My 8 Things

8 Things I am Passionate About
1. My Testimony and keeping it strong
2. Chris
3. My Children
4. My Family (mom, dad, siblings)
5. music
6. Teaching the gospel to my children
7. Scrap booking
8.Gardening/Canning/Food storage

8 Things I want to do before I die
1. Visit the Sacred Grove in NY
2. Attend General Conference in SLC, UTAH
3. Go to the Holy Land, Greece, and Ireland
4. Go on a Cruise with Chris
5. Go see the Giant Redwood Trees in California
6. Take my family on a real family vacation
7. Fit back into size 12
8. Go back to college

8 Things I Say Often
1. Sit down and put your seat belt back on.
2. I love you.
3. Don't run in the house.
4. Do you want to stand in the corner?
5. How was your day?
6. You're so cute!
7. I need a Diet Coke.
8. Hello

8 Things that Attract me to a Friend
1. A Love for family and God
2. Honesty and Integrity
3. Similar Interests
4. Willing to give to the Friendship (not just one sided)
5. Sense of Humor
6. Can be spontaneous
7. Supportive
8. Easy to talk to and good listener

8 Songs I Could Listen to Over and Over
1. I'm going Home (chris Daughtry)
2. Forever Young (Alphaville...it's "our song")
3. My kids singing (anything and everything)
4. Live Like You were Dying (Tim McGraw...I like the message)
5. I Believe in Christ (I could put many more hymns here also)
6. In the meantime (from the "women of Destiny 2 cd)
7. Joseph a Nashville Tribute to the prophet (the whole cd)
8. Trek a Nashville Tribute to the pioneers (the whole cd)

8 Things I've learned this Year
1.How to motivate,teach and talk to Noah better.
2. 2 kids in diapers at the same time is expensive
3. Potty training one of those kids is extremely gratifying
4. How to make applesauce and pear sauce
5. How to can jalapeno peppers
6. My new calling as RS 2nd councilor over Enrichment
7. A matter of a few degrees does make all the difference in the end.
8. Faith is better than Fear

8 Random Things About Me
1. I like talk radio
2. I teach piano lessons
3. I sang professionally for a short time (well almost professionally)
4. I like HGTV
5. I have 9 brothers and sisters
6. I make really really good home made bread
7. My favorite color is RED
8. I like American Idol

A Flower Among Weeds

I have to tell you about the picture for my new header that I took today. First off let me start by saying that our lawnmower has been broken and in the fix it shop for almost 2 weeks. (I called on it today and they said there were still 8 people in front of ours and will maybe be done Tuesday.) Yesterday morning or maybe it was Wednesday I looked out my kitchen window that is over my sink and out of the tall, tall grass was standing this lone flower. I've never seen any of these flowers in my yard before. I guess we've kept it cut often enough that it never showed up. But I thought it very profound to see this beautiful flower in the midst of all the weeds and couldn't resist the photo. I likened it to us and how we must be the flowers in the weeds sometimes. If our house is dirty and cluttered, kids with there grimmy hands and runny noses we need to take time to be the flower among the weeds. If we are out in the world with it's corruptions and vices we need to be the flower among the weeds. People will be drawn to us just as my eye was drawn to the flower instead of my knee high grass. The girls discovered it today and came running into the house. "mommy, mommy, come see the flower" Of coarse I knew it was there already but I let them ejoy the discovery and sharing it with me. I got some really pretty pictures of them too.

