As my world turns

Enjoying the new Bow

2012-02-06T07:46:00.000-08:00

Lane got a compound bow for his birthday and was excited that the rain finally stopped long enough to get some target practice in.

Happy Birthday Lane!!!

2012-02-06T07:37:00.001-08:00

Dinner at Red Robin.....YUMMMMMM!

Successfully killed the zombie targets!

Lane decided that he would like to go target shooting for his birthday. That equals an awesome day on the 15 yr old meter! We had fun with friends shooting and then eating at Red Robin afterwards. Can't believe he's 15!!!

JROTC - Fencing

2012-01-24T05:50:00.001-08:00

Great fencing match last night against Centennial High School. Lane did very well. He was nervous being the first match but it was a success! He won his match and over all Ravenwood beat Centennial H.S.

JROTC Military Ball

2012-01-21T19:07:00.001-08:00

Lane had a fun evening tonight for the JROTC. It was their annual Ravenwood High School Military Ball. They had a nice program (including an Officers Tango), dinner and dancing. What a fun night for all the cadets.

Christmas in Cabo San Lucas!

2012-01-08T16:45:00.000-08:00

We started with a glass bottom boat ride and a tour of Cabo San Lucas.

We had a wild day of fishing. The weather was not in our favor. We had 20-25 MPH winds which made for wild waves. Aaron started out not feeling well that day and by the end of the afternoon everyone but Gene and Lane was feeling VERY sea sick. All in all it was a successful day. Even though we cut the day short there was plenty of fish to take home.

We did not feel well at all!!

Having fun on the beach!

Horse back riding on the beach was nice!

ATV TOUR on the Pacific coast side of Cabo

We had an amazing time in Cabo San Lucas for Christmas. Gene and i have been twice before but it was so nice to spend the time there with all of our kids. This may be the last Christmas that we are together as a family. Time has flown by and the kids are just growing up so fast. Aaron is now married and enlisted in the Air Force. He goes to Boot Camp in March. In 2-3 years Austin and Lane will be out of High School and off on their way as well.
We were very blessed this passed year with good health, jobs, wonderful family and the addition on a great daughter-in-law. The grad finale to 1022 was a trip to Mexico. We loved the food the scenery, the activities and the weather. There were a few bumps in the road but we all recovered :)

PIano Recital

2011-12-17T11:29:00.000-08:00

Riley's piano recital

2011-12-17T11:13:00.000-08:00

Riley has started piano lessons. She has only been taking for 4 months but is really enjoying it. She is making plans for all the other instruments she wants to play next! I hope the excitement and enthusiasm lasts.

Time Flies!

2011-11-17T17:19:00.000-08:00

I can't believe we are at the close of another year! It seems like we are just starting out and before you know it I am making out my Christmas card list. Our kids are in such a hurry to grow up. Aaron just got married last week and I still can't believe it. His wife is amazing and beautiful and so sweet. He's very lucky. In 6-8 weeks he will be heading off to boot camp and finding his place in the world. Being a part of the Air Force will be good for him. Austin and Lane are in the middle of their High School experience. I wouldn't go back if you paid me but they are doing fine :) Riley is our little caboose (she hates it when I call her that!). She is finishing up 3rd grade and just turned 9yrs old (going on 25). Hope you all have a Wonderful Thanksgiving and a very Merry Christmas!

It's great to be 8

2010-12-17T13:59:00.001-08:00

What a wonderful Thanksgiving we had. Lots of family here to visit and Riley was baptized on Saturday the 27th. We are so proud of her. After her baptism on we took the missionaries with our family and went to lunch.

Big day for Riley!

2010-12-17T13:49:00.000-08:00

Riley has been asking for a few years now to get her ears pierced. Daddy just kept saying when you're older, when you're older. Well, she was finally old enough. She was so excited and all smiles when it was over.

Happy Halloween!!!

2010-11-04T06:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween to all!

The weather was great here. Riley cashed in on the candy train. She had the Halloween party at the church, class party at school and trick-or-treat at daddy's office!!! She was loaded with candy before Halloween was even here. Lane had a costume party with his friends on Saturday night. On top of all that we had out church Halloween party and I went to a Halloween theme Bunko. Lots of fun for everyone. We hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween.

Soccer season!!!

2010-11-04T06:10:00.000-07:00

What a fun 2 months. Lane and Riley played soccer with the YMCA and enjoyed the Fall season! It was great fun watching them but busy and mom and dad are glad the season is over. Now we move onto 8th grade Wrestling.

Soccer!!!

2010-09-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

Another season is underway. Trying to keep up with two practices, two games, and work schedules every week is nuts but the kids are loving it! Both are doing great as goal keeper. One month down and one more to go.

Labor Day Weekend!!!

2010-09-05T16:08:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend in Gatlinburg, TN. Lots of fun like always. The Smokey Mountains are so beautiful this time of year!

Summer at the lake!

2010-08-18T17:12:00.000-07:00

We had a great time on vacation. We took the kids to Center Hill Lake and spent 4 days on a house boat. There was a lot of skiing, surfing, tubing, fishing and fun in the sun. We were worn out by the end of the week. It's hard work having fun! What a great time. Everyone was safe and had fun!!!!

Target Shooting

2010-07-16T09:49:00.001-07:00

Nancy shooting .410
Austin shooting .410

Gene shooting Desert Eagle

Summer Fun!!!

2010-07-16T09:37:00.000-07:00

Summer has been a lot of fun so far just HOT, HOT, HOT!!!! We have spent some time at the lake, gone target shooting and the boys spent a week at scout camp. They came back tired and STINKY and that n=means they had a reat time :)

DaNcE!!!!

2010-06-29T20:56:00.000-07:00

Beast Friends!!

Thank You Ms. Heather

DANCE YOUR HEART OUT!!!

Strike a pose!!

Yeah for dance!!! It's been a fun couple of months watching Riley take "Hip Hop". She had fun and made a few new friends. I was so proud of her at her recitle. She was on stage in front of about 120 people and she even remembered to SMILE!!! She did great. Now we have a break for the Summer and maybe start up again in the Fall.

Toothles!!!

