CampbellsIllustrated

A House for the Rainbow Gingerbread Men

2011-12-20T23:03:00.000-07:00

It wouldn't be Christmas time with out a gingerbread house. So I pulled out the old stale one that I bought during last year's clearance sales and Joe and the kids did it up good. It still got eaten too - not by me. I liked Lauren's addition this year of her Candyland gingerbread men. I would have never caught that. It's like today on the piano she was playing Mary had a little lamb and she had the characters of Mary and a lamb from our Little People nativity set sitting up there by her.

Today was Caleb and Lauren's last day of school before winter break. Lauren's class had a Polar Express party and she got to wear her pajamas to school. I was able to make it to Caleb's class party. They watched the Grinch, drank burnt hot chocolate, and read Christmas stories. During a slow time I asked if it would be ok if we could clean out his desk. What a mess it was. It kind of reminds me a little of my sewing room when I'm in the middle of a bazillion projects I guess. Poor kid has some of my bad genes. He found three homework folders. He only needs one, but every time he couldn't find one right away he would grab another one. Well now it's all cleaned and organized for the new year.

2011 Winter Recital

2011-12-19T23:26:00.001-07:00

Lauren is at it again. She is dancing away every week in her tap/jazz class at Elevated Dance Project Studios. Every winter her studio has a winter performance to show parents what they've been working on until it is polished for Spring Recital. It's amazing to see how far they come in the few short months. Lauren did fabulous of course. I often find her dancing her moves at home. I did the best I could during her performance without my flash. Next time I will sit closer. As a treat we stopped at Krispy Kreme on the way home. She chose the wreath donuts and they were yummy!

City Sidewalks

2011-12-17T21:32:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we decided to take a walk downtown for a change and look at the lights and shops. So we bundled up and had a really nice night. Lauren keeps referring to it as her favorite night. We finished the night off with hot chocolate from Tully's. It was so yummy and the cups felt so good in our cold hands.

Santa 2011

2011-12-15T22:56:00.001-07:00

Just a few pics of the kids with Santa at the ward Christmas party. I love the one of Caleb. It appears from his expression that Santa really is watching - busted. I heard Lauren ask for a bike and I didn't hear what Caleb said. When I asked him he just told me he went there for the candy cane.
Santa went high tech this year and had his blue tooth ear piece while nearby with a telephone receiver, our Primary pres. reminded him of the kids' names. Their faces were priceless when he called them all by name.

2011-12-11T00:07:00.001-07:00

We had a blast at our ward party last night. We had fun games, cookie decorating, carols, Santa and a fun photo booth with props. I just love our ward family so much. This is our photo booth pic. I'm not sure what Lauren had going on with the microphone and mistletoe. I think she just wanted as many props as she could hold. I have more photos to post, but I'm too lazy to go downstairs and get the camera. I still need to prepare a lesson for Caleb's sunday school class tomorrow.

First Turkey

2011-12-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

Lauren and I with my first turkey

This year when we received our $15 turkey/ham certificate from Joe's work I decided to cash it in instead of giving it away like I usually do. We are always invited elsewhere for holiday dinners and I have never needed to provide the turkey/ham. We miss having all the leftovers in the fridge to munch on so with the help of my buddy Christi, I finally cooked my first turkey. Everything turned out great. He was 15.48 pounds of deliciousness. The only thing I think I need to work on is the timing. Our dinner guests waited an extra thirty minutes. I served turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, yams, and pumpkin pie to the elders, Christi's family, and Tom from our ward. It was so much fun and now we have leftovers.

My favorite story from today:

2011-06-29T21:12:00.001-06:00

Mr. Liam is growing crazy fast it seems like. I've already caught him going half way up the stairs, so I have been using the gate quite a bit at the foot of the stairs. This poses a little bit of a problem for Miss Laur. Caleb has no problem hurdling it.

This morning the gate was up and the two older kids wanted to play upstiars. I was on the couch listening to Caleb trying to help Lauren over. Then I hear Laur say, "Ow my nuts!" I about fell off the couch! I guess that's just one of the results of being the only girl. That girl makes me smile everyday.

Today I:

2011-06-09T20:21:00.002-06:00

Nursed Liam 4 times

Drove Joe to work and back

Showered

Made menus and a shopping list

Browsed at facebook

Went grocery shopping with three kids

Took a little nap

Emptied the dishwasher and filled it again

Prepared three meals

Looked for a lost cat

Sang "Five little ducks went out to play"

Moved some furniture around

and Blogged... which as you can see I haven't done in quite some time. I kind of miss it. I might be doing more of it when it tickles my fancy.

Oh Happy Day

2010-06-11T01:19:00.003-06:00

Our boy turned eight this year! Holy Moley I am feeling my age more and more lately. It was a great day for Caleb. Joe did awesome baptizing and confirming (only one dunk :0). I am so grateful he honors the priesthood so well. Caleb was excited when he learned that it will work out just right that when this little boy in my tummy turns eight he will be able to baptize him. Yes for those who do not know yet, Lauren will be surrounded by brothers just like me, but on a much smaller scale.

Just some words this time

2010-04-12T11:05:00.002-06:00

I don't know about you but I think I've been blogging way too much lately. I may have to limit myself here. Seriously I've noticed that the last few months my focus has been elsewhere. I think it started back in September with my health scare.

I woke up one morning and my left foot felt kind of numb. I figured I had just slept weird and kept waiting for it to "wake up". That didn't happen, in fact my other foot started to go numb as well toward the end of the day. I didn't think too much of it and thought I'd wake up the next day and it would be fine. I was too busy with sewing/craft projects, Young Women activities, mom stuff etc. to worry about it. Well I gave it four days until on a Sunday when I woke up and there was numbness above my navel. I thought, "What's next? My lungs, heart?" I was planning on just getting in to my Doctor's office in the morning but got a little freaked out. Joe took me to the ER. I expected to have them check me out, tell me what was going on, and prescribe me something, and then go home.

Well I eventually got a prescription, but ended up staying for a week while they figured out what was going on inside of me. They found a lesion on my spinal cord that was causing all of this. We don't know how that ended up there probably an autoimmune thing. I was given large doses of steroids daily which was the reason for the extended stay. By the time I had left, the numbness had almost disappeared. I just had a trace left in my fingers, but that is gone now. Today I still have this weird feeling of vibrations that go down my limbs whenever I bow my head and pressure is put on the lesion. I don't know if that will ever go away - hopefully. If that is all that remains from this I can live with it.

That week will definitely stand out in my life as a bit of a turning point in the way I think and live. It really forced me to slow down and take some inventory on my mortality. What is most important seems a little easier to focus on. Of course I still find myself slipping into old bad habits (getting too relaxed and not doing anything), but get back on track a little quicker now. It is more important now to enjoy the moment and not stray too far from priorities.

Another new focus has come along for me when I found out recently that Joe and I are expecting our third child. Ahhh! We thought we were done. We were going to have Joe go in last month to get "fixed". I suppose when the Lord knew our timetable for this, he inserted his own. I find myself a little more panicked with this one because of the recent health issues but find peace in the idea that this little one is meant to be. We are getting more excited about this as the initial shock and denial are wearing off. The big day will be September 13th with a scheduled C-Section. We find out the sex of the baby on May 14th.

Round round big and round

2009-12-30T14:27:00.004-07:00

A dozen from Christmas

2009-12-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

2009-12-21T22:57:00.000-07:00

The Handmade Dress Patterns GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-11-18T10:57:00.000-07:00

The Handmade Dress Patterns GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Back to some of my basics

2009-09-25T20:37:00.004-06:00

Look what I've been getting back into! My week in the hospital slowed me way down in a lot of ways, but boosted me in good directions in my life. I have been spewing out layout after layout documenting family moments. Also I wanted to thank all those caring and concerned hearts that reached out to us in my body's weird leave of absence. The diagnosis is Transverse Myelitis. It's still feeling weird but a full recovery is still in the cards. (The digital kit I used is by Nancy Kubo from Little Dreamer Designs)

Caleb, the big 2nd Grader Woot Woot

2009-09-02T00:12:00.003-06:00

Another year of academics for Mr. Boo. This year was a little somber as we are trying out a new school. He's now enrolled in a Math/Science magnet school near our home which means transportation is provided by yours truly. We will really miss things about McMillan. Caleb left lots of buddies, but has started to make a few new ones. He says that the playground equipment is way better at McMillan, but there's more tether ball poles where he is now. That's really what counts the most now isn't it.

