Meg's Moments and Madness

Summer's Gone!!!

2009-08-19T09:29:00.000-07:00

Well, today is Tate's first day back to school. The kids don't come until Monday, but such is a a teachers life ;) Ryker and Risalyn start back up tomorrow morning and Roman and I will have a bit of a break until September. We are working on him learning to write his name before pre-school. Ms. Jennie brought him a great name practicing tool and marker!

So, since the summer has flown by and I haven't had an opportunity to update the blog, I'll share a quick recap:
June- Not too much happened. Tate and I went to Lewiston for his school...kids got a horrible case of the flu, quick trip to Utah early school clothes shopping.Grandpa Orgill passed away.
July- Tons of yard work and gardening. Risalyn turned 8 years old. I felt so bad because we were so busy with everything that she missed out on a birthday party :( My brother Jade announced his engagement to long time girl Erika.
August-Risalyn gets baptized. Roman turns 4 and has party at Leo's. I changed my major to Psychology with a minor in Sociology. Still planning on graduating next December.

Garden grew great this year. We were blessed with potatoes, peas, beans, tomatoes, and Tate's peppers are his pride and joy. He made the jalapenos into poppers which everyone enjoyed! We are still waiting on the corn verdict!!!
We also got to spend great time with cousins and family. The time just flew away from us.

Disney Madness

2009-06-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

Well, we have been home for almost a month now and I know I have been awful and not put anything up from our fantastic trip. It was soo much fun and everyday Roman asks if we can go back. I'm all for it! Other than the rain, we had such an amazing time there. We have never really done anything like that with the kids. They got to go on their first airplane rides, first time to Disney anything, and first time to be gone from home for a week. Although we took about 300 photos, I just quickly put together a slide show at the bottom of the blog to show off some of the festivities. Enjoy!

Idol Worship

2009-04-15T06:52:00.000-07:00

Ok..I will be honest and admit that I am an American Idol junkie. I used to be able to put in on that the kids loved it and that is why we watched it; but this year they havent showed to much intrest (and up until now, I havent seen too much to be in love with either). This all changed last night with a performance by Kris Allen. I havent been paying too much attention to him because I hadnt seen anything really amazing from him and figured it was his legion of tween fans keeping him on because he is cute. This all changed last night. He sang a song that I had never heard before called Falling Slowly from a movie that I had never heard of before called Once. I posted the link to the performace below, and also it is the first song on my playlist (although that is the original version.

I hope you enjoy as much as I did!

David Archuleta...what more do I need to say?

2009-03-22T17:37:00.000-07:00

Ok..so for my Mom's birthday (which has yet happened) I decided that I should get her David Archuleta tickets since he was coming to Idaho Falls, and was even more fortunate that I was able to get them since they sold out in 4 minutes.

After much debating...the 4 tickets went to Mom, Risalyn, Angie and Camryn. Ryker was a little disappointed that he didnt get to go, but he will get his chance. He really has his hopes set on Plain White T's, but I don't know if they will ever make it to Idaho Falls.

Risalyn didnt seem too excited at first, but as the date got closer, she really was excited. We still havent got her to tell us too much about it...but the pictures speak a thousand words. And talk about excited..my Mom camped out at the Civic Auditorium and I dont know if you can see from the picture, but she was all the way up the ramp.

And now...all she wants to do it watch David Archuleta videos on You Tube! I think she may have replaced Troy!

SuperGirl

2009-03-08T19:43:00.001-07:00

Ok.. so I've had one of those weeks. I have have been up and down and everywhere in between. So, for right now I am feeling like SuperGirl. I am happier than I have been in a very long time, and I am thinking that tommorow will always be a better day! Smile :)

Birthday Madness

2009-02-10T07:44:00.001-08:00

Look who's 32!! Tate's birthday was on Sunday, but we celebrated mostly on Saturday. This year was the hardest year I had for thinking of something to get him....so I really didn't. We went and saw Taken, which was really good and we went and got him some speakers for his $400 pickup and a new shirt and BYU hat. But, that was it. On Sunday after church, we ate at Outback with Ty and Telisa's family and then came home and had giant cupcakes from Cocoa Bean. If you haven't had them, they are good (especially if you like frosting). I got Chocolate Peanut Butter for Tate and the kids and Better than whatever for me (I'm not a big peanut butter fan). When I took this picture, then the kids all wanted their picture taken with their cupcakes (Sophie really wanted a cupcake):

We're going to the happiest place on Earth...I hope!

