Still no pictures.

Here I am, at the library. Again. I may have to take Pete out for coffee tomorrow so I can use his laptop to post my list. It has been absolutely nuts here. There is so much to do and to get done. Our house is finally on the market. You can take the tour here. I am really hoping and praying that it will be quick to sell, but still being realistic. Siobhan hated her school and transferred to a new one today. I will admit this new school is a lot less fancy and that the staff were incredibly friendly. Way more so than the rich school. So, I think she will be happy there. She has a couple of friends and is planning on taking French, which she is excited about. The boys are doing really well and love their school. Olive is just Olive and is mostly compiling complaints against me throughout the day so she can inform her Dad. This is still a little unreal being here. It is great and we love it but it just isn't sinking in yet. We did go to Oktoberfest this weekend. We had so much fun. Both the Newbolds and the Benches made it and we had an awesome time. I am hoping that eventually the kids will not be so shy around each other. So, that 's my news for now. I really promise a list tomorrow so be ready!

Rushed Rambling

Another post with no pictures? Boo,hiss. I have such awesome pictures right now. We made it to Utah and have been busy settling in. School was started first off. Oscar- Loves it, as he is popular! Siobhan- Hates it, but I hope that will take a turn soon. Hansie! First day involved a lot of tears, why had I not thought to explain I would not be attending with him? But after the initial departure he is very happy and loves his teacher. I have been too busy to miss him too much for now. Pete bought his car today. A Ford Confusion and he is very happy. He starts work tommorrow and I am very excited for him. Everything is unloaded and packed either in storage or at Grandmas house. Olive is in heaven getting her nails painted and reading lots of books. Petes cousin lives a couple of houses down. She is 5 and looks EXACTLY LIKE OLIVE. It is a little unerving but Olive adores her already and it is fun that the little kids have so many playmates. So, I know it is Wednesday and I have a list to post but I have 4 remaining minutes so I will have to postpone again until tommorrow. So be ready. We took a little longer for our drive and enjoyed two really nice hotels. Moneybags is really stepping it up now that he is an executive. The weather here is beautiful and we are looking forward to Oktoberfest this weekend. Thank you for all the well wishes on last weeks post. Sara- the eyeballs were not only a hit but they offered me a great deal of leverage. So thank you, it was an awesome present.

The Final Countdown (not the final list)

Well, the Internet was gone a little before I had expected. I am already lost without it. Plus, I think we somehow lost our email address and now I can't even log in here at the library. That's right, we are packing our moving van tomorrow and heading out early Saturday, yet I can't leave without a weekly list. That is what you call dedication. Pete calls it something different. This has been a week of huge ups and downs. I don't even want to think about my goodbyes with my mom and sister. Too much. I love them both more than I could ever express. Over the last year I have realized that they are me and I them. I have never had a closer relationship with my mom and I hope she doesn't fear that will change. I feel a huge responsibility towards her and her well being and I will still be breathing down her neck from Utah. So, before my time runs up on the old library countdown I would like to list 5 things I enjoyed this week.

#1. I will start with my moms visit. We picked her up at the ferry on Sunday and she left this morning. We shopped and ate(not her) and drove around and she prodded me into finishing up my packing. We played Scrabble and gossiped and it was so nice and fun and man do I love her.

#2. Part of the shopping included the long anticipated Lego store . It was all the boys hoped for and Olive bought a whole cup from the bulk brick wall. All pink, (pink legos!) and flowers and picket fences and now she is beginning her own lego obsession. The boys built custom figures and also bought some knights and skeletons and have completely dog eared the catalogs they brought home.

#3. Leaving the mall I ran into my best high school friend Sara, who was in town on business. I have not seen her in ten years and we had planned on meeting the next day. I was so happy that she got to meet the kids and my mom was so happy to get to see her also. The next evening we met in Seattle and closed down a couple of places until we ended up just walking the streets. Yeah, that's right, I said walking the streets. I could have talked all night and am so happy to have her back in my life. She is just the same as teenage Sara and has an awesome sense of humor.

#4. I just saved a ton of money on my car insurance.

#5. We had pizza with the Williams crew last night. It was bittersweet as I look back on the past almost two years and all we have done together. This will always be great memories for me. Some of them difficult, some just plain crazy. But always entertaining. Those kids are my blood and I will always adore and love them. I will hold out hope that someday I will own a Williams. Seven will always be a surprise to me. From the moment I learned he was in the world. Malachi will always be Uncle Petes boy and I look forward to having them come stay with Auntie in the summer. Oh, this is hard.

