Down home with the Slacks

The Last Couple of Weeks

2010-02-17T11:19:00.000-08:00

My younger sister had her fourth baby girl. We had seen pictures, but they just weren't good enough. We took a day to go see her for ourselves. Oh, she was absolutely darling. It's funny how you always forget how small babies are when they're born. Talk about perfection.
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H a cousin playing with snow, while up playing at Grandma's house.

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M's latest thing is pretending she is one of the Three Musketeers from the Barbie movie. It cracks me up. She is always finding different sticks and using them as a variety of weapons. We are in the process of trying to figure out how to make a Musketeer hat. If you have any ideas, let me know.

We went to my grandmother's house to visit. She was so cute with M. She decided that

she wanted to give all of her girl great-grandchildren one of her necklace's. Of course M and I were thrilled. This is the one that we picked out.

M loves doing everything her brothers do, but she definitely enjoys having a feminine side as well. Any chance she can get she is putting on make-up of lip gloss. Sometimes I have to remind her that lip gloss only belongs on her lips. I have found her painting the couch, her dolls, the table, her coloring books, etc. M and her Prince Charming.

Me and M going for a ride. I got this bike for Christmas, and am loving it! We picked up a hitch-hiker a few months ago on clearance. It has sat in the box until a few days ago. Now C, M and I are hooked. M wants to go on rides all of the time. The only problem is that I can't take j with me. I wish I had a basket on the front big enough to hold him. I'll have to trade off between the hitch-hiker and the trailer. We are definitely having some fun times though.

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Our kids were excited to attend their cousin's baptism. My nephew performed the baptism, while J confirmed Brookelyn. Witnessing this special ordinance made L very excited for his own baptism in April. Scout Sunday was a few weeks ago. H was very excited to wear his uniform. I loved seeing him wear it with pride. He loves the scouting program. I am hoping that this love will continue, and he will be eager to work hard to achieve his eagle once he is 12.

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L and H's latest thing that they enjoy doing is running and jumping off of a stack of old tires to dunk a mini basketball. They've spent hours at a time shooting and goofing around with those darn tires. I love how they are always creative in their playing.

Well our City League Basketball team was undefeated this year. Hooray! The boys were of course thrilled to death with the outcome. L loved getting his first basketball trophy. I was so proud of them and how well they played together on the same team. It was amazing to see how much each one improved over the few months of playing during the season.

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For Family Home Evening we picked up a bunch of rocks in one of the fields. Eventually it will become a roping arena. The kids were alright with picking them up, but when they heard a sound and looked over, they saw that the cows had tipped over a very full wheel barrel, and the thought of re-picking up wasn't too exciting. One of the kids said, "It's not fair! Why can't the cows just pick them up? We didn't dump them out." Now that would be a sight to see. Afterwards, we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows and had another great picnic at the field. I love how the kids never tire of having them. They don't mind doing a little work if they know a picnic follows.

While dinner the cows decided to leave the rocks and head over our direction. The kids thought it was great!

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j has been up to quite a bit lately. He has decided that he wants to be an official cowboy. I'll let him pick his clothes out. and without hesitation it is always a cowboy snap shirt, jeans and boots. He's such a crack up. The other day I turned the corner from coming down the stairs, and there j sat on a bench with a tray eating eggs. I asked him what he was doing, and he said, "Me a big boy now." We just got back from getting the mail. Before I could walk through the garage/house door, j had run in with one of J's Western Horseman magazines, and was sitting on the couch reading it. He was there for at least a 1/2 our.

J loves to follow along while we read scriptures. He now copies every word that we say. Once I looked up I couldn't stop laughing. He was pretending to read with his head glued to the Book of Mormon. I had to keep reminding him that he couldn't see the words if he was to close to them. He'd lift his head for a moment, and then quickly put it back down.

J loves playing hide-n-seek. Once he finds a good spot, he'll go there every time. Once time at the field, this feeding barrel was his favor tie spot, and in the house, under a bench is his favorite spot. It's funny how he doesn't realize we can see him.

Time to Celebrate

2010-02-06T11:00:00.000-08:00

On the 3rd of February was my in-laws wedding anniversary. Although Grandpa is gone, the celebrating of many years together continued. They have now been married for 59 years. We couldn't let Grandma think that we didn't know of her anniversary, so we went to visit and to help her celebrate. She was so cute. She said, "I didn't think any one would remember." C replied by saying, "Grandma we never forget anything!" We gave Grandma some flowers and a box of chocolates. the gifts hadn't been given for more than 30 seconds, when the box was opened and half the chocolates had been eating. The kids like to give, probably because they know that Grandma is so willing to share. We also made a visit to the cemetery. We talked about Grandpa and how glad we were that e married Grandma. After a little while M said, "Mom, how long do we have to wait until Grandpa gets here? How can he come from heaven for the wedding anyway? I can hardly wait to see him again. I just don't know how he can leave heaven to come to marry Grandma again." As you can imagine, I had a little explaining to do. M was really cute with the whole thing. As I turned around, once again I found j riding Grandpa's headstone. I'm sure Grandpa looks down and chuckles every time he does that. How grateful I am to Grandpa and Grandma Slack, and the love that they show/ed towards me and my little family.

January Update

2010-01-31T15:11:00.002-08:00

This month has been a little crazy. I know I keep saying it, and the problem is I truly believe that the following month will be different and slow down. But the following month comes and goes, and crazy is the only word I can think of to describe it. Perhaps it is my lifestyle, and I just don't know how to slow down and take a break. What ever the case, I'm loving life. Life really is good. I really couldn't ask for anything more.

Well, it finally happened. Five kids and how many years....? I knew it would take place, it was just a matter of time, and which child it would be. M walked in the house the other day with a big gap in her hair. Inside I was dying , but kept my cool. I asked her what had happened to her hair. She smiled and said, "Mr. Scissors did it!" I asked her why she let him, and she said, "I couldn't stop him Mom. He just did it." I took her in the bath room and stood her on the counter to look in the mirror. The look on her face had said it all. At that moment I knew she would never pull that stunt again. M's eye's widened as she yelled, "Mom, put it back! Hurry, put it back!" To make a long story short, M's bangs weren't the only part of her hair that was cut. Mr. Scissors started it, but I ended it. The next day I took what was left of her hair and gave her a cute little bob, about an 1/12 above her shoulders. A good six inches we cut off that day. I'm hoping that will be the last our family will see of Mr. Scissors.

This month we had a family friend take pictures of our family. There were so many that turned out, I thought I'd share a few of them with you. This by the way, happened just one day before Mr. Scissors came to visit.

I do have to say something about M however. Pictures were at 4:00. At 3:00 I called for the kids to come home from the field. Fifty-five minutes later they started trickling in. With just 2 minutes to do M's hair, a miracle wasn't on my side. She insisted on having pig tails, and it just wasn't worth getting all worked up over to do any differently. So this year, M is sporting the poodle hair look. I'm not loving it, but what can you do? That's life. Life isn't perfect, so I guess our family pictures shouldn't be either.

This is us to a T. I'm lovin' it.

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Since Mom and Dad have been on their mission in the DR, we girls haven't had a girl's night out together. Those of us who weren't sick or too far away hooked up and had a great dinner at Chili's, and then went over to one of my sister's to watch a movie and hang out. It was fun being goofy together. I can't say enough about how much I love my family and how much I enjoy being with all of them. I can hardly wait until we get together again.

This is me attempting to take a bite out of my giant hamburger.

This is the gang. B and her daughter, E with her daughter, Me with mine, and of course, C.

I thought it would be funny to put Mom in the picture and then send it to her. So this is what Mom looks like while having fun hanging with us.

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For the last two months I have been coaching Hand L's city league basketball team. It has been a lot of work trying to shape a team of seven, when four of them have never played basketball before in their life. Before the games started we held two practices a week, but ever since we've just had one. So far our team has done really well. After four games we are still undefeated. Team pictures were a ton this year, and no one on the team was going to buy them, so at the beginning of our last practice I took pictures of all of the kids to give to them. They turned out pretty good. I can hardly wait to get them back and hand them out to the team. Here are H and L's collages that I made.

I have really enjoyed coaching both of them. Sometimes I have to remind myself that they are only in 4th and 2nd grade, and not to expect too much out of them. Sometimes I take a step back and realize how hard I am riding them. I just want them to be the best players they can be. They have so much potential. I just need to remember to encourage. I'd hate to be the one that discouraged them and turned them away from the sport in the future.

H is funny though. He's let me know that he is expecting me to coach him all of the way...right up through high school. I'm flattered with the thought, but would rather be cheering him on in the crowds at that level of ball.

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My family can't seem to break away from the roasting hot dogs stage. They want to do it every weekend at the field or here at the house. The funny thing is, I probably enjoy it as much as they do. I say, "Bring it on!"

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When weather has permitted, we've been back in the yard working on improving and finishing it. I know it will be a while, but I love seeing the progress. The problem with the work that were doing, is that in the end product, you won't be able to see the work we've done. I know that there is an order to everything that is to be done, and as a result the end product will be great.

Here is a not so furry friend that we found while transferring dirt in the yard. The kids love it! In fact, the kids were excited to find it, because it kind of looks like some of the lizards my parents are dealing with in their apartment in the Dominican Republic. Hopefully soon my kids will let us let our pet salamander live in the wild again. I still haven't found the fondness for him yet.

Here we are dumping our 7th load of manure on our second half of our front yard. Now we just need to wait a few weeks, rototill it in, level it out, and rototill it it again and were good to get going on the next stage.

Here J and the kids are transferring dirt, and leveling out behind our driveway. We're planning on putting road base down and then rock. This will be used for additional parking, so that cars won't be parked on the driveway or out front. I'm loving this idea.

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What should come first? Being a mother or doing your church calling?

It was a little hairy trying to get to church not only on time, but in time to play prelude for Sacrament Meeting. I'm just going to be honest about it. By the time I walked out of the door, I was ready to scream. I was already past the point as to where I just give up, run to my room, throw myself on the bed and cry. Nothing was going well. Kids were fighting, J wasn't ready, one kid was crying and professing his thoughts of how much he hated church, while I was literally pulling him off of a door knob. My thoughts were, "Who cares? I just don't care. It isn't worth working myself up over. If they want to release me, I am welcome to that. Sometimes I just need to be a mother first, and other things can take the back seat." While breathing ever so deeply, I drove to church. Calmed and collected was I, as I walked through the doors with just 4 minutes left to play prelude. I sat down to the organ and began playing. That was until I heard two of my children yelling at one another at the top of their lungs. I glanced down in between notes, witnessing my daughter beating the crap out of my third oldest child. J was no where to be seen, and there I sat doing my calling. I was done! I had had it! I got up, walked down to the bench, picked up M, and carried her back up to the stand with me. I'm sure we made a seen as she proceeded to throw every limb of her body around aimlessly, while yelling, "I want daddy!" No time to be a mom, and show a little love. Off to playing the organ I went as tears swelled up in my eyes. "You have got to be kidding me. I quit" were the words that escaped my lips (and not so under my breath like I thought.) I was done under. Let me tell you what...the rest of our church meeting went beautifully. I actually felt at peace and very loved as I attended my other meetings. I knew that my Heavenly Father knew me personally, and loved me for who I was, and for the callings that I was striving to fulfill. After church the first counselor in our bishopric pulled me aside and asked me how I would feel if they were to call someone to play prelude, so that I could sit and be with my family, my young family who needs me. I'll tell you what. that was an answer to prayers. I needed to hear that. My family needed to come first today, yet I was being pulled to thin by my calling. Next Sunday will be better. I can feel it. I have to believe it.

Killing someone...is it really worth it?

2010-01-25T12:02:00.000-08:00

Oh boy! The thought of actually killing someone today crossed my mind. I know...I know it sounds terrible, and it would never really happen. I love him way too much to let my hands ring his neck. But to be very honest with you, the thought did cross my mind. How nice am I supposed to be? Really...and how much patience do I have to have? Today I hit my limit with sitting next to my child and trying to have them practice the piano effectively. Twenty minutes isn't too much to ask, is it? I mean, how hard is it to sit down and focus on something for just a short amount of time. Is it really asking that much? Is trying to be a mother and a child's piano teacher at the same time going just a bit too far? A few deep breaths, a fake smile towards him, a "you're on your own", and me walking out the door is how it all ended this morning. You would have thought differently by the way he was acting. Flailing himself all over the keyboard, and screaming like the ceiling had just fallen down on him was the result of our quality time together. Is this just not going to work? Do I accept my child as a quitter, a failure in this area? He's got talent. He just isn't willing to spend the time to develop it. And maybe this isn't it at all. Maybe it is because I am his teacher. Who knows?!? I am sinking here, so if there is anyone out there who has a suggestion or some advice, I ready and willing to hear it.

The Power of Song

2010-01-22T15:33:00.000-08:00

Nine and a half years ago I found myself up at Primary Children's Hospital with my oldest son. It was hard. Some days we didn't know if he would make it. I sat many long hours with him, praying that someday I would be able to take my new born baby home. A couple weeks into our stay, my former mission president payed us a visit. He greeted me with a hug and a smile, and then posed this question. "Have you sung to him?" There were so many things that he could have said or asked, but he chose to ask if I had sung to my baby. "No," was my reply. He said, "You know, singing is what he knows. He recognizes you through song. Sing to him and he will get better. Your voice will have a healing power upon him." After he left I began to sing. I still read and talked to H, but instead of having doubt and fear that I would lose my only child, I used that time to sing. I sang for hours believing that I had that healing power within me. After a few days of singing, I was able to bring my baby home. Ever since that experience, I have been able to calm, reassure, comfort, relax and sooth (basically heal their anxiety and stress) through song. I have been able to do this with my first four children at any given time, but with the fifth it has been a different story. As I have sung to him, he has pushed me away and has even said, "No, no song!" I have felt lost with him, not being able to use my voice like I have with my other children. Last night was different though as I laid by little j on his bed. He was quite restless for a while. Tossing and turning seemed to be the theme. But in an instant it all changed. He rolled over and faced me. He put his hand on my cheek and said, "song." I asked, "Song? You want mommy to sing you a song?" He held my hand and began to rub it. He said, "Song. Chi Gah." I couldn't believe it. I laid in a puddle of tears last night as I sang, I Am a Child of God to my two year old, over and over again. My world felt so complete. I felt as though I was the one who had been healed; and all by the power of song.

Our journey through the process of repentance.

2010-01-21T10:36:00.000-08:00

Last night J asked if I would stop by ACE on the way home from basketball practice, and pick up a Proclamation for Large Animals. As I left the store, H was right behind me. We got in the van and waited a minute for L to come out. When he approached the van, his hand was in his shorts pocket and it looked a little full. I asked him what was in his pocket. He hung his head, and pulled a large, pink, bouncy ball out. I asked him what he was doing with it. He said, "I really want one." I told him that he needed to go back in the store and return it. H and I waited and watched as L took it back. He came back to the van, and we had a long chat on the way home about being honest. He was terrified to go into the house and tell J. Although reluctant, he ran in, threw himself onto the recliner and hid under a blanket. I whispered to J what had happened. J was so cute, he walked over to L, picked him up and began rocking him. He talked to him for quite some time, and told him that it would be good for him to go back to ACE in the morning and admit what he had done.

Well, morning came, and I read scriptures with the kids. We read about being truly repentant. We talked about the steps of repenting and how when we do something wrong, we need to go through all of the steps to be forgiven. L looked at me and said, "Well, if I am going to be baptized soon, I better do all of those steps. I don't want to, but I can't ever get forgiven if I don't. And I want to be baptized and be clean. "

A few minutes later, L and I drove to ACE to talk with the manager. He just happened to be outside opening up when we drove in. We walked over to him and I said, "L has something he would like to say to you." Of course I started to cry. The owner smiled at me, and patted me on the shoulder. He then bent down on L's level and said, "L, let's go have a talk." He walked with L over to a bench and sat down. He began talking to him about making choices, and choosing the right one. He then asked L if there was something he would like to tell him. L said yes, and proceeded. He then asked him how he felt when he took the bouncy ball. Then he asked how he felt when he took it back. And then asked him how he felt now after admitting what he had done. He told him that he was proud of his choice of returning the ball, admitting what he had done, and apologizing for doing it. He told him that he was L's friend, and his parent's friend as well. He told him that he wanted him to come back and shop there. He even wanted him to say hello to him when ever he saw him. He shook L's hand and encouraged him to continue to make good choices.

