A Barnyard Full Of Bryan Boys!

June

2009-11-05T14:38:00.000-08:00

June was a fun but busy month for us. We started the month by taking a second trip to San Diego. This time it was just Conner, Riley and me. Since it was just the 3 of us we flew over. Riley had never been on an airplane and Conner was to little to rember when he flew. Here they are waiting to get on the plane.

Here they are waiting to take off.

The flight went great. They both enjoyed looking out the window. At one point we were surrounded by clouds and one of them asked me if this is what heaven looks like. Once we landed Grandma and Grandpa picked us up and we went off to Seaworld for the evening to watch the fireworks. If you have not seen the shows at Seaworld after dark I highly reccomend that you check them out.

Roxanne and I took the boys to the zoo and the wild animal park. The wild animal park had a dinosaur exhibit visiting, the boys really enjoyed it. Riley was a little worried about the life like dinosaurs when we first got to them. But after a few minutes he figured out they were not going to eat him.

Grandma Roxanne and the boys checking out the dinosaurs

They had these random places at the wild animal park for kids to crawl in and "hide". Everytime we came across one I had to take pictures of these two in what ever it happened to be.

We had a great time visiting with Grandma and Grandpa. The boys ask at least once a week when we can go back to San Diego. More updates to come soon.

SORRY! I know I need to update everyone

2009-11-04T14:30:00.000-08:00

OK, so there really is no excuse for not updating my blog. All I can say is you better be ready because it is going to be a ton of pictures. I have to go back to the beginning of the summer and catch up. I will try to start with a new post tomorrow. I promise. If I don't someone please get after me. (Julie?)

Dedicated to this?

2009-05-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

My new background/theme is to honor my brother-in-law Ryan who is in Iraq with the Army. He is a helicopter pilot. We are all very proud of him and the sacrifices he and his wife and kids are making. Thanks Ryan.

Busy days!!

2009-05-28T16:26:00.001-07:00

The past few weeks have been very busy, I have fallen behind on my poor blog. Here is a very overdue update.

Preschool program

Riley had a program the last day of preschool. He did not sing a word but he did do the motions along with the songs. I guess I shouldn't be surprised he didn't sing, he told me a few weeks before that he was not going to sing he was only going to do the "actions" for the songs.

Summer is here and with it comes yard maintenance.

Meanwhile on the other side of the yard Riley was hard at work.

Notice the look of concentration on his cute little face.

The last week of school the weather was really nice. It was warm enough that we hooked up a sprinkler and let the boys play in the water. Here are a few pictures from before they turned blue.

Between the end of the year school projects for Josh and baseball for Conner and Josh we have been staying very busy. I have more that I need to post but Conner has a game tonight and it is time to get going. More updates to come soon. I promise.

Scrapbook Supplies?

2009-04-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

My wonderful husband and kids got me a cricut for my birthday.

But I don't have any thing to use it with. Do any of you scrapbookers have great places to buy supplies? I went to the drug store and looked at what they have. Let's just say nothing jumped out at me. I was hoping to find something to play with my new "toy" with. I know I can go to Show Low and Walmart and find stuff but I was hoping someone out there knows of a great online shop. Anyone?

San Diego

2009-04-01T16:00:00.001-07:00

For spring break we took the kids to San Diego to see Michael's parents. It was so much fun. We spent 5 days with them exploring and playing.

Monday

Lego Land

We decided we wanted to take the boys 2 places while in San Diego. Lego land and sea world. Monday we did lego land. If was a good time for the kids. All of the rides are geared towards the kids. There are a lot of really cool things built out of all legos. Here are a few of the cool lego creations.

They had a lot of rides that the kids really enjoyed. I went on a lot with Riley and I can say for a fact that he had a great time.

Here are a few of the really cool miniatures. They are all made out of Legos. There was a huge Einstein's head made out of 1.2 million legos. I didn't get a picture of it of course.

This one was my favorite. The sheep in the barn actually move their heads up and down.

Tide pools and the beach

2009-04-01T14:59:00.000-07:00

Tuesday we spent the afternoon at the tide pools, Point Loma and the beach. We went to the tide pools first to check out some sea creatures. We found some really neat stuff.

It was a little cold when we got to the tide pools so instead of putting on shorts we rolled up our pants and kept on our jackets. Conner kept "slipping" into the water. He was so wet when we got done he had to change into his shorts to dry out.

Riley really did slip a lot so we spent a lot of time holding his hand. He to had to change into shorts when we were all finished at the tide pools.

Can you tell I haven't started working on my summer tan. My legs could glow in the dark.