2009-01-26T08:06:00.000-08:00

Not that I hope that we are going because we are going; Disney is very unforgiving in the refund department so we will be going! But, I hope that it is the happiest place on earth. We haven't ever taken our kids on a big fun trip except our family reunion trip to Washington last year. We are flying to Disney World towards the end of the school year for a week. Our kids haven't ever flown before, so it will be interesting and hopefully painless! I have been before twice, once with Tate and Tate's whole family (minus his Mom and Dad) will be going with us! So, 16 of us will hopefully enjoy each others company and the trip. No one else has been but us, so I hope that it is as magical for them as I think it is. The cousins always have lots of fun together, and I know that they will love to go on rides together.

So, needless to say I am like a 6 year old excited for this trip. I am already buying the kids summer clothes and planning what they are going to wear. I also found the cutest custom stuff on Ebay so I ordered Risalyn two cute Minnie pillowcase dresses and also Roman a Mickey pirate shirt. I think Ryker is a little too old, but he may just have to indulge me :) I have seen these adorable custom flip flips that I wanted to attempt to make myself, but may just give in and buy them. And, I want to make them custom autograph books...............the list goes on and on. And then you can call ahead and book your restaurants you want to eat at, so if we do that I will have to plan what day we will be at what park!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will need this vacation just planning for this vacation!

Anyway, if anyone has traveled on a plane with kids, I would love some suggestions of how to keep them entertained. I know the in flight movie usually isn't kid friendly, although Ryker would probably watch anything. We have ipods and gameboys, but any other kind of items would be appreciated.

A Very Merry Christmas and Hoping for a Happier New Year

2008-12-31T12:16:00.001-08:00

We had a great Christmas...probably one of our best yet. Yes, we go overboard but we realize that it is just one day a year and someday we won't have the joy of being with all of our kids on Christmas day. The kids loved everything that they got, and Roman would have been happy just to have received his train table but he enjoyed his Batman Batcave as well. Risalyn has been asking for a typewriter since she saw Kit Kittenredge and much to the shock of grandparents and aunts and uncles, there was one waiting under the tree for her Christmas morning. She also loved her Samantha American Girl doll. They got matching pj's which she wore all day on Christmas. Ryker is our grown-up 9 year old. He didn't really want much for Christmas, but what he did want kept changing up until Christmas Eve where we had to make an impromptu Wal-Mart run for Mortal Combat vs Marvel game. He would say his favorite present was his Ipod Nano... but I think he loves this Aeropostale beanie that he has worn everywhere everyday-except to church.

My favorite gift was my pink Dyson! It is so cute, and yet it makes me so disgusted every time I use it to see all the yucky stuff in my carpet. With my allergies, I think it will be a great improvement this summer.

Tate's favorite has to be his Tom-Tom, but it doesn't really qualify as a Christmas present because I let him use it before our trip to Utah. So, I guess his favorite Christmas present would be Rock Band 2 or Guitar Hero World Tour because we have had so much fun the past few days playing. He is a guitar guy, and I love the drums until my arms get tired and then I sing.

Here is a picture from the big day. After this one, it was a free for all!

Packing up & playing Tag

2008-12-15T13:42:00.000-08:00

Just when I thought that I would get a vacation.....I have to get ready for our big four day trip for Tate's test and my family Christmas Party. And many of you may think...Hey, its 4 days, big deal. But, when you are packing and preparing for 5 people( yes, I do it for the whole family) and the fact that I have to have everything absolutely perfect before I go so when I come home I'm not the Grinch. Let's just say that I am here blogging when I should be doing about a million other things!