L and I returned home with me sobbing all the way. I again talked with L and told him how proud I was of him for righting his wrong. And reminded him that the choices we make don't only effect the person who makes them. He then said, "After I tell Heavenly Father about it, and tell him I'm sorry, then will I be able to be baptized?
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I smiled, hugged him, and let L know that he was well on his way in his repentance process, and that he would be forgiven.

How grateful I am to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and for his atoning sacrifice for me, and for my little family. How blessed I am to have the scriptures in my life, and to be able to teach my children from them. I know that through repenting, we become closer to Christ.

Happy New Year

2010-01-11T12:03:00.000-08:00

What a happy new year it is! This last year seemed to fly right past me, and left me thinking. To start the year off, our family went out to eat at a Chinese Restaurant. When it was time to break open the fortune cookies, boy was I ready. We all opened them up, and to my pleasant surprise, they all had something to do with family, gifts that are right in front of us, and treasures we already behold. I couldn't be more happy with our little inserts from the cookies. We talked about them all, and how they were all actually right. Our family could be our best friends. Having a positive outlook on life, will always allow us to see the gifts and treasures that we already have. I came home that night ready to conquer the world, and be not only the best wife, but the best mother, daughter, sister, neighbor and friend. Reading this little reminder out loud every morning has really helped these first couple of weeks be successful in every way.

This month I am really trying to focus on being the best mother I possibly can be. I want to become my children's everything. The years in their childhood are so few. Every moment is a formative one. Showing more love, positive words and soft tones are how I am breaking it down this year. By doing this, I know that I will become a better mother. My children will know of my love for them, not only from the words that they hear, but the feelings that they have.

Surprise Greeting!

2009-12-23T08:25:00.000-08:00

My kids and I made this just for my parents who are now serving a mission in the Dominican Republic. Feliz Navidad to all!

What We've Been Up To

2009-12-20T08:41:00.000-08:00

Life has been a little hectic lately...more than ordinary. A lot more rehearsing and prep work due to the different activities going on. Here is an attempt of getting caught up.

Our house is plastered with poinsettias that H has made. It all started when J and I came home from a date. There was one giant poinsettia hanging from our family room light. I loved it. I thought that one of the babysitters had made it, but H very proudly admitted that it was him. From that point on, his fingers have been very busy in creating and displaying them all over our home. I love them! Every look seems to bring a smile to my face. .....................................................................
Here is a picture of M's Christmas tree. (Her 2nd tree to be exact.) She found a piece of wood in the wood box, brought it in the house, put a tree skirt around it, and called it her tree. She sat it by a little chair, close to the wood burning stove. It lasted about 2 days. J built a fire, need some wood, and threw her tree in the stove (not knowing that it was M's tree.) That went over really well. I asked her to do a little job for me. When she was out of the room, I ran and got another piece of wood, wrapped lights and tinsel around it, and put a star on the top. When she came back in the room she saw the tree and called it a miracle. Now J can tell the difference between a log, and M's tree. It has been decorating our family room quite nicely.

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My little Sow Choir performed at our city's Christmas Tree Festival. We had two performances at the festival and then one at the public library for our Winter Recital. All three performances went well. I combined my piano students with the Show Choir for our Recital. H played the Chipmunk Song and Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree. He played really well. I was proud of him. He practiced really hard to get them down perfectly. I've come to the conclusion that when H performs for a large audience something triggers the slow button. Usually younger people play as though it is a race, but not my sweet H. Hopefully things will change as he gets older.

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The kids have been having a good variety of friends over lately. With one particular friend, they found M's dress ups. All three of them came down the stairs dancing and smiling, having a great time. I about died laughing. Their princess playtime lasted about an hour, and then off to being cowboys again.

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We attended our ward party a little bit ago. The adults had soup in a bread bowl, salad and wasel. The kids had macaroni and cheese and corn dogs. The kids thought that is was great! They said that the food made it their best ward party ever.

They took family pictures for part of the ward party. This is how ours turned out. This year I called it good, and used this picture for our Christmas cards. It is a little out of the norm for us, but we all looked pretty good, so I thought "what the heck?"

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C had a Kindergarten Christmas Program at school. J was even able to attend. It was darling. Every song was choreographed and everything. The only problem is, C didn't perform in it. He was a little ticked that L sat by him on the bus. (It was the last day they would ever ride the bus to school, due to entering a new school in January.) He wanted to sit all by himself and that was ruined. Because of that one brief moment, that day was over...done...not worth participating in. It was a lovely day for me listening to C cry over everything. Even the most gentle look reduced him to tears. That almost brought me to tears. Thank goodness that day only lasted 24 hours. This is a picture of C during is program................happy as can be.

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This last week my grandfather turned 90 years old. We made a special trip up to see him. I even had a sign made and hung in front of his house. We arranged for everyone in the family to send him a birthday card. The kids even sent individual letters to him. Grandpa loved receiving all of the cards. Before going to his house, we picked up some Monterrey Chicken Dinners from Chile's for Grandma and Grandpa. They loved the surprise since it was Grandpa's favorite food. We also gave him a book that I had made of our 2009 Thanksgiving get together. We loved celebrating Grandpa's 90th birthday with him.

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While up north, the kids had a great time playing in the snow. M made a bazillion snowmen and had fun playing Family Reunion with all of them.

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J and I have been very busy making stables for all of kids for Christmas. Grandpa Slack made all of the older boy grandchildren stables before he passed away. He had planned on making them for our children, but never returned home from the hospital after his heart surgery. Anyway, we thought all of our kids would love one of their own. So we have been busy measuring, cutting, gluing and nailing them together. Sometime this week when they are all finished I will paint them all. I can hardly wait to give them to the kids.

This is our little workshop set up in the garage. When the kids come, we quickly throw things in a closet or under a little swimming pool. They know we are making stuff, but they think it is for J's work.

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M was climbing up on a bookshelf yesterday, and slipped and fell. Her chin got a nice cut on it. You can see how happy she is about it. Thank goodness it was a clean cut. We put some neoprene on it, cinched it up tightly and called it good. I looked at it this morning, and I think it will heal quite nicely.

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I was asked to sing O Come, O Come Emanuel in Relief Society today, and then at the last minute was told that the teacher had looked at the wrong lesson. Now I am to sing A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief. I spent hours looking for a good arrangement that I was low enough for me. It think I found it. I guess we'll see how it goes.

Well, there it is in a nut shell. Busy, busy, busy.

I Had a birthday!

2009-12-09T14:02:00.001-08:00

This last week was my birthday. Believe it or not, I am now 36 years of age. Not feeling that old, but definitely wiser. I thought I'd share my first 8 birthdays with you. Of course I too am sharing them with my twin brother. We've had many great years together, and hopefully we will enjoy many, many more.My birthday was a pretty normal day. I had 2 sessions of preschool, 2 piano lessons and show choir. Choir ended (4:30) just in time for me send off my 4 big boys to the NFR (National Finals Rodeo.) M, j and I were left home to celebrate together. Instead of staying home though, we opted to go shopping and out to eat. We had a great time finding treasures, eating and looking at Christmas lights. We returned to a quiet home. I put the kids to bed, built a fire, and snuggled on the couch to watch the NFR on TV.

Here M, j and I are ready to party without the big boys.Here are the big boys ready to head out for an evening filled with cowboys.Here are C, H, and L at the NFR.Here C (bottom left corner,) L and H are on TV after the rodeo. Ya, you could say I was pretty excited to see my boys as movie stars at the NFR. Maybe someday they will be participants rather than spectators.The following night, J and I went back down to the NFR. I had Kayley and Emily take turns with grandma Slack babysitting while J and I stayed the night and celebrated my birthday by fine dinning, shopping, and watching another session of the NFR. I loved every minute I had with my sweetie. Heck, I need to get away more!
The following day my twin brother had the opportunity to baptize his daughter on our baptism date; December 5th. And to make things even better, his daughter even shares our birthday and confirmation day as well. I remember thinking how special and lucky I was to share such a wonderful moment with someone I loved, and to think...I know get to share it with my niece as well. Here my brother is all grown up, next to his daughter.Here I am with my brother and father on our baptism day....just 28 years later.

On Sunday, we had family over to really celebrate my birthday. J had bought a cake and cheesecake. They all sang, and it was music to my ears...even though it was quite monotonish. I loved it! We dug deep and found almost enough candles. The kids laughed as we kept adding them to the cake.

My birthday was topped off by many people calling, emailing, face booking, etc birthday wishes to me. I loved having my birthday spread throughout the week. How appreciative to all who made my birthday such a special one.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T08:37:00.000-08:00

This last week we had a fun time cleaning up by the stack yard (down at the field.) We took down some hot dogs, soda and pop cycles. We all had a fun time roasting the hot dogs. The fire sure was hot, and our sticks not nearly long enough, but it took just a few seconds and they were done. It might be a good year from now, but I can hardly wait for us to lay our paver fire pit patio in our back/side yard. I know we will use it a ton.

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Another day this week we built a couple more mangers by the stack yard, cut a large pile of wood with our wood chopper, and got the biggest load of hay yet. It seems like this week was pretty busy. What am I saying? All of our weeks have seemed just as busy, we're simply doing different things. Life is great! There is so much to do, that we never get bored of doing the same thing over and over.

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This year I volunteered to head up our big Thanksgiving Feast for my dad's side of the family. Grandma felt as though she had gotten to the stage where she just couldn't put it on any more. I don't blame her. All those years, with no hesitation in the planning of it all. It was my turn to see if I too could pull it off. I actually really enjoyed it. I felt as though I got to know people in the family a lot better through the process of it all. It made me realize even more so how much I love my family and would do anything for them. All of them pulled together and made this year's dinner very successful.

I volunteered to take one of the turkeys. That was a little scary, seeing how I had never had to cook one before. This is how it turned out....Twenty-five pounds and 4 1/2 hours later.

Here we are, all 53 of us eating. There was more than enough food. We could have fed another 50+ people.

Afterwards we had a little program. Every family was supposed to share something. There was such a good variety., It was fun to see cousins and their children sharing their talents. These are just pictures of my family, but I have many more where they came from.

After the program, we had a surprise birthday party for my grandpa. He will be 90 in December, but we decided that since there was going to be a lot of family around, we throw him a party while we were all together. We asked questions, and he answered them all. We broke a pinata, and even had cake. I wanted to have some, but due to all the other food I was too full. I loved hearing all of the things that grandpa shared with us about his life. Many of them I hadn't heard before.

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Yesterday we helped out on my husband's side of the family. We all met at grandpa's old barn and cleaned up. Grandma didn't think it would take too long, but after an entire day of raking, burning, hauling, etc., she realized that there was a lot more there that grandpa had collected, than she had realized. It was fun working and visiting with family. Heck, we even had another great meal of left over Thanksgiving food. Mama Mary's slush topped it all off. what a great day it was.

Fun With Potty Training

2009-11-21T05:19:00.000-08:00

Well the time has when potty training has come into play. Of course we have had a an accident or two each day, but I am still working with little j. I am wondering if he is not quite ready yet. Or maybe I am not giving it my all because he is my baby and I am just not ready for him to grow up all the way. (You've got to love the picture of j with M's leg warmers on.)

For the first day of training j wore his big brother's undies. This was because our day was too full to run to the store and buy him some. Boy was j excited when Tuesday arrived. We went to Walmart as soon as the boys were in school. I let j pick out a pack of undies. When we got back into the van it had only taken him a few seconds before he had them ripped opened. We then had to run to the music store, so of course j opted to take in a pair of undies to hold. I figured What the heck? If someone asks, I'll just tell them that were potty training. So as I am holding j while looking through music, j had put the undies on his head and was wearing them as a hat. I had no clue until people in the store were cracking up all around me. I glanced at j and that is when I wanted to climb under the tables of music and go into hiding until everyone had left the store. Instead, I took a deep breath, smiled, and then recited my line that I had prepared, "we're potty training."

This is a picture of j at home. Needless to say he wore his undies on his head the rest of the day.
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This last week was Grandpa Slack's birthday. We invited Grandma to go along with us to the cemetery to celebrate Grandpa and his wonderful life. Instead of apple pie, this year we had cake and ice cream. The kids decided to go with the cake, because we had apple pie (Grandpa's favorite) on Sunday when all the relatives got together to celebrate.

Notice j and M's leg warmers again.

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It froze for the first time this Fall. As I was washing dishes I glanced up and noticed C and L breaking the ice from our bird bath. I of course smiled. It was later when L began to drink out of the bird bath that my eye rolling accompanied my smile. The things that L does......

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Well Mom and Dad have been in the Dominican Republic for one full week now. Here they are standing in front of the CES Office Building.

Mom and Dad are loving their mission and already have a deep love for the people. We are able to email them. It is great to be able to receive a letter just a moment after it is sent. I know that they are very busy, but that hasn't stopped me from checking my email daily. I am so proud of them.

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The boys took our swings down and hung a barrel that they had rolled from the stack yard home. They have been having a blast riding it. The swing it side to side for a bucking bull, and front to back for a saddle bronc. This week they have been getting all of their things done before 7:00 am, so that right after scriptures they can go outside and ride it. It has been pretty cold in the mornings, but that hasn't seemed to stop them. I think I am going to have to plan a bucking barrel into our back yard. I am hoping we will be getting closer to finishing it this next summer.

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We celebrated my Dad's birthday just before my parents left on their mission. Of course my batteries died in my camera, so I used my Moms. In the hoopla of getting them ready to leave, getting the pictures never happened. Mom sent them to me once they had arrived in the DR (Her first email ever....I was so proud of her.)

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I also ran a 5k before my parents left, but J had the camera with him on the deer hunt, so once again Mom's camera was used. Mom and Dad watched my kids while I ran, so here I am pretending to run the race for them. With how freezing cold it was that morning, I was pleased with how well I did. The first half was all up hill. I didn't like that part so well. But as you can imagine, the second half went a lot better.

Not having run a 5k for a few years I had forgotten what to do with my car key. I figured putting it in my bra would keep it safe, but that wasn't the case. I realized it was gone within the first 200 meters of the race. So of course my mind was a little preoccupied as to where my key could have gone. As soon as I crossed the finish line I tried to retrace my steps. Of course I had no luck. After almost panicking I went to the guy with the mic and had him announce that a black, large key had been lost. Within 2 seconds a guy yelled out, "I just picked it up and gave it to the people at the fruit table." Needless to say that was my mini miracle for the day. How grateful I was for the honesty of people in a smaller town.

My sweet girl.

2009-11-11T11:09:00.000-08:00

Well today is my one and only darling daughter's birthday. She turned the big 4 today. When M was born and J saw that she was a girl, he cried. I asked him what was wrong and he told me that we had just had a girl. Of course I began to cry. After 3 boys we just figured we knew how to do boys. Having a girl didn't even cross our minds. We just knew it was another boy and that was alright with us. Having our world change in an instance was again alright. In fact, it was perfect. She was perfect! M is mini me. I love her more than she'll ever know. I love her asking if she can be my buddy; my singing buddy, my shopping buddy, my television watching buddy, my everything buddy.

Happy Birthday to my sweet daughter!

This is M this morning waiting to open presents. This is M with one of her gifts. Girly, but not too foo foo.

This is M blowing her candles out on her cake. We celebrated her birthday a couple of days ago with relatives.

All along M was saying that she wanted a princess crown cake. I was gung ho and ready to create. Just an hour before family was coming over she informed me she didn't want just a crown cake, she wanted it on a princess head. It was Sunday, and I wasn't about to go shopping for the stuff, so we looked around the house, found some goodies and tried to make it work.

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Happy Veteran's Day to everyone out there! I have a handful of relatives that are veterans. I am so proud of all of them and all that sacrificed for my family and our freedom. Here's to all of you....

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M and I went to a second hand store this morning and hit the jack pot. I walked away with all of these darling skirts and paid less than $20.00 for them all. M and I were so excited for our find and with how much we spent. You have got to love a good deal.

The arrival of my baby.

2009-11-09T09:55:00.000-08:00

Alright... so here I am. Happy, healthy and ready to have my baby!

Okay, well that was exactly 2 years ago today. This is me with my baby.
Where would I be without my little j? He has made my life complete. Because of him my family is whole. I love him more than he could ever possibly imagine. My baby; the boy with 100 faces. Happy Birthday j!