2010-06-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

Loosing teeth has become very popular around here. Riley has lost 4 so far (2 being pulled by the dentist). She just wont let them go ;) The most recent one was pulled by the dentist and I have NEVER seen a baby tooth with such a long root! She was lucky enough to hit heads with a friend last week and that help loosen up her top front tooth and we pulled it out ourselves.

Her permanent teeth have come in behind her baby teeth and haven't done a good job pushing them out. She was such a trooper -- Getting a shot and letting the dentist pull without shedding a tear. She was too excited to have the tooth fairy visit to be afraid of the dentist.

Rain, Rain, and more RAIN!!!!

2010-05-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

A little rain gets your car dirty.......Rain for a Saturday afternoon cancels all the soccer and baseball games.......but rain, I mean RAIN for 48 hours totaling 13.6" causes flooding in Nashville and the surrounding areas. Breaking all kinds of records and causing unreal damage. I am feeling very fortunate that we are all okay and had no water damage. Our house is high enough on the hill that we are safe. A few of our neighbors had some flooding in their basements and the worst of it for us was our rain gutters couldn't handle the amount of rain in the water was washing away the bark in the flower beds. Church was canceled yesterday and school canceled today. Luckily we have about 5-7 days of sun and 80 degrees to help dry us out. Mother nature is a powerful thing!

This is the park across the street from our subdivision. Lane went over with some friends on Saturday and found a 10lb carp washed up on the walking trail. He released in into our new neighborhood lake.

YMCA parking lot w/water 6' deep. There are cars still there underwater.

Wal-Mart parking lot. This is 5 miles north or our house. The bumps in the water are the roof tops of cars.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/weather/05/01/nashville.flooding/index.html?hpt=T1

This link is from CNN. It shows a mobile home floating down the freeway I-24 (about 8 miles east of out house).

http://uservideo.weather.com/video/Opry-Mills-Flooding-Nashville-T

This link shows Briley Prkway flooded. The Cumberland river over flowed and flooded the Opry Mills Mall and the Opry Land Hotel. They evacuated 1,500 people last night. For those of you that have been here to visit the river that the General Jackson runs on (behind the mall), also the same river that runs past the Titans football stadium is usually at 40-44 feet. Flood warning is 47 feet and last night it hit 50.5 feet. They haven't assessed the damage yet but the Mall, Opryland Hotel and The Grand Ol' Opry is in about 2-3 feet of water.

A year with Frog and Toad

2010-04-30T07:28:00.000-07:00

It was the 1st grade musical last night. It turned out SOOO cute! The kids have been practicing for 3 weeks and Riley was so excited. The place was packed, I was lucky to get a seat close to the front. Riley was a red cardinal. The program had songs and speaking parts to go along with each season. What a fun night! I apologize for my lacking videotaping skills :)

2010-04-04T18:15:00.000-07:00

I am such a slacker!!! I haven't been on here in months to update our family blog....Darn that facebook, what a time sucker. So far 2010 has been a pretty good year. We have had a few VERY cold weeks but I think spring is finally here. Took a drive with the kids to Liepers Fork, TN. What a nice drive on a sunny day, We were there just in time for the fried food festival. We ate some of the BEST sweet potato fries in the world!

Now the kids are on Spring Break and we have had some beautiful days full of sun shine! We spent the weekend in Pigeon Forge, TN. All day spent at the water park and evenings out to dinner and we even caught a magic show. We sure enjoyed our Easter weekend. Feeling very blessed to have a happy and healthy family.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!

2010-01-03T19:09:00.000-08:00

LeGoLaNd CaLiFoRnIa!

JAWS attacks!

Run for your life!

Who's your mummy?!?

Ahoy there!

DON'T FEED THE ANIMALS!

Aaron lays an egg.

Have a Lego Christmas!

PUSH!!!

Disneyland--after dark.

Riley at the door of the white rabbit.

Who's driving this thing!!!

California Adventure!

Walking along the beach in Oceanside, CA.

We walked out on this rock wall to see all the surfers and maybe see a dolphin. No dolphins but at the end the rocks were covered with star fish. Lane found out the hard way about high tide. The surf came in and crashed onto the rocks and soaked him!

Fishing in the San Diego Bay.

Gene and Aaron both caught good sized Red Rock Fish.

Austin and Lane weighing in on the catch.

Riley gets the award for the most unusual thing caught. She caught an Octopus!
He survived and we threw him back.

Austin was feeling a little green in the morning but perked up when we started catching fish. This is his Calico fish.

This was the Scorpion Fish that Gene caught. We were not allowed to handle any of the fish because they carry bacteria and poison in the barbs on their fins and gills as a defense mechanism. One scratch or poke from the fin of the scorpion fish was 10times worse than a bee sting.

We caught about 4 Sheep heads.

Check out his CHOMPERS!!!

Lane had the catch of the day! This Sheep Head was about 12 lbs. and 20 inched long.

This was my first catch of the day. Austin was helping out by chumming the fish :)

Aaron's Calico fish.

Nancy and Riley both caught good size Tree Fish. And "yes" Riley caught it all by herslef. Tree fish was one of the popular catches of the day.

Gene's WHOPPER!!!! Look close--it's there. It was the pee-wee catch of the day.

We had a great holiday with our family in California! It was wonderful to escape the cold weather for a few days and have some fun in Southern California. We hope all of our friends and family had an enjoyable Christmas and safe New Years.

Let 2010 BEGIN!!!

The Real Meaning of Christmas!!!!

2009-12-22T10:26:00.000-08:00

Jesus is the reason for the season. Keep HIM in your hearts during this Christmas season and ALWAYS!

2009-12-10T20:34:00.000-08:00

Tie + Overtime + Shootout = Great night at the Predators game!!!

Silly Memories

2009-12-02T07:46:00.000-08:00

My little girl has the personality of a FIRE CRACKER!! She comes up with some of the craziest things. This past 2 weeks I was talking with friends and family and sharing stories about her and a friend said "oh, you need to write that down so you won't forget." So here goes.

