Back To School

GRADE 5

Liza is headed off to Mrs Andersons Class.

By the end of week one, Liza was made a "Safety" which is a pretty big deal to her.

She is responsible for making sure that everyone on the bus is accounted for before they leave the school.  She is also supposed to be somewhat of  a crowd controller on the bus.

GRADE 2

Alex is in Miss Simpkins class.  

Liza had Miss Simpkins for 3rd grade, and LOVED her.

He came home from school the after the second week, absolutely distraught that he didn't get a treat.  Apparently he wasn't chosen for some special privilege, so he pouted/cried, and while he was pouting in the corner, not paying attention, everyone got treats but him.

Alex is a treat driven boy, so he was quite upset.

PRESCHOOL

Tori is going to ECP and will have Miss Kelly.   (that is who Alex had there too) 

We LOVE Miss Kelly.!!

Tori will be in School with Natalia and Eli, Eli was sick on the first day, so we don't have a picture of the 3 of them.   I think it is going to be a great year!

Tori started 2 weeks after Liza and Alex, but I am so late on the post that now I only have to do one blog.  :-)  

Yeah for School......................................................Boo for Homework. 

My Liza Lu!

Happy 10th Birthday

(August 19th)

Ah, what to say about my Liza.  LIZA:

-* is Spunky 

-*  is Creative

-*is full of love 

-* is so kind

-* is so forgiving

 -* makes friends in a heart beat, no matter where she is

-*is happy to help

-*loves responsibilities (baby sitting, or helping out)

-*loves to fast

-*loves to bare her testimony

-*loves church, and the spirit

-*remembers every person she has ever met, maybe not their name, but surely their face.

-*is a social butterfly.

-*loves hugs and attention

-*loves to lead a group of children in play

-*requires very little sleep and is rarely grumpy

-*gets sarcasm, and thinks it's funny

-*lets EVERY THING roll off her back.

-*loves her daddy

-*wants to grow up SO BADLY!

-*will play "boy" games, and "boy" toys

-*still loves pink, dolls and bratz

-*loves Harry Potter, Star Wars and Bratz

-*likes Suit Life of Zack and Cody, and Hanna Montana

I feel so blessed to have Liza in  our family.  She has so much energy that at times I want to clock her, but in general, her energy is happy and fun and brings light into our otherwise boring home.  She always has a new idea, sometimes good (like cleaning up to surprise me) and sometimes bad (like "making a recipe"  using chocolate chips and over melting them in the microwave.)  When she goes on play dates I miss her being my entertainment for the other kids.  She will make an excellent college student and will someday work for herself.  I don't see her being a 9-5er.  She's too creative.   She LOVES the flute and is so proud to be a "Safety" this year.  She is best behaved when she has a responsibility put on her.  We Love You Liza!  Never forget it babe!

For Her Birthday this year she had parties in Canada with her cousins,


and then came home and had gifts and out to dinner with her family on her actual birthday, followed by a SLUMBER PARTY!!

Tori, Sariah, Jade (JD), Hailey, Liza, Maia, Abby.

 Lucky girl, I say!

Wrap 'er up eh?

I've decided that it is time to be done blogging my trip to Canada.  The kids started school over 2 weeks ago, and i still haven't done that post....  So this is it.  Canada '08......  The final post:

One day while we were there, the kids built play houses out of these boxes from my mom's new table and chairs.

Tori and Abbys house.

Liza and Elise's pad.  

Only a Grandma would let you pick the annuals in her yard!!  Can you imagine MY reaction if they picked MY flowers!  

Grandma and all the Grand kids.  :-) I went and hid in the house so that Katie would take this picture.  She was really clingy and  wouldn't be in group pictures unless I was in them, holding her.

My dad turned 60 this year.  He spent his birthday traveling for business, so that kind of sucked.  For his birthday we tricked him into thinking that we were doing a party for Liza and then surprised him with a cake that said Happy Birthday Grandpa!!  The kids were excited.

For his gift we asked Kevin to take portraits of each child. Then we matted and framed them.  Here are some shots from the portraits.

While we at it we mooched a family photo off of Kevin too.  (hey thanks Kevin!)  WE had to travel a bit for this one.  This is in front of the Alberta, Cardston Temple.  In the SHORT time that Brent was able to join us, we took some tours around Southern Alberta.