OK...and I happened along Angela's blog today and decided to take her up on her TAG! So, here it goes:
The rules: bold anything you have done. An added rule: Italicize anything you plan to do in 2009.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a Praying Mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Been to the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa at the Louvre
20. Slept on an train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run (does kickball count?)
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language(pig Latin anyone?)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight (the sand dunes were a beach once, right)
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar - will never happen
72. Tied a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a Bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous - does Hulk Hogan count?
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Visited Italy

I tag everyone who reads my blog- If you don't have your own...post it in my comments.

I guess I will get back to my vacation preparation!

Oh, let it snow! PLEASE

2008-12-08T14:03:00.000-08:00

I guess I skipped over Thanksgiving because at BYU-I, finals came early. But, it was pretty good. It is so hard to balance both my family and Tate's because you can never make everyone happy. But, but did enjoy lots of food, games, and we even got to sneak away to see 4 Christmas's all by ourselves. It is one of those times where I wish that our parents lived farther away from each other, so we could just hit one a year and rotate the years, but being close just doesn't make that possible. Let me just say that some "happy pills" would have made the whole experience more enjoyable- and I wasn't the only one who needed them!

Oh, and of course we participated in the madness that is Black Friday. We got most of what we wanted, but what we have decided is that people are way to vicious for it to be very enjoyable anymore. Tate and I have decided that next year, we are going to do everything online and maybe hit the Walmart in Rexburg. We went in there later Friday night and they still had most of what was the early sale stuff. Idaho Falls people are too mean! I don't know if it is because people are more hard up for money this year or just cranky, but it wasn't very fun.

Then, we are doing something that we haven't gotten done for years. We actual had the kids all together in the same picture! We took them out to the black railroad bridge or Bubbleland as it was affectionately known at our high school. They turned our really cute, so I made Christmas cards. If anyone wants one, just post your address or email it to me. We haven't been able to do it since Roman was born because he doesn't cooperate for pictures, but these turned out just as cute as can be.

Finals are this week, so to take a much needed break from final project I decided to Christmas up my blog! Well, I made it at least wintry because I don't want to have to change the background in just a few weeks.

So, in case I don't get to another posting before Christmas....I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Holiday for those who are so inclined!

Halloween Madness

2008-11-02T17:05:00.000-08:00

Well, it is 3 days late but we are finally finished with Halloween (well, Roman is not but we are trying to move on). We did all the typical Halloween things: visit grandparents, trunk or treat, pizza party, scary movie, and then our traditional Swensen Halloween party. We took lots of cute pictures and had fun at the Geisler house. Timalee did a really good job with the games, decorations, and prizes and it was a great time...except for the Party Poopers who shall remain nameless, however if you care to look at the pictures at the bottom of the page, you will see who is missing! Tate and I won for cutest couple, Ryker was funniest, Risalyn was best costume and Roman was cutest. I do have to comment on our Sarah Palin and John McCain. We had several complaints that we were acting inappropriate for a political pair-I sat on John's lap due to lack of chairs. I also had several comments on my DI attire and no, I will not be wearing it to church anytime soon. I also wore the most makeup ever in my life...I heard she likes the bronzer and lip gloss but I got my hair parted on the wrong side. Also, you can't see in the pictures, but I had a $150,000 price tag hanging from my jacket.

Now I just need to know what to do with my jack o'laterns.

Mid-Terms, High School Musical 3, and Primary Program Madness

2008-10-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

Well, when I don't think things can get any more hectic, we run into events that we plan for but just never expect to be just huge things. I have just finished up with mid-terms. It was awful, but I made it through. I do still have a research paper due this week, but I am taking a break for a few minutes to update my blog.