I think Josh had more fun than the other boys. He was all over the place and found all kinds of cool sea creatures for us to look at.

Here are a few of the cool creatures we got to check out. Don't ask me what they are I have no clue.

When we were done at the tide pools we stopped at Point Loma. Here are a couple of the amazing views we saw.

We packed up the boys and drove to Mission Beach to play in the sand. The boys thought they would get to swim in the ocean but it was FREEZING. So they settled for playing in the sand.

This is the sand castle that they made while we were there. It took a lot of digging to make this beauty.

Josh made his own sand castle. He didn't have near as much digging as was needed for the other larger one.

This is what happens when you sit in the hole that was made digging up the sand for the sand castle. Dad, Riley and Grandma fill it in with you in it.

Riley played with this wheel barrow the entire time we were at the beach. He filled it the dumped it then filled it then dumped it again and again.

We played in the sand for a few hours once we were covered in sand from head to toe we headed home. It was another great day in San Diego.

Sea World

2009-04-01T14:27:00.000-07:00

Wednesday Michael's parents took us to sea world. It was awesome. First we had breakfast with the orca whales. It was so cool. We got to sit less than 10 feet from the tank and the whales put on a private show.

When we got done with breakfast we went to the rays and the boys fed them fish. Sorry no pictures we were all busy feeding them. They are so slimy but really grace full to watch. After we fed the rays we went to the hands on area. Sorry I can't remember what they call it. But the boys loved it. They got to reach in and pick up sea creatures. I was afraid Riley was just going to climb in with them.

Then we watched the Shamu show and the dolphin show. The boys, Michael and his dad, Randy, sat in the "soak zone" during the Shamu show. Roxanne made Riley a homemade poncho and Michael and Randy had ponchos. Josh and Conner chose to go without and got soaked. The really mean wet when they say you will get splashed. Roxanne and I sat up high enough not to get wet so I took some really cool pictures of the whales. I had to sit in the soak zone during the dolphin show so my camera stayed in Michael's back pack. Here are some pictures of the amazing whales during the show.

We spent the rest of the day checking out the other animals, going on the rides and playing in the huge nets and the water. By the end of the day we were all wore out and ready to rest our tired feet. But it was worth every minute.

Seal tour

2009-04-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

Thursday we went on a seal tour. We didn't ride seals. We rode in a boat/SUV. It is huge and can drive on land and then go right out into the water. It was pretty cool. Here are the boys in front of the back half of the seal.

And here is the front half of the seal. I couldn't get it all in one picture.

I won't bore you with a lot of pictures of what we saw out in the harbor. We did get to see some of the Navy's trainers working with a seal. I will show you one picture of the sea lions that lay on the bait boxes to work on their tans. The tour guide said this one was posturing to show us he was hot stuff.

If you have the chance you should check this out. We all enjoyed it.

Midway and the zoo

2009-04-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

The last day in San Diego we went and toured the Midway, a retired aircraft carrier. It has been turned into a floating museum.

When we got on board they gave everyone except Riley (he was to young) a set of head phones and a hand held guide. Michael and Riley went off on their own tour and Roxanne and I took the other 2 and did the self guided audio tour. It was pretty impressive.

Conner didn't really fit but he had to have his picture taken in this seat anyway.

There were retired planes and helicopters on the Midway. If I had not had dead batteries in my camera I probable would have had to take a picture of these two boys in front of each and every one. I doubt Grandma would have wanted to be in everyone.

This was the best part of the tour. The brig. I enjoyed taking this picture. I just hope they never really end up behind bars.

After we finished the Midway tour we took the boys to the San Diego Zoo. I didn't get any good pictures of the boys but I did get some of the animals. Here is my favorite. They are so cute even when they sleep.

We had a great spring break, we were all glad to get home to our own beds. The next day we woke up to this yuck. I want someone to bring back spring. Please?

Bowling!!

2009-03-19T10:43:00.001-07:00

Conner and Josh both have March birthdays. This year we gave them the option of having a party here or taking one friend bowling. They both chose to go bowling. Conner took Brooke and Josh took Clayton. They had a blast. We took them to Pizza Hut first then bowling.

After the first few frames Riley decided he did not need help carrying the ball or getting it down the lane.

Brooke was the only one of the kids to get a strike. She just might have a future in bowling?

Conner liked to slide on his knees and release the ball at the same time.

Clayton was a pretty good bowler. He almost won the game.

Josh tried every different style of bowling he could think off except granny style. He even used a pink ball.

It was a great way to celebrate their birthdays and a lot easier than having parties at home. I think we will do it again next year. But next year we hope not to get stuck next to some extra intense bowlers. I think they were a little disturbed by some of the bowling styles the kids have.

