4 For Me

Mount Blue

2012-01-23T11:08:00.006-05:00

Just before we moved from Maine, Vance and few of the scouts hiked to the top of Mount Blue. His friends took some great pictures, so I thought I'd share them.

It's a tough hike. I think they were all paying for it the next day. Here's one of the leaders on his way down.This is Vance at the top. He was very impressed with the views and how pretty it was up there. Love this one--such a beautiful scene and a great picture of Vance and his friends.The boys took a little break before they headed down. This is Vance's favorite picture. He calls it the "Lone Warrior".

Vance's Bows

2012-01-23T09:18:00.002-05:00

(If you've seen my facebook page then you've probably already seen these pictures, but I wanted to post them on my blog, too. Vance is very proud of them and he should be.)

This bow is the first one that Vance made. It's made out of PVC pipe. I really had my doubts that it would amount to much, but he totally proved me wrong. It works really well. This is his second bow. It's a long bow. He made this one with the help of his dad. There was a lot more work involved in this wood one. They had a great time making this together and for their first one, it really turned out nice. Vance shot it for the first time and the arrow went clear through his target and stuck in the wood behind it. I think it works. Vance loves this bow--he's even named it. They've also stained it since I took this picture. it's now a mahogany color. I think the two of them are already planning the next one. Before I know it, I'll have a garage full of homemade bows.

Crickets, Be Gone!!!

2012-01-19T09:38:00.005-05:00

Wow, it's been even longer than I thought since I've been on my blog. Shame on me! I've once again been chastised for it's neglect, so I've decided to take action.

I'll start with a super quick summary of the last few months. We moved from Maine to Virginia (again). Can't say that I was thrilled about it--the kids definitely were not thrilled. Chad was out to sea for about 6 weeks right after we moved--did not help our happiness levels! However it's nice, now, after 16 months of living apart, to finally be under the same roof.

Had a fun, little Halloween, a nice, quiet Thanksgiving, and a good Christmas, too.

Now we're into a new year, hoping that this is a better year than our last, but it's not really starting out that way.

I'll finish posting pictures of our vacation we took in August, interspersed with more recent info as time goes by. I've made it a goal to do better about posting. I'll start by posting our Halloween pics, since they'll be the easiest.

Halloween 2011

Here's the kids carving away on their pumpkins

And the final result. We always have fun carving pumpkins!

Here's McKaylie and Noah trick-or-treating with some friends of ours. I realized later, that I didn't get a picture of just them--wasn't too happy with myself. McKaylie was a cowgirl and Noah was a hunter. I love it when they pick easy costumes!!!

Our friends invited us to their ward's Halloween trunk-or-treating, too. Here's McKaylie and her friend Ellen at that party. Our families met when these 2 girls were just starting nursery (18 months old) in Pensacola. Time has certainly flown by!

And here's Ellen's mom, Christy, and me. She's one of my sweetest, dearest friends and one of the few reasons I'm glad to be back in Virginia. I've missed her so much and it's so nice to live so close to her again!

Yellowstone National Park

2011-09-28T21:21:00.010-04:00

We had a great time visiting Yellowstone with both grandmas and grandpas and our niece, Jessica. It's been a long time since Chad and I had been in the park, so it was fun to see it all again and to see it with the kids, too. I had a real job sorting through all the pictures that were taken. I hope I chose some good ones.

We stopped for a picnic shortly after getting in the park. It's interesting to me how sandwiches can taste better when you eat them on a picnic.There's lots of hot springs and geysers in the park. This is just one that we stopped to check out. I believe this one was called Beryl Spring. Dragon's Mouth Spring was very cool, but not just to look at, but to listen to. It sounded a lot like you might image a dragon breathing would sound~~hence the name.

I thought this picture turned out great. I manged to get everyone in it, except me, of course. I guess I could photo-shop me in later. ha ha

From left-right, there's Grandma Jo, Chad and Mckaylie, Myshel, Grandma G, Jessica, Grandpa R and Noah, Vance and Grandpa GYellowstone is also known for it's mud volcanoes. They were really cool, but really stinky, because of the sulfur, which smells like rotten eggs.
McKaylie checking it out This is the mud volcano behind the sign McKaylie was reading~~yes, it's boilingThis was the first buffalo we saw. He was kind enough to walk right along the road for us. But these were much more fun to see ~~ It's hard to show just how impressive they are in a picture. We saw lots and lots and lots and lots of buffalo (Noah will tell you they're bison, which they are, but I grew up calling them buffalo, so they're buffalo!)These two guys were quite awesome! They were in one of the first herds that we saw, so that made it more exciting. They were fighting and chasing each other all over the field. We're assuming it was over a female. I'd never seen two buffalo fight, so It was cool to watch them...This guy was massive! And we had lots of time to see him while we sat waiting for the tourist traffic to get moving! I heard several comments about what a great trophy he'd make. Taking a little break~~Chad and the kids The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is amazing (Can you tell I really enjoyed seeing Yellowstone????)
Here's McKaylie and Noah giving you the facts! The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone Ok, this is rare......Chad and I in the same picture
(At the top of the Upper Falls)

Looking down on the Lower Falls Lower FallsLooking through the canyon at the Lower Falls. Seriously, how awesome is that view! So . . . funny story . . . we stopped at the first parking area for the Lower Falls, which has a main trail leading up the mountain to a higher vantage point. I really wanted a picture from the higher view but wasn't so sure I wanted to hike up to it. I decided to tough it out and we all took the trail. Did I mention it was up the mountain?? It wasn't the hardest hike of the trip (I'll give that one to the mountain Todd took us up, which was actually much shorter, but a killer for me) but I was not looking forward to heading back down. Well, we got to the top, only to find that there was a parking lot there . . . we could have driven up. We're smart people, though, we sent Chad and his dad back down the trail to get the cars while the rest of us waited at the top!

Here's Myshel, Grandma G and Jessica waiting Here we are waiting again, this time for Old Faithful. We had about a 45 minute wait, I think. We had ice cream to help pass the time, though. Old Faithful I've seen Old Faithful several times and I have to say that we got lucky that day. Sometimes it's kind of wimpy, for lack of a better word, and doesn't last very long. But that day it was pretty awesome and worth the wait. Ok, so technically this moose wasn't inside the park, but she was right outside the gate, so I'm counting it! She was the only moose we saw. We were pretty excited, maybe Chad wasn't, but the rest of us were. Apparently, though, we just missed the bull that was with her~~figures! It was a really great day, with people we love! That's the best way to spend your vacation!

Hanging Out in Cody

2011-09-22T10:39:00.006-04:00

Here's a few of the pictures that we took while we were at my parents house in Cody.

Visiting with Tracy (my sister) and Allisyn (my niece) and Chad, of course. We didn't get nearly enough time with them while we were there! (I wish things had worked out better when we were leaving--Noah and Myshel were both sick in the car--not our best day) My dad helped Vance earn his rifle and shotgun merit badges for scouts. Chad and Noah went with. Noah thought that was so cool, especially since he got to shoot the 45 (with dad's help)Noah and Grandpa Mckaylie "hunting" on the Wii Vance with his new buddies
Maggie ZoeBee Noah and Grandma
Noah loves his grandma and grandpa. It was hard to peel him away from them.
I love this picture of him with my mom While we were there we went and saw the Cody Mural. It's a mural painted on the ceiling of the foyer at one of the LDS church buildings. It takes you through the history of the church, from Joseph Smith receiving the gold plates to the completed Salt Lake temple. I grew up seeing this mural and being a kid never really thought much about it. Every time I see it, now thought, it's new and amazing and touches my heart. You can check it out here. There's pictures of the mural on the website and lots of information about it! It's worth seeing. I hope you check it out.

Here's the kids with my mom and dad Lately Cody has been over run with deer. When I was growing up, you never saw them in town, but now they're everywhere. This doe and her twins were in yard across from the church. Sooo cute! The little girls in the window of the house squealing about them was super cute, too!

Driving . . .

2011-09-22T10:27:00.002-04:00

It was so nice to finally get to Wyoming. We were all very excited . . . which made that full day of driving seem even longer! We were just ready to be done with the car for awhile. Chad was really excited to see this guy. There were actually 2 great bucks together, but this was the best picture. All day driving through Wyoming, I kept asking Chad to stop and take some pictures of the antelope. Our kids had never really seen them much and Noah really wanted a picture. Chad, however, was less than thrilled about the idea of stopping and kept telling me that outside of Cody there would be some and he'd stop there. Well guess what . . . there weren't any outside of Cody when we drove through. This ended up being our best (only) picture. Pathetic! I thought I'd add this picture for Chad. He was really excited to see this. The stadium was right next to the zoo in Omaha.