Risalyn has been reminding us since she heard that there would be a High School Musical 3 and so a big cousin/aunt party was planned. So, we got up early Saturday morning to get her all HSM dressed up and to meet with everyone at IHOP to have breakfast and be to the first showing that morning. It was a cute movie, although I am pretty sure that Troy is either Bi-Polar or Schizophrenic because he seems to have this mental breakdown in every movie. Oh well, it is really cute how much Risalyn loves this movie and Zac Effron. She went to a birthday party a couple of weeks ago and the mom asked who every one's boyfriends were and they all were telling on each other their little classroom crushes, but when it came to Risalyn, they all told the mom that Troy was her boyfriend. Well, at least I can be thankful that he is thousands of miles away and 15 years older than her; she can like him as long as she wants.

Then we had the Primary Program. I was really worried that is would be a disaster because we hadn't really practiced for it and our primary is a little "energetic" but it went pretty good. We had been working with Ryker and Risalyn to memorize their parts, they were pretty long and I didn't know if they would make it, but they did! I was so proud. Risalyn also got to sing I Lived in Heaven with just the 7 year old girls. Their is only 5 of them, so it was really cute. Risalyn's friend Brilee Abegglen is a little singer, so it was kindof hard to hear Risalyn over her, but she had practiced and really tried to belt it out. I bought her a cute new dress and curled her hair, so I just have to show her off. My boys looked really cute too, but I didn't get their pictures before they got in the car. They did have lots of people there to watch them, both Grandpa and Grandma Blake and Swensen, Tara and Morgan, and Ty, Telisa,Trevin,Tierra,and Trey. I'm sure that Tanner was there in spirit!

We all got together to have pizza to Pizza Hut and then went back to Wayne and Catherine's to play games. It was really fun, and I think we are going to try to get together to play games at least once a month because everyone really likes Scum. If you haven't played it, it is a card game you can buy at Porters, but could probably play with a regular deck of cards. Ty is super competitive and so it makes any game pretty hilarious when he criticises how you are playing....especially if you are doing better than him.

I belong in Rome, I always knew!

2008-10-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

You're a big city soul with a small town heart

Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome

Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand

And gorgeous Italian people - could life get any better?

So, Angela found this quiz that you fill out and it tells you what city you belong in and I belong in Rome! I love Italy, it is the only place I think I would travel out of the country, and we have teased Ryker about getting him Italian language classes so when he fills out his mission papers he will get called to Italy (and then of course, we can pick him up ;) Sure, I know he'll probably end up in Syberia, but a girl can dream can't she?

Happy Birthday Tanner and Ryker

2008-10-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

So, Monday was Tanner's 15th Birthday and Ty and Telisa had a big party with all of Tanner's friends and Swensen family to celebrate. It was bittersweet. It is so great to see all of his friends full of life and having fun, and then at the same time it hurts knowing that he wasn't there to be a part of it. Tanner was the life of any party, he always had some scheme or game to do and wanted to include everybody. We stopped at the cemetery and left flowers before we went over to the party. We couldn't help but smile at the Batman balloon someone had brought, I never found out who but my guess is Trevin. Many other items had been left and it is so great to know that he is still loved and missed by so many. My heart still aches for their family everyday.

Ryker's 9th birthday was Tuesday. We didn't really get to celebrate too much with him as I had school all day and Tate was at work, but Grandma Blake took care of the spoiling since he is out on Potato Harvest break. She and Grandpa had gotten him a Rip Stick, which is a crazy type of skateboard and they had the famous "Hulk" cake and pizza. Grandma Swensen also made him cupcakes and had ice cream cones for all later in the evening. I still can't believe that my baby will be double digits next year. Whenever I tell anyone how old my kids are at school, they don't believe me that I am old enough. Flattery will get you everywhere, LOL.

We did take the family down to Lagoon over the weekend and had some fun celebrating there. The Swensen part of our family is requesting a family party, and Ryker isn't sure if he wants to do that or not, it just doesn't feel the same this year but he appreciates everyone that has been calling and sending cards and presents. He didn't even want a friend party this year, he is just getting too old too fast. If anyone has any suggestions on how to stop him from growing, please let me know.

School Days or otherwise known as "Do I really want to do this?"

