forever swaner family

New 'Do'

2011-04-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

Today.....

Got a New 'Do'! I have to say, that I sure loved his LONG locks!

But last week, I tried to give him a little trim, and he fought me (a lot!). So it didn't end up so great. This morning, I decided it was time to try something new! And here's the finished product! (and it worked out well to sit the bar stool in front of the computer and let him watch a movie. I only had to hold him down once!)

Pretty handsome, hu? I still miss the old do, but we all need a new do every now and again, right?

p.s. derrick doesn't know yet, and I'm afraid he might just KILL me! Oh well. At least I didn't give him a 'summer on the farm' buzz cut!

Christmas in April

2011-04-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

Look who came home from their mission to Christmas Island on Saturday!

It is so awesome to have my parents back! I mean, seriously.

We got to stay at their house with them on Saturday night and enjoy Sunday conference.

Today, they're probably recovering. (we're kind of a wild and crazy bunch when we're all together)

I'm trying to leave them alone and let them catch their breath!

And with all of the excitement, I only took one picture.

Either way...WELCOME HOME MOM & DAD!

Now I just feel sad for the people on Christmas Island who will miss you as much as we did.

Long Winter, No Pictures...

2011-02-28T07:28:00.000-08:00

Skyler informed me last night, that he went through an entire basketball season without us taking even ONE picture! I feel terrible!!! He played on the Freshman team for a whole season, and I didn't even bother to take one picture. I asked him if he at least got team pictures, and he told me that since we never order them, he didn't even bother telling me about it. But I never order them because I always take so many of my own! Honestly, though, I haven't taken any pictures of anything for quite some time now. Ya, I pull out the camera and snap some cute ones of Des every now and again, but that's about it. We haven't even been skiing this year, and that's usually a great time to take pics. We haven't been sledding either. Goodness. I must do better!

Since the end of basketball, we've felt really strongly that we MUST spend more time together as a family. One time this winter, on a Thursday night, Skyler informed Derrick that he hadn't even SEEN me since Sunday. It was true! And it made me sad. I go to work on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, before he even gets home from school. (which, I also somewhat quit my job last week, and went to an 'as needed' basis. So hopefully I'll be around a little more now too) So we have really been working on it. We spend most of our time just staying at home, watching movies, watching ballgames on tv, eating popcorn, eating Zac's homemade cookies, playing board games (trying to do more of that), and keeping our kids at home. I think it's been a huge blessing for our family. Attitudes have changed (in a good way), brothers who were enemies are actually showing strong signs of friendship with each other, and everyone seems to be a little more relaxed. I think Skyler has even decided that staying home with the family on a Friday night, isn't the WORST thing in the world. I think I like it. Not to mention, it's been great for our checkbook!

Today I start official training for the Ogden half. I woke up in the night with some nasty back and neck issues, and the wind is blowing like crazy.....but I WILL brave the cold and go running today. It's just not optional.

Also, I have a new little niece! I haven't actually seen her yet, but the pictures I have seen are absolutely sweet! Dave and Gabe had a new little baby girl last week. Her name is Juliet Gabrielle. Pretty name, hu? I can't wait to hold her! We have 2 more little new ones on the way, on the Moser side of the family. This could be fun!!!

Des is growing up way too fast. But here's another big news moment.....He actually went to nursery yesterday! And he liked it! He didn't even want to leave when I came to get him. This is HUGE! It's been a year now since he was supposed to be in nursery, and this is the first time EVER that he's actually gone, stayed, smiled, and made it the whole 2 hours!

Last, I can hardly wait! In just 33 days, my parents are coming home! I get butterflies when I think about it!!! Only it kind of worries me because we have received SO MANY blessings while they have been gone. The kind of blessings you just can't deny or question. And will those come to a screeching halt when they get home? Of course, having my parents here, close to us, is a huge blessing in itself. So we'll take it!!! Yay for 33 days!!!

That's it! The end of my ramblings, for now. Have a super week!!! I think I'll pull out my camera right now......

Please Flush and Woth....

2010-11-17T13:09:00.000-08:00

Myah makes me laugh. This is the sign she made and taped to her bathroom door the other day. The boys have a bathroom downstairs, but whenever they are upstairs, they use her bathroom since they aren't allowed to use mine. In case you can't read it: 'Rest Rom for Men and Wumin. Ples Flush and woth'.
And I think the one picture is of her in the shower.
The other looks like a toilet???

Run Run As Fast As I Can

2010-11-08T07:37:00.001-08:00

Yay...I completed my 2nd half marathon on Saturday. And I really, really enjoyed it.

The weather was perfect. The runners were great fun and soooo encouraging. (I guess I'm the party pooper who didn't dress up to the theme of 'wild wild west'.) This crazy guy dressed up as Colonel ...???? (I can't remember, I always want to say colonel Mustard, but I know that's not right.) But the point is, the guy ran the entire 13.1 miles in complete costume! Can you even imagine how uncomfortable and hot that would be?

The scenery was gorgeous!

My cheerleaders were the best! (notice the man in the red long johns in the picture below. That was another of my favorite costumes.)And the uphill parts didn't even kill me! (although I was starting to wonder)

It felt great, and I'm so glad that I did it. I even improved my time by 8 minutes! I sure did miss the Mo's though. Maybe next year??? (btw...it didn't start until 10:13 in the morning. That was the best part of all! I didn't have to drag my butt out of bed until I was good and ready!)

And Then There Were Two

2010-11-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

I have a bunch of old Halloween pictures with all of my kids dressed up and so excited to hit the streets! But I guess things have changed around here. This year, Skyler went to a party, and didn't dress up. Zac stayed home and answered the door (due to an injury earlier in the day). Tannon also went to a party, and while he did dress up, I missed the photo op with him. So it was just Myah and Desmond. And since Zac answered the door, Derrick and I actually BOTH got to take them trick or treating this year. Boy, was I glad it was such a warm and nice Halloween evening. I usually use my door answering duties as an excuse to not have to brave the freezing Idaho Halloween weather. But not this year!

Hope y'all had a happy Halloween!

Whoa....Back Up

2010-09-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

This post is for my mom. She mentioned that I posted what we did at the beginning of summer and at the end of summer, but that I totally left out the rest. Honestly, I have no recollection of the middle. I'm sure it happened, and I'm mostly sure I was part of it....but that's about it.

So here's what I do remember (thanks for pictures and other people's blogs to borrow pictures from)

We had a fun family reunion with Derrick's family. It was over the 4th of July, and we really enjoyed ourselves, but I forgot to pull out the camera. So, I'll be borrowing pics from my mother in law. (thanks Ruth!)

This is the bunch of us. I think it's funny that all of the tall Swaner guys married short girls. I guess they needed us to balance them out (in more ways than one!).

This is Derrick and his dad. I like this picture.

If you look back through my blog far enough, you'll see multiple pictures of these 2 little girls in this very same pose. They don't get to see each other very often, but every time they do, they pose for the same picture. This is Myah and her cousin Abby. I wish Kira would have been in it with them. 3 cute girlie cousins.
Other than that, I kept the kids home and made them clean and mow and babysit all summer long! haha (although that's probably what they would tell you!)

Really, it was a quick and fun summer. And if we sum it all up.....

Tannon avoided way too many pictures. Such a handsome kid. Must take more pictures of him....
Skyler....developed a bit of a six pack? What's up with that? And how is that fair? Do you even know how many crunches I do every day??? Must be all those bon-bons I eat all day.
Myah never ever missed a photo-op. She'll jump into any picture. I rubbed my feet in the sand. And I thought of my mom. The Moser girls love to sit on the beach and rub our feet in the sand and chat for hours and hours and hours. And we always comment on how the sand is kind of giving us a nice little pedicure. So I took this picture just for you, mom.
We ate popsicles

and fished

and camped

and hiked

and backpacked

and caved and swam

and played with cousins

and visited the emergency room (what would summer be without it???)

and tried to catch the sweet 'happy moments' on camera!
and some of us never, ever missed another photo op....
And there you have it! So long, summer 2010!!! (and I really wouldn't mind if you could manage to come a little earlier next year and maybe even stay a little longer.)

It's a Wrap

2010-09-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

That's pretty much it. Summer is wrapping up. The kids are back in school. Soccer is in full swing. And I'm keeping busy canning, and trying to keep Des busy!

As always, we headed up to Bear Lake for a day over Labor Day weekend. It was lovely, although a little windy. But isn't Bear Lake always windy? I don't think the kids even noticed the wind, and they had a blast.Zac and Nathan picked up some other kids on the beach to play soccer with (or against).
Des played a little soccer of his own.

Des, Ryan, and Kamden....aka The Three Musketeers

Tiana and Nicky.

I love this guy.and this one
and this one too
and yep, this one too
and even this one!
And this little girlie is pretty sweet too.
And then it was time for SCHOOL!
Skyler started high school this year. Zac started Junior High School. It is Tannon's first year to NOT have an older brother looking out for him at school. He IS the older brother. And Myah started 1st grade, making it the first time she's away from me all day! Which means it's the first time I've been left home alone with Des ALL DAY! And, as we all know, Des is a pretty busy little guy. I've been trying to get him out before the weather turns bad. We've visited the zoo, gone for long drives, and we have walked down to visit the neighbor's dog several times a day. And that's all before nap time! For the first couple of days, he walked around the house looking for everyone.

and while they're away....

I guess that about covers it! I better get canning!!!

MO Amazing!!!

2010-08-29T15:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had a most amazing adventure. A bunch of my family members all signed up (and even showed up) to run the Top of Utah half marathon. It started up Blacksmith Fork Canyon and we ran into Providence....all 13.1 miles of it. It was really fun. My goal was to get around 2 hours (and I came in at 2 hours 17 minutes). I would have liked to have been 5 minutes faster, but it's all good. I had never run more than 10 miles before, so I was definitely nervous about miles 11, 12 and 13.

Thankfully, a sweet friend of mine found me at my lowest point and ran with me for a while. It was just the push I needed. (thanks Janelle!) And it all ended well. We all made it across the finish line, and I think that we all actually want to do it again.

Since we were running as a family, we decided to sport a family shirt. We found these neon green shirts that just couldn't be missed! It was really easy to spot each other! And since we are all from the Moser family, we had our shirts printed with the 'MO' theme. We each picked a word that we felt like would push us, or that described us. And here are the results.

Shawn....MO Alive

Nicky....Mo Determined

Me....Mo Strong

Mandi....Mo Mighty

Robin....Mo Sassy

Brittany...Mo Smokin

This is Mandi and I at the finish line. I want to be as fast as her some day.

This is my sister, Robin. She actually has 5 GRANDCHILDREN. Seriously!

And she kicked butt!

This is Brittany. She was the only other first timer (other than me). And she did great!

Here's Nicky. I think it was just last year that she came to cheer Mandi on at this very race, and dreamed of doing it herself one day. I don't know if she had ever really run at all since high school. And here she is!!!

This is my brother, Shawn. Unless you know him, you'll never understand how much progress he has made in the last year and a half! Wow!!!

And do you even know how happy I was to see these people at the finish line? Who could ask for a better cheering section!? I think that maybe they were proud of me. But I'm proud of them every single day.

Just on a side note....Jordan....we would LOVE it if we could work out a middle ground run sometime that we could all do! Maybe Southern Utah??? We missed you, little bro!

And as another side note....I just looked at the official times and places....I placed 1230th out of the 2012 people who showed up to run! That's not very encouraging. Oh well. Maybe next time I can place somewhere in the hundrends.....

Summer...Take 1

2010-08-25T16:18:00.000-07:00

What a crazy, insane, upside down summer! It seems like we got off to such a late start with Mother Nature, but when she decided to cooperate...we've just been trying to keep up. We know how long and cold winter can be, so we're trying to soak up enough sunshine to pull us through.

It may take a couple of posts to catch up, but eventually, I think I may get there.

We kicked off our summer with a short camping trip up to Stanley Lake. And holy cow, Mom and Dad, how did we never see the Sawtooths in all of our years living in Idaho? They are somethin else, and I love them. A lot. Stanley Lake was fantastic. I think we'll go back next year. And the year after that.

Other than the fact that Myah forgot her bag and had NO clothes, things went rather smoothly. We had to shop the great variety of stores (which consists of a couple small tourist gift shops) in Stanley to find her at least one change of clothes.

Redfish Lake was pretty great too.

We had to stop and check out Mount Borah on the way. We really want to climb it soon. Skyler's hair is almost as big as Mount Borah.

Check out those Sawtooths! Pretty, eh?

Dirty faces are completely acceptable while camping. And they are even pretty cute.

Skyler told us that he would never ask for anything again as long as he lives if we would just let him pour lighter fluid on the wooden sword they made so he could have a burning torch. And I thought he was getting all grown up!

Derrick and Zac are the only completely insane people in our family. They just have to swim out into any and every lake that we come across. That included these FREEZING cold mountain lakes (Alturus Lake and another I can't remember the name of). It was so cold, I couldn't even stand to get out of the car. I came out just long enough to take their picture.

I think that even Derrick thought it was a little chilly!

Redfish Lake wasn't too cold. Tannon and Myah even took the plunge.
And why is this underlining? I haven't a clue.

All in all, it was a great time! Definitely loving the Idaho summer!

Happy Birthday Sweet Magoo!

2010-05-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

Myah had her birthday a couple of weeks ago. And since I tend to run a couple weeks behind (at least) on blogging, I'll post a couple pictures now.

