End of December 2010 Mission Poster

And it comes to the end of, not only another month, December, but that of another year.

Getting fuller, ever fuller

The days are counting down

Ever smaller triangle

End of November 2010 Mission Poster

As November draws to a close, we give thanks that Elder Gary's poster is as full of stickers as it is. :)

And the poster gets fuller, the empty triangle smaller

Not many rows left!

Cute little turkeys

Yep! Only that many days left.....plus any extension.

Color Guard 2010

It is the close of another Color Guard season. I have a video, but for some reason I can't seem to get it from the camera to the computer. I'll have Morgan help me later. Then I'll post it for you.

They had a most awesome program this year....Koto. It's Japanese and means....again, I'll have to have Morgan find out.

They had a really great season this year. Taking first overall at ISU, and winning all captions, color guard, music, etc etc etc, except percution there. They took 2nd or 3rd at the other competitions, Weber, Davis, BYU, Mt Timpanogos, BBI (at USU) and color guard was consistently 2nd, percussion 1st, and all others placing well.

This past weekend (Thursday Nov 4th through Saturday November 6th) they were at Red Rocks and BOA (Bands of America) competitions in St George, UT. These have bands from California, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and I don't know where else come and compete. They are in division depending on school size. So these kids were competing against some pretty awesome bands, as well as the ones they compete against all season.

Red Rocks-----the band placed 6th overall (which made them 3rd in the state), and color guard placed 2nd just behind Clovis West, CA. (which made them 1st in the state!)

BOA-----They performed in the afternoon and were one of the top 5 bands!!! Which put them in the finals, performing at 9:00pm, the first of the top 5 bands. They said it was the best performance they had done all season. They were sooooo excited, to say the least. I didn't hear from Morgan after they performed. Of course they had to wait for the rest of the bands to perform and then go through placing, awards etc etc etc.

So after going through that, loading the trailer, saying goodbye to everyone, driving all night on the bus, Morgan walked in the house pretty close to 6:00am Sunday morning. The results?.....

Sky View Marching Band placed 5th overall....which places them 3rd in the state! Colorguard placed 2nd only behind Clovis West, CA. Which places them #1 in the state! Since Morgan and her bestie Mandy are on the Rifle Line, they (and we) are pretty excited. They worked hard and deserved every win they got. They put everything they had into this year.

I think it has really hit Morgan that she only has one more year. She is going to miss it. But, who knows, maybe she will get to go to a college that has a color guard? Only time will tell. :)

Yay me!

So, I know I said I was going to be better about keeping my blog updated. Yeah, I know, not so much. I just don't seem to get downstairs to the computer except for a few minutes each day. So much to do. Remodeling the house, never ending laundry, work for 3.4 hours a day (I know, hehehe), random Mom/wife stuff, etc etc etc.

But today I got completely caught up on Elder Gary's mission posters! Yay! Take a look, it's amazing to see how much of a difference there has been. We are so EXCITED!!! And I also got the Halloween blog done. I know. Nice. Only 6 days later on that one. So much of an improvement over how I've been for about the last year, huh?

Now I need to catch up on birthdays, last years Prom, this years Homecoming, (since Sadie Hawkins is just around the corner....literally), some Color Guard, and just every day life. I'm not promising anything.....just saying I'm going to 'strive to be better'. How's that for non-committal?

Hope your November is going awesome so far!

End of October 2010 Mission Poster

Fall is well on its way. Another month, fun days, and Halloween are all over.

And even more stickers are on the poster!

Looking AWESOME!!! Row 7 into the second half.

That triangle is dwindling down.....

Yep, the numbers just keep getting better and better looking!

Halloween 2010

Halloween is a favorite holiday at our house. We love the dressing up for school/work. The dressing up for trick or treating. Seeing all the cute/scary/weird kids that come for candy.

Well, here is who and/or what we were this year...

Wynn the gunslinger

Pretty normal, huh?

Mom the hippie

(both school & passing out candy night of)
And this was Elder Gary's costume the last Halloween before

leaving on his mission.........

(nobody recognized me in this.....the kids, coworkers, friends,

people in the ward....)

Scary part is how much I LOOK LIKE HIM IN IT!!!

Nothing feminine here!

(absolutely wore my 5 inch heels to

church the next day!)

