In Search for a Rental...

While the kids and I are trying to find a house to rent that will accept pets,

we are staying in Malad, Idaho with my cousin Kathy and her family. 

The five of us fit in Blue's room with a queen, a double, a daybed and two cots.  It is actually pretty roomy. Thank you Blue for moving into Sundi's old room. 

The first day we were there it poured rain and stormed all night.

It was awesome!

 In the midst of house hunting we rode one of Kathy's neighbors horse. 

When you live in the country, the neighbor lives down the street and around the corner.

I hadn't been on a horse in 20+ years.  It was amazeing. 

These horses were funny to watch. 

The horse Daphne was riding, named Joe, was walking around the alfalfa field.

I think his pasture mates were becoming envious of the possibility of having a nibble of that grass.

They wanted to make sure that they didn't miss out on anything, just in case they might get some too.

The horse on the far left was the mother to the dark one in the middle. 

She looked like her hair was bleached.

Thank you Kathy for making arrangements for us to ride a horse.

It was fun.

Jared was back at the house getting accustomed to the thought of what was going on in our lives. 

He hates not knowing what is next.

With our Heavenly Father, you never know what is next!

We're on the Move!

It is hard to believe but on Sept. 15th 2011 the kids and I left Phoenix with it's 100+ temp and traveled up to Utah to begin our quest for a new home in Logan, Utah.

Our first stop was at my cousin Rich's house in Payson, Utah after an 11 1/2 hour drive. 

We had a great visit.  He showed Kaleb how to catch grasshoppers by their back legs.  Rich was flicking grasshoppers at Daphne and into her hair.  It was hysterical because she just laughed.  If one of her siblings were to have done it you would have thought blood was to be drawn.

Rich can pretty much get away with anything with Daphne.

 The next stop was at my Aunt Carol's new place with the Shillig family in....

I can't remember the name of the town.

Anyway, she has a really nice room over the garage with her own bathroom.

It is really nice and has a wonderful view because the house sits up on the side of a hill.

 Everytime I look at Aunt Carol I see bits and pieces of my Dad. 

I think they have the same eyes and some similar mannerisms.

I hope they can get together soon and visit.  It would be good for both of them.

Brother and Sister.

Two Men and a Truck

We have been blessed by a friend of ours passing down boxes to us. 

Quite a few of them were never used.  How awesome to have clean boxes. 

To Kaleb it means a blank canvas.

I was laying in bed one morning staring at the stack of boxes in our bedroom and noticed that some of the men in the truck were different than others.

I later caught Kaleb with a sharpie hard at work. 

I didn't really have to guess or catch who had used their creative skills to enhance the label.

It is always pretty obvious as to who's doodle it was.

I found these through out the house.

The guys on the right look like little Amish men.

 Then you have a little chemist and a magician. 

I think the guy on the right has an afro.

 A welder with a freaked out driver!

The next guys are brushing their teeth.  I guess they are multi-taskers.

 Then you have the men actually using a "map".  I was very impressed.

I like the flat tire.

 Farmers and musicians...

 I want to know what the dynamite would be used for.
The driver on the right is holding the steering wheel that came loose.

Drivers with their cup of "Joe".

Drivers with hamburgers and fries.

I think these last guys are priests.

I loved finding these little doodles.  Kaleb makes me smile.

No More Braces!

Before....

and After...

No More Braces...here comes popcorn, corn on the cob, jelly beans and gum...

Jared is finally done with braces after 3 years...not bad...and bucko bucks later! 

It was worth every cent. I will have to find a before picture.  You will be amazed.

We had several people ask if we got his braces taken off because we were moving!

NO...you don't do those kinds of things when you invest almost $7000 out of your own pocket!

Please people...

It was actually time to take them off.  Another one of those "God things" that is all in his timing. 

Beautiful smile, handsome kid

Sun + Flower

I had copied this clever little worksheet on Compound Art out of a library book. 

I started to talk to Victoria through the first one explaining that

the rain cloud + a cute bow = a rainbow.

So I start to explain the next one to her and she is really sure of herself that she could probably do the next one on her own.  She's pretty smart so she really was sure of herself that she could figure it out.  Okay, here goes.  I said Sun + Flower .......before I could even say the word "equals", Victoria blurted out really loud  "Means DEAD!"
We all laughed hysterically knowing that almost everything we try to grow really struggles to survive in this heat.
I said "no silly, look at it again.... Sun+ Flower EQUA:LS...and Victoria responds with..."it means dead Mom, haven't you seen my tomato plant lately?!"
I have to admit that it is pretty crispy and we have pretty much given up on the poor thing.  I explained to her that Sun + Flower equals "Sunflower"...get it?
With a huge smile on her face and a look of "AHH HAA" she said OOOOHHHHH!