I think that the kids favorite part was the Quad out a Kevin's' Mom and dads house.  But on this little trip, we squeezed in visits with Grandma's again, and a quick stop in to visit an old friend from High School  Gord, and his wife Angel and their 3 children.  It was so fun to visit with them.  Gord joined the church when we were in high school, and has gone on to serve a mission and marry in the Temple.  It is really neat to see him now, a full fledged Mormon Daddy.  :-)   We crashed in Cardston for one night and then headed up to Waterton for the day.  Oh how I love Waterton.  The Deer run the town, so it is kind of weird how they just lay out on peoples lawns, but still SO COOL!  I don't have photos of that ready yet,  but I do have photos from an trip to Elbow falls to share.  The thing that I LOVE about nature in Canada, is that the water is crystal clear.  You can see right through it!
 MY feet are in the water... if you look really close you can kind of see how the water is covering the top of my foot.  My toes are under the water.  (this was taken with my feet in Waterton Lake, for the sole purpose of sharing with you how clear the water is.)
 Not muddy, not mossy, just pebbles on the bottom.  Even in the lakes.  

Elbow Falls

Mini Falls

(these photos were a lesson from kevin on Tripods and shutter speeds) 

I love the look of these.

We also spent a day at Heritage Park.  We had a ball, and I took a ton of photos which I haven't even gotten to, and not tonight.  You'll have to wait for those.

We had the pleasure of a visit with our DEAR friends the Lee's Family.  I started baby sitting for this Family 17 + years ago.   A lot has happened, but we have stayed in really good contact.  Their daughter Victoria (Tori) is very dear to me.  I loved being with her and playing with her, and then as I got older, I would come and take her out just for fun instead of for $.  When she was 3 I met Brent, and we took her to the zoo one day.  This family has been like a second home to me.  They've loved me unconditionally (even though I had WAY more kids then they thought I should. :-))  They've taken to Brent and all my monsters, and have every year (that we've been home) invited us over to play and catch up.  If you've had "fire house" burgers at my house, this is where they came from.  Anyway.  We had a lovely visit with them, and MaryBeth spoiled the kids once again.  This time they got backpacks, lunch boxes, purses, dress and Stickers and pencils etc.  They were all very excited.

Here is my "Big Tori" and my "Little Tori"

MMMWWAA!  Smooches.

A trip to Calgary just wouldn't be complete with out some "Bucket Rain" with Reece.   Liza has been playing with Reece for years and years.  She asked me what the odds were that she might marry Reece.  He has a very magnetic personality.  He is so funny and such a cute kid.  Oh, I've just loved him from when they were a lot younger.  Anyway, here is  some shots of the water fight that always follows a good game of bucket rain.

And Finally, one last picture.  I took a whole suit case full of photography stuff. I have so many little images floating around in my head, I just need time to put them all on film.  I had such a blast shooting with "Keven" .  He is a wonderful photographer and has taught me a TON!  Thank you!
'Till next time EH?

Things I don't want to forget part 2

Take a little break from Vacation posts....  Here's one that has been in the works for some time...

More things I don't ever want to forget..

... Brent's Grandma Wall had the funniest phrases, I want to remember these too...

"You couldn't swing a dead cat in here with out hitting someone."

"I'm so short, I'd have to stand on a piece of cigarette paper to kick a duck in the hind end."

"You could go clear to Huntington on this knife."  (that meant the knife was dull)

" You could go clear to  Price on the soles of my eggs."

... Brent's mom used to sing the prune song to my kids when they got out of the tub and had wrinkly toes

"No matter how young a prune may be he's always getting wrinkles, a baby prune looks  just like his dad, only he's not wrinkled quite so bad.  Now you get wrinkles on your face, but a prune gets wrinkles in every place.  No matter how young a prune may be he's always getting stewed!"

... For years Brent has gotten the little kids out of the tub, and while they are all wrapped up in their towel he sings "How much is that baby in the window."  including a flip over when he sings about the "waggly tail", and a zoom in close to the mirror as he sings in his lowest voice "I ..do.. hope.. that.. baby's.. for. .sale."

