Fall Mugshots

After church a few weeks ago we decided to get a family picture since James and Erika were heading back out to school at BYUI. We got the tripod out on the deck and Julia showed us how to set our 10-second timer so we could all be in it. Teenagers are good for things like that. :)

Andrea is a 5th grader. She's playing flute in band and taking gymnastics.




Daniel is a junior this year. He's doing cross country right now as well as Marching Band and Madrigals. He turned 17 on Sept 6. Sorry I didn't get a separate post on it, Dan.




Erika is a Senior at BYU Idaho, majoring in Psychology. She's taking some fun classes like guitar, bowling, social dance and Chinese. (She plans to teach English in China next semester.) She's on the girl's intermural cross country team.



David is working in Scouting, speaks each month to
different wards in our stake as a High Councilor and is working on a new chapel which is being built. He also volunteers on Marching Band's Pit Crew.




Julia is a Sophomore. She's playing the clarinet in Marching Band and has started up private clarinet lessons again.



James is a Sophomore at BYU-Idaho studying Business. He's on the frisbee and cross-country intermural teams and is the self-appointed Chess Master of his apartment--after winning his roommate while playing blindfolded. He is preparing his papers to go on a mission next semester.

P.S. Kara and Luke had already driven back to Idaho where they are both completing their last semester. Luke is finishing his course work and working part time on campus. Kara is Student Teaching 2nd grade in the nearby town of Rigby.

List

I like to have pictures on my posts, because it seems boring without them, but since I have been having computer problems and am still in the process of reloading programs, inputting my address book and such, I haven't had the time for awhile to blog. Some friends' blogs have lists, so I'll try that--but I think I'll spread them out to keep you coming back :)

Jobs I've held:
SUMMER JOBS
Factory work: sorting cherries- Idaho
Sorting french fries- Oregon
Overseer at an orchard- Idaho
Ladder construction- Idaho
Dish washer, laundress at a dude ranch- Utah
Camp counselor at a dude ranch- Utah
Waitress -Alabama
Supervised a play center -Sweden
Sales at a radio station -Utah

PART TIME JOBS
Babysitter - New York
Dishwasher and food server at BYU
Entertainer (guitar/singing) at an Italian restaurant
Teacher of piano, guitar, folk dance, Italian lessons to children
Reading tutor at a junior high school
Junior Great Book teacher
Title 1 aide
Montessori aide
Student Teacher on Ute reservation
Substitute Teacher
Interior Decorating Consultant

FULL TIME JOBS
Missionary in Italy
First grade teacher- Idaho (Preston, home of Napolean Dynamite)
Supervisor/Professor of Student Teachers- Utah State University
Teacher at a Day Care Center- Maryland
Ran a Lovaas (Applied Behavioral Analysis) program
Author of children's books

(Does 'Mother of 6 children' go here? )

Be Honest and Tell the Truth

Book 14 of the 'Learning to Get Along' series has just been published. This is the last book of the series. It can be found at the publisher's site, www.freespirit.com
or at www.amazon.com, among others.

It feels a little strange to be done after almost seven years. After I finished writing and editing the book a few months ago it was sent overseas for publishing. I was then asked to work on one last project--a software program for schools that contains all the books. I wrote comprehension questions and simplified vocabulary definitions for each book.

Over these years I have been pleased to hear from people who are using and enjoying the books. I hope the series will have a positive influence on many children to come.

Labor Day at Blue Knob

Friday we headed up to Blue Knob, Pennsylvania for our almost annual Labor Day tradition. This year James invited his friend Reggie. This picture is of Erika and Reggie.

However, when we arrived on Friday night at 10:30pm, it wasn't such a scenic view. Every year (except last year) for the past 13 years we have come on Labor Day with several other families we know to stay in the rustic cabins. This year we were assigned to the "craft cabin" which isn't generally slept in. It was full of cobwebs, a broken window, dust and a resident mouse. When we walked in--we did have electricity, we turned on the light to see our mouse running around along the rafters. When he saw us he stopped and peeked his head way out and then started scurrying around on the wall. All three girls (Erika, Julia, Andrea) and I started screaming. The girls decided to leave right away, and slept in the van for 3 nights. I was very brave and stayed--and we didn't see him again. By the end of our stay, I actually enjoyed our cabin, though--with it's convenient location to the mess hall and the bathrooms!

