Kinlee's 10th Birthday

Friday after work, Kinlee, Allisa, Mya and I went to dinner at Olive Garden for Kinlee's birthday. Then we went to the mall for a little bit and then we came home and had cake with the boys.

Driver's Education

See these pictures, this means that Jerika is REALLY taking drivers ed and I can't wait until it is over!! She has 2 classes a week at 6:30 in the morning, once again I am NOT a morning person. Luckily the AMAZING, WONDERFUL, FABULOUS, GIVING, SELFLESS, Taylors (Bill and Jennifer) have been taking Jerika and Allyson to class. That way I don't have to leave Kinlee alone early in the mornings while I run Jerika over. I don't know what I would do without such helpful people around me!! Anyway, Jerika drives once a week too and she is pretty good from what I hear. Did I also mention the homework? Jerika is doing pretty good at that too. That is what these pictures are from. I am not complaining anymore, I am just glad we are getting it done and she is going to be able to learn on slick roads. I really can't wait until she can drive, it will be so nice!! I THINK

First Day of School

So, this year I decided to mix it up a little and take different pictures for a change. First of all because Jerika thought she needed to be to school a half hour before Kinlee, so she was gone by the time Kinlee was ready and second because I got tired of the same old same old.
This is my super skinny Freshman. She also started drivers ed the first week of school too.

Look, her mom made her a really healthy breakfast on her first day of school. I am awesome, right.

It looks like Kinlee might have had the same breakfast as Jerika. Kinlee started 4th grade this year and she has a man teacher and loves him. He is Jerika's friends brother so that helped matters too.

My babies are growing up so fast, it really makes me sad. I think this is the first year I didn't cry as I pulled away from the schools to head for work. I don't know why starting school is such an emotional thing. I am pretty sure, however, that if I would have taken Jerika to her first day of High School, I would have not been so lucky.

Jerika's grandparent party

The actual night of Jerika's birthday, we invited the grandparents over and had dinner. We also had another cake. We will do anything around here for another party.

She can't be 15 - I am not old enough.

I am still in denial!! I just don't think my little Jerika can be 15, but she is. This was her friend party and as you can tell they went bowling. It was going to be just girls, but at the last minute Jr. decided to come only. He is such a fun kid to have around!! The girls all got along really well too and had a lot of fun. There are 3 people from Sugar and 3 from South Fremont, which I thought was really funny!!!

After bowling they came back to house and made mini pizzas and then we had cake and opened presents.

She really needed a new straightner, since hers blew up on her and I got a really good deal at Sally's but I had her convinced that I didn't buy it, so it was a good surprise. I know I have said this before but she is such a good kid and a delight to have in our home!! She really never does give me much trouble at all, except maybe sometimes when I say no to going somewhere, which is pretty much never!! She watches Kinlee all summer and after school every day and does very little complaining about that too. Her dad is having A LOT of trouble with her growing up too. He is having a hard time letting go and it really makes me wonder what we have in store. I am kind of surprised her isn't out following her and making sure all the boys stay away from her. Which, is another issue we are having, but I won't get into all that, since I am sure you all have the same issues with your teenagers and if not, you will!! Anyway, after that they watched a scary movie and screamed for 2 hours straight, it was a long evening for sure, but they had fun!!  Love ya Jerika!!

Morgan

So, I was just sitting here thinking how grumpy I am right now and wondering why I am so grumpy and why I get grumpy with my kids so often. Then I clicked into my blog and saw that they had updated Morgan's blog and now I feel really creepy and selfish!! Morgan is my friend Jana's daughter. She will be turning 16 tomorrow and just finished her first round of chemo yesterday. She has breast cancer. There is no reason for me to be grumpy at all!! We love you Morgan - get better soon!!