Camp Ee-Da-How

2009-08-10T23:31:00.034-06:00

There's something about the mountains and a bunch of crazy girls that can lift one's spirit. The young women in our ward are a great group of girls. It has really been a lot of fun being around them and learning from them. I love going to the mid week activities and especially attending girls camp every summer.
This year it was a stake camp which meant not as much work for the ward leaders - yay! They had the girls busy busy busy with certification activities, skits, flag ceremonies, pageants, swimming, an obstacle course, a synchronized swimming contest, a hike, a service project, crafts, a faith walk, building a temple, and an awesome devotional. It seemed to me that there was a perfect balance of activities and downtime. As a ward we were still able to do our own craft, go on a snipe hunt, have a testimony meeting, make our own yummy meals, have a late night glow stick rave down at the lake, chill in the hammocks, and decorate a service tree (tags describing acts of service they noticed each other performing).
There were lots of funny moments I won't forget like when the bishopric had to sing I'm a Little Teapot opera style to get their stuff back, people spelling their names with their butts, the crazy fun songs: A jelly fish, a jelly fish, a jelly fish, ridin' that pony, our fake hillbilly teeth and light up tiaras we leaders wore as we sang the girls goodnight, the dark side of the moon, the scriptures Dr. Seuss style, Joseph Broseph, making everyone who walked through our camp yell "19th Ward Rocks!" before they could get through, and bringing out the dead.
Probably the funniest thing that happened to me was when I was going around taking pictures of everyone "motor boating". Motor boating is when you take a picture of someone making a sound like a motorboat. Some of them turn out hilarious. I did this last year too. Since this was stake camp we thought we should get our stake leaders in on it. I was fortunate enough to be doing this on the day when the Stake presidency was up visiting. So I went over to the stake's camp and got all the Stake young women leaders as well as the stake presidency and some other couple I didn't know. Later that night we had an awesome devotional from none other than the mystery motorboaters: Sister and President Wilson, as in president of the Boise temple. Nice huh? They were actually cracking up when they saw the result. What good sports.
All in all it was a very well organized and put together camp that I will not soon be forgetting. Here's the photos (I went crazy and posted a ton):

Saying goodbye

2009-08-04T09:02:00.005-06:00

This has been a hard post to put together and I've kind of been avoiding it. I can't just move past it though. Saturday, July 18 I received a phone call from my Mom telling me that my step brother Josh was in a pretty bad accident. She said that they may be life flighting him up here to St. Al's. It started to feel like de ja vu from when my step brother Jim was in his bad accident a few years back. I did not expect the next phone call from her telling me that he didn't make it past the scene of the accident. I was stunned. I couldn't believe it. Then I started seeing the headlines online which made it a little more real.
His funeral services were well done and quite a send off. Because he was a police officer on duty, there were over 300 police men and women from across the state at the funeral, a change of guard every 15 minutes at his casket, bagpipes, a 21 gun salute, a bugeler, and an American flag draped over his casket. The local support was amazing. The streets were lined with well wishers, hand over hearts.
I was so thankful that days before his accident I was able to talk with him on the phone when he called to wish me a Happy Birthday. We had a nice conversation.
It is difficult to lose someone you grew up with and I want to thank all those who expressed their kind words to me, my family, and his. He will be missed. These are my brothers, Eggleston: Jeff, Jared, Josh, Justin, Jason and Jim.

On My Camera:

2009-07-01T01:28:00.017-06:00

It has been a very long time since I have paid our blog any attention. Ti's the season of happy weather, no school, and fun plans for the summer I guess. I think the best way to catch you up is to take a look at what's on my camera. Some of these photos go back to over a month - for shame.

This first one is of my niece Miss Cheyanne. Her school had a field trip to the Boise Zoo. Lauren and I were so glad she called ahead to let us know so we could spend the day with her.Joe and I were invited to a Murder Mystery dinner date. It was so much fun! Isn't Joe so dapper? He's suppose to be a Hollywood movie producer and I was the Chief of Police as well as the Murderer!

We took a trip down to Burley. The kiddos love going to Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Chris'

as well as Grandpa Vern's and Grandma Diane's.

For our anniversary get away Joe and I took a trip down to Salt Lake. We had yummy food. This was our potsticker appetizer before we had our sushi.

This trip marked our first time to go inside the Salt Lake temple and experience a live session. Very amazing.

We had dinner with my good buddy Cindy! She is so fun to hang out with.

Thanks to our good friends, The Sharps, we put in our first garden. We planted tomatoes, onions, corn, summer squash, zucchini, pumpkins, and cantaloupe. Their property is just across the street from us. I will have to take another picture because all the plants are doing so well.

My first time in my float tube finally. Jared how long has it been since you gave us these? Joe bought me my waders and boots. I loved it! - until I dropped my beloved fishing pole of over 10 years. It's sitting at the bottom of Sage Hen Reservoir somewhere - BUMMER! Caleb whispered to Joe, "I know what we can get Mom this year for her birthday". How quick he is!

Joe putting together his new prized possession - just in time for Father's Day. He's rode it to work since he's got it.

Welcome to the crab boil. Joe at his parent's house in all his domestic glory.

Good eats! Crab, mussells, shrimp, sausage, red potatoes and corn.

Who's this guy? It's Uncle Jake with Lauren and Abby.

Lauren being cute in her ice cream cone shirt she begged me to buy.

Wow all caught up. I feel better!

Somebody in our house turned

2009-06-07T16:22:00.011-06:00

His name is Caleb.
If our family were a soda pop, he'd be the bubbles.
If we were a birthday balloon, he'd be the helium.
We love our Caleb.

A list of his 7 favorite things to do:

Playing football

Going fishing

Playing basketball

Going to Roaring Springs

Going to Yahooz

Going to Chuck E. Cheese's

Going to Pojos

A Peek At Our Beginnings

2009-05-27T22:57:00.008-06:00

10 things I have learned about Joe since being married to him for the last decade:

10. He's kind of a neat freak.

9. Sometimes his sports knowledge baffles me.

8. He is persistent in developing talents.

7. Awesome Dad

6. He is a very good breakfast chef.

5. Definitely a morning person.

4. He has mad fishing skills.

3. He's a little bit short but I never noticed until he brought it up.

2. He loves musicals.

1. He bundles his socks twice.

Happy Anniversary MoJo!

Laur's first haircut

2009-05-19T21:27:00.010-06:00

The photo on the right is her before shot, and the one on the left is her before before shot when she was just a month old. When I had my last ultrasound just before she was born I could see all of her hair flowing in the amniotic fluid. This girl has some major hair. I've watched it grow from a cute little pixie do as an infant to her long long mane of three years.
Well it was just getting too hard to get through the tangles at the ends so we set her up with my fabulous hairdresser Sherelyn. Lauren did so well considering her anxiety she had just before the appointment.
Next milestone: the dentist.

Popcorn popping

2009-05-17T16:31:00.003-06:00

I've just got to share this for posterity's sake. One night we were all settled down for our family prayer and scripture study in Caleb's room. Sometimes this settling down can take a while to get the wiggles and giggles out. This particular night Joe let one rip. Here's the conversation that followed:

Lauren: That's a barking spider
Me: What? What's a barking spider?
Lauren: Daddy's fart. What is your fart Mommy?
Me: Ummmm A ripping rabbit. What's yours?
Lauren: Umm I don't know.
Me: How about a stomping elephant? What's yours Caleb?
Caleb: Ummm. Mine is popcorn popping.