Vineyards in New York

2011-09-19T09:30:00.002-04:00

I forgot to post these pictures. They're kind of fun and I mentioned these to my mom, so I'll do it now.

Driving through western New York and Pennsylvania, there are tons and tons of vineyards. The funny thing is, I don't remember ever seeing them there before when we're driven through. Maybe it was the time of year or my bad memory either way, this felt like the first time I'd seen them. And it was fun to see something different as we were driving. They go on for miles and miles.
McKaylie and NoahJust after we crossed the Pennsylvania/New York border we stopped at a rest area, which just happened to have vineyards behind it. (go figure) So we took some pics. I don't know when the grapes are ripe, but these were definitely not. I don't think I've ever seen grapes on the vine up close before. It was cool to have a quick, first experience, even if it was something as simple as grapes growing! There was also a nice old man at the rest area that offered to take our family picture in front of the welcome sign, so we took him up on it. He only took 3 extra pictures---one of his thumb and 2 of the ground. ha ha We appreciated his kind gesture.

Littleton, Colorado

2011-09-18T11:01:00.006-04:00

Our next stop was at my brother, Todd's, house. They live in Littleton, Colorado, right at the base of the mountains. He has some amazing views from his house, including downtown Denver! They're pretty fantastic--the pictures just don't do them justice. We didn't get to stay nearly as long as we'd have liked to. But, we did have a really nice day with them. It was nice to just have a day to relax and visit.

We ate dinner at the park. The kids had a great time playing together.
Ashlyn, Noah, Kaitlyn Vance and Myshel waiting for dinner Ashlyn--what a cutie! Vance and Chad Nathan Amy and the kids I love this picture of the cousins
Vance (back "above" everyone)
McKaylie, Nathan, Noah and Myshel
Ashlyn, Logan and Kaitlyn We even had a deer come right by our table. We thought that was pretty awesome. The kids playing on the Wii one last time before we left. We had a great time at their house. If only we had more time.

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo

2011-09-16T08:03:00.010-04:00

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo was the next place we stopped. It was really just lots and lots of fun. (you can click on the name above to check out their website)

First let me tell you why we decided to stop here. About a month before we were planning this trip, Vance was watching the show on TV called Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy and on the episode that I actually paid any attention to, Larry was at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha and it looked sooo cool. So a month later when we were planning our stops, I thought about that show and wondered how well Omaha would work. We had to drive a really long day (which thanks to major traffic if Chicago ended up being 2-3 hours longer) but it worked out to stop there. I'm so glad we did! And I'm so glad I saw that show with Larry the Cable Guy (I never thought I'd say that statement!). This was a really fun zoo, not too big, but not small either. There are lots of animals outside, but a lot is inside (with air conditioning!!!) Most of their displays/animals are set up in a way that makes you feel like you're actually in that environment. Just really cool.

Here's just a few of the highlights that this zoo can boast about:

The Desert Dome, the world's largest indoor desert, which is under the world's largest geodesic dome. This place was even bigger than it looks.

America's largest indoor rainforest, the Lied Jungle

Simmons Aviary, the world's second largest free-flight aviary

Kingdom's of the Night, the world's largest nocturnal exhibit

Scott's Aquarium, the largest aquarium in a zoo, with a 70 foot shark tunnel

The kids, mostly Myshel, took hundreds of pictures. I've tried to narrow it down to a few of my favorites.
The meerkats were super cute.McKaylie and Noah (2 of my favorite animals) The koi pond was pretty amazing. I couldn't believe how many fish were there and how big they were! There was food there to feed them, which created a fish frenzy. The kids loved that. The fish would literally jump over each other to get to the food. The aviary was neat. Lots of birds I had never seen before and a few I had. There was also several animals in there to create a natural habitat for them. That was fun to see. They must not feel "caged" at all.

The sea lions were fun to watch. They were swimming the whole time we sat and watched them and didn't come out of the water until after we left. We sent Myshel back to take this picture.

I always think the gorillas are cool. They were all sleeping, which was rather funny to see.The polar bear was swimming most of the time we saw him, but came for a brief photo op

The cats were McKaylie's favorite! She took lots and lots of pictures of them. She got some really good ones. This one was probably my favorite picture of the zoo. That big 'ol lion was just all worn out! Here's those two cuties again.......they must be following me! The other too (old) ones weren't nearly as willing to get their picture taken. This was during our lunch break.

Here's the very top the the Lied Jungle. It was really cool to look down through the rainforest and see animals and waterfalls. My 5 favorite people! Myshel's favorite place was the butterfly pavilion. I really enjoyed this one, too. I mean how cool is it to see butterflies everywhere you look and have them flying around you. So many different types and colors. These were pretty amazing, too!The penguins were Myshel's other favorite exhibit. I love penguins too. They really are just so cute! This was my favorite penguin spot, though. It just seemed, I don't know, interesting, that these penguins and the giraffes were together. It made for a fun picture, anyway.Here's the kids in the desert dome when we first got there. Like I said, this was a fun place to stop and take a break. I'd love to go back sometime. It was well worth it

Niagra Falls

2011-09-14T19:03:00.002-04:00

The first stop on our trip was at Niagara Falls. It was a fun stop and a nice end to a day of driving. It's beautiful there and really quite amazing!At night they turn on the lights. Chad took the older kids down to see the falls at night while I went back to the hotel with the younger ones. After I saw their pictures, I wished I'd gone with them.

We're Moving

2011-09-12T15:41:00.005-04:00

Ok, my family and I were super lucky this August. We were able to take 3 weeks and drive out to Wyoming to see family. It was a trip that was long over due. We stopped at several places along the way (and the way back) and stayed really busy while we were there. I have LOTS of pictures to post and lots of fun to post about. It's going to take awhile, so I think I'll do a lit=ptle bit each day until I get through them all.

BUT, I'm going to start today by posting our most recent news. We are finally moving down to Virginia to be with Chad. It's been a little crazy and ridiculous and has taken us a lot longer than we had planned (thanks Navy Housing), but we finally have housing now!
Can you guess which one is ours??? It will be sad to leave Maine. We've really liked it here and we have great friends. The kids have had wonderful schools, too. But, we need to be where Chad is and right now that's in Virginia.

We'll be living in Virginia Beach this time, so that will be something new and different. We'll be in a duplex, which is ok. I'll miss having our ranch house with no one of the other side of the wall, but I'll have my family back together again, so it will be ok. My friend down there took some pictures for me. Very sweet of her~~ So, now I can share them with you guys.
(By the way, it's the blue one, on the right--ha ha) We even get a 2 car garage with this house--aren't we lucky! It sits behind the housing. We'll be moving around the middle of October. I have tons of things to get ready and I think it will be here before I know it.

The Cone of Shame

2011-07-23T14:24:00.002-04:00

Vanilla had a cut on her paw that we couldn't get to heal, so she had to wear "the cone of shame" for a few days. It didn't seem to bother her, but she was running into everything, including our legs! It was really quite funny to watch. The vet said she was so good that she gave her a sticker on her cone. ha ha!

Tower of Cups

2011-07-23T14:19:00.002-04:00

When I drove Chad down to Rhode Island McKaylie and Noah kept sending me pictures of the towers they were making. They were pretty impressive. They were also accompanied by texts saying "we're bored" and "we miss you".

Noah's New Bike

2011-07-23T14:06:00.002-04:00

Noah's never had any interest in riding a bike. No matter what Chad did or said to get him to ride, he wouldn't do it. He wanted nothing to do with a bike. So, it was surprising that this summer Noah decided that he wanted a bike. We took him to the store and let him pick out the one he wanted (secretly hoping that that would make him want to follow through with it) Noah came home and went straight out to learn to ride it. I don't know if I've ever seen him more determined to do anything in his life. He was going to learn to ride that two-wheeler! With very little help, and I mean very little help, he was off and going. Now he's all over the neighborhood with it. You'd never know he just learned to ride less than a month ago. This is yet another example to me, that Noah will do things in his own time and when he does, he will do it magnificently.

Maine Wildlife Park

2011-07-23T13:37:00.005-04:00

When Chad was home in June we also went to the Maine Wildlife Park. We've been there before with Debbie and really enjoyed it then, too. The park is full of animals from around Maine that have been injured or were sick. Here's just a few of our favorite animals we saw.

