east coast bosleys

mini PJ

2012-02-14T14:55:00.004-08:00

Last Sunday we fed President Judd (affectionately known around here as "PJ") dinner since his family ditched him to go out of town to visit family. We were SO generous and fixed him a super FANCY meal of waffles, bacon, and eggs. We fed the kids beforehand but Ivy wanted to join us at the table. She decided to put on PJ's jacket while it was still hanging on the back of the chair. Which is why her shoulders look so full. Anyhow, she thought she was pretty darn funny!

This is when she insisted on giving her best "President Judd face." It's good but not as good as some of the faces we've seen him give while sitting on the stand at church :)

Ivy decided to commandeer the camera. This is where the party's at that's for sure!

art

2012-02-14T14:51:00.001-08:00

This is what happens when the big boys are quietly doing school in another room and the little kids are quietly painting. They were getting along so well I didn't even need to stop my tasks to check on them. Apparently Ivy doesn't like her art to be confined to paper or canvas. Or maybe she views her brother as such. Either way, it was too cute (especially with the cow costume)!

the actual birthday day

2012-02-04T18:36:00.000-08:00

The day finally arrived that the little miss actually, really, officially turned FIVE!!! She was thrilled! She was the first kid up that morning so we were able to capture some priceless pictures first thing in the morning! Before Andrew left for work we gave her her big present...a new bike! She had been requesting a bike with a basket for quite sometime, so I spent the month checking craigslist frequently for a $30 or below bike. I scored and found one with a basket, a horn, and training wheels for $20. When I went to the people's house, 30 minutes away, to get it they weren't there! I decided to stay in the area and do some errands while I waited to see if they would email or something! Finally, after a little while Andrew called to tell me that they had emailed and felt SO bad they had missed me (they were stuck in traffic) so they wanted to give it to us for FREE! I went to their house, the bike was in like new condition, I offered them the $20 and they wouldn't take it! SO GRATEFUL!!!

After checking out the bike and honking the horn A LOT I whipped up some special birthday pancakes with chocolate chips! That day I had to do my usual grocery shopping outing with the kids (aldi, trader joes, and costco) but we made it extra special by eating lunch at costco afterward AND getting an ice cream there. My kids were in heaven!

That night, after Andrew got home from work, we had Ivy's requested dinner--stuffed shells and broccoli (the boys would NEVER have picked a meal like that!) and then opened presents! We got her a new little Lego Friends lego set and another one of my old cabbage patch kids. The Judd's also got her a present--batteries! The evening of her friend birthday party they had asked her what presents she had gotten. She told them batteries! Well, she had gotten two batteries with the "Gone Fishing" game Manon had gotten her. But apparently the batteries were the extra-special part of that present because that's the only thing she mentioned! This girl is too much! After presents we had donuts (per the birthday girls request) and then stayed up and played a little while. We love this girl SO much! Our home would be pretty darn boring without her!!!

the annual christmas tree burning!

2012-02-03T12:45:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure how many years they've been hosting this, but the tradition continues! The Judds had us over last Saturday evening (right after Ivy's party) for their hot dog roast/Christmas tree burning extravaganza! It's always a hit! We enjoyed some tasty hot dogs (why do they always taste better roasted over an open fire?), chips, delicious baked beans, tater tots, 'smores, hot cocoa, good weather, beautiful scenery, great friends, and wonderful conversations. The evening ended on a high note when they lit 6 (I think) dead Christmas trees on fire out by their pond. Amazing! It never gets old!

We thought it wise to keep Nate a good distance from the blaze.

Ivy's rainbow birthday party!

2012-02-03T12:28:00.000-08:00

The Saturday before Miss Iva-Mae turned FIVE we had her first friend birthday party! And it was a hit! We had 9 little girls come and it was such a different experience than all the boy parties I've done! Wow! Although they were busy and having fun the volume level remained rather low! They were engaged making rainbow necklaces out of fruitloops and playing with balloons. When they all sat down in a circle for a game they quietly waited for me to give the directions! Oh my! I had wrapped a package in several layers of tissue paper--all the colors of the rainbow. Music played while they passed around the package and then when the music stopped the person holding it got to unwrap one layer. They all got a turn and in the end inside the box was a bunch of colorful heart-shaped bracelets to take home. We then played "pin the cloud on the rainbow" and then ate fruit arranged in a rainbow, rainbow goldfish, and then a rainbow cake that I was thrilled with how well it turned out! Finally, the party ended with opening presents (where Ivy got TONS of "squinkies"--I guess they're all the rage now) and playing in the back yard. The party turned out great but I'm glad it's over! It was all worth it for this sweet little girl!!!

I found this shirt at walmart the morning of her party. I just couldn't pass it up! SO CUTE!

The whole gang: Brooklyn, Samantha, Jayda, Manon, Stephanie, Zoey, Naomi, Rachel, and Ivy.

my birthday!

2012-02-03T10:17:00.000-08:00

My birthday was actually a little bit blissful! The day started out with me opening presents from my dear husband. He was heading out for work and wanted me to have a special morning. So, I opened them:) He got me two new books (which I haven't read yet--I need to finish The Book Thief first, which I'm loving by the way). He also got me a pillow for the bathtub. My evening routine often includes sitting in the warm bath and reading before getting into bed. Ahh, just the thought is blissful! A little later in the morning, my dear friend Cheryl kept Will and Hyde and another dear friend Kim kept the two little ones while I did a couple of errands. First was a doctors appointment which was pretty standard as far as pregnancy goes, although I had to wait about a half hour in the doctors office. That waiting would have been misery if I had had my kids with me, but instead I had a good book, so it was quite the relaxing break! Last year for my birthday my mom gave me a gift certificate for an hour massage or facial which I decided to cash in that day. Unfortunately, they wouldn't do a massage on a pregnant lady so I had to go with a facial. And although I would have rather had the massage, the facial was surprisingly relaxing! Afterwards, I stopped at Panera for some lunch which was eaten in silence and then I drove home! I think, with all the driving, it added up to be about 5 hours ALL BY MYSELF!!! The afternoon was pretty typical. Such is the life of a mom! That night Andrew brought home sandwiches from Jason's deli and then we all indulged in a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting! All in all it was a wonderful birthday, spent with my favorite people!!!

Here are pictures taken in the morning while opening presents:

another goodbye

2012-01-23T18:37:00.000-08:00

We keep having to say goodbye to missionaries! But that's how it is. Sylvia, is so funny because she is always so sad when one leaves and laments that she'll never like the next one as much, but then she does and then that one leaves and we go through it all again. We have certainly been blessed with such great missionaries and especially blessed to have them in our home frequently. Goodbye Elder Johnson, you'll be missed!

Elder Johnson, Sylvia, Elder Beach

Me, Andrew, Will, E. Johnson, and E. Beach

five

2012-01-23T18:30:00.000-08:00

It's time to tell the whole world that Bosley baby number 5 (wow, that's a big number!) will be arriving the end of August!!! As has been the pattern, where I get sicker with each pregnancy, this one has been no exception. BUT, for the first time I was prescribed zofran and I no longer feel like I want to throw up all the time! Additionally, I've figured out what foods to avoid so as to not add to the sickness and give me a terrible taste in my mouth that usually plagues me my entire pregnancies! Hooray for relief! All of this has been such a blessing because homeschooling and being a mother to Nate has been really hard to do while pregnant! Anyhow, we're excited (a little nervous) and very much looking forward to this new blessing in our family! This is the first pregnancy where my kids are old enough to really get it and boy, oh, boy are they excited! The boys are hoping for another brother and Ivy is very much wanting a sister. We'll be happy with whomever (or is it whoever?) Heavenly Father sends!

rainbows and little feet

2012-01-23T18:18:00.000-08:00

Ivy's having her first friend birthday party this Saturday! She requested a rainbow party so I'm going to try and deliver. We made invitations a while back and I think they turned out great! My dear husband painted the rainbow, I printed them off and glued them on card stock, and then I had Ivy glue cotton balls on for the clouds. I love how these pictures make the project look so peaceful. I just didn't capture on film Nate's attempts to take the cotton balls and eventually throw them all over the living room. Despite his interruptions, Ivy and I had a fun time and I'm glad I made the effort to have her help. I, far to often, just do things myself because it's faster and easier. I'm learning :)

I found a lot of random pictures on my camera that Nate apparently took. I deleted them all, but couldn't bring myself to delete this one. Look at those cute feet! They are rarely still, but they won't be this small for long. I love my little ones!

a little bit of school

2012-01-06T13:23:00.000-08:00

We keep plugging along at the school thing, and boy am I learning a lot (and I think my kids are too)! We can now label all the countries and seas that make up the Middle East. And are now working on the entire continent of Asia. I think it's going to take a little bit longer to get a handle on it but maps are a definite favorite subject for all of us.