Now how do you settle down for a prayer after that?

Easter Celebration

2009-04-13T23:24:00.003-06:00

Isn't this a great photo. I love it! That's Jeremy, Chet and I coloring eggs back in the day. Who knew that Jeremy's glasses would be back in style someday. My new pair almost looks just like them.
We kicked off our Easter festivities last weekend when we took a trip to the homeland. Mom went and bought some eggs and dye for us all to enjoy. And that we did. Afterward, Lexi and Cheyanne hid them all in the backyard for the kiddos to find. Zed was there too. The kids LOVE their cousins. This weekend Tom and Krista were here before Tom goes off to Iraq. They came with us to our ward's breakfast and egg hunt and then we had them hide eggs for us at home.
The kids awoke very pleased with their baskets the Easter Bunny left them. It's nice having 11:00 sacrament - just enough time to fit in another egg hunt. Our Easter program at church went very well. We practiced our Easter songs many weeks in choir. In Young Womens we showed them a short video that included Elder Holland's recent conference address. It was very powerful. Here's the link.

Not Too Shabby

2009-04-07T09:27:00.002-06:00

There's a lot of red there, but I managed to come in fourth in my Yahoo group of 14 under the name YOUR MAMMA. Joe didn't fare as well coming in eleventh. Thank you NC!

Happy Spring!

2009-03-21T23:55:00.001-06:00

It's on!

2009-03-18T23:06:00.004-06:00

Filling out the NCAA men's basketball brackets has been something Joe and I have done probably since we've been married. We're not big into basketball at the college or professional level, but it's the competition of our best guessing with maybe a few pointers from the better guessers that draws us to fill these out every year. So, it's on starting tomorrow. I'll post the results post big dance. May the best guesser win (that would be me).

Just sharing some randomness

2009-03-14T16:04:00.006-06:00

I returned from the Portland/Seattle area a week or so ago after attending a sewing expo. It was so much fun! I went with Kimberly, Joe's aunt, who lives in the Portland area. We drove down to Puyallup to partake of the festivities. We weren't disappointed. We had a ball together. Back in Portland I bought some fabric at Fabric Depot (aka sewing heaven). This store is an acre and a half of fabric and notions (and sales tax free)! I made Lauren a twirly skirt with the fabric. I came back with lots of inspiration. Shortly, probably a couple more weeks, I am going to be finally starting up my very own Esty shop. I'm so excited. I will be listing items I make - right now mostly fun little coin purses. So stay tuned for that as well as a blog to go along with it.

We're preparing for spring a little early around here. Sookie has started to really shed and I find hairballs everywhere around the house that she hacks up. So, I pinned her down for an hour or so and took the clippers and hair cutting scissors to her. She was less than thrilled about it. I think I need to take her in somewhere and have them even her out some. Joe got into the spring cleaning mood and shampooed the carpets too. So we are a fur-free zone again.

Take Me Back Tuesday Mardi Gras edition

2009-02-24T21:05:00.005-07:00

Wow it's been a LONG time since I've done a TMBT. This one is more for Joe. We're going back 12 years to 1997. Joe served in the Baton Rouge, LA mission. Don't worry this was one of the family friendly parades. He still has a lot of those beads. Lauren plays with them sometimes. He took me down there in 2001 and I got to see some of the areas he served in and meet some of the people he worked with. It was a fun place to explore. It would be interesting to be down there again post-Katrina. Anyway - Happy Mardi-Gras everyone. Give up something for the next forty days to make yourself a better person.

Girls Night

2009-02-24T20:50:00.003-07:00

Tonight I had dinner with some of my high school chicas - Selena, Sandy, and Christy. We try to get together about every month or so and do something fun. We tell funny stories from our youth. Selena is definitely the memory keeper of the group. She remembers EVERYTHING. I love that we all live up here now. Our next girls night we plan on going downtown to eat out and people watch.

Disneyland, Here We Come!

2009-02-18T15:04:00.008-07:00

...in two years. That's right, we have set a date of February 2011 to go to Disneyland as a family. To keep us motivated to save for this we have made our own Disney Fund container and have it in the kitchen. So far it is mostly just pennies, although Lauren has unknowingly contributed her $5 bill from her birthday card. That should pay for her churro once we get there. Joe, the vending machine junkie has thought ahead and hot glued the lid to fight off any uncontrollable twinkie cravings that may arise. Any Disney savings tips are welcome, so please share if you have any.

Happy Heart Day!

2009-02-14T23:42:00.020-07:00

Happy Valentines Day everyone. We hope it was a lovely day. Here's some shots from ours.

Why does he look like he is in pain here?

Playing in the snow at Rabbit Creek just past Idaho City. Dustin, Chandra, Abby, and Jessa all came. Joe set up the fire and camp stove. We roasted hotdogs and drank hot chocolate. We had so much fun sledding down the hills. Thanks to the Bennetts for lending us all the sleds.

Poor Jessa getting white washed by Joe and Caleb. Sorry I couldn't help you out - I was taking pictures.

Abby was quite the little hiker - not so much the thrill-seeker.

Because we weren't cold enough - after coming down the hill, we had to stop at the yummiest place in Boise to get milkshakes. (Hmm why does almost every post of mine include food at some point)

When we got home I gave the kids and Joe a simple little Valentines bag I made them with some sweet treats and a Valentine.

Mmmm...Cupcakes

2009-02-11T23:23:00.009-07:00

We were feeling festive the other night and made some strawberry cupcakes. I let the kids have a go with the frosting and sprinkles. They did pretty good. We're all ready for Valentines Day. Caleb has his school party tomorrow before his long weekend. He filled out all of his Star Wars valentines today after school.

It's amazing how obedient they become when there's sugar involved. I got the entire living room cleaned up.

A Conversation with Lauren

2009-02-03T22:34:00.003-07:00

Lauren: What's on my tummy?

Me: Your belly button.

Lauren: Where's your tummy?

I rub my hands on my tummy.

Lauren: I want to see your tummy.

I lift my shirt and show her.

Lauren: Your tummy is big!

Me: I know. I have a big tummy.

Lauren: Where's your chest?

I put my hand on my chest.

Lauren: I want to see your chest.

Me: No, we don't let anyone see our chests.

Lauren: Look, here's mine (lifting her pajama top)

Me: When you're big you can't do that. You need to hide your chest.

Lauren: When I'm big my chest will play hide and seek?

Me: (mumbling) They better not.

Happy Groundhog's Day

2009-02-01T23:17:00.010-07:00

Here's my little groundhog. Isn't he cute. This photo was taken last weekend when we went to McCall with our friends the Bennetts. We stayed in a very nice cabin in town and was able to see some of the preparations taking place for the Winter Carnival taking place this week. To see some of the photos from last years events click here. It's pretty spectacular to witness if you ever get the chance.
We had a great time with the Bennetts. We played in the snow (a lot), drank Italian Sodas all weekend, played Sing Star on PSII and other games, hot tubbed, watched movies, went to the Pancake House (there was a second trip made for their yummy, HUGE cinnamon rolls). It was Lauren's first excursion since being fully potty trained and she did great! Yay no more diapers. She also made new friends and seemed to especially like Christopher. All in all we had a great time haning out with all of those teenagers. It was a fun, affordable getaway and just made us even more cabin hungry.

Party Time

2009-01-19T11:17:00.010-07:00

Well, I didn't name this blog Campbells, Illustrated for nothing. Here's some pics of a little get-together we had on Saturday with our neighbors the Herrmanns and family for Lauren's birthday. We had an arty party with lunch, cake, presents, a few art projects and lots of fun.

I THREE!

