Catching Up…Maybe Catching My Breath Too…and a funny day with Dillan!

Wow!  It’s been awhile since I’ve posted!  I didn’t realize it had been about 6 weeks or so.  Crazy life I guess.  I feel like I have just spent a lot of time in my car.  Getting used to the 40 minute commute every morning and afternoon has been interesting especially when you add that I am running kids around to everything they do at least 3 days a week.  Then there is the usual grocery shopping, errands, etc, that you add in too.  Whew!  I get tired sometimes even just thinking about it. 

I am enjoying working in the company’s Idaho Falls office.  The Rexburg office was so quiet and I was there a lot of times by myself which got really boring.  I have a lot more to do now and it makes the days go by much faster, and there are people to talk to and it’s much more interesting.  So, I guess it’s a trade off.  I’m enjoying my job better I just have to driver farther to do it!  Working from home on Fridays is wonderful!  I really look forward to it a lot and it keeps me going throughout the week knowing that’s how I can end it.

The kids are just going along with school and the usual.  Sydnie is working hard and improving her grades.  She always really struggles the 1st few months of school and then finally finds her groove and starts to do a lot better.  She loves Jr. High and all the new, exciting happenings there.  She’s had a couple of dances and is having fun with those.  Hayley just finished her regular basketball season and then got asked to be on a team that will play in the Idaho Falls leagues in January and February.  (Just what I needed…another trip to Idaho Falls during the week!)  She is excited and we are enjoying watching her play and improve!  Dillan just finished wrestling.  He had fun but we didn’t do any tournaments or anything.  He just liked learning some moves – probably so he could try them on his sisters!

We were moved into a new ward with some rearranging here in our little community.  We are enjoying it!  We have some good friends here already and excited to make some new ones too!  The 2nd Sunday we were there I had to stand in Sacrament Meeting to be confirmed for my new callings.  My little Dillan was trying to figure out when he should raise his hand in support, and I was trying to help him.  He was being a little silly and kept trying to raise his hand in opposition.  Well, I stood up for my sustaining and of course you can imagine what happened.  He raised his hand in opposition to my calling of being ward camp director.  Everyone had a good laugh about that!

That same Sunday he wanted to bear his testimony.  This is the 1st time he’s ever done that!  Anyway… he goes up and gives his testimony and then when he sits down he looks up at me and says, “now I don’t have a testimony anymore!”  I said why not, you always have a testimony in your heart and head.  He said he didn’t because he buried it!  He thought that’s what people were doing when they got up.  They were “burying” their testimony!  So funny!  What a goof!   (He must have had too much sugar for breakfast that morning or something).

Halloween 2009

Pirate Girl, Batman and Twister Girl

For some reason this Halloween didn’t seem quite as hectic as usual – nice! The Sunday before Halloween we went to Steve & Vick’s house for the annual Halloween Feast of Blood and Guts Casserole (Lasagne), witch’s broomsticks (breadsticks), sea monster salad with purple sea monster goo dressing (ranch with purple food coloring), and some cute spider cupcakes and yumming pumpkin cake. BUT – I forgot my camera! Dang it all! I’ll have to see if Steve got some pics he can send me.

On Friday the kids wore their costumes to school and had the usual parties and stuff. Syd had her 1st Jr. High dance, which she ending up enjoying more than she thought. She was really worried it would be really boring with no one dancing. Friday night was the annual Halloween Carnival at the school. We got there pretty late, but it was actually nice and didn’t seem as crowded then. (Maybe I’ll do that again next year!) The kids had fun playing games and parading around in their costumes.

Saturday morning we carved pumpkins and made roasted pumpkins from the seeds. Saturday afternoon the sun came out and we went to the straw maze. The weather was nice, which was good, since it took us over an hour to get to the end. I must just not be a logical enough thinker to figure out a maze or something. We were watching some people go through in like 10 or 15 minutes, and we finally had to ask some people coming through for the second time how the heck to get out! I couldn’t even go back in there and tell you how we got through. It all looked the same to me! Dill kept getting worried that we were going to be lost forever. We thought about going back to the entrance and just being done since we were getting tired of walking, but I was being stubborn and determined that a smart grown person could figure this out. Ha ha! A little lesson in humility for me I guess !