... Liza used to say "I nonano."  for  "I don't Know"

... When Alex was about 18 months old we went out for dinner at Chillies, as a special treat we got their Molten Lava Chocolate Cake to share.  The waitress brought us the desert with 4 LONG milkshake style spoons.  The desert was placed in the middle of the table, and we all dug in.  Up until this point we knew Alex had pretty good control over a spoon, but we never knew just how good.  That kid could slap that huge long spoon into that cake and drag it halfway across the table with out spilling a drop.  At the end of it all I am SURE that he got his fair share, and there was not a drop on his face, or the table.  This is just how much Alex LOVES chocolate!  From then on we expected just a little more out of him when it came to spooning his lunch.  :-)  Alex has always been a really neat eater, not one to spill or leave a whole lot of crumbs.  

...When asked who Martin Luther King is, Alex said "he is just this guy who kept saying... I have a dream, I have a dream, I have a dream."

... Katie always says "where are you?" when you put a shirt on her head.  Then when her head pops through she says "there you are!"  Even when she is crying about having to get dressed, she still does it.  She will do it for each hand too.  

...  When Katie is on her way to sleep, she says in a sing songy voice "oh sue sue.... where are you!" and then will cheer "there it is!"  when she finds it.  (Sue Sue is her pacifier derived from the canadian name for a pacifier which is Soother)

...  Alex has always had potty issues, when he was 3 he hated to poop, so you always knew when he needed to go because he would lay his head on the couch or a chair or something, and then he would stick his bum in the air and jump up and down.  (I don't know if that helped shake it back in or what, but he did it almost every time. )

...  Tori still  (at age 4 1/2 ) thinks that the word stare is said scare.  So she'll say, "why are you all scaring at me?"  It is so funny!

... Katie calls sleeping beauty "Shakin' Booty."  Some times "Stinkin' Booty."  LOL!!

... Liza used to call studying "scuddying"  So she would ask me "Mommy, is Daddy scuddying?"

... When Katie was barely over two if you said "You're silly, or you're funny, or you're awake..... "  She would say, "No! I Katie!"  :-) 

Great Grandma's

We went to Picture Butte twice while we were home.  Both of my parents grew up in or around this little tiny town in Southern Alberta.  They went to the same high school, but never really knew each other.  Both of their mothers (who are both widows) still live in Picture Butte.  My moms sister also lives in Picture Butte, we we get to see Autie Patty and Uncle Tom when we go too.  Auntie and Grandma Reeder put on a really nice picnic for us.  Tons to eat, and best of all (for me) grandma made her toffee dipped marshmallows (She calls them "caramallows")!  YUM YUM YUM!  Grandma treats are the BEST!

This is Tori and her Great Grandma Reeder.  Grandma brought a TON of popsicles and the kids needed em cuz it was really hot out there.  :-)
I always take pictures of my kids with my Grandmas.  I guess there is always a fear that they wont be there next time.... but I never take pictures of me with my Grandmas, so this time I did.  I can honestly say that there is not much more that feels as good to me as a squeeze from my Grandma.  I love the grip that she has on my wrist in this picture.  I can almost feel it.  :-)  Oh I love my Grandmas!
Katie wasn't too down with sitting on her Grandmas laps for pictures.  I should have gotten the camera out when they were reading together because they sat and read books for most of the time that we were there visiting.  Katie really took to Grandma Reeder.
It is so fun to watch my children interact with my grandmas.  They really love my kids, and my kids really love them.  It is truly "bliss" to watch them together.  :-)

This is my dads mom, Grandma Cook.  She is living in a home right now, she has Alzheimer's and her memory is fading quickly.  She remembers me, and who I belong to.  She even still remembers that I am married to Brent, but the kids, she's not so good at remembering them.  :-)  This really quite bothered Tori.  Tori really really loved Grandma Cook.  She sat on her lap and beside her on the bed for a long time.  They talked and talked, but Grandma kept asking her her name and how old she was.  Finally Tori asked me for a piece of Paper.  I asked her why as I fished around in my purse for a paper and pen.  She then wrote her name and a four on the paper.  "So Grandma can remember who I am and how old I am." 
The other kids in the photo are my cousins kids Hunter and Gemma.  My cousin Carey came and met me and Brent and the kids for an hour or so while we visited Grandma.  It was good to see her and the kids.:-) 