2009-01-17T22:39:00.010-07:00

Our baby has turned three this week. She's got the "three" down now. She's been saying five. She started her birthday off with a nice warm bubble bath with Sookie as the life guard. After that we picked up Chandra and Abby and enjoyed our weekly story time at the Library. We had fun listening to bear stories and then making a bear craft. Followed by some shopping of course.
Later that night we participated in Caleb's school's night at Red Robin fund raiser. Twenty percent of our ticket was donated from Red Robin to McMillan Elementary. Thanks Red Robin for the money and the yummy whiskey river bbq chicken wrap and garlic steak fries - my new regular there.
Red Robin himself made an appearance high-fiving Caleb and shaking Lauren's hand. I knew she wanted to touch him, but was too shy so I had to help her a little. The Red Robin crew also, quite boisterously, sang/shouted a birthday tune to Lauren and presented her with a hot fudge sundae that Caleb talked her into sharing with him.

We capped the night off by giving Lauren her baby stroller that she now blissfully pushes all her many babies in.

You Been Smoochin' With My Brother?!

2009-01-09T01:01:00.006-07:00

I'm not normally a PDA type of person, but I do make exceptions. The turn of the New Year being one of them. Matt and Amber, Tom and Krista, Mom and Chris, and Joe and I all locked lips to bring in the new year. Not with each other, well you see what I mean. HAPPY 2009!

Playing in the snow

2009-01-06T12:11:00.002-07:00

I haven't done this for so long! Probably one of the reasons is because of the mild winters in Boise and I'm not around as many willing helpers. We had plenty to work with in Heyburn. Jeff, Lexi, Zed, Zaylee, Caleb and Lauren were all out there helping. We ended up having three separate entrances and a window. We spent most of the time building it up, that not much was spent playing in it. By the way, that's my scarf hanging down, not a loin cloth.

Meridian 19th Ward Christmas Party

2009-01-05T23:59:00.009-07:00

Can I just say that I will not attempt a "handmade" Christmas again for a very long long time, maybe never. Stress! I guess I came up with that idea way too late in the year. I was happy with the gifts I made for others for the most part, but I felt like I didn't get to enjoy the season as much without thinking about all the things I needed to get done. So it's giftcards for everyone next year! Ha ha. Don't hold me to that. One of the things I did get to enjoy this season was our ward party. Last year Joe's company party was on the same night and we went to that. We had a great time this year with the ward. There was plenty of food and entertainment, not enough time to get to visit with everyone though. Here's some pics:

Lauren chowin' down!

After the program, the primary kids were invited to go on the stage to sing carols. That's Lauren's friend Alexa and Caleb's friend Aidan.

Not quite ready to do this on her own yet, but Caleb was first in line!

Christmas Morn

2009-01-05T16:29:00.005-07:00

Here's some highlights of Christmas morning. We spent Christmas in Burley this year with my family and got DUMPED on. Joe got to experience a little of what my winters as a youth were like. The kids were very pleased with Santa's gifts. Caleb got a gameboy and Lauren a kitchen. Both have been kept busy. Thank you Santa! More holidays photos coming soon.

Anticipation

2008-12-17T23:18:00.002-07:00

Caleb is getting so excited for Christmas. I found this in his backpack today. It's the third one I've found.

Breakin the law Breakin the law...

2008-12-16T19:44:00.008-07:00

It wasn't my fault. I ordered black and white hot "cocoa". It looked so yummy in the oversized mug with whip cream and chocolate shavings on top. I couldn't wait to get warmed up. The setting was eclectic and pleasant in the company of my Laurels. We kidnapped them last Saturday morning for hot chocolate at Rembrandt's in Eagle. It took us a while to gather everyone because we had to wait for most of them to get dressed. It was a chilly morning before our big snow so the anticipation for that first swig was pretty high. We all ordered and found a cozy corner to sit and mingle. I love the youth. They bring a feeling of nostalgia everytime I'm around them. The waitress brought a big platter of mugs and passed them around, but not mine. She had to make a separate trip because mine was a black and white hot chocolate and apparently required a bigger mug. I felt special. I touched my lips to the warm brim and gulped in all the whip cream, chocolate shavings, and COFFEE?! It was strong and sweet, not bad actually. What a situation. Do I enjoy the waitress's mistake or do the right thing? Well, you know me. The waitress thought I said "moca". So let that be a lesson to you. Don't order hot cocoa, order hot chocolate! The Laurels......Julie and I......The cream cheese/peanutbutter/chocolate dessert that was soooo yummy!... ...Cheers!

Shelf Update

2008-12-10T23:59:00.001-07:00

These are my new favorite part of my house!

My average Joe Plumber at work

2008-12-08T15:08:00.005-07:00

Ok, so Joe isn't a plumber. He's a nuclear medicine technologist (don't let him hear you say technician either - there's a difference). This post has nothing to do with plumbing, I just liked the title.
Joe never took wood shop in school or in any other type of learning environment(I took 2 years; huffing on fingernails and polishing on shoulder), but that doesn't stop his determined and creative spirit when it comes to woodworking.
We have this weird spot in our room that sits at the back of the stairwell. I suppose the builders could have just closed it in, but they didn't. I should have taken a picture of all the junk we had stashed in there before I took the "before picture". It was convenient because the stash was hidden from every angle except our bed. We finally got sick of looking at the clutter and decided to utilize the space. Joe came up with the idea of shelves. I came up with the "look" of the shelves, and Joe went to work.
There were ups and downs in the project: the numerous trips to Lowe's, the failed "measure twice, cut once" rule, and running out of paint. Joe stayed focused though, the difference between us. During this project I found that he's very much a perfectionist. Everything is flawlessly leveled, caulked and painted. The finished product was exactly the look I was hoping for. He finished it up before he had to go out of town for work today. Not bad for an average Joe. Now I just need to focus on filling them.

Christmas time is here

2008-12-03T21:53:00.016-07:00

Well, it's been at our house for almost a week or so. I have been so into the Christmas spirit this year. Joe did such a nice job with the lights. I know that can be a topic of contention among couples, but that is something he does without any prodding. He added the colored lights to our little tree this year in the front yard and bought a timer that turns the lights off and on. Next year he wants to go LED on the icicles. As long as he doesn't go totally Griswald - we're good.

We finally went artificial (our tree) this year. There are some advantages. The lights are all perfectly placed, no pine needle messes, or remembering to put extra water in the stand because the cat drinks it all! I'm worried that I might come downstairs to find fried kitty. I've already caught Sookie gnawing on the branches.

We have this family tradition where we get one special ornament that reflects something we did as a family that year. Last year we drilled a small hole in a starfish we brought back from the Oregon Coast when we stayed in a beach house there. This year we did a lot of camping and fishing. I've been looking for a cool trout ornament with no luck, but I'm determined. I may just have to drill a hole in a dead fish. One of my favorite ornaments we have on our tree is one Joe made when he was in the 2nd or 3rd grade out of toothpicks and a school photo. He is so cute!

I've made a pledge to myself to go handmade this year for gifts. It is a lot of work! It has made me really think outside the box, but it also makes each of those gifts more special, I hope. The relief in this endeavor is that "Santa Claus" didn't make that pledge. Yes, we've still done our part in stimulating the economy on Black Friday.

Here's some shots of our Christmasfied house.

Luke - I am Your FAAATHAAA

2008-11-17T00:49:00.009-07:00

I'm a couple weeks late in posting Halloween pics, but better late than never.
So the costume choices all started with Caleb wanting to be Luke Skywalker. Naturally, Lauren would have to be Leia being "Luke's sister" and having all that hair. Joe even got in the spirit and didn't leave the two orphaned, by becoming Vader. I, on the other hand, did not complete this happy family by becoming Amidala. I stuck with my black "trick or treat" t-shirt. Joe and I totally flip flopped with holiday spirit this year. I'm usually the one dressing up with the kids.
Our trunk or treat rocked too! I got a dark blue twin sheet at Savers and Joe poked lots of little holes in it and stuck Christmas lights through them. I checked out a John Williams CD from the library and we had the Star Wars theme blasting. We had a few storm troopers hanging out with us too. It was so fun! I'm glad it was on a Wednesday night because I have that night off for mutual and had to work on Halloween night.
Cheryl took the kids trick or treating with friends down Harrison Blvd. while Joe went camping/fishing. Thanks Cheryl - they said they had fun and the candy is great!
I also want to report on Caleb's class party I was in charge of. It went off without a hitch. I had a ton of parent helpers in order for this to happen. Caleb said his favorite part was the treasure hunt they went on out on the playground. I have five big pumpkins left over from the pumpkin weighing contest that I am slowly, one by one pureeing and freezing. They've made great pies. If anyone has any yummy pumpkin recipes they know are good and want to share, please do. Maybe I'll even make you some so I can clear out some of my freezer.
So Halloween was a lot of fun this year. I think next year Joe and I should be John & Kate. We just need six more kids!

