How we spent "Black Friday"

So, this year I opted not to do the whole shopping thing. I went last year and it was pretty fun...I just didn't feel like it this year. I am sure that it was fabulous for those who did go. Well, very last minute I was able to go riding with my husband over in Shelton. I haven't been in a really, really long time. But, it's just like riding a bike...

It seems like it takes forever to get everything going...
Doug doesn't mind changing in front of everyone. He says..."We're all dudes!"




Doug and his brother Rob

On the way there we had to stop at WalMart to get a new battery for my quad. Once they figured it all out...it ran great!

Jeff and (daughter) Heather Layton...Doug's cousins

Rich and Wes

Ben McBride and his dad

ME!!

We ended up having to stop several times for different things. Waiting for people to catch up (ME!), Rob had to air up his tire like every 20 minutes, someone getting hurt (But not too bad)...you know, the normal riding stuff.

Taking a break and waiting for Rob! Dang tire!

Heather, super cutie and only 13 years old, was a pro on her 200. And since her and I were the only girls there...we had to show our toughness!!

I know...we are dorks!

There were some pretty steep hill climbs. You can't really tell by the picture. Next time, Doug wants me to try and get more action shots!!

When we finally found our way back...which took a really long time, Wes pointed out this sign. OOPS!!

We had a blast!! I was wet, cold, and muddy! I loved riding through the big mud puddles!

I am sore and very tired this morning! But it was a great "Black Friday"!!

Thanks to my mother-in-law, Eileen for watching the kids!

Turkey for me...turkey for you!!!

I can't believe that Thanksgiving has come and gone. It was a pretty low key day. We fixed our portion of the meal and headed to the church building. We decided to have it there because there were just so many of us. (36 to be exact). There was so much food...I got full way too fast!

Hello, everyone!

Me and Doug just hangin' out letting our food settle.

After we all ate, the kids watched a movie.

It was pretty nice having it at the church. They had a ton of room to play!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Rock-Solid Volleyball Players!!

Well, even though we didn't get to go to Payton's wrestling tournament Saturday on account of him vomiting throughout the night, he was feeling better by evening time. One of Doug's sales reps, Robert, invited us to go play V-Ball. He is actually in the Adna ward, so we knew a few other people there. We had a really good time. Although I did come home with a few sore spots. For some unknown reason, I attempted to block a spike from Richard Tripp...who is like 7 feet tall!! What was I thinking? Anyway, the ball got me right in the eye. He did feel terrible and I got to tease him about it all night.

Doug in his silly gear. He was going to get those reallly short men's gym shorts...but we couldn't find any. So, we settled for tube socks and wrist/head bands.

