Friday, December 26, 2008

Merry Christmas

We just spent the week in Rocky Ford with grandma and grandpa and grandma did an amazing thing...she got all of the kids to sing at church. Garrett's first solo...Here is a link to the video clip...consider it our Christmas card to you until we get our annual letter written. Charles is dragging his feet on that one this year so I may have to write it myself...nahh!!!




Sunday, December 14, 2008

Happy Birthday Mr. Graham

Poppa, MT, dad, padre, h.a..... we love you...hope you had a great day!!!!!

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Extreme Home Makeover Saturday







The latest updates.... It really is going quickly... I also threw in a picture from the view from the front yard I took this morning. Those are the Owyhee Mountains and that is to the South of our house....

Friday, December 12, 2008

Monopoly with Macy

Now...if you ever played a board game with a five year old you will know exactly what I'm talking about. Our mornings have been spent playing Pokemon Monopoly lately. That in itself is great...I love that the kids actually WANT to play games with me!! Anyway, the other night we were all playing and it was time for bed. We decided to mortgage all of our properties (considering the current economy you know) and so I gave Macy all her money. Then I took what she had and cashed it into larger increments so that we could add up the totals. Well...that's where the problem set in. She took off screaming and crying at the top of her lungs telling me I was a cheater... and you just don't take other peoples money. Cheater cheater cheater...quite an experience let me tell you...she was personally counting her money and wanted to have as many dollars as she could so when I cashed it in for her she was cheated because although she had a $500 bill she wanted 500 $1 if you catch what I'm saying. Anyway, twas fun!! :)

More Updates











WOW!! Garrett said...it's just like Extreme Home Makeover...and he wasn't kidding! The cement is all poured. I took the kids out this afternoon and had them put their handprints into the cement pad off the garage in back. It's crazy how the size of the house seems to keep changing! It looked big when it was dug out, then small when the foundation was poured, then big again when the floor went on, now small again as the walls go up! CRAZY!! Anyway, just a few more pictures to keep you updated!! Since I took those this morning our bedroom, bathroom, and closet are all framed in...the garage is framed in...the kids bathroom and bedrooms are almost done. The trusses are here waiting to go up.... Praise God.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

House Update




Well...we got back from our weekend trip and the footings have been poured, the house is back filled there is more concrete work being done today. It looked like they were drilling the well and there was ALOT of activity over there yesterday. It's so exciting!! I will keep posting pics on here to keep you updated. I'll take some more Friday!

Friday, December 5, 2008

Ethan Mac

So...Ethan got a pogo stick for his birthday and has been hopping around like crazy! He took it with to the skatepark and was jumping off these high jumps and stuff. It just hurt my knees to watch. Anyway, we thought this clip was so funny because he does this really hard trick and then when he got off... he fell just walking!! But don't laugh at him... :)

Conversations with Macy


So this morning we were sitting here doing dishes and Macy said something about Kody (a classmate) saying that he was going to go back to Ashton today like we are. I said he's not...then I asked her if he was her boyfriend. She said, "NO!!" Then I said, "DO you have a boyfriend?" She replied, "NOOO!!" and then a few seconds later, "YES!!" "Who is it?" "It's Nick! He doesn't know though." "How can he be your boyfriend if he doesn't know?" "He just is... I love him!" "Well, maybe you don't really LOVE him but just like him a lot?" "Nope! I REALLY just love him!"
So...here we go!!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Macy Anne for Thanksgiving

House Update!

So...the digging has begun! Wow!! I guess we are really going to do this! That big pile of dirt is right in the middle of the garage if you couldn't tell! :) Our builder says that he is hoping to set the forms this afternoon, pour foundation tomorrow, set walls and other work Monday or Tuesday, frame and possibly have the roof on by next Friday. I will go out and take some more update pictures as things happen. Praise God!


Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Cute quotes...

Okay...so this morning it's about oh...let me check the temp...about 30 degrees out...and Cayden has put on shorts to wear to school. Now I'm trying the whole love and logic thing with him so I let him wear them. We were walking to the bus stop and about halfway there he says, " I should have worn long sleeve shorts!" I said, "pants?" He said, "yep!" So...it may be a cold day for him but I bet next time he goes with the long sleeved shorts instead of the short sleeved ones! Too funny!

Now last night Macy got to have her "late night" with mom and dad. That's one night during the week when one of the kids gets to stay up later than all the others and do whatever they want with us for some extra two on one attention. It works out to one week a month for everyone...so last night was her night. She wanted to play "Guesstures". Now basically this is not a game that is played with only three people...especially when one of the three can't read all the cards quite yet but we improvised and worked together. After Macy guessed all four of the cards correctly she jumped off the floor onto the chair, put her hands in the air and said...look at me...I'm a Rock Star! Too funny!!

Monday, December 1, 2008

Moved but moving again...

