My turn.....

Most of my posts will be about my kids, and what we do for fun. I thought I'd do a post all about me because I can and it's my turn to be in the spotlight. So, I'm not very entertaining, and pretty much what you see is what you get, but there are a few things that a lot of you probably don't know about me. I decided to make a list of some things. I would do them all but you all have lives outside of reading this blog, so I'll spare you some time. Here goes!

1. There is a small percentage of "black" in my lineage, which probably explains my ease at turning brown in the sun.
2. I don't like being told what to do, but don't mind being asked.
3. My mood can be directly related to two things: the scale, or how clean my house is.
4. I'm VERY insecure about my weight/body size but make it a joke so nobody knows how serious I really am.
5. I want to be a library "story lady" one day, with or without pay, I'd love to do it.
6. My dreams at night always seem so real to me that if Shawn does something to make me mad in my dream I'm irritated at him the entire next day.
7. Shawn is my very best friend in the universe and I couldn't function properly without him.
8. I LOVE a night out with the girls---------it rejuvinates me mentally, physically, spiritually. I need more of them.
9. Chaos and me don't go well together.
10. I'm lazy.
11. Some people intimidate me, but nobody ever believes me when I say that.
12. I thought one day I'd be a famous writer, until I took a creative writing class at BYU and realized there are a lot of really great writers out there.
13. My kids manage to irritate me and crack me up at the same time.
14. I love the peacefulness of my house after the kids are asleep and the lights are dim.
15. I love a clean kitchen with the dishwasher running.
16. I love to hear kids laugh----the good hard belly laugh kind.
17. I love to laugh---the good hard belly laugh kind when tears run down my cheeks.
18. I exercise only to be thin, not for health reasons. (not yet anyway)
19. I think I have pretty toes.
20. I would make a horrible judge because I tend to believe all sides and give everyone the benefit of being honest.
21. I love reading a good book and then having someone else enjoy it as much as I did.
22. Sometimes I replay conversations in my mind wishing I would've or wouldn't have said what I did or didn't say. (most often it's what I've said)
23. I talk to myself in the mirror.
24. I love spring sunshine after a good hard rain.
25. Listening to my kids having conversations with each other makes me glad I had 4, and makes me miss my siblings.
26. I'm a baked-goods-aholic. Cookies, cake, brownies, I love to bake and eat them.
27. Clutter freaks me out, but all my closets are horrendously unorganized. (I can shut the door and what I don't see doesn't seem to bother me)
28. I value other people's opinions too much.
29. I love to teach school and am sad it's probably too political to ever do it again.
30. I'm sad for people who constantly talk bad about everyone behind their backs and tell all because I'll never share a secret or something personal with them out of fear.
31. Constant pessimism wears me down.
32. I love to put on fresh, brand new clothes. I feel so new in them.
33. I have serious OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) tendencies. (so much that I have to end with #35, not 33)
34. I love the smell of fresh cut grass.
35. This blog is a great outlet for me. When I type stuff here, I actually sometimes forget that people might read it.

It's all about Good Times.......

Today was graduation for the medical school's class of 2007. Wednesday Courtney and Josh and their two kids rolled into town to spend the week's festivities previous to the ceremony, and we were lucky enough to have them stay at our house. You never really know someone until you live with them, and I just have to say that I LOVE JOSH AND COURTNEY!! By this morning I felt as comfortable with them as I would any one of my siblings. I laughed almost the entire time they were with us! Courtney made us her world famous (not really, but it should be ) jumbalaya thursday night and it was incredible. What an easy houseguest. But, the best part of this entire week was last night. We got a babysitter for all 6 kids (she was very competent, and brave) and headed to the Pear Tree. You know, the fancy little (emphasis on little) restaurant in the quaint little town southwest of here. The food was good (and pricey) but the company was hysterical! We were joined by the Sorensons, the Flinders, and the Davis'. I was actually laughing so hard at one point I lost the ability to breathe. So, thanks Court and Josh for the great week. Josh---you rock the intern world with those big guns of yours, and Court----just keep strokin' the ego! I'll never look at a 'toot'sie roll the same way again..........

Kids.....

Thursday the neighborhood was out after serious torrential rainfall. This time the gathering took place on our porch eating popsicles. This actually only represents half of the kids.........Fun huh?!

A day at the beach..........

