Safety First!!!

Boy things get busy around here. I have just realized that my last post was on Nov. 17th. Wow time does fly. When we got home from LA we definitely hit the ground running and haven't stopped since.

I wish I had a picture to describe this latest incident with the twins. But, as you will agree, there is a time when you have to drop the camera and run for the children to save their lives!

I was doing laundry downstairs where the boys were playing in the laundry room with me (I told you they rarely are out of my sight--it's where they love to be). I took a load of clothes upstairs and, of course, was followed by the boys. They stayed upstairs and I came back down to fold another load. When I went back up I thought they were still upstairs and even had the thought that they were being awfully quiet and they must be into something. So I started to head upstairs but before I was out of my room I heard a noise coming from my open window. OK. They are outside my window on their bikes. I'll just peek out and make sure they're ok. When I looked out my window I couldn't see them. A little more searching found a big yellow football helmet on a little head out at the end of the driveway and in the middle of the road! Cooper was indeed on his bike but he was out in the road and Porter was right at the end of the driveway ready to follow his brother (both with their older brother's football helmets on). I'm not sure where they were headed, but I chose to leave the camera and RUN out the door and coax them back toward the house. I think if I had let them they might have headed over to Aaron and Lori's!!

That was a scary one! There are not many cars out on this road but enough to know that we were watched over that day.

I was thinking about getting them on the bikes and reenacting the scene for a good blog picture. This one seemed a lot safer.

AMAZINGLY...WICKED!!

I just had another day to add to the list of "very best days of my life". On Saturday Frank and I got to see Wicked. WOW! What an amazing show! We left Seattle on Friday morning and have been down here in sunny/smokey SoCal having a very nice, relaxing, kid-free weekend. A weekend absolutely not possible but for wonderful family members. Andy and Aaron are holding down the fort. (I hope they still want kids after this weekend!) What a blessing to be able to leave the kids with loved ones who you trust and to not have to worry at all about how they are doing. Thank you so much to Andy and Aaron. We love you. I hope you still love us.

I'll post more when I get home but I had to put this picture out there.

Finally, A Win!!

Frank's football team--Trey's team--finally won a game. This weekend we drove to Sequim for a night game under the lights called the Toy Bowl (called that because they do a toy drive for toys for tots). It was so nice to watch the boys doing well and really having a great time. I know they have been having fun all season, but there is nothing like winning when it doesn't happen very often. Good job Hornets!!

Sam also played on Saturday--the league championship game. The outcome there wasn't as good. They lost. Sam did cause a fumble and recover it! He was so sad after the game. He put his whole heart out there, and you can't ask for more than that. He left it all on the field! And walking out he was wiping a few tears.

Needless to say, the 2nd place trophy wasn't thrilling him.

Trey is 12 today

Trey turned 12 today. He's getting so big. He said he had a good day and they sang to him at school. We had a little party for him tonight here at home and had a good time. Trey is really a cool kid. He's pretty independent, likes to do his own thing. When he gets home from school he, first, does his homework (without being reminded--he's kind of a freak of nature in that sense) and then heads outside. I'm not sure what he does out there except that when I look out the window he is walking around the property with either a stick or a football in his hand. He is getting great grades and really is pretty pleasant--for a twelve year old boy. I couldn't pass this day up without writing about my Trey. Happy Birthday Buddy. Mom loves you. We all love you.

We also went to Grandma Donna's work today (Cooper, Porter,Olivia and I). Grandma likes to take the kids around to whomever will indulge her and show off the grandkids. The kids...they just like to look at the fish.

Who Runs This Joint?

I come to the realization, everyday, that I am not in charge around here. Let me show you what I mean.

Yes. That is my dining table. And yes. My twins are marching around on the table top. Again, I ask you, who is in charge around here?

Now. Let me explain. See the smile on Porter's face? After a night like tonight, I (obviously) would let him do anything he wanted. Here is just minutes earlier.

Take a close look at the writing on the front of his PJs(If I'm Not Happy Nobody's Happy). Nothing could speak more truth tonight than that PJ shirt. So when the option of the table came into the picture, it was a no brainer. Let the kid march! Keep him happy...then everybody's happy. And that's where we stand tonight. Happy.

Are You Kidding Me?

This is the guy. This is who we (not me) have voted to be the next president of these wonderful United States. A man that (as you can see in the above picture) will not even cover his heart or repeat the pledge. Why? We'll never know because the media will not talk about it. But they WILL talk extensively about Gov. Palin's wardrobe. WOW!!

I just listened to Barrack Hussein Obama give his victory speech. I still cannot believe that he's going to be the new president. I knew all along that he would win, but you know, there's still that little hope that there would be an upset. But, indeed, he's the guy. Well I, for one, am not happy about it. Does anyone else feel like we, as a country, have been "strong-armed" by the media? I wish so much that we could have just had election coverage that was fair and even. It's disturbing that we can't get fair reporting and, more than that, that we can be swayed so easily.

Halloween and Football--Busy Weekend!!!