Yesterday we studied ancient China which included the Shang Dynasty, the discovery of silk from silkworms, and early chinese writing: pictograms. I am so ready to throw around all these little bits I've learned and sound smart! Anyhow, after reading about China the kids tried their hand at painting their own pictograms. It was one of those activities that's a big hit. I think the pictures can prove it!

Will

Hyde--yep, he's at that age :)

primary!

2012-01-06T13:03:00.000-08:00

On January 1st, this little boy started Primary! I was convinced he would be the first child in the history of the church to be held back in nursery, but they let him move up! He is incapable of sitting in a chair for longer than 1 minute, he likes to scream, and he causes trouble. Three reasons why he is not ready for primary. But, I hear miracles do happen. And believe me, we try here at home. You'd think with 3 kids before him we'd have a clue what we're doing. We obviously don't!

But look at how cute he is! Nate is one of a kind that's for sure and I wouldn't trade him for anything (although I have a feeling we're going to be spending a lot of time helping in the sunbeam class this year)!

A standard pose. Who wants to take the time to go potty???!!!

"okay, mom, can we be done now???"

a winter hike

2012-01-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

A few days after Christmas we decided to get out of the house and explore the outdoors! Andrew is in the midst of finishing up some attic space off of the boys room, so he's been BUSY during his week off. It was nice to carve out a morning to be with him and be together. We also brought along Will's friend Jacob and the boys had a great time! We all did, despite never really warming up! We definitely need to do this hike again in the spring so we can enjoy all the greenery and some warmth!

Everyone except me :)

Proof I was there!

Our Christmas Day!

2011-12-28T19:11:00.000-08:00

So to be brutally honest, this was not our best Christmas. Thankfully these pictures of our tree and living room all lit up with a Christmas glow makes it all seem so peaceful and perfect. But what it didn't capture were weeks of kids drooling over presents, wanting to count how many were theirs, kids being disagreeable when we tried to read from Luke 2 the night before, and the chaos that ensued after we got home from church. The pictures also don't show the broken telescope piece for the telescope Santa brought Will, the remote control airplane Hyde got from us that we could never get off the ground, nor the wire connecting Ivy's new puppy to its remote that she cut in half, not to mention the impatience that developed in the parents as the aforementioned things took place. There was noise, stress, and not a lot of peace. But some years are like that I guess. And it sure made Andrew and I reflect on things we will do next year to have more peace and joy in our home and to help our kids develop a greater desire to give. We also need to remember that they are good kids and that they are still KIDS!

What the pictures do capture are the happiness and excitement that the kids felt and always feel from the magic of Christmas morning. And thankfully, they are forgiving and will probably only remember those feelings. We returned the telescope and Will was able to get an SD card for the new digital video camera grandma and grandpa Gibb gave him. We were also able to return the remote control airplane for a much more 7-year-old-user-friendly remote control helicopter. And Andrew saved the day by fixing the cut wire with electrical tape. Of course, now the dog barks and walks just at random times--when the remote is not being touched--but it just makes the dog more endearing :) Merry Christmas everyone!

Ready to see what Santa brought!!!

A new lego set from Santa!

New puppies for Ivy and Nate. They were/are a huge hit!

A "strength and honor" t-shirt for Andrew from one of his favorite websites: artofmanliness.com

A kid-size snuggie for the little boy that loves to cuddle and is always cold!

A pink digital camera for Ivy!

Remote control airpline for Hyde (mentioned earlier)!

A red (his favorite color) digital video camera for Will!

And, for Ivy, two cabbage patch kids that were mine when I was a kid!

And much much more--thanks to all of our wonderful and generous friends and extended family. We love you all!

CHRISTMAS EVE!!!

2011-12-28T18:23:00.000-08:00

We continued our tradition (that we started last year) of going out to breakfast Christmas eve morning. And again, we went to Cracker Barrel. It is a real treat for all of us and the food is SO good! Afterwards we played at home, made some goodies, delivered some goodies, watched a movie, made pizza, got ready for bed, read Luke 2, shared testimonies, left cookies for Santa and the kids went to bed. And apparently I only took pictures at breakfast. So you'll just have to imagine the rest!

gingerbread house time!

2011-12-28T18:18:00.001-08:00

Gingerbread houses were not in my plans for this Christmas season. It is not my favorite thing to do--the houses never stay up which just leads to frustrated kids. Not to mention all the candy they consume! Yikes! But in the weeks leading up to Christmas my kids were BEGGING to make gingerbread houses. So, I worked it into our little advent schedule and invited some friends (Anissa and her 4 girls) over so it would be more of a pleasant experience for me :) All the kids had a great time despite caving in candy houses and frustrating attempts at getting candy to stick to the house. And now I have some ideas of how to make it better next year. Since I'm sure we'll be doing it again!

Aimee and Sarah

Will, Hyde, and Stephanie

Ivy and Zoey

Nate

the Meadow Lights!

2011-12-27T17:06:00.000-08:00

Out in the boonies (even more boonies that where we live) is a super small town that is "famous" for what has become known as the "meadow lights." This was our first year checking them out and I have to say they were a major hit with the kids. For $2 each you get to ride in a little train that takes you through all the light displays. There were SO many people there and the line was SO long we were unsure how long we would last with our super patient (hahaha) 4th child. But the line moved quickly and he (and his siblings) once we were finally on the train were mesmerized! It really was fun! Afterwards Andrew took Hyde and Ivy to buy a few hot chocolates (just $1 each!) while Will and I took Nate to the little old fashioned candy store to browse. Bad idea--Nate was wanting to be into all of it! And the place was crowded. I wish I could accurately describe my life with this child but you would just have to live to to believe it. We knew it was definitely time to remove him from the store when he grabbed a little old ladies cane while she was walking with it! Lucky he's so cute and bless her heart for recognizing he's cute and thinking he was just an innocent little guy. But he's not, I tell you. He's not! (Although I still think he's the cutest thing ever!)

Waiting for the train.

More waiting!

Finally, our turn! And it was awesome! I have a feeling the kids will be requesting a repeat visit next year!

our annual Christmas music night!

2011-12-27T16:56:00.000-08:00

The tradition continued this year with our Christmas music night. We had the Jensens and the Pages join us and the kids showed off their blossoming musical talents. We also sang some Christmas carols and then ate some yummy food. Definitely a favorite tradition!

the Pages

Joseph Jensen playing "Hallelujah"

Just a cute member of the audience

Christina played while we sang. What a trooper :)

And Hugh playing some classical guitar. Hopefully I can get my act together and our whole family will put something together for next year!

a beautiful day for a hike

2011-12-27T16:13:00.000-08:00

The Friday before Christmas I loaded up the kids for a little "hike." The weather was nice and the kids were pleasant--a combination which makes for a really nice time!

Have I mentioned before how beautiful North Carolina is???

A couple of posers. Cute ones for sure!

santa clause came to town!

2011-12-27T06:52:00.000-08:00

The day after the wedding my uncle "arranged" for Santa to stop by with their Christmas tree and gifts for all the little ones in the family that were in CO for the wedding. As if he and my aunt didn't have enough to do with planning a wedding and such! It was freezing outside and just so festive to watch the kids have a turn sitting on Santa's lap. Later we have french dip sandwiches, pie, and more visiting and being together. I just wished my kids could have been there to have a turn on Santa's lap!

Grace--Bart and Marie's 8th

the paparazzi!

Robert's turn!

Andrew (my cousin) had a turn too!

And the new bride of course!

And sweet Isaac (Bart and Marie's 9th). Here's seriously got to be the. most. mellow. baby. EVER!

Until next year Santa! It was a whirlwind of a trip but so fun to see family that I hadn't seen in such a long time! But, like always, I was so happy to return home to my wonderful husband, kids, and routine!

the wedding day!

2011-12-20T13:03:00.000-08:00

The wedding was such a sweet and spiritual event. Robert married a girl that he met on his mission in South Africa, Precious Kofi. She's a television personality/model there. She is darling and they are both so easy to get along with. Such a good match! Unfortunately, her mother wasn't able to come AND the package with her wedding dress didn't arrive in time, yet she was so graceful through it all despite the difficulties. I was SO impressed! They are such a beautiful couple!

My cousin Leslie and her four boys: Tyler, Bryce, Cameron, and Brandon.

sisters: Leslie and Amanda

Me and my great-aunt Cleora

Cleora and Casey

Casey, Cleora, and me

Casey, Cleora, me, and Bart

My Aunt Melinda, my Great-aunt Cleora, and my mom

mom and daughters!