Beef Stroganoff

2009-03-09T08:40:00.001-07:00

I told you I would post a recipe so here it is. My kids love this and I must admit it is really good.

Classic Beef Stroganoff
1 pound beef tenderloin or sirloin steak, about ½ inch thick
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
½ pound mushrooms, washed, trimmed and sliced
1 medium onion, minced, about ½ cup
1 can (10 ½ oz) condensed beef broth (bouillon)
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup sour cream
1 large package cooked extra wide egg noodles

Cut meat across the grain into ½-inch strips, about 1 ½ inches long. Melt butter in large skillet. Add mushrooms and onion; cook and stir until onion is tender, then remove from skillet. In the same skillet, cook meat until light brown. Reserve 1/3 cup of the broth, stir in remaining broth, the ketchup, garlic and salt. Cover; simmer 15 minutes. (You may need to cook it longer if the meat is not tender.)

Blend reserved broth and flour; stir into meat mixture. Add mushrooms and onion. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Reduce heat. Stir in sour cream; heat. Serve over noodles.

I posted a recipe for all of you so please, please post some recipes so I can make something new for dinner.

I don't know?

2009-03-09T08:09:00.000-07:00

Is it just my kids or do all of yours always want to eat "I don't know"? I asked for ideas for dinner this morning before school and I got the standard answer. "I don't know" I wish someone would create a dish full of yummy vegetables and call it "I don't' know". I would make it, wouldn't you? That would teach them.

My husband is the same way. He never has ideas for dinner. I take that back he has one idea and he suggests it often. Meat Loaf.

I want some help. I am sick and tired of making the same stuff for dinner. Please post recipes either in the comments to this post or on your blog. I am going to post a recipe as soon as I decide which one. I will make sure it is a kid friendly recipe.

Please help me fight the dinner time blues.

Caren is having a GIRL.

2009-03-03T15:18:00.000-08:00

For those of you who know my sister Caren I thought I would post her great news. She found out this afternoon that she is having a baby girl. She will be the first granddaughter in both Caren and Lionels families. Talk about a spoiled princess.

It's a girl!

2009-02-16T17:41:00.000-08:00

We added a new member to our family last week. For valentine's day we got the boys a boxer puppy. She is only 6 weeks old and tiny. Riley named her Daisy Mae. She is adjusting well to her new home and loves to play with the boys. We are working on potty training and she seems to be getting it, a little bit. Here are a few pictures I took the day we got her.

Riley is 4!!

2009-02-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

Riley turned four on the 29th!!

I told him I would make him what ever he wanted for dinner. Guess what my silly little boy picked? Breakfast. That's right he wanted brinner. That's what we call it when we have breakfast for dinner. We had pumpkin pancakes, sausage and eggs. After dinner we opened presents and had cake and ice cream. Here are a few pictures of my baby who is no longer a baby.

Riley waited patiently for his daddy to light the candles.

Then he made a wish and blew them out.

Then he took everything off the cake and made sure no frosting was left on his Diego decorations.

He had a great birthday and got more than he should have. I still can't believe that my little guy is already 4.

Hopeful-United We Stand

2009-01-20T14:55:00.000-08:00

After watching the inauguration of President Obama today I am feeling hopeful for our great country. Weather or not you agree with his views, you must admit it is pretty cool to think how far this country has come. Only a short while ago everyone was judged only by the color of their skin not by what kind of a person they were. I am proud to live in a country that has made such huge strides to improve the way people are treated.

Now if President Obama can just turn around the economy, end the wars and keep all the other campaign promises he made, we just might be better off at the end of the 4 years the American voters have given him. I for one can't wait to see what happens next.

I know some people are scared or depressed that the other guy didn't win. I choose to recognize that the American voters made a choice and hope that it is a great one. "United We Stand" is the way I look at it.

34 1/2 Hours

2009-01-19T11:05:00.001-08:00

Michael and I left Saturday at 1 PM for Phoenix. We had tickets to the Cardinals game. We left the boys with my parents. Thanks mom and dad. So it was going to be a whole day and a half without kids. We made it to our hotel fine and checked in. Then off to do a little shopping. We spent a few hours shopping and then had dinner. I really nice dinner WITHOUT kids. The next morning we had to leave the hotel at 7 to get a parking spot at the game. We got a great spot. Right in the front row by the exit of the parking lot. We got to the stadium before any of the restaurants opened so we people watched for a while why we waited. While we were waiting I saw a Cardinals cheer leader I had to take a picture of she was a cutie.

