Thanksgiving

Just wanted to add a few Thanksgiving pictures, thanks to Tanya. We ended up eating at Kristy's house and all of the food was divine. Mom and Dad, Kristy's family, Tanya and Joe, and then us Thompson's enjoyed the feast. Keith and Sandy came later. Shelby and Kaylee went around with the list of everything that everyone was thankful for. It was interesting how EVERYONE put family in some way or another. Family sure makes this life and the next life worth living. I sure do love each of my children and my dear husband, who is always so good to me!

Of course the next day was Black Friday, which always means to Stephen Red Friday after Shauna is done with the Christmas shopping. We sure had fun hitting all of the early bargains. There is always such a mass of people even with the ice and snow fall this year.

A Week of Friend Fun

This week was neighborhood BUNCO. You basically roll dice and visit all night. One of my favorite friends from the neighborhood hosted and did a Mexican theme. I got a delicious Mexican casserole recipe, which is another advantage of BUNCO - the recipes!!!

The next friend time actually happens every week on Monday and Friday mornings. I LOVE to play basketball and have enjoyed playing with a group of women at the YMCA for the past several years. I think I started playing with them after I had Rebecca so it has probably been five years now. Each of the ladies that play have such unique personalities. Some are hilarious and I laugh at their jokes all day long. Others are so very sweet and caring. Some are just fun to compete against. My sister, Kristy has started playing with us which I have really enjoyed. Anyway, I always look forward to every Monday and Friday morning!!!

Yes I went to "Twilight" the opening weekend. Why? Well to be with friends of course!!! I read the first book about a year ago and when I got to the vampire part I couldn't believe I was reading about vampires. Anyway, I didn't devour the rest of her series. I actually didn't really care for her style of writing. However, I wouldn't ever pass up a chance to go with a bunch of friends to a movie. Thanks for aranging it Angie!!! The movie was actually better than I thought it would be. It was fun to hear all of the teenagers screaming in the background.

Stephen and I also took our four oldest to BYU's fairy tales and fantasy ballet. I really enjoyed Swan Lake with Odette and Prince Siegfried. Gieselle was cute as well. Rebecca kept me grinning the entire night with her comments. "Oh mom they are soo in love" "Her dress is sooo pretty with the flowers" "They are the best dancers in the world" "Oh mom someday I want to dance with my prince and have everyone watching us" Rebecca is our romantic!!!

We also did a friend craft project for Christmas. I should have taken a picture but didn't. It's always more fun to do a project with friends than by yourself.

I LOVE friends!!! I love how they lift and help me in so many ways. I love every friend for a different reason, and am so glad that I have each and every friend that I do!!!!

Janie and Andrew's Wedding in ARIZONA

I still can't believe little Janie is married!!! She looked so beautiful and was so happy. She married Andrew Compton in the Mesa, Arizon temple. Everyone was able to come down for the wedding. Lael was very gracious to let our family, Jon and Janna and their girls, AND Erin stay at her house. She was an excellent hostess to us. When we first arrived we went to a park so the kids could play. Then we went back to Lael's to swim. Janie took her endowments out that night. Afterwards, all of the women went to Claim Jumper. The wedding was the next morning. Her colors were fall colors. All of the little girls wore the Gymboree brown Christmas dress and my boys were in brown cords. Thanks to Racquel for getting all of that coordinated. We had a ball just visiting and playing together. It's always fun to see everyone.

The trip to Mesa from Colorado Springs takes 12 hours. Yes, that is 12 hours!!! I made a map across the ceiling of our van with pictures and velcro so that the kids could keep track of where we were and how much further we need to go. The kids loved moving the van across the van. I tried to alternate between movies and activities. I found a lot of great ideas at http://www.momsminivan.com/, and Red Box kept our movies going!!!

We had a big Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday. Don made his famous rolls and Brenda baked her pies. We ate at Paul and Racquel's. It was so weird to eat outside for Thanksgiving, thanks to the weather!!

Swimming was a must each day that we were there. The temperature was in the 80's. Of course there were races like walking on hands the length of the pool, swimming across with a kid on your back and the ever fun chicken fighting with a kid on the back once again!!!