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Last night we had a little family birthday get together for j. I made him a cute (well I thought it was cute) little farm cake. Here he is trying to blow out the candles. He wasn't getting the blow concept down to well and was simply breathing hard.

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Saturday our family went on a very long horse ride. If you don't believe me just ask my hind end. Yes, three days later and I am still sore. The kids think it is funny. They told J that he needed to make me a padded saddle for our next ride.

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I have found a new hobby and am loving it. I am writing children's books. Not to sale or anything. Just for the pure enjoyment of watching my children read them. This all began when L decided that life was simply a time that we were put on earth to play. Nothing else was worth doing. I encouraged him to make up a story. We then tweaked it, took pictures of him, and walla! Made a book. One book turned into two, and now eight children's books later, here I am. L can't seem to put the books down. He is reading them all of the time and to everyone. Whether fact or fiction, I think I am going to pursue this new hobby of mine.

This is a picture of M dressed as a fairy princess. Her book was entitled, "Fairy Princess Surprise."

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I received my first letter from my parents yesterday. My how the memories of my MTC life flooded back to me. I felt the spirit so strongly when I read my mother's words. How blessed I am to have such wonderful examples in my life and in my children's lives.

It's Official

2009-11-02T12:37:00.001-08:00

We had so much fun carving pumpkins this year. Even little j was right there trying to carve with a butter knife. The funniest was when he would touch the slime and seeds inside. He would pull a face and say, "Ooooo yucky." Here is the result of our carvings.

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I have been crazy running around for the last few weeks trying to get this fund raiser that I was in charge of ready. It was a Spooktacular Fun Run/Walk that our elementary school sponsored. You know, I have learned that when you have a good idea, make sure you don't share it, unless you are willing to head it on. No really, it was another great success. And each year it seems to get a little bit better. This year H, L, C and I ran the Monster Mile. H, L and C all winning their age groups. I was so proud of them.

I had a great time seeing everyone there in costume. The best part was having my family there to support me. My biggest fans. What would I do without them? My Mom and Dad, my brother, my sister and her husband, and my other sister and her family of 5 came from up north to run, while another sister came up with her family of 9 for the festivities. Heck, half the participants seemed to be from my family. and to be honest with you, I loved it that way.

Afterwards, my family came on over to our home for one last get together before my parents left for their mission. We made yummy sandwiches and ate pie for dessert. I loved having them all over in our home. It is always a time for a good visit and some great laughs.

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Well, this is us. This is how we left to go trick-or-treating. We had a Cowgirl, 2 Bull Riders, a Tiger, a Good Witch and a Spider Man. The kids had a great time and filled there sacks with plenty of goods. Bedtime couldn't come soon enough for the 3 younger kids. They were the ones that could hardly wait to go, yet after one little street of trick-or-treating they were asking to go back to the van. Before we were home (just a couple of minutes) they were sound asleep,, never to be herd from again...that is until morning.

M dressed as a Fairy Princess for Preschool.

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Well today is the day. Mom and Dad entered the Mission Training Center at 11:00 this morning. They couldn't have been more excited about going on their mission. After receiving their call 4 months ago, time sure has arrived quickly. It was something I knew they would always do. It was something they always talked about. But for the time to be here, and now, it has been kind of hard for me these last few hours. I actually cried myself to sleep last night. I will miss them tremendously, but I know that they are where they have wanted to be for a very long time. I know they will be blessed for serving our Lord. I know that they will love the people of Dominican Republic, like they never expected. From experience, I know that when they are to return home, they will not want to leave, for they will see the fruits of their labors and will want to continue the work. I have a testimony of missionary work, and am so proud to see this chapter in my parent's life come to pass. I can't express how much I love my parents, and how much I appreciate them teaching me about the gospel. I would be very lost without it. I am grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I wasn't able to make it to my parent's setting apart, but here is a picture of them last night, with my twin brother.

I look forward to their return; just 547 more days. Who's counting anyway? Actually, that is 547 blessings I know will be occurring because of their service. I simply need to observe with an open heart and mind and they will be shown unto me.

Deer Hunt

2009-10-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

Our family had a great time on the Deer Hunt. Deer Hunt for our family means yummy food, tons of snacks, and hanging with lots of family. It's great to get a deer, but the reunion that we have on the Slack side of the family is what makes the Deer Hunt so fun to attend. We all gather on Friday at Mama Mary's cabin on the eve of the opening day of the hunt. We all sleep in the cabin. Down stairs there are eleven beds and one crib. Upstairs there are two beds and a crib. Plenty of room for the greatest sleepover of the year. Believe it or not, some years the living room floor and couches are filled with people as well. This year J was the only one to draw out. That means, next year (hopefully) it will be my turn.

The opening weekend we didn't get a deer, but the next weekend, J took the boys horse back up Pine Valley Mountain for the hunt. they had a great time!

J even shot a deer. It wasn't huge, but that didn't matter to the boys. They were thrilled out of their minds. They cut the deer into quarters and packed it down the mountain.

I am so glad that J loves to hang with our children. They love him to pieces, and if allowed would spend every waking hour with him. Besides the hunt, this last week they rode horses at least three times. I love that they all enjoy doing the same things. It makes being together that much more fun.

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J came home from work with a bouquet of flowers for me. I asked him what the occasion was, and he replied, "Because I love you, and I appreciate all that you do for our family, my family, and your family." He was so sweet. I loved that he got me a wild flower mix. My favorite!

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Before returning home after one of the days we went hunting, I took our children to the memorial of the Mountain Meadow Massacre. I told them what had happened, and how it is always important to follow the prophet. And when we do choose to follow, we are blessed. They couldn't believe they were standing where the massacre had occurred. They wanted to go to another church site, so that they could learn more about the pioneers. I'll have to get thinking as to where to take them next.

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For scouts this month, H had a Rain Gutter Regatta Race. We had never heard of one of these before, so we were excited when the boat kits were handed out. The excitement turned into panic, as we remembered that it was Pack Meeting/the race that evening, and we had totally forgotten about it. Just an hour before it was going to begin, we pulled the block of wood out of the box. There were no instructions in the box, so we painted it, decorated it, and stuck the flag in it. Thinking we were all done, and feeling quite good about it, massive panic set in when H picked the box up and two more parts fell out of it. One was a medal triangle thing, and the other was a white plastic rectangle. We were freaking out. Now just 20 minutes before we were to be there, and we had no clue what to do with these parts. I quickly called the Den leader, and she ran some instructions down to us. We poked, prodded, and glued. We were blowing the glue dry as we walked into Pack Meeting. Talk about a close call.

After some tears, some raised voices, and a son who was ready to quit before he even began the race, it seemed to have turned out alright for him. The first run took him :58 seconds. His boat tipped over a few times, and his flag kept twirling around. Blowing with all of his might, his boat finally made it to the finish line. Holding back the tears, H smiled, and came over and gave us a hug. I wanted to cry for him. Maybe he should have quite before he had even started. While the other boys did their first run, J hurry and taped H's flag to the pole, and gave him a pep talk. We reminded him that this was all in fun, and it didn't matter how he did. It was his turn again. One last shot. H blew with all his might. Walking away with a huge smile, H had won the Rain Gutter Regatta Race with a time of :12:30 seconds. We were all quite shocked, but thrilled for him. When he got his award, he turned to me and said, "I am glad that I didn't give up. Who knew that I would win? I did it!" Of course that was one of my proud moments.

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L is our tree climber. If we would let him, he would probably choose to live in a tree. Usually tree climbing has been a positive thing for him to do, but not this time. L was climbing a tree in our yard, when a branch broke underneath his foot, and he fell until some other branches caught him. I was in the house when H ran yelling, L fell from a tree he was climbing and a branch poked his stomach." I went outside looking for him on the ground, expecting to see him lying there with a little scratch on his tummy. I couldn't see him anywhere, but soon heard a whimpering cry from above. L was stuck in the tree. A branch had punctured his stomach. It had gone through the skin and layer of fat, and as he fell, it went up 1 1/2 upward. L had to pull the branch down and out so that J could lift him out of the tree. I have never heard someone say so many times, "I am going to die." It was quite gross. Actually we were a little afraid of what we saw. It hurt L terribly to straighten up. When he did, there was a definite hole. This picture doesn't really show much, but it does give you an idea. This is him crouching over. The doctor had to pull stuff out of him before he could stitch him up. He received four stitches on the surface of his skin.

Often times my children think that they are invincible; that nothing can hurt them. I am hoping this slows L down for a few days. Perhaps he has realized that he can be harmed, and some things are wiser to do than others. All in all, he is doing well, and is actually getting his stitches out today. Thank goodness for those who have chosen to go out in the medical field. How grateful I am for them.

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Well, our tomatoes have hit their last leg. I am glad the tomato worms didn't come any sooner. I was wondering what all the little black dots were on my side walk. I honestly thought that they were little seeds that had fallen from my flowers. When J showed me the culprits I about died. Yuck! Bye Bye went the worms and out went our plant....until next year.

Back from the dead, and very Grateful!

2009-10-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

Alright, so I haven't died, and I don't plan on doing so for quite some time, but it sure seemed like it as I looked at the last time I posted anything. Man, where does time fly? I mean really? I have been so busy with life. Nothing special, or fancy...just plain, old life. I don't have anything too spectacular to report on. J did take our two older boys elk hunting two weeks in a row, and I have been vinalizing everything (that's been a hoot), but the one thing that I would like to share, is a little bit more on a religious note.

As I sat around the dinning room table with my children a couple of days ago, tears began to swell within my eyes. We had done it! The goal that we had set for ourselves year after year, and had never accomplished, had just taken place. After one year, ten months and six days later, The J Slack family completed reading the Book of Mormon. This was pretty monumental for us. After reading 1st and 2nd Books of Nephi about 50 times, we had decided that no matter how long it took us, we would sit as a family, read, discuss and apply each chapter of the Book of Mormon to our lives. I was so overcome by the Spirit after our completion. I found myself speechless for a few minutes. Not my children. They instantly held their scriptures high in the air and began singing at the top of their lungs, "Scripture Power." After singing it through three times, they all ran over and gave me a hug. I heard various comments from each of them. A few were, "It's about time!" "Finally!" "Wow! That took us forever!" But the one comment that I loved most of all, was "What a great feeling we have now. We now know that we can read the whole Book of Mormon. Let's do it again, and try to read it faster this time."

What more can I ask for than that? Children who love to read the scriptures, and can hardly wait to begin again. How blessed I am, and how grateful I am for the gospel; for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. How grateful I am for a Living Prophet here upon the earth today. I am grateful for the prophets of old, who have written down their history. I am grateful for my children to recognize the scriptures as such, and are willing and excited to write their own history in journals. Today I am simply feeling grateful. And what a good feeling that is.

Tutu Fun

2009-09-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

M has developed a thing for tutu's. She is in love with them and would like a bazillion of them. Instead, we compromised with making a rainbow tutu that would match just about anything. She loves it and wears it everywhere. The best thing about this tutu, is that it was simple to make and that there is no sewing involved. You simply get some ribbon for the waist band. Cut 3 inch strips of tulle. And then tie them around the ribbon. ................................................................
The boys are having a blast with our latest load of hay. Everyday after school they go down to the stack yard and jump it. You got to love this entertainment. It is so nice having children that prefer playing outside, rather than sitting inside watching t.v. or playing video games.

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I almost blinded myself the other day. No joke! I was sewing some cowboy pillow cases and valances for my boys' rooms, when all of the sudden the sewing machine needle broke and went flying. Within a split second my eye was killing. I immediately ran into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Half of the needle was sticking in my skin next to the bottom row of lashes. I pulled it out, and some nice bleeding took place. My entire eye felt like it had just been run over (whatever that feels like?) Needless to say, I witnessed a mini miracle that day. I am so grateful for my eyes. I am being serious! Having blurry vision for the next two hours made me appreciate even more the perfect sight in which I had once had. Thank goodness my sight came back in full and all is well again.

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While eating dinner, M's hand somehow hit her glass just right, and her milk went a flying. It really was everywhere. The funny thing is, is that C was covered in it, and didn't even flinch. I don't even think he blinked. We were all laughing our heads off. I was a bit shocked since C is our sensitive one, but hey, I'll take it as it comes. I'd rather have laughs any day over tears.

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Friday J took our latest addition to the farm to school for Show and Tell. Our cow, calved a couple of weeks ago, and the boys had to take her and show her off. We bought her a leading collar. It didn't like it so well, and tried to fight it. J ended up carrying her to and from the trailer. We also took her mother for sharing. We thought she might go ballistic while we were gone, so we loaded her up as well. The kids kept on asking us if we were sure that she was the mom, since she has long horns. We reassured them, and gave them a quick lesson on cows. It was fun seeing the kids get so excited over something so simple.

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I received a call from a 911 Dispatcher after church yesterday. She proceeded to ask me if everything was alright? I reassured her that it was, and told her that it must have been my kids upstairs. I could hear commotion on the phone upstairs, and yelled for them to hang up the phone. Three clicks later there was just she and I on the phone again. She was quite annoyed and asked if I was trying to hang up on her. I told her that it was my children hanging up the phones. I felt badly of course, and apologized. Not even one minute later a policeman was at the door wanting to talk with our children. Although he was very good with them, I am hoping this is the last run-in with him.

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It surprises me how different Primary Programs can be. Being in the Stake Primary Presidency, I made my rounds yesterday and watched 3 amazing programs. They were all so good. Some with violin and flute solos, others with family musical numbers. Some even had different arrangements of the suggested songs. I loved seeing all the different approaches on the same subjects. As I sat their, totally overcome with the spirit, I prayed that the primary children could feel what I was feeling, and recognize it as just that; the holy ghost. I know that their little testimonies were strengthened just as mine. How grateful I was for that opportunity and look forward to the other wards that are still to come.

A Day Back Home

2009-09-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

This last Friday J decided to go to his cousin's ranch over by Enterprise and pick up a couple loads of hay. Since he was going to be gone the entire day, I decided to take our three younger children to visit my family. It just happened to be my little sister's birthday. All that could get together for lunch, were invited to Pizza Factory for a little celebration. I enjoyed visiting with her and the rest of the family. Not to mention how yummy the food was. As we were leaving the Pizza Factory, my Mom mentioned how she was going to take off to SLC with my older sister, so that meant Dad was home alone. C caught on and said to my Dad, "Grandpa, since Grandma is going to SL, will you take me fishing? My Mom can just hang out by herself." My Dad laughed, and agreed to make it a special time for C. They adventured up to Kids' Pond for a few hours, leaving me with the two younger kids. We had a great time shopping and visiting the other grandparents.
While C was gone, I went to my Dad's folks to visit and play games. Afterwards I went to my Mom's mother to visit. She showed M how to collect seeds from zinnias, and let them each pick a few to take with us. This is my Grandma P in her little flower garden. I took a picture of this particular zinnia. It was the most beautiful and original one in her garden.After visiting my Grandparents, we then headed to my parents house to hang out a little bit more with Grandpa. We had bought a tricycle, and the kids were eager to put it together. Dad was a good sport, and the kids enjoyed working with him.

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We attended the Dixie Round-up all three nights that it was in session. It was fun watching all of the Wright cousins ride Bucking Bulls and Saddle Bronc. We even had a cousin that won the Muttin' Bustin' event. I put our kids in for the drawing of Muttin' Bustin', but none of them got drawn out this year. Perhaps next year. Our kids look forward to this rodeo every year. There are great riders, great food, and great half time entertainment. It is fun to simply go and watch people. There are all sorts of walks of life there. I love the "want-a-be" cowboys the best.

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I sang a duet in church yesterday. It was entitled, "Behold His Arms". I have finally found someone who blends with me really well. I enjoyed singing with her. I received lots of comments. A few of which said, "I bet you love seeing with your sister. You sound so good together." Or even better, "You and your daughter sing so well together. You should sing more often." Seeing how my friend is just a couple of years younger than me, it made me chuckle a little. And then made me take a step back and wonder if I am really looking that old. Oh well, does it really matter? I am happy with who I am and where I am in life. Too me, that's all that counts.

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For the last few months, M, my daughter, has been asking me about having voice lessons. I told her that she is too young, but I could teach her some fun songs to sing. After she started asking, I received a few calls from people asking if my Show Choir was back up and performing. I told them no, but I'd call them if anything changed. Thinking of M and her desire I decided to start it back up. I have been going for four weeks now, and it has proved to be a blast. I have 18 kids (both boys and girls) in this class. We meet once a week for a half hour. I teach them different songs, and then some simple dance moves to go along with them. Our first performance will be in December.