So here's the deal. I'm a pretty ok cook. My kids can't complain. We certainly don't go hungry around here. But.....I must admit that I have struggled in the birthday cake department. Over the years, we've had some cakes where we just 'have to use our imaginations'. Good thing kids have good imaginations. I just always tend to get this great big idea in my head, and it never seems to work out. So although this is a bit embarrassing, I'm going to share anyways.....

Myah wanted strawberry shortcake for her birthday. Derrick doesn't really like strawberry shortcake. So I thought I'd plant in her mind (like good mothers do), that she wanted this other strawberry cake that is so delicious! It's a white cake with a cream cheese topping, and then topped with strawberries and danish dessert. Normally, I would make it in a cake pan, but I thought I'd get fancy. I mean, Myah really is that special. So I decided to make a double layer cake, with cream cheese filling and the strawberries and danish on top. It was looking pretty good, until I tried to top it off with the strawberry mixture. Let's just say that the cake lacked integrity. That the foundation wasn't strong enough. (Hmmm, sounds like a family home evening lesson just waiting to happen). And just like the foolish man's house that was built upon the sand......The cake didn't survive. I wasn't happy. It took me half the day to put together this dumb cake.

Here's the best part though. Myah LOVED it. She was so excited to have her very own 'Volcano

Cake'! And that is why Miss Magoo is so AWESOME!!!

So happy belated birthday little girl! I don't know quite where the last 6 years have gone, but it has been such a HUGE blessing to have a sweet daughter around to enjoy life with!

2010-05-18T14:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I planted the garden. It took me all day. Des' sandals gave him a blister on his foot. So when he came out after his nap, I decided it might be better just to let him wear socks. After a couple hours outside in his socks, this is what was left.

It looks like one of those biker gloves with no fingers.

And then this morning, he wanted to go back outside. This is his shoebox (yes, it's an old diaper box, and I have no intention of upgrading in the near future). But do you see anything wrong with this picture? Look again....

There are no matches! He has one of every shoe, but no matches to go with them! Every time he wakes up, he grabs some shoes before even leaving his room and brings them to us, thinking that he can go outside. And so they end up all over the house. But he doesn't necessarily grab matching shoes, which leaves their matches still sitting in the box. This is when I know it's time to clean up the basement (which I try to avoid at all costs) and clean out the car.

My organizational skills are top notch I tell yu, top notch.

May 6th (I think)

2010-05-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

This is my house.

Right now. May 6th.

Just 2 weeks before school gets out for the SUMMER.

Yes, I said SUMMER!

So much for getting a little yard work done today.

And this is my flowering wheeping cherry tree.

With it's pink blossoms.

Just hanging out in the snow.

One of the crazy guys at work told me that there is a new ice age coming.

He said it will arrive within about 10 years. Maybe he's right.

Busy Busy Busy!!!

2010-04-16T08:53:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I'm not exactly a faithful blogger these days. It's not that I don't want to be. It's just that I don't have the time, and I guess it's not on the top of my priority list. So time for a little catching up.

We've been busy with all sorts of things......

We've been skiing. We went with Mandi and Jaxon, and I'm just sure that I took some pictures of them, but can't find them anywhere. It was a great ski day though.

Myah has been growing up, but not too much. Just when I think she's getting so grown up, she does something like this that reminds me she's still just so little. This was her back seat make up job. Nice, hu?

Desmond has been busy getting getting bigger and bigger. Doesn't he just look so old in this picture?

For spring break, we kept busy by going to St. George. Where we visited Zion's and climbed Angels Landing. What a great hike.

I just loved the red and orange mountains, topped with the white snow.

Derrick was busy being a very happy man. Because to him, it's not about where you go, it's about the mountain you can climb there!

And while the rest of us were busy being smart, Derrick and Zac went to the very top of Angel's Landing. Where you have to hole on to the chains, and and where people fall off and die. I wasn't loving it, but there was no stopping him.

And then we took the kids out to the dunes, because I've wanted to take their pictures there for the longest time. It's funny how I'm lucky to get one good pic of each of the boys, and I get a whole handful of Myah.

And then we headed for Vegas. In a way, it was like going home. It's been 5 years since we left, and we sure do miss it! I don't miss all of it, but here's what I do miss....

The parks.....who needs amusement parks? And these are even FREE.

(probably paid for courtesy of our friendly gambler types)

The friends. Some of our favorite people on the planet had us over for a barbecue. The kids got to hang out with some of their old friends. Myah was too young to remember these cute kids, but they hit it off within minutes. I'm not sure why I didn't take a picture with my old friends, or of the boys....I guess I was just having too much fun catching up.

And, of course, we miss hanging out with these guys....

Marc and Whitney were nice enough to let us crash at their house. They didn't have kids when we left, but Dax and Elise make it all the more fun! And again, I didn't take very many pictures at their house. I guess we were just having too much fun. Thanks guys!!!

(who knew we would go all the way to Vegas...to play X-BOX!!!!?)

And then we were busy driving home very quickly so Zac could make it to his 6 o'clock soccer practice.

At least he got some good rest in the car.

Whew....there we have it. And I haven't even touched Easter yet. That'll be next. Hopefully tomorrow. But right now, the sun is shining, and I must get out and enjoy it! Happy day everyone!

My Space

2010-03-18T08:13:00.001-07:00

I feel like my life as I know it has been taken over by my sweet kids. I'm not talking about my time. I really don't mind that part of the whole plan. I'm talking about my SPACE. I have no place in my house that is MINE(wow, that sounds really selfish, but it's not meant that way!). That the kids stay out of. No place to go to get away from it all. Here's the breakdown....

The living room...well, I'm happy to see all the craziness going on there. That's what it's for, right?
The kitchen...same thing. The more the merrier!
The family room...the kid's domain. I very seldom enter. It's better that way.
The kids' bedrooms....are supposed to be cleaned every day. But sometimes I pick my battles. After all, that's THEIR space, and everyone needs their space, right?
My exercise room/food storage room....the kids have discovered that there may be good snacks hidden there, so they help themselves. Granola bar and fruit snack wrappers clutter the floor most days. Now, if they want to actually exercise in there, I'm willing to share.
My bathroom....why do they like to use my shower instead of there's? Good question.
The garage...overrun with bicycles, soccer balls, basketballs, sleds, and shoes.
My bedroom....now this is the one that is really making me crazy. My bedroom has become the dumping ground for anything that nobody wants to put away or that doesn't have a pre-assigned home...laundry, books, movies, papers, shoes, gifts, etc. etc....

I WANT MY ROOM BACK!!!! I think I might do something drastic today. The DI could be getting a nice big donation by this afternoon. I want my bedroom to be quiet, clean, organized, and free from household clutter. I don't mind if kids come in to talk, or even to cuddle, but please don't come in to watch tv, play computer games, color, eat, shower, get dressed, or dig through our drawers for clean socks. Is that too much to ask? I guess I better get busy!

Boy Oh Boy....

2010-02-05T11:25:00.000-08:00

Desmond is a busy little boy.

A very busy little boy.

Today, I heard a strange crashing sound in the kitchen.

This is what I found.

No worries though.

After all, 3 eggs survived.

Except when I walked in to the kitchen to investigate,

Des threw 1 of the 3 at me.

And it landed on the floor.

So 3 eggs minus 1 egg is 2 eggs.

2 eggs left.

Thanks Des....

Oops....gotta go. Just heard a crash in the bathroom!

'Tis The Season

2010-01-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season for....

Trying to get that perfect Christmas card photo.
Before you freeze to death.

And late night games of Risk (a few more years and we may even pull it off without any tears!).

School Programs

The one time each year that we eat on china

The annual Christmas morning line up on the stairs

And for doing what we love most....

even if the snow does complicate things

And for being ok with my daughter sitting on a stranger's lap!

And cookie decorating.

And the Christmas Eve PJ party.

And sledding with our besties!

And for long winter naps.

Tis the season that seems to fly by without warning. The season that is so easy to get caught up in the things that don't matter so much and to forget why we're celebrating.

It is also the season when we have warm sweat pant days when we can reflect on how blessed we are.

For health and for the beautiful and safe place where we are so blessed to live.

For families and friends.

For a Savior who loves us and understands us.

Who even endured and in the end died for us.

And so with that, I'll try to do a little more, try a little harder to be the kind of person that He knows I really am.

And here's to 2010!

Happy New Year!!!

What an Adventure!

2009-12-27T17:56:00.000-08:00

Last fall, some big changes took place in our family. And these 2 are the cause of all the excitement. These are my parents. My dad....an Idaho farmer. The kind that has dirt permanently ingrained into his hands. The kind that feels right at home on a tractor or out moving pipe. The kind that can't wait to get back to his farm after leaving on vacation for a few days! My mom....the wife of an Idaho farmer. Which means that she works hard. She's been known to spend more than a little time out in the fields, or in the potato cellar! But she's also my friend. She is a mother, a grandmother, a teacher, a counselor, a listening ear, a doctor....and she's my mom! Many years ago, these crazy kids decided that they had been on the receiving end of so very many blessings. They decided that when the time was right, they would be prepared to give back. So, after raising 8 kids, the time was right! We all knew it wasn't going to be easy, but we also knew that they were right...it was time for them to serve the mission that they had waited for and anticipated for so many years!

So after the long process of paper work, doctors appointments, and a thousand other preparations, the call finally came! I'm not sure who was more excited, them....or us!

And the chosen place.......Marshall Islands! Cool! Sounds warm. Sounds tropical. Coconut. Pineapple. Bananas. Beaches. Sunshine. It's all good, right? It wasn't quite what we thought at first, but it was the place that they were meant to go.
After a few weeks (before they even left), however, the call was changed just a bit. My dad was called to be a counselor to the mission president and serve on Christmas Island (Kiritimati). It was a couple thousand miles away from the mission home, and he would serve over Kiritimati and Fanning Islands. Where there aren't any pineapples or bananas. Where there isn't any mail service. And there isn't any fresh water. No fertile fields (not the farming kind, at least....just the spiritual kind!). No mountains. No cell phones. No stores. Only sporadic electricity. But what an ADVENTURE!!!
After spending the entire summer spending every ounce of time we could together, the time had finally come. We had watched mom 'write her list, and check it twice', and three times, and four times. They needed to decide what to pack in their limited luggage space. There is not really any good way to ship things to them, and they don't have easy access to groceries (or anything else), so there was a lot of prioritizing done. The MTC was short and sweet. It was only a week, but I think we were all ready to get this adventure started! So they left on a happy/sad note. It was so hard to say good-bye. But seriously...could we be more proud of them? And off they went!

The airport wasn't quite what we're used to. But it looks like they had a welcoming committee!

And their new home.....I guess there wouldn't be much time wasted on keeping up on the place!

The chapel next to their house is more like what we're used to, but this is the chapel on Fanning Island, I think. Because of poor healthcare (or lack of healthcare), death seems to be pretty common place. And the simplicity of the burial process is just so different that what we're accustomed to. This is the cemetery.And the fashions are so different. But really, who wouldn't want to wear flip flops on their mission (guys included)?So while they left 8 kids behind, they seem to have adopted another 4 to keep them busy! There are only 1 set of elders and 1 set of sisters on the island, so they're pretty close.

Not to mention all of the beautiful and kind people that they get to spend the next year and a half with!

Sometimes it's funny what we take for granted. For instance....

The bathrooms on Fanning island.......Wow...can you imagine? I'd sure hate to have to go in the middle of the night!But really, isn't this what it's all about??? And so, yes, we're proud. And yes, we miss them so much. And yes, we wish we could go there and visit, but it's very expensive! But....yesterday, we got to call and talk to them. It was so AWESOME! It took me 2 days to finally get a phone card to work, but it was totally worth the wait!

So to my sweet parents....I love you both. You'll never fully know how much we have felt the special blessings on our little family that have come as a result of your service! Thank you so much for your example! And we're more than happy to share you with the sweet people that you're serving!

*In a future post, I'll tell you all about Derrick's parents who are serving a mission at the bishop's store house in Logan (first I need to gather some pictures, because a blog post just isn't the same without them). I LOVE the blessing of food storage, and I LOVE the people who donate their time to help us to follow our prophet!

Finallly

2009-12-19T05:40:00.000-08:00

Christmas isn't creeping up on us this year....It's flying towards us at incredible speed, and there's just no stopping it! So I figure I better finally post our Thanksgiving pictures before Christmas pictures take their place.

We spent Thanksgiving with Derrick's family in Smithfield, and we had a great time. The next morning we went out and did a little shopping without the kids (thanks Ira!). And managed to grab a couple good sale items. Although, have you noticed, that everything that was such a great deal on Black Friday, has met the same price several times since then? Only without the crowds, the chaos, and the craziness? So WHY did we drag ourselves out of bed so dang early? Because it's FUN!

So it's picture time....drumroll please.....

Ruth did such a great job at dressing up the ping pong table.

And it made for plenty of elbow room!

Tannon. What a great kid!

(& it looks like he ate all his veggies....or maybe he just didn't take any!)

Desmond was really loving the grub. I think he's a mashed potatoe kind of kid.

Apparently, Shawn is too.

This is Kira. I don't think she ever takes a bad picture. Here's da boys. What a good lookin bunch, hu?
Myah and Abby pose for this same picture every time we're together.

The only thing that changes is the background and the weather.

It's amazing how much taller Kira is. Is Myah really going to be that grown up in 3 years?
Here's Nicole. Talk about growing up fast....