2008-09-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

Wow, so I just finished up my first full day of school yesterday, and it was a full day. My classes start at 8 and end at 6:15, which is like a full time job. I am just going on Tue and Thurs, I had a class scheduled for M-W-F, but it was a special ed class and really in depth and required a ton of outside work (like being in a wheelchair for 4 hours on campus and wearing vision inparing googles). So, I am putting it off until next semester and right now am sitting on 13 credits. Which, doesn't sound like too much until you think that I then have 3 kids, 2 of whom are in school too and have all kinds of great activities that they want to do as well. And ageing parents that I also be taking care of in the next few weeks as my mom has to have a pretty major surgery and my dad is having his jaw bones scraped. Sounds like fun, I know.

On the lighter side of things, Ryker got selected to be in Esprit, which is what I used to know as GT or Gifted and Talented. We are so proud of him, he is very smart and I know every parent says that, but there is just a love of learning in him that he just absorbs everything he hears or reads. Now, if he had only inhereted some athletic talent, LOL. No, he loves to play football and baseball and will be trying basketball this winter, but last night at the football game he looked so funny trying to be a blocker.....he looked like he was trying to make them laugh by waiving his arms around and moving from side to side. But, I guess since he can't touch them, there isn't much else to do to get them distracted away from the ball.

Also, I posted new pictures down at the bottom of some of our summer activities that we were involved in, so be sure and scroll down.

My, how time flys

2008-09-07T18:45:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened in this last week or so. I turned the big 28 and also celebrated our 10th (yes, that is a decade) wedding anniversary. Birthday wasn't such a big deal, Roman and I snuck out to Ririe and had a not so delicious lunch with Tate. Thanks to everyone who sent cards and gifts, I am such a bad person and never seem to get around to the "Thank You's" so I guess this is as good as it gets in the appreciation department.

Our anniversary was great. Tara and Morgan decided to be gracious and brave enough to watch our monkeys overnight (+ 1, Risalyn had an improptu sleepover with Malorie) so we could go to Athens. Ok, so it was just the Athens room at Destinations Inn, but frankly with 3 kids I am excited to get away to anywhere ;) We ate at the Olive Garden (one of my favorites) and then watched Vantage Point. If you haven't seen Vantage Point, it is a lot like Groundhog Day but with a serious plot. I don't know what I though of it yet, but Tate was getting pretty annoyed after the 3rd 11:59 am time stamp.

I had been hoping to do something a little more special (like go down south to where Tate served his mission, but with the IF airport being closed for renovations and the fact that we are in such chaos with Tate's new job and me starting school that I guess we will just have to put it off until 15 0r something!

Also, we got our newest family addition. I got my new baby pug Sophie on my birthday. I wasn't going to get her, but the people who had here just wouldn't take no for an answer. She is 9 weeks old and very cute and sweet. She reminds us a lot of MnM. We love her a lot and she has actually been really good about her kennel and the potty.

So, as I promised here are the 1st day of school pictures that I haven't put up yet:

Football Season = Go Chiefs

2008-08-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

Well, it has finally arrived. Football is alive in our house. Ryker had his first game on Monday night. He is a running back, and I am so grateful that he is still in Flag Football. Next year he will start Grid Kid and he is a pretty big boy, since he is just a few days away from the school deadline. Ryker is having a great time, and I am excited to get to see him play (Roman was sick with the flu, so we missed the first game. Here is a picture of him in action:

We are very excited to go to Trevin's first game on Thursday night. We will be their cheering as loud and hard as we can for him. We love him so much, and we know how much he is missing Tanner. It doesn't get any easier, in fact, some days are so hard. But, we just want him to know that we are there for him anytime, anywhere, and for anything. I can't express the hole that has been left in our family without Tanner, and sometimes the things we try to fill the hole with aren't the best. Just know that even though times are hard (and believe me, it will get a whole lot worse before it gets better) there is so much to look forward to in life. Sometimes we can't see the trees through the forest, but they are there.

Tate is a Bulldog

2008-08-16T19:02:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it, Tate got his first school teaching job. He is a Ririe Bulldog. He is teaching in the middle school and he will be teaching science and a few electives that are yet to be determined. We are so excited, I know that he will be so great at it. He loves kids and kids love him. I wish it was closer (like Parker :) but getting in a years experience will help when a position comes open. We spent the weekend going to Helena for him to take his certification test and then shopped for him some school clothes too. I know he will do great things!