Half the front completed!

2009-09-13T12:12:00.000-07:00

Can you hardly believe it has been a couple of years since we have been in our new home? Friday evening at 10:13 pm exactly, we completed half of our front yard. I am more than thrilled to death about the whole thing. I am actually doing cartwheels and head stands as we speak. I am going to walk you through our little journey from point A to point B.

Before we even had a driveway or side walk.

After driveway and sidewalk. Leveling the front yard.

Yard with pavers.

Yard with pavers and flowers.

Yard with pavers, flowers tree, and grass.

One of my flower beds. I planted most of these flowers over the 4th of July weekend. I am pleased with how well they are doing,e specially with the heat. 95% of them are perennials, so there shouldn't be much planting in the spring, when it comes to this side of the front yard.

We'll start working on the rest of the yard, so hopefully in the spring the rest of it can be completed...or at least we can be working on completing the front yard. Hooray!

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This is a picture L took of a sunflower down at the field. He is lovin' it and wanted it to be shared.

The boys have had a great time roping and riding our calves. H and L have been teaching a few of them to buck, by tying ropes around the lower part of their body, and the pulling on the rope. L's rope got out of hand...and into nose. Seriously, this is how he landed on the ground. I was laughing my head off and was happy about the shot I was able to get.

M and j had fun feeding the ducks, calves and horses.

This pic made me laugh. I looked over at C, and he was perched on the fence like a frog. I don't think frogs perch, but he was tired of roping, and was propped in the fence (so that he wouldn't fall). He said that he was too tired to hold on, but he didn't want to miss out on what H and L were doing.

M fell asleep watching the boys rope.

j got tired of waiting for H or L to lift him onto a calf to ride (while they run along the side of him), so he climbed on M while she was squatting down watching.

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My grandparents had yet another anniversary. I love being around them and catching glimpses of their affection towards each other. They are always hugging, winking, smiling, or touching each others hands so tenderly. After so many years, their love is still so over flowing. It brings me joy just to be a spectator of their love.

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We had SEP's a little bit ago. We took the opportunity to go up and visit my parents. My mom's flowers are always so beautiful. Next year I too will have a zina garden o die for. Anyway...these are our three youngest who went along with me for the visit. We had a great time playing games, visiting and eating home-made pizzas. Yum. yum.

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H earned his wolf a few months ago. He didn't actually receive it though, due to leaders who kept forgetting his awards. He was a little frustrated at the last two Pack Meetings, but this last one he was thrilled. He earned 4 arrow points and4 belt loops as well. I have to admit I was quite proud of him as he pinned the wolf pin on my shirt. I am still waiting for the kiss on the cheek that goes along with it though. All of those eyes looking at him was just a little more than he could handle. Maybe on the next one. There is always hope.

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-07T08:52:00.000-07:00

C had just taken a shower in this picture. His towel was falling off, and found the perfect solution to how to keep it up.

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For Peach Days this year, we signed our children up to participate in the rodeo. H was old enough this year to ride a bull, while the other kids were eligible for Mutton Bustin'. I loved this picture of H. He was so focused and ready for his first ever "Bull Ride."

This is H riding a bull. I had never seen anyone with so much emotion that evening. He was excited, nervous, thrilled, scared, and happy. He rode really well. I was so proud of him. There were eight guys that rode in the junior division. He was the 2nd to youngest one. There division was 8-13 year olds. He rode for 4.5 seconds before getting bucked off. He looked like a true professional out there. With his chaps flapping in the air, and is arm raised high. There was only one guy who rode the entire 8 seconds so he won the pot plus a large buckle. H was a little disappointed, but was pleased with how well he had done.

For the Mutton Bustin', I signed up L, C, and M. There were 37 children who had put in to ride. Only 20 names were drawn, and L was lucky enough to be one of them. C and M were quite disappointed. C actually refused to leave the rodeo (even though it was long over,) because he hadn't heard his name called out, and he wasn't leaving until he had rode. That made for a not so happy departure.

Anyway...we told L to hang on no matter what. Focus, and imagine your arms and legs as long strips of velcro. L did just that. He wasn't letting go for anything. His sheep ran for about 50 yards, spun in 2 circles, ran for another 5 yards, and then sat down. By this time, L was riding sideways. The sheep sat down on L, but L was not budging. J ran out to get the sheep going again. The sheep jumped up, so L jumped off. It was an awesome ride. He rode for just under a minute. As a result, L got 1st place and won the coveted buckle.

I wish I had a picture of L riding the sheep, but during that present time, little j was throwing up all over me. Little j was laying on my shoulder (I thought about to go to sleep), when he raised his head a little. It was lovely. I had vomit down the back and front of me. And we are not just talking outside my clothes. It was a lovely sight, and the feeling of it next to my skin was even better. Sorry...not to take away form L.

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This last weekend was Peach Days. We had a great time attending the different functions. J had worked so hard these last two weeks, so it was nice to see him relax and just hang out with us. We had great food, and entertainment. The kids enjoyed making things from the Home Depot workshop. H made a wheel barrel planter, L made a tool box and C made a bean bag game. M went home with Grandma Slack, but we picked her out a bird house to make later. The kids had a great time making their projects with J.

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Last Friday the kids didn't have school, so we decided to hike to the top of Molly's Nipple for fun. We had never done it before, and always have it in view, so we took it as a fun challenge and adventure. Since we had little ones, we decided to drive around the back of it and hike to the top. It was a great deal of fun hiking as a family. That was until we got to the top. I wouldn't exactly say that I am afraid of heights, it is more like I have a fear of falling and dying from high places. You could say that things like this are a tinsey bit terrifying for me. I am okay when I am by myself, because I know how to keep a nice distance between myself and the edge, but when you have children and a husband who love the thrill of being as close to the edge as possible, the heebie jeebies are very present. Here are just a few shots that I took.

We let L and H hike down the face of Molly's Nipple with their aunt. They went with the "okay" by my husband, not me. All went well, and they actually beat us down.

These are a few shots from the top of Molly's Nipple. Aren't they beautiful?

What a fabulous weekend it has been. I am glad that I have today to regroup before school starts back up tomorrow. Back to the laundry, vacuuming, mopping, etc. Back to the real world.

It's an Antique Mom.

2009-09-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

We headed over to Mama Mary's cabin again this last week. The boys were havibng a great time exploring and playing with cousins. L came back after a while with a huge grin on his face. As I looked to his hands, I shook my head and opened my mouth to say something about the treasure that he had found. I was going to say something along these lines, "L, what are you ding with that trap? It probably has so many different germs on it. Hurry, put it down, and wash your hands." Not trying to look for the bad. But really, who could see good that? As you all know, I have been trying to be more positive and find the good in ALL things. But this time I was at a loss for words. I am glad that L had beat me, when it came to words flowing from my lips. He said, "Lood Mom. Look how cool! It is an antique rat trap. I bet you'll love it! We could even hang it on the wall. Aren't you glad I found it for you." He had done it. He had found the good in a very old trap, and was thrilled to share it with me, and to give me the opportunity to hang it on the wall, amongst my other antique treasures. How could I resist such a gift? It was exciting, new to him, and just what I wanted...an antique. From this I have learned that there truly is good in all things.
J has been working hard to prep and plant four different fields before our next water turn on Thursday morning. We have helped him pick up rocks, stand on the plow, drive the tractor, and various other jobs. It has been a lot of hard work for the whole family, but I think we will get it all done in time. Working together sure has been fun.
M and j sure had fun pretending they were driving the tractor, when J was on another one on a nearby field.

Here are j and M just hanging out watching Daddy hard at work.

Busy, but happy!

2009-08-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

Since school started two weeks ago, I have kicked things into gear with check-off charts for my children. Mornings sure have been busy...heck, what am I saying? Life in general has been busy. Our morning schedule goes as follows:

5:45 I go for a run.
6:15 I cool off while doing personal scripture study.
H and L get dressed, do personal prayer and eat.
6:40 H practices the piano while L reads.
6:45 I shower and get ready for the day.
7:00 Family scripture study and family prayer.
7:30 L practices piano while H reads.
7:50 All children do their daily job and make sure room is spotless (my spotless.)
8:10 Children do teeth and hair. And I help j and M get dressed.
8:20 Sign off reading and homework calendars/charts for school.
8:25 Head for the bus.

By the time the kids get on the bus to head off to school, I am ready for a nap, but simply smile at the thought and continue on my way.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are my busy days with two sessions of Preschool, private music lessons and a Show Choir class that I am teaching. I am loving every bit of it.

My kids aren't too hip on the idea that they still have to practice the piano before school on Monday, knowing that they are coming home from school to have a lesson. Hopefully they'll get used to it, and realize that everyone else is doing it (They simply don't have their mom as their teacher.)

I am loving life, and am as happy as I have ever been. I am still working on pointing out the positive in every aspect of life. It has taken some work, but I have seen a great change in myself, and am liking what I see. My sister shared this scripture and thought with me.

Men are, that they might have joy. --2 Nephi 2:25

"I am asking that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life we "accentuate the positive." I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue and effort." -- Gordon B. Hinckley

As I enjoy more fully the "sunlight", I find that my children do as well. Who would want any differently?

Results from our Fair enteries.

2009-08-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

H, L and I entered some photographs into the county fair. The boys entered some short stories in as well. I was so proud of them. L entered a photo of an Orange Mushroom and a Llama. H entered photos of a Saddle House and Fall Leaves/Acorns. I entered photos of a Saddle Bag with Boots, and an Old Mountain Outhouse. The kids were thrilled about the money that they earned from their entries. H earned $15.00, L earned $13.00, and I earned $7.00. That was the easiest money I have ever earned.

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J and the boys have built a little arena in the wasted ground part of the field. The boys have had a lot of fun roping cows in. It seems as though a project gets done, they find something else to do and they're off again creating. I love how they enjoy being outside, instead of sitting in front of a television.

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The boys have had a great time roping our calves. They have made their own chute for the cows to run out of for them to rope. They spent many hours creating it, and roping from it. Some days it is all I can do, to pull them away from the calves. It makes me happy that they are having so much fun with them, but I could do without the smell that they come home with.

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J went with M to get a load of hay. H jumped right in on the fun of unloading all of the bails. As he gets older, I am amazed how much work he can do, and is willing to do. I know J is very appreciative of all the hard work H has put in around the field. I sure hope the love and desire remains as he gets even older.

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This last week for scouts, H experimented with Solar Ovens. He was so excited about the concept and idea, that as soon as he returned home, he made one for L. They had fun cooking marshmallows and hot dogs in their newly made ovens.

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One of L's friends, is also a distant cousin. He and L like to play together quite frequently. When they hook up, I usually plan on having Nick over for the entire day, and often the next. They sure do have a great deal of fun chasing and exploring together. Nick is one of those friends that you wouldn't mind having as your own. He is so respectful and easy going. He fits into our family really well.

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J got our children hooked on watching Tom and Jerry. This is C after combing his own hair to look like Jerry. I tried changing to more my style, but it wasn't worth WW3. He was thrilled with the outcome and wore it proudly every where we went that day.

This is C crouched down, trying to look like Jerry (the mouse).

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J decided it was time to take three of our calves to the auction, to see what we could get in return. I was thinking in the terms of money, and J had both money and calves on the brain. Well, a good profit and 10 calves later we returned home.

Some of the kids were thinking that 5 hours at the auction was a tad to long, so I took them to my grandma's and mom and dad's home for a visit.

This is a pic of M and J with my grandma in her home.

What the oil?

2009-08-14T17:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we started school back up for the 2009/2010 school year. These are our children on their first day of school. M Preschool, C Kindergarten, L 2nd Grade and H 4th Grade. Little j thinks he is going to school, so we let him in on the picture taking. I can't believe how grown up they all are. ....................................................................

It is that time of year again. We headed off to our county's Fair. The kids had a blast riding different rides and eating the Fair food. H, L and I entered somethings into the exhibits. All three of us entered photography and the boys entered 2 short stories. We'll have to share them later when we get them back. I was so proud of them.

J couldn't resist doing one of those toss games where you waist a lot of money and don't win anything. To our surprise he only spent $10.00 and won the kids this giant tiger. Don't as me where we are going to put it or what we will even do with it. But gooooo J!

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What the oil? So I started a big old project painting a bunk/hut for the kids. It was looking rather nicely until the wind started to blow and dust, dirt, little tiny flying things started to appear on my lovely black painted project. I decided it was time to be done for the day. I started to rinse my brush out with water and my hands. Before I knew it, I was covered from fingertip to elbow. Both right and left arms. It was smearing and spreading, and the blackness just kept coming. I thought, what the heck? This never happens when I paint. I ran over to the can to find out that it was oil based. Let's just say, I won't be buying that kind of paint again. Thanks to a little gasoline and some heavy fumes, I am looking almost natural skin tones again.

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I smelled quite the stench as I got closer to little j. I peeked in his pants and saw sign of pooh, but couldn't really find the large outcome that I knew had to be somewhere. I slowly pulled his pants down and found that his diaper had ripped on one side. In a panic I started looking around for a dropping or two. I couldn't find it anywhere, but from the look of things, it had to be somewhere. As j bent down to pick something up, and I spotted it. You'll never guess where. Oh ya, I found a nice sized log down one of his boots. I about died. I was tempted to just throw the dang thing away, but smiled and took care of it the proper way. Let's just say I was thrilled to have found it there and not on the carpet squished somewhere.

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We headed up to the mountains again. This time it was to celebrate my mom's birthday. It was fun being up there together as a family. We ended up going to my grandma's cabin for a pot luck BBQ. I enjoyed every minute of it, since it will be a while until I will be with her again for her birthday (due to her mission).

This is on the way up there. Isn't it beautiful?

Eating and visiting during our celebration. My sister was able to come from a few hours away, so that made it extra special. The more the merrier.

Bouquet of mountain flowers.This is my gorgeous mom for her birthday celebration. Little sister made her a raspberry torte. It was to die for.

Feeling POSITIVELY Good

2009-08-09T17:05:00.000-07:00

A younger sister who lives in Kansas was out for a few days with her family for a visit. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with her, and would have welcomed more. We had a fun little gathering with whom ever in the family could make it to the park. We enjoyed visiting and eating lunch together. My boys even played a few games of mini Rumicub with my grandparents.

I just can't seem to get enough of my family. I remember when I was younger; my mom would remind we children that "your friends will come and go, but your family will always be there for you." That saying holds true today. My family has always been there for me and my family truly has become my best friends. I love being with them. I am so grateful that I have a family here on earth that is so good to me. I just don't know what I would do with out them, for my family is everything.

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We ventured up Cedar Mountain again to get another load of wood. This time we took the 4 wheeler and hauled a bunch of trees to one location so that cutting wood would be faster the next time we returned.

A couple of days later we split the wood for Family Home Evening. The kids enjoyed pretending the pieces of wood were different objects; such as a large slice of pizza.

Here are some pics of us all up on the mountain. Sometimes I wish we could move up there for a couple of weeks. It is cool, beautiful, peaceful and relaxing.

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My children and I loaded into the van and took a little vacation to my older sister's home for a few days. It was a great visit. Who wouldn't have wanted to be there with 12 children running around everywhere having a great time. M had loads of fun with her two girl cousins. She had found my sister's hair bow box, and was in heaven dressing both them and herself up.

I loved the late night talks with my sister the best. The last evening there I realized my approach on everything to do with life was negative. That night I set a goal for myself to really try hard to think positively and to only comment on the positive. Sounds easy...right? When I started to analyze my way of thinking, speaking and reacting I found that I was quite pessimistic. It surprised me in a life changing way. It has only been a few days since I have set the goal, but I feel as though my life is starting to take change, and in a really feel good way. I know that it will take some time to conquer this long formed habit, but I am willing, and ready and I love how I a feeling because of it. I really thought that I had a great life, I can see now that my life, my home, and my family not only can taste little bits of heaven, but can have heaven right here on earth.

Banks Family Reunion

2009-08-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

The week of the 24th of July, my side of the family had their annual reunion. This year it was held at Deer Haven, on Cedar Mountain. I loved every minute of it.

It is hard to imagine that it started with just these two.

...and then came seven more.

(Just the Girls)

...and just a few years later, here we are with our families.

That is right! Thirty-eight in all. Aren't families terrific?

Here I am with my hubby, J. He was such a great sport taking all these shots.

My little family.