The moose, of course, the big bull moose was off in the back hiding, though. These little guys are everywhere, but what makes them so fun is their fat little cheeks. They'll gather up the corn, or feed until their little cheeks look like they'll explode! They were so cute! This one hardly cared that any one was around him. He was just too busy! The bears. We fed them dog food and they ate every last little piece we threw. I love the turtles. They were super cute in their little pond. This eagle is beautiful. It makes me sad that he can't fly. This little porcupine was the cutest! He's albino and he was just laying there on this log, legs dangling down, napping---not a care in the world! I love this picture of the kids at the fish hatchery. You had to shade your eyes to see inside and they would look, run to the next door, look some more. Chad and I strolled along behind at our own pace. It was fun to watch them. I don't know how well you can see them, but all those brown spots in the water are fish. It was really cool to feed them. You'd throw the feed and the water would just explode with fish. McKaylie and Noah--humoring mom! It was a fun day. We missed Myshel, though. She chose to stay at home.

Strawberry Season

2011-07-12T15:16:00.009-04:00

Yummy, Right!!!! We also picked strawberries while Chad was home and made jam! When I have all my canning stuff out, I always try and do as much with it as I can. That way I don't have to keep getting it out over and over again. So, here's a list of all the jams we (I) made:

10 - pints strawberry jam
5 - pints strawberry syrup
4 - pints and 8 - 1/2 pints strawberry/lemon marmalade
8 - pints strawberry/kiwi jam
8 - 1/2 pints cherry/almond jam
7 - 1/2 pints jalapeno jelly

Makes me tired just thinking about it!

LL Bean

2011-07-12T15:04:00.003-04:00

While Chad was home we went to Freeport, Maine and walked around the outlet stores there. We had the most fun in the L.L. Bean stores (yes, there's more than one--there's a whole village really)

McKaylie and Noah enjoying the fish tank The Lodge area was nice, too. (Vance was grumpy all day--go figure) A big bear and a little crazy bear Taking a break in the camping section--it's a big store Had to get a picture with "the boot"

Youth Trek

2011-07-12T14:45:00.001-04:00

The youth in our ward went on a trek this year for youth conference. They basically lived and worked as pioneers pushing/pulling handcarts. Unfortunately, our kids got rained on practically non-stop and it was decided to cut it short by about a day. All the mud was getting rather dangerous for the kids to hike in. It was also really cold. Wet and cold aren't so good. I also heard a few kids lost shoes in the mud.

Vance was a little skeptical about going, but ended up having a great time, despite the rain. I think it helped him understand some of the difficulties the pioneers faced and gave him a new appreciation for the comforts he enjoys.

They were divided into "families" with a ma and pa, an adult uncle, and, of course, siblings. Vance said he had the best group, LOVED his ma and pa (I know them, they are awesome!) and he said he had the best food! Here's some pictures.

Here's before he left: And after he got home: (We still haven't gotten the smoky smell out of his hat)This is his pioneer family And this is his ma and pa (before the rain started) Working hard This is Vance and Cameron. They're great buds and some how ended up in the same pioneer family......hmmmm I think they've got some pull somewhere..... It never hurts knowing the Stake YW and YM's presidents!!!

Overall it was a great experience. Every youth should have such an opportunity!

Noah's Teacher

2011-06-18T10:58:00.002-04:00

Noah has been so blessed to have such a great teacher. She was his Kindergarten teacher, she taught him reading in first grade and then he had her this last year as his second grade teacher. She is amazing!! ---One of those people who are truly meant to teach! She knows just how to inspire each child. Noah has loved having her as his teacher and I have loved working with her as well. It's sad to say good-bye. We may be starting the school year next fall here in Maine, but Noah won't ever have her teaching him again. Transitions can be a little tough on the heart! She did more for Noah than she will ever really know!Mrs. Tardif and Noah on his last day of school with her!

Fifth Grade Graduation

2011-06-18T10:38:00.003-04:00

McKaylie's 5th grade graduation was yesterday. It was very sweet and a little sad. The teacher's sure love the kids and the kids LOVE the teachers. It doesn't seem possible that I'll only have 1 on of my kids in elementary school now! That is a little sad. McKaylie's had a great year and this celebration was the end of it. I think she was a little emotional yesterday, too! (The pictures aren't great, very disappointing!) Getting her certificate A pic with mom (being a little shy--that doesn't happen very often) With her awesome teacher, Mrs. Dow

Noah and Snakes

2011-06-12T23:18:00.002-04:00

Saturday was a family fun day at the kids school. They had someone there with some exotic animals and that's the only place Noah was interested in after he saw that they had a boa constrictor there. My shy little Noah stepped right up to the front when they offered to let the kids "hold" the snake. He went back another time on his own and held it again. I couldn't believe he was willing to do. He was so, so proud of himself for being brave. I think he was pretty brave, too! I would never do it! I love this picture of him. He has that true "Noah" smile that I love and that is so hard to get in pictures! I hate the snake, but love that he was so happy!

Dress Whites.....Gotta Love 'Em!

2011-06-01T11:36:00.002-04:00

(But the dress blues are actually my favorite!!!) Chad's mom asked for a picture of him in his whites. I thought I'd post it on here, too!
I think he's looking pretty great!

McKaylie's 11th Birthday

2011-06-01T11:28:00.003-04:00

Chad and I flew back to Maine on May 19th, which happened to be McKaylie's birthday. Our flight was suppose to come in at 11AM so we would have most of the day with her. As luck would have it, we were delayed in Philadelphia for 5 hours and then spent 3 more hours waiting on the plane. The weather was not cooperating with us! We finally got home around 8PM. So much for a big birthday celebration!

Myshel was super sweet and made her a cake and put a big sign on the door for her! I loved that! She opened her presents that night and we had cake and ice cream and dinner out over the next several days. She told us later it was a good birthday, but I know from talking to her on the phone, on her birthday, that she was really disappointed---so were we!

McKaylie brings such a sweet spirit into our family. We are so blessed to have her! It's hard to believe in one year, she'll be in young women's! WOW! Happy Birthday, Fruit Salad!!!

USS Ponce Homecoming

2011-06-01T11:06:00.004-04:00

I tried to post these the other day and I couldn't get them to load -always so frustrating.Chad's ship came back to Virginia on May 16th after an 8 1/2 month deployment and I was there to meet him. I'm so glad I was able to be there. Chad ship is much smaller than the ones he's been on in the past so this was by far the smallest homecoming I've been to (less than 1,000 people compared to 10,000) but it was no less exciting.

Here's the first good look at the ship coming in and when all the emotions and tears come...... Making it's way to the pier slowly (but not as slow as the carriers which was nice!) There were lots of flags waving in the crowd. It was hard not to catch them in my pictures, but I love the way some of them turned out. Closer still . . . . . . . Ahhhh, Pierside! After the ships are tied off and the tugboats can leave, they always blow their horns in celebration. In my 17 years with the navy, I don't think I've ever enjoyed hearing that horn more! It's been a long cruise.

Noah's Baptism

2011-05-22T20:17:00.002-04:00

Noah has been waiting patiently for his dad to get home from deployment so that he could be baptized. And that day finally came today. It was such a nice time with many wonderful friends there to support him. It filled my heart to overflowing!

Etsy

2011-03-12T13:21:00.011-05:00

So I'm trying something new. Someone told me about Etsy.com, where you can sell handmade goods. So, I've decided to post some of my "creations" online and see what happens. Check 'em out and tell me what you think. If you like them, spread the word for me, too! You can click on any of the pictures below or go directly to my "shop" here, 4formecrafts.etsy.com
I'll be adding more crafts and blankets soon, so check back again!

Etsy
4forMeCrafts

Allergies and Anomalies

2011-02-11T08:54:00.003-05:00

McKaylie has mild asthma. In the summer, seasonal allergies are really bothersome and sometimes trigger an asthma attack. She also has what's called oral allergies, which long story short, means that some fruits and veggies she eats makes her lips and tongue all tingly but it's not actually the food that she's allergic to. She actually has pollen allergies and because they share some of the same molecules as the fruits and veggies the brain is tricked into thinking that it's the pollen and reacts to it. It never advances to more than just tingling, though. (Chad and Vance have them too) There's also a strong family history of allergies (starting with her dad) So, with all that, we know that McKaylie does have some allergies. We just don't know exactly what they are. Our pediatrician suggested that she have allergy testing done to pinpoint them and then they can be avoided, if possible. Which would stop some of the asthma attacks. Sounds good, sure.