On Tuesday, it was Roman's 3rd birthday. He was so cute, and when I can get my camera issue fixed, I will post some of the cute pictures. His favorite present was his Dodge Pickup with horse trailer. He spent most of the morning loading and unloading it and driving it around. Also, the best thing happened. I told Roman that now he was 3, he had to pee in the potty because he was a big boy. And he has done it ever since. He has only had 1 potty accident (and not any in the night) but he hasn't quite mastered pooping yet. We are just so happy that he has interest in it now, because he never has before.

And, on a super sad note, Dexter passed away the night of Roman's birthday. It wasn't anything related to his choking, he contracted Parvo and we didn't get him help in time. The vet thought he would be able to recover, but it was too late. We were all heartbroken, but we felt that we were giving a very special opportunity to love him so much this last week. The kids slept with him most every night and just loved him extra. WE MISS YOU DEXTER.

Thank Heaven for Dexter

2008-08-08T08:35:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have one of those moments where you know, not believe, but know that there is a higher power working overtime? I know in our family, we have been having those quite a lot lately. Yesterday evening was no exception.

It started to get windy and stormy, and we have been having Dexter outside most of the time because of his "training" mistakes and so I asked Ryker to go out and bring him in. While Ryker was bringing Dexter in, the renters dog Jugger was barking at Dexter, and so of course Dexter wants to play. Well, Jugger got so excited that somehow he got his cord around Dexter's neck several times and choked Dexter. Ryker started screaming and so when I ran to see what was going on, I saw a lifeless Dexter lying on the ground and a heartbroken little boy. I took Ryker back inside and was trying to comfort both Ryker and Risalyn while Tate went to untangle him.

When Tate got him untangled, Dexter took a breath. Tate thought for sure that it was his last breath, but a few seconds later Dexter took another breath. Tate started pushing on Dexter's chest and petting him and his eyes started to move and he came back to us.

We were so worried, when he got up he couldn't walk well, and kept falling over. But, after a lot of love, some water, and time, he is back to normal hyper Dexter. We let him sleep on the couch with all of the kids last night, and we even shared a family prayer at Ryker's request (which he gave). He was so thankful to Heavenly Father & to Tanner and even MnM that he didn't have to lose his best friend. We were very thankful too.

With the loss of Tanner, I know that he is close our family all the time and helping with whatever he can do for us. I know this is true, I experienced the same sorts of things after Brett died. Timalee and Darin have been praying and hoping for Macee to have a brother or sister, and the 3rd of September (how cool is that, my birthday) they are bringing Macee's real sister home to their family.

I know not everyone believes, and some people probably think it is just a coincidence. But, I know what I have experienced, what I feel, and what I know. These little miracles are there for everyone, we just have to be looking for them.

Happy Camper

2008-08-03T17:55:00.001-07:00

Much to my shugrin, we decided to have a big family camping outing...spending 4 days and 3 glorious nights in the great outdoors. For those of you who don't know, I HATE camping. I hate everything about it; the bugs, the dirt, the disorganization, and did I mention the dirt?

I asked Megan Abegglen if we could borrow their camp trailer and I was excited when she said yes. I figured that not sleeping in a tent may make the trip more tolerable, and it in fact did.

The high points of the trip for me were:

#1- The food was great (what wasn't touched by the infestation of knats, hornets, mosquitos and chipmunks)
#2- Getting to go 4-wheeling on a trail that didn't make me cry for my mommy!
#3-Having some time away from the constant calls that the warranty is about to expire on my vehicle
#4-Getting to watch how much fun the kids have with their cousins and how much they enjoy camping.
#5- How much fun Tate and Ty are! They the best sense of humor and can get everyone laughing until they pee their pants. Some high points were the constant phone calling to Timalee to see when she was coming back (after she had told us that she wasn't coming)what to do with all the enchiladas, and getting their mom to keep re-telling the story of the baby blessing they were going to for the 100th time acting like they have never heard it before! It was so funny.