Next we had some not great breakfast. Places that are not usually open for breakfast, don't make good breakfast. After breakfast we did more people watching. It still amazes me what some people will walk around in public wearing. All I can say is they kept us entertained for hours. Our next stop was the line at Margaritaville for a table for lunch. It was around 10 AM at this point and the lines at all of the restaurants were getting really long. We got lucky and only had to wait for 15-20 minutes for a table for 5. Then we had to wait for an hour for Michael's dad, brother-in-law and nephew to show up. We had a great lunch, we ordered the Volcano Nachos. HOLY COW. They are a pile of nachos at least 10 inches tall and at least that big around. I should have taken a picture of them but I was hungry and forgot. After lunch it was off to the stadium. Once again more people watching was required. The lines into the stadium moved quickly, we were in our seats with 20-30 minutes until game time. Here are some pictures from before the game.

Finally it was game time. The Eagles came out first to a big BOOOOOO from the Cardinal fans. Then came the home team. It gets loud in there fast. Here are a few pictures of the Cardinals running onto the field.

I'm sure most of you watched the game on TV so I won't bore you with a recap. But I do have to post a picture of the huge flag that was out during the national anthem. It was really something to see. We had a blast (except for the 3rd quarter it was pretty bad).

As soon as the game was over and the trophy presented to the Cardinals we took off. We made one stop and had dinner then headed home. We got as far as the 202 exit ramp onto Country Club. We were sitting at the light waiting to turn onto Country Club when we got rear ended. Michael got out and talked to the guy driving the truck and got his insurance card then we moved to a gas station instead of blocking traffic. When Michael got back in the car with me he told me the other guy smelled like alcohol so I called 911 and reported the accident. We waited at the gas station and a DPS officer showed up. Then another one and then one more. They did a report on the accident and a field sobriety test on the other driver. He must have failed it because then they did a breathalyzer on him. He must have failed it to because they arrested him and took him to jail. Then one of the DPS officers came and told us the guy was going to be charged with a felony because he had his 12 year old son in the truck. It took us an hour with the police but is was worth it. That guy might have killed some one after he hit us if we didn't call the police. All in all it was a great 34.5 half hours for the two of us. Even if we did hit a few bumps (or get hit by them).

White Christmas one day late?

2008-12-27T14:16:00.001-08:00

Evidently mother nature did not get the memo from my kids asking for a white Christmas until Christmas was over. She did, however, come through with snow. It snowed basically all day yesterday. The boys wanted to go sledding, but we kept telling them not until after it stopped snowing. That did not happen yesterday.

The first thing they asked this morning was can we go sledding? So we took them over to the middle school and let them have fun. As you can see they had a great time.

As you can see Riley got the hang of it quickly and had a blast. He has no fear, he kept laughing all the way down the hill.

When I took this Conner was on his way back up the hill. His dad and auntie kept throwing snow balls at him so he was using his sled as a shield.

Michael even went down the hill a few times. Believe it or not Riley went farther than anybody else. Probably because he is such a light weight.

Hope everyone had a merry Christmas and has a safe and happy new year.

Christmas Program

2008-12-23T14:33:00.000-08:00

Last week Conner was in the annual Christmas program at school. The entire first grade got together and put on a great show. They are so much fun to watch at this age and the teacher, Mrs. Herring, does a great job with them.

When it was Conner's classes turn to do their thing Conner had a special part. He had a sign that he got to hold up at a few "special" moments. Here he is doing his thing.

Santa Came to Town!!!

2008-12-15T16:21:00.001-08:00

Saturday night was the annual Christmas light parade here in SJ. Even though the wind was blowing really HARD and it was FREEZING we went. Last year Conner and Josh got to ride in the SRP fire truck. They decided they wanted to ride again so Grandpa made a few calls and they got their wish. That left only Riley to brave the wind and cold to collect candy. We parked in front of the grocery store and waited in the back of my expedition. The wonderful candy distributors did not make my baby climb out in the cold to get his candy. They brought the candy to him. Let me tell you that is the only way to collect candy in the wind and cold.

After the parade was over we went to Barth Hall and checked out all of the activities the chamber put on. The boys all decorated a sugar cookie. Riley and Conner sat and talked to SANTA. (Josh was tooooo COOL)

Riley told me before we got there he was NOT going to sit on Santa's lap, he wanted to stand next to him to tell him what he wants for Christmas. When we got to the hall he walked up to Santa and climbed on his lap and then proceeded to list at least 6 things he wants.

