MAYLIN2007

  To start my list, here is a cute picture of Maylin and one of our baby chicks. Darling, huh? So here is the list of the funniest things (to me at least): 1. We now have 8 baby chicks. Sorry, but IFA had two new varieties and they were darling! I won't be laughing in about 6 months when I am getting 20 eggs a day. But I bet you will. 2. I got a new blouse. It is a peasant style. It has elastic in the scoop neck. This week while talking to the kids' principle, Maylin pulled the bottom of my shirt to get my attention and of course that elastic took that scoop neck down to my belly button. Should have seen the poor principle's face. He was quite embarrassed. I was okay. Things happen, but when she did it a second time, I was mortified and won't be wearing that shirt again. 3. McKenzie had to write a paper on what she thought of a piece of music written before 1900. She said, "How am I supposed to do that. Music wasn't invented yet, was it?" Oh my heck! No wo...

We have had the Spring wind. To my dismay, but to the kite fliers in the family it has been a joy. We spent an evening at the park flying kites. The boys had a ball. Maylin loved it too and wanted to hold both kites at the same time. After we got home, the wind was still good so they took the kites into the backyard and flew them again. They got so high that when it was time to go in they didn't want to stop so Jay tied both kites to our patio chair and they flew alone all night. When we woke up, the boys kite was down and completely destroyed, but the girls kite was still flying high. It was the total talk of the neighborhood for so many saw them flying at the wee hours of the morning.        

  My great niece came for a visit. Can you tell my kids love her?

That is what I said to Jay when he came home from work tonight and the kids told him I had bought 6 baby chicks. When they are grown that will give us 18. I couldn't help it. They were cute. Kinda like when you see a great pair of shoes. They just have to come home with you too!

  * The above pictures were taken at a park designed with futuristic toys. They were amazing. They all were based on a physics principle. The kids thought it was the best park they had ever played in. *Tonight at the Pinewood Derby a little girl who had been playing with Maylin came up and asked me if I knew where Mulan went. I cracked up so hard. I said, "her name is Maylin". She said, "No. Mulan." Funny. Her mom said Mulan is her favorite show. We got a good chuckle. *Alex's car won the "Best use of color." Alex said that was the nice way of saying your car is the loser. Okay, so maybe his car did come in last several times. *Maylin said to me yesterday: "Someday I will get married. Otay. Someday." I said "Okay." Then she said, "Can I be a mommy later?" I said "Yes." She said, "Otay. And you can be the old mommy." :) *Austin is doing great. He did have a major irregular heart pattern Sunday. So we lef...

We live in a country that was based on freedom of speech, freedom of beliefs, and the opportunity to have differing political views. Lately, I have felt that our country was losing these basic principles and rights. Maybe it is just my perspective, but I have seen it be very unpopular and almost unsafe to say out loud a view that was not "politically correct." I truly began to wonder if anyone out there, could and would stand up against the strong waves of conformity and state their unpopular opinion. It is not so easy these days to have integrity. I will admit that I would hate to be the lone voice stating an opinion that was against popular beliefs, but I hope I would. I try to teach my children to have integrity which means not being afraid to stand up for what you believe even when it is unpopular, but I do, because I feel it is a wonderful personality trait and frankly it is becoming extinct. Today, I was pleasantly surprised. Today, I read and heard about one, a young w...

Here, finally, is a post about our Easter celebration. The kids enjoyed hunting for eggs and their baskets in the warm weather. Maylin actually got the egg thing and ran around picking up eggs. She wasn't fast like the other kids, she liked to stop, open the egg she found and eat what was inside before she moved on. The basket hunting, was another story and we had to help her with that. Once she saw the basket though she loved it! Especially the gum. Notice the two pictures of her shoving gum in her mouth and the big piece she finally gets in there. We had a great time and I taught the kids the Parable of the Popcorn, which talks about how all kernels get the same heat and oil, but some pop big, some a little and some not at all. We talked about how our choices in life either give us a big life, a little life or a bad life. We need to live up to our potential just like the Savior would want us to do and gave us the opportunity to do. We made cinnamon bear popcorn after. It was a gr...