This is the boys with their mom. Michael wasn't able to make it. But I love this picture, because when the guys are with their mom, the teasing and goofing off NEVER stops. S'ometimes I feel tired for her. (does that make any sense????)
And here's a couple of handsome fellas!
Like I was saying....
I love this little girl!

These are all of the kids (minus Josh, Sarah, and Ian).And before heading home, we even got to share a piece of birthday cake with this guy. (this is my nephew, Nathan). Having so much of both sides of the family in Smithfield has it's perks!

Christmas Symbolism

2009-12-05T15:09:00.000-08:00

I love all of the sweet symbolism that comes with the Christmas season. I love to look at the star on top of the tree and thinking of the Shepard's traveling to see the baby Jesus, following the guiding star. I love the Christmas tree that stays green year round, that never dies (especially when it's a fake one like mine!!!), just like our Heavenly Father's love goes on forever. I love giving gifts, and remembering the birth of our Savior. I love the music. I love it all. It seems like there is always more symbolism to learn each time the Christmas season rolls around.

This year, I was so happy to catch a little symbolism right at the beginning of the season.

I learned that the cutest little helpers aren't always helping in the way that I envisioned. But I also learned that my Christmas tree may be naked from the waste down, and that's ok. Because after all...naked can be cute!

But yes, our tree is naked from the waste down. The couple of stray ornaments that happened to lay within reach of the littlest helping hands, have since been thrown across the room! They just look too much like balls, and Des has a great time throwing them! So ya, the tree may not be exactly a model tree this year, but we Love it, and we Love him.

Getting To Know Mary.

2009-12-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

Myah: Mom, which one of these is Mary?

Myah: Is it this one?Myah: Or is it this one?
Me: It's this one.

Myah: Are you sure?

Me: Yes, I'm sure. See? She's kneeling down looking at her beautiful baby Jesus.

Myah: Hmmm. Are you sure you're sure?

Me: Yes. Why?

Myah: Because Mary is supposed to have a little lamb!
And this one has the little lamb. See?

Me: Oh

Tannon....

2009-12-01T19:08:00.000-08:00

Tannon was one of the 'visual arts' winners for a contest they had at school.
And this is his winning entry.

Now it goes on to the district level and possibly the state level. We had to take a picture, since we won't get it back. Really? How hard could it be to send the pictures back to the school that they came from? Whatever.

But GREAT job Tannon!

Good Thing...

2009-11-01T15:41:00.000-08:00

I've never claimed to be a perfect parent. But I have nailed a thing here or there right on the head. I love it when I get something right. When we first moved in to our house, it was so nice and new. And clean. I remember promising myself and many witnesses that I would NEVER have a mormon basement. You know, the kind where the kids have free reign. And it smells wierd. And it's dirty. The kind where people store anything and everything that they don't want to be seen by the neighbors. Ya. That kind. So Rule Number One...has always been....NO FOOD IN THE BASEMENT! On special occassions, I may allow some popcorn to go down with the kids while they watch a movie. But that's about the extent of it. So imagine my surprise when I went down and pulled the cushions off of the couch to give it a quick vacuuming. (I mean, how bad could it be? After all....we don't eat in our basement!)

This is what I found....

I'm a particular fan of the half of a mountain dew can! We don't even drink Mountain Dew, as far as I am aware! But what do I know, right?

All I can say, is it's a darn good thing we don't let our kids eat in the basement!

One other interesting little note...it had only been about 2 weeks since Skyler has cleaned out the couches, supposedly.

Four Soccer Games, a Baptism, and a Funeral....

2009-10-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

Today was a very, very busy day. But a very memorable day too. First thing this morning, Myah and I attended the baptism of one of our favorite, and newest official members of our 'ward family'. It's always so much fun to take my pre-baptism kids to watch their friends take 'the plunge'. I love that Myah has so many sweet little girls in our ward, our neighborhood, and our extended family to look up to.

Next, Derrick took all of the kids to their soccer games (a total of 4 games!) while I attended one of the sweetest and most memorable events of my life thus far. Another little member of our 'ward family' returned to our Heavenly Father, unexpectedly, last weekend. She was just about to turn 3 years old. We have been so worried about her family all week, but as it turns out, they seemed to be the ones who were comforting the rest of us. Her daddy spoke at the funeral today, and I don't know if I will ever forget the spirit I felt during those few minutes. I certainly feel more determined to hug my kids a little tighter. To focus on their strengths, and to cherish them a little more. I'm so thankful for that reminder.

And that's our Saturday in a nutshell....
Whew......

Do Your Ears Hang Low?

2009-10-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

A great commercial came on while I was on the treadmill yesterday. When I went to look for it online, it looks like it has more than a few critics. What-ever! It's great and I thought I'd share. So just check out this link. I can't figure out how to make the video post directly to my blog, and I don't have time to figure it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FowHP01j-Oo

Did you watch? And now you're going to have that great song in your head ALL DAY LONG!!! Love it! It reminds me of one of my favorite children's books. The words alone are so great (written my Karen Beaumont who wrote almost all of my favorite books!), but if you get a chance, pick up the book because the illustrations are outstanding (David Catrow....AWESOME)!

The words....

I like myself.
I'm glad I'm me.
There's no one else I'd rather be!
I like my eyes, my ears, my nose
I like my fingers and my toes!
I like me wild.
I like me tame.
I like me different and the same!
I like me fast.
I like me slow.
I like me everywhere I go.
I like me on the inside too,
for all I think and say and do.
Inside, outside, upside down.
I like it all! It all is me!
And me is all I want to be!
And I don't care in any way
what someone else may think or say.
I may be called a silly nut
or crazy cuckoo bird-so what?
I'm having too much fun, you see,
for anything to bother me!
Even when I look a mess,
I still don't like me any less,
'cause nothing in this world, you know,
can change what's deep inside, and so....
No matter if they stop and stare,
no person
ever anywhere
can make me feel that what they see
is all there really is to me.
I'd still like me with fleas or warts,
or with a silly snout that snorts.
or knobby knees or hippo hips
or purple polka-dotted lips,
or beaver breath or stinky toes
or horns protruding from my nose,
or-yikes-with spikes all down my spine,
or hair that's like a porcupine.
I STILL would be the same, you see....
I like myself because I'm ME!

It's funny how we're so hard on ourselves sometimes. Especially when we're critical of the things that we can't really change! So for today, I'm determined to NOT criticize myself at all (not even the nonverbal criticisms that take place in my head!). I'm going to try and embrace all of those quirky little things that make me who I am! Sounds cheesy, eh? But I'm also going to challenge you to do the same. I'm betting it's harder than it sounds! Wish me luck!!!

Ummmm, Really?

2009-09-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

It's snowing.
A LOT!!!
Not the little tiny snow flakes.
But the BIG giant fluffy snow flakes.
Yesterday, it was 83 degrees.
What the heck........

It's Official.

2009-09-12T17:33:00.001-07:00

It really is official. There's just no more getting around it. I'm Getting OLD! Here's how I know.
Case 1: The other morning, running on the treadmill, made sure to empty the bladder one last time before I started. Well, I could still feel myself peeing my pants just a little. What's next? Depends?
Case 2: Gave up on the treadmill. Went outside to jumprope. (Seriously, What was I thinking, right? Of course, maybe the whole ability to think things through goes with age too.) So I was jumproping. And then Myah asked what that wet spot was on my pants. Um, ya. I told her it was sweat. But is that any more pleasant than the truth? At that point, I just gave up and let it go. All of it.
Case 3: One of my sweet young women from a few years back, started a blog. I was so excited to read it. But first, I had to request that she make the print bigger. I couldn't quite see the words. They make cute bifocals these days, don't they?
Case 4: The gray hair is coming on strong. That's ok, but why does it have to be all wirey, and poke straight up? Very not attractive.
That's all I've got! But surely, it makes a pretty strong case that the bus to old town isn't cruising on past me this time! Oh well. I guess there's no getting around it. Just as soon as I get Desmond out of diapers, I'll start wearing them! I guess I've got something to look forward to!

Good Times in Jackson Hole

2009-09-02T11:11:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, we made a quick trip up to Jackson Hole with some of my favorite people in the world. We hit Bar J on Friday night, and had a great time. As always, the food was nothing to brag about, but the entertainment just can't be beat!

And since these 2 are leaving on a mission next month, we are so glad that we got to have a little time with them before they head off to their very own deserted island (along with about 5000 other people) for the next 18 months. (More on that later) We're just so happy that they could take a couple days from their crazy busy schedule to hang out with us! Robin and Reece and Rylee also joined in the fun. Good times, I tell yu.

So first thing first, we went to the Bar J. I haven't been there in many, many years. It was fun to take the kiddos. I think that Skyler liked it the most. Maybe it's his age.

Skyler and Grandma, anxiously awaiting the most delicious cowboy dinner ever! Myah, Rylee, and Robin.

Derrick and Tannon, having a little Pow-Wow.

Can you just see the enthusiasm on their faces?

Maybe they've outgrown the whole 'posing with a fake plastic animal' thing.

But why hasn't he?

After a good nights rest in a most excellent hotel condo that we were all able to share for a pretty decent price, we were off to Bubba's for breakfast.

Myah and Rylee, just waiting for our turn.

Grandpa, Reece, and Zac doing the same.

And Derrick and Des....

With full tummies, we strolled the streets of Jackson. After my mom and Tannon and I, snuck into an art festival (by accident, of course), we had to stop and pose with another fake animal.

It looks like the kids have improved on their level of enthusiasm...

But still not as much as these guys! Nothin quite like smooching a fake buffalo!

And we swung by the candy shop to get the kids a caramel apple.

Des was really into the whole caramel apple thing.

Let's take a closer look....

And while the kids ate their apples, this guy was just takin it easy and lookin good.

Good food, great entertainment, awesome people.....who could ask for more?

Note To Self:

2009-08-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

Just a friendly reminder to myself....
You know, for future reference.

...Listen to the voice in your head. The one that tells you...'Don't give Des a big marshmallow and let him eat it on the fly.' The next thing you know, you may just find him dipping it in the toilet between bites!

Happy Birthday Tutu!

2009-08-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

One year ago today, this little guy came into our lives.

I honestly had no clue exactly how much I would love and adore him!

I can't even imagine life without little Des.

He was born on 8/18/08 at exactly 7:59 in the morning.

So I took this picture at exactly 7:59 this morning, one year later.... Happy Birthday little Desmond Tutu!

And just in case you're wondering where he got that fabulous name.....

His real name is Desmond Michael (after Derrick's little brother), but Grandpa Moser very quickly nicknamed him after Desmond Tutu (whom I had never heard of), and it stuck.
I was so excited to actually drive past this billboard one day in Salt Lake (right by the most delicious Red Iguana). The real Desmond Tutu seems like a decent fella, right?

Confessions of a Mormon Mom

2009-08-16T21:13:00.000-07:00

Today I had one of those days.

Those days when you go to church.

But you really aren't sure why.

When you pull yourself out of bed,

And you wake up the kids (since the husband has already left to meetings).

And Skyler doesn't have any shoes that fit.

Or pants.

And the pants that don't fit (but he has to wear anyways), are really, really wrinkled.

And Myah does have several dresses to choose from.

But no shoes that match any of the dresses.

And she cries when her hair gets brushed.

And you don't really care.

And Tannon wants to take a long shower.

Even though he showered before bed last night.

And you're already late.

And Zac can't find his shoes.

And Desmond has a blow out.

And your makeup is still out in the car from your trip this weekend.

And Zac still can't find his shoes.

And Des is mad.

And so are you.

And you're late.

And you leave Zac home, to find his shoes.

And you back the van into the garage door which was only half open.

And the husband is waiting for you at the front doors of the church.

And you don't like that he's smiling at you.

And you ask yourself WHY!

WHY do we do this?

WHY is this so important?

WHY WHY WHY!

And then the anger starts to come to a low simmer, rather than a heavy boil.

And you actually start to listen.

And you actually start to feel.

And you know why.

Because you know it's true.

Because it makes you happy.

Very, very happy.

And there's these guys.

We do it because of these people.

(excluding the man in the white shirt in the background...but not really.

I mean, we do it for all of our Heavenly Father's children, right?)

Not because we feel obligated.

Not because we don't know there are other options.

Not because we haven't realized it sure would be easier to choose option B.

But because we've been so blessed to have our family.

And to have parents who did it for us.

Who taught us.

And we'll do whatever we're asked.

To show our gratitude.

Sometimes it may seem difficult.

Like everything is going against us.

But we'll do it anyways.

Even if it's not always easy.

Even if it's one of 'those' days.

I'm just so glad that I have this guy to share all of the ups and downs with!

*disclaimer: No children were harmed or injured in the process of this Sunday morning chaos. And Zac even made it to church only 45 minutes late. And he even had shoes on.

To Hell & Back! (Hell Roaring, that is)

2009-07-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

Another weekend, another adventure! Derrick went backpacking with the big boys again. Only this time, they were lucky enough to have Travis, Taylor, Shawn, Nathan, Brayden, and Tiana (poor Tiana....being with all of those boys!) along for the fun times. We had a giant sleepover on Thursday night so that they could get out the door bright and early on Friday. After a very short night of sleep, the adventure began. They drove to the Sawtooth mountains and started their hike to Hell Roaring Lake (hence, the name of the post). It is a beautiful mountain lake, surrounded by several other lakes and waterfalls in the Sawtooth mountain range. The lake was really somethin', but they wanted to continue on to the next lake (Imogene Lake), and apparently, it was totally worth the extra hike. They enjoyed a good day and a half of fishing, swimming and being eaten alive by mosquitoes.