Well... I will use this opportunity to let you know that WE ARE GOING TO BUILD A HOUSE!! It's kind of exciting...okay it's EXCITING! So... it will be on almost two acres and we've been working with the builder on designing and all that.
This summer and fall we looked at so many houses but none of the houses that we've looked at have been anything like what we need and since there is no work for everyone right now we thought we'd provide some jobs for people. You know, do our part to stimulate the economy! So I will include a few of the pictures of our lot. And...since I haven't sent out our address I was going to include it here but just had thoughts of crazy people who spend their lives on the internet getting that info so... I will just personally email it to those who requested it okay. If you need it email me and I will send it to you!!

Monday, November 24, 2008

Mel's Monday Musings Vol 1


So...by titling this volume one I'm assuring you all that it will happen again. I just figure that if I'm going to keep you updated on our lives and stuff I should do it regularly and I liked all the M's so there you go! I wasn't even EXACTLY sure on the definition of musings so I just went and looked it up:
mus·ings [ myoozingz ]

plural noun

Definition:

thoughts: thoughts, especially when aimless and unsystematic

Today IS Monday and my ever rotating mind has been once again spinning out of control. I go from thoughts of the economy, to God's provision, to basketball, to Fly Lady and on and on and on....so I guess I can pretty well handle the aimless and unsystematic! Well today I'm just going to pick a topic or two and share with you. The last two weeks have been the pukes around here...literally. Cayden started out sick, then Ethan had it, then Macy, then Cayden again, then Macy again, then Garrett and then Cayden again! WHEW! There is nothing like waking up at 3 in the morning to the sound of vomit splattering. At least when it splatters you know it's not on the carpet...it would be better if it was splashing in the toilet however! After the initial incident has been thoroughly cleaned up, floor and subject(s) and proper sympathy and care has been administered to said subjects, the fun is just beginning. Mom (me) gets to sleep with whomever it was that was sick that time and listen for the tell tale signs of upcoming (hahahaha) episodes and place the bucket at just the right moment. Needless to say life as a mom is NEVER dull! I can honestly say as well that it doesn't matter how often you change sheets on a bed...the day you do...that night there WILL be an accident in it...be it vomit or whatever. This theory has proven true numerous times in our household so... we just don't change sheets very often! Okay...enough of that.

Today Macy and I made "wrinkle" cookies. You know those ones with all the little bitty wrinkles in them. "Huh?" YOU KNOW...hand signals here...the little bitty wrinkles all over them like I had at my pajama party at school! Okay...if you haven't figured it out yet...she wanted to make cookies with frosting and sprinkles on them. So we made a batch of sugar cookies before she left for school. As she was headed out to the bus stop she asked me if I could go ahead and put the wrinkles in them before she got home! Whoever it was that said being a stay at home mom is NOT a REAL job...was never a stay at home mom...
we'll save the discussion about "China" till next time. Have a Blessed Day!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Confessions of a computer junkie

The computer sucks the life out of me...and I sit here and let it! Rather than doing all the things I need to get done I am constantly checking my email...looking to see if ANYONE has written me back or written me at all. I'm always checking to see what is going on in the world and what news I need to hear about. Checking out bank statements and working our debt snowball. When that's not enough I go back in time and check out to see if anyone has broken my old high school records and what players are still doing what. I check out the lives of old friends and seek out where they are now and if they are married and have families and why they haven't been in touch for so long. I look at old sudents and old co-workers talk to former teachers. Now that I've started doing this blog I let it take my time too...I try to think of fun topics to share and my brain runs wild with ideas for filling you in on what the kids are up to and what I'm doing...the problem is I'm not doing anything really...Don't get me wrong...I don't sit in front of the computer ALL day but I can honestly say that I don't think I can walk past it without checking something...maybe admitting this is the first step to recovery! So...if you read this take pity on my and send me an email or leave a comment or go look at my photos and let me know that you are out there....I know there are other "junkies" out there. Let's help each other out! When I think about it though...I did just leave this computer for about 30 minutes and did a load of laundry, put the duvet back on, got the kids a snack... I helped Macy with her homework and Cayden with his. I get the same way when I'm reading a good book and can't put it down or watching a movie I can't stop...or working out or....I guess I'm not just a computer junkie after all...I'm just me...

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Profound wisdom from a just turned 12 year old...

Just after my last post about our dogs and missing them...we received a phone call from the family that had taken Q. Garrett wrote an email to his friend in Ashton about it...

it was nice to here from you remember when we got rid of are

two dogs q and Baily well i found out yesterday

q got hit by a car and was killed i was so sad but

it's life and sometimes it can be sad.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Dog-gone gone dogs...