We went to the trunk or treat at the church after that, went to visit with Great Grandma McBride, and then came back to our house with family for some chili cheese baked potatoes. All in all a great day! (Except for the straw maze – hee, hee – next year it’s Dad’s turn to take them!)

Hope everyone else had a Happy Halloween!

Dillan working hard on his pumpkin

Hayley and her scarey pumpkin

Sydnie getting a little help with her pumpkin

Summer of Camping

Ok if any of you ever hear Dave complain about me not wanting to go camping we’ll you can just smack him for me!  We went camping Memorial Day weekend, and then every weekend in July!  It has been so great of my Father-In-Law Gene to let us borrow his camper so much.  This is the reason for my enjoyment of camping this year so much.  I know I’m spoiled, but a girl really like to have a “potty” instead of having to go in the bushes!  Is that wrong of me?!  Maybe it’s a girl thing, but regardless we have had a great time enjoying the great outdoors.  We’ve camped, rode 4-wheelers & dirt bikes, fished, swam, relaxed, read, sang (and listened to Mr. Talented Dave play guitar and sing) around the campfire, and enjoyed great food and our friends and family.  The kids have had a great time.  It’s been like camping heaven for them !

(I do have to say I am a little wore out though!)

Here’s a few pictures from one of our weekends.

Sydnie - Camper girl

Hayley - Camper Girl #2

Camper Boy

Henry's Lake Swimming

Keeping cool at the lake & a great view!

Relay for Life

I participated in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life in June in Rexburg.  I was a fun experience and I had a good time with the other girls on our team from my ward.  I don’t know about the staying up all night part though… I’m not really used to that and I felt like it took me a few days to recuperate!  I didn’t really keep track of how many miles I walked or anything, but I did raise over $100 (thanks everyone!!!) and our team exceeded our goal of $1400.  It seems like they had said the total raised was around $30,000 or something for the whole event!  We had a huge thunderstorm right before everything was supposed to get started so they delayed things for awhile.  The sun finally came out, but it was wet and humid all night long and so colder than I thought it would be.  At one point during the wee hours of the morning I kept walking because it was keeping me warm!

Our “Pink Ladies” team booth with our team captain, Constance

The track

Mom Stoddard luminary

Grandma Kirkham Luminary

Our team’s luminaries

Luminaries around the track

Memorial Day Camping Trip

Should have published this post sooner. Wow I can’t believe it’s been almost a month since Memorial Day. Funny how that weekend was some of the best weather we’ve had so far this summer!

Cousin Paige, Hayley and Sydnie in the hole they had Dusty dig for them.

It was so nice to go camping Memorial Day weekend and just leave everything behind (especially the cell phones) and enjoy just being away. I didn’t even keep track of the time, except by the trusty old sun. We had yummy food as usual (what’s camping without great food, especially with my family). We had finger steaks and homemade fries one night, and some scones and Keith’s yummy cobbler. Nachos and snack stuff another. Breakfasts were HUGE every morning of course! The whole deal – eggs, hashbrowns, sausage, bacon, ham, bisuits, etc. We definately do more than just the usual hot dog on a stick!

We mostly lounged around the campfire, played horseshoes, and visited. We fished one afternoon until we got rained out, and Monday went for a 4-wheeler ride for a couple hours. It was beautiful out to Kilgore. Still early in the year though. The trees had just barely gotten leaves and not much grass or flowers were up. It was a little cold in the shade.

The cousins in their "fort".

The kids had a great time. The girls played with Paige in the “Fort” they had actually started making in the same spot from last year. This year they added to it. They also had Dusty help them dig a big hole to play in… I don’t know why… they just wanted a big hole for some reason! We also bought a little BB gun which entertained Dillan for hours playing army and shooting at targets.

Dillan with his new BB gun - Don't shoot your eye out!

To bad we had to return to reality! Oh well, I guess it makes us appreciate the fun times all the more.

The American Cancer Society: Relay for Life, June 26th

Just letting everyone know I am doing the Relay for Life in Rexburg on June 26th. I have a personal goal to raise $200 at least for my team. A group of us in the ward “the Pink Ladies” are all doing this together. I am doing mine in memory of mom-in-law, Lana, and my Grandma Kirkham. If you would like to donate please go to my Relay page and you can donate online. You can also print out a donation for or get the money to me and I will turn it in.

