July ended with a THUD!

We took down three of our ten back yard trees. James' best bud Rob came and chopped them down for us. It was two plus weekends of crazy hot messy work. The kids helped clean up the mess too (their choice for the most part) and they enjoyed watching the whole tree dropping business.

Then we took down the play house or toy garage as Tyler called it. What a mess. Again it was a family affair.

James and I got to grind out the stumps. Ohh Ahh! Then the big boys (James and Rob) took the bobcat to the yard and leveled it out.

So that wraps up July!

October makes me think of......

(I will continue my summer updates later)


My mother making an AWESOME mummy costume for my little brother. It was SO COOL!!!! Then he looked in the mirror and cried like a little baby and went trick or treating as a Hobo. DORK. LOL!!!!!!!

The year my mom made my sister look like some Japanese garden fairy type person. She did the most amazing eye make up. I wish I had pics to post.

We never had store bought costumes and many years we went as Hobos but we always had fun.

My Mom is very creative and very talented. It came in handy for ALL holidays.

July.....in a nut shell

July 1-July19

Well July started off with a bang!

Daddy took all the kids on rides. Connor kept asking for Dad to go faster!

Cody making sure he stomped all hid pop-its!

Ryan was so cute helping the little boys with their sparklers.

We spent the eaving out at Rob and Mary's as is our norm for the 4th. The kids had a blast. And besides lighting a tree on fire the night went great!

On July 8th:

Auntie (no my kids do not call them auntie lol!) Karen and Auntie Deb took Tyler and Elizabeth to Seattle for the day.

There are ton of these crazy pigs all over Seattle!

The main attraction for the day was the Seattle Aqurium.

I guess Tyler thought he otter take a nap. Ha-ha-ha!

Elizabeth playing Next Top Model!

This is on the train coming home. Elizabeth was napping. She looks a little out of it. LOL!!

The Next Day

Then the next day they took Connor and Cody to Point Defience Zoo & Aqurium.

Aunt Deb and the boys. (Connor yellow/Cody blue)

The big FISH!

Con-man peacking through the log! He is so fun!


The Next Week

The following week Tyler started Scouts with a BANG at scout day camp. He had a blast!! He made a flower box, shot bows & arrows, shot BB guns!! And oh so much more.

No pictures sorry.

That Thurday (July 16th) Tyler turned 8!!! WOW!!!

Again oddly no pictures. I know I took some....I will add them in when I find them.

Saturday the 18th Tyler was baptised a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!!!!!! I will have to make a seperate post for all the gush on this!

We had a big family party afterwards. It was Tyler's b-day party, Karen's b-day party, & a Rhonda & Andy's "we got a little girl" party. It was nuts!
I thought I had pictures of this too, but all I can find are the pictures of KAren's birthday cake Dustin made!

On Sunday we went out to see the garden and beach by Point DefianceAhh She is so perty!

Tyler and Elizabeth climbed up the side of this big ole hill with Ben, Kristine and Aunt Deb. then they slide down. Dirty, dirty, dirty!

The gang.

Across the back: Ben, Karen, Deb, Michelle & Robert

Front: Aralee (Ben's friend), Karolyn, Grandma Shirley (try not to judge the pants LOL!) Elizabeth, Tyler, Me with Cody, Kristine with Connor and then Grandpa Dean.

So that is the first two weeks!!

So much has been going on...

The end of June:

Dad (Dean) and James insulated and drywalled the garage. Then Karen, Dad, James and I put on a new garage door. Yeah that was fun.......NOT!!! LOL!!

The little boy found bugs under the log. they kept rolling it back and forth yelling "bugs!!!" It was too funny!On the 28Th I got older. This is my Raspberry Lemonaide birthday cake Dustin ( a friend and baker) made for me.
Later that week I learned how to make jam. Thanks Mom (mom-in-law) for teaching me. I drive her crazy asking question but she puts up with me.

It turned out pretty dang good. James had that little jar infront gone in one weekend. LOL!!

Take you Family to Work Day!

Today we all went with James to work. Old Dominion is celebrating it's 75th year!! James has worked for them for the past two years. They bought out his old company. Any who they had some fun stuff and a catered BBQ!! Yummy!!! Here are some cute shots of the kids.

The kids got to climb all over the cab of the anniversary truck. It is really awesome. James get to drive it to Boise on Monday. Connor is in control of the keyboard!

Elizabeth is talkin' trucker talk.

The big kids got to drive the remote control big rig!!

The little boys kept wanting to pet it. It was a blast.

Here is Tyler driving a big rig on the Wii. He was funny to watch. However I may never let this boy get a drivers licence!

Change

I don't do change! Not well anymore. I never used to blink at major life changes. I would have never survived my childhood if I did. I have had many childhood houses, two step-dads, several foster homes, and plenty of boyfriends. I went to no less than 4 grade schools, and 3 high schools.

I would love to say this changed with James but alas it did not. It changed with Brenda. She never gave up. She showed up at my house on a regular occasion to invite me to activities. She made me a regular babysitter for her kiddos. She never let me go. She never gave up on me. She has been the one person who has remained constant in my life since I was 15. So almost but not quite 20 years. She made me realize that I hated change. LOL!! She helped make me who I am today. Without her I think I might have been able to pull it off but not as soon or as well as I did.

Now I can say growing up I did not see myself married to just one man the rest of my life. Dude I didn't even see myself getting married. LOL! I didn't think I was worthy of that. Again Brenda helped me see the light. And when James walked into my life there was no longer a question.

So now I really hate change! I refuse to change my sheets unless James is home. Weird I know! But if I change them and he is gone then he will get hurt or worse. Don't ask me where I got that but I have always been that way with him. I think it because when he is not home I sleep on his pillow and I love to smell him.

I like to change thing up a bit now and than but for the most part I like my rooms set up the same way. We have unofficially assigned places at the dinner table. Every mourning I start my day by doing the dishes. And I end it by sleeping on Jamie's pillow!

my friends need to update their blogs!!

Yes Liz we know Brad is a great dad. But come on tell me something new!! :)

And Levi is 13 now....okay not really but.....what about Allie's b-day? Tell me more I need a pic of those cute cherry flip-flops!

Any who update!!!! Love ya!