We love Jared and Shannon!

2008-11-14T09:34:00.005-07:00

Love these two. They're going through a tough time but are very tough themselves and well grounded. Aren't they beautiful? I just wanted to give them a shout out and say that I really admire their strength and faith in the gospel.

Crazy Hair Day

2008-10-24T00:57:00.002-06:00

It's Red Ribbon (drug prevention) week at Caleb's school. Today was Thursday: Using drugs is crazy - crazy hair day. These are some of the neighbors Caleb walks to school with. I just had to get a picture.

Family Photo time!

2008-10-22T22:45:00.001-06:00

Joe's sisters Cheryl and Chandra were kind enough (and patient) to take some nice photos for us. Here are some of our favorites.

Caleb's class Halloween Party

2008-10-15T01:08:00.000-06:00

Gosh I am just a bloggin fool of late. I've been working on this next project of mine for a few days now and thought I would share what I have accomplished. I was asked by his teacher to be in charge of the Halloween party so here's what I came up with. If this bores you I completely understand - don't force yourself to read the entire thing. Some of it is detailed because other people will need directions on how to carry out this grand plan of mine. I got a lot of the ideas from online sources and the cute digi stuff from Nancy Kubo on Little Dreamer Designs. The teaching/lesson plan flame has lit up in me again after all these years.

Preserve Marriage

2008-10-14T14:18:00.000-06:00

I'm not usually outwardly political but I saw this on another blog and wanted to echo the message and also share the video at the bottom. I think that this doesn't only affect California residents - it could eventually affect all of us (especially if a certain Presidential candidate is elected: I'm thinking of the next steps if this prop 8 is defeated...I'm just saying....):

We all know we have a very big election coming up in Nov. Not only are we voting for a president, but in California they are voting on a huge legislative initiative to preserve marriage. So, to all you Californians, please vote YES on 8!

I know that this could create a controversy on my blog and I would ask that those who disagree with me would please realize that we all have our own beliefs and convictions. Please allow me to share mine!

It is so important that this proposition be passed... and here is why!

1) In 2000, 61% of the population voted that marriage be stated "between a man and a woman". But those "sneaky" judges didn't listen to the PUBLIC voice and overturned what WE the people voted for. I hate when judges do that! (But that is a whole other conversation).

2) Gay marriages will be discussed and possibly "promoted" in the public school system starting in kindergarten. I am sorry, but I don't want my child (let alone my 5 year old) being taught about gay marriage by anyone except me! This is not the responsibility of the public school system. It is my responsibility as a mother and I don't want that taken away from me.

3) Churches will lose the not-for-profit status and will start being taxed. The LDS church gives millions and millions of dollars in humanitarian aid to all of the world. Think of all that money that won't be used to help those in need, but will go straight to the government. And we are not the only church... the amount of humanitarian aid will be affected. That is a sad thought.

4) Adoptions will decrease. The Catholic church contributes to a huge number of adoptions that happen in the country/world (along with other churches). They will not be able to continue placing children with loving families because they won't be able to distinguish between a heterosexual couple and a homosexual couple. So, churches will have to decrease (maybe eliminate) the number of adoptions they do in California.

And for the doubters out there or the ones on the fence... big reason why people should vote YES FOR PROP 8! It doesn't take any rights away from gay couples. They will keep all the rights they previously had... the only right that will be taken away are the rights of churches and us as parents.

Please vote YES on 8 and all those not in California, please pray that we can restore the definition of marriage to be between a man and a woman. It will have lasting, long-term affects on our country, society and families. If it passes here in California, it is just a matter of time, before your state will have the same battle. That is why this is so important.

Visitors

2008-10-13T23:37:00.000-06:00

During my recent blog vacay I also had some wonderful visitors. My mom brought back Amber and girls to the airport one evening. We had a nice dinner and visit together. Then Keri & Kenzie had lunch with Lauren and I the other afternoon. Both visits were lovely. We love visitors but just know that if you visit me - you'll probably end up on my blog. Hee hee

Back from blog vacay

2008-10-12T11:14:00.000-06:00

I'm back after almost two weeks of no blogging. I didn't really go anywhere - well I did go to a few places during those two weeks. We took a trip with our friends the Skousens (also Joe's orthodontist) up near Orofino on the Clearwater. There was a fly fishing convention of sorts at a park by the river. We camped nearby. The country up there is beautiful. The kids had a great time playing together on the beach. That's Jocelyn and some of the kids on the beach where we spent most of our time together. It was so nice to visit her without any outside distractions.

We've also been to a BSU game while I've been away. We left Lauren at GMA & GPA's while Joe, Caleb and I went to the LA Tech game. It was so much fun being there. We were in an even section so we wore our blue. Most everyone followed the dress code there so it looked pretty cool for the ESPN broadcast. Since this game we have also went on to beat Southern Miss and host Hawaii here next week. I can't wait for some sweet revenge on them from last year. These are kind of poor pics because it's from my cell phone.

Caleb had a blast. The old lady in front of us didn't as much. We got a few looks from her because of our wiggly boy. Oh well we had fun.

Check out our new ride!

2008-09-30T15:08:00.001-06:00

Joe surprised me one day when he came home with this bike/running carrier he saw at a sports equipment thrift shop here in town. I was so thrilled. This summer when we were at my Mom's Lauren had rode in the one Amber had at the house and LOVED it. In fact we couldn't get her out and that was even after Grandpa Chris had taken her around the (4 mile "country") block. I'm excited too because I am trying to prolong any type of gym membership and this is the perfect alternative right now while the weather is still decent.

Caleb lost his first tooth!

2008-09-26T00:24:00.000-06:00

"Look Mom, it's Idaho"

2008-09-23T19:42:00.000-06:00

"And now it's Oregon"

Bosom Buddies

2008-09-21T15:49:00.001-06:00

Ok ok let me explain. Joe and I went up to visit Korey and Keri and their family a few weeks ago. While we were there we were just hangin out and having a good time. We wanted to play The Office board game and it required a TV and DVD player, so Korey chose their bed as the venue. So the four of us fit quite nicely on their humongous California King. Sidenote: do not play Korey at this game unless you want to LOSE. That guy could quote the episode everytime. Eventually Keri and I made it downstairs to her craft room and was working on a sewing project. These photos were taken post game of the unsuspecting guys doin their thing.

Weirdos

2008-09-14T14:08:00.000-06:00

I have three weird kids who entertain themselves quite creatively. This was them while we were packing up the vehicles for the Labor Day weekend we spent at Silver Creek Plunge.

First Grade Here I Come

2008-09-04T23:58:00.000-06:00

My feelings of school starting have been mixed. I miss having my Caleb around during the day. So does Lauren. It sure is a lot quieter around the house. He has been so excited to go back. He loves school and does very well there. He has the same teacher he had for Kindergarten. I was hoping he would get her. The transitioning for him has been that much easier. She knows what she's getting too. She called after the first day to see how things were. She told me that she wanted some good leaders in the class and that's why she chose Caleb to come back. He loves being one of the "big kids" that gets to stay all day, eat lunch at school, and have that extra recess at the end of the day. I must say that it is nice not having my day split in half.
Before we left the house I took some snapshots of him. I told him to show me which grade he was in and then it turned into a happy dance. What a nut he is.