So, McKaylie and I went to Portland on Wednesday for her allergy testing--took us 2 1/2 months to get the appointment. We talked to the doctor and he agreed with everything I was already suspecting about her allergies. And then they did the allergy tests on her back and arm. I would guess they tested 30-40 different things. . . . McKaylie was amazing through it all. The nurse told she did better than most teenagers. However, ALL the tests came back negative! I couldn't believe that she didn't test positive to even one thing. The doctor was pretty surprised, too, but he did have an explanation and since it sounded pretty plausible, we're going to go with his assessment.

When most people have an allergy to something, it will show up in their skin, which is why the skin test works. But, there are those few people who definitely have allergies but test negative on the skin test. Basically, if their nose/mouth/throat (all those membranes and things) are exposed to the allergen then they react, but for whatever reason their skin doesn't. So it's centralized to a specific area (the nose and mouth usually) . . . . . and McKaylie is one of those few.

So, that's all fine and dandy to know, but doesn't help us prevent asthma attacks really. I felt bad that McKaylie went through all that not to have any more information than we had to begin with. She took it pretty good, though. She's an amazing little trooper.

After the appointment, I told her that she was special. She was an anomaly. She gave me the strangest look. She thought I'd called her an anemone. (after I finished laughing) I explained to her that an anomaly was someone or something that doesn't follow the common rule. She thought that made a lot more sense than a sea creature. I had to laugh. She went to school the next day showing all her friends the poke marks in her arm and telling them that she was an anomaly. If she gained nothing else from this whole experience, at least she learned a new word!

Proud Mom Moment . . . . . Not!

2011-02-02T19:55:00.002-05:00

Tonight I was talking to the kids and I made the statement, "he doesn't have a leg to stand on". Myshel, my oldest, my 18 year old, looked at me with an odd expression and said, "What does that mean? Did he get his legs amputated?" Yes, she's a college student! Ha Ha

Mountain of Snow . . . .

2011-02-02T19:49:00.002-05:00

Yes, more pictures of snow. It seems to be the only thing going on around here lately. I'm not sure how much snow we got yet, but it was enough that our snow drifts became mountains. Vance took about 3 feet off the top before we started too. It was hard work!This picture is taken from the street looking at our house. Yikes, that's a lot of snow! I'm hoping we're done with big storms for the winter. . . . . I can dream, right!?

20th Anniversary

2011-01-27T17:43:00.004-05:00

I was going to say that Chad and I celebrated our 20th anniversary last month (Dec 28) but since we're not even in the same hemisphere that's not quite true. It was disappointing to say the least that we couldn't be together on that day.
So, I'll say that our 20th anniversary was last month. And to my surprise, Chad sent me flowers. Ahhhhhh! I was great to get them that day and they were beautiful and I was really touched! It really made my day and my bedroom smelled like roses for days after that, which reminded me of him. So, I thought I needed to include them in my blog. (Thank you, Donna, for helping him out!)

Tooo Cold For Me!!!

2011-01-25T09:35:00.003-05:00

30 below with the wind chill factor might be normal out west---but not here! Apparently I've become a wimp over the last few years because I was hating that cold snap we got and it only lasted a few days! I sure was missing those block heaters for my vehicles, too! Vance gave me a hard time about how I was bundled up, so he took a picture to send to his dad! So I thought I'd share it. (I wouldn't stay outside long enough for him to take it out there---It was COLD!!)

Dog's Maze

2011-01-25T09:29:00.003-05:00

Snow, snow and more snow . . . that seems to be about all we get around here lately! (We're getting more this week--BTW) We're 6 inches over our normal snowfall for this time of year and we've gotten all of it in the last 3 weeks!

The snow gets so deep that the dogs make little paths to get around the yard. So now my backyard looks like a little maze. Vance was nice enough after the last big storm to shovel their maze so they could keep their paths. That's Vance laying in the snow. You can just see Vanilla's ears over the snow--hee hee Pretty soon they'll just be able to walk over the fence and leave the yard!

First Winter Storm of 2011

2011-01-14T11:14:00.003-05:00

We got about 15 inches of snow here on Wednesday. I keep telling myself that I need to enjoy this winter, because it will be my last here in Maine, but this much snow all at once makes it harder to do. Vance was praying for snow because he wanted a snow day. After shoveling all this snow + what the snow plow dumped in our driveway, he decided that school wasn't so bad. Mckaylie and Noah said they were helping shovel, but I'm not so sure that's what they were really doing. The kids had to take the dogs out front in the fresh snow. They could barely move, but they seem to be loving it! Waiting for the school bus the next day. (That snow piles impressive, but the fact that Vance knocked a good 1-2 feet off of it, is a little more impressive)

Blizzard of 2010

2010-12-28T19:02:00.004-05:00

We got about 12 inches of snow Sunday/Monday. We've had worse storms here, but the wind was crazy!!! We have some drifts several feet deep and some areas are barely covered---that's not so typical of snowstorms here. The kids are LOVING the snow! They were even out during the blizzard. Glad I didn't lose any of them! ha ha

Christmas Cookies

2010-12-19T20:09:00.003-05:00

We had fun decorating cookies this year. There was lots of laughter and giggling and lots of singing ----Myshel's new favorite Christmas song ---Baby It's Cold Outside by Dinah Shore and Buddy Clark----It's a classic!Vance--working hard. McKaylie trying not to smile . . . Myshel's hanging with her peeps . . . . Noah--decorating a cookie while eating another cookie The evil side of Vance She looks sweet . . . but it's debatable!

Christmas Cookie Decorating

2010-12-19T20:03:00.003-05:00

Every year we decorate cookie for Christmas. The kids save some for santa and others are usually given to friends. I'm not sure if I should be concerned at some of the cookies that were made this year, though and I'm really sure that they wouldn't be appropriate "Christmas" cookies for friends. I'm blaming their dad----that definitely must have come from his side of the gene pool!!!

Can I Please Go Out . . . . . .

2010-12-07T10:42:00.002-05:00

It snowed Sunday night and Monday. We only got about an inch maybe 2 but Vanilla was in heaven. She kept wanting to go out and play and then come in and then go out again. I got tired of her tracking in the snow and making my floor wet. I decided that if she wanted out that bad that I'd just leave her out, but then she cried to come in. So, I stopped letting her out all the time and this is where she spent a good part of the day.

Gingerbread Village

2010-12-07T10:36:00.003-05:00

For Family Home Evening last night we made a little gingerbread village. It was actually a kit that I bought at the store. There were suppose to be 5 little houses, but apparently we weren't smart enough to figure out exactly which pieces went to each house and so, it didn't quite work out for the fifth house. Myshel and Vance took parts of it and added on to theirs, though. We had a good time and they all turned out cute. It was a fun night.

Christmas Tree Decorating

2010-11-30T13:51:00.003-05:00

I've never put up our Christmas tree this early before. I think I'm just wanting to get the holidays over with. They're no fun during deployments! McKaylie had the holiday spirit, though. And Noah, too. He even put a shirt on for the pictures! Myshel was sort of in the mood. She did decorate . . . what she could reach from her "seat" Vance was very helpful, but his excitement fizzled out early. Image that from a 15 year old boy! My camera wasn't taking great pictures, which was very disappointing. We used our artificial tree this year. I didn't want to have to worry about getting a real tree. ----the tree looks small, though----but then we don't have a whole lot of extra room for it either. Maybe it will help get rid of my "bah-humbugs", anyway! Hope so!

Like Father, Like Son

2010-11-30T13:45:00.003-05:00

Vance made some awesome chili the other night! He also made a not so awesome mess! He gets that from his father!

Monday the nurse told Vance that he is 5 ' 10 1/2". That makes him officially half an inch taller than his dad.

When Vance is in the another room and he's talking to someone, I sometimes do a double take. He sounds so much like Chad now.

Myshel's 18th Birthday

2010-11-27T16:40:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe she's 18 now. Time has gone by so fast! I had to make her one more little girl cake. hee hee Myshel and I went to see the new Harry Potter movie, too.

Turkey Bread

2010-11-27T16:22:00.002-05:00

Last year for Christmas we made Santa Bread. Noah had the idea to make Turkey Bread for Thanksgiving. So, Myshel took on the task and I think she did a great job!

I Love Maine's Fall Colors!

2010-10-19T12:14:00.003-04:00

The pictures never do them justice, but here's some of my favorites this year.

Random Phone Pictures . . . .