Despite the goodbyes, I am very excited for this new chapter in our lives. I look forward to what the future holds for me and my babies. How will Pete like the job? How will I handle all my time alone? Who squeezed the Charmin? So, it may be sporadic here but I am sure someone will allow me access to a computer or else I will be back at the library. And I will be checking, so tell me, what did you do this week?

Dirty Little Secrets

Sorry I'm a day late on the list. Pete had the day off yesterday after a root canal on Tuesday. The real estate agents came to scope out the house. I am really happy that we are working with them again. The house is almost all packed and we are at a 9 day countdown. So busy. We have a big week ahead. Pete has to head to Salt Lake for a meeting next week and my mom is coming to see us. I am going to see my friend Sara on Tuesday and then there is the much anticipated visit to the Lego store. It has been a legend amongst the boys. A magical, mysterious place where there is rumored to be a wall of bulk bricks. I am going to make that magic happen next week before we leave. I think I may plan it while Pete is out of state. He is not as Lego friendly as I am.
My kids are very much like me and love their toys and their things. This is a constant source of frustration for Pete because they are also messy like me. This is the sort of habit you can't really keep hidden because it is out in the open for anyone to see. I think I keep things pretty in check but all this packing has thrown the house into chaos. Of course, I have many other, less noticeable habits. That leads me to the list. Five habits or secrets. Of course I am not expecting some deep dark personal secret. Even I wouldn't share that on a blog. Just silly little things that will only mildly be embarrassing. Or if you have no shame, like me, not be embarrassing. So, here are mine....

#1. I watch Golden Girls everyday from 9-10. The kids know this and I have caught Oscar getting hooked a couple of times. Which one's your favorite? I like Dorothy.

#2. I sing in the car, to EVERYTHING.This embarrasses the older kids to no end and when I open the windows they sink as low as they can go. Also, when we are at stores that play music, I dance a little to get them good and riled up.

#3. When I am in the car I usually listen to really crappy rap stations. I used to make up excuses when Pete would drive the car that it landed on that when I was scanning, but he has gotten wise to that and the secret is out. It is so much fun to sing "Apple Bottom Jeans" when Oscar is in the car.

#4. I like to stay up and read late into the night. Sometimes though, I really just play Nintendo DS for hours while the kids are sleeping.

#5. I love to tease the kids. It drives Pete crazy and I have tried to be more "grown up". I was banned from the Sharpie yesterday after Oscar and I had a marker vs. water gun fight. That's okay, I'll get him in the dodge ball game later.

Birthdays

Sunday! A whole new week and I am determined that this will be a fun filled, busy week. So, there was some fun stuff this last week too, so let's get to that. As previously mentioned, Saul turned 4. He is awesome to watch due to his unbridled passion for just about anything presented to him. We met up at Pizza Hut and took up one half of the restaurant. We ended up taking the party outside to open presents. It is so much easier to not contain them. Saul loved his presents. He received some great new clothes from Grandma and a really neat tool set. I opted for a bag of miscellaneous items that he loved. Bananas, punch balloons, a walking dog and Reeses. All of the kids were super impressed by his own Reeses, that did not need to be shared and now I know what they will all be getting for Christmas.

My mom wisely chose the Costco cupcake route. There is seriously about 2 cups of frosting on the top. Olive ate it all and chucked the cake.
Malachi had me hold his so that he could lick his fingers in between bites.
Baby Seven was in the house. Barely fitting into his clothes. He is HEAVY. Siobhan could hardly believe it.
I still call him Seven, but mom has started calling him the Cabbage Patch. Very fitting. Last night we went to Red Robin. Pete and I had never been there before. We don't usually eat out but this move has closed our kitchen down. Oscar had earned some gift certificates last year so we decided to cash in. When the waiter came over and asked if we had ever been there and understood the menu, we both said no. He stopped for a breath, then looked at me oddly. Again I said I hadn't and then he asked, and I quote "Are you being sarcastic?" Loved it. Apparently we are the only Americans to have not eaten there. I also had a doctors appointment this week. When the nurse came in to send me on my way she would not look at me, it was so odd. So I left and after getting to the parking garage realized my embroidered shirt was on backwards. And inside out. The pockets were flapping all over and I still cannot believe that she let me leave like that.
My final item today is a birthday wish to Rosanna Rae. Happy First Birthday! I seriously cannot wait to see her again. She is such a fun,smart girl. So entertaining. We are all thinking of you today Rosanna, have a fun day. We love you!