As part of reunion, we decided that for one of the activities, we would go down to Cedar and run the 24th of July 1 mile race, just before the parade. There were 29 of us that participated. Everyone was such a great sport. We had strollers, pregnant women, 3 year olds, walkers, runners, piggy-backers...you name it, we were all in it together.

My brother-in-law is quite the creative hut builder. This time, he came up with a cabin for the kids to play and sleep in. The kids loved it.

To wrap up the reunion, we stopped at Kids' Pond on the way down the canyon to fish. It was a great, cool way to finish off the last few days.

I can hardly wait for a year from now, so we can do this reunion thing all over again.

Lots has been going on.

2009-07-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

Well, two of our sweet children have been cursed with this dread full skin yuckness called, Bullous Impetigo. It is highly contagious and we are keeping ourselves away from others, as soon as we found out the diagnosis. We are now on two different antibiotics and creams twice a day, while covering all the while. Boy life has been fun. This is what it looks like...so if you see any symptoms on your children you'll know what it is and to quickly go to the doctor and get help. They start from an open wound (ours being a sliver and a tiny zit. .................................................................

Our hammock has been pulled out, and we are all loving it... in the early and late hours of the day. The middle of the day we give it a rest. It is simply way too hot.

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After our family reunion, the boys couldn't get over how fun a cousin's Steer Dummy was. So of course we had to make of them for ourselves. Now I can't pull the kids away from it. Good, clean, easy fun. That's the way I like it.

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J's side of the family had a Family Reunion at Minersville Reservoir last week. It was great fun hanging out and visiting with all the family. We had great food, and fun times on the reservoir. Here are just a few photos of what went down.

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Swimming Lesson time again. The kids did very well and I am excited with how they have improved and their confidence in swimming has built.

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H had his Court of Honor the other day. He was supposed to have earned his Bear, but the leaders forgot to bring it. It was quite the let down for all of us, especially H. He was a great sport though, and we all had a great time playing water baseball and eating Cracker Jacks.

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We said a mixed feeling goodbye to our lambs. Our children had had their fun feeding and playing with Nicholas and Chubs. With our reunions this summer, we needed to have someone babysit them, or either give them to a good home, so we did just that. We found a family who was quite willing too take them and love them as their own. So amidst tears and smiles we said our goodbyes, and life has been great ever since. We have fond memories, but are happy with 3 less feedings a day.

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During swim lessons our children met some new friends, who had quite similar tastes as their own. They love to ride horses, rope cows, and do anything they can within the "cowboy" lifestyle. My kids couldn't believe that their were kids out there just about identical to them in their interests and hobbies.

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We found this cool stick and the kids couldn't bare to throw it away. What does it remind you of? The kids loved the tiger stripes.

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j never seems content with what he has if someone else is with something else. Here he is trying to climb in the back of the car with M. You can see they are both really happy about him trying to take over.

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Here is j getting a sliver out with some tweezers. Believe it or not, he was steady and persistent enough to do just that. He got it out.

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We were eating some hash browns yesterday and C couldn't wipe a smile off his face. I asked him what he was smiling for. He said, my tummy is so happy to be eating these potatoes, that it can't wipe the smile off of it's face.

Well, that's all for this week. We'll be seeing how this next week goes.

Just another week on the Slack Farm

2009-07-16T07:07:00.000-07:00

This summer has been quite fun trying to get my children to see the importance of practicing the piano and reading five times a week when it is supposed to be "their break." Often they aren't the happiest while doing it, but as soon as it is done, they are all excited and can see their progress. Although at times it has been trying, we can see the fruits of their labors, and I am grateful that I have stuck to guns and wouldn't let off. As you can see, j is even having fun as he squeezes inbetween H and L while doing their timed readings.

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I decided another hair-do was definitely in need. So like always, on a bad hair day I called on a whim hoping to get in. They asked how soon I could get there, and I said give me 3 minutes. 23 minutes later I walked out of the salon looking like this. I love it, and it is great for the summer.

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It was due time for another art project this summer. Every couple of weeks the kids crave a little "artsy" fun. This time we used shaving cream and food coloring. The kids had a blast playing in it and painting their different creations. Even j loved every minute of it.

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This last weekend we had a free day (meaning nothing out of the ordinary was planned...the first this summer,) and decided to go to Cedar Mountain to cut wood. I don't know exactly what it is about that Mountain, but when I know we're going I get all giddy. Sounds strange, I know, but I love that place. We went to the mountain almost every weekend in the summer growing up. I am sure that some of my fondness comes from the memories, but the feeling I get when I am there is indescribable. I love it. The surroundings are unreal...beautiful. It is so peaceful, relaxing and an enjoyment for the whole family.

These are just some of the beautiful wildflowers up at Cedar Mountain.

After being up there for about an hour, surprisingly along came my sister and her family. We enjoyed romping around, riding tree horses, eating, and visiting with them. Oh the adventures that we have. No deer this time, but we did see a snake, a few salamanders and a huge frog. It was lots of fun.

Here are some pics of the kids.

The kids were cracking me up on the way home from the mountain. Within 5 minutes of being in the truck, they were all asleep. Every possible position they could be in, they found it and slept soundly. I wish I would have thought of it sooner so that I could have taken more pictures. It was so funny.

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J and I finally had a free night last weekend and chose to snatch it up for a date. We had Chinese food and went to a movie. The movie wasn't planned, but we thought, "what the heck?", and found one at the odd time that we arrived at the theatre. It ended up being Ice Age, Dawn of the Dinosaurs. I laughed my head off for the first 20 minutes. J was such a good sport. He only tried to climb under his seat from embarrassment one time. , and smiled at me for the rest. I sure enjoyed my time with him. Our alone time seems to be getting less and less this summer. Just 4 more weeks and we are back to normal.

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M picked me a large sunflower and was thrilled to give it to me. She said, "Maybe we can plant some of those giant ones next year when you have a spot for them. Then we can climb them to the top and climb on to the top of the rainbows. It will be so fun when we can slide down and land into all the pretty treasure."

Busy as can be...but I am back!

2009-07-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

On the 7th of July, my husband, brother, brother-in-law, cousin and niece shared a birthday. I so much wanted to do something fun for my husband, but nothing seemed right. I finally asked him what he would like to do for his birthday, and he answered, "I just want to go up to Mama Mary's cabin and sleep over. So after work, J came on up and met me, the kids, and Grandma Slack. We had a fun, relaxing time just hanging out together as a little family unit. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows, ate cake and ice cream and opened gifts. Our 'special' birthday spotlight wasn't exactly like the one at home, but it did just fine. When it was time to head back home the next morning, we were all sad to say our good byes to the cooler weather and the relaxing lifestyle that the out doors and cabin brings.

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J and I have been working hard on our front, half of the yard. We decided against concrete grass/flower edge, and went with a tumbled paver border. It sure did take a lot longer, but I am now loving it more than ever. We first dug out the dirt and pour road base into the trench. We wet it a few times until it became rock hard. Then we jumping-jacked it to help it settle. We leveled the ground, then nailed in place a special, thick plastic to keep the pavers in place. Next we leveled every paver, cut many of them, filled the in between cracks with a special sand, swept and brushed the pavers and then misted them ever so carefully the sand. What a process indeed. When we get grass up next to it in the fall they will pop even more. I love the look.

I have been working really hard on hauling dirt into where I wanted to plant my flowers. I then made a few mounds of dirt, planted flowers, dug up our drip line, cut, poked, and twisted 97 drippers for my flowers. Buried them and then ran to turn them on to see if they worked. When water came out of them I about cried. I was so proud of myself and all the hard work I had been doing in the yard. It had only taken me about 26 total hours between hauling, digging, planting and dripperizing all of my flowers. Just imagine as you look at my hands. They don't look sore, but they are tender, blistery, calloused, dry and cracked.

I planted a bazillion flowers and was admiring them when I started noticing holes in my little dirt mounds. I thought, "You have got to be kidding me. I have had flowers for one day and the gophers are all ready taking over." Needless to say I wasn't very happy. As I was looking around, all of the sudden I saw some dirt being pushed up, and out came a frog (about 2 inches big.) That crazy little thing was making his home out of my flower hills. At first I was mad, but I got over it and realized how lucky I was that so many little animals feel at home around my home.
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As soon as M woke up on the Fourth of July, she ran to me and said, "Mom, do my hair like fireworks." I did my best. This was the outcome.

J took the three older boys to Pine Valley Mountain for a pack trip on horses. They left home around 6:30 am, and left me and the two youngsters to fend for ourselves.

I got j and M dressed up festively and took a few pictures of them. Here they are.

I then headed to Cedar to have a cook out with my side of the family. We hung out at my parents for a couple of hours and then headed on over to my brothers for a few more hours. We played volleyball, and visited until it started to pour on us. Thanks goodness we had set up a couple of canopies. We quickly gathered underneath...just in time for a scrumptious dinner.

We met J and the boys at J's sister's home to light fireworks and then watch the city's fireworks as well. We had a great time. And it was fun to get back together as a family again. We learned quickly how terrified little j was of any type of loud sound making fireworks. He held on to me for dear life and closed his eyes almost the entire time.

These are just a few pictures of some flags that I took. I loved them and wanted to share.

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I had the opportunity to sing at our Stake President's wife's (Loraine Campbell) funeral this last week. What an incredible service it was. The spirit was so strong, and the knowledge that the Plan of Salvation is real, was very present. I left very uplifted and ready to to become the best me, mother, wife, friend, daughter, sister one could ever have.

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M is her aunt's biggest fan when it comes to lip gloss. She thinks that she needs one of every kind and flavor out there. She loves to wear it and share it with others. I even caught her trying to put it on our dog, Huck. She was getting upset that he wasn't too cooperative.

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C gave a talk in primary this last Sunday. He was so excited to give it because he claimed that "M was always gave the talks in our family, and he never, ever got a chance." He did a great job. He spoke on the importance of having family prayer.

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The boys have been quite busy at the field. They have spent many hours building their own "house". I went to go take a tour of it, and mentioned how I love their new hut, and they got all mad at me. "Mom, it isn't a hut, it's our house. It is our field house." Man, did I feel badly for calling it a hut. Never again.

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j and his sun glasses.

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My Grandma had her 85th birthday the other day. I called her on the phone to wish her a happy birthday. During our conversation she asked when I could visit them again. I told her I didn't know for sure, but that it would be in the next week or two, and that I would call her to let her know. I then had her pass the phone to Grandpa. I asked him if they were going anywhere that afternoon. He said that they weren't. I told him that I would come up to visit, but for him not to tell Grandma. I then got off the phone and called my parents and all of my siblings and planned a little surprise party for her that afternoon. M and I made Grandma a special birthday crown and got her an ice cream cake to go along with our heart shaped cake that we had made her. Boy was she surprised and pleased with every one's arrival. The party was a great success.

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In Primary on Sunday they talked with the children about the importance of having Family Home Evening. They were then asked who had family home evening. L raised his hand and said, "We don't ever have Family Home Evening. All we ever do is service." I want sure how to feel. I was sad that he did relate all of our service on Monday evenings to FHE, but yet I was thrilled that he recognized that we were doing service every week. You can imagine what we talked about as soon as we got home from church.

Last Week's Happenings

2009-06-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

It seems as though J and I aren't in many pictures together, so I decided to a few shots of us. J is such a good sport.

This last week all I did was Summer Adventure Camp for 3 days, a visit to Mama Mary's Cabin for 2 days, participated in basketball in the Utah Summer Games for 3 days visit with the Great Grandparents for 1 day, and Father's Day for 1. It only sounds like a few simple things, but my week was totally consumed with loads of fun and exhaustion. I could hardly find a moment to breath.

I put together another Basketball Summer Games team this year. Due to my back, I was out of shape and, a little over weight, and still not feeling 100%, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from playing. Our team lost a few games, but won the games that were important. We ended up winning the bronze. It was a fun experience and the girls on the team were full of skill, optimism and fun.

Father's Day

2009-06-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

Once a month our family gets together to visit and enjoy some yummy pot luck. The month it happened to be on Father's Day and my nieces birthday. This is a picture of me with my super handsome dad.

J and the rest of the kids were away for a little bit on Saturday. The lawn needed to be mowed, so L and I mowed a special message in the lawn for Father's Day. The message was so huge I couldn't take the picture as a whole from the upstairs window. L volunteered to climb on the top of the roof to take the picture, but with my fear of heights and no one else around, I decided against it. I tried putting three pics together. Hopefully you can make out the message.

In primary the kids made an M&M Tie for J. He was a good sport and put it one of them on. Here is a collage of J with all of us.

Father's Day was very enjoyable and the day ended with J feeling quite loved.

Mission Call

2009-06-18T14:06:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa are going away on a mission.

My parent's were called to the Dominican Republic CES Mission. I never even thought about a CES mission, but both of them having taught for many years, why not? Of course it is Spanish speaking. They will report to the Provo MTC on November 2, 2009. I am so thrilled for them. I hear they will love it. Just a few more months to cram time in with them before they are away for a year and a half. Hooray!

A visit to two Temples

2009-06-17T14:31:00.000-07:00

A package was dropped off at J's work the other day. It had my name on it. No one in the office knew the man delivering it, or the woman in the car. J gave me a call, and I dropped by to pick it up and see what its content was. It was this beautiful throw/blanket that had a great deal of hand work done on it. This picture doesn't give it justice. I love it though. There was a little note inside the box that said that this woman had been given something in secret and was told to pass it forward. Her act of kindness was just what I needed that day. It made me smile, and was a good teaching moment for my children. Whomever you are, I thank you with all of my heart.
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A friend of mine dropped by a C.D. full of pictures she had taken of my children a year and a half ago. There were 175+. I loved them all, but chose just a few to share with you. I can't believe how much my children have grown since then. Aren't they darling?

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Last weekend we headed to SLC, Primary Children's Hospital to be exact. It was H's quarterly visit. It was been four years since he has been diagnosed with Perthies Disease in both hips. It has been a long and painful process for him, but one he has never complained about. At his last visit we learned that he would have to have surgery in a couple of years. This appointment we were told that if things progressed as well as they did from our last appointment, he would not have to have surgery and that his recovery now depended upon his diligence in doing his physical therapy exercises. We were also told that he wouldn't have to return until a year from now. I felt like crying...of course tears of joy. H felt like crying because of the news that he wouldn't have to use crutches in the future. (He was soooo looking forward to it.) I never expected the news to be so positive. I know that H is being blessed by his sincere fasting and prayers. I am so proud of him.

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I thought that it would be fun for the kids to experience a little taste of heaven. So this last weekend we took them to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House. It was awesome and the kids were so reverent and respectful. Little j kept pointing to the pictures and saying, "Jeje" (for Jesus.) It was choice. Each child found something in particular that they loved and remembered about the temple. C even prayed that night that he could live until he was old enough to get baptized with the oxen. I loved being there with my family.

I tried taking a cute pic of the kids behind the temple, but they weren't exactly cooperating. Can you guess which one was having the hardest time?

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We also stopped by Temple Square in SLC. The last time we went as a family was a month after M was born. That was 3 1/2 years ago. Well overdue. The kids weren't as well behaved as they were at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple, but I guess you can't win them all.

We were lucky to have Grandma Slack go on our little trip up north. She is so fun to have around and is such a good sport. Patience should be her middle name.

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We headed over to Heber City for the State Rodeo Finals. We all loved it. Although it was cold and very rainy, that didn't stop us from having a great time watching the best of HS rodeo. We were able to watch one of the three cousins who qualified for the state competition. The other two were drawn out for different nights. It would be fun to support it again next year.

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M and I bought a few different lip glosses. We were excited to hurry back to the van to quickly open them and try them on. I went first. I rolled it all over my lips, smacked them a couple times, and then about threw up. Our beloved lip gloss ended up being a body perfume. Talk about nasty.

C had a band aid on one of his fingers. It kept sliding up and then he would have to push it back down. He turned to me and said, "Mom, do you think the Holy Ghost is doing that?" I said, "Doing what?" He said, in my lesson on Sunday my teacher said that the Holy Ghost is like our hand, and our body is like a glove. She lifted the glove off and showed her hand. My band aid keeps coming up like the glove. Do you think the Holy Ghost is doing it?"

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My Mom just called and said that Dad and she just returned from the mailbox and their mission call was in her hand. I am trying to keep composed, but I have so many emotions running through me. She is going to wait until 6:00pm tonight to open it so that all the children that are able are present. I can hardly wait.