Conner was a different story he said from the beginning he was going to sit on Santa's lap. He jumped right on up and listed countless items he wants for Christmas. Most of which I could not hear because it was loud in the hall. Hopefully Santa was listening because our Christmas shopping is done. Yeah!!! Now I just need to start wrapping it all. YUCK

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Roasting Marshmallows

2008-12-15T16:08:00.001-08:00

Some people roast marshmallows while camping. Not us. We like to roast marshmallows in our backyard. The boys love marshmallows and it was cold outside so we started a fire in the fire pit and roasted marshmallows.

Riley really likes roasting the marshmallows but not eating them after they are roasted. He prefers his marshmallows RAW. Since he likes to roast them the rest of us are FORCED to eat them for him.

Conner has mastered the art of a beautiful golden brown marshmallow. He really likes to eat them and would have stood there all day and eaten them if I let him. He is amazingly patient with his marshmallows.

Josh on the other hand has NO patience. He puts his marshmallow straight into the flame and lights them on fire. He claims he likes them burned but I think he just doesn't want to wait for them to brown so he burns them. After all it is faster. He hasn't figured out that he still gets the same number of marshmallows as his brothers. I can count after all.

We had a great time roasting marshmallows in our backyard. What more can a kid ask for on a cold Sunday afternoon.

COOKIE EXCHANGE??

2008-12-02T12:35:00.001-08:00

Ok so this isn't a typical cookie exchange. I don't want you all to bake cookies and show up at my house. What I want is new cookie recipes. I always make the same ones. Chocolate chip, snicker doodles, caramel bars and carrot/orange cookies.

Instead of exchanging cookies I want to trade recipes with everyone. So please post your favorite cookie recipes. I want all of you to gain your allotted 5 pounds of holiday weight with me.

Here is my all time favorite cookie recipe.

CARAMEL BARS

I did not have a picture so I took this one off of the web.

1 ½ Cups flour

1 ½ Cups oatmeal

1 ¼ Cups brown sugar

¾ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

2 ½ sticks melted butter

1 package craft caramels

1 ½ Cups chocolate chips

8 tbsp milk

Mix together all but the last three ingredients. Set aside 1 cup of this mixture for the topping. Press remaining mixture into greased 9 X 13 pan.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

While that is baking mix caramels and milk, melt in microwave stirring frequently.

After the bottom layer is done baking sprinkle it with the chocolate chips, pour on caramel/milk mix, then sprinkle the reserved topping over it all.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Cool COMPLETELY before cutting or the caramel will run all over, or so I've been told. I would never be in such a hurry to eat one that I would cut into them before they cooled. I have more self control than that, most of the time.

Now it is your turn to wow me with your cookie recipes. I want something new and out of the ordinary. I challenge all of you to surprise me with your recipes.

Polar Express

2008-11-21T10:28:00.000-08:00

We went to the Polar Express the beginning of the month. The boys were excited before we got on the train. Just look at Conner, he can hardly stand it.

They all got dressed up in their PJ's for the train ride, but it was pretty cold so they had to wear their coats with their jammies. After the ride to the north pole Santa got on the train and gave all of the kids a sleigh bell. Conner is sure that Santa gave away all of the bells and won't have any left for his reindeer. It has been a point of discussion in our home for some time now.

Riley and Santa can be friends as long as Riley can sit on mommy's lap. When we got done with the train ride we went back into the hotel lobby and took this family picture in front of the fire they had going. It is probably the closest thing to a family portrait that I will get for a long time.

The boys were hungry after we got done (big surprise) so we went back up to our room and ordered pizza and wings. After that they were off to dream land. They all keep asking when we get to go on another train ride. I have a feeling they will keep asking until Christmas and then hopefully they will find something else to focus on.

Sewer issues

2008-11-12T18:50:00.000-08:00

We are currently unable to use our bathrooms and kitchen. This afternoon one of the toilets plugged up, or so I thought. Then, a little while later one of the other toilets plugged up. Then, to my suprise, the bathtubs backed up. I will not give you any of the gross details about what keeps coming up in my bathtubs. Let me just say, I will be filling them with pure bleach for a few days before we will be using them again. We called the city and they came out and tried to unclog the line. Unfortunately, we can't find the clean outs for our house and we have no idea which way the line runs.

Without the use of the kitchen sink I did not cook dinner. The kids and I went to El Camino while Michael went to a planning and zoning meeting. When we got home I tried flushing one of the toilets and it worked. So we flushed another and it to worked. Yeah.

I decided I did not want to take the chance and flood the house, so I took the boys to grandma's to shower. Josh was finishing up taking out the trash, so I told him to come to grandma's when he was done. When he got there he told me that the bathtub in one bathroom was half way full and the toilet in the other was about to over flow.

I ran home to check, and sure enough there was water backing up into the house. Nothing has actually over flowed onto the floor, yet. But I had to take water out of one of the toilets so it did not spill out onto the floor. Yuck.