Pajama

Grandma Pajama,
Happy Birthday! I wish you were here for us to celebrate with. Instead I know you are having a party with all your brothers and sisters. I am sure Grandpa is entertaining everyone, maybe playing guitar, or his Casio, and you are happy to be with your mama. I miss you everyday and I think of you often. Every party and milestone leads me to wish you were with us. I know this is true for mama too. I am amazed sometimes that all the years later I still have a difficult time talking about you. I am so happy that Siobhan and Oscar still remember you and talk about you often. I talk about you with Hans and Olive and hope that they will remember my stories about you when they are older. I hope that you are able to visit us and that you can see how well they are doing. They are getting so big and they are so fun and smart. You would have so much fun with them. They adore their "big grandma" and Mom i s getting more and more like you. This week has been a hard one Grandma. I am so excited to move and start a new home but I am so sad to leave mom. On Tuesday my friend Joel was killed by a reckless driver and I am having a hard time imagining him gone. Remember he watched Oscar for me when I worked at the preschool? He came over to your house a couple of times with his boys. With Joel, Oscar would just cry and cry so you kept him with you. I would come to pick him up and he would be in your shopping cart next to your rocking chair watching TV with you. You would feed him through the basket and he was perfectly happy as long as he wasn't being held. When he was sleepy you would take him out and sing and rock him. I loved that and we still talk about it. Well, I guess that is it for now. I miss you so much and I hope you know that we are all thinking of you today and always. I love you with all of my heart. Matilda Jane

Joel

Tonight I want to add another school memory. When I was a freshman in high school I decided to try out for cheer leading. I didn't even really want to be one, just to have tried out. We were paired with other girls and I was matched up with a girl named Adrianna. We tried out together and both made it. She went on to become a cheerleader and I decided not to. She dated a football player throughout high school named Joel and they married shortly after. Joel and I have been friends since middle school. He was the boy who gave me the Grand Tetons nickname in middle school and drove me insane. But we were friends. Out of high school we worked together for awhile for my aunt at Oneida. She loved him because he was so fun and he got away with never doing any work. A few years later we both had kids. He has a son, Jacob, Siobhans age and a son, Nathan, around Oscars age. Siobhan and Jacob attended the Pacific Grove Cooperative Preschool together. A requirement was working at the school one day a week. We traded off babysitting for each other and hung out a great deal at the preschool. The kids played at the park together and had a lot of fun. Joel was an amazing friend to me at that time and a really great listener. When I left for Utah I missed him and his family. We spoke on the phone for awhile and eventually I was off onto a whole new life. My heart is absolutely broken tonight. Joel was hit by a car on Tuesday in front of the middle school we had attended and died. I am in a state of numbness right now and I grieve for not only him but his boys and Adrianna. Jacob is autistic and to watch him with his Dad was something special. He was an extremely devoted father and worked in the evenings to care for the boys during the day. He was patient and loving and I am just so sad. Please, please say a prayer for his family. I hope and pray that Adrianna is okay. I hope that Joel didn't suffer and that he is at peace. I will miss you Joel and always treasure our friendship. I will always remember what a good friend you were to me. I will always keep your family in my prayers and be amongst the many that will have great stories for your boys about you. God rest you, with love, Grand Tetons.

Schooled

Today is the first day of school. After much discussion Oscar chose to go for just the first three days. Just enough time to see everybody and catch up on summer shenanigans. Then he will hang out at home until he starts his new school in Utah. He chose his first day outfit and put on his backpack an hour before the bus came. So, fifth grade for Oscar. He is so smart and I am excited to watch him learn this year. I think this will be a big year for him. Yes, he is growing his hair out and is really proud of it.
Siobhan will attend school every day until we leave. This will be no different for her because to Siobhan school is all about socializing. Her friends are upset that she is leaving and she has had several offers to let her live here with friends. From parents. I think I'll keep her. I need my BonBon, she is too fun.
She chose a Power Ranger backpack for this year. Grandma got it for her on her birthday. Her dad bought her the shoes. That was a long process. You can make custom Converse on their website. These are actually the extra tall ones, though you can't tell with the pants over them. She chose all the colors and patterns. Then she wanted the writing on them. After a cancelled order due to the mention of the phrase jackass and a separate copyright issue, she chose Party Ranger. So, party ranger is at school today and happy to be there.