2010-10-19T11:32:00.005-04:00

These are the last pictures taken on my phone.......Shows just how random I really am, I think!

Here's Myshel, showing the cute little apple we got from the high school students after we helped with their fundraiser. (which reminds me ........ where did the kids put the rest of those apples????) Vance, working away on his school laptop, truth be told, he's probably more likely playing a game on it than doing work! A quick shot on my daily walk. Another quick shot from my walk. Noah's handiwork---boy is mom's phone fun! I look deep in thought, though, don't I. I was probably watching TV. Vanilla--There's more pictures on my phone than there probably should be of her, but she's so darn cute!

My week in a nutshell . . .

2010-10-12T12:58:00.004-04:00

Wow, it's so easy to get behind . . . ok, a super quick update of last week . . .
I've been to the dentist twice in the last week for a tooth that wasn't even bothering me to begin with and I have another appointment for it next week.

I've been to the doctor's office 3 different times with Vance for a check-up, blood-work and follow up.

I've been to the vet with Nutmeg. She has Lyme disease . . . from a tick that bit her last spring! I knew I was justified in hating ticks. And she has a yeast infection in her ear. . .

I've been visiting teaching to 7 of the 8 sisters on my list. (To be completely fair, some we just drop goodies off to--they won't let us in to talk)

I've been at the school 3 different times volunteering, once for 3 1/2 hours.

I've been to my doctor once.

Had lunch with Anna---that's was great!

The kid's church activities on Wednesday.

Taken Myshel to and from school twice and to and from work . . . I don't know, I lost count.

The kids had a four day weekend.

Vance had a scout jamboree camp out. (and froze!)

I did 800 loads of laundry (I swear it felt like that many)

And I found out that our ward isn't doing a trunk-or-treat this year . . . the year that Halloween falls on Sunday!!!! What to do now??? Is it fair to skip Halloween altogether?

I'm sure I left things out, but I think that I got the main things in there.

My new stove . . . .

2010-09-30T11:49:00.002-04:00

It's really a basic, no frills model, but I don't care! The maintenance man brought me a new stove and now he's my new best friend! I had to bake in it last night, just to check it out and I found out the oven's bigger than my last one! WhoooHooo! (It's sad when a new stove--that really isn't exactly yours get you excited)

I love Autumn!!!!!!

2010-09-29T12:58:00.002-04:00

It's my favorite time of the year!!!

The kids picked out their pumpkins and now my porch is looking a little more "autumny". I love the cooler weather. I love the leaves starting to change color and I love the kids being back in school!

McKaylie's Mouse

2010-09-14T09:29:00.002-04:00

McKaylie decided that she was going to make a mouse toy. So she got out all my sewing supplies and started working. I didn't think too much of it, but when she brought me the final project, I have to say I was impressed. She came up with everything (except the nose) on her own and sewed it together. She deserves her own post for making her mouse, which is now named Stu and goes to school with her everyday.

Ponce's Throttle Board

2010-09-13T12:03:00.004-04:00

This was posted in the Navy Times, Scoop Deck on September 7, 2010 (Photographer~MC1 Nathanael Miller / Navy)

You never know what kind of sailor art you’re going to see when you go down into a main space — many indeed are the riffs on “port shaft” and “starboard shaft,” — but this throttle board on the amphibious transport dock Ponce has got to be one of the coolest in the fleet. MM3 Sunny Qiu painted that flag on the board, and that’s him at the “ahead” throttle — if only we could all customize our work spaces so well.

Pretty cool, if you ask me!

McDonald's

2010-09-07T09:01:00.003-04:00

Myshel got her first "real" job working at McDonald's. Surprising to everyone, she really likes it. She definitely has days that she comes home frustrated, but who doesn't have those days. I think she likes earning her own money the most. I saw this shirt in the store and had to get it for her. She didn't even know who the "Fry Guys" were. I remember McDonald's fry guys, do you?

Tiny Little Tree Frog . . . .

2010-09-07T08:50:00.003-04:00

My kids are constantly catching frogs, which is why there's always pictures on my blog of their latest catch. Normally, I'm not a big fan of frogs, but this little guy was rather cute. They caught him up in the trees behind our house. They only kept him for a little while and then let him go. You can see just how tiny he is when Vance is holding him. And look . . . he can climb the glass on my screen door. Or just there on the glass.
(If you look close in this picture, you can see Nutmeg inside watching. She didn't like that little frog on her door) I love that my kids live here and can experience all this around them right now.

Fishing with Dad

2010-09-01T10:04:00.007-04:00

When Chad was home we, of course, went to the river to fish. The kids didn't get hardly any minnows that time, but they had their best day ever catching fish with their poles. It was still fun, even though the fish were really small. It's not like we keep them to eat anyway!

Vance caught: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Chad caught (Noah reeled it in) 1 2Maybe dad was just the good luck charm.

First Day of School, #2

2010-09-01T10:00:00.002-04:00

Vance -10th grade (Sophomore)

This one wasn't nearly as excited to start school today! But I was very happy to send him off this morning. He drove me nuts yesterday when McKaylie and Noah were at school.

The kids will go to school tomorrow and then have 4 days off---a little crazy. Next week will be nice, though. We'll get into our actual schedule, seminary included (ugh).

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2010-08-31T09:21:00.002-04:00

Normally I'm not overly anxious to send the kids back to school. For the most part, I like having them home and not having a routine to stick to. This year, though, I'm dying to get the kids back to school and have been for weeks. Since Chad left I've almost been desperate for them to get back to their school schedules.

So, finally today is the day, at least for McKaylie and Noah. Vance will start tomorrow and Myshel starts her classes next week (but they're in the evening, so they really don't count). I think they were really ready to start, too.

Noah's in second grade this year McKaylie's in 5th grade--her last year in elementary school---I can't hardly believe that. I think this will be a great school year for everyone!

Silly Bands

2010-08-29T14:22:00.003-04:00

McKaylie and Noah have collected a few silly bands over the months. They trade them with their friends and have fun getting new ones. I'm really glad, though, that they don't try to wear them all at once They'd have silly bands up to their elbows! Besides, their pediatrician told McKaylie to be careful when she's wearing them because they can cut off the circulation to your hands, especially if you sleep with them. Thank you Dr. Patten for solving that problem for me!

Lovin' Our Tomato Plants!

2010-08-25T14:26:00.003-04:00

So far we've gotten a couple dozen tomatoes off our plants! We also have several banana peppers, too. We've enjoyed them plain, in salads, on sandwiches, and we made some fresh salsa! Yummy! I really like the yellow ones. I've never had them before, so it's fun and yummy to eat them! I hope everyone's enjoying their garden as much as I'm enjoying my little one.

McKaylie's Quilt

2010-08-25T14:13:00.002-04:00

Here's the quilt I made for McKaylie. The squares have dogs on them (of course). She loves it and is constantly wrapped up in it.

It's Pouring . . .

2010-08-24T10:58:00.003-04:00

It's been awhile since I posted, longer than I thought. It's been a crazy few weeks at our house. It seems that the saying "when it rains, it pours" really is true. Between kids, summer, family, migraines, church, school coming, Myshel's job and starting college, the navy, vehicles, and all the everyday house stuff, it's been pouring like crazy around here.

Some of the things I'll post about, some I won't. I'll start with the navy, because it seems to enjoy throwing my life upside down. About 2 weeks ago Chad found out that they'd let him take an earlier leave (He was planning on coming home in September for about a week and a half) and he'd be able to stay a week longer. We were pretty excited. The day that Chad was going to put in the official request, his ship got word that they were being deployed a month early and all leave was canceled. We were crushed. It looked like we'd be going 10 months without seeing Chad at all. We always knew that was a possibility when he left and we stayed here, but it was devastating nonetheless.

The next few days we spent waiting on a special request for leave. It was a long shot and we never really expected to get it, but Chad called me on a Friday night and said that he'd been approved for one week of leave and it started the next night. He asked me to check into plane tickets for that Sunday. ----I don't advise buying plane tickets 36 hours before you need them unless you absolutely have to ---- really expensive!!!

So Chad was on a plane out of Norfolk at 5:45 Sunday morning. It was great to have him home even for just a week. It was terrible saying good-bye again, especially knowing that it would be 8 months before he'd be back from deployment. To add to the stress and frustration, his flight back to Norfolk was canceled and we had to scramble to get him to Boston to catch a plane first thing Monday morning. Thank goodness for friends!