My newest purchase

2008-07-21T12:40:00.001-07:00

So, when I was quickly browsing in Yellowstone this weekend, I found the cutest cookbook and had to buy it. It even has some great recipes. I found it on Amazon.com and wanted to share it with everyone because who can't use a quickie every now and then!

Cherishing 6 (for a few more days)

2008-07-20T19:05:00.000-07:00

Risalyn has been cleaning out her room for several weeks now. We have been talking about a garage sale for months (it still isn't planned). But, along the way I found her old dress up clothes and even though she said she outgrew and was too cool for Princesses a few years back when they were packed away- today she wanted to dress up and take pictures.

So, because after Friday I'm sure this will never happen again I will enjoy her being 6 today.

Oh, and she wants everyone to notice that she has no front teeth on the top anymore.

Summer Fun

2008-07-17T08:51:00.000-07:00

So, somehow a sleepover came to the minds of Grandma and Grandpa Swensen, and of course that had to involve our pool -

And the 4 wheelers (Trevin is trying to hide from the camera)

A little bit of pouting (although she is trying to hide it from the camera)-

and some Little Caesars Pizza, which I didn't get pictures of but we all know it by heart.

It was great fun, and we finished up with a little bit of Rock Band on the PS3, which I should have taken some pictures of too. I don't know what time they got to bed, but they were still asleep at 8:00 this morning when Tate called to check on them.

Way to go Grandma and Grandpa Swensen!

What's Your Number? Mine is 23

2008-07-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed. " So here is Angela's ideas on how to increase the number:

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.

2) List it in your own blog so we can try and track down these people who've read 6 and force books upon them.

And no, you cannot count if you have seen the movie!!!!! You have to have actually read the book.

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austin
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkein
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling (although I don't think it should be counted as just one book)
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. The Bible - New Testament
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck (one of my all-time favorites)
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley (thank you Ms. Warren)
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones' Diary - Helen Fielding
69. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte's Web - EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Now, my number is lower than Angela (34)..... but I am betting that it is higher that most everyone else and I have 3 kids so my reading is usually confined to when I am dead tired or have locked myself in the bathroom, so check it out and tell me what your number is too.

Family Reunion 2008

2008-07-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

So, we haven't had any experience in the way of Blake family reunions, seeing as the Blake family has pretty much disolved after Grandpa and Grandma passed away. But, my dad and Maurita have came back into a relationship again, and they decided it would be fun to have a family reunion this year.

The decision was made that we would go to Spokane. So Thursday the 2nd we took off and headed for the timeless ThunderBird hotel in Missoula, MT to begin the first leg of our journey. Overall, the kids did pretty well but that was in part due to the fact that we broke up Ryker and Risalyn and Camryn came with us and Ryker rode with Brendan. We won't discuss Roman ;)

The ThunderBird was just as my dad remembered when he stayed their when he was in the National Gaurd........and the pool was great as you can see Camryn, Ryker, Tate and Roman enjoying. I just wish I could have slept that night, between the train rumbling by and my constant need to scratch my face(I don't even want to know why).

We got going about 9:00 and had breakfast at the CrackerBarrell. It was Risalyn and Romans first (and possibly last) experience. Man, whoever came up with a store in a restarant was a freakin' genius. Because who wants to hear a child scream because they just have to have a motorized bubble blower and a fake hampser in a wheel?

Well, we made it to the Shilo in Courdeleane and the kids of course were excited to try out the pool here as well but we talked them in to going up to Neil and Mauritas in Spokane. With the help of my parents fabulous directions, we made it there only having to turn around once. It was great to see my cousins and for my kids to get to meet their other relatives. Marnel has a daughter Jenny who is 6 like Risalyn and they hit it off right away. Camryn, Risalyn, and Jenny were inseperatable the whole time we were together.