Saturday Dave and I hiked up to the nearby ski lodge. It was a beautiful sunny day. We sat on a ski lift chair and admired the view for awhile before walking down. Some of our kids were swimming at the pool when we arrived, which looked inviting after our hike, but the water is actually FREEZING.

Saturday night at the mess hall, where we have our communal dinners, we enjoyed "karaoke night". Here is Daniel, Reggie, James and Ben.

Here the girls performed 'Traveling Soldier."

Andrea with her friends on top of the large dinner bell



and with flourescent cheeks to be seen in the dark.

Another highlight was that the congregation (or branch) in nearby Bedford were anxiously expecting all of us to arrive for church as we have for several years. They provided extra Sunday School teachers since we bring a lot of children. They also provided a large lunch after church for all of us visitors. What wonderful hospitality. We hope to be back to see them next year.

Kara and Luke Drive West

Last night Kara and Luke were here. We heard about their week at the beach in North Carolina with his family. Then they headed out bright and early this morning--Kara in their car, and Luke in their new truck. They tried out their new 14-mile radius walkie talkies, and seemed satisfied that they would be able to keep in touch over the long drive to St. Louis today, and tomorrow to Denver.

It brought back memories of Dave and I traveling in two cars in the opposite direction--from Utah to Maryland, when we were first married. I'm not very good at driving more than about an hour at a time, and it took us about 10 days to get here--with a little stopping with family in between. Raised in the West, I've lived my married life in the East. Now my 'Eastern' daughter plans to settle in the West. Go figure.

Kara has left and come back several times over the past years in college, but this time they have no plans to come back. They have one more semester at BYU-Idaho and Dave and I plan to see them graduate in December. Then they hope to settle in Denver. We'll miss them, but are happy for them and their bright futures.

Happy Birthday/Anniversary

Happy Birthday Dave! --To the greatest husband and father ever. (It's on the internet. It must be true!) Here he is with five of our six children tonight as he opened gifts.

(By the way, James is wearing his Rocktagon shirt--from Daniel's band.
You can go to my July 22 /07 entry if you missed his group's video or click here.)

Besides Dave's birthday, today is also Kara and Luke's wedding anniversary--one year today. Congratulations.

DEEP CREEK

We went this week to Deep Creek for a 3-day vacation. Here is where we stayed out of the rain, had a barbecue, played pool, watched a movie and went in the hot tub.

On Monday we went jet skiing for a couple hours, changing drivers every half hour. Daniel was old enough to drive this year. We had zero people flying off, tipping over the jet ski or colliding with anything. That made the event a success. We also dodged the rain and had a beautiful day. On Tuesday we rented a motor boat and tube, and everyone--including the old parents-- got a turn on the tube. Here is Andrea.

James tried the most angles. The one I got the biggest kick out of was the 'Lotus' yoga pose--where he crossed his legs and put his hands up (thumbs touching the forefinger) in a meditative pose while going lickety-split across the choppy water.

Dave was the only one unfortunate enough to have me as the driver. Hold on for a rough one!

Julia waiting back at the dock.

James reads, Erika plays the guitar and Daniel waits back at the dock while David, Andrea and Julia jet ski. We went mini-golfing. Andrea climbed the wall at the arcade there. She made it up in no time.

Wednesday was rainy, so after our trip to Lakeside Creamery for a shake, we headed home and we saw a movie at home--'Bourne Ultimatum' for the guys and 'Hairspray' for the girls. Yesterday we went bowling and to lunch together. It's sad to see the summer end!

A Day at the Art Gallery

Erika and I took the Metro down to DC last Saturday.

Our first stop was the National Archives where we looked at the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the beautiful domed building that houses them.

Then we went to the National Art Gallery. We both like the Impressionists the most. Here we are with Degas' ballerinas and Mary Cassatt (American).




This Monet is hanging in my sewing room. I was surprised to remember how many of these paintings I have prints of, and have hung in various rooms at different times. It's a familiar feeling coming back to see the originals.