About 3 years ago Riley was in pre-school and I was going to school. Our mornings were tight for time so we didn't have a lot of time for wardrobe changes. Well, for those of you that know Riley you know she's gonna do what she's gonna do!! She would not get dressed and we were running late. So I got her dressed against her will and sent her out the door to get in the car. I grabbed her back pack and opened the garage door to find my 4 yr old naked in the garage screaming "I'M NOT WEARING THAT!!!" So I quickly picked up her clothes, put her in the car and took her to school. I did feel bad for her teacher. I dropped her off in her underwear hold a bag of clothes.....in tears.

She's always wanted to dress herself and we have gone the rounds many times. I tell her it doesn't match or it's to hot (in July) to wear a turtle neck and fleece pants outside. Her reply is always the same..."It doesn't matter, I like it." So I let her be herself and she now does her own hair. We call her Cyndi all the time in honor of Cyndi Lauper, of coarse.

From a very young age Riley has had it all figured out. At least SHE thought so. When it was time to play all was great. Run around & get out toys. But when it came time to clean up we heard a lot of "I can't want to" or the always popular "I can't, my tummy hurts."

She is the queen of the popcorn!!! She's loves popcorn as much as her daddy does.

We have had our fair share of broken arms in this house. Riley broke hers during a soccer game. I was worried that she would never want to play another sport again. Her coach even came to the ER and told her to never be afraid to try again. After her cast came off I asked her if she would want to play soccer again. She says "nope, cause soccer broke my arm. I think I want to play karate next." She has no fear!

Most recently we were home for Thanksgiving and Riley had her tonsils out. She had a few days of pain meds and just laying on the couch relaxing. She and I watched the Wizard of Oz together. She's seen it at least 2 other times. Close to the end of the movie she's says "huh, flying monkeys......you don't see that everyday?" Maybe that's the pain meds talking :)

Just this morning she was sitting at the bar eating breakfast. Gene came in to say good bye before going to work. Riley was wearing a t-shirt that reads "I'm a rock Star!" So her daddy asks "Can I have a kiss good-bye from the rock star?" and without skipping a beat she says "No, you don't have a back stage pass."

Like I said....FIRECRACKER!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-29T12:04:00.000-08:00

The whole group!! Chilly!

Dave, Michelle, Tyson, Ashley, Tyler, and Alyssa.

Nancy and Gene....FREEZING!!!

Some Wii FUN!!!

Aunt Stephanie, Tyler, and Grandma

Da, Da, Da, DAAAA!!! TySoN!

Grandma and Riley time.

Riley and Alyssa making turkey place card holders.

What a week. After Riley had her tonsils out We had family come in and visit for the holiday. What a bummer that Lane was in Utah and Aaron and Austin were in Idaho. We sure missed them. It turned out to be a fabulous week of weather. It actually warmed up to the low 60's for a day or two. Girls night out to go and see "New Moon" and then a boys night out to go to a hockey game. The whole gang went to see "ICE" a Charlie Brown Christmas at Opryland. We loved seeing everyone and glad that they all traveled safe back to their homes.

Now it's just a count down to Christmas!!!

Say good bye to strep throat!!! We hope.

2009-11-29T11:55:00.000-08:00

Riley has had a battle with strep throat this whole year so we finally got those pesky tonsils out!!! We waited until Thanksgiving break since she would be out of school a week to recover. She was a trooper. I was so proud of her. Our day started at 5 am getting up and out the door to go to the surgical center. 6 am check in and 8 am surgery. She was out of recovery and we headed home at noon. The first 2 days were pretty rough. Poor little thing had a nasty sore throat and head ache. She was living on popsicles and ice cream. Her Thanksgiving dinner was a bowl of macaroni and cheese. She's doing so much better today. Actually eating solid food. I think she will be heading back to school on Monday.

What I'm most thankful for!!!

2009-11-23T15:18:00.001-08:00

My Family!

What am I thankful for???

2009-11-21T14:39:00.000-08:00

So everywhere you look it's happening. What are you thankful for? Take a minute and think about it. It can be big or small. Here's my top 20.

I'm thankful for:

1. Good hair days
2. Crisp sunny Fall days
3. The color of the leaves changing in the Fall
4. Quiet mornings
5. My 4 not always wonderful but GrEaT kids
6. A loving husband
7. Being able to sleep in on Saturday mornings......when it happens :)
8. Good friends
9. My best friend
10. Memories that make you smile just thinking about them
11. Being able to laugh until I cry
12. My husbands sense of humor
13. My extended family......wish we lived closer
14. Wonderful teachers
15. The freedom of this country
16. My mom--She's such an example of strength to me
17. My health
18. The kindness of a stranger
19. Freedom to worship
20. My savior Jesus Christ

The New school year

2009-11-09T17:24:00.000-08:00

Wow time flies!!! The school year is close to being half over. Time flies when your having fun right!!Now that Halloween is over we are counting down the days to Thanksgiving break and next stop Christmas.

Field Trips are fun!!!

2009-10-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

Love the Fall field trips! They are lots of fun and the weather is usually beautiful. This week was not usual, of course. It's been raining on and off all week and has been a bit cold. I don't mind the cold so much as the soggy wet weather. We spent the day at the pumpkin patch tromping through the mud and muck! The kids didn't care it was all the mom's and teachers that were thinking of muddy footprints and dirty clothes.

First Wrestling Meet

2009-10-27T20:02:00.000-07:00

What a day! My boy is so tired. He had his first wreslting meet today. Even though he didn't win, he did great! When he was done I showed him the video and he said "it looks like it's in fast forward. It sure didn't go by that fast when I was out there on the mat!!"

Birthday Dinner

2009-10-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

We had a great night out with the birthday girl! She got to pick her favorite place "Rain Forest Cafe". She loves it for the dessert--Chocolate Volcano! The night was topped off with a trip to Build-A-Bear. What more could a 7 yr old ask for.

HaPpY BiRtHdAy To YoU!!!!!

2009-10-10T17:08:00.001-07:00

Today was my little girls birthday party. Lots of fun! She even helped me make a "Hannah Montana guitar cake"--I totally stole the idea from a friend. Even though her actual birthday isn't until next week we let her open her gift early. Sporting new roller blades at the party was her favorite! Everyone had a great time. As fun as 15 girls rollerskating can be!! Woo Hoo! I even was brave enough to put on a pair of skates and get out there.