Well...today is a mini tribute to some special friends in our lives! Today is the anniversary of when our first dog died. Jake...oh Jake... died 4 years ago today. Jake was a Chocolate Lab German Shorthair and he was ALL dog. I find it hard to even try and describe him. He was so big and cuddly. My husband says he was his dog and was basically a hunting genius...but we both know that he was just as much my dog...he used to come stand between my legs whenever he was in trouble and about knock me over...and he never once had a dignified bath (duck ponds and the river only) but he just had a SMELL about him... I could lay with his fur in my face and breathe in his smell. I know that makes me sound strange but...okay, I AM strange! And writing this right now I'm bawling all over again... not just for missing Jake but for all the memories and all of the other losses that thinking about him bring to my mind. Because...never can you mention Jake without thinking about Dylan too...Now Dylan was our other lab that we got at the same time as Jake. We got them both as little tykes a week after we got married. Dylan was a black lab Australian Shepherd mix and was a feisty guy! He wasn't much for hunting but I think a big part of that was because he never had to because Jake was THE DOG if you know what I mean! Now Jake and D were are first kids...we spent hours playing together, hanging out, doing what you do with your dogs...and they were there for me during all those hard times like moving away from home, leaving friends and family, Dylan spent the final days of my dad's life with me (and him too) and they both were just amazing friends! Now as I remnisce about Dylan I must say that I didn't think he would live much longer than Jake...Jake's death hit us all pretty hard. But at that time we had also acquired another fine friend in our Chessie Q. Jake had the responsibility of training Q in the ways of the master hunter you see. So, with Jake gone we were left with two again...Dylan and Q...then along comes "Jakes's Muddy Swamp Buster" or Dreck. Dreck was born two days after Jake died and would become his replacement of sorts... Dreck is a pointing lab and now we had our two hunting dogs again and Dylan. Q was the waterfowl specialist and Dreck the upland game guy. Well, two years later Dreck becomes a father and we added a fourth to our pack...a beautiful white lab custom ordered by me named Bailey. Okay...so if you're still following we are now up to 4 dogs (add to that 5 chickens, 3 cats, 2 horses, 4 kids and some fish) and we very happy. I worked a lot with Bailey because she was MY girl and we spent A LOT of time together. Well...then comes THE MOVE. Now the move includes living in a subdivision so...what do we do?? Well, WE MOVE...without Q and Bailey (or the horses or chickens or 2 of the cats). We couldn't take all the dogs with us so we had to find some new homes for them. Not exactly sure how the decision was made but Q and Bailey both went to live with new families. We were blessed to find people that truly do love them and care for them...but the grieving goes on. So...I'm grieving over still missing Jake, Bailey and Q and Dylan too... Three weeks after the move...at the young age of 15 Dylan passed away as well. He seemed happier then ever and then just didn't wake up the next day. We took his remains to Ashton and buried him by the river with Jake... they were inseperable for so long...So...GOODBYE our friends...Jake, Dylan, Q and Bailey and now we are down to one dog...Dreck. Now I have been making a huge effort to get to know Dreck and actually like the dog. I have been spending a lot of time with him, I KNOW it's not his fault we left Q and Bailey, I know it's not his fault he will NEVER be Jake, so I'm trying. It's just so hard sometimes... but he is a good dog and hey...maybe I'll bring him in by the fire to lay with me and watch a movie for awhile...

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Flag Football and POM-POMS



Yes... I did say pom poms... now don't get yourselves all worked up out there but I actually did let my daughter be a cheerleader this year... and she did an amazing job and loved it! I'm just hoping that by the time she gets older it will all be completely out of her system!! Actually ALL 4 of the kids participated in Upward Sports this Fall and had a great time. It's a Christian based sports program that has more of a focus on the fact that every child plays, every child learns and every child is a winner. Each week there was practice one day for one hour only and then one game on Saturday. At each practice the kids had a devotional time and learned a scripture. At half-times during the season a different person would share their testimony and the kids were rewarded for different things such as Christ-likeness or Best Offense. It was honestly probably more beneficial for these over-competitive parents trying to raise "normal" kids!! All in all it was a very successful season all the way around! Garrett showed that he has some amazing athletic abilities as did Ethan, Cayden and well Macy too for that matter! Okay so I am a bragging mother but I think that all in all we as a family collected the most interceptions, tackles, and touchdowns... and ...cheers...for the season! We did spend an extraordinary amount of time at the church for practice and games but it was also good family time! Dad made it to almost every game and only escaped once to go hunting so it was awesome. Plus we had games from 12-3 every Saturday afternoon. I did manage to work in some co-ed volleyball playing after the Thursday night practices and some guitar lessons on Tuesday! It was neat being a part of the program though and I'm so glad we participated. It was very interesting to see how the kids stack up to a "different pool" of people. My friend assured me when we moved that the kids would thrive here and I am confident we are going to settle in fine. Thank you Coaches...Praise God.

Back on the Web



Well...the last time I hosted a web site was when my beautiful son Ethan (Robin Hood) was 2 months old and Garrett (the hunter) was 2. Now as I sit typing Ethan (now 10) is arguing with his younger siblings and Garrett is actually out hunting... hence the misadventures of our family! I am going to attempt to keep in touch via this blogspot and hope to get back in touch with old friends and family whom I've lost touch with over the years! I will do my best to keep things updated on a somewhat regular basis and let you know how and what has been happening in our lives. Please be patient with me as I get back into the swing of things!!! We recently moved again and have had a lot of FIRSTS! First time subdivision living, first day of kindergarten, saying goodbye to old friends, making new friends, starting middle school, new jobs, new adventures, first band concerts, first basketball tryouts, first pheasant hunt, and lots more!! Praise God for new adventures and old friends....