THE NEWS IS IN

It is officially official. My hard drive is completely and utterly DEAD! Nothing is retrievable. I have lost 3 years worth of pictures. Now I know what it might feel like for those who have lost their memories in a fire or flood. So as one last reminder to all of you out there....if you haven't backed your pictures/documents onto a disc, DO NOT DELAY!!!! SAVE THEM TODAY!!!

HELP!

Have you ever felt totally and completely lost in how to take care of the problems dealing with your kids? Boy, is that me today! Any suggestions on dealing with an incredibly bright and independant 6 year old would be more than welcome at this point. You pick the topic, I'm sure I could use it!

(And while you're at it, you could add on any thoughts relating to mischieveous and stubborn 4 year olds.)

A FUNNY MOMENT

At church yesterday, Mei was having a really hard time sitting still. I decided to stand up with her by the doorway. She immediately quieted down, so I stayed there so I could still listen to the speaker....which happened to be a high council member.
All was going well until I got distracted by Pal. He was eating all of the babies cheerios! I caught his eye to tell him no. As I did so, the baby reached out and turned out the lights!!! Needless to say, that woke up anyone who may have been napping! Who knew the baby had such a special task to accomplish at church that day?!

OH HOW FUN! MEI IS ONE!

I can hardly believe my baby is one! The year has passed by too quickly!
We had a fun time celebrating her big day. She had fun ripping open her presents and playing in the paper and ribbons. She got some darling clothes, baby dolls, and a stroller for her babies. In hind sight, just about anything would have been better than the stroller! I thought she would have fun pushing it around, but instead, she threw out the dolls and climbed in herself. She is obviously too big for a doll stroller and I was afraid it would break under her so I took it away. We learned she can throw a tantrum to equal the roar of a lion! Perhaps she will get it back for Christmas.
Mei is becoming so animated these days. She loves to "talk", run, play with stuffed animals and other soft things, and sing and dance. She LOVES her shoes. She loves to take walks and take rides in the car and is loving her new big girl car seat since she can see out the window. Her brothers are her best friends. She adores her daddy and me. Nothing can surpass the feeling I get when she runs up just to hug my leg, squeal with delight, and run back to play with her toys.
Needless to say, I am so glad to be her mom. She has added a new dimension to our lives that I feel I would be lost without. I love you baby girl! Happy Birthday!

Pavarotti

You will have to go down and pause my music for a minute, but this is well worth it. This, my friends, is what can keep my day going when the day is going as planned. Enjoy!

A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY

Ok, so really, I thought my singing days were over, but it looks like I have one more go at it. I was called 2 weeks ago by my stake music chairman to see if I would be willing to sing in a choir for a temple celebration that will be held the night before the Rexburg temple is dedicated. There will be general authorities there, and perhaps even the prophet. I immediately told her yes.

We had our first rehearsal on Sunday. I felt so inadequate! These people can REALLY sing. I left with a million reasons why I should give up my spot to another person and was ready to make the call in the morning. This is a choir of about 300 which boils down to only 16 members from each stake in the region. Which in turn means there are probably at least another 100 people who would love to have my spot. My dear husband just looked at me and said, "You were given the call. Not one of the others out there. Just do it!"

So I am happy to say that I am going to "Just do it!" It is going to be quite demanding on me vocally as well as trying to work around my family and my crazy night schedule that I pull at work. But somehow I know I am supposed to manage and be a part of this great event.

If any of you are in the area and haven't heard, the temple open house will be held between December 29 and the end of January. If you have never been to one....COME! And if you have been to one....COME!!! I think you can get tickets (for free, you just need a ticket to participate) near the end of November (???) on lds.org. The dedication is on February 3rd.

PREMATURE EXCITEMENT???

One of my favorite times of the year is fast approaching....HALLOWEEN!!! I can hardly wait! My husband says that I have to wait at least one more week before I can start decorating the house for the holiday...but he said nothing about decorating my blog! So here it is! My pre-Halloween fix!

REPAINTING AND RENOVATING

I had fun painting the guest bathroom while Aces was away at the fair last week. I still need to buy a shower curtain and accessories, but unfortunately it is that miserable time of year when all the college kids and their parents are in town for the beginning of the semester and there is nothing left to be purchased at Walmart! Darn. I guess I'll have to make a special run to I.F. to visit a "real" store!We are in the early stages of building a 12x16 deck off of our kitchen. Aces and his friend Pete put the new sliding door in last night. That was a nerve racking experience for me. I was afraid someone would fall out or that the door wouldn't fit or some other tragic nightmare would occur. I am happy to report that by 10:00 last night, the door is in place and the men are fit and sound! It looks great and I can hardly wait for the deck to erect! You are all invited to a BBQ when it's done to celebrate!

And just because I can, here are a couple pics of the two youngest I took today. Look! The baby has actually kept her hair done so far today! It's a miracle!

A SPECIAL DAY

I have a good friend at work who surprised us all about 2 weeks ago by announcing her upcoming baptism. No one had any idea that she had been investigating the church. Saturday was her big day. I felt the spirit so strongly at her baptism. It strengthened my testimony by leaps and bounds and heightened my desire to be a better follower and example of my Savior. I know it will be a day that I will never forget. Way to go, J!!! I am so proud of you and am excited for your journey!

A few of us were able to get together after the baptism service to celebrate by what else?....FOOD!!! We had a great time visiting and enjoying the afternoon at Craigo's.

ANOTHER DAY AT THE FAIR

Aces worked security at the fair for the entire week. He worked Saturday-Saturday from 8am to midnight each day. Needless to say he was tired....but more importantly, WE MISSED HIM!!! So we decided to take another trip to the fair to see daddy.

The kids were so excited to see and try new things. Again, Mei was purely delighted to see all the animals and also enjoyed the balloons. Chunkabear was excited that he got to ride his very first roller coaster! I thought he would be too scared, but he surprised me and jumped right on!

Pal was so excited that he was able to meet a local celebrity, Carol Honas, from the local news station. I told you he watches all the time and loves to keep us updated on all the local news and weather! Pal also got to make a video tape doing a weather report. (Chunkabear was too shy) Unfortunately it was with a different news station so he more or less refused to speak on his tape, so Aces stepped in and helped him out. He is loyal to Local News 8!

The kids played a few carnival games and rode some more rides before we called it a day. And my highlight? I was just happy to spend the day out with my family. Who could ask for anything more?

A FAIR DAY AT THE FAIR

E, A, V, and D came up to visit us over Labor Day weekend. We spent Saturday and Sunday camping at Green Canyon, swimming at the hot springs pool, and splashing in the river.

On Monday, we drove down to the Eastern Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot. MeiMei squealed with delight every time she saw an animal and especially when she got close enough to pet one.

Pal, Chunkabear, and A cowboyed up and rode the mechanical bull! They each did a fantastic job, although Chunkabear was the only one who rode the full time without getting bucked off.

There was a neat exhibit with all sorts of animals such as snakes, tortoises, parrots, alligators, and lizards. The four older kids had the opportunity to have their picture taken holding a baby alligator. How cool is that?!

All in all, it was a great weekend. I am so happy that E and the family were able to come up for a visit. We love you guys!!

YOU HAD A BIRTHDAY, SHOUT HOORAY!

Chunkabear celebrated a birthday in August! We spent the day celebrating at the zoo. We saw penguins, tigers, a baby lion, monkeys, and reptiles. There was also a small petting zoo where the kids got to pet goats and sheep. They had so much fun!

We are so excited to see how he learns and grows over the next year. Happy Birthday buddy!