Well, that's all for now. I'll be filling you in on the call soon.

This week's adventures.

2009-06-11T13:37:00.000-07:00

Last night we went up to Mama Mary's cabin. We, of course, enjoyed our time up there. Here are some of the pics I took. I just can't help myself. I love taking pictures.

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J had a bit of field work to do today. The kids had a fun time helping him out. After a couple of hours I had gotten a phone call from J.

He had asked if I would help drive the tractor while he helped the spreader spread gypsonite on the fields. As I pondered the task that was asked of me, memories of my last tractor ride came back to me. When J and I were first married J asked me if I would help him with the same task. All I had to do was drive the tractor up and down the field. Never ever experienced a tractor ride at that time, I agreed. Things were going great until I was to turn the tractor around and head back the other way. It still isn't clear to me as to what happened, but I do remember J being thrown off, me and the tractor about running over him, me screaming and crying at the top of my lungs, all the while the tractor is driving itself recklessly in the field going ever so fast. After that incident I promised myself I would never get on one again. Well, 10 years later I was ready to tackle one of my fears. After all, how could I say I was a "true" farmer's wife if I couldn't even handle a tractor?

This is J filling up the fertilizer spreader, and me on the seat of the tractor after many years of neglect. I had to take a picture of it for proof. Proof of my bravery, and willingness to step up and help with some of the chores around here. I do have to admit, this time around was much better. I even found myself tearing up and thinking of Grandpa Slack looking down from heaven, with the biggest grin on his face, being ever so proud of me. Don't tell J, but I actually enjoyed it.

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H and L went on up to the animal auction with a cousin, Calvin and his boys. Calvin hauled up one of our cows to sell. We thought that we were getting rid of one of our animals, but when the boys returned they both walked in with a baby lamb. Not just two, little, cute lambs, but two little, cute, lambs that need to be bottle fed 6 times a day. If our boys didn't know what responsibility was, they sure do now.

When I talked to them about how getting the lambs came to be, they claimed that they had bought them. I reminded them that I had only sent up enough money with them to buy them lunch. They smiled and said, "oh, well Calvin bought us lunch so we could buy the lambs." They were so proud. What could I say to two very excited boys about their new purchases?

j feeding one of the baby lambs his sippy full of milk.

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H had his 9th birthday the other day. I can't believe my little bundle of joy is all grown up. We said that he enjoyed every minute of it. I guess you can't top that! We kept things pretty simple. He had a friend over for a couple of hours, had his friend party, went to a primary activity, and then had a family party. I guess in this situation, "less is more".

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I saw this shot and had to take this picture. I love it! Can't explain it, just do.

I took this picture of M, and loved it so I had to share.

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This is a picture of my friend, Lesli and I. She and her family stopped to visit on her way through to her family reunion. I was so excited to see her. It has been a couple of years since we have seen each other. It was fun catching up with her. Ever since we were five we've been playing together with our imaginary friends, running track, and having many a sleepovers together. It was a great little visit and one I will remember until the next time.

Lesli's Family

What have we been up to lately?

2009-06-02T18:24:00.000-07:00

Now that it is summer my boys are taking full advantage of riding horses when ever they can. I am so proud of them. They don't need our help anymore to prep the horses, and now have the confidence to ride through the hills without supervision (they take my cell phone with them if something is needed.) They wake up at 6:30am, get dressed and run out the door to saddle up their horses and ride for a couple of hours before Adventure Camp begins. They then ride for another couple of hours in the afternoon and evening.

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Instead of having preschool in the summer I now host a Summer Adventure Camp. It is held for 2 hours in the morning on Mon, Tues, and Wed of each week in June. Each week is a new adventure. This week was our Outer Space Adventure. I love this program because all my children are able to participate and love being a part of it.

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It was time for summer hair cuts in our home. I always let the boys choose a particular style that they can where a round for a few days, and then off it goes for Sunday. Usually they choose a Mohawk, but this year they chose "grandpa style" or so they called it.

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What is up with our little j lately? Let me show you.

1. He slammed his head in the shower door. (Notice the bump. This picture actually makes it look better than it really did.)

2. As soon as j woke up he walked out the door and began working; picking up rocks in the front yard and loading them into the wagon.

3. Having the hugest carrot ever for a snack. (This carrot actually began two inches bigger. Before I could grab the camera he had taken a few bites.)

4. Doing everything that daddy is doing. This time they are reading the news paper and eating breakfast together. I love it!

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The kids were riding 4 wheelers in the fields behind our home and C noticed a baby Keel Deer in the path. The thought of running him over was too much to handle, so he scooped him up in his helmet and brought him home.

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So this last weekend was Father and Sons for our ward. The same two days, J and our boys were invited to go on a cattle drive with some cousins (The Wright Family). We gave the boys a choice, honestly not knowing which they would pick since they were so much looking forward to the Father and Son's Camp out. All hands were thrown in the air and excitement was shouted through our roof tops when the cattle drive was suggested. J took the three older boys for Saturday's portion of the drive. They left our home at 5:30 am and returned at 10:15 pm. Riding horses all but one hour and loving every minute of it. They began looking like this...

And this is what they looked like afterwards....

L couldn't even walk up the stairs he was so tired.

Carter got this scratch from a branch flipping back and hitting him as he rode past a tree.

J had mentioned after they had returned home that the boys had played in the creek a little bit and had caught a few frogs and had brought them home in a bucket. The next morning I went out to take a look at them and about died. I was thinking more along the lines of 5 frogs, but when I had counted there were 45 of them. We made a little frog habitat in a swimming pool. We have been feeding them fish food for now.

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*M was on one of the horses the other day and I said, "M, you are the most beautiful princess cowgirl in the world." She smiled at me and said, "Quick, get you camera."

*M was hanging out with one of her baby cousins. She was playing "Peek a Boo" with him. She was so serious when she said, "Oh Pink a Boo". I said, "M, it isn't Pink a Boo, it is Peek a Boo." She said, "Oh man, I love pink. It is my favorite color. I am still going to say it."

*M said, " It's okay that dad took the boys for Father and Sons, because some year in my life it will be my turn to go with him on Father and Girls."

*The other day I was telling M how smart she was. She replied, "Why am I always so smart? Do I have to be?"

Do or Die Year Supply

2009-05-28T06:48:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. It has only been 3 official days of Summer, and I have been the busiest I have been in months. I have always felt as though I've been busy, but during the school year, music lessons, preschool, and kids homework took a little time. As I looked around the house and garage I saw a few things that have been neglecting for a while. Being down and out for a few weeks has played a little part on things piling up, but enough is enough.

I decided to pop a couple of pain pills and away I went. First I started with our computer station, and then moved on to under the stairs. Under the stairs has housed a couple of different things. At first it stored boxes of who knows what, and became the throw all coat and backpack closet. Then it switched gears over to a little plays station for the kids. Both of these weren't exactly working out as I had planned. When the door was opened it was actually a frightful sight. It was one that you would run over to and hurry and close if company was over. It was an embarrassment to all. If you tried to walk into it, you found yourself stepping on one thing or another. Not cool!

As I have talked with my sister and read one of my cousin's blogs, I became more determined to have an organized place for food storage. What was I waiting for? The prophets have said to have food storage for a year. Basically, do or die. Okay, not really. But do, or struggle and stress until you can't function happily anymore. Was I in that category? Basically...yes. We would do great for a good couple of months, but for a year, no way! It was time to get serious, and build my ARK. What better place to start, than under the stairs. My kids and I cleared the area, bought shelving, and started organizing what food storage we did have into categories and grouped them together.

The kids and I sat down and talked about the importance of having supplies to live off of for a year. We began by making a list of all bathroom items that we also should have a year supply of. I couldn't believe how many items there were. The kids and I chose four items for this week to purchase, went shopping and became a little closer to our goal. The excitement for our new project was picture perfect. The kids couldn't stop asking when we could go shopping again to buy next weeks four items.

As for the food, I am making menus and lists to shop for when their are case lot sales. What was I thinking before? Whenever there was a case lot sale, I'd go buy one or two cases of random things. It is time to get serious, and I'm in the mood!

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Another huge project we started was cleaning out our 3 1/2 car garage, that only one vehicle could fit in. There were boxes still in there that I hadn't gone through since we moved in the house almost two years ago. It was as though I was waiting for some cleaning fairy to come along and give me the surprise of my life. Ha! When I came out of that delusion I got to work. We now can fit 2 1/2 cars in the garage and a smile is now encompassing my face. I still have work to do, but I have taken a day or two off to have fun with the kids.

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Last week our satellite receiver crashed. We lost everything recorded, and wasn't able to record anything for about a week. I just about died. This was the week when all the last episodes of the season were being shown. I even missed the finale of American Idol. I could have died. What a waist. Watching every episode for weeks, to miss the most important one. I had to watch the news to get the results. I was not a happy camper. I just installed our new receiver today and am almost over the disappointment of it all. I still get all anxious just thinking about it.

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Yesterday I was laying on the floor doing my back stretches and exercises when I heard j screaming. I got up and walked to the door to see what was wrong. J was using the weed eater and couldn't hear him, and the other kids were to busy to take the time to help. He had fallen threw the trampoline springs. He was hanging on for dear life, (or so he thought). Without hesitation I bolted towards him, not giving my back another thought. I felt free, alive and whole again. It actually lasted for an hour. I cried as I embraced the thought and the feeling of having a perfect body again. What a blessing it was for me to experience that. It made me think of the resurrection when all would be made whole again. What a perfect day for all that will be. I haven't felt quite the same since, but do feel as though I am on the mend.

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I took the kids to a Splash Pad yesterday. It was great fun for us all. Even j had a great time running in and out of the sprinklers. We'll have to go on the return home from our food storage shopping trip once a week. We all could use a weekly refreshing pick-up and picnic.

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

M gave another talk today in church. The theme this week was on the Holy Ghost. She once again was very excited about the whole thing.

J stood up to the pulpit in Primary with M to help her along. He whispered in her ear, "talk into the microphone." She turned into the microphone and said, "talk into the microphone." After that things went down hill and J ended up giving her little talk. This is what it was supposed to be.

The Holy Ghost

A log time ago, Heavenly Father asked the Prophet Lehi, and his family to be faithful and obedient in keeping his commandments. He gave them the Liahona to help them know which way to go. If they would obey, it would lead and guide them.

Today we do not have the Liahona but we do have the Holy Ghost. When we are faithful and obedient, we too can be guided like Lehi. We simply need to listen to the still small voice.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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For Memorial Day Weekend, the Slack side of the family decided to get together and do a little something for Grandma. After all, she had been doin' for all of us, and for many years. Now that Grandpa is gone, the task of dragging hoses all over a 1/2 acre lot to water various lawns, has become a little much. Not that Grandma minds, but we all know that she'd much rather be doing something else with her time than moving sprinklers. A great deal of the family joined together over the last two days to install a one of a kind sprinkler system. 50 people to be exact. There was of course Grandma, her children, their children, and even their children. There were a whole lot of 4 generations going on at the Slack residents, and it was fun!

Of course it was hard work as well. There were trenches to be dug, sprinklers to be put together, pipes to be glued, sprinkler system to be laid in the ground, dirt to be shoveled back into the trenches, leveling the ground, and of course making sure that the system as a whole worked correctly.

Everywhere you turned around, people were visiting and working. It was fun to see the interaction with all of the cousins.

We even had to tear out (pull out) an old, broken down clothes line. The kids were a little sad, but they got their last rounds of play time on it before it would be gone forever.

Although these look like little gophers peeking out of their holes, these pictures are to show how deep the clothes line poles were cemented into the ground.

While the sprinkler system was being installed, many were about maintaining over grown bushes, pulling weeds, pruning trees, and dead heading flowers.

There was excellent food to be eaten, and plenty of it.

Being together as a BIG family was sure fun. Work was done, cousins played, food was eaten, a rained on sleepover on grandma's back lawn, yummy meals and snacks, and a great time visiting. A definitely needed reunion + one huge service project= a very happy family.

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While the adults worked hard installing sprinklers, some of us took the children swimming. It was quite refreshing, and seemed to be a good distraction, from being in the way of the installers (for the most part they were all good and steered clear.)

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Thursday was a big day for me, and those associated with my Preschool. It was our end of year program/graduation. I had the children come at their regular times so we could do a run through. The parents came an hour later to watch the performances. Both programs seemed to run quite smoothly. I was very pleased with them. Of course their were students who wouldn't sing, or say their part. Some even poked and prodded the student next to them, some burped, some played with their clothing and small toys brought from home, etc., but who can really ask for perfection when they range from 3-5 years of age?

This is my AM Class.

This is my PM Class.

We recited nursery rhymes, sang songs, did the alphabet in sign. We demonstrated phonics and spelling. We counted by one's to twenty and then to one hundred by tens. To sum it up, we did a little bit of everything. We even danced. I was so proud of them and all they accomplished throughout the school year.

This is C during one of his speaking parts. This next Fall he will be in Kindergarten.

This is M during one of her speaking parts. She still has two more years of preschool. It is fun and a little challenging to change things up each year. I keep the same curriculum, just switch the themes, due to returning students.

Concerts, Recitals and Programs...oh my.

2009-05-20T12:41:00.000-07:00

Today my 3rd son graduated from Mrs. Gwen's Preschool. He attended her school Monday and Wednesdays and mine on Tuesday and Thursdays. He really enjoyed Mrs. Gwen. Another 'grandma' figure to adore. I discovered during his little program that I might be looking at a class clown. I still am not quite sure how I feel about that. It is one thing to be liked for your fun-loving personality, but I don't want it to become a distraction to things.

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This is one of our friendly neighbors. He lives in our yard and the children have a great time looking at it and trying hard to catch it. This morning J was digging a sprinkler line out front when he discovered a nest of tiny eggs. Sure enough, out came our scaly friend. Some of the eggs go smashed by a clump of dirt that fell on them. I picked a broken one up and learned that the shells are very soft and frail. I love living where animals and insects feel comfortable and at home...that is in the distant yard, not within the walls of our home.

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My mother had her retirement dinner/party as well this last week. She worked at South Elementary, Enoch Elementary and most recently North Elementary. Her total time serving Iron County was 18 years. She helped with their different reading programs, and helping children succeed in their early elementary years.

Five out of the seven children were able to attend her retirement dinner. My mom's party was quite different than my dad's. I couldn't figure out if it was simply the age taught, the different personalities, or the people putting on and presenting. Whatever the case, it was just as enjoyable as my father's.

Some of the staff stood up and sang a song that one of the teachers had adapted for my parents. Having their mission papers now in, the song was very cute and appropriate.

This is the song that the Elementary Staff sang. They sang the words to the tune "I Hope They Call Me On a Mission."

This is my cute mom. I was so proud of her and her dedication to all of the elementary children throughout the years.

This is a picture of me and my 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Jackson. She had retired 5 years ago, but came back for the dinner. I loved visiting with her. She was my inspiration for being an educator. She was simply the best!

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Our oldest Son, H, had a school talent show this last week. His class danced a few partner dances. He was such a good sport to dance with another boy. He later told me that he really wanted to dance with his 'girlfriend', but the teacher needed some of the boys to partner up, and no one was volunteering, so he did. I told him that he could save that dance with his girlfriend until after his mission. The look on his face said it all. I could tell that he didn't quite like that suggestion very much.

H also played the Entertainer as a piano solo. He had it down pretty well. He had practiced it for a few weeks, and was ready to "wow" the audience. There were a couple of measures where he would slow down a little due to it's difficulty. I reminded him to take the song just a touch slower so that the entire song would sound perfect. As he got up there he sat and played very confidently....and slowly. 1 minute slower than all the other times that he had practiced it. I guess I shouldn't have suggested to him to slow it down a touch. Time wasn't an issue for him however. He finished the piece and was all grins. I asked him afterwards how he had felt about it. He said, "Mom, I played it perfectly, and I slowed it down just for you."

This is a picture of H with a group of girls (the one next to him being the girl that he likes). They practiced for a couple of weeks to sing Love Song, for the talent show. He didn't care that it was a girl was telling the story of Romeo and Juliet. He liked the song and there wasn't anything anyone could say to make him change his mind in performing it. He did do a cute job with it, and I was proud of him for sticking to his guns, and not stepping down.

When I arrived to the talent show, this is what my shoes looked like. (Notice that they are in one piece, not that they are so worn.)

