Idaho Native Americans

was the theme for Garhett's 4th grade project. For this project, Garhett had to choose a group of Idaho Native Americans to report on, draw or copy a map, create a diorama of an Indian Village, make a model of an Indian Home, and paint pictographs on rocks.

Garhett chose the Shoshone Indians. He started early on researching, figuring out what was going to be in his diorama, and putting the report together. Garhett did an awesome job. Here is the final product. Garhett earned an A. Good job Garhett!!!!

Happy Halloween

This year was kind of a bah humbug year for me with halloween and dressing up. The kids were pretty much on their own. Garhett decided to be a skeleton, Trent decided to be a ninja, Paige decided to lose the princess act this year and show her true colors as a girl vampire, and sweet Emmett was the cutest penguin.











Before our Halloween festivities, the kids had their school parties. The boys' were first since they didn't have school on the Friday before Halloween. Here is Trent with his teacher and his good friend Aiden.











Here is Garhett with his classmate who dressed up as Beetlejuice. Scott and I were surprised that anyone would know who Beetlejuice was.











Here is Paige and her preschool class getting ready for their parade. Notice that all the girls in her class are princesses of some sort. I got quite a few looks from the other mothers as Paige was putting in her vampire teeth. What can I say? ALL my children have a mind of their own. Let's face it somedays you feel like a princess and somedays you feel like a - - - well a vampire!!!!

Primary Program

This year the theme for the Primary Program was Eternal Family. There was quite a few unusuals this year. Usually I sit in the audience with Scott & my parents and watch the kids say their speaking parts and sing. This year, I was on the stage with the CTR 5's, I am a teacher now. Usually only Garhett has a speaking part during the program due to having over 200 kids in the Primary. This year, Garhett, Trent and Paige all had speaking parts. Garhett, Trent and Paige all stood tall at the mircrophone and said their parts with conviction. No shyness in our household. :O)
Garhett sang in an all boys chorus. He did such a great job. Garhett really enjoys singing.

Great job kids, Dad and I are so proud of you.

Pumpkin Patch

Boise has some really great pumpkin patches for the kids. This year we went back to Linder Farms. The kids love the kids corn maze, the petting zoo, the jump houses, and of course the pumpkin slingshot.

Grandma and Grandpa were able to come with us again this year. They were in town for Trent's soccer game and Garhett's baseball game. We decided to go the pumpkin patch on Friday after Scott got home from work instead of trying to squeeze it all in after the games on Saturday.

We started our evening out with a hayride out to the pumpkin patches to find our pumpkins. Garhett is getting older where it isn't really cool to be in the pumpkin patch with your parents looking for a pumpkin. So the "mean" mom put him in charge of his brother Emmett while I worked with the others to find the "perfect" pumpkin. The rule we have with pumpkins is you have to be able to carry it. It took a little bit longer for Paige to find a pumpkin that she could carry.


After finding our pumpkins we headed back to have some fun! The kids went through the haystack maze. Emmett loved it. He was able to run and not have anyone grab his hand and pull him back or pick him up. Garhett, Trent and Paige ran through the maze several times.

Through the maze and off to the petting zoo. This year they added a camel and a baby camel. Emmett wasn't so sure of the animals and especially them licking his hand for food. There was a pony ride, and so I put Emmett on the pony to see how he would do. He wasn't having it!!!! Even Scott enjoyed feeding the animals along with the kids.















We ran out of food and was all petted out, so the boys went to the pumpkin sling shot while Paige and Emmett went to the jump houses. This was Emmett's first time in a jump house. He wasn't liking it too much. I think he lasted 1 minute, he would much rather just run and run and run. Did I mention RUN!!!!!

The evening was very enjoyable. Everyone had a good time picking pumpkins, slinging pumpkins, jumping in the jump house and just running around. Our kids don't like to dig the guts out of the pumpkins (they come by that honestly cuz their mom thinks it is gross), so instead this year, we bought faces to stick into the pumpkins. They are like potato head faces made for pumpkins. The kids enjoyed making the different faces for their pumpkins.

Sanity Break

Over conference weekend, Scott and I were able to take a weekend getaway to Seattle. Mama needed a break and my parents took the kids for the weekend. I have the best parents and my kids have the best grandparents who are always willing to spend time with them. Thanks mom and dad.

Since this was a short notice trip (less than a 2-week out airfare), we decided to drive to Seattle. It is an 8 hour drive, not too bad. I made a list of things Scott and I needed to talk about. The car without kids is the best time to have our discussions, cause there isn't anywhere anyone can go, we have to talk. :o)

We left Thursday after Scott got off work and drove to Hermiston, Oregon and spent the night. Then drove into Seattle on Friday. The weather was so nice. We actually saw blue sky's and sunshine. The kids had a fluke snow storm while at grandmas.

While in Seattle, we toured around the city, went to Pikes Market, the Boeing Plant, the Seattle Temple, Microsoft, IKEA, and had dinner with some friends who we lived by in Hollister (and I worked with at Novell). It was so nice to get away and just relax. I had forgotten what it felt like to sleep the whole night and not have to get up before 7am. HEAVENLY!!!!!

We met up with the Amber and Kirk Davis for dinner while in town. Our hotel was down the street from the Microsoft campus where Amber works, so we took a quick little tour of the Microsoft store and museum. Here is Scott aspiring to work for Microsoft!

We took a tour of the Boeing Plant, what an amazing site. It was so facinating to see how airplanes are built. We weren't allowed to take in cameras or our cell phones, so I downloaded pics from the Boing site. The pictures show quite a bit, but not the incredible size of the facility. Truly jaw dropping.

So far behind....

I am so far behind on posting. It's already mid-October and I just barely posted Garhett's monumental double digit birthday that happened on Sept. 14th. There is a lot to report, but I am tired and am trying to just keep my head above water. So keep checking back, I am hoping to be caught by next week.




Just cause every post should have a picture.

Another reason to love couponing

Not only have I saved money grocery shopping with coupons, but I am also making money. Today I received a rebate check from Kraft for $20. Yay Me!!!!!