5 years old = Kindergarten

In Pine they've been starting school at the end of July. The day after Gwen's Birthday, she didn't mind though, she was TOO excited to go to school & meet other kids her age!

It's truly surreal watching your baby grow to be a big girl. One that you can send away for 6 hours during the day.

Security is found at Pine School. I grew up with her teacher, know her personally, her class size is only 8 students, so I know she's recieving plenty of one on one time with the teacher & aides!

sharing the photos

I am over inindated with great photos from our family's fun affairs while Brooke was here!


No words can describe how much we enjoyed having the whole family together!


Sit back, relax, & enjoy:)

Grey water flourishings

So wonderful what washer water does for a garden....once you get the garden in where the grey water despenses.

Don't judge my compost pile in the corner.....it helps my garden immensely! It was left unturned for these pictures:)

Mostly squash Yellow, Zuccinni & Grandma's favorite, Scallop! We have tomatos inbetween.....and we may success with corn this year! YEAH! The peas having been suppling our afternoon snacks for about a month now, we'd like to get a couple more!

Great Grandchild Update & Re-Count

Grandma asked me twice how many great grandkids she has now. I guessed 25 and figured since I had the list, and we are close to almost a year's lapse since the last count, we should just update it together!
So, let's update together (why not?)
Alyn & Nate - 3 - Madi, Lia, & Charlie
Andrew & Jessica - 1 William Charles
Brooke & Mike - 2 Emma & Andrew
Kori & John - 2 Spencer & Tanner
Jesse & Mindy - 2 Cai & Maya
Allison & Mike - 3 Preston, Caleb & Brigham
Cody & Emilee - 1 Eliza
Stefani & Bret - 2 Gracie & Holland
Mollie & Matt - 1 Gwendalyn Ava
Amanda & Steve - 1 Kate
Amantha & Colt - 2 Damen & Athan
Chase & Aliona - 2 Silas (one in the oven:)
Erin & Matt - 1 Charlotte
Brittany & Daniel - 1 Benjamin
TOTAL = 24

Congrats everyone, we have a great family. We have been blessed with such wonderful babies!

Surgery & Sibling Suprises!

It's routine you tell yourself....it's ok.
Of course it is, nothing was telling me to be nervous about the quaduple bypass scheduled for Dad this past Tuesday.
Well, nothing till Amantha called, explaining the she was dropping EVERYTHING and going to go see dad before the surgery. She is the nurse of the family! When the medical professional gets nervous, the sister follows suit (me that is). I took all my stress & nervousness out on the house. We organized the spices, cleaned the shelving wall, pulled up flooring, vacuumed.....anyway, you get the hint, frustrated holding down the fort while you know your dad is medically bypassed, chest & leg cut open, and knowing that at SOME point they WILL try to get the heart to start pumping as it was BEFORE they stitched new veins on there! SCARY!
Either way the surgery WAS procedure, all went well. Dad is working on walking, healing, & coming home a healthier Dad than he has been in years:)
Now for the suprises!
I recieved a phone call yesterday from mom's phone....Hi my mommy:)
No, this is Brooke, but I AM calling you from mom's phone:)
Ok, you have 6 siblings how did you get here with out ANY of us knowing about it? AMANTHA & HILLARY, they are the conspiring culprits!
We love them for it....Brooke bringing the family here unexpededly after the cancelled trip in March was the BIGGEST HAPPY BOOSTER we ALL needed!
Thank you Brooke!
Thank you for loving us!
We can't wait to see Emma & Andrew again! (it's been a year and Gma Tayrien has NEVER met Andrew:)
As for the conspiring siblings....you two are good....I would have told the world! This was TOO BIG! Made my mommy's week and took so much stress off her shoulders I can only imagine!

Brooke will be here with the family for the next two weeks & we can't WAIT to be together as a family!
Finally Family Photos:)

These are some of the best from the past year's visits from Brooke & the family!

FIRE

Well, it's fire season here in the country! We're pretty custom to dealing with these early "slacker" (campfire) fires. This one is only a mile away, and a little close for comfort!

Matt came home Monday morning from work and asked, "you see that fire?"

I said yes, but not worried, "you know it's a prescribed burn." I was wrong.

It wasn't. I went to work, and before I knew it Matthew was calling me.

Helicopters dipping in the Randall's pond were waking him up from his sleep.

Before he knew it the mountain was covered in slurry!

Years ago we had to deal with one 10 miles out & they had us preparing for evacuation. Grandma was here at the time and I asked her what she wanted to grab.....everything? She didn't know where any of her "important" things were.

I took advantage of this situation to show her that we have to be prepared, and living with stuff stacked up to our eyes.......is NOT being prepared.

Since this, I have worked periously to organize pictures, papers, & items that mean something to her!

Please keep us in your prayers! The winds are suppose to pick up today! 45 mph gusts! I have friends and family that are more worried about how close it is than I am.....I say it's on the mountain, and fires burn up hill. It'd take alot to get that fire down that hill:)

I'll update everyone at the end of today, let you know the acreage.

