Checkers anyone?

Aaron got tickets to the hockey game on Saturday night, so after cleaning the carpets all day, we packed up and headed out. I'll be the first to admit that I am not a hockey fan but I had such a good time and I think everyone else did too. We don't go too many places where the kids can be as loud as they want and yell and jump around and no one is bothered. By the end, the game was tied, and I was actually watching the game and cheering for our team. It ended in a shootout and unfortunately we lost. Let's do it again. Wyatt even enjoyed the excitement of it all.

Now you see it.

Do my eyes decieve me or is that a HUGE puddle of paint on the carpet???? I had to do a quadruple take before my mind could register what it did not want to believe. Well, after coming to terms with the fact that what I was seeing was real, I calmly called for my sweet, lovely daughters, to ask them what might possibly have happened. Not really!

Back story. When I found out I was pregnant, I decided we would need to move the girls to the play room and put the baby in their room. So for 9 months, plus almost 8 months now I have intended to paint that room and move them. Well, about a month ago I had the opportunity and energy all at the same time to start the project. Well, a few weeks later, I still haven't finished the job, but I made it very clear to the young girls to stay out of that room until I was finished. I would go in every few days to admire my work and plan how and when I would finish. Fast forward to Thursday. I walked into the room and this is what I saw.

After my calm chat with the girls, I learned that Lauren had made a tower with the paint cans to reach some toys that were piled on the futon. Obviously the paint cans tipped over and I am unsure whether she got what she was looking for, but the paint had seeped out onto the carpet and has sat there for at least a day. I'm not sure.

"Lauren, you need to call daddy and tell him what has happened." He took it very well. Really! Much better than I did. He asked me if I was going to clean it up. I guess. I don't really know where to begin. It's already partially dried.

Well, Aaron looked up how to remove spilled paint from carpet on the internet and found some good advice but mostly it said if you happen to spill a whole can of paint and it has already started to dry, well, then your SOL. Hmmmm. Some one lucky? Sort of lucky? Silly old Lauren? I know what it means. All the while I am thinking what kind of decorative feature can I make out this paint stain in the carpet.

Turns out, we got it out. If you ever need to know how, just let us know. I'll show you the "Now you don't" pics when I finish the room. We are lucky it was the white trim paint that spilled and not the shades of purple that i painted the walls.

1000 Hits

Look at that. 1000 hits. I've been watching it. I thought someone else would make the 1000th hit, but I did it. That's alright. I couldn't have done it without all of you who visit. Thanks for coming. I hope you like it. Leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you.

Our new favorite playplace

We have come here the past 2 weekends and we brought grandma here on Friday to see our new favorite indoor playplace. It is at the new latin mall and it costs $1. You can't beat that. It's awesome!

The Many Faces of Missy Lauren

Lauren got some money sent to her for her birthday so I took her to The Disney Store to buy whatever she wanted with "her" money. I love to shop with Lauren because she will walk into a store, pick out what she wants, and then she's done. Let's pay for it and go. I am not like that, so I tell her, "Okay, that's nice. Are you sure that's what you want? Let's look around some more and see what else there is." So then I make her look around and see everything else there is in the store, but inevitable we end up back at the thing she spotted first. It is a beautiful dress and she couldn't wait to get home and put it on. Thanks grandma and aunt pat for the birthday money and to everyone else for her great presents!

Roadtrip!!! February 15-16, 2008

Isn't it beautiful!

Some of you may know that we have a new (well, different and bigger, not new) vehicle where all 7 of us can comfortably sit. Before there was a lot of complaining of people touching other people. Anyway, we decided to take a road trip last weekend to test out the ride, so we headed to the mountains to go tubing. We left Friday night and drove up and stayed in a 'suite' at the Best Western. ooooooeeeeee!!! It even had a heart shaped jacuzzi tub in the room. We took turns jacuzziing. Next time we'll leave the kids at home. Caution: Unclothed girls ahead.




The next morning we got up bright and early, got all ready and headed to our tubing destination. As we were driving into the ski resort we heard that the tubing sessions were sold out until 5:00 p.m. What??? What are we going to do now? Well, let's hurry and get tickets, first of all. As I was standing in line to buy the tickets, the sold out sign was updated to include 5:00 p.m. Okay, one last session. I bought the tickets for the 7:00 session. Now there's no turning back. We already spent the money. We will go tubing at 7:00 p.m. What are we going to do until then? Well, we had just eaten, which is our families all time favorite activity, but we can't do that again for awhile. In the meantime, from the back seats, "What are we doing?", "Where are we going?". Fights and fussing ensue. Oh, what have we done? Let's drive around and see what we can find. Still, from the back seat, "Where are we going?", "What are we doing?". Grrrrrrr. Stop asking, obviously, we don't know, yet.

So, we drive around for awhile and hit the local Walmart to buy some more snow gear since we came unprepared for the winter activity. We always have to go to the local Walmart. Then, we drive around some more, with 5 kids in the car asking, "Where are we going?", "What are we going to do now?". Shhhhh!!! Look at the scenery!