It was this dude's first backpacking trip, ever! And he BROUGHT it (and I don't just mean his backpack!). Great job Brayden!

This is the island. While on the island, they had a bald eagle flying circles above their heads. Then it swooped down, grabbed a fish from the water right by them and then flew away. That could easily be the highlight of Derrick's summer. I guess it must have been pretty cool, since Derrick really doesn't like animals at all. I mean, last time we were at Seaworld, I was holding out the little fishies for the dolphins, and a seagull flew down out of no-where and snagged it from my hand. But Derrick wasn't even impressed at all! And then, when we were eating our lunch, and a seagull flew right over our table and pooped all over my lunch, he was even less impressed! What is it with those bald eagles anyways?

One thing we know for sure....mosquitoes prefer Asian blood. I think Asian food is good, but apparently...so is their blood.

(Nathan and Tiana must have been mighty tasty!)

This is Taylor, taking the plunge. Show off!

The three amigos, Zac, Nathan, and Brayden.

The traditional first fish kiss is always so attractive. And to think, I'm the lucky lady who gets to kiss those lips goodnight!

Look like fun? Here's the thing though....

NEXT YEAR I'M GOING TOO!

Through Innocent Eyes

2009-07-17T14:34:00.000-07:00

Last night we went and saw Harry Potter. It was ok. But my favorite part actually happened before the movie even began. We were sitting in a very full theater, when this came up on the screen.....

....and Myah proclaimed, (just loud enough for all of the people in close proximity to hear and get a good chuckle) 'Look Mom, It says Choose The Right'! I love the innocence of children. Maybe I should add that to my list below.

I LOVE.....

2009-07-16T14:26:00.001-07:00

Daisies, and lilies.
The smell (and look) of fresh cut grass.
When Des is falling asleep with his bottle, and his eyes sort of go crossed.
Popcorn (especially the crunchy half popped kernels) and Doritos.
The feeling after a good workout.
Being called mommy, or mom.
The first snow.
The smell of Baby Magic baby lotion.
Hiking....and wildflowers.
When Myah plays with my hair.
Thundershowers
Laying on my back watching the clouds in the sky.
Sleeping in.
Waking up early. (Only once I'm up)
The quiet you can actually hear sometimes while skiing through the trees.
Flip flops
Changing seasons. I like them all, but I love it when I new season is moving in!
Avocados. The color, the smell, the taste...everything about them!
Derrick (of course I LOVE him, but even better...I LIKE him, a lot!)
Watching my kids do something they LOVE (sports, cooking, art, dance......)
The smell of Tide. Tide=Heaven.
Clean sheets.
Watching family movies.
When I buy a GOOD watermelon. Complete and utter joy and satisfaction!
Soaking my feet in a cold river, and chatting with great people or reading a good book.
My family.
Having a reason to get dressed up a little.
Fresh tomatoes straight from the garden.
Sunsets. I'm easily impressed, but really, we get such beautiful sunsets at our house!
Creating something....in the kitchen, refinishing furniture, or repainting a wall. LOVE it!
Extended family.
The ocean. (from the beach mostly)
Little people laughs. I think they're magical!
Vacations. I don't really even care where. I just love the family time when nothing else matters!
Life in general. EVERY day is amazing, even the bad ones. (maybe a little cheesy, but TRUE)

11:10 pm at the Swaner Home

2009-07-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

11:10 pm and we're still going strong..........

And this is why my kids won't go to bed before midnight!

2009-07-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

When you ask my kids what they have done this summer, and they say 'nothing'....don't believe them! Sure, we were a little slow getting started. I mean, with the weather and all, it just didn't seem all that summer-like around here.

But in the past couple weeks, we've jumped in head first!

Desmond has successfully caught on to 'wrestle time' with Derrick, and loves to ride the horsey. The pictures are a little blurry, but the horse was on the move.

Des was so excited he looked like he was just going to burst!

Myah and I had our own 'girls night' in the back yard. (making up for the fact that she wasn't invited to go backpacking.) Derrick set up the tent, hooked up the tv and dvd player, and even brought out a real bed mattress (for yours truly)! The boys all served us dinner while we watched some girly movies, and put on makeup and fingernail polish. The next morning, we were served breakfast in bed. It was fun. Myah certainly can't hate being the only girl around here!

Last week, Gabe came up with Nicole, Jordan and Kira. It was fun to visit for a couple of days. But WHY don't I ever remember to get the camera out? I only managed to grab one picture of Myah and Kira. Gabe...next time remind me!

Shortly after they headed back for Tooele (like 2 hours after to be exact), Shawn & Yuri came up with more cousins. The great times continue. Shawn & Yuri even humored me by going out on a little hike with Derrick and I. It sure made it feel better to eat all of that yummy party food. After all, we pre-burned the calories, right?

The next day, Nicky & Ira and Tyson & Mandi joined us for a swim day. Some of the kids went tubing up at Lava. I have yet to do it (you know, the whole issue with me, tubes, and rivers) Of course, we were caught in the huge thunder/rain storm that hit Pocatello. It was still a great time though.

And Des? He's just happy standing on his head. Any time, any place.

Later on, my parents joined us that evening for a 4th of July barbecue...complete with nickel sized hail, flooding, a most beautiful rainbow, and the Pocatello fireworks!

Think I'm done???? WRONG......

The next morning, we headed down to Cherry Hills to celebrate Uncle Paul's & Aunt Carma's 50th wedding anniversary. I got to meet some of Derrick's cousins for the first time, and others I haven't seen in years and years. It was really cool. What an awesome family.Shawn and Amy were even able to make it from Phoenix. I always have to take a picture of Myah and Abby together. They are just so similar, and very, very close in age, and Myah loves to see her. (of course, she loves to see any of her cousins!)

And after that....

We stopped by the Crawfords to swap Zac for Emilie for a few days. It's a summer tradition. And in order to trade back children, we decided to meet at Bear Lake yesterday and play for the day. The good times just kept coming (as did the wind).

And because there were no daddies on duty, I even helped out with the sand castle. But the kids definitely missed Derrick and his amazing design capabilities. Mine looked more like a birthday cake.

After each dip in the lake, a warm up in the blanket was sure to follow! Is it really JULY???
Skyler worked on his tan. When did he get that old, to actually care about a tan?
And the wind just kept on blowing. but the kids didn't seem to mind. After all, we live in Pocatello. We're used to it! Zac dug a whole to the center of the earth

and Myah fit just perfectly. It was probably warmer in there.Des snacked on sand

and liked it. A lot!

As I was saying....Any time, Any place!

After it was all over with. This little guy wasted no time in going to sleep. We weren't even done loading the car yet. Since it wasn't a particularly warm day at the beach, I called Derrick and had him meet us last night at Downata for a somewhat warm evening swim. Once again, no pictures.

And the fun doesn't even stop there! This morning, we jumped (or sort-of rolled slowly) out of bed, and tried our best to put the house back together (funny how it gets so messy when we're not even here!), for some more company to stop by and say hello. Jenna and her kiddos (some friends from Las Vegas, who now live in Phoenix, but who drive to Rexburg once a year to visit family......you get the picture.....) took the time to come hang out with us for a while today. It was short, but very sweet, and we're so glad we're on the way to Rexburg! Thanks Jenna!

And.......now I get to try to clean out the car, finish the laundry, and get a good workout in, since tomorrow........

we are taking the kids to Lagoon. (does the fun ever stop?)

and Saturday....we get to go to Tooele for Kira's baptism!

Yet another amazing and fun weekend to look forward to!

But in a month from now, when my kids answer the question, 'What did you do this summer?' with a big fat 'NOTHING', you can know in your heart that they are totally and completely FULL OF IT!

Good thing we decided to take this summer to 'lay low', 'kick back', and not make any 'big plans'. I think we'd be in trouble!

Summer, So Far...

2009-06-28T20:47:00.000-07:00

It's funny how 'traditions' start. Last year, Derrick took the older boys backpacking to upper Palisades Lake. They liked it so much, that by the time they got home, the trip was a 'family tradition'. And yes, they went again this past weekend. And yes, they're planning on going again next year. After all, it's TRADITION!

I think that everything went pretty smoothly for the guys. Other than a rather large rain storm, and a little slip on a log (landing Derrick flat on his back in the lake, with my BRAND NEW camera in his pocket!). The camera, is no more, but at least all of the boys returned home in one piece! And Zac's cast isn't really that dirty, either.

Since I couldn't go with the big boys, I started my own 'tradition'. My sisters and sisters-in-law and my mom came up for a couple of days with all of the little cousins. It turned out that all of the big cousins were at scout camp, girls camp, or backpacking. So the little cousins had their very own little get together. We went swimming, ate lots of good food, watched a movie, and made a Costco run. And I liked it so much, that now it's TRADITION! (do you hear me, my girls? That means we're on again for next year!) And, I love going places with Nicky, because she always takes tons of pictures, so I don't have to! Thanks again, my sista!

Jaron, Myah and Truman

The babies, weren't really that into posing for picture.

Myah, on the other hand.....

No sunburns for Des!

Jonny, Tannon and Jaxon

Another pose. What a surprise!

We've also taken advantage of every ounce of sunshine that we've gotten so far this summer (which hasn't exactly been excessive!) The kids played in the baby pool in the back yard. That always makes for some great fun!

Even the 'One Armed Bandito' couldn't resist a little dip in PeeWee's pool.

I've been taking every chance I can get to hike the hills behind the church this summer. I seriously love it up there. The view is something great, and when I carry Des on my back it turns into a pretty decent workout. And who wouldn't enjoy the view?There are even some really great wildflowers up on the mountain right now.

It's definitely a hidden treasure!

We've managed to get just one day hike in due to all of the rain. And, we got rained out. I had to turn around with the little ones. It was quite an ordeal getting them back off of the mountain in a downpour. We had enough playing in the mud to last us a lifetime. Derrick and the older boys finished the six and a half miles in the rain.

All of this rain sure has made for some beautiful green mountains.

Slate Mountain hike.

So that's about it, so far. I'm sure there will be many-a-great adventure yet to come!

2009-06-17T14:31:00.000-07:00

Today, I....
Fed 7 kids pancakes for breakfast
Took 8 kids to the park for lunch
Washed, dryed, and folded 4 batches of laundry
Cut open 12 otter pops
Changed 3 diapers
Scrubbed up the remainder of the salsa that was spilled on my CLEAN mopped floor
Checked my email 16 times
Sniffed the clean, dry, and folded laundry....not sure how many times. Love that smell.
Washed my hands MANY times
Took care of 2 children with nose bleeds
Spilled bleach
Opened and closed the windows (warm, then cold, then warm, then cold) 4 or 5 times
Picked up the sidewalk chalk, twice
Tried and tried to think of a great surprise for Derrick on Father's Day.

All this and it's only 3:30 in the afternoon! I can hardly wait to see what the rest of the day has in store!

Happy Happy Happy Summer Vacation!

Memorial Day (ya, so I'm running a bit behind!)

2009-06-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

Over Memoril Day, we headed up to Warm River, just outside of Island Park. We picked up Erin on our way through Rexburg. We don't get up to see her near enough, so it was great to spend some time with her. We had a great time. On Sunday, we loaded up in the van and drove through part of Yellowstone. How is it that we've lived here for 4 years now, and never made it up to Yellowstone? It was a great weekend for all!

Derrick and Myah catching tadpoles

I have issues with river and lake water. Can you see the enthusiasm all over my face?

Skyler struggled with the concept of staying on the tube! But it made for some great laughs.
The weather was so beautiful for the first day (then it rained...a lot!).
Des tried to keep out of the sun though.

Mesa Falls
The girls.

The boys.

Yellowstone
Tannon and Myah
The kids patiently waiting for Old Faithful to show her stuff.

Erin and Myah. Aren't they cute?

And to top it all off, we were lucky enough to have recently purchased one of these....

....Only this is ours.....

...and we love it. It has a fridge, a toilet, beds, and a ton of character. Who could ask for more? I don't think we would dare take it very far away, but we'll sure enjoy it close to home.

So Long Socca!!!

2009-06-09T08:50:00.001-07:00

Another soccer season has come and gone. It was a great one too!

We loved almost every minute of it!

Myah played for the first time, and had a great time. She caught on pretty quickly, and played quite aggressively for a 4 year old. She even scored several goals.Of course, she always made time to stop mid-game and pose for a picture!

Tannon had a great season too. He played on a team with a lot of his good buddies.

Tannon's strength is definitely his speed. He's pretty fast, when he wants to be.
Zac played on the competitive team again, and he has a real love for the game. He had soccer every day of the week (except Sunday), and would have taken more if it was an option. His season started out rough, since he almost immediately came down with a bad case of pneumonia. He had to miss a couple weeks, and was worried that he wouldn't get much play time after that. But in usual Zac style, he really brought it when he returned, and played the whole season as a starting defender who usually played the whole game.About half way through the season, Zac noticed that he was getting pushed down and knocked around way too much. His team played a lot of older and bigger kids, and Zac decided he'd had enough. He played out the rest of the season as one of the more aggressive players on the team. I think he did his share of pushing and knocking! It was a fun season to watch.
All 3 of the Swaner soccer stars made it through the season without any major injuries, other than a few bumps and bruises. And then, just one week after soccer season ended, Zac tripped over the soccer ball in our back yard and.....
He broke his arm just above his wrist. Bummer. But it did give me an opportunity to give him a little reminder....