Pictures show our view from the house, and mom's house!

Are we done spring cleaning yet?

Gwen says this morning...fresh out of bed, looking at the big blue sky & cuddling with me....

"Mom, my body REALLY wants to go swimming"

I love this kid.

Soon child, soon. We can go swimming. Till then, SLAVE LABOR!!!! :) Joking!

Gwendalyn Ava

There once was a girl

Who had a little curl

Right in the middle of her forhead

And when she was good, she was very very good,

But when she was bad, she was horrid!

Playing Outside

Playing Outside is how I trick my brain to think that hard spring work is actually playing, given it's not being couped up inside crying over the computer I have to rebuild:)

Ahhhhh....playing outside, I love it! Love spring, I wish we'd get more rain, but I am sooooo excited for the garden, one we don't have to stunt due to the dry season.

When you plant a garden in Pine you can water it in May, then not again till mid July. Not good for veggie plants. Especially the tomato & squash that grandma loves! Therefore, we are moving the garden to the grey water.
I won't leave you with a teaser, I'll leave some before and middle pictures, but with the storm coming in, (along with the taxes dead line), you'll have to wait till May for finished products.


That was ALOT of digging.....and yes.....we are trying to find a piece of siding for the house, they don't make particle board shingles anymore, go figure.

Not MY hp....it'll never happen

Remind me to a back up disc on my computer before I loose EVERYTHING!!!!!

No really, someone, please remind me how horrible it is to loose all your pictures, invoices, recipes, college work, real estate documents!

Honestly, that's my sarcasm kicking in again, it's too late. Sad, so sad.
I am SOOOO extremely thankful for the blogger, myspace, & facebook accounts that held MOST of my favorite pictures. All extras are lost.
Bummer. I knew it was coming too.....computer was glitching out.....and one day.....nothing but error.
F11 had to be pushed.
Never phased me till I sat down to do some business today....and what, no invoices, no Microsoft office already installed, frustration sets in, you shed a little tear, then you......

......shut the computer and walk away. Play outside instead! YEAH! Great alternative if you as

Someday

I will find a project that doesn't involve a domino project effect, a strained back & calloused hand. I am determined!
Gwendalyn, Matt, Myself, Damen & Athan have been taking advantage of the great weather playing outside!
I play by raking, shoveling, mowing & sweeping....they help....kind of.....as in the words of Damen, "I can't anymore, I have splinters!"
I'll accept that.......go play now, just DON'T EAT THE ANTS!!!

I have lots of before and after pictures of our projects to come!
I have reached the point where I can start pulling out kitchen sections, scouring, sorting, sanding, painting, & hopefully drywall repair once I am secure with the fact that I CAN do this myself!

Stay tuned in the next month for pictures!

The Bucket List

Not really my bucket list, But an interesting survey of life.

The Bucket List(as in things you should do before you kick the bucket)
( x) Gone on a blind date
(x) Skipped school
() Watched someone die
( ) Been to Canada
() Been to Mexico
() Been to Florida
() Been to Hawaii (Thank you mom and dad Whitmer for the graduation present)
(x) Been on a plane (once, 8th grade, 7 hour trip to san diego)
(x) Been lost
() Gone to Washington, DC
(x) Swam in the ocean (Santa Monica)
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
(x) Played cops and robbers
(x) Recently colored with crayons
(x) Sang Karaoke (One of my favorite past times from the teenager years).
(x) Paid for a meal with coins only - When you have 2 dollars in quarters, why not.
() Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
() Made prank phone calls - None that I remember:)
( ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose - Water, last week:)
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) Danced in the rain
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(x) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sunrise with someone
(x) Blown bubbles(x) Gone ice-skating
(x) Been skinny dipping outdoors- Fossil Creek....growing up, back in the days, don't judge me:)
() Gone to the movies alone - Mamma mia, no one (but gwen) would go with me:)
() Been deep sea fishing
() Driven across the United States alone ( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
( ) Gone snowmobiling
( ) Lived in more than one country
(x) Laid outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(x) Seen a falling star and made a wish
( ) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
() Seen the Statue of Liberty in person
( )Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
( ) Been on a cruise
(x) Traveled by train
() Traveled by motorcycle
(x) Been horse back riding - First date with matt (singles activity)
( ) Ridden on a San Francisco Trolley
(x) Been to Disneyland
( ) Been to DisneyWorld
(x)Truly believe in the power of prayer!
( ) Been to the top of an active volcano and seen hot lava
( ) Been in a rain forest
( ) Seen whales in the ocean
( ) Seen dolphins in the ocean
( ) Been to Niagara Falls
( )Ridden on an elephant
( ) Swam with dolphins

24 out of 56 items. I wonder how many everyone else will get!

Playlist Help

Who can tell me how to add a Playlist to my blog. Everytime I click, "add Gadget" I can't find where I can copy the code.
I know you are out there! HELP!