Skelelton, Witch and Frankenstein

Halloween was a lot of fun! Eve and Andrew always end up with tons of candy so they are happy. The pumpkins in the picture of the kids on our porch were all grown in our garden. We had huge fairytale pumpkins and so many that we were giving them away. Next year I think the kids want to sell them (we had offers this year!) Nate has been busy digging trenches in the back yard for landscaping drainage and building a firewood stand and awning. He found out last week that he can't go back to firefighting until the end of Jan/Feb. since his finger is still broken! He was really bummed. The doctor also said "Don't tell me about any extreme sports either" to which Nate replied, "oh, like the three day motorcycle trip I just went on in the desert?" He had a great time on his gyu trip and is enjoying being 35! Andrew hit his head today and had to get three staples! (thus the frankenstein)That kid didn't even cry! He came running toward me with blood all over saying "Mom, I hit my head!" He hit a pole! The most disappointing part for him is that he will miss his first basketball game this Saturday. I knew he was okay though when, while we were waiting for the doctor, he asked if he gets to stay home from school tomorrow with his big smile on his face. It is fun to see all the pictures and hear everyone's news!

Andrew's hurdles

A mom sent me this cool shot of Andrew doing the hurdles at field day today. In his words "it was awesome!"

Getting ready for summer!

Things have been busy at our house...School is out in one week and the kids can't wait! We just spent a fun Memorial Day weekend camping at New Brighton Beach with old Fair Oaks friends. Eve and I ran in her "Girls on the Run" 5k two weekends ago. She had been praticing for two months- it is a really great program that encourages confidence and heathly attitudes for 3rd- 6th graders. The practice was 21 laps around their school track in the cold rain- she did it and I was so proud of her. Her class did and marionette puppet show last night and she is looking forward to the third grade beach bbq the day before the last day of school. She is excited for fourth grade (I can't believe it!) Andrew is counting down for summer and has been for quite a while. He does everything with numbers and all his friends come up and tell me what math test he passed when I am at the school. We are constantly amazed at his interest- he will figure out how to do all kinds of stuff. Our garden in growing like crazy (thanks to farmer Nate) and we are just starting to get blueberries and raspberries. We got an above the ground pool which the kids love even when it is foggy and cold. Nate is finishing up his firefighting training in the next two weekends- he has been doing Hazmat and wildfire trainings. I am just getting over laryngitis which has given me a great guilt free excuse to sit around, read, take naps and not talk very much. I highly recommend it every once in a while! One of my good friends got baptized on Sunday night, she is a Kloepfer. It was one of the coolest things ever! It has bee great to see how things have happened over the past few years and I am thankful to have her as a friend. As we gear up for summer we are looking forward to visiting family and friends and hanging out at the beach. Eve is having surgery on June 17th. Assuming that everything happens as it is supposed to she will be staying overnight and recovering for the following two weeks. Right now we are praying that she doesn't get sick (otherwise it is resceduled) and that she actually has the surgery this time. We would all like to move on for her sake. Please keep her in your prayers. We will be busy packing our summer/June into two weeks since she will be on "reduced" physical stuff for a month but we will be ready to live it up in Idaho!!

Andrew's a lucky bum!

Andrew turned 7 on St. Patrick's day- you know it is going to be a party when you are wearing shamrock underwear. Andrew is so happy to be 7. He has been wishing it for months now (actually he wanted to skip right to 8 but that is another story). He had a great day(s)...Chuck E Cheese with some friends, a fun day at school and a great ice cream pie. Andrew is lucky since everyone is in a festive mood on his birthday and green is his favorite color. He also loves money and tricking people which is why we think he really is a leprechaun (Eve tells him he will transform on his 17th birthday!) To tell you a little more about Andrew.... he likes classic rock and recently told Eve when she complained that there was no music in Dad's truck, "What do you mean, he has Alice Cooper!?" (He dj's the classic rock station). Andrew is really good at math- he teaches himself all kinds of stuff and does it for fun (we have no idea where this came from). He has a great sense of humor and has a crazy loud voice. He likes to drive Eve crazy, but they will play together everyday. He is almost always sweet (with a twinkle in his eye) and will still let me sing to him before bed. I think he must be a lot like Nate was when he was little and it really makes me smile! So Happy Birthday Andrew! I am lucky to be your Mom!

