Everything

The great thing about living in Oklahoma is that we have big trees that loose all their leaves.  The kids have had the time of their lives raking up all the leaves into a pile so they can jump into them over and over.  Lottie needs a little help jumping in but they all have a blast.

 

We were going to have some friends over for dinner so we decided to make a black forrest trifle.  It had cut up brownie, chocolate pudding, cherry pie filling, fresh whipped cream and some chocolate swirls.  It was so good.  Unfortunatley, our friends had to cancel, so we took it to Eric's work meeting the next day to share with every one.  We got rid of most of it just because it was too much for our family.

Lottie can fit most of her hair into a ponytail now.  I was so excited.  It was super cute!

Isn't she cute?

 

 

Porter had to disquise a turkey for school so they would be safe for Thanksgiving.  He decided on an army guy.

 



 

We finally got Eric's diploma from dental school and it is finally spelled correctly.

 



Adie had her 4th birthday and she wanted to have a Little Mermaid party.  I racked my brain trying to figure out a cake for her.  I finally figured out what I wanted to do and unfortunately started late doing it the night before and was up until 2am finishing it.  Lottie kept me company until 1 then I was on my own.  Even though it took so long I really liked how it turned out.

 



We have a fire pit in our back yard and the kids LOVE to go out and build fires.  And eat s'mores.  So we do it on a fairly regular basis.  Can you tell they are having fun?

 The other day I was looking for Lottie because she had been so quiet.  I found her on the side of the couch like this, fast asleep.  Poor baby, mom and dad don't put her in bed when she is tired.

My cute kids

Lottie is getting so big and is climbing on everything.....and I mean everything!  She is also running now everywhere she goes.  She is in the 88th percentile for height, and in the 12th percentile for weight.  We decided today that she has the Ricks genes and will just always be tall and skinny....lucky girl.

Porter and Adie love each other.  My favorite is their embrace after school every day when Porter gets off the bus.  They really do miss each other throughout the day.

Lottie loves it when Porter pushes her around on the tricycle and she smiles the whole time.  Aren't they cute?

And this is what happens when your 10 year old digital camera gives up the ghost.  The shutter speed is now so slow, there is no way to capture pictures unless we did like they did in the early camera days with posts behind them to help them hold still until the picture was taken.  (Apple Dumpling Gang is what I picture in my mind).  So we don't have any more pictures and won't until we are able to find a camera that we want.  Sorry, I have already missed some great moments that I wish I had pics of.

You know you are in Oklahoma when....

Well, first things first.  A was invited to her first birthday party of someone we didn't know before.  I am glad we went as we were the only ones who came that weren't family.  Anyway, it was a My Little Pony birthday and so I decided to make a necklace for the little girl.  I am quite pleased at how it turned out.  Yeah for me and the help of my wonderful hubby!

A has been getting lonely without her brother home and gets sad on and off.  But the good thing about it is that her and L have really had some good bonding time and really like each other now.  What a blessing because they used to just tolerate each other.  Anyway, so one day she was really sad so we decided to make spiral cookies.  They were hard to do and took way too much time in my opinion, but she sure did love them and actually just asked to make them again.  They were good though.

I walked into my kids room the other day to help clean up so I could....so P could vacuum and this is what I saw.  AAAHHH IT'S A GIANT POTATO BUG EATING CINDERELLA!!!!!  I was laughing pretty hard.

And to the title of this post.  I just looked outside our front window and this is what I saw.....our neighbor across the street practicing his bow shooting as hunting season is just around the corner.  I thought that was funny.  If Eric wasn't working I think he probably would have gone out and talked to the guy to ask him where to go hunting and if he can tag along.  He was a pretty good shot too, or at least it looked like to me.  I think most people here do bow hunting and Eric doen't have a bow yet.  Someday.  Anyway, I thought it was funny.