This is what they looked like when walking out of the performance. Let's just say I had to smile and walk on a tip toe to mask my little problem. Obviously after about 10 years of good, hard use the glue decided to give out on me.

Well, another week went by and another quick catch up on the small and simple things in my life. My back is feeling a little better, and I am able to sit for a little bit longer time frame. I still have to stretch and walk around for a minute before I feel just about normal, but heck, no one is complaining here.

Getting back into the swing of things.

2009-05-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

I feel like things are now looking up, and life is getting back to normal. I am not completely healed from my back and pelvic bone being out, but I'd say am about 80%. Life is good. No, life is great...I simply have to do things differently. I have learned that typing, tying shoes, doing the kid's hair, making beds and doing laundry can be as easily accomplished while being on my knees. (For example; for laundry, I have one of the kids up on the washer to reach down in and get the clothes for me. They then toss them down to me and I put them into the dryer.) I plan on a couple of minutes longer doing things, but as long as they are getting done, things are good. I have learned how important squats are, and how twisting isn't.

Saturday I felt pretty close to normal (other than I had the flu...but that's another story.) I walked down to the field and enjoyed watching J and the kids do chores. M and j loved feeding the ducks. I think j enjoys chasing them as much as he does grabbing the feed and chucking it into the water.

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The weather has been absolutely beautiful here. The kids got the idea of getting the pools out of storage and filling them water. They invited their cousins over for some refreshing fun.

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Mother's Day was really nice for me. I took it easy and layed down and stretched most of the day. I was able to find someone to play the organ for me for a couple of weeks in Sacrament Meeting, so that I wouldn't have to sit down for so long and undo the healing that had taken place. J was sweet and made breakfast for me. I have to admit, it was the "sweetest" breakfast I had ever had. It was angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream, and new york cheesecake. I loved every bite of it!

The kids gave me a bouquet of flowers. The vase made me laugh. That's my husband for ya.

These are just a few of the things that my children made and gave me for mother's day. Gum drop cookie flowers, a drinking straw flower lei, and a "mother" chocolate bar. They were just as excited to give them as I was as happy to receive them. I love being pampered!

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Tuesday evening was my dad's school retirement dinner. After teaching Spanish at Cedar High for just 33 short years, he was ready to see what else life had to offer him...or what he could offer to life. I was honored to have been there, and to have listened to so many praises of my father. I was touched as I looked around the room and saw so many teachers and family members there to share their love and support for him.

This is my dad! The one and only Don Carlos of Cedar High. What a legacy he has left. I am so proud of him, and am pleased to call him my dad.

My mother and father.

Dad, me, Mom

Mom, Dad, and all siblings, except for one who we all knew would have loved to have been there. (Sister lives in Kansas)

These are some pictures that were on my dad's program. I thought that they were kind of fun.

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Today L had his end of school program. His class did a musical entitled, Three Billy Goat's Gruff. L had a little part as a butterfly. He was a good sport and wore his antenna's and wings. He sang out and sang well. By his volume, I could have sworn he loved every minute of being that butterfly and being a part of such a cute production, although earlier he said it was the "dumbest thing I'll ever have to do." You go L!

Living one day at a time.

2009-05-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

I know...I feel like I have been out of the loop for quite a while now. I have found myself quite emotional with many things in life. Probably because I lay around so much watching life flash before me. Going from a back out, to a pelvic bone out has really caused me much pain and down time. I thought that I would show you what exactly it looks like when your pelvic bone is out. This is me, trying my darnedest to stand nice and tall.

Some may say, "Nice smile. I know your just faking it." And you know what? I have found many days hiding behind a smile, but as I look at this picture, I really am smiling with joy. What do I have to complain about? It is simply a little challenge...a minor trial in my wonderful life. I have learned to show more love, compassion, and appreciation for my children and husband. Oh how they have come together to make this family and home run while I am down and out. How grateful I am to all of them for being such a support for me.

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These are pictures of my sweet M, prepared and ready to give her first talk ever in Primary. I had never seen anyone so excited to give a talk, and have the desire and willingness to practice a talk for Sunday. I could hardly wait to see her give it.

Needless to say, I missed her talk. After sitting as long during Sacrament Meeting again, I couldn't find the strength or deny the pain any longer. I quickly went home to lay down. J helped her though, and said that she did a great job.

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Sunday afternoon J was visiting with me and looked out the window and then quickly jumped to his feet. As I glanced over, I noticed three of our cows on our back lawn enjoying the freshly cut grass. I guess being a couple of fields away wasn't good enough. They had to hop a few fences to satisfy their craving. I guess the grass on the other side was greener.

2009-04-29T12:18:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official. My tail bone is now out. I now have to become one with my tennis shoes and exercise ball. My pelvic bone is now waddling. Working side to side, instead of a figure 8 motion. I am to walk as much as possible. An hour walk a day was suggested. I am also supposed to do pelvic hikes, thrusts and circles while sitting on an exercise ball. I am not doing well with sitting in general. At this present time I am sitting on my exercise ball writing this post. I don't know where I will find an extra 1 1/2 hours to do these exercises, but I will. Living life and not getting the fullest out of it is kind of getting old. A priority my ball and shoes will become, for a good, healthy life must continue.
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As I was laying on the coach yesterday, I heard j making a lot of noise with something, but as he was, he was giggling all the while. I peeked over the coach and found him playing soccer with an empty ice cream bucket. Up and down the tile he went. Back and forth from garage door to preschool room door. After a few minutes, other noises were made, but still the sound of the ice cream bucket was present. I got up to see what he was doing. Over a period of about two hours, j found several ways to entertain himself with nothing more than a simple ice cream bucket.

The one that cracked me up the most was this next picture. I told him that I was going to change his diaper, but I was going to quickly go first. By the time I headed over to the bathroom, j was already there pretending his bucket was the toilet. I couldn't help but laugh out loud. The things that kids come up with are priceless.

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In between my Am and Pm preschools, the kids went out in the sandbox to play. About 15 minutes before the afternoon class began, I looked out the window and saw C and M sitting in the sandbox with only undies on, having a great time playing in the huge mud bath they had made. j was also enjoying himself; he still fully clothed. I tried to get a picture, but you couldn't really tell that he was wearing pants since they were so caked with mud. The sand smeared through his runny nose didn't help any.

These are the socks j was wearing. You could at least tell that they were once white. Needless to say, the kids were a little late getting to our afternoon class, after having to clean up and get ready all over again.

I hosed j down as much as I could, and then put him in the kitchen sink for a bath. He loved it!

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This year's soccer season has come to a close. Both L and H played soccer in the city league program this year. Between practices and games for the both of them, we had Friday-Sunday evenings to the family. Next year C will join them, and life will become a little more hectic than it already is. At times L would ask why it seemed like he was the only one playing to win. I would often ask him if he was enjoying himself. The answer was always a "yes". He would then say, "I know. I know. Winning isn't everything. What matters is that you are having fun and are getting better."

Here is j enjoying himself at one of the soccer games as well. There is something about those flags. He just can't get enough of them. I was visiting with another mom during one of the games. I glanced over and saw j taking off with the corner flag. He was well on his way to the front goal line. That was just a tad bit embarrassing. Here is one of the girls that runs the flags. She let j help her during the game.

H and his coach.

Here are a few of our best supporters. Aren't grandparents wonderful?

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I introduced a new song to a 6 year old student while teaching a voice lesson yesterday. In the song it talked a little about heaven, and what it might be like. My student said, "I love this song, and I love you." I said "really? How come? We haven't even sang through it yet?" She said, "Because when I come here for lessons, it reminds me of my uncle. Remember you sang at his funeral?" I told her that I remembered and she said, "Because I get to see and hear you, I feel like my uncle is here." I cried as she hugged me tight and said, "thank you." Isn't music a beautiful thing? I find myself so spiritually fed after singing and hearing music of our Savior. I know that my little voice student's testimony of heaven, of our Savior, and the life here after will be strengthened as her tender thoughts are turned towards them while singing the song chosen for her.

Autographs and Couch Potatoes

2009-04-26T13:19:00.001-07:00

Monday evening we headed up to Cedar to attend a tribute to a cousin we all love and admire; Cody Wright. Cody having a fabulous 2008 year was able to have his preparation meet opportunity and win the world title of best Saddle Bronc rider in the world. Although we do see Cody quite a bit, our children can't seem to get enough of him. I am going to have to dedicate a room in our home to Cody and all of the autographed things that we have acquired. The boys got their hats signed, j got his boots signed and all of the children got their T-shirts signed. We enjoyed the evening visiting with family and watching a tribute, Born to Ride, CODY WRIGHT And The Quest For a World Title.

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Life sure did take a different turn for me this last week. It all began Tuesday evening. My lower back slipped out of place and I found the family room couch being my best friend. The only thing that I could think of to compare it to was being in labor again, the only difference being after 20 long hours of lower back pain I knew I would have a beautiful baby to show for it. As I look around I have no new baby to caress in my arms, just a filthy home and yard and nothing on my 'to do' list done. Well, that is not true. I do have a wonderful family who really has helped me out a bunch, and they are happy and healthy. Who really could ask for anything more? So after five days of not being able to sit, twist. bend or pick up at all, I am grateful for today. A day where I was able to sit through Sacrament Meeting, play the organ and accompany a musical number. Although I am back to the couch for the rest of the day, I was thrilled for the chance to get out and do something ordinary.

While being down and out, M picked quite a variety of flowers from our flower pots out front. When I did get a chance to look out front, my pots looked like deer had come to town and had a royal feast. That was simply one of those moments when I had to bite my tongue, swallow deep and smile for it was the thought that really counted.

I had a friend that found out about my back, and brought us a lovely dinner one of the evenings. I had to throw this picture in because I didn't know meals brought to those in need could be so beautiful and tasty. It was definitely over the top, but much needed and appreciated.

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The last several weeks I would be holding j in the hall in between classes at church. There is this particular picture that we walk by. The first week j made several sounds and actually slapped the painting. As I stopped to let him look, he waved his little hand, and sounds came out of his mouth as if to say, "hello Jesus." Each week I have made a point to walk over to that picture just for j to say his "hello's". Of course it makes me cry, and wonder when the time will come when the veil won't be so thin. I've always thought that when children begin to talk, the less they can actually see and remember of the heavenly things. The smile that he gets when he is able to see his friend, his Jesus, is worth the little visit for me.

Springtime Branding, Trapping and Letting Go

2009-04-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

The time had come when branding and de-horning had to take place before our calves got any larger. So this is what our family did for a Saturday morning activity. I thought it would be fun to walk you through the process.

J first had to make a little corral and chute that led into the squeeze chute where branding and de-horning would take place.

Here J and H are moving one calf up at a time through the chute.

Here J and I are making sure that we get the chute closed before the calf jumps through the other end. I was maneuvering the chute. (Notice my neck and face muscles.) It is a tough job, but someones got to do it.Now the calf is gently laid down and a bar is removed so that a brand can be applied.

These are just a few of the things that J used on the calves. The sprays and powders are to prevent infection and to stop the bleeding.

J is getting one of the branding irons out of the fire. To make sure that the brand is applied quickly without any problems, the brand must e very hot.

Now J is de-horning one of the calves.

Here we are letting the calf out of the chute...de-horned, branded and all.

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A couple of months ago we had five little bunnies come out of their burrow for the first time to see daylight and to live on their own. This happened just a few feet away from our front door. Our front yard, not landscaped yet, had plenty of dirt for these little bunnies to call their home. This is the only one that survived. We kept it in a rabbit cage, gave it plenty of water, feed, warmth and love. We felt like it was old enough and warm enough to set it free Saturday afternoon. Our children had a hard time letting Little Bunny Foo Foo go, but knew that it was for the best.

This is J trying to get him out of the cage, but Foo Foo was just to fast.

We decided to take the cage to the field and then let Foo Foo run out of the door on his own.

We enjoyed raising Foo Foo for a few weeks, and would do it again in a heart beat. When Foo Foo ran out of the cage, it was more like jumping...springing upward if you will. He spun in circles and jumped around like it was 'Christmas morning'. We enjoyed watching him. After a while, J scooped him up and carried him to a field with tall, green grass in it for him to enjoy. We all said our goodbyes, and wished him well. The children telling him that if he "were nice, he soon would soon find friends".

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This is a raccoon we caught the other day. It is these little fellas (not so little) that make it not so safe for our little Foo Foo.

And these were just a few of the adventurous that we have when we spend a day at the field.

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After all the work at the field, the kids mentioned how they would like to go out to eat with the family as a date. The kids wanted Chinese, so we decided to go to the new restaurant in town, The Panda Buffet. The kids loved it and were very well mannered. We decided that we would plan to go on a family every few weeks. We enjoyed our time together visiting and eating good food.

One of the waitresses their took a liking for j. She brought him over a stuffed duck toy. He thought that was great. We all ate our fortune cookies after dinner. It was so funny to read what our fortunes were. They all seemed to fit each individual personality so well. The kids said that they couldn't wait to see if they would come true. I suggested that we would keep our eyes out to see if we could witness them happen. We'll be on the look out.

Funny Things Kids Do and Say

2009-04-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

M was playing with a tiny little fishing game that winds up and the fish go around in a circle. The object is to use your magnetic pole and pull and fish out while it spins around on the little pond. M was holding her little fishing pole; looking at the fish and said, "Pick me. Pick me. Pick me little girl." J and I laughed as we watched and noticed that shewas pretending that a fish was talking to her.

M was playing with her little doctor set and barbies. She had a barbie laid out on our family room bench, with a shot needle up to her leg. M said, "It really does hurt little girl, but that is okay. Just pretend it doesn't and it might not. This is important. You have to get your kindergarten shots."

We were outside and the clouds were overhead, making it a little dark outside. I looked over at M and she was making something. I asked her what it was, and she said that it was a 'sand candle'. She said, "I have to hurry and make sand candles before we can't see anymore because of the dark clouds. I have to hurry and get it made so we can see better."

We were down at the field doing chores. I had just fed the ducks with M and j and sat down on a log next to M. I looked over at her and she was making something out of the log and a stick. I asked her what she was doing. She said, "This is a teeter totter for the ducks. When they get done eating they will have a teeter totter to play on and have fun. What else are they going to do?"

I was combing M's hair the other day and noticed a big chunk of hair was about one inch high just behind her bangs. I asked her what had happened to her hair. She said that she was trying to braid a heart in her hair like I did for Valentine's Day, and couldn't, so she asked C to cut a heart in her hair instead.

I had just dried off the last boiled egg before we were going to dye them for Easter. I asked the kids to come over to the counter so that we could dye eggs. C looked at me funny and said, "Why do our eggs have to die too? Everything of ours is dying. It is not fair."

My husband J, was looking for one of those zip ties, (kind of like a twisty tie) and wast simply thinking out loud. C said, "H just wore his zipper tie to church on Sunday. I know where it is, why doesn't dad? We always put our ties in the same place so that we can find them the next time we wear them."

j was eating in the high chair one day. He knows that when he is done eating, or the food is gone off of his trey he can get down. After throwing the food on the ground several times and not having it work, he went to plan B. He now reaches to the back of his neck and stuffs them down the back of his shirt. At first I wasn't catching on, but then I changed a few diapers and food was falling out of the back of his shirt. I started watching him closer when he was eating. It made me laugh because he would get a sneaky look on his face, look at me, then slowly slide his hand across the trey and pick up food. He then would quickly shove it down the back of his shirt. I said something to him the first time I witnessed it and he laughed. It was actually really funny.

M's clothes were muddy the other day, so I asked her to quickly change them and then to come outside. The next thing I knew she was outside in a whole new outfit, socks and all. Her toes were looking a little cramped but I didn't say anything to her. After her running around and playing for a bit I caught a glance at her feet. Her big toes were poking through the ends of her socks. I said, "M what are your toes doing, peeking out of your socks?" She said, "I guess they got to squished and wanted to come outside and see what I was doing."

I have found that things that our children do don't really make us the happiest at some times during our lives, but it is the little funny things that kids do and say that really make parenting worth it all!

Easter Family Home Evening

2009-04-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

Monday evening my parents and a bunch of siblings with their kids came to our home to celebrate Easter. Celebrating the day after Easter is a tradition that has been carried on for many, many years. The weather was perfect for an outdoor gathering. We first had a pot luck barbecue dinner.

We then took turns shooting at pictures of bunnies with a BB gun. This is a tradition that my father started. Both adults and children love to see who can get closest to their target.