Summer's End

2008-09-03T22:27:00.000-06:00

Well I can't believe it's already September! It just seems like we were taking down our Christmas decorations and now they're on the store shelves again. I welcome September. It has to be my most favorite month. Joe's birthday is this month, it's back to school time (I love school supplies), football season is in full swing (GO BSU!). The weather is starting to cool and that means fun sweaters and jackets. (I found the cutest jackets the other day at Macys.) The trees turn all different colors. I just love it!
I feel like I can finally have some sort of schedule again now that Caleb is back in school. The summer was fun, but just seemed non-stop. So, to say goodbye to summer I'm sharing some last shots of this summer that I've been too busy to post before.
We didn't go out of state to any beaches this summer but we still played in the sand and hot springs at Gold Fork Hot Springs near Cascade. It almost felt like we were at a fancy remote spa. I would definitely recommend this spot to anyone except that the management is HORRIBLE. The manager needs to get some people skills.
I love how kids have the ability to make new friends so easily. Caleb and this little guy had a blast hangin out.
This is Laur and Stefani. Stefani and her family are in our ward. We absolutely love hanging out with these guys. They know how to have FUN. They're great. We kind of did things out of order that day because we did the hot springs before ATVing through the mud puddles.

This is Megan. Isn't she so cute. She was up there camping too. I got her hooked on Mika music.
Christi and Jordan. We weren't allowed to use our hands to push the excess whip cream in our mouths. See what I mean about these guys - so much fun!

Here's a shot of all the young women at girls camp motorboating (blowing air through their lips and making the sound of a motorboat during a photo). I have single shots of them all that are hilarious, but I'm not ambitious enough to post them all. We camped up at Cascade. It was so much fun to be back at girls camp again. Everyone got so close that week. I love being in Young Womens.
My bro Chet and my sis in law Teresa came up to visit from Rupert before the summer was over. We had a great time with them. We got some back to school shopping done, ate at Red Robins and played the Wii. My kids love them!

Out at Dad's

2008-08-24T22:28:00.000-06:00

These are some shots back in July when we all gathered out at my Dad and Diane's house for dinner. It was good food and nice visiting with my Grandpa Still and Aunt Lois. The kids got to play with cousins so they were happy too.

Lauren getting some GPA Vern time and Diane modeling an apron I made her.

Favorite Etsy Purchases

2008-08-23T10:01:00.000-06:00

My recent purchases from Etsy:

I love my new camera strap! Isn't it so cute. She is amazing - so many cute straps it was hard to decide on one. Here's her link so you can see for yourself. www.cottoncandybynatalie.etsy.com

Next is my newest addiction. I seriously can't get enough of these cute pendants. It's nice that they offer a buy 2 get one free special until September. This is just one of my recent pics. I think I have close to a dozen and I've been giving some away too. They make a perfect fun little gift.

You can find their shop at HomeStudio.etsy.com

Fair Update

2008-08-18T17:00:00.000-06:00

I am excited to report that both of my items in the fair placed. I got third for my apron and second for my photo of Beggar (mom & chris' cat). Yay me.

Summer Babies

2008-08-16T14:35:00.000-06:00

Just a few photos to commemorate some of the summer birthdays I have been around to celebrate. Happy Birthday to those in the fam I missed.

This is why I do not have a garden

2008-08-14T15:16:00.000-06:00

I have been the recipient of many a neighbors garden's produce as well as these two gardens here. Chris and Amber have really outdone themselves this year and made two separate gardens instead of the combined one. I have a freezer full of chopped zucchini thanks to their hard work.

Fair Submission

2008-08-11T01:23:00.001-06:00

This year I thought what the heck I'll submit a photo in the fair. It doesn't cost anything to enter and I could win some money. I decided this last minute so since this was so recent and one of my favorites I chose Beggar, my Mom & Stepdad's cat (sorry Sookie). I thought there might not be as many entries under the domestic animals category. However, when I was down at the fairgrounds entering it in the gal in front of me was submitting one of her orange cat and showing it off. I probably won't win, but oh well. I also entered an apron I sewed. I'll have to post a photo of that later because I forgot to take one. Last year was my first year submitting anything. I had a mini scrapbook of our Fiesta Bowl experience already made without intending it to be a fair submission and won first prize ($10). I was very surprised and pleased. Joe asked me if I was going to scrapbook about my scrapbook.

Meet my neice Kiley - Isn't she so cute!

2008-08-11T00:54:00.000-06:00

Advantage, Korey

2008-08-01T00:15:00.000-06:00

This is our friend Korey. Korey and I go way back - 12 years actually. He and I, and his future wife Keri, were all in the 5th Ward together back in the day. We hung out quite a bit back then. It's not very often that we all get to see each other now that we live on opposite sides of Idaho, but when the opportunity comes up we take it. Korey was in town Saturday for a tennis tournament so we stopped by to watch him kick butt. Actually he lost the doubles game we were watching, but ended up winning all of his other singles games. So good job Korey! Maybe we won't stay so long next time and you'll have more luck. We're looking forward to Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in Sept.

Love this!

2008-07-31T04:26:00.000-06:00

Ahhhh I'm behind

2008-07-31T00:55:00.001-06:00

I don't like going in reverse to present, but it seems like that's how I roll. There are a lot of things for me to blog about in the last couple of weeks. I can only do this in little chunks at a time, but I will catch up to the point where I'm looking for something to blog about.

I guess I'll start with my Saturday morning a few weeks ago. Joe and I went with his Mom and Dad to the local shooting range. Holy crap I still don't like guns. I love shooting them there at the shooting range but I kept thinking Wow people use these things on each other and themselves- that's pretty messed up. I did terrible with my father in law's 9mm(all the holes on the bottom of the target), but not too bad with my mother in law's 22 pistol.

I've been tagged

2008-07-21T11:47:00.000-06:00

Where were you 10 years ago?
Wow 1998. I was busy busy busy! I was in my senior year at Boise State. I was in my first student teaching placement at Roosevelt Elementary in Mrs. Douglass' 2nd grade class. Those kids were so fun. Hey, it's been ten years I bet they graduated this year. Wow. That year I guess I didn't have enough to do so I also started dating this cute guy named Joe Campbell who later proposed at the end of the year. It's true what they say - Love interrupts life.

Five things on today's to-do list?
1. Plan meals/make menus - I really hate doing this.
2. Go to Costco and use my coupons and pick up photos - maybe a churro too.
3. Go to the library to return old and pick up new. I checked out the best picture book last time
It's called The Gardner by Sarah Stewart. It is excellent.
4. Track down one of my young women in the ward to babysit for me tomorrow while I visit and teach.
5. Work on scrapbook kits for girls camp (I've got 17 out of 20 done - only 2 more weeks yikes!

A snack I enjoy: I like to put a half a mouthful of popcorn in my mouth and then another half a mouthful of little marshmallows in there and chew - it's the lazyman's popcorn ball.

Things I would do if I were a millionaire: Buy a cabin and a beach house and a downtown Boise mansion. Buy lots of things for all my family and travel travel travel. That's assuming the money would keep on coming right?

Places I have lived: Boise, Malta, Heyburn, Rexburg, Boise, Kent WA, Lynnwood WA and back to Boise again.

Since Chandra tagged me, I tag Susan, Shannon & Toshia - gotta love the sis in laws.

What do you remember?

2008-07-19T17:51:00.000-06:00

I stole this off my sister in law's blog.

1. Add a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. I can't wait to see what people remember.

If you have any memories of Joe or the kids feel free to share those as well. They are frequent visitors here too.

Shazam!

2008-07-11T08:54:00.000-06:00

I've been playing in photoshop and tried this new technique from Jessica Sprague's blog that SHAzams up your photo. Pretty awesome.

2008-07-10T14:49:00.000-06:00

Lauren and I were experimenting with her hair the other day. I twisted it up into a bunch of mini-buns and let her sleep on it. In the morning they were all dry and we took them out and POOF - instant afro. I played with it a little and finally pinned it back. Her hair is naturally straight so all of these curls were only around until late afternoon, but it was fun having a curly-haired girl while it lasted.