Time to blog again and this time I'll try to add pictures.

On Saturday Sam and Trey had football games. Trey's game went about as well as things have been going all season. We didn't even get close to scoring. And the other team scored a lot...I lost count after 5 touchdowns. Our team did look better in the 2nd half and I have to say, they have really improved since day one. After the game the boys got all the water bottles and hosed down Coach Frank. Watching the boys I realized that they have had so much fun. They have lost all but one game and still they are having a blast. That is what this is all about.(I wish all the parents could remember that part!)

Sam's game was a semifinal game. With a win they would go to the championship game next Saturday. They won the game 14-6 and will be playing a great team next week. But it is a team they have beat once this season already. Good luck Sammy!!!

Halloween was "fun" for us as well. Getting 7 kids into costumes is quite the chore but they have so much fun that it is worth it. The twins needed new church clothes so from that came the idea for their costume--missionary companions!

Don't they look so big? And cute I must say!!!

Livvy wanted to wear the horse costume from last year. I wasn't about to fight her on that. It's a zip up costume--are you kidding me. That's one I didn't have to worry about!

Abby wore her Tinkerbell costume from her ballet recital last June. Kayla did the make-up. She actually got up at 6:15am so that she could have Kayla do her make-up on the day of her school Halloween party. Now that's dedication!

Sam had a great costume. I went to the goodwill and found a shirt, pants, belt and a hat. I picked up a messenger bag from wal-mart and made a whip with rope and brown duct tape. I put a little "dirt" make up on him and he made a good looking Indiana Jones!!

Here's one of all of the kids. We went to Grandma Donna and Grandpa Todd's house before trick-or-treating and spent some time with them. Trey went with the old stand by--the football uni and Kayla just had some fun with red!

Weekend

Trey and Sam had their football games on Saturday at Fort Lewis. It was pretty cool to be on the base and take a peek into the life that is the military life. The base is like a city with schools, rec programs, stores, gas stations, etc. My friend told me they even have a mayor! It was a pretty good time all but for the game. I don't know why I thought it would be a good idea to bring ALL the kids. WOW! What it does is remind me why I leave them home! I think the twins fell down the concrete steps about 5 times! The girls had to go to the bathroom(which at this particular field consisted of nasty honeybuckets that were WELL USED!). Again, a reminder of why I don't bring them to the games.
The games were good. Well, Sam's game was good. They won again and are now 6-0. This in a league in which we were told "I'm not sure you guys know what you're getting into." I think they weren't sure what THEY were in for!! Sam played well and had a blast. Trey's team was a different story. First of all we were missing our best player and another one of our good linemen. Needless to say--we struggled. There was a glimpse of good when the boys marched all the way down the field running the ball all the way and then topped it off with Trey throwing a perfect ball to his receiver in the end zone. His first touchdown pass. We prefer to remember the game that way rather than the interception that was right in his hands that he dropped! Oh well, he still has fun and that's all we can ask for.
Yesterday at church I was sitting in RS and with 10 minutes left I heard screams coming from down the hall in the nursery ( yes with the doors closed I could hear it!) and I recognized the cries. I went down the hall and found that Cooper and Porter had done very well that day--right up to the point when they started beating on each other with toys!! They were both screaming and I decided it was time to take them out. I left feeling bad for that poor nursery leader. You see, I see that every single day! The beatings, the screaming and crying--but I also see the moments of laughter and playing together, even the rare hugs! People say to me when they see the twins, " Oh, double trouble" (and they say it like they thought it up) and I always respond with "Yes that is true, but it is double the fun as well." That is so true with these twins. The trouble they get into is DOUBLE, but those moments of goodness and sweetness are doubled as well. I am so grateful for these guys and for all my kids. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family.(Can you believe that as I'm saying this the twins are brawling about a helicopter toy? Dang, why don't I have two of these toys?)

Getting Started!

Well, I've had this blog for over a year and haven't even attempted to figure it out. I guess now is the time. I'm inspired by all those who faithfully blog to keep the rest of us updated! Maybe, just maybe, I can keep up with it. (What am I saying? I can't keep up with anything!!) Oh well, I will try and that's the best I can do for now.

Oh and then I've got to figure out how to post pictures on this. I'll keep trying.

So what to you even write about on this thing? What is it that people care about? My kids? I care about them but does anyone else? I've got seven of them. Someone must care about at least one of them!! My kids are amazing. My oldest daughter just got her learners permit and we are "driving" now. Whoa. Scarey!! I think I am doing pretty good with it. My heart has only really stopped a couple of times and I don't think I even swore at her! My boys are playing football and my husband coaches. We LOVE football around here. We immerse ourselves in it and I think it's a good thing that it only lasts a few months. The girls are doing ballet--it makes for a very busy Wednesday. They both love it and we'll keep doing it till they don't love it. The twins will be 2 on Oct. 2nd. Enough said.

I am going to wrap this up and see if I can put a picture on. This may take some time--I'll just consider it a work in progress.