Labor Day

2009-09-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

Isn't it funny that on Labor Day we don't work we try out hardest to ReLaX!!!
We spent the weekend in Gatlinburg, TN. Fall in the Smokie Mountains is so beautiful. We were there about a month to soon to see all the colors change but none the less it was GrEaT!!!

PoWeR JuMp!!!!!

2009-08-19T06:47:00.000-07:00

A trip to the mall was a lot of fun! We started with a movie, did some shopping, stopped to feed the sting rays, and finished the day with the PoWeR JuMp!!! The boys did extra around the house all week so they would have enough money to do it all! They had a blast.

SuMmEr PiC's

2009-08-18T05:47:00.000-07:00

We are sad to see summer go :( but the kids are ready to go back to school--or maybe that's just me?!?. So many great times were had this summer. It's so much fun making memories!!!

A project 8 years in the making!

2009-08-18T05:15:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a T-shirt quilt for my son for a long time. When he was about 4 when I started saving his favorite T-shirts as he grew out of them. A short 8 yrs. later I had about 37 shirts and decided it was enough to get started. So about 3 weeks ago I started cutting, and cutting, and cutting some more. I actually ran out of shirts and had to raid his closet for 4 more shirts. I finished last weekend and YEAH it's done!!! I like the way it turned out, He loves it and I even had enough squares to make a pillow. FYI--basketball jersey's are a pain to work with :)

First Day of School!!!!

2009-08-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

Wow!!! 6 O'clock comes pretty early in the morning. For me that is but for two kids that were excited to start a new school year and see all of their friends 6 O'clock was no big deal. We'll see if tomorrow is the same way. I'm sure the excitement will wear off quickly.

Summer time came and went!!!

2009-08-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

We had a blast this summer. From Scout camp to jet skiing to target practice we stayed BUSY!! We sure will miss having all of our kids with us. The whole family spent the weekend at Center Hill Lake with our friends. Other than getting SuN BuRnEd we had a blast!! I even rode the tube with the boys. The lining ripped during a turn and the 3 of us went flying across the water. No one was hurt but it was the last tube ride of the day.
I took the kids to play some mini golf and drive the go carts. Aaron showed us all by getting 4 holes in 1. I'm pretty sure he had a trick ball or something. ha ha. Riley proved to be a pretty good driver. She didn't hit any walls and no one crashed! We also spent an afternoon at the mall and the kids fed the sting ray's. I can't believe how fast our kids have grown. Any ideas on how we can slow it down???
We are always sad to see Aaron and Austin go back to Idaho. We just have to look forward to Christmas now.

The Little Things

2009-07-13T05:58:00.001-07:00

The ' L I T T L E ' Things~

As you might remember, the head of a company survived
9/11 because his son started kindergarten.

Another fellow was alive because it was
His turn to bring donuts.

One woman was late because her
Alarm clock didn't go off in time.

One was late because of being stuck on the NJ Turnpike
Because of an auto accident.

One of them
Missed his bus.

One spilled food on her clothes and had to take
Time to change.

One's
Car wouldn't start.

One couldn't
Get a taxi.

The one that struck me was the man
Who put on a new pair of shoes that morning,
Took the various means to get to work
But before he got there, he developed
a blister on his foot.

He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid.
That is why he is alive today..

Now when I am
Stuck in traffic ,
Miss an elevator,
Turn back to answer a ringing telephone ...

All the little things that annoy me.
I think to myself,
This is exactly where
God wants me to be
At this very moment..

Next time your morning seems to be
Going wrong ,

The children are slow getting dressed,
You can't seem to find the car keys,
You hit every traffic light,
Don't get mad or frustrated;
It May be just that
God is at work watching over you.

May God continue to bless you
With all those annoying little things
And may you remember their possible purpose.

Thanks for the reminder mindi

Lake water anyone?

2009-07-13T05:14:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks has been great boating weather, warm and sunny. I have taken the kids to the lake twice just to swim at the beach. They even found a few crawfish. So this weekend we headed out to go jet skiing. We were packed up Friday night ready to hit the road first thing in the morning but by the time we got to the lake it looked like rain. We were determined to have some fun and a little rain wasn't about to scare us off. We stuck it out the whole day, took cover in the rain and had FUN!!! My littest one was a die hard knee boarder. I had to kick her off so her brothers could have a turn.

4th of July

2009-07-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

Where do you want to go for the 4th of July? Why Kentucky of course. We spent the 4th of July weekend in Bowling Green, KY. We had lots of plans for outdoor fun! Going on a 3 hour - 7 mile Kayak trip sounded like fun until about 5 miles into it and our arms were pooped. The weather was hot and the water was cool. Day two was a hike into Mammoth Caves. We timed it right because it started raining when we went in and it had stopped by the time we came out. After dinner our plans for fireworks were rained out, so we were left with bowling and a movie in the hotel room. One last stop on the way home at the National Corvette Museum.

Happy 4th of July to all!

Washington DC

2009-07-01T06:02:00.000-07:00

What a month June has been. After spending time in Utah visiting family I flew home for a short 24 hrs. (just enough time to do laundry and repack). Then off again. Spending a week in Washington DC was so fun--but short.
It was great seeing all of our National Monuments. We were able to see the White House, The Washington Monument, The World War II Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool. Thank goodness for tour buses or there is no way we could have fit it all into one day.
We walked our legs off at the National Zoo and had to bring home a stuffed panda because "mommy he's lonely in the store and I need to give him a home".
The Simthsoniam Museums were FABULOUS!!! I could have spent a day or more in each one, but when traveling with a 6 yr old you are on the speed tour. We hit the Natural History Museum, American History Museum and the Air and Space Museum all in the same day. I asked to try on the Hope Diamond for just a minute but they said "No". It's fun to say we went to see "Night at the Museum" at the Natural History Museum.
Arlington National Cemetery was an amazing site. Visiting the Eternal Flame and The Tomb of the Unknown was somthing I will never forget. I still have a long list of places I want to go in Washington DC......looks like we will have to plan another trip.

