Fall Orchestra Concert

Last night Ron and I had the pleasure of going to Matt's Fall Orchestra Concert at the high school. Tanner being the momma's boy that he is tagged along with us while Juju and Olivia stayed with my mom. Ron and I weren't sure what to expect, but were completely surprised at how good the students played! It was so awesome to see Matt dressed up in his tuxedo...he looked so handsome! Matt plays the viola and did a great job! We could definitely tell he was concentrating hard on his music and playing well. Of course it just wouldn't be complete without some candid pictures!

Mowing the lawn...

Recently Matt has been especially difficult to wake up in the morning. Ron has been getting pretty frustrated and has forgotten how much he once loved his sleep as a teenager. But as a sleep deprived parent, I understand why Ron is frustrated. When Matt got home from school and finished his homework I talked with him about the morning routine and said it would be really nice if he did something for his Dad to show that he's making an effort to do better. So Matt and I came to the agreement that he would mow the lawn. I'm so proud of him for being willing to help around the house. Ron was thrilled when he got home from work and saw the fresh cut grass. When he walked in the door he looked at Matt and said "whoa, I think someone came by and stole our grass!" Then gave Matt a big hug and thanked him for mowing the lawn. Here are some pictures of Matt's hard work...

Friends, Frosting & Fun...

Tonight Ron was going on a "man-date" with our friends Shane and Scott. They were taking their sons to a Spokane Chiefs hockey game. Nanci's son Kyran went also. Since the guys were going to be away for awhile, the ladies decided to get together and let the kids have some fun. Nanci and Heather came over for a night of cookie decorating and chaos! We had a great time and the kids especially loved making their own cookies. Sweet Jaynee was a cooking decorating fool!! She whooped all of us!! It was a lot of fun.

The girls....getting their decorating on!


Tanner...bless his heart, he was the only boy in the house...


Working hard on those cookies!


Just a few of the "masterpieces".



And of course a game of Hi-Ho Cherry-O!



Thanks for a great night girls! It was a lot of fun and a nice break from the men!! :)

Carver Farms

Today Nanci and I took our kids out to Carver Farms in Newman Lake. Ron and Matt wanted to stay home. I guess they were afraid that a little bit of rain might make them melt. :) Ron actually volunteered to stay home with Olivia since it was pretty cold and rainy. We had a great time, rain and all. The kids picked out some pumpkins and ran through a pretty pathetic corn maze. It was basically just rows of corn. LOL! It was a blast and we're glad Nanci and her kids were there too!!

The whole gang...


They didn't have hayrides today due to the rain, but we gave the kids their own hayride in "big blue"!


All the little rugrats...


Julia...


Tanner...


Me and the kids...


Juju & Karli...this pic is SO ADORABLE of them!!

Business in the front....Party in the back

MUL-LET: (mŭl'ĭt)
A hairstyle that is formed by cutting the hair short on the the top and sides and allowing it to grow longer in back.


Bless her heart...my baby girl has a mullet. Here she is watching her favorite cartoon Wow Wow Wubbzy. I don't have the heart to give her a haircut yet, so here's to hoping that the front catches up with the back....soon. :)

"Bella Notte"

The other day we came across Lady and the Tramp on tv. I have always loved this movie, so I sat down with the kids to watch a little bit of it. The next day I was making lunch and Julia begged me for top ramen. I'm not a fan of the ramen myself, but we keep some in stock for Matt. He loves to eat it as a snack. Anyway, I made the noodles for Julia. It ended up being a bad idea after the movie they had just watched the day before. I walked into the living room to see this...

Immediately the song Bella Notte popped into my head...
Oh this is the night, it's a beautiful night
And we call it bella notte
Look at the skies, they have stars in their eyes
On this lovely bella notte.
Side by side with your loved one,
You'll find enchantment here.
The night will weave its magic spell,
When the one you love is near!
Oh this is the night, and the heavens are right!
On this lovely bella notte!

So here's to my little Lady and the Tramp. Thank you for a wonderful picture to use as blackmail someday. :)

Mirabeau Park

After church today the kids were a little restless, so Ron and I decided to take them to Mirabeau Park to walk around. There is a waterfall and lots of paved pathways through the trees. It was absolutely gorgeous there today. Nothing too exciting, just a nice peaceful walk through the park. It was fabulous.

The only family pic we got out there...a nice lady offered to take it for us


Dad and the kids...


Matt...isn't he handsome?


Sweet Little Julia...


Tanner made it to the top...YEAH!


Daddy's Little Princess Olivia


What were you doing back there Matt? LOL!


We all had a great time and the kids definitely got the wiggles out!