I decided that it would be to hard for Hans to start here and then again at a new place in two weeks. So, I kept him home and he is anxious for Utah. I felt really bad when the kids were preparing last night and he felt left out, but he'll have his day soon. Plus, today is Sauls 4th birthday! So, a party will be had tonight. This leaves me with the list. In celebration of the first day of school let's share 5 school memories. Here we go....

#1. I remember Kindergarten clearly. Especially the boy who peed in class. Also, my cousin Serena attending my class when she was here from Germany.

#2. In 6th grade my mom, who chose our outfits, had me wear a sweatshirt dress. Popular at the time with leggings. The school counselor made me bend over in front of the english class and then sent me to the office to call my mom for another outfit. Too short for her liking and my mom was not happy with the call.

#3. Handball, handball, handball!

#4. Hearing about my parents from most every teacher I had. Growing up in a small town is great for that. Middle school was all about my dad. High school was about my mom and dad, usually stories of them kissing in the halls, or about my grandma Jane who was a teacher at the high school. I also heard a lot about my cousins, the Sheppard twins.

#5. All of my friends. I had really great friends and a lot of fun in all my grades. In elementary school my best friends were Nicole Cavallaro and then Caroline Geisler. In middle school Nicole and I held strong but then in high school she switched to Monterey High and I became best friends with Sara Russell who lived a few blocks behind me. I recently found her on Facebook(love that) and I am looking forward to seeing her this month. School friends are so important. My heart is breaking for Siobhan right now, although I know she will quickly find a new group of friends in Utah and I only hope they are half as fun and nice as the girls she has here. So, that's the list for the week. I plan on keeping up with my posting even throughout this chaos. Hope you will too!

Pioneers

Well, it has been a crazy, mixed up week here. Siobhan was in Idaho with a friend and during that time Pete was called and offered a new position with Macys. A humongous promotion for him and a huge move back to Utah for us. This has been a great experience for us. It's good to leave your comfort zone and throw yourself into something new. We have had to depend on each other and it was sometimes difficult. In the almost two years we have lived here a lot has happened in our lives. We have spent thousands of hours with my beloved Williams and my mom and John moved here. My only regret in moving is leaving my Mama. I can't write about it now, this is a freshly opened hurt and I need to leave it a minute. On the favorable side of leaving, I really dislike this town and it will always be a reminder of where I got sick. Besides leaving my family I am happy to be heading back to Salt Lake City. I am happy to see all my other family and my friends. I feel good there. I am comfortable and happy in the surroundings and Pete and I will be able to make a good life there for our kids. So two weeks from now we will be "Utahards" (thanks Kim and Troy). I'm sad to say, I must be on my way

So buy me beer and whisky 'cause I'm going far away

I'd like to think of me returning when I can

To the greatest little boozer and to Sally MacLennane
................................................................The Pogues

Word Girl

Olive has been channeling Ms.Cleo the past few days. If you call now, for $9.95 she will probably whine or cry or call you a buckethead.

I seriously love words. Especially catch phrases and geographical slang. I bought Grandpa Fish a set of slang flashcards for Christmas to help him acclimate. Thanks to Silas we regularly use, oh snaps! Not snap, but snaps. Grip is another Williams favorite, as in "Someday I'll have a grip of money." We have a few family coined phrases as well. Having lived in a few different states now, I have picked up a few along the way. And to anybody that's wondering, Utah definitely has there own accent. I love the whole soda versus pop debate. I love that Pete noticed that I say on line and he says in line. But right now my new favorite is soft pants. This one is credited to Aaron and Tara. Soft pants as in pajamas or sweats. This is the best in a long while. Washington is a soft pants bonanza. Everybody here wears sweats on a regular everyday basis. I was so excited to have a new word for sweats. I recently found this site, to help feed my addiction. In addition to that, todays list will be 5 of your favorite phrases or words. I know we all have some. Especially Dad, seeing as he reads the dictionary and all. Here are mine...

#1. Sew Button. I must say this at least a dozen times a day. This I gleaned from Sharon.

#2. Chicken Banana. A few years back at the dinner table we started talking about something that embarrassed Oscar. Unable to handle the situation he blurted out chicken! followed a few seconds later by banana! Chicken Banana has been around ever since and is the most commonly used phrase in our house, by everybody. At least a dozen times a day. Really.

#3. Man oh manashewitz. Another one from my Jewish Mama.