We had an egg hunt in one of our fields. It sure looked like we had a bunch of filled eggs, but when we spread them all out over a huge surface area, there didn't seem to be quite as many. The kids had fun really searching for the eggs this year.

I found some Easter Gingerbread Houses for each family to decorate while the eggs were being hidden. The kids thought that it was great that they could decorate their house any way that they wanted to. No restrictions.

I love planning on spending time with J's family on the Saturday before Easter, and spending time with mine on the Monday after; leaving Easter Sunday for my own individual family. I love how we can plan on the best of both worlds for one holiday and not have to ever juggle where and when we will see each family. Another beautiful Easter.

Easter Weekend

2009-04-12T20:04:00.000-07:00

Our Easter Weekend began Friday afternoon as I cooked six dozen eggs to dye for our Easter Egg Roll and Fight. Here the kids are dying their own dozen of eggs.

Saturday morning we took off to my brother-in-law's ranch for our festivities. We came prepared for snow, rain or shine...hoping more along the shine lines. We lucked out with just a few rain drops and overcast skies.

We had fun riding dirt bikes and four wheelers with the rest of the Slack side of the family.

We had a huge Easter Egg Hunt in a near by field. This year we took a sack full of candy filled eggs, a sack of coin filled eggs, and a sack full of wrapped candy to scatter on the ground. The kids had a blast filling their buckets with all sorts of treasures.

We had great food. Usually we have dutch oven chicken and potatoes, but due to not knowing what the weather would be like, we each brought our own meat and had a barbecue. There were many salads, desserts and all sorts of yummy food to eat.

We had a fun time making Easter Egg trails for the eggs to race down. Afterwards a huge egg fight broke out with all of the broken up eggs. That was a lot of fun to watch and be a part of.

Easter with the Slacks was sure a lot of fun this year. Tomorrow we will be doing it all over again with my side of the family. The kids can hardly wait for the traditions to be carried out. I'll post later and show all the fun that goes on during tomorrow's Easter Family Home Evening.

M and her love for the little things.

2009-04-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

M loves anything that is little. Little ants, little stickers, little animals....you name it, and M loves it. We were at the field the other day and M kept picking mustard weed for me. She said that they looked like little Christmas Trees. She was excited because we could have a little Christmas all the time, not just in December.

M also picked several flowers to add to my collection of "littles". This is her favorite little flower.

This is M making a little "cow fire" so that the cows can gather round when they are getting cold, and get warmed up. Each time we go down to the field, she has to fix it so that it is ready again for the cows to use.

To Everything There Is A Season

2009-04-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

I love Springtime. It means it's time to irrigate, and it also means we get to listen to another wonderful General Conference. This last Sunday at 3:10 a.m. J's alarm went off awakening him for our first irrigation turn of the year. We received the water at 3:30 am and turned it off at 7:30 pm. Needless to say it was a long and tiring day. We all enjoyed being home together to help daddy out with the irrigation turns.

While waiting to make water turns, our family sat and watched/listened to conference in the family room. J and the kids enjoyed playing conference bingo, while I enjoyed listening and taking notes. What a great conference! There were so many good things said. I love listening to the the prophet and apostles to see what they have been inspired to share with us, and encourage us to do. I can hardly wait for the next Ensign to come out so that I can read them all over again. I always feel refreshed and ready to take on the world after listening to conference.

Sunday was another great day. I enjoyed simply being home with the family taking care of the land that we have been blessed with, and listening to President Monson, our modern day prophet. It was perfect.

Today on the other hand, little j gave me a scare. I was out in the garage rinsing off all of the muddy pants from yesterday's irrigation. j was in the garage with me. When I was finished, I called for him so that we could go into the house. I couldn't find him anywhere. I looked behind things, under the van, etc. I began to worry, and stepped into the house to see if the kids had let j back in. They told me that they hadn't. I went back into the garage and called for him again. I heard a soft sound came from him, yet it seemed as though it was coming from above me. I looked up and over, and much to my very alarmed surprise, j was on the very top step of the ladder...touching the ceiling. I about died. I walked quickly over to him as I talked to him. Hoping that I wouldn't scare him and cause him to fall. When I got over to him, and climbed a few steps, he reached out and stepped off. Scared me to death. I really shouldn't encourage him to jump off of things into my arms. Needless to say, I caught him and we quickly went back into the house. I sure hope that he has a long and healthy life. As for me, I am surprised I haven't killed over from all the heart attacks he has scared me into having.

(This picture is to show how tall the ladder is. The cieling is 9 feet tall. Don't bother looking at the mess around the ladder. Focus on what is important.)

Laid back....ever so needed Saturday

2009-04-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day for me. I woke up to a clean house. That was a great start. I then pulled out my sewing machine and began creating. I did this while listening to General Conference talks on the television.

My two youngest boys share a room. C on the top bunk, while little j on the bottom. j has a hard time napping when the room is light, so I close the blinds and hang a blanket over the end of the bed. When the kids aren't sleeping, they love playing in their room and trying to make huts out of their bed. I decided the time had come for an easy set up enclosure for the bunk bed....or in other words a hut. This is what I came up with.

Velcro tabs to hook the panels onto the bed railing.

Lined the Cowboy fabric with black fabric. This having a dual purpose. Doubling the panel makes it darker during the day, and having different fabrics makes it reversible when desired.

The boys were so excited when I had completed it. C actually said, "this is the best day of my life. Thank you mom." j, too young to talk, but from his actions I'm sure he was thinking the same thing.

After creating a bit on the sewing machine. We each spent a little one-on-one time with J. He saddled up two horses and took us each out on a little horse ride. We each loved our individual time with daddy; visiting and enjoying the scenery. The boys roped and rode calves, and I organized different parts of the house while the others were on their ride with J.

In the evening, we all sat around a cozy fire J and H had built, watching a college basketball playoff game and eating yummy treats...until one after another drifted off to sleep.

J and I were then able to snuggle and watch a couple of our favorite shows to end the evening. I loved every minute of this Saturday. There were no deadlines, no worries, no preparations, just a laid back enjoyable day.

Friday Night Date

2009-04-05T07:40:00.000-07:00

It is hard to go out on a date once a week. The intentions and desire are there, but sometimes there is just too much going on in our busy lives to allow us the time to go. This week was different though. Just coming back from our 10 year anniversary getaway, (a week ago) and remembering how much we loved it and loved being alone with each other, we couldn't let this week go without. We began the evening attending a couple of friend's wedding receptions, and then headed over to the Rusty Bucket Cafe for dinner. (I love that place.) We both ordered their Prime Rib Dinner and one-of-a-kind smoothies. We enjoyed each other's company while live music was being played in the background. Off to the movies to watch Knowing, came next. We had mixed feelings about it. Wouldn't see it again, and wouldn't recommend it either. Our date was lovely. J looked really handsome and I felt cute all dolled up as well. We decided that we really need to keep doing these kinds of things. Spending time together is crucial. Why not set a side one night a week for just the two of us?

A farmer's wife's life.

2009-04-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

So a farmer's wife's life isn't all that it is cracked up to be. I used to think so, until this morning at 8:10 am. L and I were sitting on the couch reading in the family room, when L looked up and out the window and yelled, "the horses are out!" I jumped up and ran to the back door, just in time to see all but one horse on the other side of our fence. Some where headed to the houses above the field, others were going down in the wash. It is was though they had all gotten together and discussed how they would spread as quickly as they could when they broke down the fence and were passed our property line. I knew I wasn't dreaming, and yesterday happened to be April 1st, so I knew they weren't just being silly and pulling one over on me. It was time to put on the boots, grab the grain sack and rope and jump on the 4-wheeler....that is with five kids piled high on top of me as we sped down the lane holding on to each other for dear life. Hoping that one of us wasn't going to be thrown in the air and off in the ditch, onto a barbed wire fence, or into a pile of fresh horse manure. To make a long story short, we were able to herd them all back in, prop up a few fences, and lock them back into a field. The kids were late for school, my make-up was only half way on, the floor unvacuumed, and preschool not exactly set up how I would have liked it. No one had flown off of the 4 wheeler, but little j did end up with a cut lip and a mouth full of manure....due to tripping over a rock. Don't get me wrong, farming actually is a great deal of fun. That is, when everything runs smoothly. I am sure I will look back and laugh, but at this moment I am not quite there.

Letting Go

2009-03-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

In the last 10 days we have had to say goodbye to a couple of horses and a cow. The horses do to age, and a cow...who knows. Ten years ago I never would have thought that an animal could play such a huge part in a humans life, but have truly learned how much they can, first hand. Both C's and L's horses went to a better place. As C said, "a place where Grandpa could watch over them and get them healthy." He also said, "Sometimes we just don't know what to do for the animals, but Grandpa knows. He will make sure everything is better up in heaven. We don't need to worry anymore." I don't know what we will do for family horse rides. I guess double up for a while.

This Week's Dinner Menu

2009-03-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

Monday: Chicken Florentine
Tuesday: Cal zones
Wednesday: Beef and Broccoli
Thursday: Chicken and Dumplings
Friday: Date Night
Saturday: Chicken Stir Fry
Sunday: Lettuce Wraps

Our Anniversary

2009-03-29T18:23:00.001-07:00

This last Friday was J's and my 10 year wedding anniversary. We really haven't done much for our anniversary's so we decided this year we would go somewhere and spend the night. We chose to go to Las Vegas. We began our over-night date going to lunch at P.F. Chang's. We both love the food, especially their Lettuce Wraps.

We then went to The Venetian Hotel to look around.

We watched a little show entitled, "The Live Garden." I loved how the statues came to life and moved to the beautiful music, as water sprung from their fingertips and hair.

We then went on a Gondola Ride. I don't know when I will ever make it to Venice, but this was romantic enough for me this last weekend. We rode slowly down the winding canal, kissed under the "wedding bridge," and being serenaded all the while. I loved it!

We then went to the Blue Man Show. Didn't love it. In fact, it really clashed with my personality. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Enjoyed being there however, because I was with my sweetheart.

We then went to Primarily Prime Rib for dinner. It was so yummy. We had cheesecake for dessert, and have to admit it was the best I have ever had.

We then stayed in the South Point Hotel. Very lovely. I felt so pampered. It was great.

For Breakfast we went to the Garden Buffet. The food was again yummy.

To finish off our overnighter, we headed to the Las Vegas Temple to do some sealings. The temple was very beautiful. We enjoyed our time there, and would love to return.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with J. It was like we were young, and dating, and free. I loved the butterflies that I had when being with him. It was a get-a-way that was indeed needed. We vowed we would make this happen more frequently. What a perfectly perfect anniversary.

H's Pine Wood Derby

2009-03-29T17:12:00.000-07:00

H was able to do the Pine Wood Derby for the first time ever in Scouts. We looked up on line different patterns. H found one he liked and a widdling we did. H even took his turn carving and sanding his car. When we arrived to the church, they had a mini Pine Wood Derby track set up for the younger siblings to play with. That was a great idea and was very entertaining for them for the few hours we were there.

We of course had to add a few "cowboy" touches to to H's car. I wanted to do more with it, but H said that it was perfect....just the way he wanted it.

Here is H and his car during a few races.

The Pine Wood Derby consisted of 14 cars, and every car was to race every other car there. Points were given for wins, and places were given accordingly. H's car took 2nd place this year. He was very happy with the outcome.

Birthday Party Fun

2009-03-26T22:23:00.000-07:00

This last week has been very hectic with all of the family's activities. The boys wanted parties, but I didn't know when to do them. We decided to cram them into Wednesday afternoon. I did C's from 1:00-2:30 and L's from 4:00-5:30. Thank goodness they wanted the same theme. They both went really well and the kids seemed to have a lot of fun.

Here is a picture of the invitation we sent out to people for the boy's parties.

Stick horse races.

Herding Cattle.

Roping Wild Mustang's.

Opening Gifts

We served cupcakes and root beer floats.

Treasure Find in a Haystack

Ribbon Pull (on horses instead of goats.)

Snake in my Boots

C and L's Birthday's

2009-03-26T22:13:00.000-07:00

A few days ago both C and L had their birthdays. Here are just a few pictures from their special days.

Here are the boys with their joined birthday cake. C said that he wanted a cake that looked just like his Mama Mary's Cabin. We did the best that we could. Both boys thought that it turned out perfectly, so who could ask for anything more?

We let the boys choose where they wanted to have their Birthday Date. As you can see, Golden Corral was their choice. They couldn't seem to get enough of the all-you-can-eat ice cream bar.

C with one of his gifts.

L with one of his gifts.

The kids having fun with one of C's gifts.

Pinata Fun

A Spring Break Horse Ride

2009-03-23T18:55:00.000-07:00

One thing that our kids made very clear that they wanted to to over Spring Break, is go for a family horse ride. We were blessed with fabulous weather for a few days, and their wish was able to come true. All of us thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Although it takes a while to prep the horses, it always seems to be worth it. This is one thing that I truly love doing with my family. Seeing their joy, increases mine.

Happy Birthday To My 7 Year Old

2009-03-23T08:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday L!

I can hardly believe that you are now 7 years old. I can remember when you were a baby in my arms...so small. Now look at you. Cuter than ever and oh so tall.

Draper Temple Dedication

2009-03-22T20:47:00.000-07:00

J and I took H to the Draper Temple dedication at our Stake Center last evening. H wasn't too sure that he wanted to attend, because he miss-understood and thought that we were actually going to the Draper Temple for the dedication. Afterwards we asked H how he felt about the entire dedication. He said that he was glad that he attended, and would like to go to another one.

I loved it...all of it. The talks were short, and seemed as though the were meant for me. (That seems to be happening a lot lately.) I loved the feeling that I had while being there. I loved the messages and the encouragement to keep attending the temple. I would love to take the kids to a temple open house sometime in the future. I know that they would recognize the feelings that I talk about with them when I return home from the temple. I would hope that they would enjoy their time spent within it's walls and have a desire to return.

CREATE

2009-03-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

My Sister-in-law lead me to a clip from a talk given to the women of this world. I heard it, and fell in love with it. I would like to share it with any of you who are interested.

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, our abilities; we each have an in current wish to create something that did not exist before. Everyone can create. You don't need money, position or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty. You might say, "I'm not the creative type." If that is how you feel, think again, and remember that you are a Spirit daughter of the most creative being in the universe. Isn't it remarkable to think that you're very Spirit is fashioned by an endlessly creative and eternally compassionate God? Think about it. Your Spirit body is a masterpiece, created with the beauty, function and capacity beyond imagination. Creation is your opportunity in this life ...Start small. Creativity does not require a brush, a pen, or even keys on a piano. Don't let the voice of critics paralyze you. Improve. Beautify. Smile. Cultivate. Develop. Create. The more you trust and rely upon the Spirit, the greater your capacity to create." --Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Happy Birthday to my 5 Year Old!

2009-03-22T06:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday C!

You are the best! I am so glad that you are my big 5 year old. Hope your day is as wonderful as you deserve.

Trip to the Auction:Nothing but Fun

2009-03-21T09:19:00.000-07:00

J has promised the kids for a while that he would take them to the Livestock Auction up in Cedar. Having Spring Break presented a perfect opportunity for them to head up and see what treasures they could find. After a couple of hours at the Auction, two cows and five calves were welcomed back home into Slackville.

J made a little corral for the kids to rope in. They all had a lot of fun headin' and healin'. The boys were sure grateful for the brake-away ropes that Grandpa Slack had made for them a couple of years ago. It sure made getting the ropes off of the heads a lot easier. These calves were a perfect find for the kids.

Even j had a great time with the calves. Rather than roping, he would try to walk up to them and pet them. At times that got a little scarey.

Knowing that the calves could have dual purposes, the kids got J involved in helping them all ride them a few times. The kids had a blast. I too had a blast watching J try to stay up with the calves while holding onto the kids. What fun times we have had these last couple of days.

Fun With a Miniture Horse

2009-03-20T06:45:00.000-07:00

J's nephew came to visit the other day, and brought along his new prized possession. When he pulled up to our house and the kids saw a horse trailer, and they all bailed to see what was inside. Much to their surprise there was a miniature horse and cart. For the next couple of hours our children enjoyed riding in the cart and taking turns riding the horse around.

L, our second oldest, has asked for a miniature horse for a couple of years now. Being able to ride behind it in a cart, and on it's back has now reinforced his desire. It would be a lot of fun having one, so if any of you out there hear of a great deal and are willing to share it, let us know.