Chad slept, or tried to sleep, in the Boston airport Sunday night, caught his flight at 6:30AM, got into Norfolk around 10AM and went straight to work until 7PM, slept for a few hours and had to stand watch from 1AM- 4AM. Not a very fun couple of days for him.

Chad also was told that the deployment was extended a few weeks and that they wouldn't be pulling into port for the first four months. That's not the kind of news that either of us wanted to hear.

It's been pouring . . . I'm really hoping for a slow drizzle instead!

First Tomato

2010-08-09T18:35:00.001-04:00

I know I should have given it another day or two, but I couldn't wait. I ate my first tomato of the year this morning and ohhhh was it good. There's about 5 more turning red right now and one of my yellow tomatoes is turning too. I'm soooo excited!

This Week . . . .

2010-08-06T14:30:00.008-04:00

Well, I've made a mistake . . . now that I've taken the kids to the river to fish, they expect me to go everyday!!!! They're wearing me out! This week has been a little crazy, between the kids activities and a migraine, I'm wiped out today! Here's some pictures from our recent fishing trips this week. Noah, with a little froggy buddy they caught just after we got there. They all played with him right up until we left ---- including putting it on mom's arm while she was reading ---- not funny! The only fish Vance has managed to catch with his fishing pole. It's not huge, but was still fun.The bigger fish is the one he caught with his pole the others were caught in the minnow trap. Myshel will fish for, oh, about 5 minutes~ The boys adding minnows to the bucket. They discovered today that bread is the best bait of all for them! Looks deep doesn't it. It's only about 2 feet deep out where Vance and Myshel are and about a foot, foot and a half where Noah is. They have a lot of fun swimming out there. (McKaylie was at a friend's house---I didn't leave her out of the pictures) I love this picture of the crane. He came and landed a few feet from us, looked around and then flew away. I was really excited that this picture came out!

Chad's doing good. The galley just passed their first big inspection since Chad's been there (and in charge) So that's great for him. His first week on the ship he ran into a pipe walking through a p-way (passageway) and cut his forehead. He sent a recent picture of it and it's looking much better. The first one isn't a great picture, but if you click on the second you can get a better look at his new scar! I don't think he'll ever live that down. He said the guys call him Scarface!

Myshel and Vance have to be at the church tomorrow morning at 5:15 AM for a temple trip!! Ugh!!! That early morning stuff is suppose to be Chad's job!

Fishing for Minnows . . .

2010-07-30T09:58:00.003-04:00

Since Vance discovered last time that the minnows were such great bait, he's been itching to go back to the river and try to catch some more minnows to fish with. This time he came better prepared. He went online to see how to make a minnow trap. It was super easy, just a 2 littler bottle cut in half and then take the top of the bottle and stick it inside the bottom half, so that the opening you normally drink out is inside the bottom half of the bottle. I have to admit I was skeptical about how well it would work. The theory is that it works a lot like a lobster trap. The minnows swim in through the little hole and then it's harder for them to find their way out through that little hole. So, we went down to the river, Vance armed with two traps.He set them in two different spots. One he left alone for about 15 minutes, the other he kept messing with (McKaylie and Noah, too). When he checked on the trap that he set and left alone he was very, very excited. He'd caught 3 minnows and I thought that was cool, a little amazed that it worked, but cool. So he runs over to show me. I'm totally expecting 3 little tiny fish and was shocked to see 3 different sized fish, one was about 2 inches long and skinny, the second about 2 inches long, but fatter and the 3rd was a good 4 inches long and pretty big---not exactly what I'd consider a minnow, really. I couldn't believe it. I'm not even sure really how the big one got through the little hole either.Needless to say, Vance wouldn't use them for bait. They've now been adopted by my 3 youngest children and are living in a tub in the back yard. (the one that the frogs took a swim in the other day) He did manage to catch one more little minnow and used it for bait, hooked a fish, but it ate his little minnow and took off.Vance isn't discouraged is even more determined now. He came home and made several more traps and is dying to get back to the river to try them out. At this rate, we'll have a whole school of fish in that tub by the end of the summer.

Sea Dogs

2010-07-28T16:16:00.003-04:00

Chad and I took our parents to Sea Dogs when they were here. It's a restaurant (Tavern/Grille) but it used to be a paper mill. It sits right on the Androscoggin River, which is really kinda fun. The food's pretty good, but it's the ambiance inside that's so fun. Everything is the original wood from the mill. There's lots of memorabilia, tools and pictures from the mill, too. I love that kind of stuff. I wish I'd taken pictures inside . . . another time, I guess. We took some pictures form the deck when we ate there, but Mom asked me for some pictures of it from across the river. I'm finally getting them to her. So, I thought I'd add them here on the blog, too.

Frogs . . .

2010-07-28T16:11:00.003-04:00

Every morning, Noah comes in bright and early and asks me if he can check on his frogs. Apparently, they're the first thing he thinks about in the morning. Today, they got some fresh water and went for a swim. He keeps them in a bigger tub that he has made into a habitat for them. McKaylie helps him catch bugs to add to the habitat. They seem happy and healthy, but I'd rather the little slimy things went back to the pond.

Fishing . . . Sort of . . . .

2010-07-27T19:19:00.002-04:00

Noah was at summer school today and McKaylie was at a friend's house, so I took the two older kids to the river and let them fish. They really didn't do much fishing, but they did manage to get wet. Vance cast only once and had a fish within seconds----I'm guessing it was the minnow he caught and used for bait. While the kids played/fished, I read my book. It was actually very relaxing. The weather was perfect there was a slight breeze and I didn't have to worry about the kids being safe or whether they were getting along. I had a very nice time.

Noah's "Love Quilt"

2010-07-24T12:37:00.004-04:00

Before Chad left he finished a cross-stitch of a gray fox for Noah. There were several other animals that Chad had cross-stitched over the years that Noah adopted as his own. After Chad left, Noah wanted to sew the cross-stitched animals into a blanket for Chad and send it to him. I told Noah that even though that was a very sweet idea, his dad had made the fox for him and he wanted him to have it. Then I suggested that I sew all the cross-stitches into a quilt for Noah and then when he misses his dad, he can wrap himself up in the quilt, think of his dad's arms around him and remember how much his dad loves him.

He was all for the idea, so that's what I've been working on this last week. I ended up using 2 cross-stitches that I had hanging on my wall, too. I think I now like them in the quilt better, though. Noah was so excited to have it finished today. I told him that maybe we should send it to dad and he said "NO WAY, this is my love quilt!" I think, of all the kids, Noah needed something like this to remember his dad. Of course all the kids (except Myshel---I think that's because she has Grandma Jo's quilt that she's constantly snuggled in) want a quilt now. I guess it will keep me busy for the summer.

When I was tying the quilt last night, Noah asked me where I learned to to do that. I told him that my mom and grandma taught me how to tie a quilt. He said, "I really am glad that they did." I really am glad that they did, too!

Slip 'n Slide

2010-07-21T16:19:00.003-04:00

My kids are having a great time with the slip 'n slide. They haven't gotten Myshel to try it yet, but maybe someday she will. I love this picture of Noah--but his landing had to have hurt, right?! It's nice that they have something at home to help beat the heat.

Tomato Plants

2010-07-20T14:44:00.006-04:00

My tomato and pepper plants are loving the hot humid weather we've been getting this summer. If I had known that they would do this well, I would have planted 10 times this many (if I had the space for them----which I don't) We've counted over 35 tomatoes on these 9 plants and there's still lots of blossoms. It's so exciting! Last year my tomato plants did awful. They're over a foot taller than the cages I have for them. I can't find anything in the stores that is tall enough to support them. I guess Vance and I are going to have to figure something out ourselves. I'm really excited about my banana peppers. These 3 are already so big. I can't believe it! and I can't wait to eat them! The other plants just have little nubs for peppers.

Toothless . . . Not Quite

2010-07-19T23:55:00.004-04:00

Noah lost his last front tooth yesterday.

You can already see the new permanent one coming in. I'm glad it's gone. It was just hanging there by a thread, but it reminds me that my baby's growing up, too.
---Sigh---

Say "Hello" to Vance's Little Friends . . . . .

2010-07-17T22:28:00.003-04:00

Can you see his little buddy? You might have to click on the picture to get a really good look. It stayed at the house (outside!!) for a few days until they released him back to his little home. This isn't a great picture, but you can see that Vance caught a little baby snake and brought him home to meet mom! How sweet---NOT!! Big or small . . . I hate them all!

Yummy!

2010-07-16T10:59:00.001-04:00

Grandma's and Grandpa's came for Myshel's graduation and of course, we had a few lobsters!!!

