

Water fun with our cousins!!

The kids had a great time playing out side. We had BBQ'd pork chops, corn on the cob, fruit salad and some yummy mango salsa to go on the pork chops. It was delicious and my nieces proclaimed mango salsa among their fave foods. I make it a lot and we all love it...well, not Tevan! I was surprised how well the girls have eaten while here. They have tried everything and they don't complain. AND! get this! They say thank you for each meal! How sweet!

Bedroom completed

Here are the pictures from my bedroom. I was so excited that we were able to get this at such a great deal! I have been looking for about 7 years, and finally we found one that we both like. I think it looks nice with the floor and the decor. There are two thinks I want to recommend. One, my swiffer. It gets all the dust that settles in my room and under the bed. I love it. The other, Martha Stewart closet organizers found at Home Depot. I loved this and, thanks Dad, it went up very smoothly. I really love this, too! I was able to customize our closet space and I can adjust and rearrange it to my needs. There is one thing I would like to add and that is some vinyl lettering above my bed. I am not sure what saying to put up there. I have seen Always Kiss Me Goodnight and All Because Two People Fell in Love, but I am nit sure what I want to put up there. I will have to look around. I also need to get a family picture for the frame, that is still the one from the store!!! Oh, and closet doors. We haven't gotten around to that yet.

We are back!

Gram Tom, Daeson, Tevan, and I just got back last night about 10 p.m. from a trip to Grangeville! We arrived in G-ville last Tuesday. It was a great visit and we had a fun time. My dad taught Daeson how to ride a horse and he is now thinking he is a true equestrian! He did really well. I even got up on the horse and took her for a little ride. Tevan thought it was fun when we trotted, but thought it to be rather boring just walking. We went to a concert in the park, we went fishing (mom caught two blue gill), met some friends in the park, and we cooked dutch oven and roasted marshmallows. It was really warm up there, so the afternoons were really lazy. I caught up on Cake Boss and I could not believe there is a show where women have no idea they were pregnant! *We do not have television, so I am way behind!!!* Little chocolatiers was a fun watch and I am going to go to that shop next time I am in SLC, UT, even though chocolate is a no-no for me, it is still fun to go! I know we were a lot of work for my mom...and I wasn't much help! Our drive there took 13 long hours, and it took me a couple of days to catch up. The drive back was about 8ish and went so much better!!!

We had to take my gram's car because our was in the shop with a back ordered part. Troy took us to Pocatello to meet Gram and his truck broke down! So in the last month, we have put 4 new tires on the car, replace the oil cooler in the car, and replaced the water pump in Troy's truck! Whew! I was glad Gram's car fit everything in it! I stopped at Osh-Kosh and bought the kids' school clothes, or most of them. I was glad I took a cooler up full and brought it back empty so that we didn't have to strap the kids to the roof!!! :)

Today my sis in law brought over my two nieces for an 8 day visit! Her and her husband are going with her parents on an Alaskan cruise. So, for the next 8 days I have twp five year-olds, a four year-old, and a three year-old. Tonight we braved Sam's Club and we did okay. I do not, however, think it will be a daily outing! The kids are all tucked away in bed, Troy is running and I am trying to get caught up on everything! I am property managing a rental and I have spent a lot of time on that this morning. I got my house cleaned and my menu done for the week. I went to the grocery store, unpacked, and rearranged my bedroom and the kids room. Why would I rearrange a room that I just put together, you ask. Because Troy surprised me with our bedroom set! I am thrilled and I cannot wait to sleep in my new, beautiful bed. It looks so great. We were buying it piece by piece, but Troy went in to check on our night stand we ordered months ago. He told us the set had been discontinued and we cannot get anymore pieces in. So, we bought the entire thing at a close-out price. I was thrilled! I just need to get one more box of shelves for my closet, and get some closet doors and we are done! Whew! It looks great and you will be able to see it as soon as I find my camera! I know I brought it from my mom's, I am just not sure where I put it.

So, in a nut shell, life is not going to slow down this week. I am going to be running a million miles an hour starting tomorrow with preschool registration and a wedding reception. Monday we are having Troy's wonderful cousin's over for dinner and Tuesday we are headed to the movies. Wednesday will keep us busy while we are at the zoo. I am not sure what we are going to do Thursday or Friday. I am not too worried though, I am sure we can find something to do.

I am still not myself lately. I still feel so spiritually drained from camp. I saw one of the moms who then stared me down and I saw one of the girls today who didn't quite know how to avoid running into me. Sigh. I know I need to just move on, but my heart is so full of sorrow for the girls and the situation. I don't think those girls realize just how much we love them. I wish I could have been in my ward for testimony meeting. I would have loved to have gotten up and born the testimony that I couldn't bare at camp. I wanted some kind of peace that would have come from that. I guess that is what next month is for. Maybe by then I will be 100% and I will be able to truly speak with a healed heart and express my love and gratefulness for those girls, each one of them!!