So hats off to another soccer season come and gone.

Time to put away the jerseys (gotta save them since they cost an arm and a leg),

hide away the shin guards (or throw them away, if I can't get the stink out of them),

and say 'So Long Socca'! Till we meet again!

School's OUT!

2009-05-28T07:24:00.000-07:00

School is officially out for the Pocatello Swaners. Although, I think it's technically been out for over a week now. (at least a full week has been dedicated to parties, movie watching, etc. etc) But now I know that it's really summer break. Just to verify and confirm this fact, I took a little walk around the yard, equipped with enough free space on the hard drive to document the evidence.

8:31 pm....The front doorway is now blocked with bikes, hoses, dishes, etc. etc. until September!
If you choose to come and visit, please watch your step!

8:33 pm....Kickball left in street.

8:35 pm....Slip n' Slide left in the front yard. (10:22 pm....still there)

8:43 pm...Zac playing soccer with ANYONE at all. Tonight, the lucky person is Desmond.

8:35 pm....Backyard mayhem! Skyler and all of his cronies shooting hoops, Derrick and the little kids having their wrestle-fest on the trampoline, and Desmond is just taking it all in. Notice the 16 pairs of shoes spread all over the lawn. Nice.

9:33 pm....Not quite dark, but just a pretty color of blue.

9:58 pm....killing june bugs with tennis rackets. The count for the night....20.

10:12 pm....Where's Skyler???

10:16 pm....Where's Skyler???

10:18 pm....Skyler is home, and wants dinner.

10:20 pm...Skyler is told that he missed dinner, and he grabs a handful of saltines and goes to bed feeling rather grouchy.

HAPPY SUMMER BREAK EVERYONE!!!

By the way...Derrick saved my laptop and rescued all of my thousands of pictures that I lost when it crashed. Whew!!! Thanks honey! I'm back in blogging business now!

2009-05-17T16:18:00.001-07:00

Note to self....

This week I WILL catch up on blogging! (this whole broken laptop thing has really thrown me!) I will also catch up on Des' blog and write something, anything, in Myah's baby book.

Belated Easter Wishes

2009-04-28T10:05:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a nice Easter. I just love Easter weekend. I love that there is still a holiday that, at least at our house, still manages to stay focused on it's meaning. I love all of the symbolism of spring bringing new life and the resurrection. I love that it is overall a very spiritual holiday. Normally, the Easter bunny does slip by and leave a treat on Saturday, but this year, he didn't make it until Sunday after church. As it turns out, the whole family stayed home sick except for Derrick and Tannon. Myah was determined to wear her new Easter dress anyways, so she wore it around the house all day. She thought she looked like Bell (from Beauty and the Beast).

Here's the sicklies. (still can't resist helping little bro and sis look for eggs)
After exerting all of our energy looking for Easter eggs, we took a nice Sunday afternoon trampoline nap. One of my favorite pastimes.
And we even saved the Easter bunny a few nice, big carrots! We didn't manage to get them harvested last fall, and apparently, they continued growing over the winter months. Funny thing is, they are still good. I guess that's one way to store carrots for the winter, right?

2009-04-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

'Two Peas In A Pod'

Or at least I like to flatter myself in thinking so!

I love this girl....

a lot.

(by the way, this is not really my hair-do for the day. We're just playing around.)

Saturday Morning Surprise

2009-04-26T14:21:00.000-07:00

Ya, so our kids have been sick for about a month now. Miracle of all miracles though....Tannon is as healthy as can be. How'd that happen?

Yesterday, I woke up to a little surprise from Des. I'm still not sure how I've managed to have 5 kids without recognizing what I was seeing, but I panicked just a little. Derrick wasn't around, so I called our neighbor/dermatologist to come have a look. He came right away, to tell me that it was just a few hives. 'JUST a few hives?' First of all, shouldn't I know what hives look like by now? Zac did have them a while back, but I didn't examine him very closely. And second of all, WHY? My first thought was that it must be the formula that he recently started on. But the friendly doc calmly explained that babies sometimes just get hives as a reaction to a virus that they have. And ya, 'virus' is a common word around here lately. So it's no big deal. They come and then after a couple of hours, they're gone. And then they come back in all new places. The bad news, it can last for up to 6 weeks. And I really don't think it's very comfy for Des. The good news, though, is that he's not really old enough to know how to scratch them, so he's not able to make matters worse for himself. And, of all the things he could have, we'll take hives!

An Update of Why I Haven't Updated

2009-04-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged for a while, and I'm not really going to right now either. But I am going to share my excuses for NOT blogging.
1. Doctors appointments. Way too many trips to the doc.
2. Pneumonia...Zac, going on 3 weeks of absolute misery.
3. Infection (me, myself and I...not wanting to go into great detail.)
4. Loss of the ability to nurse...due to before mentioned infection that I don't want to go into great detail about)
6. Cold turkey...teaching Des to take formula...due to before mentioned loss of ability to nurse, due to before mentioned infection...that I don't really want to go into great detail about. He'd never even had a bottle at all. He still looks at me like I've really let him down every time I give him a bottle.
6. Exercising....I always swore that my body isn't one of those that burns calories while nursing. But now that I quit nursing, I'm packing on the poundage. (not a good thing with the biggest loser challenge) I thought the weight would just magically disappear when I stopped. WRONG. So I'm trying really hard to counterbalance the forces of nature with a good workout every day.
7. Laptop issues. It's funny how dependent we get on those dumb things. And I'm too lazy to come downstairs and use the computer.

That's it! So I'll be back and update soon!

Wii Ski

2009-04-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

Why do I love skiing so much? I mean, I don't really love the snow (other than for one week before Christmas and one week after). I hate being cold. And it's totally expensive (although we've found ways around that....you just have to learn to 'cheap' the system). But I LOVE it. It feels so good to get out and do something active. To get some fresh air and even some sunshine. And I love spending time with the kids and it makes me proud when they conquer something that can be a bit scary at first! But most of all...I love to get them out of the house, away from the wii (and other sources of electronic entertainment), and doing something. It sure makes me excited for summer, when I traditionally hide away most of the in-house entertainment for a couple of months.

Anyways, we had a fun ski day out at Pomerelle last Saturday. Having the Crawfords come up and join us for the day made it even better. And, of course, with Nicky along, I have PLENTY of pictures to post!

Brayden, Zacary, Skyler

Myah (aren't her little pink skis so cute?)

Myah and I

They had this funky little tunnel, and the kiddos thought it was so much fun to ski through it
Myah and I

Derrick and Ira stayed at the lodge and watched the babies for most of the day. They even grilled us some burgers for lunch. They were able to sneak away and check out City of Rocks for a while. They ran out of gas on their way back up the mountain, and Derrick hitched a ride with some girls (who told him that they would kill him if he even tried to touch them). The boys all gave the van a big push, and then it coasted all the way down the mountain and right into a gas station. Lucky day.

Ira and Kam

Myah and Emilie

Skyler

Nicky and I
Tannon and EmThe Crawford Crew

NickyAnd, of course, we had to end our day with the traditional stop at El Herracero's for some tacos.

This may be the last ski trip of the year. So we may be turning in our ski poles for wii controls to get us through until the weather is nice outside...and then we'll be turning in the wii controls for hiking boots!

This IS Our Final Answer....we think

2009-04-01T07:32:00.001-07:00

The decision has been made.
The verdict is in.
This IS our final answer.
It looks like the Swaner family will be staying in Pocatello for a while. We couldn't be more thrilled. Although we LOVED St. George, and could have possibly tolerated Reno (maybe), we're sure happy about staying put! I never thought I'd say that about Poky, but we just feel so at home here. We have good friends, the kids love their sports, we love our house and our yard, we have great neighbors and an awesome ward, and it's so nice to live a bit closer to family.

So while we know that this still may not be permanent, and there are more 'definite' options out there, we're willing (and so completely thankful that we have the option) to just go with it for a while! We have been praying for a long time that this would be the case.

All of this 'not knowing' has had its benefits though. We got almost the whole house painted (need to finish my bedroom and the upstairs bathrooms). It's always a good way to get some of those projects done. Maybe we'll have to look at moving again next year!

Now We Know ReNo

2009-03-23T08:09:00.001-07:00

Derrick and I spent the weekend in Reno. And I must say, it was kind of a cool town. Here's what I liked...
1. The downtown was really very cool. I expected it to be like Vegas. Not at all.
2. The river running down town with the kayakers...AWESOME!
3. Scheeles. I wish we'd spent more time there.
4. Nice people. Very friendly.
5. The surrounding area...Tahoe, California, etc....
6. Nevada...no state tax. It's always nice to get to take home a little more paycheck.

And I wasn't so fond of....
1. Casinos and what comes with them. Yuck.
2. The drive home. So long, and SO blaaahhh.
3. The unemployment rate at a whopping 15%. It made me very sad.
4. The drive home (counts as two dislikes). It really was that bad. And I like home.

So that's it for Reno! I was expecting not great things and was quite pleasantly surprised. Thanks for the input in my previous post. And thanks mom, Shawn & Yuri, and Tyson and Mandi for taking the kiddos. I'm sure glad we didn't have them with us since the drive really was that bad!

Reno, Anyone?

2009-03-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

For my whole life, I've noticed that everyone knows someone from Preston. It's just such a small world. And when we went to Spokanne a couple months ago, we discovered that several of our friends here in Pocatello have lived there in the past. So this weekend, Derrick and I are going to Reno, but I can't seem to find ANYONE who has lived there or even spent much time there. So, my friends, have any of you ever lived or even spent time in Reno? I mean, more time than a bathroom break on the way to Northern California. All that I've really heard is that it's in the mountains, close to Tahoe, WINDY (seriously, after Pocatello, do you think the wind could even phase us?), mini-Las Vegas (meaning casinose), and no state sales tax (can't hate that). But I would love to know more. So tell me all about it!

A Little Piece of Sunshine Goes a LONG Ways!

2009-03-15T18:08:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago (ya, a little behind on the blogging thing), we left our world of snow and freezing cold temperatures for a just a couple of days in sunny St. George. It was a great time, and the warmth and sunshine did wonders. We spent time exploring, shopping, swimming and hiking. On the way home, we detoured up to Zions and went for a nice hike up to some beautiful spring waterfalls. I just have one thing to say....Sunshine makes me HAPPY! Very, very happy.

The temple was purdy...I didn't actually get any pictures of the temple, but I got the cute kids in front of the temple. Does that count?

The hotel was great too. Nice rooms, fun swimming. What more could we ask for?

The local redrock hiking was so fun, so close, & so convenient.

And Zions was, as always, totally and unbelievably beautiful. We met a lot of people along the trail that had travelled across the country to enjoy such beauty. We're so lucky to have such amazing nature all around us! Sounds cheesy, I know, but seriously...it was beautiful.

...and nobody was happier than these two. They have already started planning their backpacking trips for this summer. This was just a small taste of the good stuff.

Oh Jordan!

2009-03-07T17:50:00.000-08:00

I really did know that tomorrow is Jordan's birthday (referring to the post below). One little brother has a birthday on the 8th of March, and the other on the 18th, and I always get them mixed up in my brain. Maybe Derrick isn't the only one who is a complete goof! We're a perfect match I suppose.

Sooooo......Happy Birthday Jordan!

Tyson Tyson Tyson

2009-03-07T14:21:00.000-08:00

Last night, Derrick had to call his elders quorum secretary to remind him of an early morning meeting on Sunday. His name is Tyson Harris. So he grabbed the phone and pulled up the caller ID and scrolled down to Tyson's name and hit dial. His wife answered, and Derrick left her a rather lengthy message to pass along to her husband about the Sunday morning meeting. He reminded her that it was going to be ward conference so the stake pres would be there, etc. etc. etc......

After a while she politely asked what in the heck he was talking about. It turns out, he had called Tyson Moser (my brother) and was talking to Mandi the whole time. She was so confused and taken back that she didn't even stop him, but just let him continue her ramblings. When she finally straightened him out and hung up, I'm thinking she probably peed her pants. That's just a guess though.

Derrick is a pretty smart fella, but boy, what a goof! And I love him for it.

Speaking of Tyson (the moser one)...HappyBirthday tomorrow!

Be Careful What You Wish For

2009-03-06T13:49:00.000-08:00

Today, Skyler told me that he wished 'he could have straight hair' instead of all of those great curls that in my opinion, make Skyler...Skyler! So I told him to have a seat (since I can't really reach the top of his head very easily while he's standing). And just 10 minutes later....Whalaaaa! Straight hair! It'll only last until he showers (thank goodness), but for now...I am his very own Fairy Godmother, and his wish for the day came true. So here's the proof that Skyler had straight hair for a day, and only for a day....I hope. Now let's just hope that he doesn't wish for a mullet next!

Is That How It Works?

2009-02-27T12:16:00.000-08:00

Last night the weirdest thing happened. I woke up at 3 am and heard Desmond talking in his crib. First of all, he is my first child EVER to actually sleep in his crib! He loves it, and even takes naps in it. But this is the really weird part...I went into his room, and didn't say a word, but picked up his binky and put it in his mouth, AND LEFT! I have always always always in the past, picked up my babies, taken them to bed with me to feed them, where they spend the rest of the night. So after I left, I stopped in the hallway, waiting for him to start crying or something, but he DIDN'T! I paused again just outside my bedroom door, but heard nothing. Once I was in bed, I started freaking out that perhaps I just couldn't hear him, so I went to check again. He was asleep. And he stayed asleep until about 7:30 this morning. Why has it taken me 5 children to learn this!? I guess that some of us are just slow learners.