#4. Cough due to cold. When the kids are upset or in a bad mood I always ask them "What's wrong?cough due to a cold?" Recently, on a recent sick day for me Oscar asked me the same and I can now rest easy that I passed it on to the kids.

#5. Bonanza. This one is straight from old Sculley Bones. John has a lot of good Boston sayings, but Freaken Bonanza is Petes favorite and he uses it often.

Luck of the Irish

Oscar is going to be a very rich man someday. He has a knack for making and holding onto money. He keeps really great accounting records and knows to the penny where his money has gone. He recently spent a large portion of his change jar on a video game he had been wanting. He can spend hours shopping on ebay. Mostly Pokemon related items. I didn't realize how familiar he was with ebay until I saw him type in Buy It Now Pokemon. He gave me very detailed instructions on when exactly to bid for him. Following those instructions, I was successful in winning. Now comes the difficult task of waiting for the item to arrive. To keep him busy and replenish his funds he has been asking for jobs to earn a little cash. He and Pete went back and forth over mowing the lawn for a bit and finally negotiated a price that we had available on hand. Four lottery scratchers that were $1 winners. Oscar likes being paid in scratchers. You may recall this isn't our first time exposing our children to gambling. So, Pete gave him the option of 4 dollars or 4 more scratchers and Oscar opted for the latter. Well, he won on two for a total of $12.00! Tripled his profit and he was beyond thrilled. Last night Pete cashed them in for him and Oscar asked for a ten and two more scratchers. Pete was happy about that idea and had planned a little lesson in his head about the temptation of gambling and how you don't always win. Then Oscar won 5 more dollars and the lesson went out the window. I guess it's luck of the Irish. Next up? The racetrack down the street.

Gargamel!

My days have been completely thrown off this past week and I forgot today was Wednesday. There has just been so much going on. So many things are occupying my mind and time right now. I was so excited to hear from my cousin Serena (Hi Serena!)when we returned. She and I are the same age, but she was born in Germany and has lived her entire life there. I was so excited to hear from her and then there was the added bonus of an invite to view her pictures on Flicker. Some old ones including our grandparents and some recent ones that allowed me to see my Aunt Barbara Jane and my other two cousins. Then, to add to the excitement,I heard from my cousin Josh who also has old family pictures up and I see that this is going to be an absolutely awesome way to share some old family pictures and memories. So, I have been hooked on Flicker and going through my own photos so that I can share in the fun even though there is so much else to be done. Some other things going on? Pete interviewed for a new position with Macys last week, there's all the unpacking from our trip to be done, summer is winding down and my baby boy will be starting school. It's just craziness right now. The big talk right now is what kind of backpack to choose. Pete asked,"Don't they already have backpacks?" But in my opinion, you have to start a new school year fresh. I love back to school. New start, new clothes, all the fresh school supplies. I remember the Lisa Frank portfolios, trapper keepers, pee chee folders. All good stuff. I once had a Mr.Peanut lunch box, a Holly Hobby lunchbox,a Beatles binder(passed down from my mom), but the best were the cartoon themed. I love cartoons. At least the cartoons from my youth. The new stuff doesn't interest me much. Except SpongeBob, I do enjoy that one occasionally with the kids. Hans is obsessed with cartoons and I have been trying to phase out a couple that I really don't care for. I wonder which he will remember as his favorite? I am a little disappointed that Saturday morning cartoons seem to be a thing of the past. There seems to be a few 24 hour cartoon channels going which has eliminated that anticipation for the weekend. I loved that feeling, after garage sales. Most likely at Grandmas, fighting with my sisters over who's turn it was to choose. So, here is 5 I enjoyed....

#1. Captain Caveman. I loved when I was on the tail end of a cold and had a scratchy throat because I thought I sounded like Taffy.

#2. Hair Bears. I have been told this is not real, but I remember it and here is a little proof.

#3. The Smurfs. Loved,loved,loved them. Bought a million of those little plastic figurines and stuffed animals. Last month Oscar bought an in the box smurf village and I bought him the bedding set at a thrift store in Salt Lake.

#4. Chilly Willy and Woody Woodpecker. I mostly associate these with my Grandpa. These two he enjoyed and would sign the themes to.

#5. Yogi Bear.