On our quick trip away, I went for a morning walk. I walked 6 miles. I have been trying to loose weight and have done very well (23pds so far), but the last 15 just DO NOT want to come off. I thought this walk might be great. It was too. The golf course and homes I walked by were wonderful and the mountains were breathtaking. One problem though. Later that day Jay and I took the kids on a hike. We were told the hike was 1/2 mile. We could do that with the kids, okay Maylin, with no problem. And she did great that 1/2 mile, but when we still weren't at the Indian drawings we were hiking to, I thought maybe they meant 1 1/2 miles. After carrying Maylin on my shoulders and hip for a mile, we came to a sign that informed us the hike was 3 MILES each way. By this point, we couldn't turn around. So I carried Maylin for the duration. Where was Jay you ask? He was trying to get Maylin to ride on his shoulders, but that was met with screaming, kicking, and flopping around like a fish ou...

Yesterday, on the dreaded tax day, and yes it was dreaded....was my hubby and niece's birthday! Happy day to them.

Hippity, hoppity and I don't mean the famous Easter Bunny. I am talking about frogs. Big ones, little ones, green, bumpy, and full of loud croak ones. Frogs at Easter you ask? Well yep...and LOTS of them. We went for Easter to the southern part of our state where it is warm. We didn't get to stay as long as hoped due to church commitments, but we squeezed a few good days in. Anyway, we stayed at my parents winter home. There is a man made pond in their back yard. This year, the pond was FILLED with frogs. At night, they would sing and sing loudly! You could hear them in the house with the doors and windows closed. Of course, this was too much for my two boys. When I say boys, I mean Alex and Jay. They were out every night with flashlights catching tons of frogs. They grossed out me and Austin and Kenzie, but Maylin would pet them with one finger and giggle. They had a great time. They loved making us squirm by bring the frogs close to us. Oh well, boys will be boys. Even when t...

We have been gone to the land of sun. We are back, barely back. So just a quick post, but I have some FANTASTIC pictures and some AMAZING stories to share. Hopefully tomorrow. BUt, I did have a request for the 10 meals I use in my 3 month supply so here they are: Hawaiin Haystacks Mac- N- Cheese (not the box, scratch kind. Cheese will freeze for 6 months) Pizza Spaghetti Taco Soup Wild rice and mushroom soup BBQ beef sandwich Chili and scones Tacos/burritos (I have canned hamburger) Breakfast for dinner

The kids various choirs performed a Spring Sing! It was so great. The songs they learned were very difficult. One of Kenzie's songs included actions...that is the picture I included. They were singing, "Oh Dear What Can The Matter Be?" Austin's boy choir sang The Impossible Dream and the his combined choir with the girls performed a great song with solos and clapping. It was awesome. Alex's class even performed with bells and other hand instruments. It was wonderful. Their teacher is a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and does some great things with them.

We traveled to China with the Passey's. What a blessing to be with them. We got home from China on March 29 and Em celebrated her 1st birthday on April 14. We went to their house for her birthday that first year. Here are some pictures. The one on the slide is when the girls were two. Cute little sweethearts, aren't they? Last night we went to the Passey's for an early celebration for Emily. She is turning "Fee" as Maylin would say. Check out how they have grown. New photos at bottom.       We had such a great time. The girls actually PLAYED TOGETHER. Not the parallel play they often do at this age. They interacted, chased each other, played games and shared. Ooohhh, I wish they lived closer. Can you believe how they have grown?! They are not babies anymore, but girls that know just what they want I also wanted to give a quick food storage tip ...I have slacked since the Mexico trip. So here is one: One person's year supply will fit under a twin bed. That kind...

Maylin has been into painting lately. She does it for hours. I didn't have a brush so I encouraged her to use her fingers. She didn't really like that and liked painting with a fancy butter knife instead. I personally thought the fingers worked better, but what do I know. I did go out today and buy her a brush. She loves it.        

Austin read Silas Marner by George Eliot for school. Here are 4 paragraphs from his essay. I know his teacher will love this essay. The paragraphs don't follow each other as there are other paragraphs between them in his essay, but these were my favs. See why I love this boy! Austin is discussing his favorite part of the book where Eppie's (an orphan girl)biological father and his wife come to Silas' home (the man who took her in and raised her) and tell Eppie that they are her real parents and try to get her to come live with them. THE ESSAY: This part of the book is essential to the theme of Silas Marner. Throughout the book, it builds upon the relationship of Silas and Eppie and the love that grows between them, and it finally pays off at the end when Eppie chooses to stay with Silas. I believe that the great lesson that can be learned from this specific part and throughout the book is love, and that love can be stronger than any biological relation. I have personal know...

"Mom," says Maylin while dragging my camera to me. "Take pictures of my hands. Peese." Of course I said yes. I wanted to see what it was all about. I found, however, there was nothing more to it, than her moving her hands in different poses and me taking pictures until she said "That's enough." Very well.