Here is the link to my page:
The American Cancer Society:
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I also have luminary bags that you can purchase ($10.00) and decorate in memory of someone specific. They will be lit and displayed sometime during the Relay.

I appreciate any efforts you make to support this cause! Thanks!

Dave’s Song

I’ve been wanting to post this for awhile and get it on my blog. This is the song Dave and Luke recorded this winter. Dave is singing and playing the harmonica. Luke added in the guitars, drums, etc. Even Dad Stoddard sang some bass to add to it. I think it sounds awesome! Dave had a good time recording it with Luke and was proud of how it turned out. Enjoy!

Back to the blogging!

Well,  I have been out of the blogging world for quite awhile now!  2 and 1/2 months to be exact.  Sometimes it just seems like there are things in your life which completely consume you for a time and you’re so intensely focused you can’t think about anything else.  I’ve kinda been there for awhile now.  Hopefully starting broaden my horizons again a little bit.  Anyway… time for an update on a few things the family has had going on and pictures. 

This was Sydnie’s cake that my mom made.  It turned out really cute with the fondant.  Cute, but the fondant is really almost to sweet to eat.  Mom has really been into the cake decorating and making all her grandkid’s birthday cakes.

Sydnie had a fun party with a few friends.  They had a fun time.  What crazy sweet girls! 

Sydnie is 12!  Starting Young Women now!  That just can’t be possible can it?

 

  

 

Hayley had a big dance competition in Idaho Falls in March.  They did really well and got a big trophy for their dance studio.  I loved their cute costumes.  Their score qualified them to go to competition in Lagoon this summer which they are all really excited about.

 

 

 

This isn’t that great of a picture of Syd’s DARE graduation but you can tell at least that she was able to get her diploma from her dad. 

 

 

 

 

This was Hayley’s birthday cake from her 10th birthday last week.  Cake courtesy of Grandma Kathy of course.  This time with frosting ’cause Hayley did not want to eat fondant as she informed her grandmother.  She got to go bowling with a few friends and mom which was fun.  They had pizza and cake and Hayley got a bowling pin which her friends helped decorate. 

 

 

More cute crazy friends.  I’m glad my kids have such good friends!

Ice Skating

 

 

 

 

 

 

We took the family ice skating for Family Home Evening on Monday.  Man, I shoulda wore some long underwear or something!  I was frozen by the time I left!  Got a few pictures to share.  Dillan actually finally got the hang of it by the time we were done.  Now everyone is asking when they get to go again!  Dave was the picture taker since he’s not really fond on being on slick ice with just little blades underneath you.  Besides the ice was pretty rough, not the smooth glossy ice you see at ice skating shows and competitions.  And really, I do know how to ice skate even though it looks like I am about to fall down in these pictures!

Is is really Christmas time?

Ok – today is December 20th and 5 days away from Christmas. We have snow. I’ve been listening to Christmas music. Watched Polar Express and a couple other Christmas movies. We’ve had some Christmas goodies delivered. We’ve got a few presents under the tree. The house is decorated (thanks to my kids who pretty much did it all). My shopping is done except for a couple of little things I need to pick up at Walmart. But here’s my problem… I’m just not feeling it! I’m starting to wonder if something’s wrong with me. I’m feeling like that song “Where Are You Christmas” by Faith Hill. This time of year usually sneaks up on me, but this year it really has. I hope my Christmas spirit kicks into gear in the next couple of days. Right now I’m just feeling kind of blah I guess. I was reading a couple of blogs and seeing what other families are doing. Don’t ask me what the heck we’ve been doing, but it seems like we haven’t been home for like two weeks and I feel exhausted. We haven’t done any warm cozy homey things really, other than decorate the tree.

Every year just before Christmas we have a “special dinner”. We cook something yummy and eat on my special dishes by candlelight and talk about the real meaning of Christmas. I had an idea this year of celebrating Jesus’s birthday with a cake and “presents”. The idea about the presents is to not give an actual present but something you would give to the Savior like reading your scriptures daily, do an act of service for someone, or something like that. We’ll try that this year at our dinner Sunday night and see how it turns out. Hopefully Christmas will come to me then! I’ll let you know how our dinner turns out.

How about the rest of you? Anything you do to help get yourself in the Christmas spirit?

Here’s a picture of our tree and Dave out working on shoveling the snow. It was pretty today, but cold.