What a vacation!

We went to visit my parents for a week over Thanksgiving. It was a really good visit, even with getting the flu. My brother was able to come down and spend most of that week with us and so were all 6 of his kids. I feel bad, some of them got the flu too. So most of the time was spent at my parents home, just relaxing. We did go a couple of places with all the kids, so I will post a few pictures later.
When were able to travel and weren't sick the kids and I spent an evening with Shawn's parents and some of his siblings and step siblings. The girls were able to run wild with few of there cousins there, so all is all the whole trip was good.

Thanksgiving Thoughts!

Ghost of Thanksgiving Past

I thought it would be fun to share memories of past Thanksgivings.... Feel free to go back in time however near or far you like, include experiences with your current family or your in-laws or your own family growing up.

MINE:
1. I remember the years we were living in Guam and had just gone through a Typhoon! (actually a couple of them back to back). We were will out power after this particular storm for 6 months. Well mostly with out power, they filtered in power in 2 hour shifts. So this particular holiday we had missionaries for dinner (all of the ones on that half of the island, about 6 or so) and we made spaghetti on a camp stove in great big pots. It was very interesting and a lot of FUN!!!
The next year we had to cook the turkey in our oven for 2 hours and then high tail it to a neighbors that had power for another 2 hours. We went back and forth all day depending on who had power to bake different things. It was an interesting couple of years worth of holidays.

7 Days and Counting!

In the 7 1/2 years we have lived in Oregon, we have been home once for Thanksgiving and not at all for Christmas. This year we are going to go to my parents house for Thanksgiving. I just wish Shawn's parents were in town for the Holiday, then we would be able to spend time with them too. I feel like we are the Prodigal children, returning home for the first time in a long time. Granted we do go home at least once a year, usually in the summer. (I don't like to travel in the winter and we can't afford to fly.) I am looking forward to the celebrations, especially since Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

Halloween!!

All of us after trick or treating at the local supermarket strip mall.

Cadie dumping her load the next day after Trick or Treating.
We weighed one of the bags of candy and it weighed in at 8lbs. All of the girls got about the same amount of candy.

My friend and her little pirate. She always has the best ideas and they all turn out perfect.

Naomee getting ready for a party (I mean trick or treating.)

Madie getting ready to go to a party with a friend. She decided not to wear the wings or the headband for Trick or Treating.

This is our kids and my boys at Shawn's work party. Way too crowded, but the kids like it.

We actually had a lot of things to do for Halloween, so the kids got to spend quite a bit of time in costumes. I ended up freezing 90% of the girls candy. Can you image 24lbs of candy between them. The worst part is I can't eat any of it. Well I guess that is not the worst part. It is a very good thing for me.

Collecting clothes for Payton!

I had gone to Fred Meyer when they were having clearance sale and bought some new clothes for Payton. I hung them up so Shawn could see them and I have not been able to bring myself to take them down. That and I don't know where to put them all.

Pumpkin Patch with Naomee

Naomee on the bus!
Naomee and Mom on the bus!

Naomee before we started our pumpkin hunt!

Naomee and mom on some bales of hay!

On the train back to the farm!

Naomee was done with pictures so she took this of me instead!

I made her stop and take pictures so often that she was getting annoyed with me.

On the boat ride to the field of pumpkins

Naomee and a little friend in her class and from church, Emma!

Naomee had been very excited about Halloween starting all the way back in Sept. So this trip to the pumpkin farm was just the cherry on top. She loved being there, but didn't like me taking so many pictures. Which is funny because she will bring me the camera and say "will you take a picture of me."

Just for Fun!!

Just for fun!