Jerika's birthday is tomorrow

Oh, how well I remember this night 15 years ago. I was scheduled for a c-section on the 5th of September and late at night on the 4th I started having some really bad pains. We called the doctor and he told us to come from Idaho Falls to the hospital in Rexburg. They checked me out when I got there and figured out I had a kidney infection so they put me on some pretty strong antibiotics. Then Ray and I both stayed at the hospital that night. The next morning, I was prepped for surgery and rolled into the operating room. Ray came in all suited up a few minutes later and it only seems like a few minutes before our brand new baby came into the world. It was 9-5-95, she weighted 6 pounds 15 ounces and she was beautiful. The days that I was in the hospital the nurses from other places in the hospital would come and see her because they had heard I had the cutest baby in the hospital and I am not even kidding about that. Tonight 15 years later, I am sitting in my living room typing on my laptop listening to 6 teenagers watch a scary movie and they are screaming so loud. It is so crazy how time has flown!!

Funny girl!!

Okay these pictures are from a few weeks ago, but they are so funny!! I took Kinlee to Mutual with me and left her with my camera, and told her to take some pictures of us playing ultimate frisby. Yes, I said us, I did play, yeah me!! Anyway, here are just 3 of the pictures that she took. I guess she needs a few lessons before I turn her loose next time.

Trip down the RIVER OF DEATH aka Near Death Experience

Okay most of you know how I love the outdoors, this trip just confirmed what I have felt for so long "stay home and in the house as much as you can, it is not safe outside"!!!  So, here is the whole story for those of you who haven't heard.  We too a trip down Warm River with our mia maids and laurels fro our ward.  I had some really mixed feelings about this trip, but my Laurel Advisor (who I think is more in touch with the spirit than I am) had me convinced that all would be well.  She said that her brother in law went on this little trip before and that it wasn't over waist deep anywhere.  So, we left the church at about 11 and headed to Ashton to get in the river with our canoes.  I had told one of the moms that there would be an adult in every canoe, but when we got there, the girls assured us that they would be fine.  So, we separated into boats.

Aren't we cute?  This was one of the good things about the day, I got to spend it with Jerika and Ray.  Oh, that is one thing that I forgot to mention.  The night before we left I had a bad dream about going, so I made Ray go with me, since I had no clue what I was doing.  We also had two other priesthood leaders with us.

The calm before getting into he water.  What a bunch of good girls!!

My very own Captain Ron

Right before the "FUN" began.

This is Jerika and her friend Ally, they were in a canoe with Ray and I.

I'm not sure who was in this boat, I think it was all leaders, and they didn't tip over once.

This boat was 3 young women and didn't fare quite as well as the leader boat, their boat got stuck on some rocks and they high centered.  One of the girls fell out of the boat and started to float away with the current.  So, some fisherman off the side of the river waded out to help them and they arrived safely at the end.

This boat was another all young women boat and they didn't have any problems either.  It might have been because they are all pretty outdoorsy and do stuff like this often and they don't weigh very much either, which I think was part of our boat's issues.