Summer fun.

2009-07-01T05:55:00.000-07:00

Wow! Having fun is hard work.

Planning, booking flights, laundry, packing, early morning flight, turbulance, at least 5 bathroom trips.....ahh the joys of traveling with kids, late nights, and wishing you were home in your own bed. It's all worth it to get to see family.

Last Day of School!

2009-05-21T10:17:00.000-07:00

ScHoOl's OuT!!!

The kids are SO excited!!! So--what is the first thing you are going to do now that summer break has started? Swimming, Park, Friends you ask? No, we are going to the Dentist for cleanings! YiPpEe!!!! Next is a 5 hour drive to Ohio to visit family.

The count down is on.

2009-05-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

Only 6 more days of school left. I think technically this week is the last week. Next week is just the fluff. Yearly awards, movie day, game day and a picnic and yearbook day. The kids are thrilled and the parents are SCARED!!!! What to do with them for the summer??? Only a few days left to figure it out.

2009-04-13T14:35:00.001-07:00

SpRiNg BrEaK!!!

Coloring Easter eggs is so much fun....and messy!

We spent a few days in San Antonio during spring break. It was so great to visit old friends and spend Easter there. We would have liked warmer weather though.

Since our move we haven't found any Mexican Resturants that compare to San Antonio so we were sure to get our fill over the weekend.

Good Times!!!

2009-04-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

Weekend trip to Chattanooga, TN

We had a great weekend with a short window of good weather so we loaded up and went to Chattanooga. There are so many fun things to do there we will definitely go back again.

Panning for gold!

After a tour of Ruby Falls we headed through the gift shop where I bought a bag of dirt for the kids. Awe, what a nice mom to by dirt for your kids......right.
They had it set up for the kids to pan for all kinds of different stones. That was fun for them.

The picture doesn't do it justice. Ruby Falls was beautiful. It's a waterfall that's inside the mountain about 200 feet below the surface.

Next stop.....The Incline Train. This was a first for all of us to ride straight up the side of the mountain. The kids were wishing it was as fast as a rollercoaster. Darn, it only went less than 10 MPH.

It's about a 70% incline making it the steepeset passenger train in the world. Daddy was scared but he had his Little girl to calm him down. ha ha ha. Good thing it's only a mile long.

Fom the top of the Mountain you could see the Smoky Mountains.

Gee, I hope the brakes work!

Lots of fun for all of us!

2009-03-31T15:24:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to me......Cha Cha Cha!

I had a great birthday. Thanks you for all the Birthday wishes. I had a fun date to a hockey game and out to dinner. A lot of good food and some really GREAT chocolate cake!!! Turning 29 is the best!!! ha ha ha. I think I will turn 29 ever year from now on.

2009-03-31T14:43:00.001-07:00

The coupons never stop!!!!!

Okay so I have been very good at keeping up with the coupon clipping. I even found the "Clipper Magazine". It's full of local ads and coupons for resturants. My husband makes fun of me but I think he likes saving the extra money when we go out to eat. When the kids are in school we try to have a nice luch together now and then (sitter free - yeah!). For the month of March I spent a total of $523. My total savings was $209.74 - in store savings and $64.25 - in coupons. I sure does pay to watch the ads and use coupons. I did also hear that you can link your grocery store loyalty cards to some coupon web sites.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/25500262/
www.coolsavings.com
www.couponmom.com
www.couponcabin.com

2009-03-16T12:10:00.001-07:00

Coupons! Coupons! Coupons!

I never though cutting coupons would be so much fun. I have been very motivated lately(like most of the nation) in cutting my grocery bill. I started getting the Sunday paper so I could get my hands on all the adds and super savers!! Before I started doing this our monthly grocery bill was between $600-$650.
So the first week I kept thinking that it was pretty boring sitting at the kitchen table on Sunday afternoon reading the adds, making lists and clip, clip, clipping. I started by clipping out the coupons of what we usually buy and stopping at the closest grocery store to my house. Not bad for my first week. Total spent $ 119 Total saved $ 23. So as time has gone by I am getting better at this. Now I make my list, clip my coupons and then check out the adds and see which store will save me the most money(some stores double coupons). Sometimes I shop at 2 stores on the same day to take advantage of the best deals(bonus!! because they are across the street from each other). This week I spent $147 and saved $61.50. YIPPEE!!! I wish I would have been doing this a long time ago. Since January my monthly bill has dropped $ 104. It takes extra time but is SOOO worth it! I have also been learning a lot of tips from the savy saver blog. Happy shopping.
http://savysaver.blogspot.com/

2009-03-05T15:22:00.000-08:00

HaPpY BiRtHdAy Dr. SeUsS!!!

Meet Cindy Lou Who.

For those of you that didn't know, Dr. Seuss is celebrating his birthday this week. All week long the school has having fun activities for the kids. This also goes along with Read Across America.

How did I get her hair to stay up like that you ask??? Well, all it takes is long hair a few small dixie cups and a rubber band. Viola, beautiful hair!

2009-03-01T14:44:00.000-08:00

Wanna Give Away??

I've seen this fun little thing on a few different blogs, and finally decided to join in. Because, who doesn't want to get something fun in the mail? The first 5 people to respond will get a little something made by moi. So, here goes....
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It'll be done this year (I don't know when).
4. You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be poetry or an article. I may draw or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? YOU must repost this on YOUR blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! I know that you all want to join so hurry fast, remember it is only the first 5 people to respond and then put it on your blog. If you don't put it on your blog then you don't count!! :)So, post this on your blog, then comment and let me know you did it! Woohoo

Fun filled weekend

2009-03-01T13:44:00.003-08:00

Words of encouragement from her big brother.

So I was thinking.......what did I ever do with my time before kids? Hum?!? I have no idea. We had a busy Saturday. Staring out with a swim meet in the morning and my little girl did great. She got 4th in freestyle and we think tied for 1st place in backstroke. It was so close we couldn't tell. We'll have to wait for the results next week.

At least the meets are all held at indoor pools. Warmer for the swimmers but a little hot and muggy for the spectators.