Melinda and daughters

my sweet cousin Aaron (Robert's brother)

Leslie and her boys again.

All the girls in the fam that were there: Mom, my sister-in-law Marie, Casey, me, Precious, Amanda, Leslie, Melinda, and Cleora

Dad and Bart

colorado

2011-12-20T12:15:00.000-08:00

My sweet cousin, Robert, got married December 9th, in Denver and I was blessed to be able to go! My dad and brother Bart were supposed to do the music for the reception but my dad had a scheduling conflict so I was asked to come and play the piano. YES! In the end my dad was able to make it so I played the piano for the first hour-ish and then he and Bart did their awesome vibes & bass playing. My sister, Casey, and I shared a hotel room next to my parents and across the hall from my amazing great-aunt Cleora. We really had a fun time hanging out in the evenings drinking hot cocoa and eating apple fritters.

I brought all the gifts for my family and had my parents open the ones that Will and Hyde sent. Will made a cute snowman ornament out of clay that my mom is seen below opening. Hyde and I made my dad's favorite: oatmeal raisin cookies. More pictures of the fun trip to come....

Christmas Countdown!

2011-12-20T11:56:00.001-08:00

As usual, we began out annual "Christmas Countdown" on December 1st. I have NOT been good at documenting the events at all but we did snap the above picture on our first night--drinking hot cocoa! Here's an account of each day that followed:
2: watch a Charlie Brown Christmas
3: put up the outside Christmas lights
4: read Christmas stories
5: go to the festival of trees
6: make Christmas cookies
7: draw Christmas pictures
8: drink hot cocoa
9: watch a Christmas show
10: go to the Nativity Festival
11: read Christmas stories
12: act out the Nativity story for family night
13: make a countdown chain
14: sing Christmas songs
15: play a family game
16: go on a hike
17: watch Mr. Kruger's Christmas
18: Christmas Music Night
19: go see the Meadow Lights
20: read Christmas stories
21: we didn't do anything and the kids didn't notice (shhhhh....)
22: make gingerbread houses
23: watch a movie about Joseph Smith (in honor of his birthday)
24: go out to breakfast

Let me just say, that writing out this list sure makes Andrew and I sound fun. But there is often crying and arguing involved in our family activities (By the kids, not us. Okay, maybe sometimes me ;)) Anyhow, it sure is a fun tradition that the kids love and that helps bring some excitement into our everyday lives! Merry Christmas everyone!

O Christmas Tree!!!

2011-12-03T18:33:00.001-08:00

The Saturday after Thanksgiving we put up the ole Christmas tree and other Christmas decor. It's always a highlight but also stressful during the process. Surprisingly, this year wasn't as stressful as in years past. Maybe Nate is getting older and mellowing. Or maybe not. Whatever the reason it was a festive day and we're enjoying the fruits of our labors.

All three boys are sharing a room upstairs now and they get to enjoy their own little tree. Andrew got this off of the free table at work a few years ago. They even strung their own popcorn to go on it! Ivy was feeling a little left out, not having a tree in her room, so I picked up a cheap little 2 foot tree at Target which she excitedly decorated herself including a homemade star for the top. Things are definitely looking festive around here!

space

2011-12-03T16:28:00.001-08:00

We've been studying astronomy for school for the past several weeks. This has included watching a lot of nova and other science shows about the universe that pretty much make your brain explode. But we've managed to learn a ton and it's all been so fascinating! In keeping with our astronomy theme, Andrew took the boys on a "field trip" to the Moorehead Planetarium and Observatory the day after Thanksgiving. I think they chose the perfect day since the rest of the world was probably out shopping! I heard rave reviews when they got home. While they were gone I enjoyed some much needed time with just the little ones. We played and went to the park and just had a fun time the three of us. It was definitely a good day!

thanksgiving!

2011-11-29T17:15:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving was pretty low key this year. After having my sister and her family live close these last few years, and my parents on their mission here last year, it felt weird to be back to our alone selves this year. But we survived! We started the day with donuts (a tradition) and then just hung out at home playing and having fun. I had wanted to do a little craft with the kids in the days leading up to Thanksgiving but never found the time (or energy to do it with the kids and deal with Nate at the same time). So when Nate was in bed Thanksgiving afternoon I jumped at the chance at having Andrew work on it with the kids while I cooked. He's better at that artsy stuff anyway. The craft was a little mayflower boat made out of a little juice carton. After they were finished they tested them out in the bathtub. So fun!

Andrew showing off his creation. Poser.

That night we had Sylvia, our neighbor, and the missionaries over for the big feast. I made the turkey and other traditional dishes. Sylvia, born and raised in the country of North Carolina, made it a more southern affair by bringing collards and hush puppies (and a lot of other things too). We sure are thankful for our ward family, friends, and neighbors especially since we're so far from family. The dinner was a success and it was a wonderful and special thanksgiving!

my hero

2011-11-27T14:53:00.001-08:00

Andrew is my hero! Let me start by saying--homeschooling is HARD! There's definitely good days and bad days. The Monday of Thanksgiving week was particularly difficult. When Andrew got home I pretty much fell apart and was pretty determined to give up! Needless to say, my hero took over. The next morning he told me he was taking the day off of work, loaded the kids in the car, and took them on a 2 hour drive to the zoo. I think the last time I was alone in my house was 2 years ago on mother's day. It was wonderful. I straightened up the house (and it stayed clean all day), read, pondered, rested and regrouped. I am SO grateful for the most thoughtful husband ever. When they all got home at dinnertime it was wonderful to find out how much fun they had and to see the pictures to prove it :) Hooray for hero husbands!

turtle time

2011-11-27T14:52:00.001-08:00

A friend passed along some hand-me-downs which included this turtle costume. Though it's a little on the small side Nate has gotten some good mileage out of it. Every now and then he calls himself a "turtle hunter." Too cute!

dancing queen

2011-11-09T08:36:00.000-08:00

Not only does she have moves but she's got the facial expressions to go along with it.

a perfect day to be outside!

2011-11-09T07:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's weather was amazing! After school and lunch we went on a short bike ride (well, all the kids rode while I walked alongside Nate on his little-bitty-slow-going tricycle). The kids then spent several hours outside pushing each other in the little car, catching beetles, and just reveling in the 70 degree temps. It was perfect!

the halloween day halloween post

2011-11-06T19:07:00.000-08:00

Halloween this year was almost feeling like Christmas with SO many activities and such! Unlike Christmas though, by the time the actual day was here I felt like my enthusiasm was pretty much over. But, I stuck it out and we ended up having a great day! First, we had Frankenberry and Count Chocula cereal for breakfast. A MAJOR hit with the kids. Then we of course had school. That afternoon I got the kids all costumed again and we drove up to Andrew's work for their annual party where we ate snacks and enjoyed seeing the grown up artsy-types dressed up in super costumes and observing other artsy-types pumpkin carving skills. Andrew's entry this year wasn't as wonderful in years past--too bad since the winner of the competition got $50 to Best Buy and another gift card to Coldstone. Next year, Andrew, next year.

That night it poured rain but what kid wants to give up the only night all year going from house to house begging for candy? So, I took them out while Andrew cleaned the kitchen (awesome)! First we went to our bishop's house (we go there every year) because they hand out regular size candy bars to the kids and king size candy bars to the parents. And they ooh and ahh over the kids and their costumes. We all love our routine stop there. We then came back to our neighborhood where we hit several of the houses. The kids then indulged in some candy and went to bed! And Halloween is over!

Andrew's is in the middle.

our weekend

2011-11-03T19:08:00.000-07:00

Saturday night was the ward trunk-or treat. Always a highlight for these kids. And I actually dressed up too!

The next day was a pretty typical Sunday for us. After church the kids went straight for the candy. We also had the missionaries and Sylvia over for dinner. Elder Miller was leaving that afternoon for the mission office to become a big time assistant to the president. We're sure going to miss him! (PS he's the super tall missionary in the pictures). Afterwards the kids and dad engaged in a game of Twister while I cleaned up the kitchen.

That afternoon/evening I had a meeting at the stake center so Andrew took care of the little ones. For dinner he made "crazy quesadillas." Which means he pulled out any and all things that a typical person would think is disgusting on a quesadilla and the kids picked what to put on theirs. The boys went for cut up hot dogs and Ivy went for the peanut butter and cheese quesadilla. Like father like daughter!

Halloween Par-tay!