(Heidi, Me, Tressa and Stacie)

~~~~Twilight, baby!!!~~~~

Well, it finally arrived. After all the anticipation and talk, it finally arrived. I don't think that I have been so involved in a movie premiere before. I have been excited to see certain movies, but I got a T-SHIRT for this one!!!

I really liked the movie!!! I will admit that there were some parts that I wasn't too sure of, but I was really happy with how they stayed with the book so well. Of course it wasn't as good as the book, but what book-turned-movie is? I definitely appreciated it for what it was! The experience of being so in love with the books and then seeing Twilight on the big screen was pretty cool!!! I will probably go see it again. Can I just say that the fight scene ROCKED!!! Holy cow!!!

Loved it!!!

It did make me want to read the books all over again! Yeah, my husband will be thrilled!

(this was at practice the other night)

Payton, the Wrestler!

Well, much to my dismay, Payton joined wrestling last Monday. I was very hesitant at first and wasn't sure how he would do. He is tall and very scrawny, and dare I say, not that tough. (I can say that, I'm his mother). Anyway, he has totally proved me wrong. He absolutely loves it! He can't wait to go to practice and he had his first tournament last Saturday. Doug and I had already planned to go to the temple, so our friends, The Haight's took him along with them and their son. He did great. It was just a take down tourni, so you just do take down after take down to earn points instead of "pinning." He won 2 of his 4 matches!! Don't tell him I said this, but his very first match was against a girl and she SMOKED him!! He didn't like that at all!! What boy would? Anyway, I was watching him at practice the other day, and I was so proud. He gets matched up with boys that are about 15 -20 pounds heavier than him, but he can hold his own for a little while. I saw him do some pretty cool moves...he is picking up on it so fast. So, this Saturday, I will be prepared with my camera and video camera and I will probably be one of the "crazy moms" screaming from the bleachers. It will be great!!

"Return of the Jetta"

FINALLY, our car is fixed. I picked it up yesterday, and I have to admit that I missed it. Doug gets to drive it all the time, but I consider it "my car" just cause it fits me so dang well!! When Doug got home last night, he said that he almost got emotional when he pulled in and saw it sitting in the driveway!! Welcome back Jetta, may the force be with you!!!

I hate bath night! It is just not any fun for me at all!! Well, tonight was NO exception. Isabelle was at my feet, crying, the entire time I was trying to bathe Jilli and Savannah. Just like she had been the whole day, and while I was trying to make dinner. Anyway, I pulled Jillian out of the bath, wrapped her towel around her and was having her move out of the way when she ran into Isabelle, knocking her head into the corner of the cabinet. Of course, she started crying even louder. I picked her up to calm her down and love on her. Jillian had moved further away when all of the sudden, she slipped and fell flat on her face onto the cold tile flooring. Her hands were tucked into the towel, so they were not out to catch herself, or push herself back up. So, she starts screaming. I put Isabelle down, who then starts screaming even louder because how dare I leave her to check on her sister. I picked Jilli up and there was blood everywhere. She had bitten her tongue. It was not a little bite either. So, I tried to keep up with the blood that was spewing out of her tongue while attempting to soothe a very very unhappy Isabelle. (Which was not working!) Once Jillian calmed down a little, I stepped away to do something...can't remember what now...and, of course, because of the way that the planets are aligned tonight or something, Isabelle slipped and fell into something that was all over the floor. I picked her up...again, and she was soaked. I looked down and noticed a huge puddle of wetness. I asked, "What is all over the floor?" Jillian said, very matter-of-factly, "I peed!" OH, what a great bath night it was.
Needless to say, I am never bathing my children again!!
Man, was I glad to get all the kids in bed!

To those of you who don't do TWILIGHT...let me explain. The TWILIGHT movie comes out on Friday and I just wanted to show my enthusiasm. The "bite me" things that keep flashing across the screen...well that's a vampire thing.

I just added a few songs to my playlist...from the TWILIGHT soundtract. I am just a little excited!

Want some corn dog with that ketchup?

Well, I think that Jillian prefers ketchup over mustard. Clearly there is more of it on her plate. Or maybe, the ketchup just comes out faster. Which ever reason, she is going to have fun trying to get all this back into the bottles!!!

Lesson learned: Never leave the ketchup and mustard bottles...well anything really...on the table within the reach of a 2 year old and then turn your back for 2 minutes.

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY!

Thank you to all those who have served this amazing country!

To my Grandad...the proud Marine.

The GIANT Chicken

Maybe the fact that I am blogging about a chicken shows just how desperate I am to have something to blog about. Nothing really has been going on this past week...so I am writing about a very large, stuffed chicken.

Last night we headed over to the Lambert's house to wish sweet Jill a happy birthday. We visited for a while...checked out a few blog pages...(wink wink) and the kids played with all the different things they have around their house. Now, many of you know of this particular chicken. It has been displayed in the Lambert's home for several years now, after they won it at a fair or something. Well, apparently they are sick of it! They have tried to pawn it off on a few different people but it hasn't worked...until now. They asked me if we wanted it and I was like, "What are we going to do with that thing?" Then, they approached the kids with it. At first Jillian just wanted the "baby" chicken, because yes, they had a baby one. Then her and Savannah decided that the big chicken was cool. I can't believe that we came home with it!

The kids have not stopped playing with it since. It is their new favorite playmate. They have dragged it all over the house, wrestled with it, layed on it, fought over it, last night Jillian insisted on sleeping with it, and Savannah is sleeping with it today during nap time. It does make for a pretty interesting shape underneath their covers.

So, thanks Lambert's for giving us your chicken! I don't know how long it will survive my children, but I do know it will be loved!!

It's better than the alternative!

This was the view outside our front door just moments ago. It was actually a full rainbow, but I couldn't fit it all in the pic. I thought this one was fantastic though. I took a deep breath and enjoyed it for a few minutes. What a beautiful thing to witness, what a beautiful place to live, what a beautiful creation the Lord has given us. There truly is so much to be thankful for!