Big Man on Campus

Well, today was the day.  My little man started Kindergarten.  He was so excited he not only made his own bed, but he made his sisters too.  He did everything before he even ate breakfast.  I was way more nervous than he was.  I think he was just super excited to ride the bus, and use a lunch box for the first time.  It is angry birds.  So cute!

As we waited at the bus stop for his bus, he would not stop talking.  He kept telling me that after kindergarten we were going to go back to Buffalo.  I hate to break it to him, but that just isn't going to happen.  And then he said that he was "going to be good behave, and listen to Jesus Christ and his teacher."  I think that we need to add mom and dad in there too.  Anyway, he was jumping up and down as he saw the bus come around the corner.  But when it stopped and opened the doors, the look on his face changed.  You could see he was nervous, but didn't want to let anyone know.  So he climbed right up and went to an empty seat in the back all by himself.  Poor kid, so nervous.  But the driver was so good, and said he would watch out for him after asking if it was his first day on a bus, and in Kindergarten. 

Needless to say I walked home (across the street) in tears to a husband who was laughing at me.  I did drive to his school to make sure he was ok, but it was a zoo!  So I found where the busses dropped off and saw that of course it was organized and that he was going to be just fine.  I can't believe it.  Adie was crying about missing her brother, and doesn't really know what to do without him.  He is going to be gone so long.  I am sure that I am going to be in tears on and off all day.  I can't believe he is so big.  Way to go Port!!!  I know you will do great!

my teeth are singing...

I guess we are going to go backwards since I don't know how to use this new blogger format (obviously I haven't posted in a while).  Here was our fathers day gift to Eric.  A malt ice cream and dark chocolate brownie cake.  It was soooo good.  And really super easy.  Every one loved it. (Port calls it the spunkin whoppin cake, really it just had whoppers on it.)

This is what we have been doing to keep ourselves entertained in a small apartment when we don't have a car and it is too hot to walk somewhere to play outside.  It has actually been a somewhat fun experience, but I think it will be good for everyone's sanity when we get to our new house next week.

When we were in Utah we went fishing up in Mantua (for non-Utahn's it is pronounced man-a-way).  The kids thought that it was great until they actually caught a fish.  Then they didn't want anything to do with it.  And ran from the front of the boat to the back and drove everyone crazy.

We said goodbye to all of our wonderful friends in Buffalo.  I really miss everyone and feel a little lonely down here in OK, but we are hoping to make friends soon in our new ward.  There are some other couples that have just moved in that are residents so we are kind of in the same boat.  It will be nice since thats what we are used to.  But we miss you SO much.  Feel free to visit us anytime!

Our little froggie turned 1.  I can't believe it.  She has been my slow baby, slow crawling (compared to my other kids), really slow teething, and slow walking.  She has finally figured it out this last week and officially has 4 teeth.  She just walks and tried to run everywhere, and doesn't really want to be held anymore.  She is so much fun and chases the other two from room to room.

This was her cake.  I wish I would have gotten a better picture of it.  It was a lot of fun and she got the whole top to herself.  She ate some of it, but mainly just destroyed half of it.

ERIC GRADUATED FROM DENTAL SCHOOL!!!!!  YEAH!!!!

I am officially married to a dentist.  And I still don't let him watch me floss my teeth.

Adie had a dance recital that she actually danced in.  They danced to bibbity bobbity boo.  She did really good and was so cute.  But I think her favorite part was the dessert afterward.

Eric had a senior dinner/award dinner thing.  I didn't want to go in my old church clothes, so I made myself a cocktail dress.  I thought it turned out pretty good, but there are some things that I would change if I did it again.

And as for the title of the post.  The other day we were swimming in the pool and Port was shivering.  We asked him if he was cold, he said "no, my teeth are just singing."