Check, Check, Check

2009-02-25T10:52:00.000-08:00

Mom's are busy people (as if y'all didn't already know that!). I'm not claiming to be any busier than anyone else. Sometimes it's just comical to think about how much we try to cram into a day! So here's my day in a nut shell.

Get the kids out the door....CHECK.
Eat a healthy breakfast....CHECK.
Breakfast cleanup...CHECK.
Babysit for a friend...CHECK.
Send Myah to preschool...CHECK.
Laundry...CHECK (some of it, at least)
Desmond down for nap...CHECK.
Retrieve Myah from preschool...CHECK.
Killer Workout...CHECK. (Now I'm too tired to stand up straight.)
Lunch...I like making lunch. Myah likes 'healthy food' so we quite often just have veggies.
Shower....probably ought to, due to the killer workout.
Family prayer and scripture study...hopefully.
Put makeup on...maybe....maybe not.
Clean house....only the minimum.
Play taxi driver after school...not optional.
Fix dinner...it's overrated anyways.
Biggest Loser....absolutely!
American Idol...maybe.
Read...yep, every day. Trying to read scriptures. Loving reading 'Dracula'.
Make my bed...ya, of course. Can't stand to get into an un-made bed, but I'll probably make it right before I crawl into it!

Did I mention that we're trying to get the house ready to sell (just in case), which means painting, scrubbing, dejunking, fixing, organizing, etc. etc. As if I'm EVER going to get around to those things! Oh well. Maybe tomorrow.

My New Leaf

2009-02-23T16:59:00.000-08:00

This morning, I was feeling rather frustrated with the school system (2 teachers in particular). So after sending a somewhat 'to the point' email to one of the teachers, I decided that she probably, most likely doesn't know how to use email (and yes, I was right). So I skipped my morning workout to go down to the school and observe exactly what (if anything) my child is being taught. I found an overwhelmed teacher (still email illiterate), with too many children in a much too small classroom, just trying to do her job. She was so thankful to have a little help, and I was able to help Tannon get on top of things. I felt kinda sorry for her. We're not planning on doing lunch together any time soon, but maybe it's me who needs to do better at keeping up with the happenings of school, and being a bit more proactive. And maybe I can even help the teacher figure out email.

When the kids came home from school, I had cookies made, and actually had the laundry removed from the kitchen table where it usually sits for at least half of the week. The kids actually walked in the door and sat down to do their homework without an argument. Tannon even asked if he could forgo (is that a real word?) playing with friends to work on his math facts with me. It's not like I feel like a genius for figuring this parenting strategy out. I'm just usually too lazy or too consumed with my own projects to actually pull it off! But today I turned a new leaf. I sure hope I can keep my leaf turned!

Now, Derrick is out building a bon-fire for the kiddies to make family night s'mores. Traditionally, I stay inside with Des and they bring me one, since I really hate smelling like campfire. I think I'll continue the tradition. After all, I've already done my share of good parenting for the day!

6 Months Old, and Sweet as Ever

2009-02-19T07:44:00.001-08:00

Ok, so I'll admit it. I really am one of those crazy mom's who thinks that they have the most adorable baby on the planet! And I'm right. Every mom is right. We all love our babies so much that to us, they are the sweetest, most beautiful baby ever!

Desmond (aka...the most adorable baby on the planet), turned 6 months old yesterday. Time sure flies (when I'm NOT pregnant). And since I'm much too lazy to actually get him dressed, and go get pictures taken...and since my only option here in Poky that requires no appointment is Walmart, we opted to shoot a few pics here at home on the kitchen floor.

A couple weeks ago, our brand new external hard drive crashed, and I lost a whole bunch of pictures, and I'm sure glad that I've blogged a lot of those pictures. So that is what I'm doing now. I don't expect all of you to sit and 'ooohhhh and aahhhhh' over every detail of these pics (like I do). I just need to back them up, just in case. But still, I'm sure you'll agree...he's pretty dang cute!

Spokane....Is That You??

2009-02-15T11:42:00.000-08:00

We went on a little road trip this week up to Spokane. Derrick's contract with the hospital here in Pocatello is coming to an end next month, so we're currently in search of our next great adventure. We're still hopeful that the great adventure we're seeking will keep us right here in Pocatello (I never thought I'd say that!), but in these crazy times, we just can't be too prepared, and we can't have too many options!

So I've always heard that Spokane is such a beautiful place with so much to do. And I was actually somewhat looking forward to visiting. I mean, it's a total hiker's paradise, right? And judging by the pictures that I googled, the city was going to be pretty cool too.

Not bad, right? And just a hop, skip, and a jump away (that equates to about 25 minutes), is beautiful Lake Couer d' Alene'. Who wouldn't love this?

Unfortunately, we didn't love it at all. The Spokane we saw looked nothing like the pictures above. There are some nice surrounding areas, but I'm not confident that we could afford to live in any of them. But we do have friends that really loved it there, so there must be more to it than we gathered in our short visit. We were really tired, and perhaps we didn't give Spokane a fare shake, and just maybe we'll need to reconsider (hopefully WITHOUT the kids next time)!
Gotta keep ALL options open!

The Best Day EVER!

2009-02-02T20:20:00.000-08:00

Really, it was an AWESOME day! Like, complete BLISS! We decided to let the kids ditch school today and went skiing. First, we stopped in at Barrie's (one of the local ski shops), and the owner was able to melt and custom fit my ski boots (that have always hurt my feet sooooo badly), until they were nice and comfy. How come I never knew they could do that? They also gave us a great deal on seasonal ski rentals for the kids, so they can keep them until the end of the season. It got us all started off on the right foot.

Anyways...we headed up to Pebble, and it wasn't until we got there, that I started to second guess myself and my level of patience and ability to teach Tannon and Myah at the same time. Derrick couldn't help because he was holding Des. Sooooo, I first took Tannon down the hill and left Myah. And yes, I actually turned into one of 'those parents' that have no business teaching their kids to ski because they are totally freaking out at their kids while the kid cries and says, 'I'm trying!'. Ya, I was that parent. Finally, I told him that if he didn't stop crying, and TRY, then I would take away all of his video games for the rest of the winter. Maybe skiing is an acquired love, but he needed a little extra incentive. Of course, I tried to get him on skis last year, and he was a total punk about it, and went and sat in the lodge. BUT....after the video game threat, Tannon decided he would ski! And he did great! I took him down the hill once, and then the second time, he took off by himself. I was preoccupied with Myah, and looked up to see Tannon on the lift BY HIMSELF! Funny boy. I'm not sure if he really likes skiing, or just video games. Whatever it takes!

Then there was Myah. I brought her down the hill one time...you know, me skiing backwards the whole way holding her up. She just wanted to get to the bottom so she could ride the lift. Who needs Disneyland when we can ride a ski lift??? By the second time down, she was on her own. And she was pretty fast. She wasn't interested in taking the 'easiest way' down. She just went for it. I was absolutely giddy!

And then there was Desmond, who sat in the truck with Derrick all day long. I only stopped to nurse him once, and he was so totally cooperative.

And Derrick....was so awesome to sit with Desmond all day long. He parked right at the side of the hill so he could take pictures and help out with the kids. How cool is that?

Yep, it was a great day! To make it even better, it only cost us 27 dollars to take the whole family skiing! I think my kids might be racking up the absences this winter!

Tomorrow

2009-02-01T21:08:00.000-08:00

I must be crazy. Tomorrow I'm letting the kids skip school and we're going skiing. That's not the crazy part. I'm planning to teach Tannon and Myah tomorrow. And Derrick is going to have Desmond there so I can take a break to feed him every once in a while. I may be off my rocker, but we're doing it this way because it saves a bunch of money. Mondays at Pebble Creek are buy one get one free, and the little hill is only 12 bucks. So, I figure that since we're going to be teaching the little peeps, we'll be staying on the bunny hill anyways. That's the plan! I'm feeling tired already!

I'm Skinny!

2009-01-26T20:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I was so flattered when Myah told me that I'm the SKINNIEST person in our family. I was feeling pretty good for a second, until reality hit me in the face....

Me: What does 'skinny' mean?

Myah: When you have the biggest tummy of all!

Me: Oh

So I guess this is a conversation we'll continue another day...after I lose a few pounds.

Oh, Mercy!

2009-01-25T07:10:00.000-08:00

This week I was the recipient of a few of those 'tender mercies' that I believe Heavenly Father sends us just at the right moments.

Just as I've been complaining relentlessly about the cold, snowy, miserable weather, this is what happened...

We had the MOST beautiful day the other day! I even took Desmond out on the trampoline for about an hour. We layed in the sun and pretended we were on a warm beach, and soaked in a few rays of sunshine.

Myah played with her friends outside most of the day. Not even a jacket!

Skyler was able to get out and shoot some hoops.

I enjoyed grilling dinner on the barbecue. And I even left the door open for a while. And, I did it all in my bare feet! Yes, it really was that warm.

And just when I think that I'm going to spend the rest of my life sitting in the bleachers or on the sidelines as a sports spectator (which I LOVE, and I wouldn't mind at all), I get to do this for a change...

Myah had her dance recital this week. She was so great! We even made all of the boys go and sit through her dance recital....all 2 hours of it! Maybe I'll post her video later. It was cute, and she was sooooo excited!

And now we're buried under snow and ice again, and yesterday was packed full of ballgames again, but that's ok. Yay for those 'tender mercies'!

Eleven and Counting....

2009-01-20T15:54:00.000-08:00

Skyler, Zacary, Tannon, Myah, Desmond, Nathan, Trevor, Benjamin, Mandi, Yping, and Kendell. That's how many kids I have IN MY HOUSE at this very moment. Shouldn't there be some kind of law against having ONE adult in a house alone with ELEVEN kids? I'm not complaining at all, since I really do like every one of these kids, but I barely manage to keep my sanity with just my own little (and not so little) people, let alone 6 extra. But I'm still not complaining.

I Just Don't Get It

2009-01-15T15:25:00.000-08:00

There are some things that I just don't get. I guess that they are 'life's great mysteries'. For example...Why are there NEVER enough hangers? I buy more and more and more hangers, but we're always just a few short. I haven't been buying more clothes, so where are the hangers going? It's a mystery.

Also, why oh why do they give us the little packet of extra thread when we buy a sweater? Has ANYONE ever actually repaired a snag in a sweater with the extra supply of thread? I mean, a spare button, I get that...but thread???

And...does anyone in my house (other than me) know how to put a new garbage bag in the trash can? Yesterday, after I emptied the trash bag that was piled to the ceiling (another topic for another day), I forgot to put in a new bag. After just a few minutes, I came back to the kitchen to find a whole pile of trash sitting on top of the counter next to the garbage can. Thank you so much guys for not throwing the trash into the can without a bag. That was really very thoughtful.

Ok, here's another one. Are olives good or bad for me? I really like olives, and I'm pretty well educated about nutrition, but olives are just a mystery. I mean, they grow on trees, and they don't have any sugar...but why do I feel like I'm splurging just a little when I put olives in my salad? Just wondering.

Lastly, what on earth was anyone thinking when they planned a 4 day weekend just 2 weeks after Christmas vacation? I know, Martin Luther King was a really great man. And I can respect that, but can't we celebrate his accomplishments while at school? Just wondering. On a selfish note, I'm just getting into the swing of things, and I'm soooo not ready for another long weekend! Especially in the dead of winter.

These are the things that keep me up at night. So what puzzles you?

2009-01-09T07:59:00.000-08:00

Today I have MAJOR cabin fever! I want sooooo badly to.....
go play outside with my kids
lay Desmond in the grass and watch his face scrunch up
go for a bike ride
play some soccer
take Myah to the park
eat breakfast on the deck
take a nice long walk
open my windows
clean the garage
eat strawberries
plant a flower
pull some weeds
walk the kids to school
go buy something at the nursery
or
go for a hike.

Is that too much to ask?

As an afterthought, I hope I don't sound ungrateful! I am so thankful that I have a warm home and good food, and that I live in a place where I feel safe and comfortable! I love that my kids can walk to school without being afraid, and that they even get to go to school at all! It certainly isn't all that bad!

Good Times

2009-01-08T12:40:00.000-08:00

We had a really great Christmas this year. Although, we did so many fun things prior to Christmas, that by the time Christmas day rolled around, we were pretty tired. One of my favorite post-Christmas activities was the day that we went to Tyson and Mandi's house to go sledding. It was great fun. Derrick had to work, so I was on my own for this one. But Desmond was awesome, and slept in the truck the whole time. It wasn't really very cold that day either. And Mandi treated us to some oh so yummy soup with scones and cookies afterwards. So here are just a few of my favorite pictures...

Myah and I

Jordan didn't quite realize how deep the snow was!

So he opted to sled with McKay on the road. It had a strip of snow just wide enough for a sled. The rest was mud.

Nathan and Brayden sledding down, but I love Zac in the background trying to push Parker and the tube back up the hill. I think he knew that if he looked pathetic enough, Tyson might just come pick him on the snowmobile!

Myah and Truman are great little pals.

I'm not sure who all is in this tangle of bodies. But I do know that there were no injuries.

