Wake up Call for Christmas

Yesterday I awoke with 100 things running through my mind. Presents to wrap and deliver, primary binders still needing to be put together, goodies to be made for neighborhood parties and so many things. At church I was grouchy trying to organize in my head how to accomplish all these things, so grouchy that I snapped at Kim for rubbing my shoulders. (I know Kim told me that any woman alive would pay good money for him to rub thier shoulders. He is so good for me when I get all uptight on him.) After church I had meetings so I barked orders at my kids to put this in that car and this in that truck as I hurried in to meetings. All through the meeting I heard my kids being loud and crazy and then I would hear my neibor trying to quiet them down. When I finally got out of meetings, I was getting after the kids for being loud and disrespectful in the church house. Kim was helping to find all the kids and thier shoes and coats. I had had it and was just barking out orders again to "just get in the stinkin' car!" We finally got on the road, Kim in his truck with Dakota, Kade & Kassidy and me in the suburban with Kennedy and Kort. I stop at the stop sign and I can't see Kim. I wait and wait. No Kim. I call his phone no answer. I turn around just in time to see his truck in the gutter. My first thought is that he was trying to spin cookies and slipped off of the road. But no there is another car right in front of him. As I get closer I realize that there has been an accident. Right there time stopped and it didn't matter who was mean at church, how many things I had to do, how tired I was. I pulled up and Kim was walking in the road, but I couldn't see any kids. My heart sank and then I saw that they were trying to get out of the pickup. Only one of the four doors actually would open. Out stepped Kade, Kassidy & Dakota-all in tears- but not hurt just scared. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry those are the words in my heart as I realized what the last words I had spoken to my children and husband were. Whoever is reading this, stop and go hug the loved ones in your life, because yesterday I learned a lesson. People not things should be foremost in our mind. It doesn't matter how many neighbor gifts get made and delivered this year, not really. It doesn't matter if your goodies at the party are the best on the table, not really. It does matter that your husband and kids know that you love them and that they are the most important thing in the whole world. I love my husband so very much. We have the best time together and he helps me so much. Do we have our problems, you bet. But I can't imagine my life without him. I love my kids and sometimes there is so many physical things to do that I don't teach them or love them enough. They are the world to me. Have a Merry Christmas and go hug your family!

Deep Thoughts by penny

My little brother....younger brother.....he's definately taller than me, gave a little blue teddy bear to my dad. Written on the belly was "Cancer Sucks" I would like to order one in every color. Thank you.

Here kitty, kitty, kitty!

O.K. Let's face it, I'm not an animal lover. I'm not even an animal liker. I'm an animal 'I'll put up with the stinkin' varmits' kind of gal. The last two days have been so cold. I'm talkin 10 to 20 below zero, not including the wind chill. So when I saw these kitty prints in my yard, I felt bad for our cat named Princess. Poor little kitty.
She was so cold and wandering, looking for refuge from the storm. She must have staggered up to my back door. Oh, porr little thing.

She saw the barbeque grill and thought she would huddle under it to keep her litlle warm feline self warm. How smart these lovely creatures are.

Damn cat!

See this is why I don't like them! Even when I try to be nice about it, this is what I get. I live on a huge ranch and the only place she can take a pooparoo is under my grill? Seriously.

Decorating the tree!

Here is the whole gang decorating the tree. Dakota is not getting ready to go harpooning, he is holding the "tool". The tool is very creativly made out of duct tape and a wire hanger by my husband. It is used to hang up the lights and ornaments on the top of the tree. It is also used to dust off Harold. "Who is Harold?" you ask. Ask and you shall recieve....

This is Harold. He used to live on our ranch here, but apparently he got out of his pen to often and so we ate him. When Kim was on his mission in Texas he visited the home of a very nice, sucussful yet poor home decorator. He had a stuffed Longhorn steer above his mantle too. Kim thought it was so cool.

When Harold passed away, Kim couldn't help himself. Now Harold lives with me. Kassidy used to have nightmares that Harold came down off of the wall and drank out of the bathtub. So we named him and started talking to him so she wouldn't be scared anymore. Usually Harold sports a lovely Santa hat, but I haven't got that done yet. Wait a minute....This was supposed to be a lovely Christmas Tree post. How did I end up with dead cattle and bad Texas decorators(no offense Shellie) Back on topic.

Here is our Christmas tree. A little lopsided, but we love it and had a lot of fun getting it.

Merry Christmas!

Ok, so maybe we are a little bit busy!