The rain stopped us from having soccer practice today.......yeah for rain!!! So after swimming we were off to the final basketball game of the season. Great game and great season. The "swarming bombers" were undefeated!!!

Recipe of the week

2009-02-22T13:29:00.000-08:00

Mexican Shrimp Cocktail ~ Cerviche

2 lbs. cooked, peeled and chopped shrimp
1 T crushed garlic
1/2 C finely chopped red onion
1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 C tomato and clam juice cocktail
1/4 C ketchup
1 t hot pepper/chili sauce
1/4 C horseradish
pinch of salt
1 riped avocado - chopped

Mix first 10 ingredients together in a large bowl. Gently stir in avocado. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving. Serve on pita bread, toasted baguette's or your favorite crackers.

First swim meet of the year

2009-02-10T14:25:00.000-08:00

My girl had her first swim meet and she did great!!! She swam back stroke and freestyle as individual events....

and she swam freestyle in a medly relay. This is her first experience with swim team and she wasn't so sure about it all. Warm ups (8 laps in the pool) wore her right out and she told me that she was done swimming, good thing she had a 30 minute break before her first event.

It was so crowded at the YMCA so we had seats outside. It was a lucky thing that the sun was out most of the day. Still it was cold for the wet swimmers. We're looking forward to our next meet.

Shrimp anyone????

2009-02-06T12:56:00.000-08:00

Gene has a few hospitals in his division that are in Lousiana. He's made a few trip there recently and this past week he came home with 20 lbs. of prawns. Luckily he split them with his boss. I spent all morning cleaning them and freezing some. They are huge! Almost the size of my pearing knife. Now I am on the look out for any yummy recipes.

Happy Birthday to you!

2009-01-28T08:01:00.001-08:00

Lane couldn't have asked for a better birthday wish. He was hoping for no school and he got it. The threat of snow shuts down all the schools and some of the buisnesses.

We all got up this morning so Lane could open his birthday presents. As you can see in the background Riley is thrilled!

GO TITANS!!! Lane has wanted a Titans jersey for a while. Too bad they didn't do better this season.

Yeah Legos!!! I love stepping on them in the dark and getting them jammed in the vacuum. ha ha ha. Lane doesn't play with them that much any more but he loves to build them.

I have to say that his football cake turned out pretty good. Happy Birthday Lane!

SNOW DAY

2009-01-28T07:58:00.000-08:00

Another snow day today. I think it's crazy!!! 10 flakes in town and it paralyzes the entire county.

We survived Christmas!

2009-01-04T12:25:00.001-08:00

Christmas was very quiet this year at our house. Lane went to Utah to visit his dad and Aaron and Austin stayed in Idaho. You would think Riley would love the fact that she was an only child for 2 weeks. Not so, she was so bored. After running out of things to do she decided to do daddy's hair. Very cute!

We made cookies for Santa and made sure there was some nice hot chocolate for him as well.

Christmas morning was nice. With Riley being the only one home we were able to sleep in until 8 o'clock. We actually had to wake her up.

Mommy was the lucky one with the camera. I got to take fun pictures of everyone with their Christmas morning hair. Sometimes staying behind the camera has it's benefits.

New books, Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Smith.

After opening all our gifts we ate a quick breakfast and got on the road. We headed up to Ohio to visit my brother and his family. It wasn't to bad a drive. Only 5 hours and Gene did all the driving so it was a nice drive for me. ha ha ha. He let me relax and read. What a nice husband. He didn't make to much of a fuss while I read the Twilight series for the whole 2 weeks of Christmas break.

We got to David's house in time for dinner. There was a slight turkey accident but he saved the best part. Just an FYI for all of you. If you deep fry a 25 lb turkey make sure you have another person standing by with a cookie sheet as a safety net just in case the turkey legs decide to fall off!

It was great to spend the holidays with some family.

David and Tyson brushing up on their Guitar skills.

We played a little while we were there. Bowling and Laser Quest, what more could you ask for? Maybe a nap for the grown-ups.

I don't think Tyson can be serious in any picture.

Ashley.

My Mad bowling skills at their finest!

Riley beat me at both games.

Riley, Tyson, Ashley, Tyler, Alyssa as a totem pole.

We drove to Cincinnati and went to the Aquarium. It was a lot of fun. Riley finally pet the star fish and horse shoe crabs.

Gene and David testing their "Shark Jaw" strength.

Feeding the fish.

How tall are you?

Petting the sting rays.

Over all we had a great Christmas. Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Christmas is here

2008-12-20T09:07:00.001-08:00

Friday was Riley's class "Winter Party". It was a lot of fun. Our room mom is amazing! She always has the funnest activities for them to do. She made a little ginger bread village for each child to decorate. The trick is in the construction.
If you have ever tried to make a ginger bread house before you know it isn't easy. The walls don't stay together and the icing isn't the best glue. Here's the trick she used; hot glue and an empty milk carton. The milk carton is the perfect size and if you use enough hot glue you can stick anything together. The graham crackers and sugar cones made perfect little houses.

The kids are so excited that Christmas is so close. The proof is in the sugar overload!

Merry Christmas to all!!!

Easiest Recipe ever!!!

2008-12-14T16:52:00.000-08:00

Turtles

1 bag waffle pretzels

2 bags Rollo's

1 bag pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350.

Cover a cookie sheet with foil. Place pretzels side by side and top with a rollo. Bake @ 350 for about 1 1/2 monutes. Just until the rollo starts to melt. Remove from the oven and press pecan half into the melting rollo. Let cool in the fridge until the chocolate has hardened.

SNOW DAY!

2008-12-12T06:57:00.000-08:00

Like I said, school would be closed today. The kids were up at 7 am this morning looking for thier snow gear. Out the door by 8 o'clock and still outside playing. And again I lasted long enough to take pictures.

Riley and her friend singing some holiday cheer!

Our first snow in Tennessee

2008-12-11T18:07:00.000-08:00

So all this week it has been raining and the temperature finally dropped low enough that it started to snow. The kids were thrilled. After living in Texas for 5 years they are so excited to live in a place where there is a chance for snow.
By 7 o'clock there was at least an inch of snow on the ground. Lane and Riley couldn't get dress fast enough to go out. It took me a minute to remember where I had packed away the snow gear.