At first we decided to check out the miracle museum, or something like that. Looked like a tourist trap so we nixed that idea. Finally, we started following signs to Grandfather mountain. Oh, that will be fun. As we started driving up the mountain, the curvy mountain road, Aaron's fear of heights was becoming quite apparent. Oh this is cool! It's so beautiful! What? We have to pay to go to the top? (Aaron said that.) Well, we're here and we have nothing else to do. Let's do it. So we pay and up we go. We have the pamphlet of all the things we can do inside the park, like, check out the nature museum, see the hibernating bear, cross the mile high swinging bridge, and eat. We were all starving by now and that was first on the list. Let's go to the top and work our way down.

Well, we made it to the top. Aaron was feeling a bit jittery after driving up the mountain so we all went into the gift shop to grab a snack and use the restroom before we started our short climb to the bridge. Before we got out of the car we made it clear that everyone was to stay close and the girls were to hold someone's hand at all times. We didn't want anyone to fall off the side of the mountain. Alright. Ready. Set. Go. "Everyone, stay close!" We head up the steps. As we approach the bridge, "Okay, wait a minute," Aaron says "I don't think I can do it." Of course, Alex and Wesley are halfway across the bridge, at this point, and have stopped to hang over the side. Okay, you stay here with the girls and the baby, I'll go get them. Now, I become the wicked stepmother. "What are you doing? Get off the bridge! Come back here right now! Didn't we tell you to stay with us?" Alright, we're all together again and no one has crossed the bridge. Well, no one in a weakened state should carry a baby across the mile high swinging bridge, so Aaron stays with the baby and Alex and Wesley, who are now in trouble, and I cross the bridge with the girls. Someone had to cross it. We took some pictures on the other side and headed back. We did it. Now let's go eat. .



We head back down the mountain to the nature museum and restaurant. All in all a fun time. Aaron had time to recuperate so he could go make it the rest of the way down the winding mountain and then we headed to the ski lodge for some tubing. Tubing was fun and uneventful. Lauren only made it through half the session before she came to sit with mommy and Wyatt in the lodge where we chatted and watched the skiers. Here are some more pics. It was too dark and cold for me to get any good pictures of them tubing

Which Disney Princess Are You?

You Are Pocahantas!

Free-spirited and wise. You have a strong passionate spirit that touches and changes all who know you. The wisdom and common sense that you have is really what guides you through life. Even so, you also have a very playful side that loves adventure and excitement.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

I'm a blog thief

Don't be surprised if you see something from your blog on mine. If I like it, I steal it. I love this quote from President Hinkley. I stole it from Sarah's blog and I've seen it on Nanny's fridge. Now it is in my kitchen and on my blog. Sometimes I need to remember that it really isn't as bad as I sometimes think it is. I've got it pretty good and I am truly blessed. Thank you President Hinkley for such wisdom.

"It isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don’t worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers." -Gordon B. Hinckley (from the funeral of wife Marjorie)

Happy Birthday Aunt Pat!

Happy Birthday to you! We hope you had a great dayand feel better quick. Here are the girls with Aunt Pat headed to beach, one of there favorite places to go. Sometimes, just out of the blue, they ask if we can go to Aunt Pat's beach today. We'll be there soon.

Not a "True Princess"

This happened a while ago, but I remembered it today and thought i would blog it for memory sake. I can't remember what I did yesterday, so if i don't write it down now it will be gone forever.

Lauren is my little princess. She would wear princess dresses all day, every day if she could. When we go out she hates to put on real clothes and when we get home, the real clothes are stripped off, thrown on the floor, and the princess dress is back on. Well, one morning I told her to get dressed because we were going somewhere. She said, "No, I want to be a princess." So I told her that Cinderella was a true princess even when she was in her raggedy clothes, cleaning the house, so she could be a princess in her regular clothes. I even went on to tell her, thinking I had found a good teaching moment, that a true princess is always kind and never throws fits when things don't go her way (unlike our little princess). She quickly decided that she did not want to be a "true princess". She just wants to be a regular princess who throws fits when necessary and dresses up like a princess always. She may not be a "true princess" but she is our princess.

Wyatt is 7 months old!

7 months and spoiled rotten. I love this baby. He's a sweetie and so handsome!

Four short years and look at her now.

I wanted to add a few more pictures to Lauren's birthday post because I plan on printing out my blog into a book for an instant journal/scrapbook. She has only been with us for 4 years, but what a difference she makes in our family. What a lovely girl!

Happy Birthday Princess Lauren!!!

Lauren is 4 years old and growing up so fast (way too fast). What a sweet girl! She is beautiful and funny. She loves to dance and sing. She loves to make people laugh. She is very independent and strong-willed. She is kind, loving and compassionate. Lauren, we love you so much and hope you had a very happy birthday.