We have called the city, again and Smoke, the great guy that he is, went to city hall and figured out where our sewer line runs. They are currently working to unclog it. I am hope full that we will be able to flush a toilet again soon. If not we will be doing a lot of walking back and forth to grandma's house to use the facilities.

Some day we will look back at this and laugh right???

Raining eggs?

2008-11-06T12:32:00.000-08:00

Has it ever rained eggs in your kitchen? I think that must be what happened in mine today.

Riley and I went out and collected eggs. We found 2 and brought them in the house. I realized the carton in the fridge was already full and searched in the pantry for an empty one. When I found one I dropped it on the kitchen floor. Riley decided to put the eggs in the carton by himself. Lets just say that 2 eggs, 1 carton and 3 year old hands don't work. As you can see one of the eggs did not make it to the carton. Oh well, I needed to clean the kitchen floor again.

Here is a closer look incase you were wondering what a fresh egg really looks like up close and personal. I still can't get over how yellow the yolks are compared to store bought eggs.

Help American Farmers Every Day

2008-11-05T09:33:00.000-08:00

Some time ago I was sent a link to this website that is helping raise money for the National FFA organization. I was an active FFA member in high school. All you have to do is visit this website once a day and click on the barn to help out. It only takes a few seconds and benefits a great organization. I added this website to my favorites and I click on the barn every morning. Please take the time to help out.

http://www.helpgrowyoursoup.com/supporting.aspx

PS. Will one of you please tell me how to make this into a click here button instead of having to post the web address/link. I would love to be able to say click here and not have to copy the entire address into the post.

Halloween

2008-11-04T09:03:00.001-08:00

This year the Halloween costume parade was back on for the kids. (Thanks Tana) There was an amazing turn out and the kids had a blast. Even Riley walked the three plus blocks. Here are a few pictures of them at the parade.

They all three started out walking together, Clone trooper rex, the UPS man and Superman.

The farther they walked the farther our clone trooper got away from his brothers. He found more than one of his friends and needed to walk with them instead of his brothers.

Josh did a great job helping Riley. He even saved him from falling a few times.

At the end of the parade all of the kids got a candy, which made all the walking worth while. I hope that this parade happens again next year. The kids all seemed to have a great time and it was so fun to see them all dressed up for Halloween.

Carving pumpkins

2008-11-04T08:43:00.000-08:00

This year grandma and I took the boys to the pumpkin patch in Snowflake to pick out pumpkins. They all three found a large one to carve for Halloween. We waited until the day before to carve them so they would still look spooky for Halloween. Josh did all the carving on his, Conner did some of the carving on his and I did all the carving for Riley. All three of them helped remove the guts out of their pumpkins. They had a great time and made some really cool jack o lanterns.

Riley was not about to reach in and use his fingers to dig out the pumpkin guts.

Conner on the other hand thought it was the coolest part of carving pumpkins.

Josh stayed focused on that pumpkin longer than I have seen him focus on anything for a long time.

Conner's school has an activity for the kids for Halloween. They ask them all to decorate a pumpkin and bring them in for the weeks before Halloween. This is what Conner decided he wanted for this year. He and I made this together. We could not use pretty white gauze for a Halloween pumpkin mummy so we dyed it with coffee and added some fake blood.

Conner is falling apart

2008-11-04T08:33:00.000-08:00

Conner lost his first tooth a few weeks ago. I know I should have posted about it then but I was busy plus I was sick. He came home from school complaining about how bad it hurt. That was either Wednesday or Thursday. Saturday on the way home from the pumpkin patch in Snowflake he had a sucker in his mouth and we went over a bump in the road. He lost his tooth right there in the back seat. He of course couldn't wait to leave it for the tooth fairy. Things sure have changed since I was loosing teeth. He got $15 for one little tooth.

I love my UPS man!!

2008-10-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

I am officially in LOVE with my UPS man.

He has got to be the world's cutest UPS man. I know what you are thinking what about Michael. Well he just doesn't stack up to this UPS man. If only UPS could hire all new UPS men like mine I think they would double or triple the amount of packages they deliver. I would order things just to see my UPS man.

I am so in love with this UPS man that this morning I took pictures so I can always remember how cute he looked today in his brown uniform. You know that all women love a man in uniform.

Trust me after you see the pictures you will know what I am talking about. Don't be jealous you to can have a UPS man as cute as mine. Wait what am I saying you can't have a UPS man as cute as mine because mine is the cutest UPS man ever and I AM NOT sharing. Hands off he's mine.

