Time sure flies....

...when you are growing up!

Today is my eldest son's birthday. I can't believe how quickly the time goes by.

Saturday we ha a celebration for him. The best part is that he thinks "that's all he gets". :)

I made reservations for paint-ball. He'd never played before, but really wanted to try it. So, on Saturday we all loaded up in the car - the five of us, his uncle and 2 cousins along with some friends. We girls didn't play, we let the boys have fun alone. A total of 8 boys (including the "dads") had a great time together! We packed some snacks and cake and hot chocolate. Aaron, the youngest, initially said he wanted to play, but once we got there and he started to put on the gear, changed his mind. I convinced him to just give it a try and if he didn't like it, then one of the girls would take his place. So...off to the woods he went...when they came back after the first round I could see he had had a GREAT time, so I asked him if I could take off his vest and give it to Amanda, so she could play, since he didn't want to - and he said "NO, Mama!! I want to play!" - so we had a good laugh, teasing him a little bit, and he went back and played with the "big boys" for the rest of the afternoon.

Patrick, of course, had a wonderful time! He now wants his own paint-ball gun and gear, so that he can play at home any time he wants to. The other boys all said they had a good time, too, and have been talking about when they can all go again. I guess I'd have to say, he had a great birthday!

The kids all have to go to their dad's for Thanksgiving. We decided that, since we could find no relevant reason that Thanksgiving is on a Thursday, we are going to celebrate it today. So, today will be a great day of Thanksgiving! Thanks for each other, our family & friends, thanks for my son's 12th birthday, thanks for health and happiness, and thanks for the new lives we are building in Oregon - along with so many other things to be thankful for... and after the turkey and stuffing, we will have birthday cake!

From our family to yours - we wish you a happy Thanksgiving, as well - on whatever day you celebrate! :~D

His Business

If anyone is interested in checking out the website to Darren's new business,
check out my myspace. I have a link to it in my blog.

So far it is going well and we are both pretty excited about it!

Settling in...

We are getting settled in, our house is looking more like a home every day. We really like it here.

In addition to where we live, we are making Oregon more officially our home. We have completed all of our "change of address" notifications (I think), I have ordered the Oregon Drivers' License Manual for Darren and myself to get our Oregon licenses, and we are getting Oregon phone numbers. We finally got our land line in today - we can use it as soon as the cordless phones are charged :)

If anyone would like our new information, just let me know and I will send it to you in a personal e-mail. We will also be including the new information in Christmas cards - so if we have your mailing address, you'll be receiving it in the mail :) If we don't have your mailing address, well..... I guess we'll have to figure out a solution to that one :~ }

The next few months will be busy for everyone, I am sure! Lots of festivities and spending time with loved ones. I get to enjoy additional celebrations, as well. Besides the obvious, Patrick's birthday is less than 2 weeks away and Aaron's birthday is in January. My family also has a tradition of celebrating the new year with a feast shared with our loved ones. Traditionally we celebrate on New Years' day - this year, since the children will be in Idaho, we plan to do it as soon as they return. It won't be quite the same, but - as my mom always said - "You do the best you can with what you have to work with"

I hope you all enjoy the beginning of this season of celebrations and that you keep close to your hearts the true meaning of it all .... God Bless you and yours.

And the years fly by....

It seems like only yesterday that my mama and I were walking the streets of "Old Town Pocatello", enjoying the, then annual, Cottages & Cranberries festivities. We were there for two reasons; one, because it was a wonderful winter celebration, and two, we were trying to get me to go into labor. We walked nearly everywhere that winter. It was a wonderful, scary, exciting time. Of course, the baby wouldn't come just then. The baby had ideas of it's own.

Finally the day came. I felt the first pains of labor late in the evening on November 23rd. We went to the hospital at around 2am with contractions 3 minutes apart, lasting one minute, on November 24th. I will spare you all the details. The short version is that my very first child, a boy, was born at 7:28pm on November 24th, 1996.

I can't believe that 12 years have gone by. My sweet, tiny baby boy, the one who saved my life, is nearly a teenager. It is a bitter-sweet time. It is so wonderful to see the young man he is becoming. I just wish the time hadn't gone by so quickly. He is changing so rapidly from a "baby" to a "man". I thank God for him (and my other children) every single day.

How well do you know me? - True or False

Answer True or False to the following questions to find out how well you know me...

I am capable of...

1. Slipping on dry concrete
2. Falling UP stairs and breaking a bone
3. Tripping on flat, unobstructed surfaces
4. Accidentally bumping into someone ten feet away
5. being covered in bruises with no idea where they came from...

He's in BUSINESS!!

Darren just started a new business that he has been dreaming and talking about for the last several years.

He made is first sale last week. He is REALLY excited about it! I don't know how much money he'll make, but the worst case scenario is that he will make enough to continue the pursuit.

As time goes on we are hoping to buy more machinery to make things more efficient. Also, my nieces boyfriend may end up helping out after graduation. (They have been talking about moving nearer by next summer)

Anyway -- I just wanted to share a little success. I am SO happy and proud of my husband! He's finally found his passion!

Halloween 2008

Here are Patrick, Emileigh & Aaron
along with the pumpkins they carved

For costumes this year - I bought the mask Patrick is wearing and the cape for Aaron -
it's the most I've ever spent on Halloween costumes - about $20
with moving, though, I just couldn't find most of our Halloween stuff :~(

They do look pretty good, though. Don't you think?

My Emi -- SUCH an actress!

Aaron doesn't look too bad with dark hair ;^)
(still trying to wash it all out!)

Pumpkin Carving

First you draw how you want it to look.....

it takes a lot of thought....

And then you cut out the "lid" -
MAN style!

And now the face.....
this is how to use a "little knife"

PUMPKIN HEAD!!