Tannon
Tannon and Emilie and me

Nathan, Zac, and Brayden
SkylerZac and Mandi
This is my favorite picture....let me explain. Tannon got his pants stuck on the barbed wire fence, and Skyler was headed over to help him. Along the way, he lost his boots in the deep snow, so he was attempting to lift Tannon off of the fence in his bare feet! What a great big brother!

Kamden, Desmond, and Ryan were all VERY cooperative.

It's amazing how some of our most precious memories come from the most simple and inexpensive activities together!

On Your Mark....Get Set....GO!

2009-01-05T07:50:00.001-08:00

Along with probably 70% of Americans, I've got some weight to lose this year. I need to be done by summer time so that I can go backpacking. Today is the beginning of some really big losses in the Moser family. Weight losses, that is. We are officially starting our Moser Family Biggest Loser competition. Soooo, get ready to LOSE! By the way, the Biggest Loser blog site is up and going. The address is http://mosersarelosinit.blogspot.com/

It's a private blog, so only the players can check it out.

Wish me luck! And good luck to all the rest of you losers!

The Things We Do...

2008-12-29T08:13:00.000-08:00

Maybe we're not the brightest lamps on the street...but we chose to venture out and see family on Christmas day. With all the snow, we were pretty sure we shouldn't but we somehow ended up going anyways. Of course, it took us a couple of hours to dig out our driveway first, and then we had to wait while Derrick and Zac jumped off of the deck into the 5 foot snow drift! I wanted to do it, but chickened out (see the ridiculous pictures below!). Anyways....the only thing crazier than jumping from a two story deck into a pile of snow is to try and make the drive from Pocatello to Cache Valley in a blizzard. (the blizzard warnings included a strong warning to NOT travel unless it was was an emergency) So we drove 63 miles with zero visibility, high winds, and unplowed roads (I think even the snow plows knew better). BUT...we made it, most of the way. We intended on going to Smithfield to see the Swaner's, but by the time we made it to Preston, Derrick was done. And, of course, he would never ever let me drive in a situation like that! I can't say I blame him. So we stopped at my parent's house and stayed the night. We had great times with both sides of the family. So it was worth it, right???

Derrick preparing to take the plunge...

...and the safe landing.

And Zac's turn...

...with a great landing.

And then there was me...

...with no landing. (since I chickened out!)

Ya, I laughed at watching my husband jump, and all but threw my son off, but wouldn't do it myself. I guess I'm kinda like that.

Boy, the things we do just to have a great time!

TRAPPED!

2008-12-25T13:12:00.000-08:00

The excitement of going out to visit our families on Christmas day is at a stand still. Bummer. We are very very snowed in. This should be sort of fun, but I feel very trapped! Here are some pictures that we took several hours ago, and it just keeps coming. I'm thinking we're trapped for the day...

The snow drifts up the side of our house.

Derrick's car isn't going anywhere any time soon!
...such an inviting entrance way, eh???

We can't even see out of our windows, since the wind has blown all the snow onto the screens. It really adds to the whole 'feeling trapped' thing.
This is what I got when I opened the front door.

So, to our friends and family...Merry Christmas!
I wish we were with y'all right now!

(and what on earth am I going to do with the 2 pans of cheesy potatoes that I've already made)

A Week Full of Christmas Fun

2008-12-23T21:13:00.001-08:00

It's been a week FULL of Christmas time festivities, and the week is only half over! I feel like I've enjoyed this time as a family so much, and while it's been a lot of work, I think we've made some great memories. This here's what's gone down in the Swaner home...

Sunday...we had our traditional 'fine dining Christmas dinner'. We started this tradition our first year in Vegas when we were so very lonely. Now it's something we look forward to every year...the one night each year that the kids actually try to have good manners.

The menu consisted of bread and olive oil, fillet mignon, spinach dip, pasta, salad, zucchini spears, homemade ice cream, and Martinellis. Good stuff. It's gotten pretty easy, since each person somewhat has part of the meal to be in charge of. Derrick deals with the steak, Zac makes the spinach dip, and Skyler pulls out and sets up the china. Tannon even made the salad.

Sometimes I think that maybe some day we'll actually dress up for our nice dinner. But then I think to myself....'Why??? Where else can I enjoy a fillet mignon while wearing sweat pants?' It sounds like a win/win situation to me!

Monday...we kicked off the day by shoveling tons and TONS of snow. I love shoveling snow. And it just kept snowing all day long. We also had to take Desmond down for his 4 month check up and immunizations. He weighed in at 14 lbs., which puts him right at the 50th percentile for his weight, height, and head circumference. Not real exciting, I know. But after that, we came home and spent at least an hour gathering up the snow clothes. It can be pretty tricky with so many kids who are growing so fast. Nothing that fit last year seemed to fit this year. Anyways, we loaded up and went sledding for a couple of hours. It was too cold for Des outside, so we stayed in the truck and played with the camera and took a nap. It was nice. The sledding hill was a ways away though, so we couldn't get any pictures of the other kids.

When we got home, I shoveled snow AGAIN, and Derrick helped the kids build a snow cave. They're pretty excited about it.

This morning... I pulled Myah on her sled around the neighborhood to deliver Christmas gifts. It made me tired, but it fit right in with our theme of the day. We thought it might be fun to have an 'old fashioned Christmas celebration'. We spent the evening without electronics and just enjoyed some quiet time together. Derrick took the kids sledding again while I got everything ready. We decorated gingerbread men, had a nice dinner by candlelight, played Christmas songs on the piano, and we even made vinegar taffy. I really hate making that stuff. But we did it, and I even have the blisters to prove it! But since it was an old fashioned celebration, I didn't even pull the camera out. It was interesting though to see how well the kids got along without any of the distractions we usually allow into our home.

Now the kiddies are in bed, I'm back on the computer (while watching Prison Break), and gearing up for tomorrow. I'm not sure what we'll do to keep ourselves in the spirit of Christmas. Any ideas?

Gotta run. I'm VERY tired. Merry Christmas!

Questions, Questions, Questions

2008-12-18T09:13:00.000-08:00

Myah is an inquisitive little girl. And she doesn't just want to ask questions....she really wants an answer. And not just a kid answer. She wants the real answer. Yesterday's questions included...

'Mom, how did you know when there was a baby in your tummy anyways?'

'What are these for?' (pointing to feminine hygiene products in the bathroom) and then...
'How do you use them?'

'How does your body give Desmond milk?'
'Can mine do that?'
'Why not?'

and last, but certainly not least...
'Mom, how come your tummy is still big if the baby isn't in there any more?'

Gotta love kids! Sometimes I feel like I'm under a magnifying glass, and nothing will go unnoticed. Oh well.

My Friend, Glenn.

2008-12-09T20:51:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I actually freshened up my makeup (and even put on some lip gloss) for a little trip down to the mall. We've been waiting for this night for at least a month. After all, it's not every night that my friend Glenn comes to town. I'm referring to Glenn Beck. He was visiting the local Deseret Book to sign his new book, 'The Christmas Sweater'. I guess I figured that living here in Pocatello, there might not be a lot of people who would show up to see him. I thought he might feel bad. So I wanted to make sure he felt welcome in Poky. (Besides, Jenna, I really wanted to get you a copy of his book and have him write a note to Raef inside.) When we got there, the mall seemed pretty empty, and I was really starting to worry...Until we turned the corner, and found that the line to see my friend Glenn, went all the way through and out of the entire mall. No, we don't exactly have a large mall...but still...the line must have been several blocks long. CRAZY!!! So, no, I didn't get to meet Glenn, shake his hand, or even SEE him...since the entrance to Deseret Book was blocked with security. But at least he felt welcome.

ps....I know Glenn isn't really my friend. I mean, I'm not dillusional...well, not really!

12:12

2008-12-08T23:12:00.000-08:00

Crappers. It's 12:12, and I'm still on the computer! The good news is, Desmond has been sleeping through the night. Saturday, he slept until 8:30 since we were all asleep and it stayed quiet! How cool is that?

Off to bed I go!

2008-12-08T22:42:00.001-08:00

Gotta be quick. I promised myself I'd be in bed by midnight and I've only got 15 minutes. Mandi sent me some pictures tonight that I want to throw on. It turns out that over Thanksgiving, while I had all the little (and medium sized) kids out on our adventure to Little Mountain, the big kids (and really big kids) were having an adventure of their own. They took 4-wheelers up Oxford Peak. I'd pick hiking over 4-wheeling, but I sure can't beat the view they managed to get!

I think they froze their butts off. But holy cow! Check out that view!

(It's 11:55...off to bed!)

On a Roll

2008-12-04T12:09:00.000-08:00

I think I must be on a roll. I mean, posting 3 blogs in just 3 days??? But Nicky just emailed me these pictures from Thanksgiving, and I'm going to share...

These are all taken over Thanksgiving.

Myah had a great time hanging out with her cousins. And the weather was AWESOME! So did Tannon.

And Desmond too. (Kamden and Desmond. I think Des might be catching up, a little)
The infamous after dinner football game. The good new is, nobody got injured this year!

I bet Derrick will like this picture. I think Skyler has a poster that kinda looks like this in him room...only the guy is in football gear, weighs about 100 pounds more than Derrick, and probably gets paid to play football!

So that's all. Thanks for the pics Nicky!

Playing Catch Up

2008-12-02T18:38:00.000-08:00

Other than Skyler's birthday post this morning, I haven't posted for a while. I've been a very busy girl! So here's what's happened since my last post...

*We put up the Christmas tree, and yes, I re-decorated it when the kids went to school. I just can't help myself.

*We went to my mom's house for Thanksgiving. We probably overstayed our welcome, but it was just so nice to get away for a couple of days.

*I went and saw Twilight with Mandi and Nicky. It's always nice to get out for a while!

*I think I consumed at least 2 pounds of turkey, and a whole pie when you count all the leftovers. It was yummy. Really yummy.

*I was given a little extra church calling. I was just working in the library. Now I get to do the ward bulletin and the ward web site too. I guess if they're going to kick me out of Young Women's, they better make it something good.

*I conquered the declined sit ups. Still not loving them, but they don't bring tears to my eyes anymore! Just as a side note...people who prefer c-sections are NUTS! But that's just my humble opinion.

*I conceded the battle, and let Derrick off the hook with Christmas lights this year. He hates putting them on the house, so this year I gave in and he just put a few on the trees outside. That's ok. Easier clean-up.

*I've felt the need to document and photograph every single second of Desmond's life. Isn't there a movie about that? I think it's called the Truman Story with Jim Carey. It's not such a bad idea, really. Des is just growing up so fast. I think he's doubled in size now and it's going by much too fast. I don't want to forget any of it!

*I've done at least 30 batches of laundry. Seriously.

*I've done almost all of my Christmas shopping...mostly on line. It's like getting Christmas twice. It's so exciting to find packages at my door. I get to open them up and now I'll get to wrap them for the kids.

*I've visited Costco at least a half dozen times. It's my other favorite place to Christmas shop. Entertainment is somewhat limited in Pocatello.

*I took the kids (nieces and nephews included) on a hike up 'Little Mountain'. Derrick was gone 4-wheeling up to Oxford peak, and I felt the need to get out and move a little, after the whole 2 pounds of Turkey and everything! Anyways, there's a pretty cool cave, and we found a skull on the mountain. We weren't sure what it belonged to, but since I came home and looked up pictures on google, I've decided it was a very BIG rat. Nice, hu?
*I kept Zac home from school to help me get things done. I think I deserve a 'mother of the year' award. Ok, maybe not...but I could at least write a book on great parenting, right?

*We painted 2 bedrooms. And we almost did it without any major problems. That is, until I was just finishing cleaning up, and Myah tripped over a full bucket of paint...spilling it ALL on the carpet. I couldn't get too mad, since the last time I painted I did the same thing.

*I've watched Kung-Fu Panda a dozen times with Myah. It makes me laugh every time. Last night though...'Shrek the Halls' moved up to the top of her list. I prefer the panda.

*I thought about cleaning the storage room. I even took a picture so that when I was done, I could post a 'before and after' picture. I never got around to the 'after' picture, since it still looks exactly the same. It's the thought that counts, right?

So that's about it! I'm all caught up! And it's only 8:30!

Thirteen Years!

2008-12-02T07:32:00.000-08:00

Skyler turned 13 years old on Sunday. Time sure flies! For his birthday, we had his favorite dinner (chicken alfredo and bread sticks) and then he opted for a giant skookie rather than a birthday cake. It was yummy. Thanks to Derrick's parents for coming up to celebrate with us.

For Skyler's birthday gift, we helped him upgrade his room to a 'teenage room' rather than a 'kid room'. We painted, bought him a new dresser, got a new bedspread and curtains, and framed some sports 'motivational' posters. The most exciting part was putting in a giant magnet board in the section of his wall that is recessed in. It's about 8 feet across and 4 feet tall. It's pretty cool.

As long as I'm on the Skyler topic, I gotta brag on him a little. He's such a good kid, and is very quickly growing into a great 'guy'! He is extremely talented with his piano playing and his academics, and is able to do really well in basketball (he's a real hustler), art, and many other things. Skyler is currently reading the Book of Mormon for the 3rd time. I'm pretty proud of that. He has an understanding of the scripture stories that is amazing, and is so good at recalling them. I think he gets that from Derrick. He'll be a great missionary, I'm sure. When people see Skyler, they remember him for his curly hair, but my favorite thing about him is his laugh. It seems like the older he gets, we get to hear him laugh less and less, but it's absolutely contagious and I love it! That's probably why I love the picture that I'm going to post so well.

Happy Birthday Skyler! We love you!