It took most of the snow in the back yard but they got enough to make a snowman. Riley keeps saying that this is her first snow ever. She had been to Utah 2-3 times in the winter but I don't think she remembers. It's been almost 3 years since we have been home for the holidays.

It's amazing how when you are a kid the cold doesn't seem to bother you. Lane and Riley stayed out for 1 1/2 hours playing in the snow. The only reason they came in was because it was late and I made them. I of course only lasted about 20 minutes!

I'm pretty sure the schools will be closed tomorrow. For those of you that live in a colder snowy state you will find that as funny as I do. 1 inch of snow calls for a SNOW DAY!

Christmas Cheer

2008-12-08T06:30:00.000-08:00

If you have the time check out Jason Wright's blog spot. He's the author of Christmas Jars and The Wednesday Letters. He has a lot of uplifting and humorous stories.

http://jasonfwright.blogspot.com/

Christmas is here!

2008-12-08T05:00:00.001-08:00

I am so happy to be done putting up the lights outside. It has been FREEZING!!! After spending 5 years in San Antonio I have totally wimped out on a cold winter. The last week our highs have only been in the 40's and I was out in the morning putting up lights in a balmy 29 degrees!

Lane and Riley helped decorate the Christmas tree. One of our family traditions is that each one of us gets a new ornament each year. So with 4 kids our tree has it's fair share of Star Wars, Spiderman, Skooby Doo, Hello Kitty, etc. One day I will have a grown up tree.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Tis' the season to be thankful

2008-12-04T07:41:00.000-08:00

So I was getting out all the Christmas decoration yesterday (which I LOVE) and I was thinking off all the places we have been to celebrate the holidays. We are so lucky to have all the things we do and I wanted to list a few of the things I am thankful for.

- First and foremost my wonderful husband!
- Even though they make me crazy sometimes.........4 great kids
- Good health
- The country I live in and all the freedoms we enjoy
- My bed after a long day
- Visiting with my family
- The Gospel
- Cool crisp Fall mornings
- Hot chocolate on a cold rainy day
- Wonderful teachers
- A good book
- Friends that are always there to listen
- A clean house
- Watching my kids grow and learn
- Last but not least I am so thankful for my SAVIOR.
I am so grateful for the sacrifices that he has made for me. I feel so lucky to be on this earth and given the chance to return to my Father in Heaven. I hope to show that love and gratitude each and every day.

Recipe of the week

2008-12-02T06:14:00.001-08:00

A new twist on Cranberry Sauce

1 pkg cherry jello
1 1/2 c boiling water
1 can whole cranberry sauce (not the jelly)
1 sm can crushed pineapple (drained)
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz cool whip

Mix jello in hot water until disolved. Let set up in the fridge for about 1 hour (this will help keep the cranberries from floating to the top) Stir in cranberry sauce and crushed pineapple. Refridgerate for 2-3 hrs. Mix cream cheese and coolwhip until smooth. Spread on top of Jello. Chill and serve.

Optional: substitute cranberries for fruit or pie filling of your choice.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-29T10:10:00.001-08:00

Aw! Bill and Steph.

Lane and Alyssa. Can you believe that she's 8 and almost as tall as him.

Little miss Alyssa.

What a bunch of fish! The kids had fun swimming at the pool.

SURPRISE!!! It's Riley and Charles.

Quack, quack, Austin the Pringles duck!

Tyson and Tyler brushing up on their guitar hero skills!

Letting the kids burn off some energy at the bowling alley!

Monkey man Aaron!

Nancy and Charles just goof'n around!

Riley bowled a 95 and 110 with bumpers. She beat her mom both times

What a fun week we had with all of our family that came to visit!!!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-29T09:46:00.000-08:00

Riley got to meet here cousins for the first time. She loved Tyler, she never let him out of her sight.

What a roller coaster ride we have been on all week. Lots of fun and family. We had a house full. David, Michelle and kids drove down from Ohio and Bill, Steph and the boys flew in from Utah. Aaron and Austin came in from Idaho for the holiday as well.

We challenged each other to a friendly game of Catch Phrase. I am pretty sure the girls won.

Dave and Michelle and family. Tyson, Ashely, Alyssa, and Tyler. It's been 6 years since I've seen them. Wow, how time flies.

Bill, Steph, Gene and all the boys went to a Titan's game. Total bummer that they lost.

WMS Band Concert

2008-11-21T14:29:00.000-08:00

Lane had his first band concert last night. It was great. It seems like it's been just a short while, but I haven't been the one doing all the practicing. He did great.

The concert was all Asian inspired music. They played "The great wall of China", "Asian Folk Rhapsody", "China Grove", and a few songs from Disney's Mulan.

Prior to the concert we enjoyed a chili dinner at the school. I was amazed that the white shirts stayed white. It was a nice night.

Gone Private

2008-11-21T13:54:00.000-08:00

Going, going, gone.....Private!

Children

2008-11-17T18:19:00.000-08:00

Before you were conceived, I wanted you. Before your were born, I loved you. Before you were a minute old I would have died for you. This is the miricle of love.

-Author Unknown

Sometimes mom just needs a Time-Out!

2008-11-16T13:12:00.000-08:00

I was able to attend the Time Out for Women event here in Nashville. It was great. I loved every presenter. Chieko Okazaki was so funny. I loved her personality. Hilary Weeks and Kenneth Cope were the musical talent for Friday night and Saturday. If you haven't heard Hilary's music you are missing out. She has an amazing voice.

I bought "The Wednesday Letters" by Jason Wright and I can't stop reading it. Jason Wright and Chris Stewart were great speakers. I can't forget Emily Watts. She spoke all about the "mom guilt". I know we all suffer from that from time to time. This was the last stop for this year. If you have a chance, go next year. It starts again in the spring.

DeseretBook.com/tofw

Recipe of the week.