Drew as Pebbles for work on Friday

Drew as a ghost for Halloween night








Scary?

Morgan the zombie
(for school)

Nothing like her Homecoming pics huh?

Lexie ready for her Hillbilly prom?

(school)

Ain't she purty?

Lexie and friends RaQuel and Sharilyn

The Purple Ninjas

ready for trick or treating

Scary Ninja pose

Tanner wanted to be a baby girl doll

(both for school/and treating)

after all, his dad and brother (Elder Gary)

had both done it before!

And isn't he a cutie!!!

(nobody recognized him either!)

And now you see why we love Halloween. How can you not? We have soooooo much fun. Hope you had fun too!

End of September 2010 Mission Poster

And another month has gone by...a whole month of school, fall is here,

the leaves and weather are turning....and another month of stickers

are on the poster!

Look how small the triangle of days left is getting!

Look at it filling up...start of row 6.

Yup. That number is looking good!

Why Do I Do This To Myself?

Over and over again I get behind on my blog. I tell myself I enjoyed it much more when I stayed caught up! But yet, again I find myself behind. And farther behind than I've ever let myself get. But I find myself behind in so many things right now....

I decided to get caught up today on my blog, only to discover that my last real post was Elder Gary's mission poster the end of April. April? Really? I could have sworn I had done it since then, could have sworn I was only a couple of months behind. And in May I got ambitious and did numerous mission poster pictures because of it being a monumental month for him and all. I really could have sworn that I had posted them already!

I need to finish getting Tanner's things sewn on his Scout shirt. I was caught up at one point, and now they've changed some things. But that actually works to my advantage. Most of the things I don't have sewn on, they aren't doing any more and don't need to be put on his shirt. Yay me!!! Oh, wait, but then I need to put them on something else so they don't get lost. Boo! Maybe not an advantage after all.

I need to make some decisions on paint colors for my bedroom and bathroom. Why is this room the hardest to pick out? All the others I at least know the color I want and just have to find the shade. My room? Not so much. Though I'm thinking blue for the bathroom. But I don't want it so intense I can't stand to be in there!

I have two dvr's. Yes 2. One in the family room and one in my bedroom. Since Tanner is in my room for right now, I am behind on my shows in there......most of which are to help me in my house remodel. *Sigh*

I have some library movies Lexie and I were going to watch. She informed me that she has never seen the Pride and Prejudice movies. Really? Where did I screw up on that? I could have sworn I had watched them with her! So I got them from the library last Friday, which means there due tomorrow.....not watched yet. Good thing I can renew them on the computer! Done. Will watch this weekend since it's a Holiday and she has no soccer games!

And on that same trip to the library, I checked out a car full of books. I have been reading a lot this summer. Turning in a book just about every day. Plus all the other stuff I got done in a day. In the past week I have turned in one book!!! What happened? I have the house to myself all day!

So today I did get caught up on my blog......well, partly. I caught up on May. :) And I posted something for today. That in its self is a major improvement. Tomorrow I plan on working on June, and a new daily post.

I swear I'm going to keep up this time. I swear!

Now I see that Tanner is watching Pink Panther cartoons. Then after that, it's Flintstones, Jetsons....Maybe I'll go reward myself for posting May by watching with him. :)

End of August 2010 Mission Poster

And the summer is coming to a close. School has started.

And the poster is making progress. :)

The days left are slowly getting fewer!

(ignore the date, new camera)

On row 4 now! That second half is going down!

Now look how many days are left. Making us happy!

End of July 2010 Mission Poster

The summer is already more than half over!

And the poster is filling right up!!!

Looking good!

Look at those numbers!

So close, yet so far away still. But less than a year!

End of June 2010 Mission poster

Here we start the first full month of year two!

Good start on the second half of the poster!

Good start on the second row of the second half of the poster!

The numbers are getting smaller! Yipee!!!

Yep. That's what we've got left!

Really Great Deal/Site

So I bought a magazine, which I never do. In it there were some really good site ideas for saving money. I decided to try ebates, because I could get coupon offers and cash back from sites I was shopping at anyway. It really works and is such an awesome deal. Here is a link to the awesomeness. Click on it to visit and get a one-time bonus. Yay, bonuses are good. :)

http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=MvqVArr%2F4FoxtXtGcHRmhA%3D%3D

Happy shopping!