Tuesday was the perfect day to spend at the beach. (Okay, it's really just a lake, but remember we're in Missouri). It wasn't too hot, kind of overcast actually, but still quite warm. We packed up our sand toys, life jackets, beach towels, cooler full of snacks, and loaded into the van. Once we got to the beach it actually only took one trip from the van because everyone is now old enough to carry all the paraphernalia required for fun-in-the-sun activities! Yeah for me not having to make 3 trips alone! We just laid out the sun mat in the sand and had a great afternoon! Kennedy and Ethan put on life jackets and swam out to the dock where they could jump in. Jackson dug in the sand along with Landon most of the time. They ate snacks and played with friends. It was the perfect beach day.

Before we left Landon started playing on the stairs. I had to take video because his ingenuity cracked me up! We obviously spend a lot of time at the park for him to think of this activity!

Fun Farm Day

Memphis is where the Keller's live. It's an hour from us, but they are still in our ward. Crazy. (We aren't in Utah anymore folks.) Dr. Keller is actually an ER doc that Shawn occasionally covers shifts for. He was covering a shift on Sunday for a different Doc. His wife takes pity on me. She knows what it's like to have a bunch of kids and a doc for a husband. So, she invited me and the kiddo's out to dinner at their farm yesterday. The whole idea was for Shawn to meet us for dinner because his ER was empty. Turns out we didn't get to see him the entire time we were there because it was a rare day and he was slammed with patients. We had a great time anyway! Kennedy has been saying for the last year that she's going to be a cowgirl one day and when I mentioned we were going to a farm she put on her cowgirl boots and brought her hat "just in case there are horses mom". I had never been to their farm and didn't know what to expect. Horses? Tons of them. Turns out they breed them and sell them, or trade them for cattle. They had a cat that had baby kittens. Kennedy fell in love with one and I had to check her pockets before we left to make sure she didn't smuggle the little creature into the van. She woke up crying this morning because she knows I won't let her "just keep it in her room". Ethan enjoyed the Keller boys. They were hitting water balloons with baseball bats, and then started launching them with a water balloon launch system off the deck. Jack really liked the trampoline, but not so much the horses. He stood back behind the gate until one of the older boys picked him up and carried him for a closer look. Landon just enjoyed exploring. He scooped in the kitty litter until he was caught (it had a shovel. Isn't that what you do with a shovel?). He was also caught eating a hunk of bread that was meant for the dogs. Funny boy. Doesn't complain when he's hungry, just finds what he can. He'd be great on survivor. The horses fascinated him. So did the trampoline. We ate dinner and she sent me home with enough food to last the rest of the week. Homemade jam, rolls, and cinnamon rolls. We had a great day! Farms are fun places for kids to explore. We'll have to go back and visit lots because I myself am a city girl through and through and wouldn't survive actually living on a farm. Or in such a small community.

Snap turtle, snap!

Shawn was outside the other day reseeding parts of the lawn and discovered this huge turtle sitting next to our house! I wanted to put my hand on it's back so I could show a size comparison, but Shawn stopped me. I'm so glad he was there or I would probably have lost a finger! That thing could snap! Shawn was trying to scoop it up with a shovel so he could take it around back closer to our neighbors pond, but it kept snapping the metal. So, we rolled it down the side of our lawn onto it's back and that's how we finally scooped him up. Ethan was yelling that it was going to die, and Landon just thought this whole thing was hilarious! Only in Missouri........(Erin, this in NO way tops your story of turtle soup!)

Let the fun begin, right??..........

Today is the last day of school. As a teacher I used to love the last day-------all the letters and gifts from the kids telling me how wonderful I was, papers flying everywhere, kids running, and then the stillness of the empty classroom with empty bulletin boards and empty desks. I used to sit in the middle of my classroom floor after the last kid left and just reflect on everything that went on that year, good and bad, and just relish the times I had. Now I'm on the other end of the spectrum. Those kids running down the hall with papers flying behind them are now running into my house, my car, my space, instead of away from it. The stillness of my home is no longer. But, I do have to say that I love summer. Everything about it. Even with all my kids home. Especially with all my kids home. There is something about having your kids around all the time that gives you some sense of comfort. I know they are safe. (At least until summer gets old and having them in my space gets old and the pools get old. Thank goodness I can count on school starting again in August...)

Kennedy had a last day of school picnic at a local park today. She went to Faith Lutheran this year (a private school), and I was able to attend with Jack and Landon. We had a great time!

Mrs. Fouch gave all the kids their own bubble wands.

Kennedy and Jack negotiate the last chocolate cookie.

Kennedy eats strawberries with her friend Grayce.

Landon eats his weight in grapes and strawberries!

L to R: Kennedy, Kenzie, and Zoe.

Left to Right: Tate (Kennedy's boyfriend), Parker (wants to be Kennedy's boyfriend), and Kennedy.