Eve turned 9!!

Eve turned 9 on Friday, March 6th and she said it was a great "never-ending" birthday. She invited one of her best friends over afterschool on Thursday- we met up with Nate for ice cream and then went to paint pottery and all met for dinner at Eve's favorite restaurant -Palapas (she loves the rice and beans and the ocean view!!) On her birthday she had a fun day at school, Girls on the Run (track), Girl Scouts (which seemed like a party) and then home to watch HSM3 and open presents- she was so beat we stuck candles on a sugar cookie and sang to her at 10 p.m. I cleaned her room (to surprise her) and was thinking about what a sweet girl she is- she is eager to follow the gospel standards (she is determined to find a tankini that completely covers). After trying one on she said, "this is just not going to work." Later I had to thank her for making good choices (it makes my life easier too!) This may not seem like such a big deal, but she has only one friend that wears a one piece suit here. She will think to go visit our elderly neighbor in our old neighborhood because "she is nice and it is a good service that we can do for her." She also told me she is encouraging her best friend at school to stop saying the Lord's name in vain and it's working! We are so great to have such a sweet girl in our family and she is a great example to us!

Working the land

We have all been hard at work in our back yard these past few weekends, tyring to make good use of our 70 degree winter weather. In fact, it's 10:44 p.m. and Nate is still out there shovelling away! We have mixed greens and romaine in the raised bed in the side of the house. We planted 2 peach trees, 1 nectarine tree, 1 sour cherry (my fav.) 2 blueberry bushes, two grape vines, 97 raspberry bush starts and a bed of red and yellow onions and garlic. We made a very large raised planter today for all our veggies this summer which included unloading a truck bed full of organic compost, which Andrew refers to as stinky worm pooh ;) (That's my boy!) We have an apple tree back there that we need to plant and had 2 lemon trees and 1 mature orange tree already (those oranges are good!). I guess we are going for it! It should be a lot of fun- this is something we have always talked about doing. The kids already are planning to sell raspberries out front this summer to make some money. (They even mentioned starting mission funds! ;)
I really enjoy working out there- I find myself thinking about all sorts of things. So much so that when my family starts talking to me, I am not even aware of it!
More plans for the back yard include finishing the 1/2 pipe, getting an above the ground pool with adjoining deck to jump off of, a large patio for entertaining, and a tree house in the huge oak tree. Add in the trampoline and we will have quite the party yard! I love owning our own house!

Back To School

Go SeaStars! Eve and Andrew headed back to school in mid August. We are still adjusting to getting up at the unseemly hour of 6:30. It might as well be seminary!
Andrew likes his teacher and new friends. He likes to eat in the cafeteria (although nothing has been removed from his lunchbox when he gets home except pretzles.) When asked what he likes about first grade he said, "what's not to like?" I do find it funny that whenever I ask if he plays with friends from last year during recess he says, "I can't find them!" He also says that about his homework folder and sweatshirts!
Eve loves having the same awesome teacher as last year- she even has a teacher name- Mrs. Wise. She admits liking her teacher and other stuff but says she really just likes seeing her friends. She is very vocal about her dislike of homework and, in great dramatic flair, will begin moaning and groaning when I remind her that she does not need to worry- she only has 12 plus years more to go of it! She was has been taking piano for a year and a half but recently "took a break" since it is "just too much for me right now!" At least she lets me know when she is overwhelmed!
As you can see they have very different personalities but both are sweet kids, full of love, and, when they have had enough sleep, can be very pleasant to be around ;) We love them!