Posting delays

I know I've been really about about posting in the last month. My mom has made sure to let me know numerous times. But, here's the deal. My computer has just plain sucked lately. I hate that word, but I'm going to use it again. It SUCKS, SUCKS, SUCKS!!!!!!! Everything to do with the internet is going at a snail's pace, even Chris' laptop that's 3 years old moves faster. So, until my wonderful computer literate hubby can fix it for me, who knows how long it will be before I post again.

We had a bunch of birthday pop up right around Thanksgiving. Carter turned 6 on the 22nd, I turned 34 on the 23rd and Ryan turned the big 1-4 on the 25th. What I love about this situation is that my birthday is pretty much a moot point and everyone focuses on the two boys, which is completely fine by me. And, it was even better this year because my mom and sister came for the weekend, they got to watch a basketball game of Carter's and be their for his birthday, which was a treat. So, here's a few pictures from the birthdays.

I'll try to get up a post about the last of Carter's basketball games and Kennedy's Christmas band concert a little later. We'll just see how long it takes for this to post.

Thoughts on a change

We had a pretty major change take place on Sunday in our Ward. To preface, I'll just say that Chris and I have been in the Franklin Ward since we moved into our home in August of 1995. That's quite awhile. We've been through two splits, staying in the same ward, just losing areas.

Well, Saturday we got an e-mail from our Bishop telling us that we weren't having 2nd or 3rd hour classes, but were instead asked to go to the Stake Center for a meeting. Of course, the speculation began. Were we being split, added to or taken from. For me, in Young Womens, with only two Mia Maids, I was really hoping to get some more young women.

Well, lo and behold, we have been moved to a whole new stake, with a couple of neighborhoods added to our ward. Our stake center is now the one next to the Temple. So, yep, we got moved to a Boise Stake. And we gained ONE new young woman with the move. So, I'm trying to find the positives in this move. Hopefully some will present themselves soon. As least we weren't the ward that got totally disbanded and split into 5, yep 5 different wards. I feel real bad for those folks.

So, whaddya think of this??

Weekend activities

The kids had quite a bit going on this weekend. Ryan left on a scout campout Friday night. They were working on their shooting merit badge. It was kind of sad, every one of the boys in his troop wimped out except for him. He passed his shooting test. They had to hit the target a number of times. He said that he had a lot of fun. Kennedy and Carter spent the night at Chris' parents house Friday night so that we could go out to dinner for our anniversary, which was last week. We went to a really good restaurant in Nampa called the Mona Lisa. Very good. We got a little bit of shopping done for upcoming birthdays and Christmas during the week, so Chris went shopping for a new monitor for my computer. It's pretty nice. Which reminds me, I was able to get a new fridge and oven on Thursday. Finally. My old ones were 13 years old and looking pretty bad. The seal on the fridge was shot, the oven wasn't cooking real great. So, yay for me :)

Carter also had another basketball game on Saturday. He scored four points, which is really good. There were probably only about 12 points or so scored for his team. I don't think that the other team scored as many, but maybe. Here's a couple of pics (I'm trying not to feel guilty because the majority of the photos on my blog are of Carter, but I couldn't take pictures on Ryan's campout and Kennedy would through a fit if intruded on her friend time at her grandma's).

Doesn't it look like he is having the time of his life. Mom and Dad, I totally think that you two need to get over here to see this kid in action. We play four more games, only skipping Thanksgiving weekend.

And on another note :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY

BROTHER MICHAEL       - isn't he a cutie.

Carter's first basketball game

Yesterday Carter had his first Y-Ball game. It's a fun age to watch. They are just getting the basics down and both coaches are allowed on the court with the boys to guide them. They haven't quite got the idea of offense and defense down, so it can be entertaining to watch them trying to play offense while still trying to guard their boy they are assigned to. They will, I'm sure, get it in the next few weeks. It's fun to watch Carter play because this is the one sport he is aggressive in. He really wants to get the ball away from the other team and really wants to shoot the ball.

