The BEST in the WEST!

So for something to do today...we went to the dollar store in Edgewood. The kids think that is the BEST dollar store EVER!! It is nice and clean!! Tanner has been wanting to get army men forever, so he could use his rubberband gun that we brought home from Alaska last fall!

I couldn't believe how many choices of figures we had!! Firemen, Policemen...cowboys and Indians, but NO army men~hmmm....so we got 2 bags...cowboys and Indians...and the Policemen! (HOW cool is that police DOG?!)
So we sat the figures up on his shelf in his room, and SHOT away!

Steady....gotta beat Mom!

I had to use my nails...which...by the way, worked well!

And when you get through knocking them down...stack them like A Barrel of Monkeys! He got 42 on one indian~ talent! Tanner informs me...."I'm the best in the west!!!"

He was in such deep thought!!

He says... "this police dog bit the guys head off!!" (He just happened to find one with his head missing!!) Boys will be boys!

BEST 2 bucks I've spent in a long time!!!!


On another very sweet note...I got to go with Jaycee for her first time to do Baptisms with the Youth at the Seattle Temple last weekend!! I can't believe she is this old already!! What a wonderful experience for her, and such a joy for me to watch her adorable expressions on her face!! She was in AWE!So today....(random blog...and very long...geez!) Jaycee comes in Tanner's room while we are shooting rubber bands and says..."I just cleaned the bathroom, and....ugh...Tanner needs to learn to clean the toilet himself!!" She says...I'm tired of cleaning up after him!!
(Don't think I am ready for her to be a teenager!!!~)
Okay...I won't expand on this subject too much...but lets just say...one morning while putting my make-up on...he strolls in after just waking up and makes his way to the toilet. He's watching me, and I say...TAN...watch what you're doing!! HE looks at me very seriously and says..."I'm a trained proffesional" ~Say no more!!

He turns 8 in a couple of months...cub scouts...whew, haven't done that in about 15 years!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Kevin's Parents are on their mission, so we sent them a special Valentine card...I was pretty lazy this year, and didn't make very many cards....I need to do that soon though....make cards...so soothing! Kevin is going to California for some intense training (work related), for 5 days...good time to make cards, scrapbook, quilt....I think the last time Kev was gone that long was 5 years ago when he went on a guy Quading trip!! We will miss having him here, but know he needs to be motivated and taught!!

I FEEL LOVED!

I love to look at my counter with all the red and pink!! So pretty!!! Kevin gave me some roses, teddy bear, and a steak and crab dinner last night!! Such a nice peaceful night out!! Yummy food and great company! wink~

Cards from friends, which I love!!

K...finalizing my talk for church tommorrow...gotta get!

Live and Learn!!

It was Jaycee's turn to for Family Night last night, and she decided to make Chocolate chip cookies. She says..."don't help me Mom...I can do it!!" And I totally believed that she could, however I just happened to be making dinner at the same time, so I had to oversee.

She got the batter all ready and scooped them on the cookie sheet all ready to bake. After just 3 minutes into baking, I noticed they had spread out ALL over the sheet and were huge almost going off the sheet.....and FLAT! We walked through the recipe....and checked everything off...and well~
Needless to say, Jaycee learned that...cookies can't stay formed when you only use 1 cup of flour instead of 2!! Whew...glad we figured that one out!! "This is Bang" (AKA. Minerva)
.....and she was baptized on Saturday! You have never seen anyone SO excited to get baptized. Her Son was baptized a couple of months ago, and her husband is a member. It's been alot of fun getting to know them and to have them as our friends! Afterwards, we decided that we should have a PARTY!! So she and her husband and Son came over. The Elders came too...4 of them!! These Elders have some talent!! One was playing classical music on the piano while the other was playing the violin...and the other the Ukelele....had quite the JAM!!

So we cooked up some Lumpia that Bang and I had previously made, and put out a spread and munched and played games!! (She can cook for us ANYTIME...she's the best!!)

I had to surrender my apron to Bang...she was doing the deep frying!

Our little get together!

Kev and I

Once in a while...

...you are stopped dead in your tracks!! While vacuuming the upstairs, I ran across this little note from Tanner to Jaycee on her board~SO sweet!! When they are irritating each other...I will remember this! The fact that he even dared to go in her room was a surprise...(notice that he was looking for a card game?) Cute that he thought to leave proof... that he was in there!!

Made Jace a little surprise today...she has been wanting a new pillowcase for...EVER!! I have made these for Julia (my granddaughter) and Jaycee has been very patient!! Even though this fabric doesn't match her bedding...I couldn't resist!! She was thrilled...to say the least....and she could've cared less that it didn't match!!

Thanks to my sweet friend Belinda for showing me how to make these pillowcases!! She is my mentor.....she is the BEST Grama in the world, and I am learning all her tricks while I just have 2 grandbabys....and 1 more on the way....Thanks Casey and Ry!!