I am curious to see what formed your young mind. I am also curious to see what Hans will choose for a backpack. Oscar is set on Pokemon. Hans wants Kangaroo Jack. I may end up getting a plain backpack and embroidering a kangaroo on it. He only saw that movie once but he's obsessed. His favorite cartoon is Futurama, so I'm trying to talk him into a Bender pack. So, list it up! I know you are there! Especially you Dad....I'll be waiting!

Oh Snaps!

I forgot to tell you Siobhan and Oscars favorite parts! Siobhan managed to struggle through a week of us. She only had one sleepover the whole week! She is really a good girl. She played with the little kids and eavesdropped on gossip. She finished the first book in the Twilight series and started the on the second. She likes to hold all the babies and kids. I know it can be hard to be the oldest by so many years, but she did good.
For a thirteen year old. Oscar kind of relishes in being the older kid. He is pretty good with all the kids and will gladly sit and play with babies for an hour or so. He still was able to squeeze in some time to torture his little brother.
He did awesome on the hike. He stuck right by my side and checked on me. He made it all the way up and back down and really liked the cave. I'd have to say his favorite part though was a combination of Millies burgers, Banbury Cross donuts and 4 new packs of Pokemon cards. Okay, now that everybody has been represented I can give this blog a break until tomorrow

The Year of the Fruit Skirt

We are back home, as of last night. What a week! I always feel like we have so much time, but end up stumped as to how we weren't able to do everything we had thought we could. Then I remember.....big family. Anyway, our trip started off with Olive in her "fruit skirt". She has worn this for a better part of three weeks. Everyday. With pink kitten heels that have a bow on top. She did change it up a little in Utah by wearing nothing but underwear. Of course we started off the trip with several big things. First of all, I want to tell Kim that we absolutely chose to visit when we did, because we would not have missed the boys first birthday! It was so fun, these boys are adorable. So different, poor Chase was not into the cake at all, so Cooper took advantage and sampled a little of each. I wish I had a twin to score double desserts from.
It is really fun that the Runnells have a mini Kim and a mini Troy. Chase really resembles his mom and when I saw this picture I had to laugh, this is a complete and total Kim face.
There is no doubt in anyones mind that Cooper is the spitting image of his Dad. He is hilarious and the entertainer. Both boys were so fun to watch and I am so glad that we were there to see them right after they were born and then again for the big birthday! I sure love them.
Also taking place on Sunday was Delyla's baby blessing. I was beyond thrilled that Melissa passed her over in church and I got to hold her until it was over! She is so beautiful. I don't know how I didn't get a good picture in her dress, but she really doesn't need any adorning. She is just a doll. Hans and Landon picked up right where they left off. They have so much fun together. I am so happy that the kids all are so at ease with not only each other, but with me as well. I love that they come to me just as easy as they do their moms. It was great that Jeremy and Annisha have moved back and we were able to spend time with them as well. Jocelyn is such a fun girl. She is the only girl I have seen Hans allow to touch her. She is so outgoing and so sweet.
We went to Aunt Gretchens so Darwin could show us their new house. When Siobhan asked him on the first day of the trip how his new house was, he exclaimed,"Even awesomer than yours!" Darwin is also such a sweet little guy. It was kind of fun to see how much he has changed, definitely moving into the big boy territory.
Hans' favorite part of the trip was the goats at Darwins house. He has three and Hans could have spent the rest of the week with them. He fed them and walked them on a leash. He is still talking about them.
The highlight for Olive was her very first sleepover! She loved living at Aunt Taras and Uncle Aarons for a night. She is still begging for another night. I can't beleive she did it. I was so impressed how she behaved with Maggie. She was so happy to be with girls. Magnolia is a completely different kid from the last few years. We spent the afternoon at the Cottonwood Spa swimming and she just got right in and swam! She found Hans hilarious and they really enjoyed watching Strange Brew together. The best was listening to their awesome Canadian accents. Petes highlight, I would have to say, was all the rainbow trout they caught. Honestly, just pulled one out after another. Hans,Olive,Jocelyn,Siobhan,Oscar, and Nathan all caught a fish, or several. They were delicious and Pete was so happy to have a successful fishing trip. We all camped out on Friday, the entire Lindgren clan, less Zak and Rebecca. He is on his guard month.

