Wakesters turns 7!

Oh my, where does time go. Johnny and Haley just had their new little one and he was born right around Waklee's birthday and so I have really been reflecting on what it as like to bring that first little bundle home, there is nothing quite like it. Now seven years later my sweet girl is not so little and sometimes not so sweet. Actually Waklee is so kind to her sister. It just makes me smile. Wakes is a very responsible kid and I can trust her and her actions, unlike the other one. She is quite the little smarty pants, Daddy teases her that she is "booksmart" and Waklee takes great pride in being "book smart".....wait until she knows what it really means. She is becoming so grown up and in the last year has asked (almost) all those scary questions. The most recent, this past week, was how is that baby going to get out of there? I really enjoy having Waklee in our home. She strives to do what is right and is always a top acheiver. For her birthday we stayed low key and hung out as a family, which is how I love it! A few weeks ago she and I went to Highschool Musical on Ice with her seconds cousins and then last night we went swimming at Mt. Scott so I think she could say she had a fun birthday. I was the fun Mom who bought the Highschool Musical c.d. and other "cool" stuff and Eric thought it would be funny to buy the pajamas with with feet that little kids wear and guess which was her favorite present?? Daddy-O! It was funny because she was wearing them and kept saying my feet are so hot. Happy Birthday Waklee we love you!

Election 2008

My first grader, Waklee, was learning about elections and voting in class. I got a chuckle when she informed me that her class held a vote. The results were: Obama 16, McCain 6, Nader 0. It was entertaining to hear a 6 year old speak the name Nader. I was proud of my little voter for raising her hand with the meager 6, but I think her teacher persuaded the kids a bit when she said they would have a party if Obama wins.......not too sure if I approve of what the teacher is putting into my kids head either????? Waklee also said that out in the playground the older kids were chanting Obama sucks and McCain rules. I really have enjoyed this election but am also really looking forward to it being over and done with! Oh and did I mention that the only good thing about Oregon politically is that we get our ballots mailed to us, it is so sweet!

Halloween!

Argh, Matey! or as Reese puts it, "argh, mate." We went to WSCC for the bouncy house and then the tradition of Bronson's Auntie Elaine's house to trick or treat! As much as I love Halloween I am always glad to have it over....I was beat.

What's this baby doing to me?

I don't consider myself overly organized, it's hard to be overly organized in a two bedroom apartment with four going on five people, but I usually have things planned out and can find most things in our home. That is until recently.........it started at about the four month mark when lets see if I can remember???? Oh do I ever rememer it started with my birth certificate that I really needed to go on vacation. I pull out my certificate two days before vacation,a Saturday when no ones works, and the certificate it's not what it is suppose to be it won't get me on the ship. I was freaking out and felt so bad about the money we had spent and wouldn't be able to enjoy. Two days later without any sleep from stressing my sweet husband, who never said an ill word to me about my huge mistake, drove to Boise during the night and showed up at 8 am at the state house and begged for a birth certificate to catch a plane an hour later to meet me in L.A......let's just say this was a very expensive mistake. Next mistake is my Timeout For Women tickets. I deliver all tickets to the girls and save my own and Gels in a safe spot for the next evening. Evening comes and I cannot remember where I put the tickets. Fortunately I had read that if you lose your tickets ( I thought to myself while reading what loser if going to lose their tickets) you can go to willcall and get new tickets. This is true but I did stress over it for two hours. I wouldn't stress if it only effected me but it didn't it effected Gel too. Oh and Eric found the tickets under the laundry basket sounds like a safe place right? Next brain freeze was just last night I lose my very expensive cell phone that I have only had for like three weeks and made three calls on. Yeppers I lose my cell phone. I apologetically come home to tell Eric to be nice to me because I am ready to cry and tell him I lost my new pretty phone. Yes he did make fun of me but alteast he didn't get mad. I was later that night reading on a blog of a past friends daughter who is sick with cancer and decided me cell phone isn't such a big deal anyhow.......oh and guess what the Rose Garden lost and found had it. What am I to learn from all this? I first of all am hoping it is the baby using up all my brain energy and this doesn't become a lifetime pattern, 2ndly I have learned that my husband is oh so kind, he doesn't say anything okay maybe after he makes fun of me but I can laugh then too. I haven't talked to my brother once that he hasn't made a birth certificate joke. Seriously Eric could have yelled at me I think I would have but he didn't instead he drove to Boise for me. 3rd and most importantly there are so many more important things out there than lost vacations, tickets, and cell phones. By the way has anyone seen my ?????

P.S. this is us in Ensanada at the restaurant with the dirty water that I washed my hands in the bathrooms with. Hence the bottled water and sodas. This was pre-Magnum P.I. too, I am not a fan of the facial hair.

What's Happening!

Just a few things going on around our house.

Waklee started drama club today. It will be good for her to be out of her comfort zone. Eric doesn't think she needs drama class because she is drama enough!

Reese is pretty much potty trained which means I get to listen to her grunts, groans, and cheers several times a day. Fun. We are also trying really hard to have family scripture in the mornings and Reese thinks we are having FHE and tries to open with E-I-E-I-O each morning.

Best Halloween Ever!

My best Halloween ever definately needs to be blogged and blurbed. When Waklee was three she and I flew home for a few days and it happened to fall on Halloween. This was the year Waklee was an Indian girl.....too cute. We went to my brother Chad's house in Arco, if anyone knows where Arco is that is scary enough. Chad was the middle school principal at the time and they were renting this old house that you had to walk up broken concrete stairs, I remember almost spraining my ankle going up those stairs. So picture small rundown town and old house. Alot of trick-or-treaters came and Chad would say okay this is one of my middle-schoolers and that's when things got real fun. Come on you remember being a I am too cool to dress up for Halloween but I want the candy middle schooler. Up the stairs they came to meet this:
















Pretty Scary Huh and we made sounds too! I did get permission from Taun to post this. Upon meeting us they also met JerBear, my dad, in his black coat holding a shotgun (hopefully not loaded, you never know). There was smoke & strobe lights leading them to the back room where they met Mern dressed as a scary old lady giving out candy. As they grabbed the candy one of Taun's brothers roommates from Ricks fell out of the coat closet as a Zombie and along with this our cute little girls were innocently sitting on the couch with pots, pans, and metal spoons banging them and out the door they would run where they felt the cool fall air and thought to themselves I made it. Just as this safe feeling enveloped them Tauns brother would jump off the top of the roof robed in a real bear head and skin and chase them down the dirt road. It was too fun and we didn't scare the tiny little ones unless their parents insisted. I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants, okay I did just a little.

I just couldn't choose.........

It is impossible to choose a favorite. But my very favorite I didn't post because then Christmas cards would be spoiled!



It was pretty much impossible to get Reese to smile. This last picture was one of the firsts and there was no way she was going to smile. Got to love Reese. Thanks Heather for the wonderful pictures you are so talented!

What a cutie!

Congrats to my little brother and his wife on their sweet little new baby. Her name is Londyn Mineko, doesn't get much cuter than that.

Dedicated to my Big Brother Chad.....

IT'S A BOY!! or as Eric puts it our baby has a kickstand!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

I love Fall! Everything about it. My favorite season and Halloween is my favorite holiday! I am such a sucker for all the decor and costumes. I had to chuckle when someone asked me if I knew what my kids were going to be for Halloween? I have known for like a year and a half, before last Halloween and I already know what Reese will be next year. I have been on the hunt for items for their costumes this year.....I can't wait! And if anyone sees Eric and the facial hair just know we are preparing for Halloween its going to be a kick. So in memory of past Halloweens enjoy!