2011-11-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

Our first (maybe annual--to be determined next year) Bosley kids Halloween party was held the Friday before Halloween. I had the boys and Ivy each pick 2 friends to invite. We also invited Geoff, the neighbor boy who the boys play with all the time! After everyone arrived and played for a while I fed them mummy hot dogs, finger cheese sticks, ghost potatoes, and carrot eyeballs. Then we played a game where the kids wrapped each other in toilet paper to make mummies. Then we had a short scavenger hunt--the prize was a bag of popcorn and treats to eat while watching "The Great Pumpkin." With a houseful of boys it was crazy and loud but when that movie was on....silence. It was the perfect little break. Of course, the two little girls that Ivy invited, Zoe and Stephanie, were perfectly sweet and SO easy to have around. Girls are SO different than boys! Anyhow, we finished the night with ghost cupcakes. I think everyone had a great time but I have to say it was nice when it was over :)

Indiana Jones aka Will

Jack, "Numero Uno!"

Hyde the Robot

Snow Fairy, Ivy

And the Nater was Scooby Doo!

Matthew and Brady, brothers


Snow White aka Zoe

Cute Stephanie as the Little Mermaid

it's about time!

2011-11-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

FINALLY--we replaced our floors! I've been looking at, and walking on, and vacuuming our horrible floors for 5 years! You know your carpet is BAD when tow different times while playing charades with friends someone points to the carpet for the word "SPOT." During all of our intense Dave Ramsey years of getting out of debt and building up our savings I would look at the floors and just remind myself of our financial goals and I endured happily. BUT, the time finally came and we were able to pay cash for new laminate (that we installed ourselves) and brand new appliances! I painted the cabinets white last August and with our white appliances and white linoleum floor our kitchen was just a big white blob. So much better now. WE LOVE IT!!!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

(please excuse the half naked children and random items left out.

I'm too lazy to take pictures again when the room is perfectly tidy!)

All we have left is for Andrew to put bead board around the back and sides of the island and then finish the trim at the bottom.

Did I mention WE LOVE IT???!!!

carving pumpkins!

2011-11-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

I was feeling like an awesome mom the other day when I single-handedly carved pumpkins with the kids while Andrew was at work. Generally I like to have him be in charge of those messy holiday activities (like dying Easter eggs and such) but I just went for it. And actually it was fun! I think Nate is starting to grow up (a little) so he's a little more bearable during things like this! Also, Will and Hyde both completely carved their own which was especially awesome. And they did a great job!

red lobster

2011-11-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

Elder Hafen and Elder Miller were the first missionaries who taught Sylvia, our friend who just got baptized. When Elder Hafen was transferred the beginning of August, Sylvia was so sad. Of course she has grown to love Elder Johnson (who replaced Elder Hafen) but she'll always have a special place in her heart for Elder Hafen. Well, we've known that Elder Hafen is serving in Chapel Hill and we were able to get permission for all of us (Sylvia, Andrew, and I) to meet Elder Hafen and his companion, Elder Whiteman, at the Red Lobster in Durham for dinner a couple of Saturday's ago. And Sylvia treated us ALL! It was delicious but the best part of course was to see that sweet Elder. We have definitely grown to truly love Elder Hafen, Elder Miller, and Elder Johnson who have all taught Sylvia in our home. They are wonderful, wonderful missionaries!

baptism

2011-10-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

We have been so blessed these past few months to meet with our dear neighbor, Sylvia, and the missionaries 2-3 times per week as she's been studying and learning about the gospel. This past Sunday we were blessed to be there and participate in her baptismal service. I gave a talk and Andrew baptized her. What a marvelous experience! We are SO happy for her and can't wait to see her grow in her testimony!

Elder Miller, Sylvia, and Elder Johnson

Throughout these months Sylvia has quit smoking, stopped drinking coffee, attended church regularly, and read the entire Book of Mormon. What an example! We are so blessed to have her as a neighbor and friend!

the pledge

2011-10-19T17:18:00.000-07:00

Here's one of the bi-products of homeschooling--the little kids learn the pledge of allegiance pretty early. I love when he chimes in. And lets be honest, it's cute things like this that keep this boy alive....

sweet potaters

2011-10-19T17:16:00.000-07:00

The field right near our house was sweet potatoes this year (it was soy beans last year) so we were very excited! We kept watching and waiting for them to harvest them and finally it happened! You better believe we were there the next morning to glean. I'm not sure why it is but my kids LOVE picking them. I forgot to take pictures while we were out there but I did capture a couple with these two cuties. We filled FOUR paper grocery bags! And now we get to look forward to months of sweet potato bread, baked sweet potatoes, sweet potato fries, spicy sweet potato soup, sweet potato muffins, sweet potato stew and on and on. WE LOVE FALL!!!

why

2011-09-28T18:43:00.000-07:00

I've had a few people ask me why I decided to homeschool. So, I decided I'd inform my readership (yes, all 3 of you) of how the homeschooling came to be. At the beginning of last year we were really having a tough time with one of our precious children. We'll call him #1. No problems academically but some behavior issues that we knew we had to get a handle on. We became more vigilant with structure and consistency in our home. We've always had to be quite structured and consistent (because of said child) but we realized we had gotten a tad lazy about it all because things had been pretty smooth for a while. I also prayed more fervently for help. For ideas. What should I be doing to help this boy? Well, several weeks into this I was helping in #2's class. Literally out of the blue, as I was helping kids with a science lesson I had the thought, "I should be doing this." And from that moment, the rest of the time I was in that classroom my mind was spinning with ideas about how we could homeschool and I was getting more and more excited. I need to interject that in my weeks of praying for a solution, homeschooling was NEVER uttered from my lips. It wasn't even on my radar. Sure, it's something in the past when I heard of others doing I'd think, "I should do that." And almost before that thought would go through my mind a louder thought "I could NEVER do that!" would follow and that's as far as that thought process went. So the fact that I received this prompting and in the minutes following I felt more sure and excited about it, I knew that the Lord had his hand in this. Another thing I should mention is how much we've LOVED the kids school. I've really liked their teachers, had good experiences with them, haven't had problems with curriculum or anything. What I have NOT liked are things that the teachers have no control over: a TOO long school day (leaving home at 8:30am and getting home at 4:15pm) with only a 30 minute recess. In fact, when Hyde was in 1st grade last year his 30 minute recess was in the last hour of the school day. Kids need more down time than that! It seemed that the rush of getting kids ready, jobs done, and out the door in the morning would sometimes breed frustration, only to come home to the rush of coming home, grabbing a snack, getting homework done, eating dinner, getting ready for bed, scriptures and trying to squeeze in a little computer time and playing. I DID NOT like it one bit! I even had a long conversation with a woman on our schoolboard--I expressed my frustrations over these issues and she agreed whole-heartedly. When I asked what I as a mother could do she basically told me "vote for a new governor." Ugh. Is that what our school system has come to? Rules and policies handed down from the capital?

Anyhow, that evening when Andrew came home from work I told him, "I'm going to home school next year." He was rather surprised--especially since it came out of no where! But, he has been on board 100% the ENTIRE time even when, as the time for school to start drew nearer I started to doubt and freak out a little bit! In fact, when we started and it was miserable there were many nights where I talked his ear off about how I didn't know what I was doing and maybe I wasn't supposed to do this and maybe it wasn't a prompting from the Lord. And bless his heart he would ALWAYS reassure me and express all the confidence in the world of my ability, that this was the best thing for our family right now, and that I truly received inspiration from the Lord.

And now that we're almost 2 months in I feel like we've reached our stride. We have a routine, we have a school room, and I have sanity! And, I think my kids are happier! We start at 8:30 in the morning with a devotional--we open with a song and prayer, memorize a scripture a week, sing a patriotic song, say the pledge of allegiance, and read a story from The Friend magazine. The boys curriculum includes reading from the Book of Mormon each day, math, grammar, and reading and writing. Two days a week we do geography/history together and the other two days we do science together. On Fridays we don't officially have school but we use it as a day to do their theory assignments for piano, work on cub scout requirements with Will, and I'm hoping to get started doing math and music flashcards on that day. We finish school every day at noon and the kids have the rest of the day to do their computer time, play outside, read, create with legos and on and on. Oh, and of course do more work for me around the house :) I think their little minds are starting to realize all the fun they can have creating and exploring and doing all sorts of things that they never seemed to have time for before. And usually late each afternoon they are at the neighbor boys house or we have a kid or two here playing after the public school lets out. And through it all I think I've learned to tolerate more noise and mess and of course develop a little more patience. Oh, and I'm learning A LOT too!

And now a few pictures to wrap up this post of some of the goings on at our little home school.

We studied ancient Egypt and of course had to make sugar cube pyramids!

The boys had to pick a habitat to study and then paint a picture of it. Here's Ivy's rainforest.