During warm-ups. He hardly ever missed. That's what happens when you've spent the last few years during your older brother's football practices playing hoops with your mom and dad. Two hours a night, five days a week until school starts and then 1 and 1/2 hours a night four nights a week after school starts.

That's him jumping at the tip-off. He got the concept, just needed to time it a little better.

Overdoing it on the defensive side, but he wasn't about to let that kid by him to score. I wonder where he got that from.

Between quarters. He was having a blast.

Racing the ref down the court. This guy was such a good ref. He had fun with the kids and really helped them out when they needed it.

Carter is the yellow player on the ground going after the loose ball. Every time there was a pile-up on the floor he would go diving in after the ball, even if he was across the gym. What a ham, and then he'd demonstrate for us how to slide across the floor after they got everybody up.

The grin after they scored. Every time his team scored he would do the double-handed fist pump and jump in the air. His coach would have to remind him to run down the floor and play defense.

What I love about this kid is that he was happy every time anyone on his team scored. He was a little bummed that none of his shots went in, but he was just so happy when his team did well. I just had to tell him that next week he'll get to play again and the grin was right back on his face and he was ready to go to practice, but that's not until Thursday night, so he'll ask everyday, can I go to practice tonight?

Also, he was so excited that his Uncle David and Aunt Rachel were here to watch him. It was fun to have them visit. I got to go baby shopping with them. It was fun and we had a great meal last night at the Olive Garden.

Halloween

Just a few fun pics to show our Halloween fun. Carter had a party Thursday morning with a costume parade because there was no school on Friday. On Friday we went to Chris' office for a small party and then to our ward's trunk-or-treat in the school parking lot, which was fun because a bunch of people from my neighborhood showed up. And we finished up with some regular trick-or-treating in my in-laws neighborhood. Ryan spent most of the week setting up a Haunted Backyard at his friend Chase's house. We went through it after going to my in-laws, it was pretty scary. They did a great job.

Some of the yummy food at Carter's party.

Kennedy as a punk rocker girl. Her friend Brooklyn ended up spending the night. She got sick at about 3 a.m. and they didn't wake me up until almost 6:30. They were sitting in Kennedy's room that smelled like puke for almost three hours. I had to explain to them that when someone gets sick, you have to wake up your moms.

Finally doing Diane's tag

5 things I was doing 10 years ago
1. Going to BSU.
2. Chasing around a 1year old and a three year old.
3. Meeting the Brown's, who are still our good friends.
4. Going to BSU men's basketball games.
5. Also, going to Maren and Serena's sports events.
5 things on my To do list today
1. Laundry
2. Picking kids up from school.
3. Going to Young Women's.
4. Watch Criminal Minds.
5. Celebrate my wedding anniversary.
5 things I would do if I were a millionaire
1. Pay tithing
2. Buy a new house.
3. Savings for kids college and missions.
4. Buy my husband the car of his dreams.
5. Go on a nice, long vacation.
5 places I have lived
1. Cedron, Idaho
2. Boise, Idaho (with Brad and Rosalie)
3. Boise, Idaho (in an apartment off Overland & Curtis).  
4. Boise, Idaho (with my in-laws while our house was being built).
5. Boise, Idaho (in the house we built).
5 jobs I have had
1. Harvesting potatoes (with my dad and with Dustin's).
2. O'Rourke's
3. Sojourner Inn hotel maid in Teton Village, Wyoming.
4. Waitress at Pizza Hut.
5. In the newsroom at The Idaho Statesman.

End of soccer, beginning of basketball

We finally finished with our last soccer game today. Carter played really well and scored another goal. It's made this season a little more fun to watch because he's been a bit more aggressive and wants to go after the ball. Of course, I don't have a picture, because I was too busy being the loud mom cheering. Chris was teaching classes at a merit badge fair for scouts, so he wasn't there to pick up the slack today. But, I did snap a few shots when I wasn't so excited.

Running off, right after he scored the goal to end the quarter :)

Definitely got the Green gene for the long tongue to touch the nose.

Carter also started Y-Ball this week. It's nice to have stuff to keep him busy and we practice across Cloverdale at his elementary school, so it's not a very far walk or drive.