Husband Tag

2008-11-21T08:41:00.000-08:00

Since I'm really having trouble coming up with anything to write about these days, I'm very willing to fulfill the tags I receive. This one is a husband tag. Derrick and I are about to celebrate (ha ha) our 14th anniversary in December. Why the ha ha??? Well, because we NEVER actually celebrate our anniversary! The first couple of years, we tried because we thought we were supposed to, but that eventually wore off. One year, we both completely forgot! When he finally remembered, I pretended as though I hadn't forgotten too. Our justification....'We should show our love to eachother every single day of the year! Not just once a year, on our anniversary!' So ya, I'll go ahead and wish Derrick a happy anniversary while I'm remembering! And now back to the topic at hand...the 'husband tag'. I learned so much about Jordan and Maria in reading there's, so here goes...

1. Full name: Derrick Lamont Swaner. He's named after his grandpa, Lamont Harris.

2. How long have you been married? 14 years on December 16th

3. How long did you date? Tricky question. We dated for about 6 weeks before his mission, and then two months after his mission before we got engaged. We were married 3 months later.

4. Who eats the sweets? I like baked goodies and dark chocolate. Derrick likes candy (Dotts and licorice are his favorite)

5. Who said "I love you" first? He did. That must be a scary move for a guy!

6. Who is taller? Ha, do I really need to answer that?

8. Who is smarter? Depends on the subject. We each have our territories of brilliance and we both have our areas of complete ignorance!

9. Who does the laundry? I'm not sure Derrick knows how to run the washing machine. But he helps me put the sheets on the bed sometimes!

10. Who pays the bills? I do. I hate it, but I do it...when I get around to it.

11. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Doesn't matter. No preference either way.

12. Who mows the lawn? I prefer to, but Derricks wants the boys to learn how to work. Sometimes I sneak out and re-mow it when they aren't here. Derrick does the trimming. The edger is too heavy for me.

13. Who drives? Derrick. I have no sense of direction.

14. Who admits they are wrong? Both of us. But he's usually the one that's really wrong. ha ha

15. Who kissed who first? He kissed me, of course! It all goes with being taught to NEVER call boys (or kiss them)

16. Who asked out who first? Derrick asked me out. I was so very happy! The first summer we met, we spent almost every day together until he left on his mission. Then when he came home, we spent almost every day together until we got married.

17.Who wears the pants? I pretend to. Derrick usually lets me think I'm the boss, until there's something really important, and he'll take charge. I like that about him.

Derrick is my six foot three, tough but tender, backpacking and hiking, movie loving, sometimes quirky, amazing and funny, 'tall dark and handsome', great example, talented and unselfish, husband and best friend!

That's it! Now I'll pass on the tag....to anyone who wants something to write about. But I'd love to hear from Victoria and Maryanne and anyone else! Have fun!

Did I Miss Something?

2008-11-12T12:59:00.000-08:00

I was driving in the car today...and realized something. Actually, I realized a few things. I feel like I missed something, because it all just snuck up on me!

First...I realized that I am the mother of a teenage boy, who is now taller than me, and wears a size 10 1/2 shoe! When did that happen?

Second...I have gray hairs. I'm not going to say any more, other than...It sucks.

Third...I have 5 children! Only middle-aged people have 5 children!

Fourth...I've been married for almost 14 years. Derrick should be translated for dealing with me for that long!

Fifth...I have 5 children! ....oh, I already said that! Sorry! But seriously...I know 'how' that happened, but HOW did that happen??? Shouldn't we have to fill out an application or something to be a parent to that many little spirits?

So I guess that my thought today, besides wondering where the time is going....is that the time is going very quickly, and I ought to make the most of every minute! I guess that means I ought to get off of the computer and go play polly pockets with Myah, or something.

My Little Peeps

2008-11-08T07:33:00.001-08:00

Have you ever noticed that when we have babies, we give them the most ridiculous nicknames ever? Maybe it's because they can't really protest. While we were eating our Saturday morning waffles today, the kids were asking what their nicknames were when they were babies. I thought it was kind of funny to start listing them all...
Skyler...Puba
Zac...PeeWee
Tannon...PipSqueak
Myah...Pippa
Desmond...Little Prince
And if you put them all together....they're my little Peeps!

I wonder if I have some deep psychological connection to the letter 'P' that I never knew about. I mean, my favorite show is Prison Break, I love potatoes and pancakes, and I even love bacon and sausage (aka 'pork' which comes from pigs), and I'm sure if I really thought about it there may be more! So what is it with the letter 'P' anyways?

PRIVATE!!!

2008-11-06T08:33:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to do it for a long time, but today is the day! I've gone private. You know, just to be safe. I would really hate to put these cute little people in any danger!

Thanks Shaleece, for the ksl link....I'm going to pass it on. It's just a story about blogging safely!

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=4699330

Vote Vote Vote

2008-11-04T09:15:00.000-08:00

Free speech. Why is it that one side of the free speech isle can make those of us on the other side feel.....silly, dumb, like bigots, wrong...(and the list goes on)? Sometimes I get to feeling like I don't have the right to voice my opinion just because the 'other side' is so verbal about theirs.

Well, today I learned a lesson from my nieces. They made me proud. They live in the great state of California, and don't have the privilege of being quiet about their beliefs. They've had to stare the 'other side of the isle' straight in the eyes and stay true to their beliefs! They've done everything from making phone calls to registered voters, to standing by the street holding signs. I'm sure that they had all sorts of nice and not so nice reactions to that! Way to go girls!!! It seems like when we're teenagers, being popular is oh so important, and I'm sure that their point of view probably isn't very popular among their peers.

It's funny that people all over the country are so worked up over this. I hear that the Idaho and Utah Mormons are 'involving themselves' in something that's not our concern, yet the person who I hear this from lives in New York. So I guess that New Yorkers have a right to care, but not those of us in little ole' Idaho. Funny how that works.

When we had this same vote in Nevada a few years ago, we were asked to go door to door. Not because we wanted to convince our neighbors one way or another, but because the way the proposition was worded on the ballet, was very confusing (on accident? I don't think so), and was stated in a way that would favor the vote for changing the definition of marriage. How do you just change a definition anyways? I'm going to post a couple pics of these awesome nieces (borrowed from Nicky). So my goals today...go vote, and to NEVER let fear get in the way of my beliefs!

That's all! I'll get off of my soap box (for now).

2008-10-31T08:19:00.000-07:00

Tagged. I got a quirky tag today....name 6 things about myself that are quirky. Maybe I should ask Derrick. He probably has a list a mile long. But I'll do my best.

1. Door knobs. I have issues with doorknobs. My house may not always be super clean, but you can count on my doorknobs being cleaned on a very regular basis. I wash my hands twice in the bathroom. Once after I flush, so that I won't get any germs on the doorknob, and once after I open the door, in case anyone else touched it without washing first. I also take my bottle of Lysol around at least once a day and wash the doorknobs.

2. Feet. I don't like feet at all. I especially don't like my own feet. When I was in Junior High and High School P.E. and they made us take off our shoes for something, I just about died. I just really don't like feet. I think Derrick (and my dad) may be the only guy EVER to touch my feet.

3. Sand. I have a fear of sand in my food. When we go to the beach, and I see a little person put their hand in the bag of chips, I'm done. The thought of biting into a chip and feeling that sand grit between my teeth, just sends me through the roof. It's worse than fingernails on a chalkboard. Last time we went to the beach, we ate in the car before we got out. Just to prevent the sand thing.

4. Music. I listen to music only for the beat. Sometimes I'll be singing a song that I have really always liked, and Derrick looks at me with complete shock. He then asks me if I know what I'm singing, and of course, I have no clue. I've never thought about it. When he tells me what the song is talking about, it usually makes me blush. I've had to delete some songs off of my ipod. It's a shame, since they had such a great beat!

5. Smell. I have a super strong sense of smell. I can smell something and have memories flood back from my childhood. It's probably the reason we don't have a pet. Even a clean dog still smells like a dog to me. It doesn't bother me when other people have pets (to a point), but I just can't do it myself. I have 4 boys, that's bad enough!

6. Memory. I think I remember everyone I've ever met. Not that they remember me. I just don't forget people. I remember the smallest details of conversations we've had. I usually remember their name too. I can't remember what we had for dinner last night, and I almost always forget to make it to doctors and dentists appointments, and it's almost scary how lost I can get because I forget which way I came from...but I NEVER forget people.

That's it! So now I'll tag Maria (you don't come across as a quirky person, so I'm dyeing to know), Tonya (I'm laughing already), Ruth (I've never really thought about your quirks), Gabe, Nicky, and Laura (yep, sister Campbell, that's you).

Guilt...

2008-10-31T07:20:00.000-07:00

Why am I feeling so guilty today??? This is the first time EVER in the history of my kids' education, since Skyler started preschool when he was 4, that I have NOT volunteered my services at a school Halloween party (at least one per year). Shouldn't I feel as though I've earned the right to stay at home with the baby? Why don't I feel that way? I was determined to stay away this year and let some of the other mothers take it on, which I'm sure they are more than capable of....but then WHY do I feel guilty about it!? I didn't even get asked to send cookies or anything! Tannon's costume doesn't even require my assistance at school. I wonder if I'll actually be able to stay away! Probably not. I guess it's most likely I'll see y'all (at least you Pocatello friends) at the school in a few hours!

Beward Of Pride!

2008-10-27T14:15:00.001-07:00

When I was a kid, I was always confused by the statement, 'Beware of Pride'. On the one hand, the scriptures tell us over and over that pride is bad, but on the other hand I always felt so warm and fuzzy when my parents told me that they were proud of me! I even remember once when President Benson came to our ward (since he was from my hometown, Whitney Idaho), and told us how proud he was of us! So which is it??? I guess now I know there are two kinds of pride. There's the kind that is bad, that makes us think we are above others, and perhaps even that we don't need our Heavenly Fathers help...and then there's the kind of pride that we take in ourselves and in our accomplishments...while recognizing the Lord's hand in those accomplishments! So this is what I'm proud of...

*I'm proud of my husband, and the way that he treats me. It's easy to feel like a 'queen' when my husband treats me as such! I'm really proud that his parents taught him that.

*I'm proud that I know how to 'can' food. My mom taught me, and it's been such a great skill to have.

*I'm proud that I can make my husband laugh. Granted, it's usually on accident when I do something really dorky, but laughing is the greatest thing ever, and I love to hear him laugh.

*I'm proud that I can keep up with Derrick on a hike (normally), and I can even take my fair share of time carrying the baby back-pack.

*I'm proud that I have so many great friends. I think they really like me!

*I'm proud that I'm really a pretty darn good cook. I LOVE going to a restaurant, and then coming home and making up copy-cat recipes. I am especially proud that I am able to make healthy food taste really good.

*I'm proud that my kids eat vegetables. I have taken it as a challenge the last few years to get them to actually like their veggies...and they do!

*I'm proud that my boys can play the piano. Most days its a battle, but when I see that Skyler can play the hymns in priesthood, it's all worth it!

*I'm proud that I'm smart. I may be a flake, but I'm really smart!

*I'm proud that Derrick and I can grow a garden (for the most part). I think it may be a necessity some day, and I'm so glad we know how!

*I'm proud to be a Latter Day Saint. I'm also proud that I have a testimony. I'm proud of my parents for teaching me, and helping me develop that testimony!

*I'm proud that Derrick reads books. He loves classic literature. I think it's so important that boys see their dad reading.

*I'm proud to have five wonderful kids!

*I'm proud that I chose being a mommy as my first priority. I want to go back to school some day, but this whole mommy thing is the best!

*I'm proud of 'my girls'. I just got released from Young Women's, but I just love 'my girls' both here in Pocatello and in Vegas. It's so much fun to see some of the older ones getting married, and serving missions, etc....

*I'm proud of Skyler's curly hair. He gets it from me. It's way cute.

*I'm proud of my brothers and sisters (there are 8 of us!). It's so great to know that I always have people who care about me (even when I might not deserve it!).

*I'm proud of my nieces and nephews. They are some seriously great people!

*I'm proud that we've been working on our food storage like crazy! Whether we'll ever use it or not doesn't really matter. We've already received the blessings just from being obedient.

*I'm proud that I'm not a selfish person. I love to serve others, and don't mind putting others ahead of me. I think I'm pretty sensitive to other's needs.

*I'm totally proud to know that I am a daughter of God, and that he loves me!!!

So there you have it! I'm so proud of so many things, and I'm so thankful for each of them!

2008-10-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

This was a week of FIRSTS. It all started on Sunday morning...

Tannon found his church shoes BY HIMSELF for the first time ever!

It was a miracle!

Myah blowdried her own hair for the 1st time.

Desmond sat in his Bumbo seat for the 1st time.

And so did Myah.

I got to go for my 1st hike since Des was born (a very mild & very short hike, but it was better than nothing!)

And I even got to shop at our brand new Pocatello Costco. I thought this day would never come!

I even used Facebook for the FIRST time, and found old friends that I got to talk to for the FIRST time in 15 years! How cool is that???

I think all of our FIRSTS this week were good. Can I have SECONDS?

Pansy!!!

2008-10-21T09:05:00.000-07:00

Boy, I sure sounded like a pansy yesterday!
Today will be better.
I just know it!

Run Kelli, Run!

2008-10-20T17:55:00.001-07:00

Today I ran.
I really ran!
It didn't feel good like it used to.
Then I tried to do a declined sit up.
It hurt.
A lot.
Oh well.