Last night at 2:41 a.m. I am awakened by the sound of footsteps. Not cute little pitter patters of toddler feet, big clompy I'm wearing shoes at 2:41 feet. I reach over and Kim is still in bed. That means that there is a big somebody in my completely dark house. Oh crap. Then I hear, "Mom?"...silence..."Mom?" "Kade, is that you?" "ya." "what are you doing bud?" "Nobody woke me up. I've been asleep in the suburban." Apparently when we got home from Kade's basketball game at like 9:30 he had fallen asleep. Well, I woke up Kennedy and Kade and went in the house. Dakota had forgotten to put pjs on Kassidy and Kort, so I changed them and tucked them in. Kennedy came out and told me good night and I thought that Kade had gone to bed because he sleeps so soundly that he goes straight to bed from the car. Not last night. Last night he had a sleepover in the suburban. Ya I know, Mother of the Year right here. Have a good night and please count your children. Slippery little suckers will get away from you if you're not careful!

Shhh! I'm leaving.

As I look at the next week, I realize that it's now or never for the Christmas shopping. I'm out of here while most of the kids are still bed. Wish me good luck because it could get ugly out there.

nobody should have to see their daddy sick!

My dad is really sick. He is going in to start his bone marrow transplant today. It is going to be very painful and it will be awhile before he starts to feel better. My thoughts and prayers will be with him and mom through this holiday season. Here are a couple of things I think about when I think about my dad.

*I never worried or doubted that he loved me. He doesn't say it often, but I have always known*

*He is hard worker. He was always an example of being busy and accomplishing much.*

*He loves little kids. He is always on the floor wrestling around with them.*

*He loves the Lord. He has a strong testimony and honors his priesthood.*

*He loves my mom. They say the best gift a child can have is that his dad loves his mom. I have recieved that gift.*

*He has a great sense of humor. At the sickest I have ever seen him, he pulled his shirt around his bare chest when the nurse came in so she wouldn't be attracted to his physique.*

Dad, we love you and we are sure thinking and praying for you and mom. Get well soon!

Christmas Tree

Our Church building just recently finished a major remodeling. We had to meet in the local high school gym for over a year. We are having an open house next week. Each room is going to have it's own Christmas tree. Today we went and got the Primary Tree, the Young Men's Tree and our family's tree. Here is Dakota the lumber jack packing the chain saw.

Kort was very excited that he was able to pack the Primary Tree to the pick-up.

What a hunk!

We had so much fun today. There wasn't any snow and that made the hiking way easier. It wasn't even very cold. We had a great time!

Kennedy's Mall Trip

Kennedy went to the mall with some friends on Saturday. This was the first time she has gone to the mall with her friends. They came home with these matching hats and matching earrings(same style, different colors, so they are not "exactly alike") She was so excited, she could not handle it.

This is the note she passed me during church on Sunday. If you can't read it, it says, "Can I get clip on hoop earrings?" In reply I circled yes and wrote, "in 2037" She then did the math to figure out how many years that was. She is so funny. My little girl is growing up and I don't know if I'm into it or not.

You might be a mom of five if.......

Before you go to town to buy your youngest boy a pair of winter boots, you spray paint the perfectly good "princess boots" to see if he'll fall for that.

Your cute craft on the front porch has been colored a lovely light blue shade of sidewalk chalk.



You are packing two extra fruit cups and a spoon in your purse.

If you notice a marble and one pokey ball in the bottom of your ice water glass, and then wonder how long it's been there.

Any wall in your home has the art work of your six year old and please notice that she was thoughtfull enough to autograph it for me.

If any of these things have happened to you...Welcome to my world!

Fruit Salad

Kort got some headphones for his tape player(if you don't know what a tape player is, go ask your mother!) He loves them. He wears them all the time. He is a very headstrong little guy and very active. Today after preschool we were talking about the fruit salad they are making on Thursday. Each child is supposed to bring a fruit to put in the salad. After I listed a bajillion fruits, Kort decided on....bear meat. He is now asking if he can go out in the "jungle" and kill a "gwizzly" bear. Hopefully I can talk him out of that, but I will keep you posted.

Happy Halloween!

Dakota (13):Yodeler-a little dramatic, but a second time costume contest winner

Kade(11)-Headless Horseman-very creative and a tiny stubborn

Kennedy(8)Cleopatra-has wanted to be cleopatra since early 2007

Kassidy(6)Indian Princess-Dad talked her into this costume because he said he would go as a cowboy(yes a big stretch for him)

Kort(4) Rodeo Clown-winner of our branch trunk-or-treating costume party

So, what did you do today?

Just Kiddin! It's not my elk, I'm just the four wheeler driver!

It's Dakota's first elk. He was pretty excited about the whole thing. Merry Christmas, Grandma! (grandma & grandpa summers get the meat)