Me and my Grandma Cook.  "they" say i look like a Powell, which is her side of the family.  I've seen pictures of her as a child and I did look like her when I was little, so I suppose "they" are right. 
Carey and I.  You can tell we're family.  :-)  We had a lot of good times playing play dough at Grandmas.  We were aloud to play with Grandpas CB radio mic, so we used that to order various play dough meals.  some good memories of that.  
Tori had this tender moment with my Grandma.  She wanted to brush her hair.  Grandma was tickled.  She beamed from ear to ear the whole time.  She kept saying "I can't even remember the last time someone brushed my hair for me."  It was so tender and wonderful.  Tori ate up the Grandma love this whole vacation.  :-)  It was a wonderful time.  I love my Grandmas SO MUCH.  I truly wish I could live closer to them and I fear the dreaded phone call....Oh, we won't think about that.  :-)  They will live forever right?  :-)  

We had a great time on both of our visits to Picture Butte.  One time we did the picnic thing, and the second time we had Brent with us, so  we just did the rounds that day and then headed up to Cardston to the temple for our Family picture.  (that is still to come)  Getting tired of our vacation photos yet?  :-)

Calaway Park

A PICTURE POST.  ALL PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT TO MY DEAR SISTER.  She was deemed the photographer for the day.  We kind of spilt the kids by age groups and assigned an adult to each group.  Tracey got to float between groups and grab photos.  :-)  It was a very fun day! 

We always start with the big eggs.  I don't know why, but we do.  And EVERY ONE can go on the eggs.  However, I took Katie on this year and I was feeling a little woosy after.  (what is wrong with me?)  Why does that happen? Katie wasn't impressed AT ALL!  She managed to not scream the whole ride, but I am sure that it was only because I was sitting with her.  Above:  Liza, Elise and Samantha having a rocking time!!!  Whoo hoo!
Here are my Dad, Tori and Abby.  We had such a good time.
Liza is finally big enough for all the "big rides".  She loves the dare devil ones.  She really really wanted to go on Chaos this year.  Here she is waiting in line.  A little anxious.

All Buckled in.  ( I love these pictures.  :-) )
Just starting to go......
All done!!!!  I think she liked it!! :-)  I don't know how many times they went on, but it was lots.
Tori and Abby on the kiddie bumper cars.  I was impressed by Toris ability to actually control the little car.  They went on this one a few times too.  SO cute!
The wonderful thing about Calaway park is that you rarely stand in line more then one round of the ride.  The Boats are always a long line though.  They kids waited though, and had a good time.  
Closest boat: Samantha and Ethan, next boat back in orange: Liza, furthest boat:  Alex and grandpa.  
The boys loved this scrambler thing.  They went on it over and over and over.  This was my favorite ride back in the day too!  I can't handle it now... well once around maybe, but not much more then that.
Aren't they cool?  Yeah, real studs!  :-)  LOL
They had a little boat, it was pretty cool.  Just right for the little gals.  They were also WAY cool and didn't hold on.  :-)  Tori and Abby went on a lot of rides.  I went with them on as many as I could stomach, which wasn't many.  
Calaway also offers a little show, this time was fairy-tale idol.  Tori was funny.  She told me "that's not the REAL  Snow White like at Disney Land, right mom?  She's just a girl dressed up like Snow White. "   How funny.
Here is Katie doing about the only doing she did that day.   Katie didn't want to go on or do anything.  She would stand in line as though she was going to go, and then she would chicken out at the end.  :-(  I didn't push her, I didn't want it to become a show.  She just sat in her stroller and I kept offering her fun.
"the big kids" after the Gravitron.  For some reason Kevin is not effected by the spinning.... he rides all these crazy rides with the kids.  We really appreciate Kevin being willing to ride with the kids.  In this picture:  Ethan (front), Liza (orange shirt), Elise (ball cap), Samantha (red) Kevin (Gray)  ... his shirt, not his hair.  :-)  LOL!! HE HE.

It was another busy day, but oh so full of fun.  I ALWAYS enjoy the Calaway park day.  Great fun.