OK, so I am not really in love with the man who delivers packages to my house. I am in love with RILEY. Is he not the cutest UPS man that you have ever seen. He picked out this costume and Auntie Caren found it for him. He has a Halloween party today at preschool so he gets to wear it on 2 days. Don't think that has not made him the happiest boy in our house today. His brothers are a little jealous that he gets to wear his costume today and they don't. I will of course take more pix of the three of them in costumes trick or treating tomorrow but I could not resist taking a picture of Riley this morning. Now I'm sure you can see why I love my UPS man.

AZ STATE FAIR 08

2008-10-28T08:21:00.001-07:00

We left home on Tuesday the 14th for State fair in Phoenix. Josh, Riley and I went to my aunt and uncle's house and clipped his 3 lambs and his goat. Wednesday we went to the fair grounds and the fair began. Josh took the same lambs and goat as he showed at our county fair.

Friday the show started with the breeding classes. Miley is a ewe lamb that my parents gave Josh to show. She was in the commercial ewe lamb (girl under 1 year) class. She won the class and then got to compete for the champion commercial ewe. Commercial ewes are not registered ewes, that are used to raise show lambs. Josh and Miley won the champion commercial ewe, they beat out older bigger ewes and showman. Here is a picture of Josh, Miley and the judge.

Next to show was the goat. Let me just say he was not on his best behavior, evidently he did not get the memo and did not realize he was supposed to be a good goat. He did not do well in the market goat show but Josh managed to take the worst behaved goat and place third in the Jr. goat showmanship. For some reason Michael (the official photographer for the weekend) did not take any pictures of Josh showing the stupid goat.

After the goat show was lamb showmanship. Showmanship is about how well the kids show the animals not how good the animals conformation is. Josh showed Miley because she is by far his best behaved lamb. The two of them did great. Miley did exactly what Josh asked her to and the two of them looked great. Josh did everything he needed to and was named the reserve Jr. showman (second out of all the Jr. showman).

Saturday afternoon it was the boys turn to show. Josh started with his southdown. There were only 3 southdowns at the show. But, there was one that weighed in at 140lbs and was shown by an older more experienced showman. As you know it is Josh's first year showing and when we weighed in Downer he was only 116lbs. Josh and Downer held their own and won the southdown class. Downer was the champion southdown market lamb.

Don't let Josh's expression in the picture fool you. He was very happy to do so well he just wasn't happy when I said he had to go in front of the backdrop and take pictures. (I have got to be the meanest parent ever to want pictures.)

Only three classes later it was Rocket's turn to show. Josh and Rocket were in the black face market lamb division. Rocket weighed in at 136lbs which put them in the third out of four classes. Rocket did great for Josh and they won the class. After the fourth class ended they went back to compete for Champion black face market lamb. They won. Rocket was the champion black face market lamb.

Don't they look great together? Once again I was the mean parent and forced Josh to take pictures in front of the backdrop.

After the black face division there were 2 other breeds to show. Once those were done the champions of all 4 breeds (Josh had 2 of the 4) went back to compete for Grand and Reserve Market lamb. The Grand was shown by a young lady from the valley. She did a great job and had a good lamb. The Reserve champion market lamb was shown by JOSH. That's right Josh and Rocket won Reserve Grand champion market lamb (the second best lamb at the state fair).

Notice the great award displayers that we hired for the occasion? They work cheap. We did have to settle the dispute over who would hold the "big" one (the banner) and who would hold the ribbons. Lets just say it took a mom intervention to settle it.

As soon as the show was over for the 4-Hers it was time for the PEEWEE showman to take a crack at it. Peewee is for little ones who can't be in 4-H yet but want to show anyway. Both Conner and Riley have been doing peewee since they were a year old.

Conner is now old enough that he can show without the help of an older 4-H member. See the look of concentration on his face. I can see the time spent watching Ty, Holly and Josh has not been lost on him.

Riley on the other hand still needs help. This is Peyton Frost from Snowflake. She is Riley's new best friend. He usually has Holly help him show. Not this year, everything was all about Peyton. He was going to show the goat but at the LAST minute changed his mind. He told me "mom, I don't want to show this stinkin' goat". So we rushed back to the pen and changed to Downer.

Sunday evening was the Sale of Champions. Josh sold Rocket. Here they are in the sale ring, again notice the hired award displayers.

It was a great show, run by good people. The kids had a great time and can't wait for next year. I for one want a few weeks of sleep before I try this again. The boys and I came home Monday morning. After being at the fair for 5 days, we were all very tired. Riley decided he had had enough and this is what happened.