Also, in connection with our Egypt studies we mummified an apple slice. We left one slice un-touched in the left cup and the other one we covered with a salt/baking soda mixture to preserve it.

Here are the results: they both looked equally nasty but the one that was mummified retained it's size and shape much better. The one on the left shriveled up almost twice as much.

A couple of Saturdays ago, Andrew's work had a little thing they were doing at the life and science museum in Durham. He volunteered to work at it for a couple of hours which meant the rest of us could get in free!

We had finished studying and memorizing much of the human skeletal system so we all had a great time digging through their bin of human and cow skeletal bones.

It was a special "villains and heros" weekend at the museum which included many Star Wars characters for your photo-taking pleasure. I won't even attempt to name these characters because I have zero interest in star wars (blasphemous, I know).

Because of the villain's and heros theme they had different things going on from the entertainment industry. Red Storm had a green screen where kids could pick a background and have their picture taken in front of it. Andrew did several of the background paintings.

Here's a sampling of our family's photo ops.

We learned about the nervous system

and made clay brains!

The little kids of course had to have their clay time as well!

More brains. Definitely a hit.

And then Hyde had to make a clay skeleton.

Ivy of course had to copy. She didn't quite get the spelling of skeleton though. Someday she'll get there!

And then a clay hand holding something that this guy insisted I take a picture of.

and another creation that I have NO idea what it is.

And that is the end!

And when we got home....

2011-09-20T18:11:00.000-07:00

reality hit quick. For some reason, when we got home from the airport about 9pm my parents decided they weren't in charge any more and they expected us to take care of our own children! We came home to excited kids which we made even more excited by handing out little souvenirs! It was so fun to spend the evening catching up with mom and dad and to get to know Hannah better. She is one sweet, sweet girl. Unfortunately, her flight was leaving first thing the next morning. So my mom and I woke up extra early to drive Hannah to the airport--hence the tired colorless face and unkempt hair.

And apparently that morning a small child got a hold of my camera and took a few pictures.

He sure is a cutie when he's not screaming.

Here are the boys showing off the geodes we brought them from Alaska.

And not too long after our return Hyde lost one of his front teeth.

Then two days later lost the second. I think Andrew is still mourning the loss of those teeth because he knows that the gigantic-too-big-for-his-cute-face-teeth are on their way!

And that's the end.

the final installment

2011-09-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

The day after Juneau we stopped in Sitka. My favorite port of the trip! When we arrived it was gray and drizzly, but still the scenery was amazing. The cruise ship couldn't port right there on shore so we had to ride little tenders out to the land. By the time we got out there the rain cleared up and the rest of the day was gorgeous!

The first thing we saw when we got there was this big blue bus advertising kayak rentals. Andrew and I had wanted to kayak while in Alaska, but the planned ones through the cruise company were too expensive. So we jumped at the chance to do this one. All of the couples went out together (minus Brooke and Jake, since she's pregnant and all...) and we had a great time! The girl who went out with us and led the way was super--we were out for over 2 hours! Don't we look awesome?!!!

The girl told us that the kelp was good for human consumption. So Andrew tried some. He's definitely the daring one when it comes to food!

Look how seriously beautiful this place is! There were little wooded islands everywhere.

There's our guide and our cruise ship in the distance.

Check out how close this sea otter was! We were just minding our own business when we look over and there he was! With a fish in his mouth. He proceeded to throw it out of his mouth in an effort to tear it up. He'd then find it again, yank it with his jaws, and then throw it again. I have to admit I was getting a tad nervous with him being so close and obviously hungry!

Look at that beauty! How in the world do they get an entire resort to float on water?! Amazing!

After kayaking we went in the little Sitka town center place where of course they have bear skins on the walls.

We then did a little wandering about town before heading back to the boat. The town was just so charming I was convinced I wanted to move there. Well, except for this sign. Do tsunami's happen that often that they have to post signs for them like a run of the mill street sign???

The russian bishop's house. It was so fascinating to learn so much about Alaska's history everywhere we went.

Just a darling house we passed on our walk.

The tender ride on our way back to the ship.

We quite enjoyed our nightly 5 course dinner...where sometimes I would order 2 entrees just because I wanted to try them both. Cruise life is crazy! This night was another formal night. Ryan and Darice and Brooke and Jake went with the "sit across from your spouse" seating--I think just in an effort to make my photos confusing :) No, these two are not together.

Nor are these three. Well two of the three are.

Mom, Jon, and Rebecca.

Andrew eating something disgusting--there were plenty of opportunities to try ultra-fancy foods like escargot and the like.

Totally cute girls!

I don't know that I ever won Kate over as evidenced by this picture. Check out that look on her face!

The best date of all!

Friday we stopped in Ketchikan--but only for a few hours.

When we got to one intersection I saw this big sign sign down the street. I said something in excitement like, "Look Andrew! The first city in Alaska. I need to take a picture!" At which point, a teenage crossing guard said, very UNenthusiastically, "It's not really. It's just the first one you get to when you cross into Alaska." I wish I could type it with the total lack of emotion he had. It was like, "Seriously people. DO NOT get excited. It's just Ketchikan." I found it VERY amusing. You just had to be there :)

Look! It's me and Sarah again!

There were these huge stairways everywhere to get you up to the neighborhoods. We decided to check it out.

Beautiful views again.

Look! The Ketchikan city hall!

Back on the boat. Andrew spent a good amount of time trying to earn Kate's affection. Peggle on the ipad definitely helped.

Friday night we had reservations for dinner at the Italian restaurant on the ship. The night before when we went to the regular dining room we found out that Friday night would be a special farewell dinner with some entertainment from our servers. Well we didn't want to miss that! And we didn't want to miss our italian food. So, of course we went to BOTH dinners!

Dinner #1:

And Dinner #2. I'm telling you, we ate GOOOOOD!

These two, Novel and Ali were just the BEST!

Our last port was Victoria, British Columbia. We got there Saturday night around 7:30 and had to be back at the boat by 11ish. We all walked down to the city center which was gorgeous! Here's a totem pole in front of a government building.

Such a beautiful building.

Seriously! Look how beautiful this place is!

We didn't want to walk around that much and were eager to play some more ping pong, so we walked back early with Andrew's mom. Cute photo of mom and son in front of the ship.

And that's all she wrote! The next morning, we ported in Seattle at 7:30am. We got off the boat, retrieved our luggage, and headed to the airport for the LONG flight home. When we got home our kids were alive, the house was still standing, and most importantly my parents were still talking to us! Definitely a successful trip! I cannot express how loved we feel to have been spoiled so abundantly by Andrew's mom! The trip was beyond our expectations! Thank you so much mom for your kindness and generosity! We will always be grateful! And thanks to my parents and Hannah for making it possible to leave our brood for SUCH a long time! We're all going to do again next year, right???!!!!

more from the 49th state!

2011-09-18T17:17:00.000-07:00

Our travelogue continues....

Tuesday was spent "cruising" around glacier bay. GORGEOUS I tell you! The weather was so nice we were able to go outside at the front of the boat (I don't know the name of that part of the boat) and totally soak in the view, the crisp air, and the wind in our hair. Awesome!

Wednesday was our first day to touch land again. Crazy! We stopped in Juneau and pretty much had the entire day to explore and enjoy! Our first adventure was a trip 1800 feet in the air in the tramway up Mt. Roberts. The view was incredible!

Up top we checked out some of their touristy stuff (like the fake goat welcoming everyone)

followed by an INCREDIBLE hike! Again, the views were unbelievable!

After grabbing some lunch on the boat we headed back out to do some more sightseeing around town and do some shopping for some souvenirs. We were totally excited to meet Sarah Palin

a big bear

and a moose all at the first store we went to!

Andrew's mom wasn't feeling up for a lot of walking around, and since Andrew's not big on the sight seeing anyway, they went back to the boat for some chilling out. I joined up with Brooke, Jake, and Kate to walk up to see the Governor's mansion. We were totally bummed to get there and find this:

Apparently it's being renovated or something. Interestingly, it's just right there on a street without expansive grounds or gates or anything. The homes right next to it were nothing fancy, just your run of the mill homes. I like Alaska!

After the mansion I decided to venture off on my own and explore Juneau. I started with a tour of the state capital building. It was SO interesting and informative! I am a fan of Sarah Palin and it was interesting to see how this little state capital in a state of down-to-earth people produced one of the most well-known politicians/commentators of our day. The tour guide (a recent college grad who didn't work there while Palin was governor) said, when I asked how things changed after she was picked to be vp, that the state capital had more tours that summer than ever before. Like her or hate her, she got people talking about Alaska!