Keepin Cool

2008-07-03T21:25:00.000-06:00

The kids and I were getting bored in the house all day so we decided to try out a new park. We had so much fun. We'll definitely be going again. It's a really neat park. It has fun water features, lots of musical toys, and the playground has no bark or sand (yeah no more in my car). It's called Settlers Park and they play movies there on Friday nights too. The only thing I wish it did have was bigger trees for more shade.

We love Tom and Krista

2008-06-28T21:39:00.000-06:00

My brother Tom and his wife Krista came to visit us. We had so much fun with them. They were up for a day at Roaring Springs. We did the rides and wave pool and had some dinner there. We wish we could have stayed longer to play. We got some fun photos. The ride from the photo of Krista screaming was totally scary and fun. She and I went on it together after Tom and her. My throat still hurts from screaming so loud. The next morning they flew back to Virginia where Tom is stationed for the Navy. We will miss you guys until Christmas!

Minico Girls Rule

2008-06-26T01:25:00.000-06:00

Last week I was able to get together with some friends from back home who all live up here in the Boise Area. It was so much FUN!! I love these guys. It made me feel like we were in high school again (except no curfew).
We went to Boondocks and ate some pizza. Then we played the 18 hole course of miniature golf. Christy got a couple hole in ones. I knocked the ball in the water. Selena ended up winning with a 52 - Not bad. After golf Sandy and I smacked some softballs in the batting cage. I had a little cash left so Selena and I rode a roller coaster arcade game thingy that shook us all around. When we ran out of money and got tired we all went home. Next we want to do a movie at the dollar theater. Maybe by then we'll be able to round up a fifth member of our graduating class who we think lives up here too - Miss Tracy Bair.

Sweet Weekend Gone Sour

2008-06-23T15:07:00.000-06:00

Crazy weekend! The two girls in this article are some of my Laurels. We were up at a cabin planning out our upcoming girls camp and having some fun when this unfortunate accident happened. We are all praying for these sweet girls. I'll post more later when I have time.
Idaho Statesman Article

*UPDATE*
Lyndsy and Angie are still recovering. Lyndsy had a compound fracture to her femur just above her knee. She's had surgery and is recuperating well. Angie took the brunt of it and is still unconscious, but the doctors are hopeful. She did well during her pelvic surgery and can breathe on her own. We can't wait until these girls are back in YW. Tonight at mutual we tied fleece blankets for their hospital beds and wrote messages on pillowcases.

There have been so many miracles in this story and I think we will continue to see them.

2008-06-18T16:22:00.000-06:00

Just some pics from last weekend of the Emmett Cherry Festival. It was a day full of yummy food, fun rides, and silly hats.

Travels of Matt

2008-06-18T15:48:00.001-06:00

This is my brother Matt. He is in the Navy. We miss him and hope he is doing well. I asked him to send me some photos because I'm always looking for something new to put on our blog. The one on the left is of him while going through the Suez Canal (between Saudi Arabia and Egypt - I believe). The one with the Pepsi can is of him in his shop on the ship - ha say that 5 times. He knows all the electrical stuff going on in there. The blue pic is in Hawaii of the USS Arizona memorial. I don't know what kind of gun that is but it looks pretty big. The sunset is my favorite one he sent - not because he isn't in it - it's just pretty. It's of a refueler. So there you have it pictures from the other side of the world.

Case of the Yuckies

2008-06-09T16:31:00.000-06:00

Our washer and dryer have been very busy this past couple days. We've got two sick kids. I took Caleb in to our pediatrician today. He has white spots on his red tonsils. He was negative for strep. I took Lauren in early early this morning to the ER because I was getting too anxious and couldn't wait for the Doctor's office (It will cost me later). Her temperature was 106! It really freaked me out. Joe gave her a blessing so that helped to calm us down. She has been throwing up quite a bit - probably from the medicine hitting her stomach. She doesn't want to eat anything because she thinks she'll just throw it up so when she takes a dose of medicine on her empty stomach it causes her to puke again. The ER checked for strep as well and she was negative. So it's just a nasty virus they need to work through. Caleb's fever is gone and he's back to his active self. We got him a snow cone and he's one happy dude. I have no current pictures to share, but a few days before all this hit Lauren and Sookie were exploring outside.Lauren's flamingo stance.

Sookie's favorite hangout is hiding under our day lilies

I am going to have no flowers left by summer's end.

Catch Up

2008-06-03T22:07:00.000-06:00

Ok - it's time to play catch up. For the last two to three weeks it has just been non-stop for me. We went on a road trip, had a birthday, an anniversary, a couple graduations, a field trip, company, t-ball etc. Things look to finally be setteling down for a while. I have been able to capture quite a bit of these last few weeks in photos. I'll try to do these in order. Here goes:

These are some of Caleb's classmates. He had a field trip to the zoo a couple of Friday's ago (along with every other kindergarten class in the treasure valley).
After the zoo we went to the park for a picnic lunch. Meanwhile....
Joe was having his braces put on. I was surprised how much younger this made him look. I told him that I'd never made out with a boy who wore braces.
Just yesterday Joe and Caleb went to the school playground to fire off Caleb's rocket he got for his birthday and Joe overheard some kids who were there playing four squares say, "That kid has braces!"We were very happy to welcome my mom, my sister-in-law Amber, and her three girls to come and stay the night with us. We went swimming at the YMCA and was able to squeeze in some shopping.

The slide there was a blast. Lauren even went down it with me. I think I finally have a future roller coaster companion.

We had a fun little picnic with Joe's family at Veteran's Park. We played in the park with the kids. Joe's GPA Bacani even got in on the fun.

Next we hit the road with Joe to Pocatello. He had one patient to attend to - so we got our gas paid for. We stopped and visited with my family.Caleb's birthday was on the 30th. He also graduated on that day so his teacher allowed us to celebrate it a day early so he could have his own day. Lauren and I surprised him by bringing in donuts for his class. Those kids would have done anything I told them for a donut. Caleb's graduation was really cute. They had a slideshow and then gave out the diplomas. After they announced the name they would announce the character award for each student. Caleb's was Math Wizard. After graduation we rushed home to set up for the birthday party. Caleb had a blast with his friends. We had a big surprise when my Dad, Diane, Teresa & Taylor came walking down the driveway. We were so excited to see them and glad they were able to come get wet with us. Last but not least I need to mention that our Jessa graduated. Check out the fire dancer guy we saw at a Luau we went to last weekend .

Shots from Sunday

2008-05-18T23:40:00.000-06:00

Yummy cake Grandma the Great. Lauren likes the frosting.

Happy Birthday Grandpa the Great!

We finally went flower shopping.

Lauren loves the flowers too much.

Caleb enjoying a bowl of oatmeal al fresco
- one of his favorite snacks.

We love May

2008-05-12T14:43:00.000-06:00

Yeah. We love May. We celebrate our anniversary and Caleb's birthday in May. This year he graduates from Kindergarten on his birthday. We wanted to do a low key birthday (last year was a big Boondocks bash) so we thought some fun sprinkler play would be perfect. Caleb liked the idea. Now he just needs to pick out a cake. His latest choice is the American Flag cake at Costco but it probably will change before May 30. Doesn't he remind you of Martin Short doing the Ed Grimley character in this photo?

Happy Mom's Day!