Your ROCK STAR name (first pet & current car):
Bandit Acura

Your GANGSTA name (favorite ice cream flavor & favorite type of shoe):
Vanilla Tennies

Your NATIVE AMERICAN name (favorite color & favorite animal):
Yellow Cow

Your SOAP OPERA name (middle name & city where you were born):
Ann Las Vegas

Your STAR WARS name (first 3 letters of first name & first 2 letters of last name):
Heaha

Your SUPERHERO name (second favorite color & favorite drink):
Purple Water

Your NASCAR name (first names of your grandfathers):
Robert Ralph

Your TV WEATHER ANCHOR name (5th grade teacher's last name & a major city that starts with the same letter):
Hoffman Houston

Your SPY name (favorite season/holiday & favorite flower):
Spring Tulip

Your CARTOON name (favorite fruit & an article of clothing you're wearing now): Apple Sweats

Your movie star name (name of favorite pet and name of street you grew up on):
Sandy Lyndon

Naomee's new talents!

Naomee has decided she wants to be a hairdresser. She has discovered that she likes to do her own hair. This is just one of her creations. She really wanted me to take a picture of it.

She has also started to write, but she doesn't know what she is writing. She can just copies letters, which to me is pretty surprising. She can duplicate them almost perfectly.

If you look carefully you can see the words "Tillamook Premium Ice cream" written among other letters.

She asked me if I had written on this bucket, (which I had when I put oatmeal in it), and then asked if she could write on it too. I said sure, thinking that she would just color on it. When she showed me her work, it shocked me that she had copied the words that were written on the bucket, even the ones I had written. (Quick Oats). She had been very excited about writing lately, and learning all her numbers. We have finished of several workbooks, between Sacrament meeting and home time. She will go far in school I think. I don't see her having some of the same hang ups as her sisters have had to face. At least that is my hope.

Shawn's Recent Campout!!

The five boys that attended this campout. All deacons!

This is a 4 1/2 boy tree. (As Shawn says)

One of the cool mushrooms that Shawn captured for me!
They got a lesson on what was poisonous and not.

One of the cool features on there backpacking adventure. It rained continually on this thing.

Shawn is now the Scoutmaster and Deacon's quorum advisor. So he can't miss any of the scouting trips, not that he would willingly. This place that they went was a last minute choice, but turned out to be a new favorite of Shawn's. He was fascinated by this place. He says that next summer he will make sure we as a family go. (They had to hike into camp about 4 miles) I told him we will see. But he loved it, so that is what counts.

Heather A-Z

Heather from A-Z

A-Attached or Single: Attached!! (Gratefully)
B-Best Friend: I have too many to name, including my husband.
C-Cake or Pie: Right now neither, but on a normal occasion it would be a toss up, totally dependant on my mood.
D-Day: Most days are good, but I think I would say Wednesday, it is the middle of the week.
E-Essential Item:
F-Favorite Color: Natural greens, I love purple, pink, yellow and tons of brown shades.
G-Gummi bears or gummi worms: Gummi bears
H-Hometown: I was born in Las Vegas, but only til I was 1 1/2 or so, then moved every couple of years, my parents live in Mapleton Ut.
I-Indulgences: Usually ice cream, but right now I am loving on the apples
J-January or July: July, except for the heat. But I am loving January right now, I will be close the end of my pregnancy then.
K-Kids: 3 beautiful girls and one handsome boy on the way.
L-Life is incomplete without: My family or the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
M-Marriage Date: Sept 20th, 1996
N-Number of Siblings: 1 brother, and tons of friends I call sisters!!!!
O-Oranges or Apples: Oh man, apples. I love apples!!!
P-Phobias or Fears: Roller Coasters, and heights in general, but I LOVE to fly!!!
Q-Quote: "A family is a little world created by love"
R-Reason to Smile: My favorite moment of the day is when Naomee (my youngest) runs down to the garage when Shawn arrives home and he reves is motorcycle and she squeals in delight. No matter what kind of mood I am in it makes me smile.
S-Season: Fall and Spring equally!
T-Tag: Jen, Becca, Melody, Laura D, Lauri T, Stephanie G, and Robie S.
U-Unknown fact about me: I don't know I am usually an open book
V-Vacation destination of choice: A cruise anywhere!
W-Worst Habit: Getting upset too easily with my kids!
X-X-Rays or Ultrasounds: Had a few of each, but I would have to say ultrasounds are funner.
Y-your favorite food: Right now anything that keeps my blood glucose levels under control.
Z-Zodiac Sign: Cancer (and yes I am cranky)