After the governor's mansion I just wandered all over the place in and out of shops, talking to locals, really trying to get a vibe for Juneau life. I felt like I was back in college, out on my own without anyone to be responsible for but myself!

Little did I know, but the entire time I was enjoying my college-like freedom, Andrew was stressed because no one knew where I was and he was worried that I didn't have my necessary ID to get back on the boat (he was carrying my wallet in his bag). So he came in search of me and found me wandering down a random street. What a sweet husband to be so concerned! Here's his concerned and loving look. I guess I'll keep him :) (FYI: I did have my ID, he had no need to worry).

After reuniting we got back on the boat for our evening of eating and fun!

We went to ALASKA!!!

2011-09-17T19:42:00.000-07:00

We feel like pretty darn blessed people! About 10 months ago Andrew's mom told us she wanted to take all her kids and their spouses on a cruise to ALASKA!!! We couldn't have been more excited! That gave us plenty of time to make arrangements for childcare, get me a passport, and save money to spend while we were there. My parents were kind enough to fly out here to spend 9 days taking care of our kids. They even carried on with home school while we were gone! Additionally, we flew out my 16 year-old niece Hannah to help my parents. We figured she would be a good pick, seeing as how she is the oldest of NINE kids! Well, my parents flew in Thursday night, Hannah was to fly in Friday night and we were scheduled to leave bright and early Saturday morning. Ironically enough the first hurricane in over a year (Irene!) decided to come the exact day we were scheduled to fly out of Raleigh. Needless to say we made some quick decisions, altered arrangements and flew out the night before. The airlines were offering to change flights for free to avoid the storm, so that was a bonus. Like all good parents, we got out ahead of the storm but left our kids in the thick of it! Fortunately, we're a good couple of hours inland from the coast so Irene at home was just another big storm with lots of wind.

Here we are enjoying waiting at RDU for our flight to leave. We've spent a lot of time in airports and airplanes since moving to NC, but it's never been relaxing! We were totally thrilled for every minute of every part of our trip! It was definitely a much needed break from our normal lives.

When we got to Seattle, at 11:30pm (2:30am EST) we caught a shuttle to our hotel, watched weather updates on tv and crashed. The next morning we took the shuttle back to the airport to get our rental car that had been reserved when the original plan was to arrive Saturday morning. I was mortifyed when they gave us a mustang to drive. It sure was a far cry from driving a mini-van and I think I was having a hard time allowing myself to totally relax and enjoy my time away. Andrew, on the other hand, had NO troubles adjusting and was all about the photo ops with the over the top car.

From the airport we headed to the Seattle Temple....mainly to buy some items at the church distribution center there. It couldn't have been a more gorgeous day!

After some shopping for essentials for the cruise we got deli sandwiches at Safeway (my old favorite from living in northern California) and then went back to the Temple for a picnic on the grounds. Perfect!

That evening we drove out to stay the night with my incredibly hospitable friends from my singles ward in college, the Sheks. We have been so blessed to be able to spend time with them on a few occasions since we've all been married. Obviously, Andrew didn't know them before marrying me but he and Arthur definitely click. It helps that they both work in the video game industry--so they can commiserate on the hard days of playing game after game in such an uptight atmosphere! HA!

Sunday morning Andrew really hit it off with their boys by showing them some fun apps on his ipad. Their boys are SO adorable and I couldn't get over how calm they were! Arthur had been at a ~~geek~~ video game conference and was given this viking hat/mask thing. The boys were getting a kick out of wearing it and showing off their toughness.

Aren't they the cutest???!!!

I can't believe I didn't get a picture of their sweet Lyla who was born just a few weeks before. What a blessed little girl to be born into that family with all of those brother's to look after her!

Unfortunately we had to get our rental car back by noon so we couldn't go to church with them at their 11am time. Instead we went to the 9am ward at their building. After church we came back to the Shek's to change, say goodbye, and of course get pictures in front of the ridiculous car.

After returning the car we headed into the airport to meet up with Andrew's family so we could start the official part of our vacation. I'm not sure what all happened but we thought we had to be at the boat at 4pm but apparently that's when the boat was going to set sail. Needless to say, when we all arrived at 3:45pm we were hurried through customs and checking in and made it onto the boat. We were the absolute LAST people out of almost 2000 people on the boat and it sure is a good thing we made it!

We shared a room with Andrew's mom and it had a verandah. We spent A LOT of time enjoying the view from that spot! Here we are before even leaving port.

The next day we were AT SEA. We spent a lot of time chatting, eating, reading, eating, relaxing, eating, and eating. I CANNOT understate how much food there was and how much eating took place. Andrew would have been happy to have been on that boat the entire 7 days just relaxing and eating! Again, a view from our verandah.

That night was the formal dinner at the dining room. We sure grew to love our servers, Ali and Novel. They were both from Indonesia and the happiest, kindest, most helpful people. We really enjoyed chatting with them and finding out more about the lifestyle of cruise ship employees. Novel told us that under his contract he works 7 days a week, 11 hours a day, for 10 months and then he gets 2 months off. I can't even imagine! Anyhow, here we are in our version of "formal wear."

The Bosley cruisers: Rebecca, Jon, Darice, Ryan, Mom Bosley

And Brooke, Kate, and Jake.

Of course, when we came back to our room there were chocolates and a specially folded towel. More to come....

more school at home!

2011-09-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

Sit-ups in between assignments.

And silly faces, of course.

Our first Thursday we took a field trip to the NC science museum in Raleigh. My friend Shannon saved the day by inviting Nate and Ivy to play so I was able to do the museum alone with the boys. It made such a difference!

Another fort--always a favorite at our house.

Our first Bosley Academy family movie night. The kids earn "Bosley Bucks" for getting their jobs done and being ready for school on time. They then were able to cash in their Bosley Bucks for snacks for the movie. It was a big hit!

Hyde wanted me to take a picture of him showing off the fort he came up with in his room. This all came to be when we removed his door after he slammed his bedroom door one too many times. I guess he's all about making lemonade out of lemons.

It was definitely a rough start to the school year for us. But I'm happy to report that we have found a groove and things are going so much better. I think the biggest help was when we decided we needed an official school room. So, we rearranged bedrooms (again) and now Hyde, Ivy, and Nate share the bonus room upstairs and Hyde's bedroom is now the school room. It's been wonderful to be able to put up white boards, schedules, and projects and leave school stuff out throughout the week!

missionary work

2011-08-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

Our sweet next door neighbor has been meeting regularly with the missionaries at our house for the past several weeks. It's been such a wonderful experience for us all participate in seeing her faith and knowledge increase as she reads the Book of Mormon, comes to church with us, and works on quitting smoking (she's been free of cigarettes for over a week now)! Elder Hafen (on the left) recently got transferred and Sylvia was so sad about that. She insisted on a picture before he left. We truly have wonderful missionaries in our area. And we've grown to love Sylvia. She was born and raised here in the country of North Carolina and she's got the accent to prove it! Can't wait to see what the future holds for her!

the Bosley Academy

2011-08-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

We're homeschooling at our house this year. We started August 8th and it's been an emotional roller coaster for me (that I'm sure the kids are not even aware of)! Needless to say, it's probably been the hardest thing I've done as a parent--even trumping childbirth and potty training! I'm still trying to figure it all out and have cried plenty of times (away from the kids) and prayed A LOT for guidance. I'm trying to stay confident that it will get better and that we'll all get used to it. I'm sure it will.

I kind of started Ivy (although she technically doesn't start until next fall according to North Carolina). I had to get her all cuted up for her first day of school and then take pictures of course!

We start the day with a devotional which includes singing a primary song or hymn, prayer, patriotic song, pledge of allegiance, reciting a scripture that we work on memorizing, and reading a story from the Friend magazine.

On the first day I had the boys working in their own rooms. By the second day I decided that they needed to work at the kitchen table. Here's Will my big time 4th grader! Notice his cub scout uniform that he insisted on wearing while leading us in the patriotic song and pledge that morning.

This boy is not being home schooled. We're all still just trying to survive him.

Hyde--the cute second grader.

And Ivy the "kindergartner" working diligently.

It really was a fun first day!

our summer vacation

2011-08-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

For only the second time since we're been married we took a family vacation someplace other than to visit family! Thanks to my parents letting us use some of their marriott rewards points we were able to stay two nights at the Residence Inn in Wilmington.

The day we drove out we headed straight for the Aquarium at Fort Fisher. We went a couple of times last summer and it was a hit for us again this year.

I'm just not sure about the hand positioning here...

Man, they sure are a cute bunch! (Nate was using the restroom)

This alligator was awesome and Nate was captivated! I think they became best friends.

