Halloween

Let's start with the buddies...our favorite "skelekons".

Lane told me they are the bone ones not the bird ones (skeletons not pelicans.)
yes, Lane is on the left!

Our favorite Monster Bride in a dashing lime green.


7th graders Rock, or atleast this one....

We couldn't let the kids have all the fun...

trick or treating at the Miller's.

Lane showing how we all felt at the end of the night.

and we can't forget our favorite college girl...

3 years running

Gracie has received an award at school in October for the last three years. Looking back on her pictures I hope we remeber that it was Halloween dress up day and that she didn't always go to school looking like this!

Good Job Gracie, we are so happy for you and know the many great things you are capable of.

Green Dot, Yellow Dot, Red Dot, Gold

I found this draft of a post I had started and never finished in May.

If you don't have elementary kids you are missing out on the daily run down of who's who on the dot list. Green (everyone starts here, good place to be). Yellow (just like the light, a warning you had better stop what you are doing). Red (not where you want to be, usually a loss of recess). Gold dots are given randomly to kids who are caught doing extra good things, they are announced on Fridays and given prize bags.
Needless to say my boys have spent a fair share of the year on yellow. They are quick to let me know when it was NOT a red or yellow day. I was a little worried one day when I helped in the kindergarten room and noticed the yellow dot had completely fallen off the chart. I just knew my buddies had worn it out. Lane has pointed out to me that he mostly has been on yellow because he just didn't know all the kindergarten rules. Now that he has learned more he can do better.
Justin surprised us with receiving a gold dot for helping pick up papers from under the table for Mrs. Vasquez without even being asked. Gracie was the next to receive her Gold Dot from Mrs. Vermeer, for always trying to be the best she can be. Last but not least Lane received his gold dot award and was thrilled beyond pieces!
We now have car stickers to let everyone know of their accomplishments.
I know of a few red dot days I have had and can certainly work harder at doing gold dot deeds more often and without being asked. Thanks kids for the life lesson for all of us.

End of School

Carley & Angie Gilbert, her piano teacher.

The debut recital.

Waiting for the Moses Lake Parade to start,

Gracie, Justin & Lane at the circus. Even as skeptical as I was it turned out to be a pretty fun time. The animal tamer was lame but the kids were overly impressed with the tricks from the tightrope walker and the girl on the balance boards. This kooky clown stole the show...

At the end of the school year the kindergarten class has a big production to showcase all of their many singing, dancing and acting talents. After Lane acted as a goat for one song and each boy had their turn holding an alphabet card we got to see their dosie-do skills. And then to cap things off they all dressed up in their bee costumes.
I know the boys will be happy to have these posted all over!

Lane

Justin

ok, ok

OK, enough with the pressure. Mostly from my own family! I will try really hard to get us caught up, I thought about just skipping to the present and wondered if anyone would notice....I heard a few comments about that.
The end of school and summer were so busy, I still read everybody else's blog but just couldn't put anything to words for mine. Maybe I will just update with pictures and let everyone else narrate their own captions......

TAYLOR SWIFT

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Spokane Arena

We left Royal and met at the Freeman's (Darin, Angie, Dani, Katrina, Carley, Gracie, Deana & Taylor). When we got to Spokane we went to Rocky Rococo's for pasta & pizza. As we were leaving there was a girl (cowboy boots, blond, wavy hair, teen) who had us all do a double take. She was an amazing look-alike, we even got her to talk to Gracie (who was convinced it was the real Taylor). We saw her again at the concert and Darin went to talk to her and apologize for all of us gawking at her at the pizza place, she thought it was pretty cute how we were so star-struck. Waiting for the start of the show they had several things you could walk around and do, we convinced our girls to karaoke in front of the green screen (they were supposed to email the videos but we have not got them yet). It was one of the funnier things I have seen in awhile...

The concert started at 7:00, Gloriana played a few songs first and then Kellie Pickler opened. Taylor Swift started at 8:30 and played for over 2 1/4 hours! Lots of lights, costumes, dancers, she really made a production out of her songs. Carley and Gracie were a little shell shocked. There was a lot going on and it was loud (I actually like loud, but add in the 10,000 screaming girls and this was really loud). It was so long, Gracie actually fell asleep for the last two songs! Big Thanks to Darin who was man enough to take his girls and safely drive us all home!

Waiting for the concert........

Trying to pick the perfect t-shirt.

AIM Gymnastics Rocks!

That is the cheer Gracie ends her practice with every Monday. She just started gymnastics this winter and had her first Fun Meet on Saturday. Gracie won an award for her awesome balance beam! The whole family came to watch, even Grandma GG and Grandma Janet stopped in. Keep working hard Gracie, we are proud of you and hoping you are having so much fun!!

A quick blog journal post

Tuesday, May 12, 2009, 3:30 pm
one dad, one mom, five kids, one softball game, three little league practices
Never will this happen again but today Dani had her last home softball game, Carley and Darin had DAC Dragon softball practice, Gracie practiced with her 2nd-3rd grade team and Lane, Justin and myself had k-1st team practice. So our whole family was playing ball on four different fields with four different teams and all at the same time.

Spring Break 2009

Top Ten List

1. Adventures! From tidepools to dark caves anything we do together seemed like an adventure. Even the most amazing Hide & Seek ever, if Gracie didn't give up Ted would still be looking for her!

2. Great House, if I say so myself Deana and I outdid ourselves this year on finding the house. 4 bedroom, theater room (yes big screen tv and movie theater seats), hot tub, sauna, fireplace, foosball, pool table, and it was right on the beach. Click here for The Beach House information.

3. Going to the Tillamook Cheese Factory for lunch, ice cream lunch to be exact. Do I have to count this twice if we did it two days in a row?

4. Seaside Aquarium, everybody loves feeding the seals.

5. Great food, each night one group gets a turn to cook dinner. Darin made his Tomato Street Penne Pasta, Dani made sweet and sour meatballs and Ted & Deana fixed bbq steaks with shrimp. Carley & Taylor made pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast one day and I fixed french toast for everyone. Katrina made cookies and brownies at night. Besides Tillamook, we ate at a great little place in Seaside called the Big Kahuna. Yes, it was a fattening week.

6. Foosball / Pool Challenges - by the end of the week everyone had perfected their game.

7. Dani bodyboarding in the freezing weather. Maybe K-poop will send me some more pictures since she was such a good sis and stayed down at the beach with Dani and Darin.

8. Glenwood Cabin - Ted & Deana let us extend our vacation by stopping at the cabin. The kids (well except Carley) loved the bunk house. The scenery was breathtaking, Mt. Adams, elk, deer. The five million snakes in the ditch I could live without.

9. Doing nothing, everytime we go the best part is not having a plan, not having to go anywhere, not having to answer the phone and enjoying every minute.

10. Seeing the kids smile.