11 months and busy

Our little froggie turned 11 months old.  She wants to walk but is scared.  She has taken a couple of steps, but just won't do it without someones finger to hold.  She has weaned herself in the last 1 1/2 weeks (which is great for me) and since has gained over a pound.  I guess I just didn't have enough for her.  Now she is a happy, starting to get rolly baby.  And she smiles at everyone, but don't touch her.  She will glare at you or cry.

The other day it was warm and I sent the hippo and the monkey out into the backyard to play.  Neither of them could find matching shoes, so they improvised.  I guess I should be happy that they are problem solvers.... but I couldn't not take a picture. 

We went to the Franklinville, NY maple festival this last weekend.  A little disappointed by it.  It was basically a fair crammed into a very small area.  But the kids were excited by the parade and the petting zoo.  I was amazed by the fact that they make maple soda, and maple cotton candy.  It smelt so good there, and the pure maple syrup was cheap.  Too bad we're moving.

And of course my kids find a playground and wanted to stay there the rest of the day.

Eric and I just celebrated our 6th anniversary.  We figured that in the last 6 years we have lived in 4 states, two of which we moved back to (UT, ID, AZ, ID, UT, NY).  Between the two of us we have earned 3 college degrees and 3 certificates.  And we had 3 beautiful children.  After all that accomplishment, we decided to do something fun.  We went to a restaurant that we had never heard of before but has been featured in Guy Fieri's (the food network) show Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G2zFpveYeo )  Grover's bar and grill.

We had the famous Bruiser burger which is the most delicious hamburger I have ever had and a bowl of their famous cheeseburger soup.  They were so good.  We shared both and came out completely full.   Now just to learn how to make it on our own.  Another thing about this burger is that even Eric couldn't fit the burger into his mouth.  It was that big, but oh so good!

On a side note, two weeks then we move back to Brigham City for about 3 weeks, then on to Tulsa, Oklahoma for who knows how long.  We are excited, just going through the stress of moving.  I can't believe how fast time has gone.  More pics to come soon for graduation!

SOLD!!!

This has been such an up and down roller coaster ride. Let me tell you. I never thought it would be this hard. But after only 15 days on the market our house sold.


We are now going through all of the contract details that have proved more frustrating that anything else and dealing with picky people. Maybe we just didn't know any better when we bought, but sometimes I just want to smack the guy that bought it to make me feel better. Anyway, we are happy that it sold so fast and we feel so blessed. I never thought I was emotionally attached to anything about this house....but I am. And of all things, I am emotionally attached to my washer and dryer that we have to leave now. But we'll get another one and its ok. I was having a hard time until something went wrong with our sump pump while Eric was taking the clinical portion of his licensure exam. Luckily I have an absolutely amazing husband and he was able to take care of it when he got home, but happily enough, that must have been the last straw for me and I no longer want this house and am more than happy to move! Blessings!!! So now to find a place to move.....it will all work out!

More to come next week

Don't touch anything!!!!

So with trying to sell our house I think that I have turned into the worst mom in the world. I have tried and tried to get the house the kind of clean I think that it should be. Does it really work? No. Have I lost all the motivation to do anything now? Sure have. In fact I sat on the couch almost all of yesterday (except for making meals and taking care of kids) and read "The Help". I have been wanting to read it for a while, but that hasn't been on my priority list. And now I am sucked in! Anyway, I also keep telling my kids, "don't touch that", "don't make a mess", "quit playing in there", blah, blah, blah. It's a good thing my kids are so patient with me. They are amazing, and I love them to death. In fact I am really gratefull that P doesn't have school this week so I can spend some time with him.

Well, we had our first open house this last weekend so we haven't really let the kids get ANY toys out. So they have resorted to the baby toys that are always out. This is what they have done lately.

This is L "the dog" being taken for a walk. When I first saw it I was worried as he has that attached to her shirt. Then as I watched, she was lovin' it! She giggled and followed him wherever he went. Which she usually does anyway, so I don't know why I thought it would be different. We did have a discussion though (for those that are worrying) about how you cannot pull her anywhere.