Camp

I am back, thank goodness! I did not take any pictures of camp so I will have to get some from Rachel. Girls camp was horrible. I should stop right there, but I am not going to. Every year I went to camp, I loved it. I absolutely loved it. Last year was great. We had a blast. This year, we had attitude, lying, stealing and empty threats. We had five great girls, two that struggled, and three that should have been sent home. If it were up to me, they would have gone home day 1. Unfortunately, they stayed and there was a HUGE lack of spirit in our camp. For those of you that know me well, you know that I do not have a problem baring my testimony. You know that there is very few times that I lack things to say. The last night up at camp we have testimony night. The girls were told that they would bare their testimonies, even if it was a testimony of being thankful for family and friends. I was the last. I stood up and said, "They say that the best is saved for last. Unfortunately this is not the case. We could have ended with any of the testimonies that have been born, because to be honest, I have no idea what to say to you girls right now. " I bore a very short, cold testimony. I told them that I knew that attitude has everything to do with the way camp turned out. I apologized to the girls that I had a horrible attitude about the way things had turned out. I know that some of you are thinking that it "couldn't have been that bad." It was. It was that bad. We had inappropriate conversations. I heard things that I would have died saying at 14. The girls that were there to feel the spirit broke down and almost went home. They were miserable! I am so sorry for the way that things turned out. I felt such persecution today at church when some of the moms glared, stared and, as Troy called it, gave me the stink eye. I have yet to break down and cry. I have tried my hardest to hold it all together. I have to meet with the Bishop at 3 this after noon and I am afraid I will break. I have struggled with my self since Tuesday. I have been absolutely miserable. Even at church today there were talks given that normally would have had me sobbing. I did not feel a thing. I feel empty inside. To top it all off, I subbed in Primary today because after asking 5 people to cover and being rejected, there was no one left to ask. Troy and I had only four in there, but it felt like the whole classroom was full. It was a monstrous mess. Thank goodness for beautiful weather and gummy butterflies! This is my last year as camp director and I knew that going into it. I have been to camp three times in the last four years. I am okay that my time as camp director is over for the time being. I am not okay with the way things were ended and I am not okay with the challenges the next camp director has to face. This was a learning experience for all of those who were willing to learn. I hope that the girls do not just remember the bad, but I hope they remember the little bit of good. We had a great hike. We hiked up to Saddlepack lake. It was beautiful and the swing was great. We had one night of singing and fun. The marshmallows were huge and fun to roast. There were some great devotionals given. The slide and teeter totters were super fun and the weather, all but one day, was great. The food was delicious and the couple of close times we had will be cherished. If they can take that into their hearts, camp will have been worth the countless hours spent on it. If they learned nothing, it was all in vain and I am sorry for those girls. It hurts my heart that these beautiful young daughters of our Heavenly Father do not realize their potential. They have no idea who or what they can become. That is truly sad.

Happy Anniversary, Troy!

Troy and I have been married for ten years today. He is my world. We have been through a lot together but we have pulled through. Because it is number ten, here are the reasons, or ten of them, that I love him.

1. He is a wonderful dad to our two boys. He loves them so much.

2. He is a great provider. He will not hear of me going back to work.

3. He supports me in all I do. He is not discouraging.

4. He says nice things to others. He does not talk ill of anyone!

5. He laughs.

6. He lets me warm my cold feet on him when I get into bed.

7. He does things himself to prove it to himself that he can...even when it doesn't turn out, he tries until it does.

8. He lets me take naps. He doesn't get naps very often, but he can tell when I need one and he lets me!

9. He likes to be outdoors. We hike as a family and visit new places.

10. Even though he might not attend church as often as I think he should, or as often as I wished he would, he honors the priesthood that he has. He does not do anything that compromises his beliefs or the ability to have the priesthood. He is a good and honest man and I am proud of him.

Happy anniversary, Troy! I love you so much and I am looking forward to spending the next ten years with you! You are my whole life and I love you!

Two days...

I have two, yes, two days until stake young women's camp...did you wonder why I fell of the face of the earth?

Optimism

The last post was very optimistic...today we had three poopy accidents and one pee accident. Before noon. Lovely.

This after noon he has done great, however. After I allowed him to have underwear on again (there was a short period of time when I made him wear a diaper). We even had a sitter tonight and he did great for her, too.

Oh, and Knight and Day is a great movie for all of those wondering if they should see it. Very funny. A lot of violence, no blood, but a lot of funny script. Jaimen and Kara liked it, too!

Three days and only two accidents!

So, yesterday Tevan walked up to me and said, "I poopy, Mom." Great. Those unders are now in the garbage. I can remember my mom swishing out my youngest brother's CLOTH diapers and I decided the memory is too vivid to do that with Tev's unders. He had done and, after the poopy accident, has done really well. Last night we had t-ball and Troy took Tev to the "corner" to pee. he couldn't, so we assumed he didn't have to. Our good friends, Kara and Jaimen, came to Daeson's game and after we went to eat at KFC. As we were trying to decide what to order, we looked over at Tevan standing in a puddle of pee and he had a scared/embarrassed look on his face. Luckily I packed the diaper bag with extra stuff, so I could take care of it. The boy at KFC wasn't too thrilled to clean up pee. I offered, but he insisted. He has been great today, we even had a shopping trip. I am so proud of him. He is doing great. Daeson is rather upset that Tev sleeps in unders and he has to sleep in a pull-up, but they have completely different body types. It will get better! Tevan told me he was peeing in the potty because he wants to go to preschool...lets hope September gets here soon enough to have a habit by then!!!

Isn't that AMAZING?

Yesterday Tevan announced that he wanted to wear underwear. So, I thought "Why not?". He did really well and slept all through the night without peeing, which he has woken (?) up every morning with a dry diaper for months now. This morning he did not want to sit on the potty the first thing, but we made him anyway. Then, a bout a half hour later, he sat on the potty again proclaiming that he didn't have to pee. After a second, he started peeing. He was watching and looked up and said, "Is that amazing!? It is magic!" So there you go, the miracle of peeing in the potty is amazing and magic! Good job Tevie...what a BIG boy!!!!!!

Help wanted...

If anyone knows someone living in our area that needs a job, we have a commission based job opening ASAP. Just post me a comment!! Hours are good and pay can be really great. We cannot offer insurance and they will be responsible for paying their own taxes. Let us know if you know anyone!