End of May 2010 Poster

It is the end of May. School is out. Summer has started. A year ago we didn't think we'd ever get here. Yet, somehow, it seems to have zoomed right by!

Already making progress on the second half of the poster!

That is a wonderful sight!

We've been waiting for these numbers to look like this!

First Day of Year 2 Poster!

And today is day 365 for the 2nd day in a row! The numbers will be getting smaller from here on. I can't believe we are on the count down already!

On the 2nd half of the poster! Happy day!!!

Day 365!

See the numbers getting smaller? That's good. Come on June 2011!!!

And Another Happy Happy Day!

As if yesterday wasn't happy enough....today is the last day of school for the year! Happy day! We have so many plans for the summer. So much to do, so much we want to accomplish.

We have the matinees at Cine-four every Monday at noon. Morgan's besties Mandy and Lexi are planning on going with us. We will invite others to use the tickets on the days the girls can't go.

We have the library movies every Tuesday at 2:00. They are free and G-rated. They are so fun to just go to together. I usually get some reading time in too. Yay!

We are going to go on hikes and walks. Go swimming and to the lake. Go to the dam and feed the ducks. Hopefully we'll be able to get some day trips in. We won't really get a vacation because we're remodeling the house this year. Yeah, that takes all the time and money.

And I plan on reading........A LOT!!! I haven't got to do that much for the last 2 years because of all the time Ameri-corps took. But I'm gonna make up for it!

And Tanner will be going to Greenville next year. He is in the Greenville bounderies since they switched to K-5 now. I have asked to transfer there with him. I probably won't find out until August if I have a job or where it's at.

So see you through the summer! School's out until August 26th! Three whole months of summer break. YAY!!!!!

One Year Mark Poster!

YES!!! IT'S FINALLY HERE!!! THE DAY THAT MARKS ELDER GARY'S ONE YEAR MARK OF HIS MISSION!!!!!

HAPPY ONE YEAR MARK ELDER GARY!!!

Look at that. Half the poster is actually filled up!!! Finally!

And it's all downhill from here now!

Look at that. Starting to count down as of tomorrow!

Look how happy that frog is. I think our smiles are even bigger!!!

Stick a Fork In Me, I'm Done!!!!!

Last year I started doing Ameri-Corps. I've talked about it on here a few times. The things that were required, the projects that had to be done, the time it took. I have been done with Reading Groups at the school for a few days now, but I had a few hours of service left to complete. I decided to volunteer at the local library. So I went in and talked to them to see what they needed.

The first day I sat at the desk and put the new dvd's into the secure covers. I put the fine paper on it, along with slipping the dvd picture in. Then I folded summer reading papers. If someone asked me a question I could answer, I did. If not, I directed them to someone who could. The next time I shelved dvd's and answered questions.

Since then I have been helping with the story time they have for toddlers and preschoolers. It was so much fun. I got to sing songs, dance and read them stories. Most of them silly (well, look at the ages). The kids love story time! I'm actually going to miss it, and today was my last day there. Which means..........

Even though I could do one more full-time year, or 2 more part-time years of Ameri-Corps, I have decided to not. I AM DONE!!! I could go back and finish these at any time if I so choose. We'll see. I am now off to other pursuits.....

As in, at this time we are filling out the paperwork and getting the house ready to have Foster Kids come into our home. More on that at a later time.

As for now.......I AM DONE!!!

Happy Birthday Elder Gary!

So, 20 years ago today Elder Gary was born. Of course at the time, he wasn't Elder Gary, just our adorable loveable, agreeable, frog-legged Gary. Since he is now in Texas serving the Lord on a mission, we had to celebrate it without him.......

We started the day with his favorite breakfast.....Kellogg's Corn Flakes with bananas. Had his favorite dinner........homemade biscuits and gravy with homemade salsa and homemade chow-chow....then on to the celebration.......

The cake

Morgan trying to light the candles.....

And still trying......

Guess she's trying to phone it in now!

The family......and the candles are lit!!!
(Andy and Leza and Drew couldn't be here)

The siblings....

Tanner, Mandy (Morgan's bestie that came to celebrate with us), Lexie and Morgan

Look how full it's getting now!

Almost there!

And YES! only 3 more days until the one year mark!!!