And the pictures that Lyndsey Kunz took of the kids are up and ready to be looked at. It's www.kunzphotography.com . Check them out they are so cute. Go to gallery and look at the last page. I think it's 55, and click on the Kunz pictures. Very cute pictures.

Birthday weekend

We left for eastern Idaho on Thursday to surprise my dad for his birthday. All of my siblings and I met up at my nephew Dyllan's football game in Shelley to surprise him and then we all went to my parents in Teton Valley to spend the weekend, help them out with a few projects and have a birthday bash Saturday night.

Friday the boys spent the day finishing painting the outside of my parents house while my mom, Jenny and I canned carrots and potatoes.We spent the night hanging out up at Jenny's eating chocolate fondue while my dad ran the chains for the varsity football game.

Saturday we had Lyndsey Kunz take pictures of the grandkids. They should be really cute. You can check out some of her pictures at www.kunzphotography.com . She's an awesome photography if you are ever up in Teton Valley and want some pictures taken.

That night we had a party for my dad, which was fun because he didn't know about it. There was quite an assortment of family and friends there, so it was pretty fun.

Here's a bunch of pictures from the weekend. The only bad part, Chris wasn't able to come with us because he was on a business trip to Las Vegas and Phoenix.

I think everyone had a great time and it was fun to see everyone. And Ann-Marie, my mom has a copy of all these pictures and more on her computer if you want them.

Guess who's turning 60

I was looking through some old pictures the other day and found this GREAT picture of part of my family and thought it would be fun to share on this awesome day. It's my dad's 60th birthday today. So, in honor of that here we go, and....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! LOVE YOU TONS!!!

This is my brother Michael, my mom, my dad and my brother Kaleb. I'm standing in the front. I'm wondering if Jenny was taking the picture and David wasn't around yet. Don't you love the hair and beard everyone :)

Was not expecting this yesterday :(

We live in Boise. It is actually a desert, we have a few foothills surrounding the valley, but in reality we are a city built in a desert with a river running through it. If you head south of the Gowen Field (military base) and past the prison, that's when you really understand about the desert. So, yesterday, we were definitely not expecting this view from outside our front door.......

yep, that's SNOW on my Expedition....

and more SNOW on my grass and my poor

mums that are still blooming (well, probably not after the snow and cold the last few nights). On the plus side though, I was able to shut off my sprinklers a few weeks ago, so that will help with the water bill coming next month.

Lincoln's blessing

A few Sunday's ago my cousin Serena and her husband Matt blessed their little boy Lincoln. Afterwards, Chris took Ryan, Kennedy and Carter to my Aunt Rosalie's for lunch and to hang out for awhile. I had Young Women meeting for most of the afternoon, so I missed the food and festivities, but here's a few pics of the kids hanging out in the backyard and Ryan with the baby.

GO ME!!

Just got back from my doctor's

office and have to brag that

I've lost .... wait for it......

48....

yes, that is 48 pounds in the

last five months. So, yay, and

go me!!!

Saturday soccer

I just have to brag that Carter scored a goal in his soccer game on Saturday. I am just completely bummed because I missed it. I was helping to give a friend a baby shower, which was fun, but, I really wasn't expecting him to score. He just doesn't play aggressive enough to score, he's usually more worried about the other team scoring so he plays back a little bit. So ....

AWESOME JOB CARTER

FOR SCORING YOUR FIRST

GOAL EVER!!!!

I know, you can't see him, but he's the one to the right of the coach. This is when he actually kicked it in. But, he's a really good kicker, so I'll show one of him kicking :)

And, this why I love to watch him play ....

because no matter how the game turns out, he's just happy to have been there and played. He's always so sad when it's over.

Birthday party pics

After we went to dinner with Elli and Charlie Friday night we had a little family birthday party for Chris. We aren't real big cake eaters and he likes the sugar cookies from Albertsons, so that what we had ... sugar cookies and ice cream.

As you can see, Carter has to be involved in the opening of the presents ... anybodies presents. I think Chris had a good birthday. He got to eat at Goodwood and got a few presents with some cookies and ice cream.