After checking into the hotel we got changed and went swimming in the pool. After we were all good and tired out we went back to our room to enjoy some pizza for dinner. We let the kids stay up and watch a movie and of course, not one of them fell asleep!

The next day we spent most of our time at the beach. It was wonderful! Except for Nate who refused to go near the water and TWICE said he needed to go to the bathroom so we had to find a public restroom. Ughh. Next year will be easier...right?!

That evening we walked to "On the Border" for dinner and then came back and swam more at the hotel. The kids fell asleep quickly that night! The next morning after breakfast, we swam some more, packed up, stopped at a park for lunch and to play and then made the drive home. All in all a successful trip although a little stressful at times for the parents. Can't wait to do it again next year!

our summer part 2

2011-08-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

Last summer was a really hard summer for me. The kids were a challenge and the heat...oh the heat! So I have to admit I was dreading this Summer. But, it has gone so much more smoothly and quite quickly I have to say--even considering this has been a much hotter summer than last year! I feel like I've been so busy, with life in general, that we've hardly taken out the camera! So here are some of what's happened at our house the last month or so.

The day always starts with kids rushing to get jobs done so that they can play their 1/2 hour of computer time. I made the mistake of letting Nate play one day and he is completely hooked! Even worse than Hyde and I didn't think that was possible! So, when all the kids have had their time for the day I hibernate the computer and hide it for the rest of the day. I only do this because the minute Nate would see the computer he was over there navigating to his favorite game pages and then crying and fussing when I'd remove him from the computer! Majorly frustrating! Anyhow, they love watching each other play. I caught Ivy one morning setting herself up for a clear view of Nate's game. Too cute!

The best $75 we ever spent. Well, at least for this summer....a 12 foot pool that's just big enough for the kids to completely enjoy but small enough that the water only comes up to Nate's chest. Talk about reducing anxiety and stress! I put him in his floaty vest and he's good to go. Here are some shots of Ivy and Hyde out there. If it weren't for this pool these kids would never go outside--and I don't blame them considering it's been about 100 degrees with 2000% humidity consistently!

My garden. Boy oh boy how I wish I had a green thumb. The third time is apparently NOT a charm. But I keep trying and I actually enjoy it. We harvested a total of ONE zucchini, about 8 red potatoes (the size of a golf ball and smaller), and my one watermelon that was growing and was about the size of a canteloup Ivy proudly carried in from the backyard yesterday. She felt pretty bad when I told her that it needed more time to grow and that she needed to ask mommy before she picked the food in the garden. Anyhow, we have had multiple tomatoes and we are still waiting on our carrots. I picked a couple a few weeks ago and they were still baby-sized. We all were quite amazed by this beauty that we picked. Crazy!

And lastly, for now, the good ole pinewood derby. This cute little cub scout didn't fare well at all but he was still pleased as punch to be there. They don't get any cuter than this!

videos

2011-07-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

A little entertainment the grandma's are sure to love. Love these kids!

our FOURTH!

2011-07-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

I really love the 4th of July! I love the meaning and I love the traditions! This year we started with the annual ward 4th of July breakfast at the park with tons and tons of AMAZING food! Including our bishop's creme brulee french toast. Heaven, I tell you!

That afternoon we went swimming at the Hill's then came home and had a barbecue and played games with the Page's. I got super fancy and made frozen chocolate dipped bananas with festive sprinkles.

Here's Hyde, Jack, and Will digging in.

Christina and Shaun and the train game (aka Ticket to Ride). It was fun but we all agreed that we prefer playing the bean game (aka Bohnanza) together. We of course played that after.

And then, when it was FINALLY dark enough we went out front and did some sparklers and $10 fireworks from walmart before the rain came pouring down on us.

All in all a successful fourth, I'd say!

our summer so far....

2011-07-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

Forts in the living room!

Some signs of a possibly successful garden!

Lego's. Lots of Lego's

and other creations!

Major work on our years supply of food and water. These are two 525 gallon water storage tanks we bought that arrived last week. We are SO excited about them!

And of course silly kids! The ketchup bottle went a little haywire for Will the other night. We were all thoroughly entertained!

This little girl trying to reach the thermostat.

And the little brother that tries to keep up with everyone else!

More to come!

the actual day!

2011-07-19T18:15:00.000-07:00

This is the last post about the big ten year anniversary! The actual night was a Monday so we did our usual Monday night stuff. The highlight of the night was going to be eating the miniature replica wedding cake that the amazing Maria Campos made for us. (Here's her post on her blog about our cake). Andrew did a logo for her cake business and in return she made us a cake! It was a bit of a surprise though when after dinner Boe, one of the young men from church, showed up! Andrew mentioned the previous Friday that he had scheduled for Boe to come over Monday night and practice his Cutco Knives presentation. Well, I reminded Andrew that that night was our anniversary. He was supposed to reschedule with Boe but surprisingly, that didn't happen! Luckily for us we all really like Boe and he's a fun addition to any anniversary night! The Cutco presentation became our family night lesson and let me tell you I was tempted to buy! Here's a shot of Boe, mid presentation on the phone with his supervisor while eating some of our leftover dinner. Glad he feels comfortable at our house!

Just a quick shot of the cute girl.

After the presentation we invited Boe to join us in digging into this amazing cake! The picture and frame were edible too--chocolate! YUM!!! The kids were so surprised that we could eat all of it!

Here's the original--I think she did an amazing job! Thanks Maria!!!

Maria brought the cake in the morning and I kept it in the fridge all day. I caught Nate trying to get at it and eventually had to keep the fridge taped shut. See his handiwork?

Cutting the cake--we pretty much look exactly the same as we did 10 years ago. Ha!

So adorable!

Can't wait to celebrate 10 more wonderful years with my favorite person in the entire world! Life is just plain better with Andrew around!

Our ten year anniversary date night!

2011-06-26T18:52:00.000-07:00

Every year for our anniversary we go to the Temple to do sealings. It's always such a wonderful experience that reminds us of our own sealing and all the feelings and thoughts we had on that day. Since our anniversary is actually tomorrow, Monday, and the Temple is closed that day we went on Friday night. It was perfect!

Afterward we ate dinner at Mimi's cafe--the same place we went for our luncheon after our wedding. We are definitely sentimental people! Surprisingly, we realized, we had never eaten dinner there before. But we certainly will again because the food was amazing!!!

Andrew received a call before our food came. See how seriously he takes calls from our stake president???

It was an absolutely perfect date night!!! I sure am one lucky girl!!!

there's a first for everything

2011-06-26T18:44:00.000-07:00

Such as the first time calling 9-1-1 because of an injured child and the first time taking a child in for stitches. And frankly, I'm not surprised that of all my kids it was Nate who was the honoree of both of those events. The readers digest version of what happened: he fell off the arm of the couch and hit his forehead on the corner of a wood box. When I picked him up he was covered in blood and it just kept coming. Not sure what to do or how I would get the other kids in the car and drive to the urgent care while trying to keep pressure on his injury I called Andrew who said he would come home and then I called 9-1-1. I told the dispatcher what happened and that I wasn't sure if I needed him to send anyone. He sent them anyway and they were the nicest people. By the time they got there of course the bleeding had slowed so they wrapped his head up nice and tight with the instructions to take him for stitches.

Here are the before stitches pictures. Doesn't he look absolutely pathetic?!

And afterwards. Ice cream makes everything better!

I'm hoping that those firsts turn out to be lasts, but I'm not going to count on it! This little guy has A LOT of years ahead of him!

green gold

2011-06-26T18:37:00.000-07:00

My dear husband ALWAYS has some sort of project or idea going in his head. And usually, when he has a spare moment (which really doesn't exist but he'll make one :)), he gets working on one of those ideas. He has recently become enamored with the idea of celebrating the avacado, one of his favorite foods. He feels that it is such a marvelous food that he affectionaly calls it "green gold" and has decided to make his own designs all about avacados and is trying several different techniques for making t-shirts out of them. Here is a look at his first go around. This particular design refers to the avacado as "oro verde" or "green gold" in Spanish. When he gets his process mastered I'll definitely post some pictures of the final product!

the father's day post

2011-06-26T18:28:00.000-07:00

Just before Father's day we got the check for Andrew's Brainstormer app sales from the past few months. It was more than we were expecting so I thought it only right to tell Andrew to use some of the money to buy a new grill. The one we've had for the past few years was one a neighbor was getting rid of and put out next to the road. Andrew spotted it heading off to church one morning and in his suit and tie drug it all the way to our house. It's been a decent grill for us but it was time to move on. Needless to say, Andrew was thrilled at my gift idea and went out that morning (the day before Father's day) to purchase his new toy. Here's what the living room looked like after assembling the grill. Wow. And wow that I don't have one picture of the finished product.