My long time favorite, Vince Van Gogh (Pronounced Van Goff in England)

BAND CAMP

Daniel and Julia finished Band Camp last week. Daniel is entering his junior year next week and plays the trombone. Julia is an incoming sophomore and plays the clarinet. Band Camp was 8 hours a day--(all of them very hot!) for two weeks. On the last night families attended a spaghetti dinner with their students.

Then we got to see them perform their routine (four songs) which they have learned already. The theme is about a plane crash and fighting with natives and they spell out SOS at the end. It's not your typical marching, but involves alot of running--some of it backwards and sideways. It looks like a real challenge at times not to get hit by someone else or their instrument.

They also had a march-off where students demostrated their ability to follow marching directions. Then family members came out and tried to march. Daniel had James come out, and Julia asked Erika. Kara and Luke were there too, so it was fun to have the whole family there, especially since last year we couldn't all attend the Band performance because it was held the night before Kara and Luke's wedding.


Julia--The first time they played the songs without marching.

Julia with Erika (wearing her hat)




Daniel with his friend Colin

Daniel's 'High Adventure'

At the beginning of August, David was able to go with Daniel on his 'High Adventure' with the young men from church. They began in Cumberland, MD at the beginning of the C & O (Chesapeake and Ohio) Canal. They biked for four days and 186 miles over bumpy, gravelly roads to the end of the canal in Washington, D.C. David followed the first days with an equipment van, but was able to ride with the boys on the last day when they covered almost 60 miles! Way to go, guys.

Day at the Beach

Last Saturday, August 11, was the only day we were able to gather all our children for a vacation. It was great to have all 6 of them together (and our son-in-law Luke) since Kara, Luke, Erika and James will all be heading out to BYU-Idaho in the next couple weeks for school--the last semester they will be there together.

We went to Ocean City. It looked stormy that morning and the waves were really high and rough, but it got calmer and sunnier as the day went on--enough for most of us to get a burn.











Afterwards we went to Salvatore's where it has been our tradition to get a 36-inch pizza. This year we were really crazy and got another Large besides. Here are pictures of us that night and one of Andrea the next day with a leftover piece.

Summer Projects

This has been a busy summer, but also an enjoyable one. One of the main projects I hoped to complete was painting my bedroom and bathroom. Julia and Daniel helped me paint the bedroom, and I'm really happy with the new sunny color. The hardest part was painting the window which is one floor above the room. We balanced our 10-rung ladder on top of our dresser and partially on the two nightstands which are the same height! Daniel did most of the high painting for me. Since these pictures were taken I also made a headboard in the fabric I used to cover the ottoman. Watching all those home design shows may have paid off. :)

We also grew a lot of tomatoes this year--mostly grape tomatoes, but also plum and your basic round variety. Knowing we couldn't eat them all, Dave encouraged me to try to can some. Our neighbor, Mike, heard from his son that I was in need of a little help, and he offered to have me bring my stuff to his house the other evening where he helped me cut and cook the tomatoes in my large kettle and grind them in his food mill to get out the skin and seeds. Then I bottled the sauce and juice (leaving one jar with him) and put the jars in my steamer/canner to boil 40 minutes. I felt very satisfied the next morning when I tested them, and they each had a tight seal--meaning I can put them on the shelf and save indefinitely. I realize that they might not get a blue-ribbon at the county fair--the way it separated is kind of weird, [but then you probably know by now that I already won a blue ribbon at the Utah State Fair in fifth grade for my peanut butter crisscross cookies. :)]

Pippi Longstocking

I'm a month or two late in posting this, but here is a picture of Andrea with her cute Pippi Longstocking project. The fourth graders were assigned to advertise their book as if it were a box of cereal. I like the idea of taking a picture of bulky projects, because then--if the child isn't too attached, we can throw the project out and still have the memories.

The way Andrea had her hair up that day she looks just like Pippi- who is also 9. Pippi was one of my favorite books and characters when I was young, and I dressed as Pippi for two Halloweens, so I was happy to have Andrea read and enjoy it. I also have the Pippi books in Swedish-- which I can read almost nothing of--from the time my family lived in Sweden and I studied at Stockholm University. Serendipity that the blanket behind her is one I made from Swedish IKEA fabric.

