My Sister Stinks!

So, my sister just started a blogger blog, and she got tagged on her first day. She has since tagged me. So here it goes (yes, I am getting old)...

20 years ago...
1- I got my driver's license
2- Went on my first official date
3- Had a boyfriend who won a car in the McDonald's monopoly game

10 years ago...
1- I was teaching school in Las Vegas
2- Moved to Minnesota
3- Became a true stay at home mom

5 years ago...
1- I was pregnant with #4
2- I was walking Caleb to school everyday
3- I was already in my third decade, and Brett wasn't

3 years ago...
1- I took a 5 week road trip without Brett
2- We remodeled our kitchen
3- We had two family reunions at Bear Lake

1 year ago...
1- I started teaching preschool
2- Went to girl's camp
3- I changed my child's last diaper!

So far this year...
1- Got a new job
2- I got a new bike
3- I sold my very first house

Yesterday I...
1- Was up all night with Claire (she had a fever)
2- Stayed home from church and cuddled Claire
3- Ate sweet corn and green beans for dinner

Today I...
1- Took my children to swimming lessons
2- Spent 3 hours at the preschool waiting for a shipment and organizing toys
3- Will have Family Home Evening with my family

Tomorrow I...
1- Take my children to swimming lessons
2- Take Emily to piano lessons
3- Take Eli to the nature center for a Junior Naturalist Class

This is the Beginning

We came home one evening to find this note tucked into our door. I guess it isn't so bad because it is from two girls. We actually let him go "play" the next day. We're not sure we are ready for this.

Dinner Menu

Emily made a dinner menu for us. There are five different things on the menu. Can you guess what they are?

1. Hamburgers
2. Chicken Nuggets
3. Pizza
4. Ham
5. Lasagna

Good luck and thanks for playing

HINT: For the last one - replace the z with an "l" sound, it might help. Oops - it should have been replace the v with and l sound.

They are all there, just click and drag your cursor over them to really see them.

A Happy Ending

We had a pretty incredible day. Caleb and Emily made us breakfast, and they set the table for two. Brett & I got to eat together - alone. Emily and Claire wrote us love notes. Eli was willing to help all day. We played tennis and went to Dairy Queen. Brett and I went on a date - out to dinner. The day ended with a beautiful rainbow. It was incredible to watch. It was bright and then it would fade. It stretched all the way across the sky. It was an amazing site and a wonderful day.

Memory Tag

I got this off my friends blog and thought it might be fun, plus it gives me a chance to find out how many people actually read my blog :)

1. As a comment on this post, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

9 Words Women Use

A friend sent me this list, and I think it is pretty accurate:

(1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

(3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

(4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

(5) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)

(6) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

(7) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here - This is true, unless she says 'Thanks a lot' - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say 'you're welcome' ... that will bring on a 'whatever').

(8) Whatever: Is a women's way of saying you're in so much trouble!

(9) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response refer to # 3.

Summer Swimming

The children did two weeks of swimming lessons this summer. Emily had private lessons because there was noone else in her class. Caleb didn't take lessons this session because he had already completed the highest level a couple of times. On the last day of lessons, the children have a "fun" day. They turn on the water slide and let them use the diving boards. Caleb convinced Emily to ask her teacher if he could swim with them. It was fun to watch them play at the pool. (Caleb asked if I would sign him up for the next session of lessons - while watching he was reminded of how fun it was.)

Worth 100 Grand

No, the car isn't worth that much, it is twelve years old. It is the first car that we purchased together. however, the memory is.

One afternoon, when Brett was coming home from a cub scout day camp, he called me from the driveway. I ran out to see what was going on, and he told me to look at the speedometer. I did. It was at 99,999. I jumped in the car for a trip around the block. When it got close, I put my hand on the steering wheel and helped "drive" the car until the speedometer read 100,000. We put 100 thousand miles on our car. So really, the car is definately not worth 100 grand, and it never was.

What Begins with B?

Bunny, bat, and baby bird - that's what.

We are not morbid people (refer to Dead Things below). It just so happens in the last few of weeks we had several occasions to take pictures of dead things. We have also had several living things around our house, too.
In fact, just today we found this baby rabbit outside in our front yard. We actually were about a foot away from it, and now the children have traps set up to catch bunnies.
This bat decides to perch up in the corner in the front of our house. We discovered it last summer when we found guano in the corner. One night Brett came home and discovered it was a bat in the corner. We don't know where it goes during the day, but almost every night it shows up. This baby bird was in our tree this spring and we had fun watching it.

Brand New Bikes

I have been telling Brett that I would like a bike for years now. He finally gave in (it might have something to do with the fact that I put about 40 miles on my car some days of the week, and I don't leave town - or maybe it was the encouragement of our friends - thanks Jared and Tricia). I love my bike because it is very "girly," and Brett says it cracks him up.

Brett rode his bike home from the bike shop. Claire rode in the trailer. He had to ride up hill into the wind, and by the time he got home he was a little tired (it's about 2 miles).

When he got home we went on a bike ride, and I didn't want to come home. The children got a little tired - we biked about 3 miles. We are planning a Sunday afternoon bike ride, and I can't wait; I think I am addicted. =D

O.K. We went on our bike ride and it was so fun. The children were excited and we had a blast. We only went about 3 miles again, and we had two stops. One was to visit one of Brett's coworkers, and the other was to have a water and snack break.

I have been put in charge of finding out where there are local bike trails so that we can take some real bike rides.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...Again and Again and Again

This summer we are spending four nights a week at baseball. Caleb has baseball on Mondays and Wednesdays, and Eli has baseball on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The hardest thing about it is that we don't get home until about 8:00, and then we try to eat a quick dinner and get ready for bed.

There is a photographer who has come to some of the boys games and taken some pictures. Here, and here, and here, and here are pictures of Caleb up to bat. Here he is stealing second, here and here are some of him stealing third base. Here, and here, and here are some of when he hit a triple with bases loaded. Here and here and here he is getting to third base. Here is one of him missing a ball in the outfield.

Here and here is Eli in his favorite position. Here is one of Eli hitting the ball, and here he is running. He twisted his ankle a couple of days earlier, and he is wearing a brace. Here is Eli hitting the ball again, and here he is running (actually he is hobbling, and he has a habit of watching the ball instead of running straight through).

Compleats-ly Famous

Brett made the cover of a magazine. Here is the article about his product. Pictured from left to right is the research and development guy, the brand manager, the vice president over grocery products, and the CEO of Hormel Foods. GO BRETT!

Dead Things

YUCK!

We have witnessed a few dead things this year. First the frog when we were getting our garden ready. We also had a dead duck in the road on one of the last days of school. Then there was the dead mouse in the window. We are also constantly dealing with dead fish. Here is what I can share with you!

This poor fellow was in the road one morning when Brett was on his way to work. The children saw it when they were going to school, and about the time that they got on the bus, the garbage man was coming by. I got my snow shovel and scooped it up into the neighbor's garbage can and sent it away.
We had a little rodent problem outside of the boys' window. We took care of it! Emily had to take a picture or twenty of the dead mouse.