The Election

Kristy had a big election party on Tuesday. She had ballots that the kids had to vote on. She added Grandpa Coley as an independent along with Obama and McCain. Needless to say, Grandpa won. Kristy also had blank US maps that the kids would fill in red or blue as the states were won. She had her house all decked out in red/white/blue. Stephen enjoyed the party trays and politics.

Other big events this week were a surprise birthday party for Kristy at Red Robin. She turned 30. We had the Spillane's and friends from basketball there. That same night I had our YW Evening in Excellence. We did an Olympic theme and had Bishop Roy come and speak. Brother Christensen acted like Bob Costas and interviewed the girls that have gotten their medalion this year. We had bouquets of flowers and big medals for them. I closed with my talk on how you spend hours practicing shooting, serving or whatever it may be so that come game time your shot will be natural, nothing awkward and you will be able to make it. It is the same with Personal Progress we spend hours reading our scriptures and doing projects so that when trials come it is only natural and easy for us to turn to our scriptures and fasting. Anyway, it's over and was a very nice evening.

And last but not least we are busy this week running to the basketball practices, games and friend playdates. I have really enjoyed watching the kids play their games this year. They are getting older and better. It's alo fun to hear them on the piano. They are really coming along and are enjoyable to listen to!!!

Halloween

What a perfect Halloween!!! I think this is the first year that the weather cooperated and we didn't have to bundle up. The boys were vampires, Jerrica a pea, Ashley was Cinderella, Rebecca was Snow White and Kaylee a wicked witch. I think we have a 5 year supply of candy after the Trick or Treating. On Halloween we went over to the Mumma's house for a pizza party and then the dad's set out on the Trick or Treating as the mom's handed out candy and visited.

Pumpkin carving was a little out of control. We did it for Family Home Evening with Kristy's family. SOOO it was 10 kids and 10 pumpkins to carve. Jacob was so sweet helping Ashley. She was THRILLED to have her older brother helping her so much.

Halloween is always so fun to decorate and celebrate. I added a couple of decoration pictures just to remember years from now how I would decorate. We love our huge web and spiders outside. I loved my new metal witch's hat with a cute picture of MY little witch by it. Then I cut out a fun witch sillohuette. I remember my dad cutting out decorations when I was little. He was always so artistic. Anyway, decorating gets the fam into the holiday mood. I love when people get into holidays. The ultimate conditioning teacher even played Halloween, spooky music for the ENTIRE class this week. It's fun that holidays mix up the mundane schedules a little.

Soccer Season

Soccer season is now over, or shall I say until January. It seems that soccer is almost a year round sport. I do love watching the kids progress, visiting with the other parents, soaking in the sun (not the freezing, windy, icy games!!!) and the many lessons that the kids learn from playing on a team. They work hard!!!

Rebecca was her team's leading scorer. Her team was undeafeted all season long. However, after one particular cold game she tells us, "Mom, I don't want to play soccer anymore. I just want to dance on a stage where it's ALWAYS warm." That is so Rebecca.

Kaylee is an incredible hustler. She is very quick. Her team played up a division this year. So they played against nine year olds. As seen in the above picture she always looked sooo little out there. She's even the shortest on her own team. The size didn't bother her at all she really would take it to the bigger girls.

Nathan is still Mr. Foot Work. He can do incredible ball handling and tricks against the defense. He gets sooo intense when he plays. He played center mid this year and did really well. The only thing with Nathan, is that I HATE traveling to the far away games. You would think that we would have more than enough competition right here in the Springs.

At any rate, we are on to the next sport this week. We actually started last week. And may I add it is the greatest of all sports ... BASKETBALL!!!!!!

My Body

No matter where I go I love to take one or more of the kids. I think it is mainly for the company and so I'm not alone. However, I love for people to know that I have had MANY kids and thus the reason my body looks like it does. Anyway, I thought this cartoon was fun. I think I need a shirt with all my kids names on it and arrows pointing around my gut. I would probably put arrows pointing to my boobs too, showing the effects of breastfeeding. The cartoon actually kind of looks like me with the red hair and headband!