Bridesmaid

Erika was asked to be a bridesmaid for her friend's wedding. She was involved all day, and David and I attended the reception Saturday. Erika and I were proud of the pink satin dress we worked on together. The pattern needed some adjusting, but we were able to pull it off without burning a hole in it or cutting the parts inside out or something fatal. We did have to restitch some darts--(by the way, there were 20 darts in the sleeves alone), but we finished with hours to spare before the pictures at the temple. Here is Erika at the reception--one of six bridesmaids.

The Rocktagon

Daniel has been in a band with some of his friends from school for about a year. The group is called The Rocktagon. His friend Colin wrote this song "Dr. Pepper" for their first video which Daniel just showed us on 'youtube'. I thought it was a lot of fun. Daniel is the trombone player.
click here

Flashback Friday

Here's a flashback to August 1984 for a favorite picture of David when we were newly married. We took a drive while we were in Cincinnati visiting his family and David made friends with this horse. Tuesday we'll return to Cincinnati to see David's parents and other family for the 4th of July. We look forward to seeing a lot of relatives at an Uncle's barbecue. Andrea will be staying with Grandma and Grandpa an extra week after we leave. She already has her bags packed!

Making 'Spectacles' of themselves

Julia and Andrea found some old glasses around the house. I'm quite sure that neither pair could have been mine! :) Actually, I just got a smaller, rectangular pair of glasses and when I arrived home it was pointed out to me that I had chosen the same frames for Andrea (in her size) a few months earlier. I guess I must have really liked them. But just as I am trying to get with the times with smaller frames, Erika, European traveler, tells me that frames are actually going big again--so I guess Julia and Andrea will always be more trendy than I am--even in satire.

Happy Father's Day

I hope David had an enjoyable Father's Day yesterday. It started with breakfast in bed from Andrea and I. It was a low-key and relaxing day. We saw Kara and Luke on Saturday and Sunday we talked to James in Idaho. The rest of us were home. After church we had dinner (a new recipe of beef and couscous) and then David opened cards and a couple presents. The kids all did something nice for him. I think he got a laugh at the mini frig. I--(I mean he) has been wanting one for awhile for his (well, our) bedroom.

I also talked to my father yesterday, and am happy to hear that he is doing well. I've been blessed with a great Dad, as well as Father-in-law, Stepdad and super-duper Husband/Father of our children. I'm not sure men have the same angst with Father's Day that women do with Mother's Day, but I hope you all feel appreciated!

Wood Badging

David has returned from his second 3-day Scout training in a month. He's working on his Wood Badge. Since we've been married he's been involved with scouting as a Merit Badge Counselor, Assistant Scout Master, Scout Master, Varsity Coach and Committee Chairman. Now, one of his responsibilities in the stake is as a Scout liaison.

I think he's really enjoyed the training and meeting with various Scout leaders. He was in the 'Bear' Patrol. They had a 'Bear' cheer they sang, and they ate teddy grahams and gummy bears and ribbed the BobWhites, Beavers, Antelopes and Buffalos that they weren't as tough as Bears. But they also worked as a patrol to complete a project (on camping opportunities in the various levels of scouting) that they had worked on during the month. They were entertained with skits and listened to Vietnamese songs sung with guitar by the campfire, and got to know fellow Scouters from diverse backgrounds.

Though they had rain, and hot, humid weather, David came back relaxed and yet enthusiastic about Scouting, and how it builds bonds and strengthens character in both boys and men.

Happy 'Late Anniversary' Breakfast-In-Bed

On Tuesday night Andrea wrote a note asking us to wake her up at 7:00am (she usually gets up at 8:00) and then ground ourselves to our room. Wednesday morning she got up and was mysteriously in the kitchen, while David and I compliantly chatted in our room--waiting to see what she was up to. Soon she came in with a tray and began singing "Happy 'Late Anniversary' Breakfast-in-bed to you...". Though we were both up and dressed, we complied and ate our yummy breakfast in bed. Andrea wants to be a chef-- and she's off to a good start. She decorated a his and hers breakfast of 1/2 grapefruit face with a strawberry nose, blueberry hair, pear pieces for ears and tiny cups of yogurt with a border of strawberry and pear slices. It was very fun, but now she is requesting that she get breakfast in bed tomorrow. I guess it's only fair...