Spoiled

We went swimming this afternoon with the Young Family.

It was nice to get the kids out of the house.

They all play so well together and stay busy swimming for hours.

We came home and discovered we were out of milk.

That is TRAGIC in this household!

So we made our way to Walgreen's, got some milk, and Elsie convinced me to get ice-cream sandwiches...

Yep, she is spoiled.

Oh, but aren't they just so dang cute???

I love Elsie's little lady pinkie up while she eats her sandwich.

And I love the way Porter is looking at her in the bottom left picture...and how he is sharing with her in the bottom right...

Adorable!

And photographic evidence that he isn't ALWAYS rotten!!!

School shopping

I took Madi and Cassi school clothes shopping today.

We had a lot of fun and I think we are pretty much done.

While we were out, we picked up a backpack for Elsie...

It is pretty basic right now, but I plan to jazz it up for her...

But she loves it and she wore it for the rest of the day.

She wasn't very happy when I took it off to put her jammies on.

But she will get to play with it tomorrow.

WELLNESS CHALLENGE!!!!!!

I am starting round 3 of the Wellness Challenge on Monday Sept. 6.

Go to the website, http://youcanbethebestyou.blogspot.com/ ,to check out all the details.

It really is an all around great wellness challenge...I dare you to try it out!

I am just not sure how people do it ALL...

I really don't get how some people can be so put together.

Here I am, still sitting in my pajamas, from last night, and I am not sure if I even brushed my teeth this morning.

But I feel like I have had a very full day.

I have been trying to can/jelly/or freeze what I have left of my darn peaches...

That takes up so much time, and makes such a big mess, and I only get a few measly bottles out of it...

No, it is great, I am glad to have preserved so many peaches that would have gone bad...

I am just saying that after a busy day with the kids, washing laundry, folding laundry (lots), trying to encourage the kids to pick up after themselves...my house is still a mess.

My kitchen is a disaster.

I would have loved to make some more pillows today...but I couldn't find my rotary cutter, so that is why I was forced to can the peaches.

Which is a good thing.

It needs to be done.

So I am not complaining....I just want to know the secret...

How can I get a clean house, clean kids, laundry done, less Elmo on the T.V., clean toilets, photos edited, projects done, and get a shower on top of all that?????

I know there are you super woman out there...how do you do it???

I do have to say...I am thankful for the minute or two of peace that a simple Otter Pop gives me...

Although I think Elsie had about 20 today.

That is no exaggeration.

The skin on the bottom of her big toes is dry and cracked, like bleeding crack, so she won't walk.

Poor girl.

I try everything I can to make her happy, and Otter Pops do the trick, most of the time.

So I give in.

I will break her of the habit once school starts.

Oh school....maybe I can get LOTS of stuff done once they are in school....

I can always hope, right???

******

I LOVE my kids and I absolutely LOVE being a Mom...but I am so unbelievably Thankful to have an amazing husband who is so hands on in our family.

I couldn't do it without him.

Several times today I just had to remind myself that he will be home tomorrow.

Things are always more calm around here when he is home.

I love him and the kids love him...and man, I miss him...

Now I am gonna go put some clean jammies on.

Then clean the kitchen and hopefully have enough time to work on that special big project!!!

Chores vs. what I want to do...

Okay...

Lets say your kids are being good...like the little boy is napping, the little girl is watching her show, and the big girls are occupied with friends or clay...

And your house is a MESS...

Say that is your situation.

What would you do?

Would you clean?

Or would you get out your sewing supplies and start sewing???

I have a major project that I am trying to finish before a certain birthday on the 29th of this month.

But it is something I cannot work on with her around...

So I save it for when they are in bed, or not around.

But my sewing machine is left out, and I am in the sewing MOOD.

So what did I do???

Well, I made a super cute puffy pillow for my chair...but now I am gonna need a couple more to put on the couches so they don't feel left out.

A great little project to work on when I can't work on the BIG project...

The girls had a lot of fun with the clay again today.

This time they made beads.

When they dry, they will paint them and make a necklace.

Pretty cute!

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Okay, they are asleep now, so should I go clean???

Of course not...I gotta work on the BIG project!!!

Late Night Roaring Springs...

Boise City Fire and Police got Roaring Springs for the night for all their employees and families from 8-11.

For free.

We had so much fun.

It was a bit cold without the sun up...but there was a little bit of time that the lines were pretty short.

The kids got to go on all the rides that they didn't get to do last time we were there.

We went with the Young's, and we all had a fun time.

The little ones didn't last very long...it was too cold.

I had a fun time sitting with them and taking fun pictures with my little camera...some cute ones.

Elsie even took a bunch...

But now, when I am trying to take them off the camera card, half the pictures are in some weird format that the computer can't read...weird!

And a bummer.

I had a cute one of all the big girls together...I HATE losing pictures!

But I did have this one cute one.

She was a good little girl.

She loves the pink tubes in the kiddie pool, as long as there isn't much splashing.

Porter went on the magic carpet ride again, and loved it.
Cassi went on the Avalanche a few times...she even went with Drew.

That girl is a nut!

And Madi stuck with Kara most of the time.

Like two peas in a pod.

One last ride for Madi and Dad...

I don't know...that looks like a pretty dead-on tie!

F.H.E.

We need a little order in this house of chaos...

So for Family Home Evening tonight we came up with a merit/demerit system...

We are hoping it works.

It is hanging front and center in our kitchen so I hope it is a daily reminder for us too.

I made this chalk board out of a oil drip pan that I may or may not have gotten out of my neighbors garbage pile...

See, I knew it would be useful!!!

So it is magnetic and then I painted it with Chalkboard paint...

It worked great!

We each have a face magnet.

I like the idea, because we are trying to work as a team, instead of individuals...

Yes, we move up or down as individuals...but in order to win the ultimate prize, we have to all be there.

I hope we can all stay excited about it!

Glad it's almost over!!!

We could all use about a FULL days worth of sleep.

Too bad that isn't happening!

Oh well...at least we have our Popsicle supply built up to take care of the uncontrolled crying.

Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Roaring Springs Day...

We had a very long and fun day today.

We usually only go to Roaring Springs once a year...and these guys travel a long time to come here with us...so it is an all day thing.

But so much fun.

The weather was perfect...the lines were a little long at times...but nothing too bad.

I think everyone got to fit in the fun stuff they wanted to do...

Elsie was hating it at first...
She didn't like all the people....all the noise...all the splashes.
But just as we were getting ready to leave, lots of people had already left for home, and she was just loving it.
I felt bad taking her away from it all to go home...

The girls had a lot of fun playing with Heather and Lauren...
Minus the few times we lost Cassi...things went pretty smoothly...

Cassi LOVED the Avalanche with her Dad....

This girl has NO FEAR!

Porter even went down the magic carpet ride by himself...I need to add more pictures later...

But he had no problem going down by himself...

Those two have no fear!

Elsie and Porter and I did a little bit of waiting while the big kids, Dad included, got to go on the big rides.

They were really good today.

We had a lot of fun, and can't wait to do it again next year!

Fun with the cousins...

The Thomson Family is here.

Brent's sister and her family come every year and we spend the day at Roaring Springs.

It is always a fun time!

The McCoys, Brent's other sister and her family, usually come.

But it hasn't worked out with them for the last couple years...

Hopefully we can get them back here next year!

So they showed up today...

We did some hanging out mixed in with a lot of school shopping...

Poor men...they did not enjoy the shopping.

But they got to spend time at Cabela's...so they can't complain much.

The girls plan to sleep outside in the playhouse...

We will see how that goes...or if we can even get them to go to sleep!!!