On Saturday, we went to SilverWood. It is like Lagoon, but there are less rides but the waterpark was huge. It was really fun and Maurtia had got us all tickets and special things like wristbands that you could get free drinks anytime (Tate was so excited) and we got to have special lunch inside the park. It was great. We enjoyed every minute, and Ryker rode every ride with his big cousins Austin and Brendan. He wasn't scared to do anything. Uncle Neil couldn't believe it. He even did every waterslide when the big boys chickened out.

I have a feeling Roman will be following in his footsteps, he wrode everything he could as well and never got nervous. He just passed the hieght limit to ride the big tube ride like Rattlesnake Rapids at Lagoon. He didn't like the dark tunnel, but he did it like a trooper.

Everyone had a great time, and Sunday came too soon. We decided to stop at the Automotive/Prison Museum in Deer Lodge MT. on the way home. The kids really enjoyed getting in the cells and Ryker and Roman loved all the old cars. It was a long, loud, 8 hour ride home....but I think overall it was a really fun experience. We told them if we did it next year, they had to come this way!

Memories.....and missing Tanner

2008-07-09T17:30:00.000-07:00

Things have just been so busy, I haven't got a chance to say anything about a very hard time we have been going through as a family. Our oldest nephew from Tate's side, Tanner, tragically took his own life on the 20th of June. When we got the phone call late Friday night, Tate and I just couldn't believe it. Tanner was the most full of life person that we have ever known. He was larger than life, and in going through his loss we have seen how many lives that he touched in his short time here on earth.

Although we cannot even begin to understand why, we are comforted in our beliefs that we will be together with him again, and that he is watching over us and missing us as much as we miss him. There will alway be a big hole in any family activity without his energy and smile. Tanner loved his cousins very much, and alway took the time to let them know that.

Ryker, Risalyn, and Roman have had a hard time (Ryker the hardest) in understanding what happened and that Tanner is gone. We have really had to re-evaluate the things in our lives that we are doing, where we are going, and what changes we need to make in ourselves to be better people. Most people we know don't understand why we would have such a hard time losing a nephew, but unless you know how close our families are, it probably wouldn't make sense. We love each other so much, we get together for every birthday, church milestone, sporting event (if someone we knew was participating, or we were just cheering on our favorite team), and every holiday. He wasn't just a nephew or just a cousin, he is a member of our family and we love him!

We love his family (Ty, Telisa, Trevin, Tierra, and Trey) very much...and we pray for their strength in this very difficult time. May they feel our love for them, and that they will be able to cling to each other to make it through.

Feild Day

2008-05-29T15:25:00.000-07:00

Today was the kids field day at Parker-Egin. Tate, Roman, and I went and had a picnic lunch with Ryker and Risalyn and then they got to participate in all kinds of fun games like jump rope contests and relay races. There was one casualty, Risalyn got trampled in the tug of war. I think 1st graders should be placed at the back of the rope. Oh well, she survived and even went home with Brilee and Malorie to play.

I swear, this last week of school has been nothing but filler. The kids have had nothing but field trips and parties. But, I guess I should be thankful that it is one more week that I have my sanity (or what is left of it)

Just wanted to mention that Telisa's birth mom passed away in Arkansas on Wednesday morning. Telisa did make it out to see her before she died, and even if she didn't know that she was there then, she does know now. Our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family as they go through this difficult time.

My Error

2008-04-14T19:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I said prosperity instead of posterity. Ha Ha Ha, I wish I could prosper from my infinite wisdom (or lack thereof).

So, here I am

2008-04-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

Well, did I ever think I would have a blog? Nah, but I figure with all the time I spend on the Internet now that we have been blessed with high speed that I should do something other than shop or play on Pogo.

So, nothing is really going on to talk about. I just figured that since I am supposed to keep a journal for prosperity and I'm not doing that, this could be the next best thing. Also, I can use it to show off my beautiful kids (I'm not biased) and Tate's photography talents.

So, Angela is my first friend with a blog, and so I think I will take some liberty from hers and tell everyone what I like as well. So, here is my like for the day:

John Mayer: Say (what you need to say)