My poor deprived children....this is the first time they ever had pop rocks. P was so worried about it he wouldn't put them in his mouth. A on the other hand, dumped the whole bowl in her mouth. It was hilarious. These are their faces when they first put some in their mouth.

Also I have been wracking my brain trying to figure out what to do with my mantle since my plant died. I finally came up with something. I would like to completely finish it someday (the runner that is) but I just kept getting so mad at it! Anyway, tell me what you think. Well, I say that but really I only want to hear good things. I am not at a point in my life to hear criticism. So go on and tell me how great you think I am!

busy, busy, busy

I do believe that this is a good indicator of how busy we have been and how our whole family feels right now. I walked into the kitchen and there she was almost falling out of the chair, absolutely sound asleep. Poor girl. As uncomfortable as she looks, of course I had to take a picture of her before I put her in bed.



Porter is my favorite little boy ever! I love his happy face all the time. Just look at that cheese. Anyway, he REALLY wanted his picture with his salmon slider so here it is. He is so funny. He even put an onion ring on it because he thought it would taste good, and yes he ate it that way, the whole thing. He is just like his dad.

If you want the recipe you can go to this blog to find it.

I'm baaaack...

So since I can't get this above the picture it is going to be right here. We have been pretty busy lately which is why I haven't posted anything. I am back now, not saying that I am going to post every week or anything, but I am going to try to be better. Especially at the food blog that I started. I have so many recipes I want to add to it. Maybe a little later though. So here is just a little catch up and glimpse into what we have been doing.

Our one and only snowman this winter as we have really not had that much snow. Glad the kids got a chance to make one because they really wanted to. My favorite part is the chocolate money for a mouth and buttons, carrot nose, and football chocolate eyes.

Adie got into my makeup over Christmas. When I saw her I just started cracking up. She didn't know how to react because she didn't know if she was in trouble or not if you can't tell by the look on her face. I thought she looked like Hitler with that mascara mustache.

We went swimming in Utah with all the cousins. The kids had so much fun. Although it was also a wave pool and Port just didn't know what to do. He almost started crying and wouldn't go back into the water until it stopped.

Things that we have missed. Idaho (yes, I know some people think we are crazy, but we REALLY like it there.) and 75 mph speed limits. It felt so nice driving fast again.

These are the lego batman cupcakes I made for Porter's birthday. It was a lot of fun and I think they turned out pretty good. Although I forgot the capes.

Porter loved it. He even sang "Happy Birthday to me"

Eric went ice fishing with his brother one day. He was in heaven. He may have caught the least amount of fish, but he did catch the biggest. It was 25 inches long and 6 lbs. From what I understand that is pretty darn big for a rainbow trout.

Christmas at Grandma's house. Lottie didn't know what to think and Porter couldn't have been more excited about every little thing that he got. (as you can tell by his facial expression)

We also went bowling and yes, this is how Adie stood after every time that she bowled. Then waited, and waited, and waited, and waited for the ball to actually get to the pins with only enough momentum to knock down one pin. I loved it.

Lottie turned 8 months old and wants to walk. She just figured out crawling over Christmas and the first thing she did was try to climb the stairs. She is getting big so fast.

We also did a lot of other fun things like ice skating, and saw the lights on temple square, had a family party with my siblings and spent time with Eric's siblings. It was so much fun. We also spent a couple of days in Boise as Eric met with dental brokers to look into buying a practice there. That meeting pretty much ruled out Boise for us unfortunatley. Then Eric and I went up to IF and Rexburg to meet with another dentist selling his practice. It was a lot of fun to go and we realized exactly how much we missed that place. Then Eric went by himself up to Butte, MT meeting with a dentist up there and stopped in IF again on the way back and in Rexburg and in Blackfoot all to meet with dentists. He was a busy man looking for a job. We think that we may have found what we are looking for but we aren't going to say anything (although some of you already know) until we know for sure.