Camping

2010-07-14T09:36:00.004-04:00

About a week before Chad left, he took the boys on an overnight camping trip. They went to Jewel Island with some friends. Noah was very excited to go camping with his dad and his best friend not to mention he got to ride on a lobster boat to get there! I made Chad promise (promise, promise) to have the boys wear life jackets while on the boat. (notice---no one has a life jacket on!!!!---grumble)
Noah loved be there with his best buddy, but unfortunately it poured rain throughout the night and most of the next morning. Chad said Noah didn't sleep at all (AT ALL) that night and was very grumpy the next day. They called me from their tent at 7:30 in the morning. I could hear the rain hitting the tent.They did manage to have some fun hiking the next day, though. Noah fell asleep on the drive home (around 3PM) and he slept until 7 the next morning. He was so exhausted.
When I asked him the next day if he had fun, he said that he did, but that the next time he goes camping, I have to come, too! Chad said he really missed me---I hate that, you know. And, just for the record . . . I don't want to hear how women over pack ever again. These guys were only gone for 1 night!!!!

Ouch!!

2010-07-13T13:52:00.004-04:00

McKaylie went to a friend's house yesterday to swim in their pool. I reminded her a hundred times to put on sun screen, had her put some on before she left and even had her take it with her. Lots of good that did! Her friend's mom didn't think once to remind them to put more on in the 5 hours they were there--of course her daughter has a darker complexion than McKaylie and didn't get burned at all! GRRRRR Poor McKaylie, it wasn't a very fun night for her!

Summer Update

2010-07-12T09:45:00.008-04:00

I've been properly "reminded" to update my blog, so here I am. I do need to keep up with it more. I'll have to try harder, I think.

So a little update of our family's status as of today.

Chad reported to his ship, the USS Ponce, on July 1st. They're going to be out to sea on and off (mostly on) through the rest of the summer and then at the end of September they're planning on deploying for 7 months. The kids and I are staying here in Maine while all that's going on. It's a good thing for the kids. They'll get to stay here with friends, school and other things they're familiar with while their dad's gone. It's good for me, too, I guess, but being here in Maine while he's stationed in Virginia has left me feeling very disconnected from him and what's going on. Since he's at sea, you'd think that it really wouldn't matter, but it does for some reason and I don't like it. We should be able to see Chad in September before he deploys. That will be nice and difficult at the same time. We know that this is the right thing for our family and so we do what we need to do. A year spent mostly apart just isn't very appealing, though. Of course, Chad would be quick to point out that we'd still spend the year mostly apart even if we were in Virginia. Don't you just love the navy!

Vance returned from scout camp last Friday. I was super proud of him. He passed his swimming test and earned his swimming merit badge while he was there. He was rather concerned about it, so I was really happy to hear that he'd accomplished that goal. I heard a lot about how "hot" the swimming teacher was . . . maybe that's why he tried so hard and passed???? (she's 21)

Myshel left for girl's camp this morning. She is one of the youth leaders. I think she'll have a great time, even though camping is not her thing.

With Chad gone and first now Vance and now Myshel being gone, our house has been feeling rather strange.

Noah has summer school 2 days a week, which he likes because his best friend is in his class with him.

McKaylie has friends calling her every day wanting to play. She'll be at one friend's house and 3 others will call while she's gone! I can't keep up with her social life! and she's only 10!

Myshel's Graduation Day!

2010-06-14T07:03:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it, but Myshel has officially graduated from high school! She was beautiful and we are super proud of her! It was a great day. I still can't believe it, though. It still doesn't seem quite real.

Noah lost a tooth!

2010-05-31T11:57:00.003-04:00

It took some work, but Noah and his dad got that little tooth out!

Happy Memorial Day!

2010-05-31T11:22:00.002-04:00

Watching the Parade in Topsham . . .

Senior Prom

2010-05-31T11:10:00.004-04:00

Saturday night was Myshel's senior prom. She looked great and had a great time. They were both cute and nervous, which was funny. I didn't have a had time sending her off to prom.It was harder at her Seminary graduation on Sunday night.

Oh, Boy!

2010-05-26T20:41:00.006-04:00

The school called me yesterday and told me that Noah had run into a tree and hit his eye. She assured me that his actual eye was fine, but that he'd scratched it up pretty good.

It was all puffy when he came home and it made me hurt just to look. It must have been hurting him, too, because he laid around with an ice pack on it for awhile. He also complained about a headache. Poor guy! I felt terrible for him.

(At least he didn't need stitches!--hee hee)

Myshel's Senior Pics

2010-05-24T09:39:00.001-04:00

Graduation's creepin' up on us . . . . I'm not sure I'm ready for that!

Birthday Playdate

2010-05-24T09:17:00.005-04:00

On Saturday McKaylie had a birthday playdate. I refused to call it a party, even though that's what it was. We had it at the park and I was sooooooooooooooo glad we did. 7 screaming 9-10 year old girls!!!!!!!! Yikes! I was so glad that we weren't in my house!McKaylie is such a social butterfly. I don't know where she gets it. Chad and I are definitely not that way . . . I don't think. Anyway, she has lots of friends and was very disappointed that she had to limit her invites to 10 (8 showed up--1 was really late).Something else that I'm totally not ready for with McKaylie . . . . .
boys! She invited one boy. He was totally ok with being the only boy by the way. He actually was really late because he had a baseball game, which was ok by me! I shouldn't complain too much, really. He was the best behaved one there, extremely polite! It was nice.Myshel was not so interested in the party! Vance enjoyed throwing pebbles at her, which we reminded him was not very nice---after we stopped giggling! In her defense, she had just gotten back from a sleep-over for the leaders at camp--she was very tired . . . and she's a teenager.

Happy Birthday, McKaylie! (May 19)

2010-05-21T11:12:00.003-04:00

I can't believe she's 10!!! This cake fought me the whole way. It just didn't want to be frosted. It looks sort of ok in this picture, but it didn't look ok up close. I've never been so frustrated just trying to ice a cake!!!

McKaylie liked it, I guess that's all that mattered.

Too Funny!

2010-05-12T12:43:00.003-04:00

This really is funny . . . and could totally be my dog!

Baby Blankets

2010-05-12T07:46:00.003-04:00

Here's 2 baby blankets I made. There's 2 women in our ward (actual sisters) that are both having boys the end of this month. I was pretty happy with how they both turned out!

Tadpoles

2010-05-07T10:13:00.003-04:00

Here's the tadpoles the kids brought home from the pond the other day. All the "black" in the bucket is tadpoles. Noah brought some to school for one of his teachers. She was so excited to get them and Noah was so excited to share them!

Checkin' For Ticks

2010-04-30T09:23:00.006-04:00

The kids went to a pond by our house the other day to catch tadpoles. McKaylie came home with 3 ticks crawling on her and then we found another one on our wall the next morning! Ohhh, I hate those little buggers! They give me the willies!!!

This place seems to be infested with them! At school they have "tick buddies" for after recess. Your "tick buddy" checks out your clothes and hair to make sure there aren't any ticks on you when you come back in to class! YUCK!

Kids Are So Funny!

2010-03-22T09:08:00.004-04:00

Chad and I had to run errands in Portland earlier this week, so we decided we'd be brave and take the kids with us. Before heading for home, we stopped and ate dinner at On the Border. (Yummy!)

The kids meals came with a kid's sundae and Noah and McKaylie chose strawberry. (Vance had chocolate--even though he didn't have a kid's meal) About half way through his sundae, Noah told me that I could have it. When I asked him why, he said the strawberries tasted funny.

I thought that seemed strange because McKaylie was enjoying hers and it looked really good. I took a small bite to see. It was really good--fresh strawberries, very sweet--delicious. I couldn't understand what he was talking about. So, I asked him what was wrong with them. "They don't taste anything like my strawberry milk."

I couldn't believe it! Chad laughed and we both agreed . . . more fresh strawberries . . . less strawberry milk.

Myshel is always complaining about eating meat. She tells us that she's a vegetarian all the time. Which we find completely hilarious because she loves hamburgers, steak, chicken, etc. So it didn't come as any surprise when she announced to Chad and I yesterday that she was a vegetarian again. We reminded her that she loves hamburgers and chicken, so, technically she couldn't be a vegetarian.

Her answer, "Fine, I'm a pork-atarian because I hate pork chops and ham and all that stuff."

Chad (through a chuckle): "You do realize that you're eating a ham sandwich, right?"