Fall Break

What a fun and busy fall break!!! Nathan had just finished reading "The City of Ember". So Stephen and I took the boys to the new movie that just came out. This was Nathan's first movie that he had read the book before hand. I really enjoyed the book. The movie was pretty good, it actually followed the book pretty well.

Other fun events were ice skating at Sertick Ice Arena, basketball at the YMCA. a sewing class for the girls at Joann's, Halloween party, the boys also went to "Journey to the Center of the Earth"with their dad, hiking Mt. Cutler with the Webbs, then a beautiful horseback ride in Blackforest with Aunt Tanya.

I have to go back to the Halloween party for a minute. Each of the girls invited six friends. The boys set up a haunted tunnel in the basement. We did crafts and then I searched the internet for fun Halloween treats for lunch. We ate a watermelon brain, bone breadsticks, apple and almond sliver mouths, spider cupcakes, and mummy pizzas. We played pumpkin bowling and toilet paper mummy wrapping relays. The girls had a ball with the friends, and the boys loved scaring them.

Conference

So I have the conference packets made, the treats, games, bribes, you name it, and did I hear conference??? Not really!!!! I loved some of the quotes and stories, but to be honest it felt like sacrament meeting, trying to keep kids quiet and listening. I feel like when the kids are grown and I'm finally able to listen, I will probably be deaf!

I loved the quote from Sister Dalton, "It doesn't matter if you are willing to win, if you are not willing to prepare." That preparation gets me every time!

I did enjoy the talk from the Women's Conference by President Deiter Uchtdorf.


He said, "The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.
Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty.
Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty...
Isn’t it remarkable to think that your very spirits are fashioned by an endlessly creative and eternally compassionate God? Think about it—your spirit body is a masterpiece, created with a beauty, function, and capacity beyond imagination.
If you are a mother, you participate with God in His work of creation—not only by providing physical bodies for your children but also by teaching and nurturing them. If you are not a mother now, the creative talents you develop will prepare you for that day, in this life or the next."

This just made me feel valued for allllll of my constant projects that I am "creating". It is just such a constant battle trying to find time to do everything and making sure that I am spending time on the "Best Part" I have always loved the quote by Theodore Roosevelt "You give your life to that which you give your time". How true!!!

On a side note, all of the four older kids learned ALL the names of the apostles!!! YEAH!!!!!!

Jerrica Joy

Jerrica Joy is ONE!!! I can't believe a year has flown by. Our sweet baby has been walking now for a month now. She has such a sweet disposition. I love having the nursery right next to our bedroom because each morning when Jerrica wakes up she just starts babbling away. I so enjoy waking up to her sweet babbling. She is constantly being bugged and pushed by Ashley, but just gets up with a smile and keeps playing. Her smile melts the entire family. She truely is a JOY to our family.

And yes I made another famous Shauna cake! The girls and I had fun finding one to do out of the idea book, and then making it.

Gardens

I LOVE to garden!!! I love to dig in the dirt, watch it grow, water eat, and just plain enjoy my gardens, whether they are my vegetable or flower gardens. I love watching anything grow, as long as it's not ME!!!

Stephen made four raised beds for me. We filled them with beautiful soil and compost. This year we had an incredible year with our peas, cucumbers, tomatoes, tomatillos, squash, zuchini, and strawberries. However, our apple blossoms froze and we didn't get a single apple. And for some reason our corn and carrots never came up that well. All in all we had a wonderful year with our veggies.

One night I harvested 6 cucumbers and had Jacob run three over to our Korean neighbors. She told Jacob that it was her husband's birthday and that she was getting ready to run to the store for cucumbers to make Kimchi. How fun to have extra to share.

I also had beautiful flowers this year. We sent a huge dahlia to each of the teachers at school. Those are the flowers that Ashley is next too. You can see next to her face how big they really are!!! Then I took my visiting teachers gladiolias, those are the ones next to the scarecrow. Anyway, it was just a fun year to grow!!!