On the actual Father's day day I made one of Andrew's favorite breakfasts, monkey bread, before he headed off to meetings before church. After church we sent him to his room for some rest and Will insisted on making Andrew some lunch. He was so excited to show his dad. Have I mentioned before how much Will adores his father?!!!

While Andrew ate the kids decided to do some decorating. Will took it upon himself to booby-trap our door. He put ribbon all over the hallway so when Andrew came out he would get stuck in it. Again, he was feeling so proud of his work!

A couple more gifts that Andrew was pretty darn excited about. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows part 1...

and his own jar of Nutella. Does life get any better???

That evening we had our friend Lora over for dinner and games as well as another friend Dallas. Ordinarily Dallas would have celebrated Father's day with his own wife and 6 kids but they had gone on a 3 week cross country road trip to visit relatives. Kim is amazing and they all came back alive!!!

And finally one more picture for good measure. Hyde's self portrait in honor of dad's special day. Or at least, that's what I'm calling it!

Happy Father's day to the greatest husband and father in the entire world!!! We love you Andrew!!!

one last visit

2011-06-26T18:15:00.000-07:00

Casey, Tim, and fam are moving to Arizona tomorrow. We went from being the lone family here in North Carolina, to having them move out here, then my brother and his fam moved here for 6 months, and then my parents were here all last year for their mission, and now the Van Buskirk's are deserting us. So, here we are back to where we started. Fortunately, Casey was able to drive out one day last week for a final visit and goodbye. We met up at Andrew's work so they could have a tour, then had lunch at chick-fil-a and then spent the rest of the day at our house just soaking in their company. We are sure going to miss them. Ivy just asked me tonight, "How many sleepovers until we get to go to Aunt Casey's house?" I didn't know how to explain to her that it was more than I want to think about and frankly who know's when we'll ever go to Arizona again?! Sad state of affairs. Thankfully we have telephones, and email, and facebook, and skype so hopefully they won't become strangers to my kids!

I snapped a few photos before they left. I have to say their timing for moving just plain stinks. These two little girls are finally at the perfect age for playing wonderfully together. They spent all day together in the sandbox, upstairs, and dancing.

I bet you can't find two cuter four-year-olds in the entire world!

The whole crew. Boy my kids sure have some amazing cousins. What troopers these girls are to put up with so many boys at my house!!!

And my dear sister who just amazes me with all that she does. Maybe some day I'll grow up to be as wonderful as she is!

We love you SO MUCH Van Buskirk's. Don't forget your family in the south. WE LOVE YOU!!!

the annual red storm entertainment picnic

2011-06-23T20:33:00.000-07:00

The Saturday after school got out we were able to have some fun at Andrew's work picnic. It's always a highlight for the kids. They usually have a lot of inflatables for the kids and then some yummy food. This year they had the jousting competition. Too fun!

Here are the boys participating in the tug-of-war!

Eating some yummy food. It wasn't the best compared to past years but we still enjoyed the tasty pulled pork and hush puppies.!

I was SO surprised that Will wanted to do this--not sure what it's called. He's not my thrill seeker child but I'm glad he gave it a try and I think he really had fun!

the LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!

2011-06-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

Like last year, I tried to make the last day of school extra special! We had cinnamon rolls for breakfast and then snapped a few photos before the boys left for school. So cute!

Ivy was not going to school but still wanted her picture taken.

Back at home these two wanted a dance party.

After school we invited some friends, the Chard's, to go swimming with us at the Hill's who are SO generous with their pool. We appreciate them so much.

Some of the crew: Anissa, Will, Aimee, Sarah, and Zoe.

We spent a long time enjoying the sun and water! We got home in time to do baths and get dressed to meet Andrew at the Pizza Inn for dinner. The boys had coupons from their for their grades. The food is really not that great but it was such a fun and out of the ordinary night for the fam. It was such a fun day to celebrate the start of summer vacation!!!

third grade--done!

2011-06-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

I was also able to attend Will's award ceremony and class party the following day! Since third grade is the first year they do letter grades as well as EOG's (end of grade exams) there were more awards given out. Will got a bunch--good behavior, star student, excelling at the EOG's, etc. With this kid, academics has never been the concern. It was so great for him to have a few moments in the spotlight for doing well the things he loves!

His class had an ice cream party afterwards (at 10 in the morning!) and the kids were thrilled.

We adored Will's teacher this year, Mrs. Gabriel. She is soft spoken but can get those kids to do what she needs them to do. Every time I've been in the class the kids have behaved so well and I've never heard her raise her voice. She, like Hyde's teacher, has a great southern accent too!

Will and all his awards. What a great kid!!!

first grade--done!

2011-06-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a wonderful friend I was able to attend Hyde's end of year class awards ceremony and 1st grade awards assembly without the small children. I love that Hyde is thrilled to have me at school! Isn't he so cute?!

Mrs. Gilchrist, Hyde's teacher, handed out an individual award to each child in the class highlighting their specific talents or area of improvement. Hyde got the "outside award" because he always gets the fun going outside! We love Mrs. Gilchrist (Will had her for 1st grade also)! She's so loving and sweet and has the best southern accent!

At the 1st grade assembly he got a couple of awards--star student and good behavior.

Way to go Hyde! We love you!!!

the big 3!

2011-06-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

My life sure changed when this little guy was born three years ago! (Notice the black eyes, thanks to the goose egg he got on his forehead a few days prior). He was, by far, my hardest baby and is, by far, my most active toddler! But, while he's running circles around me and looking for any possible mischief to get into he always has a big smile on his face. He keeps me laughing and with him life can never get boring!

We of course had pancakes for breakfast. Since we were attending 2 barbecues that day (thanks to the memorial day holiday) we did candles and presents that morning.

I could just eat him up!

Our ward had a barbecue at noon. It was SO hot and there were so many games for the kids that they were just worn out!

That evening Dave, a soccer friend of Andrew's, invited us to join his family and other friends for a barbecue. We had such a WONDERFUL time and enjoyed all the new people we met! Shannon, Dave's wife, was even so sweet to put candles (3 for each year and 1 to grow on) on one of the dessert cakes. We all sang and Nate was thrilled!

What a perfect day for family fun and to celebrate a special boy's special day. I'm SO grateful to be his mother! Love you Nate!!!

at home

2011-06-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just have to document the craziness that is our life at home! A few weeks ago Nate was chasing Will around the living room, tripped, and hit his head on the kitchen stool. His forehead immediately swelled up making him look like a martian! It was incredible but hard to capture on camera.

And of course, once I pulled out the camera all the kids wanted their 15 minutes of fame :) Here's the lone girl--cutest thing you ever saw!

Will showing off his furniture jumping skills.

Ivy, of course, needed her turn.

Will also came up with making roller skates out of the duplo cars. They were a hit with all the kids for a few days.

What would I do without these little ones in my life! I sure do love them!

my quick trip to CA

2011-06-16T18:32:00.000-07:00

Last month I was able to take a quick trip to CA to spend a weekend with my mother-in-law! I got in to Orange County Friday at 7:15pm and left to go home Monday at 6:30 in the morning so it was very, very short but we crammed in a lot of fun and a lot of good food!

Saturday we spent the entire day out and about doing some shopping and eating! Andrew's sister Brooke and her sweet and totally-easy going daughter Kate spent the morning with us. They are the cutest!

Brooke wasn't excited about me documenting every aspect of our day--like driving to the store.

That evening Andrew's mom and I window shopped on Balboa Island and then headed to the Spaghetti Factory where we met Brooke, Jake, and Kate for dinner. We had the longest wait for the ferry though. Crazy! So....we decided to take pictures :)

What a cute dad!

And super cute family!

I can't believe I didn't take more pictures! Friday and Saturday night we went in the jacuzzi (so relaxing)! Sunday was a quiet day at home and church. It's always so fun to go to the Newport 2nd Ward! So many wonderful people that make me feel so at home. That night we had a delicious meal and some games (my favorite)!

Thanks mom for such a fun weekend and for spoiling me with some amazing meals! Can't wait to come again!!!

soccer wrap-up

2011-06-04T19:33:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago was Hyde's last soccer game of the intense 2011 season.

I don't think we saw much of an improvement by the end (as demonstrated in the following video). When subs were being put into the game he would volunteer to sit out so he could look at Will's book with him. Ummm, maybe soccer isn't his sport. We'll see...

He was, however, thrilled to receive the trophy at the end of the season! Congratulations Hyde!

Go Sharks!!!