We ended with a hike up to Timpanogos Cave. This is the crowd, pre hike. This was before I realized my fear of heights was going to be seriously tested and I would find out how steep the hike really was. I was sooo proud of these kids. They made it all the way up! They loved the cave and then made the hike all the way down. Of course, Olive was carried on her Dads shoulders, or soldiers as she calls them.
My favorite part? All the kids and their parents and the grandparents. It was so fun to be with everybody. To visit with the girls, to watch the kids play. In this picture, I am holding baby Roseanna Rae. She is a doll. Just talks and laughs. She let me hold her lots. So, overall a good trip. Actually, an amazingly great trip. I bought a new, bigger memory card and man can I hold a lot of pictures. I may try to put some up on flicker later. So, good to be back, I missed my blog and I can't wait to catch up with everyone!

Two Years Old

I missed it yesterday. It was my second blogging anniversary. I am so happy that I have stuck with this and chronicled two years of our life. It is so fun to look back and see how the kids (and grown ups) have changed. I am grateful for the connections that I have been able to maintain with my friends and family. I am excited for the renewed love of writing that I have found. Sharon really encouraged me with her praise and I have branched out and started writing short stories for fun. This blog has become such a part of my everyday routine. So, thank you for coming here to visit me and being a part of our life. I think this calls for more cake!

Foodies

The last few weeks I have been keeping a close eye on the blackberries around here. They are everywhere. Last year we had very little success in canning. I am a novice but determined, I tried again this year. Success! I have big plans for my pressure cooker (thanks Sharon!). I love the satisfaction of having food that I know came right from the source. It is hard work picking blackberries. I have a mild allergy to the pollen that comes off of it and man did my arms hurt for a couple of days. But what a lesson for the kids. I like that they know how much work goes into getting their food, be it from ourselves or others. All of my kids are pretty good eaters. Adventurous (except Oscar), and ravenous. I would say that I come from a long line of "foodies". We are all pretty passionate about food. We enjoy our shows, especially No Reservations and The Splendid Table. I am very excited for an upcoming broadcast where my sister Alex will be catering the event through her work. We like to try new things and experiment with new recipes. Ultimately though, we have our staple meals, the ones we always fall back on. So, let's branch out. What are your five most frequently used meals? Maybe we can get some ideas from each other! Here's my five.....

#1. Beans and tortillas. We have making pots and pots of beans this past year. This is my ultimate comfort food. My grandma had refried beans for every meal and I will never taste any like hers. A big plate with a warm flour tortilla is my favorite meal.

#2. Meatballs. Pete makes meatballs often. The kids love them and they are kind of his specialty.

#3. Brats. I never really cared for Bratwurst until I met Pete. Must be all the Oktoberfest. We eat a lot of bratwurst.

#4. Breakfast for dinner. Who doesn't love this? Pancakes and eggs? Come on, cannot beat that. Except if you add bacon.

#5. Pizza. I am a 15 year old boy when it comes to pizza. I could eat it everyday. Seriously. Every time we have pizza Pete says, "No pizza for at least 6 months." I love to make pizza from scratch. Pizza dough is so easy to make and then you can customize each individual pizza. I especially love mine with mushrooms, garlic(lots), onions, basil and artichoke hearts. Delicious.

The Gazette

In my family I am known as "The Gazette". I don't like to say it, but I love gossip. Not really even gossip, just to be the first to announce something. I live for the shocked or amazed faces as I unveil a new pregnancy or that someone tripped on the sidewalk. Doesn't matter what, I love to know it all. Not a flattering trait, but it is in my genes. So, I was very proud of myself that I managed to surprise Siobhan with a party upon her return from California. It was fun to have everybody here to celebrate. Her dad kept her entertained for the day while I set up. I had called her friends a few weeks ahead and she had a pretty fun crowd. We also had the entire Williams crew and my Mom and John and Alex.

It is so nice having her and Oscar back. WE had a great time. She received a lot of really nice presents. I was impresses that the boys that came brought her thoughtful gifts. Oscar bought her Sharpies.
So, Friday night was party night and a few ended up staying over and the boys hung around until about 10:30 or so. Pete made margaritas for the adults and we played cards and had a great time.
The next day, my mom took my sisters and I out for an afternoon in the city. We had a great lunch by the water and my mom bought me some awesome clothes for my birthday. It was such a great, special day. I liked this photo because it looks like Alex has a gimpy arm growing from her side.
Who had the most fun this weekend though? This guy.....

Happy 34th! I mean 35th....

Happy Birthday Matilda! This is a special guest post for my favorite girl. She is 35 today, a milestone.. There are so many words and so many photos that I could add but none would do justice to the way I feel about her. Through every trial she comes out smiling, and keeps me thinking straight. I love you! happy Birthday!