Got my fabric that I ordered randomly from E-bay a week or so ago!!! What a nice surprise when the mailman rang my doorbell today!! (yes more fabric!!) It's all Trina's fault...I had to see a little quilt that her Grama Bonnie made Livy for Christmas...so I needed to find the fabric to make me one in these colors...they are so pretty all together....love the salmon color and the teal!!!

Speaking of fabric....Jaycee picked up the scraps from the apron I made Kaylee for her birthday, and made a miniature quilt...she'll be a quilter too!! She did great matching up the squares and ironing all the pieces....she loves to sew...next PJ's!!

(which I am still waiting for a picture of Kaylee... in this APRON.......hint, hint!)

In case anyone's wondering...Yes I still scrapbook!!

No search party needed!!

I am really still here!! Where does the time go!! I have been having trouble with my photo editing program, so didn't feel like posting, since I HATE to post without a photo!!

I have been busy preparing for our Girls Camp Kick-Off this Weds...alot of work, but getting better now that I know what is expected of me!!

Tanner started basketball this month...games every Saturday, which we love to watch...he's a little more aggressive this year..fun to watch!

I made a little scrapbook for my niece who was here for the holidays, and have a layout in the works....then quilt fabric is just calling my name to sew!! Oh my goodness, so much I'd like to do...and NO motivation!! This gloomy weather is a drag!! Then today...school is delayed 2 hours because of a sciff of snow on the ground!! Guess it was a little slick earlier though!

" My new quilt fabric!"

My friend Margee taught me a little about wood working this month. We made a couple of simple little ladders to display my homemade quilts on. So I learned to use a sander, a router, nailer, and a table saw....I can see how this could be addicting as well. She has a cute little barn where all her wood is located....it was fun to learn something new!! Sweet friend!

" The Pro woodworker...Margee"

Using a router!! So cool!!

Then Trina and I put together a little Christmas Organizer that we both got the kit for in November, but had no time to do....so guess what?! Now it will be all finished for Christmas 09!! One step ahead of the game!! It has pockets for reciepts, spots for gift cards...so you don't lose them...and find them a year later!! (hmmm how would I know this happens?!) We have been in a little bit of a creative slump...so this was a fun project to kick us in the butt and get us going again!!

=

We also had our annual trip to see Monster Trucks at the Tacoma Dome again this month...just after a boy was killed from flying pieces...we debated getting a refund, but went anyway....sad situation for that small boy though and his Family!! I really get into the jumps and the demolition!! I think it would be so much fun to see motorcross racing with motorcycles!!!

Jaycee's best friend in the whole world (Kami) is moving to California tommorrow, so I am in the process of making a paperbag book in 6 hours....so the race is on...better get it DONE!!

WHEW!!!!!!!!

Too close for comfort!!! Last night was one of the worst nights of sleep I can remember in a long time!! As was all over the news...Western Washington was in a state of Emergency with flooding occuring in most of the rivers!! Reaching all time highs!! The Puyallup River was racing so fast...we couldn't believe our eyes when we went to take a look. At 5 pm...we recieved a phone call from the city of Puyallup letting us know that our property...and US might be in danger as the waters rised..and that we were advised to evacuate and get our belongings to higher ground....WELL...this was a little alarming as I was sitting with the kids and had this horribly terrified look on my face!! Kevin arrived home from work shortly and we decided to take all of our belongings that were in our basement up to 3 feet to higher ground. So then we felt a little better. News reports weren't encouraging though~ I was checking the computer out for any new info when I heard the Puyallup Police Dept outside on their PA system going from block to block telling us "it is very important that we evacuate"~Kevin took a ride to make sure the water wasn't too close to us, and said...I think we will be ok. So we went to bed at 1 am...then every couple of hours or so, I walked downstairs to make sure the water wasn't seeping into our basement. Kevin got up at 5 am, and said it was ok...so I slept till 8, schools were cancelled, due to potential flooding. That makes 3 1/2 make-up days already that the kids have to make up!

ON Monday Jan 5th the Puyallup River was at 13 feet...and last night Jan 7th at 10 pm, it was at 29 1/2 feet!! 30 feet is flood stage, and 31 is major stage!! By 10 am this morning, it had receeded to 27 feet...what a relief..for us at least!

Not so many others have been so lucky...it makes us feel SO grateful that we were protected and safe. Like for instance...Tiffany's Roller Skating Rink was sandbagging last night...and the water was just at the edge of their parking lot....well this morning...the water had won!! So sad! Really makes you think when you have a scare like this!

Happy New Year!!

WOW...did this ever come quick!! Or is it that I'm just getting old!? No, couldn't be the case...you're only as old as you feel, and having 6 kids and 2 grandkids keeps me feeling young!! We had a great time with all our Christmas visitors...today was the kids first day back to school! They have had a GREAT break with 3 days before Christmas break added to their time...due to snow days this year!! 3 weeks off of school...a kids dream!! Well, back to reality for me I guess...laundry, mopping floors, cleaning....but wait,....I do have fabric calling my name to start a new quilt!! ha ha