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!!!

Journals

Yes, that is our family's journal basket. We keep everyone's journal in here and then on Sunday afternoon get the basket down and everyone writes about special events that happened in their week. It's so much more fun now that the girls can write well. Sometimes we share what we have written and talk about things that have happened during the week.
Well, as I was writing in mine yesterday, I skimmed through the pages and thought how boring this is going to seem to my posterity. They will all be asking why Grandma Shauna did the boring journal and didn't have a blog with pictures and video clips. Plus, it makes it so much more fun to share with family and friends! Now don't get me wrong a journal is perfect for sorting out thoughts and feelings, but a blog sure can bring your life TO LIFE. SOOOO here I go again, I won't run from it! I am excited to share things that we have done and are doing!

Running

OK, this is what I looked like 4 months ago. Let's just say "rather BIG!!!". So it's time to Runnnnnnnnnnnnn. I figure if my sister, Alesha can run a 24 hour relay I can at least run for 5 minutes. Anyway, I've been working on it and will give you monthly photo updates. I've got my jams, and Shadow that keep me going. I have lost 30 pounds since Jerrica, just need to lose a little more. I will say little when I really mean a lot, but saying "little" doesn't make is sound so bad!!!!

Break Activities

We were able to do a lot of fun things during the break. We went to Mr. Magorium's Wonderful Emporium. It was such a fun movie with such a deep meaning. After the movie Rebecca said "Mom I believe in myself! I just know that I can do anything!" I thought that was so cute of her. Anyway, other activities included swimming, roller skating, playing games, playing the Wii, and making too many goodies that were ALL eaten!!!!

Christmas

I know this a little after the fact, but had to journal our Christmas.

We had a fun party the night before with friends and family. We played our chimes, ate doughnuts on a string, acted out the nativity and then opened our new PJ's. They are such fun traditions that we try and do every year. The kids remind us of any that may be forgotten.

The kids were so excited! I think I was as excited as they were. The boys got a Wii, the girls little Hello Kitty digital cameras, Ashley got a bouncy horse that is huge, and Jerrica got a fun floor toy.


10 minutes before our Christmas dinner was to come out of the oven, Stephen announced that he couldn't take it anymore and had to go to the ER. He had a kidney stone, and from the looks of things, he was in pain!!!! He was shivering and throwing up on the way. Thanks to Kim, she came over and saved the dinner and played with the kids.

I saw the neatest quote at a friend's house this season. I have to write it down before I forget it. I hope I have it right.

There were two groups that night in Bethlehem
The "INN" crowd and the few at the stable
Which group are YOU in?

Breath of Heaven

Christmas Lights

Tonight we drove around looking at the holiday lights. The Gazette had listed the top houses with the most lights. Stephen was glad that we were not on the list. He isn't much of a holiday light putter upper. Plus, that would mean our utility bill would be even more, another negative aspect according to Stephen. Anyway, it was fun we sang Christmas carols as we drove around. Ashley was chanting "Ho, Ho, Ho" the entire time. We were lost at one point and I called Kim for directions. She had just made Bunco Bars and told us to come and get some for our FHE treat. As always they were divine!!!

Cool Christmas Carol

The Movie

Friday I took the kids to see Enchanted. It was really a cute movie. I knew the girls loved it because as soon as we got home they ran up to their rooms and put on their princess dresses. Thanks again Aunt Kristy for making those, they love them. Then they danced and pretended all afternoon. Anyway, go see the movie, it was cute!!!

Up and Blogging with no where to go

Just testing this out to make sure it works on a Saturday night with most of the mix of six in bed asleep.

Here you go Shaunita have fun blogging!!!