My new stove . . . .

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!!!!!!

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

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

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

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 . . . .

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

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

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).