Memorial Day Luau!

Cade and J.T.
Jax at the pond!
Getting ready!!!

Well, today was Memorial Day! Our Ward family celebrated by having a huge potluck Luau at one of the members homes. It was so much fun for the kids to go play...as well as the adults. There were water guns provided for all the children and Eric and his mom apparently qualify as kids because they were the water war instigators! There is a large basin full of water that the kids filled their guns from...and Cade and his cousin J.T. decided that it would be fun to climb in fully dressed (picture above). Claire and Jax had a lot of fun as well and Claire has now introduced a new term to us. She was playing and had done something good...so she slapped herself in the head and said that her brain was giving her a high five. I think that she had way too much sugar! Overall, it was a fabulous day and I wish that we could do it all over again! Thanks to everyone who helped out, or brought food...you really made this activity fun for all!

Scottish Festival and Gender Confusion

This Saturday was the annual Scottish Festival out here in MN. Eric, Lisa, and Bonnie all volunteer a few hours of making balloon animals in order to get some free tickets. The kids all have such a wonderful time running around and visiting all the Clans. There is log throwing, a King of the Knobby Knees contest (kilts), and they even have the long haired Scottish cows. This year one of the ranchers brought a seventeen day old calf...which Jax fell in love with! The sun and the excitement worked to tire everyone out and we were able to get home and crash before too late!

Sunday started out very badly for me. I got everyone dressed for Church, Eric came home from his meetings, and we left for Church 10 minutes early so Eric could meet with the bishop (he got released from his calling). Of course about half-way there I realized that I had forgotten the cookies for my Relief Society class. We turned around, got the cookies, and then went back to Church. As we pulled into a parking slot I realized that I had also forgotten my church bag with my lesson papers...thus I dropped Eric off and raced back home to get everything! Needless to say I was stressed out yesterday.

After we got home and ate, Eric, Bonnie, the kids, and I played the Wii. We were playing the bowling game and each player was using their own personally made characters. Claire's looks like her, Eric's character looks like him, etc. The only difference is that Bonnie's character has bushy eyebrows, blue eye shadow, a beauty mark, and a goatee. Cade and Claire had more fun taunting Granny about the fact that she is a "boy", than actually playing the game. It was especially fun when Cade looked at her and told her, " it's okay for you to kiss girls Granny, because you're a BOY!" Maybe we should start calling her Grandpa!

Hair Today...Gone Tomorrow!

Well, as mommy to four children my long hair has suffered most cruelly. Just between the kids going to school, and walking to the park, and cleaning the house, etc., there is just no time for me to do my hair. Add in the fact that Finnegan has developed acid reflux and pukes all over me at least five times a day...there aren't enough showers to keep me clean! So, I called my hairstylist and begged her to get me in, which she did. I am now happy to report that Finn has thrown-up on me three times today, and none of it has gone into my hair! Oh, the things we do for our children.

Today is also Mother's Day. We were so lucky to share the day with Lisa and her kids, as David is out of town with a family emergency. The kids have been running around and crazy which translates into THEY ARE GOING TO BE TIRED TONIGHT!!! Eric and the kids spoiled me rotten and I send my best wishes to all the mom's who have sacrificed food, time, personal hygiene, and don't forget our hair, for our children.

Pink Cake and Pink Eyes

Today my little girl turned four! What a special, lovely blessing she is to Eric and me. Like a fool I asked her what kind of cake she wanted. We went online and looked at cake sites and she saw a princess castle cake that I, in turn, tried to replicate. It actually turned out quite cute, and only took like three years off my life! She had a lot of fun playing with her cousins, eating sweets, and sneaking up on "Uncle" David to throw grass at him. She got so spoiled by everyone...just her due as princess of the house, which is okay. I figure that if she's the princess, that makes me the queen!

Now, I wish to apologize for my lack of recent posts...some concerned readers of the blog have commemted on my absent posts...(DAVID!!!) and here's why I haven't written. 10 days ago Cade came home with pink eye...two days later, I got it...three days after that, Claire and Jax came down with it...and the next day Finn! For the past week and a half my house has been like an episode of Animal Planet. "How so," you might ask? Well, where ever the kids went in the house, you could find me quietly stalking them...no longer my children, but my prey. Instead of claws and teeth, my predatory weapons were disinfectant wipes and Lysol. I swear...my house is so clean, you could perform surgery on the kitchen table! Everyone is better now and if someone comes down with pink eye this week, I'm going need a padded room...no really, does anyone know where I can find one of those?