Right after we put the boats in the water, I knew it wasn't going to be good, we all spread out really far apart and it really made me nervous.  Then one of the other boats with 2 leaders tipped over.  I took all of the pictures above right before we started to eat our lunches, which another one of the leaders thought would be a good idea.  NOT!!  Every little move we made, the boat would rock really bad, see Jerika hanging on for dear life in the picture.  As a result of the rocking, we were taking on water, once again I mention the weight on the boat.  Now Ray and I are not the smallest people in the world, which I am sure everyone is aware, so I am thinking at this point maybe we should not have gone in the same boat, but here we are.  So, in an effort to get rid of some of the water we are taking on, we row (and by we I mean Ray because I have no freaking clue how to actually use the row I am holding) to the side of the river.  As we get closer to the bank, we hit rocks and tip the boat and in we all go, lunches, camera and all.  We finally get control and get the girls to the bank and then we tip the boat back and attempt to empty some of the extra water.  But, oh wait, it gets so much better!!  We gather up our lunches, and the girls, luckily my camera was around my neck or it would have been lost at sea.  At this point I really start worrying about the girls in the other boats WAY out in front of us.  If we are tipping, they certainly must be having problems also, so Ray and I paddle with a little more effort to try to catch up to the other girls.  Well, on this leisurely jont down the river, we encounter more rocks, at least that is what I think it was.  This time we flipped over and it was one of the scariest things I have EVER experienced.  Ally was under the boat and Jerika was floating away down the river.  Now, keep in mind it was only about waist deep, but the current was really fast.  Ray got Ally out from under the boat and then Ally reached for Jerika and they were both able to get their footing after a few minutes.  I am here the tell you one of the worst things in life is watching your child struggle and you not being able to help them because you don't have your footing either, that is a good lesson I learned that day.  Anyway, Ray got the boat steady, but it was FULL of water, so we all held onto it and walked to the bank.  Now, that may seem like an easy task, but guess again.  Our feet are slipping on the rocks beneath our feet, the current is really fast, the boat weighs about 300 pounds and to top it all off I lost both of my flip flops in the battle and Ally lost one of hers, oh and we lost an oar too.  Therefore making the walk to the bank one of the most painful things I have ever had to do with my very sensitve feet.  I had to dig my bare feet in between the rocks and get my footing before I was able to step.  So, we got to the bank, and we were so lucky!!!!!  There was a house right there off of the river, which I felt was a complete blessing.  Now keep in mind I am still REALLY worried about the girls ahead of us and if they are okay and if they will know when to pull their boats out of the river, etc. etc. etc.  So, I went to the house and knocked on the door, surely if they were home, they would be able to help.  Well, no answer, so yes, I opened the door and yelled hello.  No answer again.  So, I went inside and used the phone, which I don't think they would mind either.  Here they have this huge million dollar house they are not going to mind if I use the phone.  So, I called my mom, isn't that who we are supposed to call for emergencies.  I think I first of all told her that we were all safe, but that I needed help.  Then I asked her if it showed up on her caller id where I was calling from and she said it did.  I told her I needed her to find out where it was and come and get me.  Then I went outside and by this time the last 2 boats had caught up with us.  Brother Hawkes, our "guide" for the trip was trying to get Ray to get back in the canoe.  At this point I had to strongly object!!  I was not getting back in that boat and I knew Jerika was not getting back in either and I knew my mom was on her way.  So, we sent him down the river to try to catch the other girls and we pulled the our canoe up to the road in front of the house.  Jerika and I sat down on the grass and Ray walked out to the main road to wait for my parents.  At this point I am REALLY freaking out about the other girls.  We had been sitting for maybe 10 minutes when my parents showed up (I don't know what I would do without those people, they are always saving the day!!) and they drove us to the end of the river where the girls were supposed to take their boats out.  Well, none of them had made it yet, so when they did get there, Ray was there to help them get their canoes out of the water. 

I know this is a really long story, but there is still more.  In order to get directions to the house, my mom called the Fremont County Sheriff's office and told them what was going on.  Well, the sent an officer up to check on us to make sure the girls were okay and that all was well.  The police officer said that he had called the owners of the house to tell them what happened and they were not happy, but luckily we know the people at the police department including this officer and he was able to smooth it over for us.  I was not charged with breaking and entering, thank goodness.  That house was beautiful though, I could see why they would be angry.

So, in the end we were all safe.  Two of the boats with just girls didn't tip nor did they have any issues at all.  I wasn't sure though how the bishop would feel about my breaking and entering, okay it was just entering, the door was unlocked.  I still don't know how the bishop feels, because he has been out of town for a month, and maybe that is a good thing.  I really do believe that we were watched over that day by a loving Heavenly Father.  I have since talked to several people who are experienced at canoeing and they said they would have never put canoes in that water where we did.  So, I guess we live and learn and we thank our Heavenly Father for his hand in all things.

It is really late and I am not proofing this, so if there are errors, I am very sorry!!  Thanks for letting me share and I guess if you don't care, you don't have to read.  Peace OUT!