2008-11-13T16:55:00.000-08:00

Pork Tenderloin with Wild Mushroom Pasta

1 Pork Tenderloin (1 lb)
1 1/4 t kosher salt (divided)
3/4 t pepper divided
1 T canola oil
2 T unsalted butter
16 oz gourmet wild mushroom/portabella mushroom blend
2 T minced garlic
8 oz bow tie pasta
1 C heavy cream

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat Large saute pan on med-high 2-3 minutes. Pre-season all sides of tenderloin with 1/4 t each salt and pepper. Add oil to pan and sear pork on each side 2-3 minutes. Place tenderloin on baking sheet and bake 25-30 minutes or until internal temp is 160 degrees.
Boil pasta according to directions.
Melt butter in the pan used for pork. Add Mushrooms and garlic. Cook 5-6 minutes stirring occasionally. Season mushrooms with remaining salt and pepper and stir in cream. Cook 3-5 minutes stirring occasionally until sauce is reduced by 1/3. Drain pasta and toss in the wild mushroom sauce.
Remove Pork from oven and let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Makes 4-5 servings.

After picking out all the mushrooms my kids loved it.

Veterans Day

2008-11-11T10:56:00.001-08:00

REMEMBER.......

Our freedom did not come free. Remember all the soldiers that have fought for our country. They have made it possible for us to enjoy our freedoms.

Scout campout

2008-11-10T08:04:00.000-08:00

Breakfast time!

Lane and Gene went on a scout campout this weekend. Fun but chilly! Lane was able to pass of a few scouting requiremnets and have some fun too. The weather was cold and rainy all day Friday. The rain finally stopped but it was still cold.

Fall Break

2008-11-08T10:32:00.000-08:00

View from our room

Mini Golf

Speed Racer

Wonderworks

Aquarium

I am a little slow getting these pictures pulled off of my camera. We went on a weekend trip about 2 weeks ago. Gene had a business trip scheduled and the kids were out of school for Fall break so we were able to tag along. We spent the weekend in Gatlinberg, TN. It's close to Knoxville right next to the Smokie Mountains National Park. It was beautiful, even though it rained most of the weekend. The kids had fun at a the Aquarium and a place called Wonderworks (children's museum). We played a lottle mini golf and practiced our race car skills. There was so much to do there we will have to make another trip to enjoy it all. Maybe next time we will go to Dollywood.

Fall is here.

2008-11-08T10:23:00.000-08:00

I love waking up to a cool crisp morning with the sun shining. I didn't realize how much I enjoyed fall until this month. Moving to a place that has beautiful Fall weather has been nice. Don't get me wrong, I loved San Antonio but there they have 9 months of Summer and 2-3 weeks of fall (cooler weather). But the leaves don't change colors, they just fall off the trees sometime in January. After about 3 months of a mild Winter they head back into Summer again.

Fall is my favorite season!

Mom's visit

2008-11-01T15:29:00.000-07:00

Mom is here visiting. We spent the afternoon on the General Jackson River Boat. It was a lot of fun. We had a tasty Asian lunch and watched the Peking Acrobats. The kids enjoyed the show.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T19:44:00.000-07:00

Pirate

Grim Reaper

Devil Dog

HOLY COW!

We had a lot of fun tonight. Early in the afternoon we went to Daddy's office and the kids filled their bags. Later in the evening we ate dinner with our neighbors and after we were full of chili the kids were ready to do some trick or treating. Lane was the Grim Reaper went with friends for the first hour or so and then cam back home to trick-or-treat our neighborhood. Riley was a pirate. She only lasted about 3 blocks and then she wanted to come home and check out her loot. I was HOLY COW!......I got a lot of laughs! Grandma was here vising and she was a ghost. Gene stayed home to pass out candy and even the dog dressed up (not by her choice). The weather was great! It was sunny all day and in the 70's. A little cooler in the evening but not bad at all. Over all we had a fun and safe Halloween. Enough candy to last us til Christmas!

Happy Halloween!!!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

Fall is here! Last week we spent the day enjoying the fall weather. Took a drive south to Chapel Hill to visit a pumpkin patch. The kids had fun at the petting zoo and found the perfect pumpkin.

Future Ravenwood H.S. dancer

2008-10-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

Riley and her friend Jacqueline went to a dance clinic at Ravenwood Highschool and performed at half time at the football game. They had a great time!!!

Recipe of the week!

2008-10-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake
Crust:
1−1/2 cups graham crumbs
5 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 Tbsp. sugar
Filling:
3 − 8oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
Whipped Cream
Mix crust ingredients together, just till coated and crumbly. Press onto the
bottom and 2/3 up the sides of an 8" springform pan. Bake for 5 mins. at
350. Set aside. Combine cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl, mix until
smooth with an electric mixer. add pumpkin eggs,and spices, beat till smooth
and creamy. Pour into the crust. Bake for 60−70 mins.or till the top turns a
bit darker. Remove from oven and allow to come to room temperature, then
refrigerate. After it has thoroughly chilled, remove the pan sides and cut.
Serve with whipped cream.

Happy Bday Riley

2008-10-27T07:40:00.001-07:00

The big 6! Riley had her birthday at a place called The Factory. It's an old over factory from the 50's that they have remodeled into a shopping center full of antique shops, furniture stores, art galleries, boutiques and a pottery shop. The girls had a blast. They were able to pick either a fairy princess or a unicorn. They were all VERY colorful. We made it through the cake and ice cream sugar high. I can't believe she's 6. Time sure does fly!!!

Riley

2008-10-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten Queen!

Loving all the new friends and riding the bus like a big girl.

Her teacher tells me she is doing great. Making friends and able to socialize with all the kids. Sometimes to much. We are working on not talking during class. She has made lots of friends and is thrilled to be 6.

Lane

2008-10-27T07:31:00.000-07:00

Lane is moving up in the world. Middle School is the next big step we are trying to make.

GO Woodland Warriors! Loving most of his classes and getting better in band. Lane is playing the trumpet.

Looking forward to Thanksgiving break.

Hello All!

2008-10-27T07:21:00.001-07:00

We are finally settled in Tennessee. Getting ready for Halloween. The kids are so excited. Yeah CANDY!!! We are hoping for good weather. It's started to cool off here but I think it will be nice. Riley is going to be a pink pirate and Lane is going to be the grim reaper.

SPOOKY!!!

Happy Halloween!