2008-05-12T00:23:00.000-06:00

It was a great day today. Joe's mom had to speak in sacrament meeting. She was so nervous. The last time she spoke was Joe's farewell. She did great though. There was scarce a dry eye in the room. We were very proud of her. We then went back to our ward as Joe had to teach a class and I had nursery. We made cute little pots with paper flowers on green pipe cleaners that we stuck in the pots. Kind of like the decorative pens some businesses put by the registers. I got a nice long nap today too. I must have needed it. Maybe that's why I'm up so late rambling. We had dinner tonight at Joe's mom and dad's like we do most Sundays. Grandma and Grandpa Campbell were there too! We gave the grandmas some fun rocks we painted into lady bugs with googly eyes. I also made my mom a little digital accordian scrapbook of the kids and I (Joe was out of town for those pictures). I made my stepmom an apron with roosters on it and I made Remy some pajama pants. Joe was very generous this year (that and we got our money from the pres.) and got me a Canon Rebel XTi camera. I'm so loving it! I've already had to charge the battery. We hope everyone's Mother's Day was as enjoyable as ours.

TMBT (I know it's already Wed!)

2008-05-07T01:20:00.000-06:00

I was wondering what to post for this week's TMBT and thought - what were we doing this time last year? I went through the May '07 file and found a few things. Amber and the girls came to visit when Matt was overseas like he is again this year as is one of my other bros Tom - Love you guys! I had some bathtub shots of Lauren and Caleb, some park pics of the kids on the playground equipment while at one of Joe's softball games, and some fun camping photos of our trip to the Bruneau Dunes. The kids LOVE to go camping. We hope to go camping ALOT this year. It's one of our favorite things to do.

Joe and I have already been - last weekend on the Relief Society Retreat. Joe was quite a trooper with all those women. He withstood the pranks played on him and even hauled out our garbage when it was all said and done. We had a lot of fun. We didn't do all that we had planned, but that was ok because we were there to just relax and bond. We bonded well into the wee hours of the morning hence the puffy eyes in this photo.

I looked out the window and what did I see?

2008-05-04T21:52:00.000-06:00

Happy Sunday! Indeed. Just thought I would post some pics of our "popcorn" trees, as Caleb calls them, located just on the other side of our backyard fence. It was a super nice day today. After church we came home and Joe fired up the BBQ. I couldn't help but notice the blooming buds behind him. I like spring, but don't love it. It's too unpredictable - nice one day and poopy the next.

2008-04-29T14:56:00.000-06:00

The weather has been so nice this week! Our bulbs we planted last fall have all bloomed. I was going to post some of them, but they're just a little clump compared to my memory of the tulip festival we went to in Mt. Vernon, WA. I remember driving up to the area and the fields looked electric - like neon lights. I had never been around so many flowers. It was amazing. We went there with my brother Matt and his family. These are some of my favorite photos from the trip back in 2005. Enjoy.

Weekend Drive to Pinetop

2008-04-28T01:58:00.000-06:00

(template from Lori Barnhurst)

Go MuckDogs

2008-04-28T00:47:00.000-06:00

Here's a page I did tonight with some pics of Caleb's Tball experience. He has really been having fun. He looks forward to every Tuesday and Thursday night. (template by Lauren Reid)

Hey It's Tuesday again

2008-04-22T22:46:00.000-06:00

I really thought I would have posted between last Tuesday and today, but we have just been so busy. I have been planning every week for the last month for a Relief Society Retreat that's happening next weekend. We are going to be up at Pinetop Lodge near Idaho City. I sure hope we don't totally freeze our rears.
Both Joe and Caleb are playing ball this spring too. Tonight they both had games. Joe's team didn't win, but Caleb's was a tie (It's always a tie in T-ball). Caleb finally asked today when they weren't going to have ties for every game and when they are going to start having three outs instead of everyone getting to bat every inning.
Then there's all the little things in between that just add up to no time. I have been playing too much with digital scrapbook stuff too. I haven't forgot about Take Me Back Tuesday though. I was going through pictures the other day for something and happened upon some photos that Joe and I displayed at our wedding reception. I had some of our senior photos and thought that would be entertaining for you to view my Lion King hair do. Isn't Joe handsome though! I wondered what would have happened if we had went to the same high school.

Take Me Back Tuesday

2008-04-15T01:13:00.000-06:00

In an effort to keep plugging away at my scrapbooking endeavor and to share with you things from our past (and because we are boring) I thought I might start something new here on our blog. A kind of regular thing - once a week on Tuesdays. It will be called as the title of this post reads: "Take Me Back Tuesdays" This first edition of Take Me Back Tuesday is from January 2008 where the days were sooo chilly. It was an unusually cold and snowy winter for Boise this year. Caleb even had a snowday. I think he is too green in his education to fully appreciate these miraculous events. Luckily the kids had plenty of Christmas presents to keep them busy on the cold days. One of Lauren's favorites is her trunk of dress up clothes her Aunt Cheryl gave her. She already recognizes the way slipping on some fancy clothes can alter your mood.

Watch for next Tuesday to see where in my deep files of photos I shall delve. Until then have a happy Tuesday!

2008-04-09T22:49:00.000-06:00

Last weekend a friend of mine wanted to take some snapshots of the kids & I. I suggested this great chipping fence that I look at every time I stand at my kitchen window. I just love it. It belongs to our Home Teacher. I told him that I was going to use it as a backdrop some day for a photo. He probably thought me strange but gave permission. I haven't went through all of the photos yet so I'll be posting more as I do. We got some cute shots. Lauren was not in the mood at all. Caleb was acting very goofy, but that's normal and Joe was gone with his parents picking up some cars in Elko. Someday we will have to do this again with the whole family. I just hope the fence doesn't get painted.

Happy April Fool's Day!

2008-04-02T00:30:00.001-06:00

I had to post one more today on this April Fool's day. We didn't really go crazy with this holiday/event in our house at all. The only thing that could count as an April fool's joke was during Caleb and Lauren's lunch. You see, my two little ones do not like to eat their vegetables and this just will not do. I found this wonderful book called Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. In it, she shares her solution to this same quandary with her own children. She purees veggies, freezes them, and then adds them to kid friendly dishes like mac n cheese, chicken nuggets, pizza, brownies, cookies etc. It's been hit and miss for us, (Caleb puked the first recipe I prepared) but very satisfying when it does work. Last night we had lasagne with cauliflower and sweet potato. In this photo Caleb and Lauren are enjoying their Kraft Mac N Cheese (with butternut squash). Eat up kiddos!

There's a link on her website for recipes from her book if you're interested. http://www.deceptivelydelicious.com/site/

Our Easter

2008-04-01T23:50:00.000-06:00

We had a nice Easter. It was strange to have it within the same week as St. Patty's Day. We started on the Saturday before with breakfast and an egg hunt at the church. Sunday morning, the Easter Bunny hid a few eggs around the living room for Caleb and Lauren to find before we went to church at 9:00. They had to find them quickly because Joe was asked to give the opening prayer. That's one way to get to church on time. We were a bit rushed, but snapped a few photos of our Sunday best. Lauren looked so pretty in her pink dress. Before Easter when the topic of her dress came up, Caleb piped up and said he wanted to buy something to wear for Easter too. I asked him what he had in mind and he said (seriously) that he would like some pants and a tie that had Easter Eggs on them. He settled for a nice blue zipper tie. After church and naps we went over to Joe's parents' and colored eggs, had another egg hunt, and ate a yummy dinner. What a great day to remember and celebrate the resurrection of our Savior.

Campbell Look-alike Meter

2008-03-28T00:48:00.001-06:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Family tree outline - Geneology

Campbell Look-alike Meter

2008-03-28T00:34:00.001-06:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Free genealogy search - Blank family tree

2008-03-27T23:41:00.000-06:00

So Joe and I made a goal to become more healthy this year, and we are actually doing very well. I got a late start so Joe is totally kicking my butt. I am so proud of him. He has been very diligent in working out daily and avoiding bad foods. For one of his workouts he needed a pull up bar. We didn't want it to become part of our decor so he put it up on the doorway between our bathroom and our closet. The kids get a kick out of it and are always wanting Joe to help them do a pull up. Joe is up to 3 now Woo Hoo!

Hello Blogger Nation

2008-03-20T00:03:00.000-06:00

So I finally decided to try this blogging thing. Testing...testing....is this thing working? Thanks for checking out the blog. I'll do my best at keeping it up.