There is nothing as exciting as driving home from the valley with a tired screaming 3 year old. For those of you who have not yet tried it, you don't know what you are missing. It is an experience all teenagers should have to endure. I am confident it would put an end to teen pregnancy. All in all we had a great time and other than a few minor incidents (melt downs) it was a smooth show.

Feedin' chickens

2008-10-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

We bought a dozen chickens at the beginning of the summer. We bought pullets that are all suppose to be hens. Now that they are older we have discovered that some one at the hatchery can't tell the difference between the boy and the girl chickens. We ended up with 3 roosters out of 12 chicks. Not a great success story for the guys doing the sorting.

Riley has decided that it is his job to throw out the scratch to them every morning. He is great at it and the chickens have figured out that when the cute little boy heads towards the shed it means breakfast. It is quite a site to watch them all run across the backyard after him.

Picture 11 chickens (we lost one when it went over the fence and met the dogs) running as fast as they can after one 3 year old little boy. I would like everyone to take notice of the custom feed scoop that he uses to measure scratch for "his" chickens. We like to recycle what we can around here.

My new Favorite website

2008-10-10T10:11:00.000-07:00

I am now and always have been a sucker for a good love story. Thanks to a link on another blog I found this website. http://thepioneerwoman.com/ If you want to read a good love story, make sure you have a few hours (nap time always works well) and get started. I must warn you that I sat in my pj's until 11AM yesterday reading this story. Once I started I could not stop and now I can't wait for the next chapter. Like I said make sure you have a few hours. I hope you enjoy this woman's outlook on life and helpful tips as much as I do. I have not checked out everything she has on the website but I am truly enjoying reading what she has to say.

Fat foot

2008-09-27T22:46:00.001-07:00

Michael played basketball with some friends Tuesday night. As you can see he had a little problem with his ankle. We spent most of the day Wednesday at the doctor's office and getting x-rays. They tell us it is just a sprain and he should be fine after it heals. It is not a shade of purple that I wanted to see on my husband.

SOCCER

2008-09-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

Soccer has started!! Yeah! Conner is on the KILLER BEES this year. They have had 2 games. Conner got to play goally for the second quarter of the second game. He was an awesome goally. He stopped 4 goals (or more I lost count with all the action.) We are so proud of him he did great.

Riley starts preschool!

2008-09-18T20:50:00.002-07:00

Riley started preschool last week. Can you believe he is old enough? I can't. Where did my baby go? Who took him and turned him into a big boy over night? He is loving preschool and mommy is loving having a few hours a week ALONE! (that's right 4 whole hours)

County Fair 08

2008-09-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

As most of you know I was very involved in 4-H as a kid and am now involved as a volunteer. Josh is showing for the first time this year. He has 3 lambs, 1 goat and 1 pig. He and I have worked very hard with all of his animals this year. He finally got to put all of the hard work to good use last week at the Apache County fair.

He showed "Annabelle" his pig Thursday morning. She would not eat enough to make it past the minimum weight so he did not get to show in the market class, but he did do showmanship and placed second in his class. After the pig show he showed "Brownie" his goat. Brownie was the CHAMPION MARKET GOAT!! Then Josh showed in the goat showmanship. Josh was the CHAMPION JR. GOAT SHOWMAN!! Yeah Josh!!! Yeah Brownie!!!

Friday after the steer show Josh showed 2 of his 3 lambs. He showed "Miley" first and placed second in the light weight market lamb class with her. Then he showed "Rocket" in the middle weight market lamb class. Rocket was first in the class and then was the CHAMPION MARKET LAMB!!! Then Josh took Miley into the JR lamb showmanship class. Josh was the CHAMPION JR MARKET LAMB SHOWMAN!!! Yeah Josh!!! Yeah Rocket!!!

It was by no means the end of the show. Conner got his turn next. He showed Miley in the Pee Wee showmanship. Pee Wee is for younger brothers and sisters who can't be in 4-H yet. Conner showed Miley without any help from Josh. Yeah Conner!!!

Riley had been telling us all week that he was going to show Brownie but when it was time to show he did not want to. I think he was to busy playing with one of the little girls at the fair.

For those of you that live in the Valley all three of the boys will be showing at the Arizona State Fair in October. Let me know if you want more details.

Love Megan

2008-07-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

In June we went with Michael's family to a cabin in Munds park (outside Flagstaff). We had a great time! The boys really enjoyed the "FIESTA" birthday party for Grandpa Randy especially the pinatas.

2008-04-09T15:42:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,

Instead of sending everyone pictures of our boys I decided to try blogging. This is my first attempt so please be patient. I'm sure I will get better as I figure this out. Please come back often and see what these three crazy boys have been getting into.

Love,
Megan