She looked a little sheepish but avoided his question. Then Vance reminded her that she loves bacon, which she promptly countered that bacon doesn't count.

I smiled and said, "So, let me get this straight, you're a pork-atarian that eats ham and bacon."
Myshel, "Bacon doesn't count as pork."
Vance, "I think the pig would disagree."

I Did It!!!!

2010-02-10T12:34:00.003-05:00

I had my MRI this morning . . . and lived through it! Whooohooo!!!!

I didn't need to take the Activan, either. After talking with the nurse on the phone about it when they called to confirm the appointment, I really thought that I could do it. I also asked Chad to give me a priesthood blessing, which was a HUGE help to me. (Thank you, Janice)

It also made a huge difference that they let me put a washcloth over my eyes and listen to the music on my Ipod. Sweet!!!! It took about 20-25 minutes and I didn't feel freaked out at all the whole time I was in there.

People probably think I'm pretty pathetic for being such a baby, but I'm so proud of myself for getting through it. I'm so glad it's done with now and it's not constantly nagging at me in the back of my mind. I'll find out the results in a couple of weeks at my doctor's appointment. I'm not really worried about what they'll find (or not find). I was just worried about getting through the actual MRI.

Thank you everyone for all your sweet thoughts on my behalf. You are all awesome and I am so blessed through you!

MRI? . . . I don't know . . .

2010-01-27T12:25:00.004-05:00

I get a lot of headaches and migraines. I have for a long time. Lately, though, I've been getting some headaches that start at the base of my head/neck and trigger migraines. So, my doctor wants to do an MRI just to make sure there's nothing more going on.

Ummmmm. . . . .. . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . .

I'm really not liking the idea of an MRI because me and tight places don't exactly agree. In fact, I'm freaking a little. I told my doctor about my little (BIG) anxiety with claustrophobia and she reassured me (or tried to) telling me that it really isn't as bad as I'd think. She aslo said she could prescribe something that would help me relax a little. That idea doesn't thrill me either. I don't like the idea of taking Activan, even if it is only 1 pill that she prescribed.

So, now I'm freaking out about the MRI and the "tube" I have to lay in for who knows how long. (Chad's last one took 30 minutes!!!!!!!) AND I'm freaking out about whether I should take the Activan. It does say that it's used to treat anxiety, which seems to be exactly what I've got!

Help!

The Dogs are Taking Over . . .

2010-01-26T11:37:00.001-05:00

They're not spoiled at all!

Winter

2010-01-26T11:16:00.002-05:00

Only in Maine can it snow 20 inches one week and rain 2 inches the next. We had a crazy storm yesterday with lots of rain and high winds. We were lucky, though. We didn't lose our power!

My Matryoshka Dolls

2010-01-20T13:35:00.002-05:00

My sister has sent me several matryoshka (or babushka) dolls from the different countries she's lived in. Matryoshka dolls nest inside each other and are almost always handpainted. I just love them so much. So, I've decided to start collecting them. I told her I'd take some pictures of them and decided to share them here.

These are the first three she sent me from Moldova. Noah loved playing with them, even though I asked him not to. He would tell me that they wanted to come out and play. That's also why this one is missing half a doll. The next two she gave me for Christmas. How perfect that one was santa. Instead of nesting dolls, it had ornaments in it. I loved them just as much. These are probably my favorite so far. the detail on them is amazing. Thank you, Debbie for sharing these with me!

2010-01-19T12:31:00.004-05:00

The weatherman predicted that we'd get just a bit of snow Sunday night into Monday. Apparently, a bit of snow is around 12 inches!The kids were loving it, especially since they had the day off to play in it. And, because Maine just has to keep you on your toes, we're suppose to get another 8 inches today. The kids have today off of school, too, so whhooo hoooo! 2 days to play in fresh snow. Does it get any better than that?!?

Old Habits . . .

2010-01-19T12:23:00.002-05:00

On Saturday I took my wedding ring in for it's 6 month check-up. They told me that the smaller stones were really loose (which didn't surprise me, I mean, I've had it for 19 years!) So, we sent it off to get all tightened up.

I hate not wearing my wedding ring. It just feels like something's missing. I don't know how many times I've tried to twist it or play with it and then realize it's not there. I never knew how often I did that until now. I actually to it a lot. It's funny how you get so accustom to something that you do it out of habit, without even thinking about it.

I'll be very glad to have my ring back. It's a part of me, a part of who I am, I guess. It might be a long couple of weeks.

Chinese Cultural Performance

2010-01-14T14:08:00.003-05:00

Myshel Chinese class gave a performance today for their midterm exam.

(Myshel's in the front) They did chinese dancing, Tai Chi, poems and songs (all in Chinese). It was lots of fun to watch and listen to.

We won't talk about the scary guy next to her . . . ha ha-sort of) The kids did a great job. These pictures aren't great, but I think you can get a small idea. Myshel did two dances and she was great. She loves her Chinese class and it was so much fun to see her show off what's she's learned! The best part, now she has an A+ in Chinese! Whoo Hooo! Their dresses were so pretty, this is just the back of Myshel's.

Do You Love Me Enough . . .

2010-01-13T10:21:00.004-05:00

Noah's always telling me that he loves me more than dad (Chad) and that I should dump dad (Chad) and marry him. It's very cute and makes me laugh.

Yesterday Noah was in my bed watching TV and I joined him. He was watching SpongeBob. I tried to take the remote but he wouldn't let me.

Me: "Dad loves me enough to let me have the remote"
Noah looked at me and then over at Chad and slowly hands me the remote. "I love you that much too . . . but don't change the channel."
Me after laughing a bit: "Dad loves me enough to let me watch what I want."

Again, Noah looked at me and then at Chad. Clearly trying to decide if I was worth it. In the end, SpongeBob beat me out!

The First Snow of the Year

2010-01-12T10:23:00.004-05:00

{I'm having trouble with firefox. It won't let me upload pictures on my blog. I'm not sure why. If anyone knows, can you tell me, please! So, today I'm using Windows.}

I thought I'd post some pictures from our last snow storm since I haven't posted any yet. This was the first snow storm of 2010 and it started on New Year's Eve.It lasted about 3-4 days. I think we got somewhere around 15-18 inches total. We've had worse storms. The kids were really excited to get the snow, though! Here's Vance digging a fort on one side of the driveway. . . . . and McKaylie digging hers on the other side of the driveway. They were preparing for a great battle!

Out With the Old in Primary

2010-01-11T09:39:00.003-05:00

Yesterday our ward sustained a new primary presidency, which means I was released form my calling as 2nd counselor. It came as a bit of a surprise, but I was totally ok with it. The new presidency will be great. I was given a new calling, but they forgot to sustain me, so mum's the word for now, I guess. I think it will be a nice change actually. Although, I'm not sure how I feel about being forgotten on the list of people they sustained. This is the 3rd time they've done that to me when they've given me a new calling. Apparently, I'm easy to forget.

What a Week . . . . .

2010-01-08T10:10:00.002-05:00

My computers been acting up all week. I'm had it with my phone. I'm stressed about navy stuff, stressed about home stuff and stressed about Chad stuff. I now have new church stuff (actually that's not so bad). My house is a mess, the dishes aren't done and my kids hate chores. This is the 3rd day of waking up with a migraine, which is really starting to annoy. It's cold and gloomy outside and frustrating inside. I'm glad this week is coming to a end.

(---I'm not nearly as grumpy as I sound . . . really!)

Chippy the Chipmunk

2010-01-07T10:57:00.005-05:00

This is Chippy. He is a Webkinz Chipmunk that Noah adopted on Christmas day. Noah loves Chippy very much. Noah and Chippy go everywhere and do everything together. One day Chippy and Noah went outside to play in the snow. When I checked on them, Chippy looked a little cold and sad. So I had a talk with Noah about talking good care of Chippy. I told him that maybe Chippy shouldn't play outside in the snow anymore. Noah was very sad about that and asked me to do something for him and Chippy. Now Chippy won't get cold because he doesn't go outside without his winter gear on, just like his friend Noah.

(I am such a sucker!)

Christmas 2009

2010-01-06T07:42:00.007-05:00

Ok, so I know I'm a little late posting these, but here's some pictures from Christmas this year. We had a really nice Christmas. This is my Santa Bread. It's made from frozen bread dough. He was delicious! The kids in their Christmas Eve pajamas. McKaylie in her new hat . . . Myshel got her Twilight journals . . . Vance with his new jacket . . . Noah got a "Maine" moose . . .