Hawaiian Haystacks

Grab your Hawaiian shirt if you want to eat dinner tonight!

Monday

Mike organizes basement.

Jon does homework.

Kenny organizes the cupboards.

Just another Monday.

Freeze Dance

One of our most popular games for family night is to play freeze dance. Everyone dances until the music stops then they must stand like statues. It is most fun to try to get someone jumping in the air- that's how to get people out. Mike took a cap nap while we danced.

Family Home Evening

The nine of us on Jon's Birthday.

Cake

Megan baked the cupcakes, Patrick decorated, we all sang and ate.

Helpers

Mary was sick this morning and Mike was on-call for work. Megan and Kelly stayed home from church to take care of her. While the boys and I were gone, they organized the food room some. Hooray for the girls!

Presents

Jonathan turns 13 today. He asked for a set of scriptures (and when your 13 years old wants a Quadruple: The Holy Bible Old and New Testaments, The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price, Mom runs out and gets it and has his name inscribed on it!) He also received our family's traditional birthday gift: Your own box of Cereal that you like (Jon wanted Life). He got a clock, tie, tie tack, flashlight, mints for his locker at school and some books.

It seems like yesterday I was at my moms house ready to eat a piece of watermelon and my water broke. Mike was so excited that he beat me to the hospital. I sobbed that I had been waiting for him for a long time as I held him the first time. Time goes by so fast.

Shaking up Jons Birthday

Jonathan turns 13 years old on Sunday. He invited his friend Brock over to spend the night. Tomorrow they are going to go to Elitches with his family.

Instead of cake we had milkshakes. Jon and Patrick put so much chocolate and candy in their shakes it almost made them sick.

Jon wasn't going to smile but I told him when he was 50 he would want to look back and see his face- not just his milkshake. (Jon is drinking out of a measuring cup because I had not run the dishwasher and most of the big glasses were dirty.)

Homework

Adam has gotten the biggest shock of his life: he has to do homework. He was assigned to practice writing his name in d'nealian. He was frustrated- learning something new can be so hard. I can relate: I have a new calling as Relief Society secretary and it has been overwhelming with stuff to know and do.

Kelly told Adam if he wrote a little more she would give him a lollipop.

Your lunch looks better than mine

Yogi Bear decided to steal a picnic basket at the Teddy Bear Picnic. Once he started to peek inside, the park ranger moved him to the other side of the park. Poor Yogi!

Teddy Bear Picnic

The kindergartners brought their teddy bears and put on a show. Mike, I, Mary, Kenny and Adam then ate outside on the lawn. I have been to 5 picnics over the years and it made me teary that there is only two (Mary and Kenny) left. I will then have to sing "Going on a bear hunt" and "Teddy bears jumping on the bed" all by myself.

White dress finished

Nana finished Kelly's dress for her baptism. Kelly will turn 8 on October 28 and will be baptized on November 1. We found a beautiful dress from Wooden Soldier but it cost $168. My mom made it for $40. She did have to use three patterns to get a girls dress with a bustle and with sleeves. It turned out beautiful.

Kelly can't wait until she's 8!

Couch control

Kelly found a new way to cage Ken and Mary while she swept the living room floor. Kenny seems happier cornered by couches.

Recycling Ken

We recycle at our house. Once Ken drops his food into his lap we fish it out and put it back on his tray. We can probably do this at least 10 times during a meal. We are doing our part to save the planet. Thanks Kenny.

Monday, Monday

Mike was into organizing today. He threw stuff away in the garage (hooray!) and organized the computer desk.

Mike then brought in the hose to the air compressor and we all were wondering what he was going to do. He then started to spray the air at the computer and cleaned the keyboards. Jon said he thought we should sweep the family room with the compressor air all the time- then he blew this big burst of air at my head. I'm not sure if a windstorm can clean that room.

Puppet Pals

Megan was practicing for her puppet show for drama class. She included Mary, who loved being the duck.

Kenny finds a new hobby

The home teachers brought some props for there lessons- mountain climbing equipment. They examined the rope and all the carabiners. We don't want to have a weak link or a frayed rope in our family. Kenny was crawling around and then saw the stuff and then began to pick it up and chew it. Patrick wanted to keep the 150 ft rope- ahh no.

Adam finds reasons to pray

Mike walked outside of the church building to the car. Jonathan pointed to a dent on the passengers side door. Adam pounded the dent in with his prayer rock that he made in Primary. Then Adam got into the car and pounded Kelly on the head with it. I guess the poem that came with the rock said that you would hit your head on it when it was on your pillow.... but not to whack your sister with it.

Here's Adam with the offending rock- after he told me that Dad had taken it away, with good reason.

Mary's New Dress

I bought Mary a new dress at Wal-Mart on Tuesday and forgot about it. Saturday night she was walking around holding the dress on the hanger saying that she was going to wear her new dress to church the next day. Here she is- all ready for church in her new dress and tennis shoes.

Brisingr is at my house! Don't call the firefighters!

The kid who won first in line got to open the box- lucky.

Others who were first.
Dragons!

The third book in the Eragon series came out tonight/this morning. The fans were out and so was I! They had some drawings for a signed book insert by Christopher Paolini- I didn't win and one for first in line- I didn't win that either. Oh well. It's time to read the book!

Mike was driving the carpool home tonight. I told him to stop by Borders in the Flat Irons and tell the guys he was going in to buy a book. I jokingly told him to put on elf ears, pointy shoes and carry an egg- and see if the guys looked at him like he was weird. Nobody at my borders dressed up, so I'm glad I didn't go to Gott A Costume and get decked out. Only 748 pages until I wait for the final book... the torture I have put myself through for a series. I was sure that Rowling was going to die before the 7th book- especially when I had heard there was a bombing in London before the last book.