What we"ve Been Up to Lately

Yes, It is me. I know you all must be shocked that I'm actually updating my blog. Actually, no one will probably see this since it's been so long and you have all given up on checking here for any new info. I'm sorry for the delay. Time just seems to slip through my fingers and when I have a few minutes to my self to sit at the computer it is bed time and I'm to tired to mess with it. But today I had a Diet Coke and so am caffinated and still able to keep going. Noah had his Birthday on Sept. 12. He is 9 already. Where did my baby go. He is now on his way to becoming a young man now. We spent the night at Grandma Argo's (all except Chris)
We I made the cake and brought Ice cream for after dinner. The Aunties all got him a few goodies and the cake was yummy. Chocolate chocolate. Who wouldn't love that right.
On Saturday we hung out at the house and Mom and I hit some yard sales and did some running around in town. That evening I took the kids with all the Aunties (my sisters) and went to the Franklin County Fair. My kids had a blast on the rides and us big girls sang in a Franklin County's got Talent Contest. Heidi and I sang in the over 17 category and Emily and Ashley sang in the Jr's. Ashely took 3rd place and Heidi and I took 3rd place.
We each won $50 bucks. Of coarse Heidi and split it and $25 was exactly how much I had paid for the ride tickets for the kids. So I ended up breaking even. Not a bad Free night out with the kids. It was after 10 though by the time I got back to the Argo's to get Ethan and load up our remaining things.
Then on Sunday I turned my head and I felt like I was falling and never coming to a stop. The whole world was spinning and I was sick to my stomach from motion sickness. I was bothered by it all night. Chris took me to the Doctor on Monday (this past) and diagnosed me with VERTIGO brought on by a virus. By Thursday though my sinuses were so impacted and was having pressure behind my eyes and on my ears that I called back to the Doctors and they got me an antibiotic. I'm doing much better. I just cant bend over or sit or stand up to quickly or my head gets all swishy. Well, that pretty much brings you up to day from here. Enjoy the photos.

Noah's First day of 3rd Grade

School is back in session!!!! Noah started 3rd grade this year!! He is in Mrs. Holders Class at Highland Rim Elementry. So far so good. He just completed his first full week of classes. He also is a Bus rider this year. That has really been a help. Except the 2nd day he missed the morning bus, so we are still working on our timing in the mornings to get him down around the corner to the bus stop on time. Here are some pictures of his first day.

Ethan's 1st Birthday

I can't believe my baby is a year old alredy. It seems like just yesterday I was in the hospital having him. Time sure is flying by. He is the sweetest and easiest baby of the 4. Maybe I'm just getting better at this Mother thing. He is the only one of us to have blue eyes and I LOVE those big blue eyes. We spent the afternoon at the Argo's (my parent's house) and swam in the pool. We got Ethan all lathered up with sunscreen and a hat. It was his first time to get in the water. He loves baths so was hopefull he would like the pool. The water was a little cool for him at first but once he got used to it and Mamma was holding on tight to him he enjoyed splashing around. After our relaxing swim we headed inside for birthday dinner and cake and Icecream. Ethans birthday dinner consisted of Grandma's yummy Macaroni and cheese. His aunt Kimberly (she's 15) made his cute little cake and I brought the ice cream. You can tell in the pictures he really liked his dessert. He got a new toy. We didn't really have that many hand me downs from the other kids. And the other 3 would not stay out of the way and let him unwrapp and do it him self. Many times we had to tell them to leave him alone. Typical syblings. We visited for the rest of the evening and then headed home. It was a nice day. I can't wait to scrap the pictures and journal for him in his scrap book.

My Olympic Swimmers

As you all know the Olympics have been on for a week now and the kids have loved watching them with us. The girls especially. They really like watching the gymnastics but on this particular day swimming was the event of the day. We have a little pool out back and they have really enjoyed it this summer. More than last year. But Eve has been asking for some goggles so she can "swim" under water. This coming from the girl who doesn't like to put her face in the water. But I guess she felt the goggles would give her some courage. Anyway, I picked up these 2 pair for 75 cents at Wal-Mart and they were ready for their BIG swim. I didn't get out to take pictures of them in the pool. They have actually worn them more in the house than in the pool.

Stone Bridge Park

Sunday July 20, 2008

After nap times, we all wanted to get out of the house for a little bit. We loaded up and headed into town to go to the Stone Bridge Park. First let me say that every time we go to town we pass over the Elk River. Eve always says it's "her river". The Stone Bridge Park is a memorial Park of the orginal Bridge that used to go over the Elk River but was destroyed in a flood in 1967. Some of the orginal stones were used to recreate the replica in the park. To get to the river they have a path from the park that goes under the now new exisiting highway. They have picnic tables and swings by the river which is where most of the pictures of the kids were taken. Back over in the park area there is a path to walk, more swings a picnic pavillion and a big water fall and winding river that goes down to the replica Bridge. There also in the park is an old cabin. In side is set up to what it would have during that time period. The kids thought that was cool to look in side and see what the houses looked like in the "old days". The gate that was on the old jail is memorialized there. We read about that. Noah especially thought that was neat. We enjoyed the family time together, though it was very hot and humid even though it was in the evening. Noah picked up trash, and we read all about the historical bridge and had a family outing, all of which he could sign off in his cub scout book. Yeah!!